The Orange County Deaf Advocacy Center Newsletter - January 30, 2010

THE TOP STORIES OF THE WEEK

OCDAC Releases New Year's Resolutions; http://www.deafadvocacy.org/blog/2010/01/ocdacs-2010-resolutions.html

The NCD-sponsored National Summit on Disability Policy will take place July 25–27, 2010, at the Renaissance Washington, DC Hotel, 999 9th Street, NW, Washington, DC.

This National Summit is an invitation-only, working meeting to develop recommendations to guide improvements in disability policy and programs for the next decade.

Hosted by NCD, this Summit commemorates the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Topics for discussion will include: Civil Rights, Education, Emergency Management, Employment, Healthcare, Housing, International Affairs, Statistics and Data, Telecommunications and Technology, and Transportation.

OCDAC is making plans to attend this summit.

Brought to you by the Orange County Deaf Advocacy Center Http://www.deafadvocacy.org

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DO YOUR SHOPPING AT OUR WEBSTORE.

We have lots of new items and our webstore count stands at over 660 items!

Lots of products for the deaf, and blind, and other disabilities. Remember your parents, grand parents, brothers, sisters, family members, co-workers who need adaptive equipment. Employers can shop here for equipment and accessories for their hearing impaired workers.

Buy Here, Buy Now, Pay Less with our ADA kits! This includes long term savings associated with ADA compliance.

Stop by http://stores.ebay.com/OCDAC-Adaptive-Equipment-and-More today to start your shopping.

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THE GRAPEVINES

Deaf Leader Anthony Mowl Pleads Guilty For Role In FCC Fraud Scheme - Faces Up To 20 Years Prison & Up To $250,000 Fines

http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2010/January/10-crm-031.html

Brought to you by The Orange Deafie Blog Http://www.deafadvocacy.org/blog/blog.html

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FACE TO FACE TIMES

Visual Sound Is A Phone Concept For The Deaf With Transparent Touchscreen

http://www.yankodesign.com/2010/01/25/deaf-phone/

Woooo Wooo Wooo! This is great new technology for face-to-face communication possibilities!

Brought to you by Modern Deaf Communication http://www.moderndeafcommunication.org

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MAXED OUT ON YOUR CREDIT CARDS?

Get yourself an OCDAC credit card through a special program at http://www.cardpartner.com/enduser.aspx?AEID=D0974

We get a $50 donation for each person who completes the signup, and uses the card.

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THE FINGER BOWS

The 25th Annual International Technology & Persons with Disabilities Conference

Please save the date, and the new location for our 25th anniversary conference:

March 22-27, 2010
Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel
San Diego, CA

http://csunconference.org/index.cfm?EID=80000218

Brought to you by ASL News http://www.aslnews.com

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Take a look and bookmark our new search page! Http://www.deafadvocacy.org/search.html . It's a good source of information you can use.

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THE SOUR ORCHIDS

Like Sister Like Deaf Brother!

Fraud Discovered At USA Deaf Sports Federation – Pan American Deaf Games 1999

http://www.usdeafsports.org/1999panam/index.html

Amy Mowl the HEARING sister of the newly convicted former Viable VRS executive Anthony Mowl been able to pass herself as a deaf woman in the 1999 Pan Am Games deaf woman’s basketball team.

Whats even more exciting is that she even owns a few school records (basketball) at the Indiana School for the Deaf and at the North Carolina School for the Deaf.

So, it’s like sister like deaf brother!

Brought to you by the other Orange Deafie Blog at http://ocdac.wordpress.com/

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COME TO OUR MEETUPS!

The Orange County American Sign Language Meetup Group - http://asl.meetup.com/37/ - and the Orange County Deaf & Hearing
Impaired Meetup Group http://deaf.meetup.com/38/ meets each 3rd Fridays of the month.

We are currently pondering a new locations for all of our meetup events because our competition appears to have hijacked the excitement, prestige, and normalcy of our cherished monthly gatherings.

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FROM THE BLOGSPHERE

Teri Sentelle the famous zen vlogger arrested for possible domestic violence

See Booking record : http://eyefirevlogs.com/eyefire2/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/zenvlogger.png

Teri had been seen at deaf-hope events and wonder if this arrest becomes a scandal.

Brought to you by the Hearing For Life Foundation Http://www.hear-for-life.org


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DO YOU HAVE TINNITUS? ARE YOUR EARS RINGING ALOUD BY ITSELF? DO YOU WANT THAT TO STOP?

Tinnitus affects people with or without hearing loss.

