Thursday, March 3, 2016

CPD Gets New VRS Equipment To Assist Deafies

VIDEO: Deaf News - Cleveland Police Department gets new video relay service equipment to assist Deaf community.







CLEVELAND, OH -- The Cleveland Police Department has invested in new equipment to help its officers better serve the Deaf community.



The department announced Wednesday that all officers have been trained to use video technology that gives them instant access to an American Sign Language interpreter.







Officials from the police department and local advocates for the hearing-impaired demonstrated the new equipment Thursday.



"The reality is there are barriers in place for some members of our community," Cleveland police Capt. James McPike said. "This grant was intended to try to remove those barriers for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing community."



Each of the city's five police districts is stocked with an iPad equipped with the ZVRS video interpreter application. The application gives officers dealing with a Deaf crime victim, suspect or witness access to an interpreter within seconds.



The technology was purchased using a portion of a $350,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women that was awarded to the department in 2011, Cleveland police Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia said.



The Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center and the Domestic Violence and Child Advocacy Center helped train the police force.



Deaf women in the U.S. experience domestic and sexual violence at rates twice those of hearing women, according to the Vera Institute of Justice, a nonprofit organization that advocates for fairness in the justice system. Yet they often encounter barriers when seeking help, from a phone-based 911 system to having their credibility as witnesses in court questioned.



The police department purchased the equipment after getting feedback from the Deaf community, said Maria O'Neil Ruddock, coordinator of training and outreach services for the Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center.



"The reason it's here is because the Deaf community has told us, 'We want access to the police, we want to be able to communicate, but it's difficult,'" O'Neil Ruddock said.



Cleveland is only one of two large police departments in the country using this technology, she added.



The department is also updating its general police orders to include a policy about communicating with the Deaf, McPike said. A draft of that policy is still in the approval stage.



Ciaccia said the interpreting technology is not related to a binding agreement with the Justice Department that requires the Cleveland police to improve the way they interact with citizens. The addition of the technology is the latest in a string of efforts by the department to expand training.



Mayor Frank Jackson announced in December that officers received first aid training and emergency medical kits.



The Cleveland Police Academy class that graduated in October was the first to receive 40 hours of crisis intervention training.



SOURCE

Gallaudet How Architecture Changes For The Deaf

VIDEO [CC] - Deaf News: Curbed's feature on DeafSpace at Gallaudet University campus for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing students and staff.





WASHINGTON -- Vox: We live in a world made for people who hear. But what would our cities looks like if they were designed for the Deaf? DeafSpace is an emerging approach to design and architecture that is informed by the unique sensory experience of those who don't hear. In conjunction with Curbed's feature on DeafSpace, we visited Gallaudet University to see what DeafSpace looks like in action:



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People who hear might not realize what role sound plays in everyday life. If you want a passerby's attention, you shout his name. If a professor needs to explain a math problem, it's not a problem to talk while writing concepts on the board.



But people who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing depend on different senses to navigate everything from social interactions to academics. The concept of DeafSpace uses that experience to inform the design of environments.



Gallaudet University - a school located in Washington, DC, and the world’s only institution of higher education for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing is in the process of modifying the historic university’s campus to create a more inclusive environment for the Deaf student body.



Hansel Bauman, the architect behind DeafSpace, has redesigned parts of Gallaudet's campus around five basic principles: space and proximity, sensory reach, mobility and proximity, light and color, and acoustics. DeafSpace is the project that has grown up around Bauman's work and is quickly gaining recognition both inside and outside deaf communities.



On our recent visit to the campus we sat down with Derrick Behm, a former student who now works in the Office of Campus Design and Planning. He walked us through some of the background of the DeafSpace project while also giving us a demonstration of how these concepts play out in action, which you can see in the video above.



For a more in-depth look into the history, traditions, and design elements driving DeafSpace, read Amanda Hurley's feature about DeafSpace on our sister site Curbed. SOURCE

'Bad Lip Reading' Does Ted Cruz Campaign Ad

VIDEO [CC] - Bad Lip Reading's Ted Cruz ad is a hilarious delight.



The most memorable Ted Cruz ad of 2016 came this week via Bad Lip Reading. And while it’s a complete satire, we feel confident watching it will be the funniest three minutes of your day.



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Cruz barely appeared in Bad Lip Reading’s GOP debate parody, but here we get a pretty nice impression of the candidate delivering the following sage lines:



“Death will find you soon. Not sure you’ll be remembered.”



“You got happy cheer, hrmmmgh!"



“I just love to twerk. Holla holla holla holla holla holla.”



“I need a bogel for the glotch.”



