Source Link - New drive to help the deaf
DRIVING instructor Mike Woods had an unusual challenge on his hands when his two children signed up for lessons.
Debbie, 21, and Michael, 19, are both deaf – and very determined to drive. Enter Kathy Higgins, one of the region's specialist trainers skilled in tutoring driving instructors on how to teach deaf people to drive.
Kathy, who runs the Garston-based Insight2Drive School, said: "There is nothing in the rules saying deaf people cannot go to ordinary instructors, but deafness does present a number of problems and issues when learner drivers are being taught and tested.
"It can be more challenging because people with hearing difficulties have to take more in. If a pupil is profoundly deaf, you cannot shout 'stop!' so you have to use other mechanisms to teach them how to react in emergency situations.
"Instructors generally talk towards the windscreen because they are looking at the road ahead, but pupils who are deaf need to see mouth movements, and even the way you talk makes a difference. We teach instructors how to project and carry their voices.
"These are just some of the techniques, but they all make a difference, and it helps a rapport develop between instructor and pupil.
“Deaf people, trained properly, have just as good a chance of passing as everybody else."
Kathy, who passed her test at her third attempt 23 years ago, added: "I have been a driving instructor for a long time, but realised there were gaps in the offer available for people with hearing difficulties, so I undertook a lengthy government-approved course to train instructors how to teach learners with deafness or hearing problems.
"It does make a difference for pupils to be taught by an instructor specially trained to meet their specific needs."
Mike, who lives in Clubmoor, Liverpool, said: "Undergoing training from Kathy has made a difference in the way I approached teaching my children.
"I could have struggled through," said Mike, "but decided on getting the extra training I needed and it has taken away all of the difficulties and challenges. Both are now ready to take their tests. And I have an extra skill at my disposal as an instructor."
Monday, August 17, 2009
Dr. James C. Marsters, Deaf Pioneer, Dentist and Inventor, Dies
Source Link - Dr. James C. Marsters, Deaf Pioneer, Dentist and Inventor, Dies
Dr. James Carlyle Marsters, a California orthodontist who was instrumental in the development of text telephones (TTYs), died comfortably in his sleep at his home in Oakland on July 28, 2009. He was 85.
"He was an icon in my eyes," said Alan Hurwitz, president of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, a college of Rochester Institute of Technology. Hurwitz considered Dr. Marsters a personal friend for nearly 40 years. "He was like a father figure to me. He gave me wonderful advice and guidance whenever I needed to talk with him about anything. He was a very kind man, passionate and always interested in talking with people. He had a great sense of humor and was a man of many talents and interests. He will be sorely missed."
His most outstanding contribution to the Deaf community started in 1964, when he worked with two other deaf men, Robert Weitbrecht and Andrew Saks, to advocate for changes that would allow deaf persons to communicate with TTYs from home and work. Before that, deaf persons were limited to communication in person, by letters or by phone with the help of hearing friends or family members.
Chronicled in the book A Phone of Our Own: The Deaf Insurrection Against Ma Bell, by Harry G. Lang, Weitbrecht made history by calling Dr. Marsters with the first long distance TTY phone call on a traditional telephone line. Their communication was garbled at first. But after some adjustments were made, their typed words were clear and concise: "Are you printing me now?" Weitbrecht asked Dr. Marsters. "Let's quit for now and gloat over the success."
This teletype communication was made technically possible at that time by the development of an acoustic coupler that would carry signals through phone lines. The three men also worked to overcome the barriers to TTY communication established by telephone corporations, which at the time prohibited direct connections to telephone lines. They founded Applied Communications Corporation in Belmont, Calif. and obtained discarded teletype machines, repaired them and gave them to deaf people to use with the acoustic modems. They also educated the Deaf community about this new technology and partnered with other organizations to make TTYs a reality. Thick telephone directories of TTY users were eventually published and local organizations were formed to allow deaf persons to meet, communicate and disseminate the technology across the country. TTYs liberated deaf persons, allowing them for the first time to independently communicate with others in different locations.
"I look back with pleasure and satisfaction with time well spent serving the public and fellow man," Dr. Marsters once said.
"My dad didn't want to draw the attention to himself, he wanted people to know it was a team effort," said his son, Jim Marsters Jr. "Even though he was the last of the three living (modem developers), he would tell people, 'The glory is not mine. It was an effort of many.' He was really modest about it, but it was something he was really, really proud of."
Dr. Marsters, a long-time friend of NTID, was a former member of the college's National Advisory Group. He was presented with an honorary doctorate from RIT in 1996 and was honored in 2008 by having the modem he used for the first TTY call between two deaf persons prominently displayed at RIT's Wallace Memorial Library.
TDI (formerly Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc.) created the James C. Marsters Promotion Award for helping improve accessibility for people with disabilities.
