Monday, July 11, 2005

OCDAC Newsletter July 11, 2005

Dear Friends,

Our largest deaf awareness education booth is roaring! Opening day
was a blast and we gave out approximately 4,000 copies of our new
American Sign Language booklets and we've ran out of them in the
first weekend. Today we will have more printed.

Blue Ribbon - Noun - 1) An emblem, badge, or rosette made of blue
ribbon that is awarded as the first prize in a competition. 2) An
award or honor given for excellence. In symbolism, blue ribbon is a
term used to describe something of high quality. The usage came from
The Blue Riband, a prize awarded for the fastest crossing of the
Atlantic Ocean by passenger liners.

This Wednesday is when our booth is judged for interactivity,
education, resourcefulness, use of theme, and overall (the big blue
ribbon). Our fingers crossed for a blue ribbon. Photos of our booth
can be found at http://www.alldeaf.com/showpost.php?
p=347826&postcount=3 and we also are operating a webcam that snaps a
picture of our booth every 2 minutes from 12 noon until 7 pm Tuesdays
through Sundays at http://www.easyfreewebcam.com/cam/ocdac/ .

If you live in the Southern California area, come on over to the
Orange county fair ( www.ocdfair.com ) and visit our booth at the
Orange County Building.

COME TO OUR MEETUPS! The Orange County American Sign Language Meetup
Group - http://asl.meetup.com/37/ - meets each 3rd Wednesdays of the
month. The Orange County Deaf & Hearing Impaired Meetup Group -
http://deaf.meetup.com/38/ - meets each 1st Saturdays of the month.

OCDAC Communications

-------------< INSIDE NEWS >

Our Festival of Children education booth planning has already begun.
We need donations of bright colored paper to print our deaf awareness
materials on. This event is in September and was attended by 2
million people last year.

We also started on our Deaf festival awareness booth planning that's
taking place in Van Nuys this coming September.

We have also started on our Deaf Expo (Mata.tv) planning for the
event in November in Long Beach.

We have begun our discussion on getting a grant to build a six unit
apartment building for the deaf and disabled in Salton City,
California. They recently built a casino and a major travel center
in the area and its becoming a boomtown after decades of slow
growth. Plans are on the way to re-open the airport, start a
fairground in the area too. We need to establish a committee who
will help us get the funding reservations.

-------------< OUTSIDE NEWS >

Louisville Deaf Oral School to receive $160,000 gift
http://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/stories/2005/07/11/daily9.html?
from_rss=1

Camp to teach communication skills to hearing-impaired children
http://www.nevadaappeal.com/article/20050707/NEWS/107070039/-1/rss02

Health and the disabled
http://www.irishhealth.com/?level=4&id=7847

Chili cookoff helps raise nearly $8,000 for disabled athletes
http://www.wric.com/Global/story.asp?S=3579508

Two Attempt To Rob Deaf Woman At Lubbock ATM
http://www.kcbd.com/Global/story.asp?S=3568295

Deaf Man Shot and Killed
http://www.woai.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=C2955D83-5425-
489B-9703-B36F6AA29DAA

Local (Athens, Ohio) help now available for the deaf
http://www.athensnews.com/issue/article.php3?story_id=21084

Jail changes could be expensive
http://www.messenger-inquirer.com/news/kentucky/8642275.htm

Kids embrace diversity at ADA birthday bash
http://www.sgvtribune.com/Stories/0,1413,205~12220~2959109,00.html

-------------< DEAF GRAPEVINE >

According to information on the www.cochlear.org website, the feds
have been probing Cochlear Americas for fraud and abuse. And on the
website hints a possible class action lawsuit against Cochlear
Americas.

Los Angeles Metropolitan Committee on Deafness has an interesting
website http://members.tripod.com/~lamcd/ even though some links on
it are outdated and the website serves a very interesting purpose.

-------------< BULLETIN >

ATTENTION DEAF PEOPLE WHO HAVE MYSTERIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE DISNEY
COMPANY.

We are looking for DEAF People and others who have problems with the
Disney Company:

--apply, and no call back?
--apply, but no interview because deaf/ interpreter issue?
--apply, interview, but no interpreter or captions?
--got job, but then no interpreter for staff meetings?
--you feel punished because after being hired youre excluded from
training's, staff meetings, or other staff events?

(1) NEED YOUR NAME AND (2) ADDRESS (3) and E-mail (4) explanation of
your problem with The Disney Company.