Tinnitus is the ringing sensation that occurs in the ears. Severe tinnitus can be painful and disable a person. Orange County Deaf Advocacy Center has two people serving in a patient advocacy council. Orange County Deaf Advocacy Center wants to help people retain their productivity by helping them manage tinnitus.

We are introducing a nutraceutical cocktail of Ginkgo Biloba, Zinc, and Garlic to manage tinnitus (ringing) in the ears. New studies show that a combination of these three working together helps manage tinnitus. We have the research that suggest the cocktail helps manage tinnitus.

This cocktail doesn't create the flush reaction you get from using high dosage of Niacin taken to manage tinnitus.

Tinnitus management kit contains Ginkgo Biloba, Zinc, Garlic, pill minders box, carrying case, and 2 sets of ear plugs.

Kit is assembled by people with disabilities.

If you care about your ears, please shop through our paypal link below now

Tinnitus 2 month management kit $79.99 - Free Shipping On All Orders! https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=8502596

Refills each month $29.99 (Link will be mailed to you with your order)

The funds generated from this offering will be returned to the community in the form of assisted housing, education, advocacy, free equipment, outreach, and conference activities.

***These Statements have not been evaluated by the US FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease. There is no guarantee this will help you manage tinnitus. This may work on some people and this may not work on some people too.

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FROM THE VLOGSPHERE (VIDEO BLOGGING)

Poor inclusion policies causes two popular deaf social networking sites, deafcube.com and deafpals.com, to close in less than a week.

Brought to you by the Eye Fire Vlogs Http://eyefirevlogs.com

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Please donate to Orange County Deaf Advocacy Center. We have a lot of work to do on behalf of people with hearing and speech impairments and we have a donation form ready for your use.

Donation form : http://partners.guidestar.org/controller/searchResults.gs?action_donateReport=1&partner=networkforgood&ein=33-0806007

Thank you very much for the time youve taken to read this newsletter and clicking on the donation link above.

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FROM THE NEWSLETTER READERS

Dear Deafness Specialist,

I’m writing to let you know about this book which was featured as book of the month in the December/January 2009 issue of RNID’s One in Seven magazine. Now available on CD for large print or use with screen reading software, as well as in regular print, of “Words in My Hands, A Teacher, A Deaf-Blind Man, An Unforgetable Journey reviewer Michael Simmons says:

“in sheer humanity…this book, a true story, is told with almost palpable joy–and tears–at all the ups and downs involved…this is straight American-talk about relations between a deaf-blind client and his teachers, and Helen Keller understandably, is evoked.”

With my degree in Therapeutic Recreation, I am also a certified sign language interpreter in Colorado, and the author of this book about an elderly deaf-blind man who played classical piano. Before he lost his sight and hearing to Usher Syndrome Bert Riedel was a dentist in Lombard, Illinois. I met him when he was eighty-six-years old when I was hired to be his teacher. I taught him how to read tactile sign language.

While the story illustrates psychosocial factors that complicate the disabilities of deafness and deaf-blindness, it carries an inspirational message as well. This book is a resource for educators, rehabilitation counselors, and other professionals who work or interact with the deaf, blind, elderly, or disabled. It is for families who deal with a member’s hearing loss, vision loss, or other disability. This book shows how miracles can happen where there are dedicated professionals and
caregivers.

Words in My Hands has received:

An award from The National League of American Pen Women

Praise from acclaimed author, Joanne Greenberg, from Patricia Clark, researcher of

ASL at Rochester Institute of Technology, and B.J. LeJeune, Director of

Deaf-Blind Programs at Mississippi State University.

Reviews by:

National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers, Inside Gcm,

Winter 2007 /Spring 2008

British Journal of Occupational Therapy, December 2007

California Association of Resource Specialists and Special Educators

Oklahoma Speech-Language Hearing Association

Deaf-Blind Perspectives

Alvin Roberts, Bureau of Blind Services Quality Assurance Administrator,

Carbondale, Illinios

Dr. McCay Vernon, Chairman of the National Deaf Academy Advisory

Board

Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education (fall of 2006)

The National League of American Pen Women

Article: “Reconnected by Sign,” American Journal of Medical Genetics Part A, Genetic Drift, published July 2007

I have included reviews and a book announcement in the email attachments. I hope you will share them with professionals and associates of children and adults with special needs.

For more information or to order books, please contact me or go to www.ellexapress.citymax.com. Books are also available through Barnes & Noble on-line, and at Harris Communications.