"I just think about how he cared about other people - patients, family, friends in the deaf community," said his son. "When I was growing up, I remember he was spending a lot of time fussing around with those big Western Union teletype machines so you could communicate with another person who happened to have another machine on the other end. It started in his basement in Pasadena. But he spent a lot of time both in California and going to Washington pushing for government support for this program to make telephone communication more accessible to deaf people. I was really impressed by his time and energy he put in to help deaf people."
Born in Norwich, N.Y., Dr. Marsters became deaf as an infant. He graduated from the Wright Oral School for the Deaf in New York City in 1943 and earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Union College in Schenectady, N.Y. After graduating he moved to New York City and married Joan Tausik, a deaf painter.
He applied to dental schools but was repeatedly told a deaf person could not become a dentist. Undaunted after three years, he was eventually admitted to New York University College of Dentistry on a provisional basis with the understanding they would provide no special accommodations, his family said. He graduated with a DDS degree in 1952, becoming one of the first deaf dentists in the country.
After a divorce and a move to California, Dr. Marsters was admitted into a fellowship of orthodontics at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, which he completed in 1954. He started a solo orthodontic practice in Pasadena in 1954 and continued until his retirement in 1990.
An accomplished pilot, Dr. Marsters had a second office in Lone Pine, Calif., where he would fly to in his private plane and provide dental services to their underserved community. Often those services were done for free because the patients could not afford dental care.
Although there were other deaf pilots, most would avoid flying to airports that required radio communication. Dr. Marsters, who spoke, radioed control towers and announced his proximity to the airport. He would ask the tower to give him clearance to land using signal lights, said his son.
In 1955, Dr. Marsters married Alice A. Dorsey, then the director of the preschool for deaf children at the John Tracy Clinic in Los Angeles. Together, they raised three children.
"They were an inseparable team through all of my father's accomplishments," said their daughter, Dr. Jean Marsters. "She supported him and was equally dedicated to issues of deaf advocacy and education as he was."
After 49 years of marriage, Alice died in 2003. He then moved from Pasadena to Oakland and remained active in that area's deaf community.
Dr. Marsters enjoyed fishing, sailing, soaring, genealogy, investing and roaming the country on family vacations in his motor home. He was a magician and appeared on a live television commercial in his college days.
He was active in both deaf and hearing communities - holding membership in the Masonic Lodge, Rotary and Kiwanis clubs and the American Dental Association. He served as vice-president of the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and was founding member of the Oral Deaf Adult Section of the association in 1964. He also was the association's first keynote convention speaker who was deaf. He was given the association's top award, "Honors of the Association" in 1990 for "extreme dedication to and sustained efforts to the betterment of the lives of people with hearing loss."
"Jim's passing has prompted innumerable reminisces from A.G. Bell members signifying the broad and deep impact he had on our lives," said A.G. Bell President John R. "Jay" Wyant, who cited his "indomitable can-do spirit" and persistent leadership. "He and the other pioneers of his generation were trailblazers in expanding communication access for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing and their contributions touch us in many ways each and every day."
Dr. Marsters was a member of the National Advisory Group at NTID, where in 2000 he started the Dr. James C. Marsters Endowed Scholarship Fund to benefit deaf and hard-of-hearing students. He was presented with an honorary doctorate degree from RIT and in 2008 was honored when the modem used in the first TTY call between two deaf persons was prominently displayed in RIT's Wallace Memorial Library.
Dr. Marsters is survived by three children, Jim Marsters Jr. of Oakland, Dr. Jean Marsters and Guy Marsters, both of Pasadena, and two grandchildren.
Plans are being made for a memorial service in Oakland on Oct. 24 or 25. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions may be made in his memory to the John Tracy Clinic, 806 West Adams Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90007, or to the Jean Weingarten Peninsula Oral School, 3518 Jefferson Ave., Redwood City, CA 94062.
Contributions may also be made to the Dr. James C. Marsters Endowed Scholarship Fund, NTID Development Office, 52 Lomb Memorial Dr., Rochester, N.Y. 14623.
Dr. James Carlyle Marsters, a California orthodontist who was instrumental in the development of text telephones (TTYs), died comfortably in his sleep at his home in Oakland on July 28, 2009. He was 85.
"He was an icon in my eyes," said Alan Hurwitz, president of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, a college of Rochester Institute of Technology. Hurwitz considered Dr. Marsters a personal friend for nearly 40 years. "He was like a father figure to me. He gave me wonderful advice and guidance whenever I needed to talk with him about anything. He was a very kind man, passionate and always interested in talking with people. He had a great sense of humor and was a man of many talents and interests. He will be sorely missed."