We work with Morse Mehrban who is a rising star in the field of
disability access litigation. Morse needs to know about this no later
than September 4, 2005. Please email [email protected] and
please use 'Disney Problems' in the subject line.

-------------< ADVOCACY NEWS >

Let's define "LEADERSHIP"

L - LEADERSHIP

lead·er·ship n 1: the activity of leading; 2: the body of people who
lead a group; 3: the status of a leader; 4: the ability to lead.

E - EMPOWERMENT

em·pow·er·ment n. 1: Investing with power, especially legal power or
official authority.

A - ADVOCACY

ad·vo·ca·cy n. 1: The act of pleading or arguing in favor of
something, such as a cause, an idea, or a policy; active support.

D - DIGNITY

dig·ni·ty n 1: the quality of being worthy of esteem or respect; 2:
formality in bearing and appearance; 3: high office or rank or
station.

E - EDUCATION

ed·u·ca·tion n 1: activities that impart knowledge; 2: knowledge
acquired by learning and instruction; 3: the gradual process of
acquiring knowledge; 4: the profession of teaching 5: the result of
good upbringing;

R - REPRESENTATION

rep·res·ent·at·ion n 1: a presentation to the mind in the form of an
idea or image; 2: a visual or tangible rendering of someone or
something 3: the act of representing; 4: the state of serving as an
official and authorized delegate or agent; 5: a statement of facts
and reasons made in appealing or protesting; 6: an activity that
stands as an equivalent of something or results in an equivalent

S - SALVATION

sal·vat·ion n 1: a means of preserving from harm or unpleasantness;
2: saving someone or something from harm of from an unpleasant
situation;

H - HIERARCHY

hier·ar·chy n 1: a series of ordered groupings of people or things
within a system; 2: the organization of people at different ranks in
an administrative body.

I - ISSUES

is·sue n 1 : the action of going, coming, or flowing out 2 : a means
or place of going out : EXIT, OUTLET 3 : OFFSPRING, PROGENY 4 : final
outcome : RESULT 5 : a point of debate or controversy.

P - PROACTIVITY

pro·ac·tiv·i·ty n : taking initiative: taking the initiative by
acting rather than reacting to events.

......

Now leadership has been defind. What we need is good deaf and
disability leadership that puts the needs of the deaf and
disabilities first. In the recent years positive deaf and disability
leadership appeared to be lacking at many organizations serving the
deaf and disabled.

-------------< ANNOUNCEMENTS >

Our new ASL class schedules have been released. Please consult the
deaf center's website for the ASL class schedules.

Please visit our iGive store http://www.igive.com/ocdac

The Orange County American Sign Language Meetup Group -
http://asl.meetup.com/37/ - meets each 3rd Wednesdays of the month.

The Orange County Deaf & Hearing Impaired Meetup Group -
http://deaf.meetup.com/38/ - meets each 1st Saturdays of the month.

Please visit our bookstore that has related books and different kinds
of assistive living devices at http://store.deafadvocacy.org

If you shop at Albertsons and have a community partners card, please
consider adding your card to our list of supporters. Our goal is
25,000 supporters who shop a Albertsons.

We recycle used cell phones, empty printer and toner cartridges. If
you have any of these to unload from your hands, please send or drop
them at our agency at 2960 Main Street, A100, Irvine, California 92614

-------------< DEAF QUOTES >

"The National Association of the Deaf urges President Bush to take
advantage of this opportunity to bring the country together, by
working closely with both parties in Congress and to nominate someone
who has a demonstrated commitment to human and civil rights and to
the independence of the judiciary." Andy Lange, Prtesident of
National Association of the Deaf on Supreme Court nominations.

-------------< COMMUNITY BULLHORN >

Urge The Senate To Restore Employment Program Funding

http://capwiz.com/thearc/mail/oneclick_compose/?alertid=7802766

BACKGROUND:

The President's Budget Request eliminated funding for the Vocational
Rehabilitation Supported Employment State Grant program, the Projects
with Industry (PWI) program and significantly cut the funding (40
percent) for the Office of Disability Employment Programs (ODEP) at
the Department of Labor.

The Supported Employment State Grant program is contained in the
Rehabilitation Act and assists those individuals with the most severe
disabilities obtain and retain employment. For hundreds of thousands
of individuals with severe disabilities, supported employment is the
only avenue to a job. The PWI programs work in close cooperation
with the business community to provide employment and training
opportunities to people with disabilities. ODEP, established five
years ago, funds innovative pilot programs and other projects to
assist employers, disability service providers and youth and adults
with disabilities in fostering new and expanded employment
initiatives.