Thank you, Bad Lip Reading. Always.



SOURCE



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Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Learn American Sign Language For Deaf Student

VIDEO [CC] - Deaf News: Signing club helps Deaf student feel at home.





PEORIA, IL -- WMBD/CNN: Inside the library at Mark Bills School, class begins with the Pledge of Allegiance. But here, they’re doing things a little differently.



Students are using American Sign Language to say the pledge.



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“It’s like they want to be like me,” said fifth-grader Rhemy Elsey, who was born almost completely Deaf. A set of cochlear implant help him hear, but he relies heavily on sign language and his interpreter, Tammy Arvin, to communicate.



“It’s tough for a kid that has an interpreter,” Arvin said. “Following them around all day, you know, especially if the rest of the class can’t really communicate.”



Rhemy’s classmate Dexyrae Clarke said, “I wanted to be able to talk to Rhemy, and I wanted to be able to communicate with him.”



That’s how the American Sign Language Club was born at the school - with a group of students who wanted to be able to talk to a friend.



“I was thrilled that they were interested and that they wanted to learn some sign language,” Arvin said, “and that they were taking some initiative to able to communicate more effectively with one of their classmates.”



And this is not like their Spanish or French classes - students say they are finding there’s a lot that goes into learning this language, and things aren’t always easy. Tabria Smith explained the difficulty.



“Sometimes you really want to talk while you’re signing, but then you have to get used to just using your hands instead of your mouth to communicate with other people,” Tabria said.



But in Rhemy, they have a teacher and friend, showing them that so much can be said without saying anything at all. “It makes me feel, like, happy,” Rhemy said. SOURCE

Deaf Mavi Movies - Alles Gehörlos - Deaf Prank

VIDEO: Watch humor of Alles Gehörlos's Deaf prank - Got Your Nose.



Belgium's Deaf prankster Alles Gehörlos's got your nose by signs "Deaf" prank.





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Related Post: #Deaf Prank

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Alexander Graham Bell - Theft Of The Century

VIDEO [CC] - Deaf News: Alexander Graham Bell of history's most famous inventor, but shockingly his most famous invention was stolen.



WASHINGTON DC -- If you answered Alexander Graham Bell, then you, along with millions of people around the world have been misinformed. In 2002, even the US Congress succumbed to the nagging truth and “changed its mind” on the issue, according credit to the real inventor and declaring that the original telephone was in fact invented by Antonio Meucci, a penniless Italian who did not speak a word of English and could not afford to patent his discovery.



Alexander Graham Bell? He was just a successful patent applicant and some would say, THIEF.



According to the US Congress, Bell was a cunning opportunist who took all the credit for a more brilliant scientist’s work. The House of Representatives voted to recognise mechanical genius Antonio Meucci as the father of modern communications, following a protracted battle by historians and Italian Americans.



From Monopoly to the lightbulb, AllTime10s brings you 10 famous inventions stolen from other people.

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The real invented of the telephone, Meucci, born April 13, 1808, had been working in Cuba in the 1830s, developing methods for treating illnesses using electric shocks, when he discovered the ability of sound to travel through electrical impulses. He later moved to Staten Island to follow up on his discovery. In 1860 which was 16 years before Bell claimed to have invented the telephone Meucci demonstrated his teletrofono in New York, but could not afford the $250 required to register a patent.



Bell, who took an interest in Meucci’s invention, convinced him to share his research material. They shared a lab together and Bell had full access to Meucci’s materials. Bell made good and clever use of Meucci before coming up with his own “invention” and applying for a patent in his own name. Meucci duly protested, but lacking connections, was unable to convince anyone that Alexander Graham Bell had stolen his ideas. Under general patent laws, then and today, Bell should have credited Meucci and agreed to share royalties with him.



Beset with debt, Meucci could not afford the $10 fee for maintaining the patent caveat and temporarily gave up pursuit of Bell in 1874. Two years later, Bell, uncontested by Meucci, was granted ownership of the patent. Interestingly, another contender, Elisha Gray, had also submitted a patent for the telephone some hours before Bell, but due to a technicality, Bell was the registrant whose application won.



Meucci finally decided to sue Bell, charging him with fraud in the Supreme Court. The case looked rather promising for Meucci, but unfortunately, before any proceedings could begin, Meucci died on October 18, 1889.



In 2001, the United States Congress took the extraordinary decision of doing justice to Meucci, passing a resolution officially according recognition to Meucci as the real inventor of the telephone, stating that “if Meucci had been able to pay the caveat after 1874, no patent could have been issued to Bell.” The US Congress further stated that given all the facts of the patent disputes between Gray and Bell, under no terms should Alexander Graham Bell have been awarded the patent for the telephone by the United States Patent and Trademark Office in 1876. Alexander Graham Bell was posthumously stripped of his dubious honor as the inventor of the telephone.



