BSL and social media

There was a time when sign language users had to go to a local club to shoot the breeze, share advice or have any kind of conversation, reports the BBC. But social media, particularly Facebook has changed everything. It's a look at the impact of Facebook on British Sign Language in the video below. You can read the story here.

Panama City Police: Woman neglected deaf children to go "to the club"

A Florida woman is facing charges she left her three young children--two of whom are deaf--unattended this past weekend while she “went to the club,” reports the Panama City News Herald. Read the full story here.

First Day for New Gally Prez

Bobbi Cordano
(image from Gallaudet.edu)

Roberta “Bobbi” Cordano officially becomes Gallaudet's 11th president today. The Board of Trustees picked the Minnesota foundation executive from a group of three finalists. Cordano is 51 years old and deaf. She attended Wisconsin's Beloit College before earning a law degree University of Wisconsin at Madison. She succeeds T. Alan Hurwitz. Read more about her in the Baltimore Sun here
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Q&A with new Gally Prez

The new president of Gallaudet University is from Minnesota and the Star Tribune is the largest newspaper in the state. Incoming president Bobbi Cordano sat down with the Star Tribune to explain her vision for the Washington, DC school. Read the interview here.

Deaf Rapper MC Geezer

A London Rapper is making his mark. Deaf Rapper MC Geezer tells the BBC, "I go out there and speak the truth about what it's like to be deaf and be in the deaf community. It's not easy but we survive it." Here's a BBC video about what he's doing.

Cali Jury decides against Deaf Workers Discrimination claim

A California jury says it wasn't discrimination when a company called Placer ARC refused to provide an interpreter for former deaf employee. Placer ARC helps people with developmental disabilities in Sacramento maintain independent living. Homeyra Kazerounian, an Iranian immigrant, and the EEOC said in a lawsuit he needed a sign language interpreter but none was provided, according to the Sacramento Bee. Read the full story here.

Curtis Pride gets special role with MLB

Curtis Pride
(image from MLB.com)

Major League Baseball has made Curtis Pride as an ambassador for inclusion. Pride will keep his job with Gallaudet University where he's been the baseball coach since 2008. Deaf since birth, Pride played in major leagues for more than a decade.

deaf couple raising $20,000 to adopt a deaf 4-year-old from China

Catrina Ballou-Nowrey and Billy Nowrey hope to adopt a 4-year-old from China. Find out more about the New Jersey couple in this video from the Asbury Park Press.

Profile of a Sign language interpreter

Kim Bates
(image from ku.edu)

Why does Kim Bates interprete for Kansas University? In middle school she had a deaf classmate and wondered "If he has an interpreter who’s signing to him in class, then why aren’t we learning some signs to talk to him?” Find out more about Bates in an Lawrence Journal-World article here.

Deaf-Blind Harvard Law School Grad Skiing in SoCal

Haben Girma is Harvard Law School's first deaf-blind graduate spend time in San Diego yesterday learning to surf. Check out the video below from KNSD-TV. She told the NBC station, "I've been preparing for surf lessons by thinking about all the different ways people can communicate without using their voices or using hearing or vision. So thinking about tactile ways to communicate different surfing position, getting familiar with surfboards and getting familiar with the surf communicate." You can read more about Haben here, when we told you about the White House honoring her in November.

Text-to-911 saves woman's life

The ability to text an emergency request made the difference for a California woman yesterday. The Press-Enterprise has the story of how police are crediting a news 911 option with saving her life here.

Leader at Deaf Church accused of Sexual Battery

The treasurer at a Deaf church in Kasnas is facing charges that he sexually molested another church-goer. KCTV-TV has a video report. No captions but you can read the story here.

Is a college getting ready to close its program for the deaf?

A community college in Connecticut is making changes and "advocates for the deaf are concerned" the program-the "only deaf program of its kind in the state"--is on its way out. But the school denies the changes that are underway are a sign of things to come. Read more from WNPR here.

Marlee Matlin talks Broadway

Marlee Matlin and some of the cast members of Deaf West's Spring Awakening shared with Good Morning America what it's like to be a part of the Broadway show.


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Mickey D's sued for refusing to provide Terp

McDonalds is in trouble with the EEOC for refusing to interview a deaf person who applied for a job in Missouri because he wanted an interpreter. Ricky Washington even said he would let his sister interpret for him. It didn't matter. The EEOC, which enforces federal employment discrimination laws, says McDonalds wouldn't interview him and that's an ADA violation. Read more about the story here.

Students win national competition

A dozen deaf students in Iowa won a competition sponsored by the foundation of NFL deaf football player Derrick Coleman. They had to make a video about why being deaf and hard of hearing was no excuse. Here's a video report from KWWL-TV.

Prof making a difference in student's lives

Gary Davis
(image from Oklahoma State University website) 

Oklahoma State professor Gary Davis tells The Oklahoman that the Deaf President Now movement at Gallaudet University inspired him. “Experiencing Gallaudet and that protest really opened my eyes to the deaf community. They were standing up for themselves and making changes in their world. If they could do it, I knew I could.” Read the story of how Davis ended up training interpreters at Oklahoma State
here.

officer shoots deaf woman's dog

A Greenbelt, Maryland police officer is being investigated for animal cruelty after she shot a deaf woman's dog at a dog park just for growling at her. WJLA-TV has a video report. Read the story here.

Deaf woman sues NYPD over Terp

She was locked up for 24 hours without an interpreter. The New York Daily News explains what happened to Opal Gordon and why she is suing the New York Police Department in the video below. No captions, but you can read the story here.

Deaf wrestler wins right to terp during match

(image from WJBK-TV video report)

A week ago we told you about the deaf wrestler in Michigan who wasn't allowed to communicate with his interpreter during matches unless he was looking in her direction--not easy to do during a wrestling match. Now the Michigan High School Athletic Association has settled Ellis Kempf's complaint. Read the story from AP here.