In its FY 2006 Labor, Health and Human Services Education and Related
Agencies appropriations bill, the House of Representatives rejected
the Bush Administrations proposal to eliminate the program. Instead,
the House cut the Supported Employment State Grant program by 20
percent, from $37.7 million to $30 million, and the PWI programs by
9.5 percent, from $21.8 million in FY 2005 to $19.7 million. ODEP
sustained a 40 percent cut from $47.5 million in FY 2005 to $28
million proposed for FY 2006.

STATUS:

The Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related
Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee is expected to consider its bill
on July 12, 2005, followed by the full Appropriations Committee
consideration on July 14, 2005.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN:

Use the sample e-mail in the website to send your Senators a message
urging them to restore funding for the Office of Disability
Employment Programs, and the Supported Employment State Grant program
and the PWI programs under the Rehabilitation Act.

Richard Price
[email protected]
Disability Policy Collaboration

-------------< DEAF FRIENDLY JOB OPPORTUNITIES >

2 deaf or hard of hearing mortgage consultants needed for a
Riverside, California mortgage company.

Many openings at fairground in Costa mesa for temp work in July.

All candidates interested in any of the job opportunities are
required to apply for our job placement services. Our intake form is
at Http://www.deafadvocacy.com/intake.htm

-------------< DEAF FRIENDLY BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES >

Become an owner of a _________.WS website for only $10 a month! All
_________.WS owners automatically become .WS website resellers and it
comes with an automatic selling program and all you have to do is
lead people to your .WS reseller website. The WS stands
for 'website'! Link has video of the program in American Sign
Language and is a excellent self-sufficiency opportunity for people
who want to be on the top of the .WS cyber real estate market.
Hearing people can participate as the reseller link also has a video
for them. Begin your journey toward self-sufficiency by sending a
blank email to [email protected] and it will auto-reply back to you
with information about this fantastic program. And you will get
another email message a few days later with the full explanation of
the program.

-------------< LETTERS >

Airport Security Survey

From: Maureen McCloskey [mailto:[email protected]]

Please distribute as widely as possible.

If you have a disability and have recently taken an airplane trip,
the TSA would like to know about your experience with airport
security. They are trying to reach as broad a sector as possible.
Please take a few minutes to fill out this survey. You may have to
cut and paste if the link doesn't work. Thanks for your help.

Transportation Security Administration

In order to assist persons with disabilities or medical conditions,
TSA has developed guidelines with input from various disability-
related groups and organizations. We then trained our airport
screeners in the methodology needed to ensure effective, safe,
comfortable, dignified, and respectful screening at all TSA security
checkpoints.

From May 23 through August 23, 2005, TSA will be conducting a Persons
with Disabilities and Medical Conditions Customer Satisfaction
Survey. If you would like to participate in the survey, please click
on link below:

http://websurveyor.net/wsb.dll/29926/pwd.htm

Maureen McCloskey
National Advocacy Director
Paralyzed Veterans of America
801 18th St. NW
Washington, D.C.
202-416-7696
202-416-7706 (fax)
[email protected]

-------------< EPILOG >

If you wish to contribute to this newsletter, feel free to send in
news, stories, and opinions relating to the disability community.
Your support for this effort to move the disability community forward
will be greatly appreciated. We will continue to aggressively
pursue justice, fairness, and equality for the disability community
as it has been doing since November 1996. We have chosen that
EDUCATION is the best way accomplish this objective.

Orange County Deaf Advocacy Center is a community based organization
that puts people with disabilities first in their advocacy for equal
opportunities in safety, health, and productive living.

The Orange County Deaf Advocacy Center provides services for disabled
individuals and their families in our community who need help in
navigating the social services maze go without proper food, shelter,
and essential medical care every day due to a variety of factors
including low wages, job loss, injuries, illness, age, domestic
violence, or divorce. While all of us are susceptible to hard times,
disabled individuals are at the most risk. With the generous support
of people like you, we are able to help many of these families and
individuals not only to meet essential daily needs, but to work
toward a brighter future with programs in job training, education,
counseling, elderly assistance, and temporary housing.

Feel free to forward this email message to any one and any of your
personal mailing lists so we can get the important messages out far
and wide and encourage them to sign up for our weekly newsletter.

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