“Justice” was finally served - well, sort of.



In effect, the Congressional resolution served only as a declaration and did not technically annul or modify the patent which Bell received in 1876. The resolution was also subsequently followed by another legislative declaration upholding Bell’s priority and his status as the inventor (patent holder) of the telephone.



Credit where credit is due:



Both Antonio Meucci and Elisha Gray should be credited with successfully inventing telephones in the United States before Alexander Graham Bell did so in 1876. Others who performed pioneering experimental work with electrical voice transmissions over wires included Thomas Edison, Innocenzo Manzetti, Charles Bourseul and Johann Philipp Reis. The telephone as we know it today, is largely based on improvements made by Thomas Edison on the original design which was not Bell’s but Meucci’s. Source.



All Lies: The history of Alexander Graham Bell was a professor of elocution at Boston University and tutor of Deaf children while pursuing his own research into a method of telegraphy that could transmit multiple messages over a single wire simultaneously, a so-called "acoustic telegraph". Bell formed a partnership with two of his students' parents to help fund his research in exchange for shares of any future profits by which does still exists these today for instance, cochlear implant, hearing aid and oral that exploitation from Deaf and Hard of Hearing children to adult that suffering from audism and oppression by the Alexander Graham Bell Association is a "Thief" from the Deaf community's souls (Culture).



Former Deaf and Hard of Hearing students are victims by Alexander Graham Bell Association.

This MADNESS must be stopped!



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StopHam - Stop A Douchebag Movement

VIDEO [CC] - Stop a douchebag movement: Russia's bad driving vigilantes the version with english subtitles.



StopHam (СтопХам) Russian which translates as Stop a douchebag or stop a lout is a Russian non-profit organization, headquartered in Moscow and founded in 2010 by members of the youth movement Nashi, which opposes traffic rules violations and arrogance on the road. The leader of the organization is Dmitriy Chugunov. The mode of operation of the activists of the movement is to film offenses and their conversations and confrontations with offenders and consequently edit and upload the gathered footage to video-sharing websites such as YouTube.





One of the popular strategies is to place big stickers with the phrase "I don't care for anyone, I park where I want" on car windshields of non-cooperative traffic offenders. A number of accidents involving activists of the movement have garnered significant public attention in Russia. Watch the channels - English version: https://www.youtube.com/stopham - Russian version: https://youtube.com/channel/stopxam.



SOURCE



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Related: The Worst Road Rage Incidents Of All Time

Saturday, February 27, 2016

Nyle DiMarco Is Joining 'Dancing With The Stars'

Deaf News: Exclusively: America's Next Top Model winner Nyle DiMarco is joining 'Dancing with the Stars' will be on March 21 at 8pm on ABC.



LOS ANGELES -- America's Next Top Model winner Nyle DiMarco is trading his smize for dancing shoes: the 26-year-old model/actor/Deaf activist will compete on season 22 of Dancing With the Stars, a source tells E! News exclusively.



Sources confirm that the most recent champion of Tyra Banks' modeling competition is heading to the DWTS ballroom, where he'll be joining rumored fellow cast member Jodie Sweetin on the series which our insiders have also confirmed, and will be the second-ever Deaf contestant on the show.



Oscar-winning actress Marlee Matlin competed on the series in 2008, coming in seventh place with partner Fabian Sanchez during the ABC reality hit's sixth season. Figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi eventually took home the Mirrorball Trophy that year.



The new cast will dance in the footsteps of 17-year-old Bindi Irwin, who took home the trophy with six-time champion Derek Hough, beating out Backstreet Boy Nick Carter, soldier Alek Skarlatos and Grease Live star Carlos PenaVega.



ABC declined to comment on the casting report, but the official cast announcement will be made on Good Morning America on March 8, ahead of season 22's March 21 premiere.



One certainty for next season: We won't be seeing Julianne Hough anymore. The pro-turned-judge is stepping away from the series after two years at the judges' table, she confirmed on Feb. 17, but there's good news too: Len Goodman, who left for a season to spend time with his newborn grandson (and continue judging on the original British series, Strictly Come Dancing), is coming back.



DWTS season 22 debuts Monday, March 21 at 8 p.m. on ABC - SOURCE



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Deaf Woman Sues NYPD For Wrongly Arrested

Deaf News: Deaf woman denied interpreter by cops who arrested her after car accident sues city and NYPD.