His most outstanding contribution to the Deaf community started in 1964, when he worked with two other deaf men, Robert Weitbrecht and Andrew Saks, to advocate for changes that would allow deaf persons to communicate with TTYs from home and work. Before that, deaf persons were limited to communication in person, by letters or by phone with the help of hearing friends or family members.
Chronicled in the book A Phone of Our Own: The Deaf Insurrection Against Ma Bell, by Harry G. Lang, Weitbrecht made history by calling Dr. Marsters with the first long distance TTY phone call on a traditional telephone line. Their communication was garbled at first. But after some adjustments were made, their typed words were clear and concise: "Are you printing me now?" Weitbrecht asked Dr. Marsters. "Let's quit for now and gloat over the success."
This teletype communication was made technically possible at that time by the development of an acoustic coupler that would carry signals through phone lines. The three men also worked to overcome the barriers to TTY communication established by telephone corporations, which at the time prohibited direct connections to telephone lines. They founded Applied Communications Corporation in Belmont, Calif. and obtained discarded teletype machines, repaired them and gave them to deaf people to use with the acoustic modems. They also educated the Deaf community about this new technology and partnered with other organizations to make TTYs a reality. Thick telephone directories of TTY users were eventually published and local organizations were formed to allow deaf persons to meet, communicate and disseminate the technology across the country. TTYs liberated deaf persons, allowing them for the first time to independently communicate with others in different locations.
"I look back with pleasure and satisfaction with time well spent serving the public and fellow man," Dr. Marsters once said.
"My dad didn't want to draw the attention to himself, he wanted people to know it was a team effort," said his son, Jim Marsters Jr. "Even though he was the last of the three living (modem developers), he would tell people, 'The glory is not mine. It was an effort of many.' He was really modest about it, but it was something he was really, really proud of."
Dr. Marsters, a long-time friend of NTID, was a former member of the college's National Advisory Group. He was presented with an honorary doctorate from RIT in 1996 and was honored in 2008 by having the modem he used for the first TTY call between two deaf persons prominently displayed at RIT's Wallace Memorial Library.
TDI (formerly Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc.) created the James C. Marsters Promotion Award for helping improve accessibility for people with disabilities.
"I just think about how he cared about other people - patients, family, friends in the deaf community," said his son. "When I was growing up, I remember he was spending a lot of time fussing around with those big Western Union teletype machines so you could communicate with another person who happened to have another machine on the other end. It started in his basement in Pasadena. But he spent a lot of time both in California and going to Washington pushing for government support for this program to make telephone communication more accessible to deaf people. I was really impressed by his time and energy he put in to help deaf people."
Born in Norwich, N.Y., Dr. Marsters became deaf as an infant. He graduated from the Wright Oral School for the Deaf in New York City in 1943 and earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Union College in Schenectady, N.Y. After graduating he moved to New York City and married Joan Tausik, a deaf painter.
He applied to dental schools but was repeatedly told a deaf person could not become a dentist. Undaunted after three years, he was eventually admitted to New York University College of Dentistry on a provisional basis with the understanding they would provide no special accommodations, his family said. He graduated with a DDS degree in 1952, becoming one of the first deaf dentists in the country.
After a divorce and a move to California, Dr. Marsters was admitted into a fellowship of orthodontics at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, which he completed in 1954. He started a solo orthodontic practice in Pasadena in 1954 and continued until his retirement in 1990.
An accomplished pilot, Dr. Marsters had a second office in Lone Pine, Calif., where he would fly to in his private plane and provide dental services to their underserved community. Often those services were done for free because the patients could not afford dental care.
Although there were other deaf pilots, most would avoid flying to airports that required radio communication. Dr. Marsters, who spoke, radioed control towers and announced his proximity to the airport. He would ask the tower to give him clearance to land using signal lights, said his son.
In 1955, Dr. Marsters married Alice A. Dorsey, then the director of the preschool for deaf children at the John Tracy Clinic in Los Angeles. Together, they raised three children.
"They were an inseparable team through all of my father's accomplishments," said their daughter, Dr. Jean Marsters. "She supported him and was equally dedicated to issues of deaf advocacy and education as he was."
After 49 years of marriage, Alice died in 2003. He then moved from Pasadena to Oakland and remained active in that area's deaf community.
Dr. Marsters enjoyed fishing, sailing, soaring, genealogy, investing and roaming the country on family vacations in his motor home. He was a magician and appeared on a live television commercial in his college days.
He was active in both deaf and hearing communities - holding membership in the Masonic Lodge, Rotary and Kiwanis clubs and the American Dental Association. He served as vice-president of the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and was founding member of the Oral Deaf Adult Section of the association in 1964. He also was the association's first keynote convention speaker who was deaf. He was given the association's top award, "Honors of the Association" in 1990 for "extreme dedication to and sustained efforts to the betterment of the lives of people with hearing loss."