Sincerely,
Diane Chambers, Author
Words in My Hands, A Teacher, A Deaf-Blind Man, An Unforgettable Journey
Hearing the Stream, A Survivor’s Journey into the Sisterhood of Breast Cancer
Ellexa Press LLC
www.ellexapress.citymax.com
dlc@ellexapress.com
303 591-1040


Brought to you by Deaf Paradise Http://deafparadise.ning.com/

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**** DISCLAIMER ****
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The OCDAC Newsletter is designed to share information of interest to people with disabilities, their friends, associates, and relatives and promote advocacy in the disability community. Information circulated herein does not necessarily express the views of The Orange County Deaf Advocacy Center. The OCDAC Newsletter is non-partisan. OCDAC Newsletter does not sell advertising space.

The 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. Every day people 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 IN ITS ENTIRETY to anyone 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.

Our physical address is 2960 Main Street suite #100, Irvine California 92614 and this email is in compliance with CAN-SPAM Act of 2003.

To subscribe to this newsletter go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ocdacnewsletter/ or send a blank email to ocdacnewsletter-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Open Letter To Ryan Commerson

Ryan Commerson,

Responding to http://signcasts.com/node/258

You're complaining about TRS companies exploiting the deaf community? The fact is you all asked for it, you all let it happen.

I'm the one that discovered that the AOL's AIM service can be used for a TRS protocol.

Go look at the birth date of AOL's OCDACRelay AIM name.

May 31, 2002 at 1:26 pm at Pacific time

That's when I discovered it. That's when I started experimenting with it as relay service for the deaf people.

Did the deaf community cherish it? No They pooh poohed it saying its 'not going to work', 'a crazy idea', and a bunch of other demeaning responses. Years later AIM relay companies started popping up. Hearing people got the credit because you all let them get it. If I was allowed to get the credit, I'd use the resources and revenue to protect deaf people's ideas from exploitation by the hearing people.

You all looked the other way instead.

You all set the ground for exploitation by hearing people.

Now the exploitation you're complaining about is all from you people because you all let it happen in the first place.

Richard Roehm

Update 2/18/2011
Editors Note: The old picture was lost the following we took on a Laptop running Windows 7 and Pidgin Instant Messaging client.

OCDAC's 2010 Resolutions

2010 will be a banner year for Orange County Deaf Advocacy Center as we have been expanding our services utilizing our collaborations with numerous disability related organizations to advance our zeal. We have 5 key goals to accomplish in 2010. Most of these goals are similar to our 2009 resolutions. The key goals all fit within our mission and vision statements.



1) Solidifying our leadership direction by adding "armor" to our ship.
a) Increasing the community evaluations of irresponsible deaf leadership ( exceeded in 2009 )
b) Promoting responsible deaf leadership ( achieved in 2009 )
c) Increasing funding and resources for the Deaf WAI (War Against Indiscipline) program ( exceeded in 2009 )
d) Expanding our resilience to casualty events such as loss of membership to popular deaf video blogging/vlogging websites.



2) Focus on deaf evolution
a) Resurrecting confrontational advocacy.
b) Application of "Purpose Driven Advocacy".
c) Increasing the use of technology-based social service concept ( exceeded in 2009 )
d) Expanding our fiscal independence concept ( exceeded in 2009 )



3) Office resources
a) Continue to reduce facilities costs by acquiring additional real estate for the use as office resources ( exceeded in 2009 )
b) Consolidating our expenses to avoid repetition of costs (exceeded in 2009)



4) Outreach
a) Participate in deaf events that promote responsible deaf leadership
b) Focus on events that need exposure to hearing loss outreach ( achieved in 2009 )
c) Develop outreach videos and use the video sharing websites ( exceeded in 2009 )
d) Simplify outreach materials for easier transporting, setup, takedown ( achieved in 2009 )
e) Provide leadership in non-deaf causes (AIDS, Paganism, Medical Innovations, Environmental, etc...) ( achieved in 2009 )



5) Social services
a) Development of web-based social service automation for global access
b) Development and proliferation of "Purpose Driven Advocacy" applications in deaf/hard of hearing social services.



In the past 11 years and continuing beyond 2010, the Orange County Deaf Advocacy Center will do what we do better than anything else in the world, PROTECT AND ENTERTAIN our stakeholders, with our special brand of deaf advocacy.

We will be using this video clip below throughout 2010 as our driving force to develop and proliferate purpose driven advocacy in deaf/hard of hearing social services.

We wish everyone a safe, healthy, and productive 2010!

FROM THE BOARD, THE STAFF, AND THE VOLUNTEERS