NEW YORK CITY -- A Deaf woman was mocked and wrongly arrested by New York City Police Department cops after a minor car accident - all because they refused to get an interpreter to hear her side of the story, a new Manhattan federal lawsuit alleges.



Tanya Ingram's alleged ordeal began around 3:15 p.m. on Feb. 26, 2013, when she and another car collided at the intersection of Second Ave. and E. 120th Street.



The other driver got out of her car and rushed toward Ingram, apparently angry and shouting, the suit claims.



Ingram felt threatened by the other driver’s behavior so she "picked up a small metal pipe that she had in her car and exited the car, gesturing to (the other driver) to back away with her free hand. At no time did Ms. Ingram swing the pipe, nor did she ever attempt to strike (the other driver)," the suit states.



The cops who arrived on the scene some 45 minutes later spent considerable time speaking with the other driver in the accident, the suit says.



They refused to provide Ingram with the means to communicate, however - though she repeatedly pointed to her ear and shook her head to show her hearing impairment, she says.



One of the responding officers asked Ingram for her keys and opened the trunk. He then made several gestures to indicate a pipe, and she retrieved it from the car.



As the officers mulled about the scene of the accident, an EMT dispatched to the intersection approached Ingram. She explained that she was Deaf through gestures, and he gave her a piece of paper and pen so that she could speak with him. The officer who had opened her trunk was 10 feet away.



"You did not understand me. That's not right. I know she's lying to you. How can I tell you my story? I want my rights. Call interpreter," the note stated.



Ingram, 51, tried to show him the note, and while he glanced at it, the cops "expressed visible annoyance" and ignored her.



She then saw several officers speaking with each other and they "appeared to be mocking her use of gestures."



When the cops moved to arrest her, Ingram had no idea what was happening and became "extremely frightened and utterly bewildered as to the reason for her arrest began crying and repeatedly tried to audibly shout, 'Why?,'" her lawyers maintain.



Ingram was ultimately detained for 24 hours and never received an interpreter as required by law, she alleges.



She had been charged with four misdemeanors menacing, criminal possession of a weapon, harassment, and resisting arrest but all charges were dropped in July 2013, the suit contends.



Ingram is seeking unspecified damages.



Asked about the lawsuit, a city Law Department spokesman said that: "The complaint will be reviewed."



Ingram’s lawsuit is one of several recent false arrest claims in which Deaf individuals allege they were denied an interpreter.



Also Thursday, Susan Herman, NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Collaborative Policing, said the department is hosting an outreach event for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing this March at the former police academy building on E. 20th Street.



At the event, they hope to distribute visor plaques for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing so they can better communicate with police officers, she said.



These plaques would say that the driver is Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing and the driver's preferred method of communication, as well as various symbols and words, to explain things such as why an officer has stopped the driver.



Deaf and hard-of-hearing drivers will also be able to indicate whether they're having a medical emergency, Herman says.



The NYPD will soon launch a pilot program in three precincts to increase access to in-person and tablet-based American Sign Language translation. The department also worked with the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing community to create a roll call training video, she told The News. SOURCE



Related:

Deaf Woman Sues NYPD For Wrongly Arrested & Assault

Deaf Woman Sues NYPD For Denying Interpreter

Deaf Schools In Belleville Worried About Future

Deaf News: Dozens of local Deaf and students and their service providers are dreading a recent announcement Deaf Schools into closures in Ontario.





BELLEVILLE, ON -- Intelligencer: Dozens of local Deaf and learning disabled students and their service providers are dreading a recent announcement of the need for efficiency at five specialized institutions across the province will translate into school closures.



Union representatives held a meeting in Belleville Friday to rally students, staff and parent support in their bid to stave off what they say will be imminent school closures unless action is taken to demonstrate a strong case for why local public schools aren’t properly equipped to provide the specialized services delivered by institution like Sir James Whitney and Sagonaska Demonstration Secondary School.



“Closure are going to happen if we don’t do something,” said Daryl O’Grady, local president for the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU). “We’re getting a campaign together to fight.”



He said the Education Ministry is linking planned reductions to declining Deaf student enrollment.



“They sat back and watched these programs get to where they are now so they can come and say we don’t have the numbers,” O’Grady said. “As a union we will be calling them out on that. This is a good turnout and it shows that people are concerned here,” he said, of the meeting held at the Travelodge Hotel on Friday.



Ann Carr, a former counsellor at the local schools, warned that inaction will be costly once the school year ends and changes are implemented in the fall.



“These children need people qualified to be with them,” Carr said. “When these children go into the regular system they’re just going to have someone who took a regular sign language course. If I were you guys I would go to the local public board and find out what they’re going to do for your kids before the cuts come.



“You are in danger,” Carr said. “These kids have a right.”



She urged students and staff to lobby the mayor and other levels of government to back their campaign to protect jobs and specialized student education here.



“If you don’t do it now, at the end of June you guys are going to have nothing,” said Carr. “At the end of June they’re going to say goodbye. This is for real, you have to start moving today.”



Sarah Colbeck is not only a social worker providing services at both aforementioned schools, but she’s also speaks from the unique perspective of being a mother with four children taught at the Dundas Street West site.



“Deaf children get full access to certain services for free,” Colbeck said of the current system, which if changed will force parents to either send students to schools farther away or foot the bill to find services and American Sign Language tutors.



“Once you close that school it’s going to be a disaster,” Colbeck said. “It’s going to have a big impact on the hearing schools (public schools) as well because they’re not prepared to cater to each student’s needs. Many professionals in these schools have no idea how to approach a Deaf child and their needs.”



The other option is send children to public schools with limited resources to tailor to each student’s individual needs.



“The community and parents have to work together and fight,” Colbeck said. “We have to spread more awareness that the schools actually benefit the children.” The prospect of job losses also hangs over her head.



In her current role, Colbeck is employed .5 at Sir James Whitney and .5 at Sagonaska, so “if Sagonaska closes I would lose .5 of my job this fall and how am I supposed to support my family,” she said through an interpreter. Source



Related Post: #Deaf Canadians - #Deaf Schools

The 10 Best Commercials Of Super Bowl 50

VIDEO: Top 10 best and funniest Super Bowl commercials! - 2016 funniest advertisers from the United States.





Some made us cry, others made us cry laughing. Here are the most memorable commercials of Super Bowl 50. You can enjoy the best of the best. Here’s a look at the best ads of the 2016 Super Bowl season.





Commercial's Names & Brands:

1. Snickers - Marilyn Monroe, Willem Dafoe

2. Hyundai - First Date W/ Kevin Hart

3. Coca Cola - Brotherly Love

4. Doritos - Super Bowl Baby

5. Taco Bell - Quesalupa

6. Coca Cola - Mini Hulk vs Ant Man

7. Buick - Ft Emily Ratajkowski

8. Heinz Ketchup - Wiener Stampede

9. T-Mobile - Drop The Balls With Steve Harvey

10. Toyota - Prius



See more at The 10 Best Commercials of Super Bowl 50 - Washington Post.



Also see at Official Super Bowl Commercials 2016.



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Thursday, February 25, 2016

Woman Pretends To Be Deaf To Reject The Guys

VIDEO: Asian woman pretends to be Deaf to reject the guys trying it on with her on a night out goes viral on social media.





Metro: It seems one girl has finally had enough of the long process involved in rejecting guys on a night out.



When a young woman is approached by a stranger in a club, she starts using "sign language" in order to pretend to be Deaf. It appears she thought this would be a way to reject his advances, and it worked!





What should be a simple ‘Sorry, I’m not interested’ often turns into a lengthy attempt of explaining you either have a boyfriend, are engaged or even that you swing the other way.



Sometimes it’s because the guy interested in you is incredibly persistent but often it’s just because – in definite British fashion – we’re just too damn polite and scared of hurting someone’s feelings.



But this girl, however, is sick and tired of being polite and making excuses. So, she’s opted for for another way to reject their fellow clubber.



In a video posted to Imgur by user Tausif007, a girl can be seen turning a guy away with the use of sign language.



A brave move, but one that most definitely worked.



But it turns out, she didn’t actually sign anything – she simply waved her hands around.



One Reddit user commented: ‘I am a teacher for the Deaf and she did not sign a single American Sign Language. She would have been embarrassed if I signed back.’



So perhaps in future, it’d be best to learn the sign language before somebody does actually begin to sign back. Owned! Source

Deaf 'Peg Faced 'Disrespect' During Traffic Stops

VIDEO [CC] - Deaf News: Deaf drivers faced with disbelief, disrespect during Winnipeg traffic stops due to communication barriers in Canada.



CBC WINNIPEG -- Two young Winnipeggers are urging Winnipeg Police Service to be more professional when dealing with people who are Deaf after both experienced officers who didn't believe them and refused to try to communicate with them at traffic stops.



Dana Zimmer and Jenna Irwin both experienced incredulous officers who didn't initially believe they were Deaf during traffic stops.



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"It's happened a few times. I'm not a bad driver but it has happened a few times, and sometimes my interactions with police are very cordial – very simple, I'll get a ticket and that's it, but every once in a while it's just a little bit different," said Zimmer.



Zimmer remembers a time a few years ago when she was pulled over, and the officer started talking to her after she rolled down her window.



"Of course they'll be talking, that's natural, that's what they would normally do, and I gestured that I'm a Deaf individual and I use sign language," she said. "They just kind of gave me this look like they didn't believe me. They didn't actually think I was a Deaf person so they just kept talking to me as if I could understand them."



Zimmer said she tried again to communicate that she was Deaf, but the officer seemed frustrated.





"I felt that I needed to prove myself as a Deaf individual, and I didn't know how I was going to do that other than saying that I was Deaf. I felt that they just didn't believe me," she said.



Zimmer said the officer motioned for her to get a pen and paper, which she didn't have handy, so he went to his car and came back with a ticket.



She said the ticket had to do with a new rule she wasn't aware of.



"When someone says they're Deaf, they need to be able to interact with them in an appropriate way," said Zimmer. "You're going to be interacting with different people in the community, and it needs to always be professional."



Irwin has experienced the same thing. She says it usually takes several gestures and requests to have officers believe she is Deaf. "I think the first and second time they try to talk, and they think I'm lying, and then I'm like, 'No, I can't understand you,'" she said.



She recently had an experience on her way home from work where she tried to use a pen and paper to communicate with an officer, but he refused. He went back to his cruiser car and she waited 45 minutes for another officer to show up who knew some sign language.



She says the officer could've communicated to her he was calling someone who knew sign, but he refused to use a pen and paper to communicate.



"I think sometimes the police officers just don't want to take the time or make the effort to communicate with us," she said. I think we all want to be treated equally. We want to feel as though we're the same as everybody else, and communication is very important. Eye contact is very important. I'm not too sure why they would assume we should be treated any differently just because we're Deaf."

Read The Full Story.



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Manitoba Deaf Athletes To Get More Sign Language Help

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Deaf Homeless Man In Compassionate Gesture

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The Aidan Mack Show 'The Deaf Community'

The Aidan Mack Show "The Deaf Community" in ASL version.





The Aidan Mack Show sharing the vlog "The Deaf Community" all about Starkey Hearing Foundation issues - Aidan Mack will entertain, humor, empower, involve, connect, inspire, provoke thought and enlighten both non-signing and signing, hearing and Deaf viewers.





Aidan will cover a vast range of various topics such as beauty, celebrity news, fashion, politics, animals, education, Deaf and hearing related issues and inspiring stories, parenting, social issues, workplace issues, friendship, current events, breaking news, health, human rights, sex, friendship, dating and relationships we face throughout our lives.



Aidan Mack hopes to bring non-signing and signing, hearing and Deaf people to a comfortable level where they can connect, understand, learn, embrace, empower, prosper, contribute, interact, and respect each other regardless of the cultural, identity and language differences, and bridge the gap between the Deaf and hearing communities.



Follow The Aidan Mack Show:

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Related:

Aidan Mack Hosts Talk Show For The Deaf

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Wednesday, February 24, 2016

National Geographic - What It’s Like To Read Lips

VIDEO [CC] - Deaf News: National Geographic - "What It’s Like To Read Lips" This eye-opening video beautifully depicts what it’s like to be Deaf.





Have you ever tried to hear what a person was saying based on the way they move their lips?



It’s a well-know that many of those who are Deaf converse through lip-reading. But have you ever stopped and thought about just how hard that can be?



In a video produced by Little Moving Pictures, one woman, Rachel Kolb, perfectly articulates what it feels like to experience a world that you can’t physically hear.



The video shows a range of people speaking about every day experiences. Each story is subtitled. But as their stories continue, the subtitles begin to blur until they completely vanish and the audio fuses out until the video is completely silent – with only lips moving on the screen.



The Short Film Showcase spotlights exceptional short videos created by filmmakers from around the web and selected by National Geographic editors. We look for work that affirms National Geographic's mission of inspiring people to care about the planet. The filmmakers created the content presented, and the opinions expressed are their own, not those of the National Geographic Society.



But as people talk faster, the lips become pretty much impossible to read – seriously giving us an in-depth look into what those without the ability to hear have to focus on every day.



Rachel also highlights the fact that speech is not just movements of the lips and sound. It is accents, it is people’s mumbles, the way some may cover their mouths when they talk – the list is endless. All things that many of us unknowingly take for granted.



Rachel describes lip-reading as ‘putting together a puzzle without all the pieces’.



She said: ‘There have been times when I’ve questioned why I even try to lip read.



‘To wade through this swamp, when I could just use sign language.’



She compares the use of sign language to being in a different world – a world filled with ‘rich expression and culture.’



But for Rachel, when lip-reading works, she feels something that she thinks sign-language cannot offer her all of the time. ‘When I focus on one legible face, and launch into a conversation, something clicks.



‘Right then, I feel something extraordinary. Human connection.’ Source



See more from National Geographic's Short Film Showcase: http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/short-film-showcase



Related:

National Geographic - Deaf Culture in Cambodia

'Bad Lip Reading' Of The Democratic Debate

'Bad Lip Reading' Of The Republican Debate

Bad Lip Reading Of The Original 'Star Wars' Trilogy

Bad Lip Reading Of 'The Walking Dead'

A Bad Lip Reading Of The NFL 2016

Deaf-Blind Housing Project In Winnipeg, Canada

VIDEO [CC] - Deaf News: Deaf-Blind housing project will be first of its kind in Manitoba, Canada.



CBC WINNIPEG -- 10 suites at Gas Station Arts Centre redevelopment will be designed for Deaf-Blind people. Winnipeg will soon be one of the first cities in Canada to have specialized housing designed for people who are both Deaf and Blind.



Bonnie Heath, executive director of the Resource Centre for Manitobans who are Deaf-Blind, has put down payments on 10 suites in the residential portion of the new Gas Station Arts Centre, which is slated for the corner of River Avenue and Osborne Street.





"We're very excited," Heath said, adding that the need for this kind of housing is great.



"The Deaf-Blind individuals that I'm in contact with in their own homes right now feel isolated and unsafe."



She added, "You have a combination of you can't see and you can't hear; you don't know who's coming into your place. You don't know, for example, one of my Deaf-Blind friends said she wouldn't even know the toilet was running over until the water was at her ankles in the dining room."



Heath works with dozens of Manitobans who are Deaf-Blind - people with a combination of no vision or low vision and hearing that rely on interpreters to communicate.



The apartments will not only bring members of the Deaf-Blind community under one roof, the apartments will be designed with them and for them for safer and easier living, said Heath.



"Sharp edges, you know, things that we take for granted when we can see, getting around corners - those types of things will be avoided."



Winnipeg-based architect Steve Cohlmeyer, whose resume includes The Forks, will tackle the project, which he acknowledges will be a first for him.



"At the level of problem-solving, I think it's really exciting - and exciting because there's a whole service aspect and a kind of integration of a whole group I was unaware of when I first got the call," he said.



Some of the features Cohlmeyer is considering is a tactile approach to design - for example, surfaces that will distinguish between rooms.



"For people who have no sight and zero hearing, we'll certainly want to explore the kinds of things you can help feel your way through a space," he said, adding that for people with partial sight, high-contrast spaces may be important.



"Exaggerated colour difference or dark and light contrast will be a helpful thing to have," he said. "So you can see where a door cabinet is against a light floor as opposed to all-white cabinets and all-white floors."



In the coming months, Cohlmeyer will visit Deaf-Blind clients to "watch how they live" to source his design solutions. He said he is also travelling to Toronto and the United States to visit existing Deaf-Blind housing to learn what works well and what doesn't.



"Even when you're well-acquainted with an environment you can still bump into things, so we want to be watching and learning as much as we can about how we facilitate movement and operation of equipment within the unit itself and how they can move again between the unit and even elevators and an outdoor terrace." Source



Related Deaf Winnipeggers:

Deaf 'Peg Faced 'Disrespect' During Traffic Stops

Study on Sarcasm and American Sign Language

Deaf Canadian's Gallaudet Dream

Manitoba Deaf Athletes To Get More Sign Language Help

Manitoba Swimmer At Deaflympics

Deaf Homeless Man In Compassionate Gesture

Deaf Canadian Curling Champion Dies

Winnipeg Most Racist City In Canada: Maclean's

The Deaf Talent Project - GoFundMe

VIDEO [CC] - GoFundMe - The Deaf Talent Project for the community.





We are a Deaf fimmaking team and there is nothing we are more passionate about than seeing the accurate representation of the Deaf on the media and equal access to jobs for all peoples with disabilities in the entertainment industry.



To activate this feature, press the "CC" button.


This is why we support the #DeafTalent movement and this is why we are working to create a #DeafTalent PSA where Deaf talent in front of and behind a the camera can show the world their skills. Our project will showcase popular Deaf professionals in entertainmnet fields such as: acting, directing, modeling, writing, dancing etc. connecting them and thier work with the public. Now we need your help! Donate to help the project: HERE.



In order to make a high quality product that does justice to the talent of it's 100% Deaf cast and crew we need to fundraise money to rent filming equipment, studios space, food for the cast and crew, flying out some of the name talent signed onto the project, and marketing to make sure this project gets in front of the people who make decisions in the industry.



So, please donate whatever you can to help us achieve our goal! If you can't donate funds but have another way of helping us spread the world about Deaf talent whether it be through food donations, connections to publicity for the project, or simply by sharing this campaign every little bit helps! Donate to help the project: https://www.gofundme.com/deaftalent. We are so grateful for all of your love and support! Read More.



Related Post: #Deaf Talent - #Amanda McDonough

CHS: Modern Fire Safety For Deaf And HoH

VIDEO [CC] - Canadian Hearing Society: Modern fire safety for people who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.



TORONTO -- Bellman & Symfon “Visit” Package The Visit smoke alarm/transmitter and alarm clock with bedshaker. This alarm detects smoke and smoldering fire immediately and the transmitter sends the signal to the alarm clock receiver to alert you. Smoke alarms are essential to help you feel safe and protected in your home.



To activate this feature, press the "CC" button.


For more information, contact us at Phone: 1.800.465.4327 TTY: 1.877.215.9530 or visit our website www.chs.ca/bellman.



Note: None of Deaf Talent to hire for advertising for the Deaf Canadians community? Canadian Hearing Society is focusing on oral and hear without sign language nor Deaf culture. Canadian Hearing Society is NOT recommended to the Deaf association, organization and community in Canada.



Related Post: #Canadian Hearing Society

Monday, February 22, 2016

Deaf Man Receives Note From Starbucks Barista

VIDEO [CC] - Deaf News: Starbucks employee's kind act for Deaf patrons goes viral on social media in the United States.





LEESBURG, VA -- ABC News: A Virginia man's Facebook post is creating some internet buzz after he shared a note from a Starbucks employee who offered a kind gesture.



Ibby Piracha, who is Deaf, told ABC News through an interpreter that he was surprised Friday morning to be greeted by the familiar barista with sign language.



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"I usually use my phone and I'll text them what I want to order," Piracha of Leesburg, Virginia, said. "She was saying she looked on YouTube because she had a lot of customers that came in using text. I was very surprised she was willing to learn sign language and it shows she respects Deaf people ... she's an inspiration."



Piracha, 23, said the female barista handed him a note that read, "I've been learning ASL just so you can have the same experience as everyone else."



Piracha posted a picture of the kind words to Facebook, where it received over 2,000 “shares.”



"I was very shocked to go in there one day and have her sign a little bit and I kind of smiled, thinking about it and I even told the Starbucks manager, 'You know, I was very impressed by your employee."



The manager at the Starbucks where Piracha received the note told ABC News that while he could not comment on this particular incident or name the employee, he confirmed Piracha's account.



“We are proud that our store partner employee is taking this initiative to learn American Sign Language to better assist and serve her customers,” a Starbucks spokeswoman told ABC News. “We always love to hear stories of meaningful connections between our partners and customers.”



Piracha said he hopes his Facebook post gets the message across that "the hearing world and the Deaf World are trying to communicate."



"I definitely want people to understand that Deaf customers can have a really great review," he added. Source



Related Starbucks:

Deaf Customers Sue Starbucks Over Mocking

Deaf Korean Starbucks Barista The Signs

Starbucks Sued For Discrimination Deaf Employee

Gunpoint Robbery In Broad Daylight Near Gally

Deaf News: Masked men with gun rob at Florida Avenue and Pennsylvania Ave in broad daylight near Gallaudet University campus.



WASHINGTON DC -- Masked men held up a liquor store in Hill East this morning, police said.



The armed robbery happened in the World Wine & Spirits at 1453 Pennsylvania Ave. SE about 11 a.m.



Authorities said they’re looking for:



(1) B/M, slim build, 20 years of age, greyish jacket with a hoodie, white tennis shoes with red laces, armed with a handgun, wearing a mask.



(2) B/M , slim build, 20 years old, wearing a mask.



Both last seen running south in the 900 block of 15th Street SE.


Three men also robbed a man at gunpoint near Gallaudet University in broad daylight yesterday, police said. The armed robbery occurred on the 700 block of Florida Avenue NE about 12:30 p.m. Sunday.



The victim was in the area when the three men surrounded him, according to authorities. One of the men then put a gun to the victim’s head, while demanding money.



The men soon after took the victim’s wallet. They then ran to a car and drove away. Police haven’t released detailed descriptions of the suspects. Source