"Jim's passing has prompted innumerable reminisces from A.G. Bell members signifying the broad and deep impact he had on our lives," said A.G. Bell President John R. "Jay" Wyant, who cited his "indomitable can-do spirit" and persistent leadership. "He and the other pioneers of his generation were trailblazers in expanding communication access for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing and their contributions touch us in many ways each and every day."
Dr. Marsters was a member of the National Advisory Group at NTID, where in 2000 he started the Dr. James C. Marsters Endowed Scholarship Fund to benefit deaf and hard-of-hearing students. He was presented with an honorary doctorate degree from RIT and in 2008 was honored when the modem used in the first TTY call between two deaf persons was prominently displayed in RIT's Wallace Memorial Library.
Dr. Marsters is survived by three children, Jim Marsters Jr. of Oakland, Dr. Jean Marsters and Guy Marsters, both of Pasadena, and two grandchildren.
Plans are being made for a memorial service in Oakland on Oct. 24 or 25. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions may be made in his memory to the John Tracy Clinic, 806 West Adams Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90007, or to the Jean Weingarten Peninsula Oral School, 3518 Jefferson Ave., Redwood City, CA 94062.
Contributions may also be made to the Dr. James C. Marsters Endowed Scholarship Fund, NTID Development Office, 52 Lomb Memorial Dr., Rochester, N.Y. 14623.
Deaf teacher could learn more this week about her future in Andover
Source Link - Deaf teacher could learn more this week about her future in Andover
The American Sign Language teacher fighting for her job at Andover High School may learn more this week about her future working in the school district.
Daniela Ioannides, 44, of Methuen, was told in June that she would not be asked back to teach at Andover High after repeatedly failing a state teacher certification exam.
Ioannides, who was born deaf, contends the Massachusetts English competency exam for prospective teachers is discriminatory against the hearing-impaired.
Thanks to a state waiver program for uncertified teachers, Ioannides has taught American Sign Language at the high school for the last five years.
But before her waiver can be renewed for another year, Andover Superintendent Claudia Bach said the School Department must attempt to hire a certified American Sign Language teacher.
After posting the job opening, the School Department has received just one application for the position, according to Andover Human Resources Director Candace Hall.
Hall said the candidate was interviewed last week and that a decision related to the opening could be made this week.
To become a certified teacher in Massachusetts, educators must pass the English competency exam and a second exam specific to their subject area.
But there is no certification test in the state for American Sign Language teachers.
And because she was born deaf, Ioannides said her English speaking and reading skills are not at the same level as someone who has heard and used the language since infancy.
Ioannides said she took the English competency test for a fourth time in the spring, but did not pass.
On July 10, Ionnides sat down with David Haselkorn, associate commissioner of Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, to discuss her concerns over the state's certification standards.
"They seemed very open," said Ioannides through a sign language interpreter. "I was heartened by the fact that they'd be willing to discuss it, look into it and include me in the process."
State education department Spokesman JC Considine wrote in an e-mail to The Eagle-Tribune that Ionnides was invited to participate in a review of the certification standards, along with other teachers and the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
"We found her to be very helpful in providing information on what other states are doing with respect licensing ASL teachers," wrote Considine. "We have agreed to look into these issues from a policy perspective."
In Florida, Ionnides said certified American Sign Language teachers are required to earn both a bachelor's degree and a certification through the American Sign Language Teachers Association, rather than a subject-specific state certification exam.
"I think it would be a great improvement, not just for me but for everybody else who (is hearing impaired and) has tried to take and pass this literacy test and has not been able to," said Ionnides.
The American Sign Language teacher fighting for her job at Andover High School may learn more this week about her future working in the school district.
Daniela Ioannides, 44, of Methuen, was told in June that she would not be asked back to teach at Andover High after repeatedly failing a state teacher certification exam.
Ioannides, who was born deaf, contends the Massachusetts English competency exam for prospective teachers is discriminatory against the hearing-impaired.
Thanks to a state waiver program for uncertified teachers, Ioannides has taught American Sign Language at the high school for the last five years.
But before her waiver can be renewed for another year, Andover Superintendent Claudia Bach said the School Department must attempt to hire a certified American Sign Language teacher.
After posting the job opening, the School Department has received just one application for the position, according to Andover Human Resources Director Candace Hall.
Hall said the candidate was interviewed last week and that a decision related to the opening could be made this week.
To become a certified teacher in Massachusetts, educators must pass the English competency exam and a second exam specific to their subject area.
But there is no certification test in the state for American Sign Language teachers.
And because she was born deaf, Ioannides said her English speaking and reading skills are not at the same level as someone who has heard and used the language since infancy.
Ioannides said she took the English competency test for a fourth time in the spring, but did not pass.
On July 10, Ionnides sat down with David Haselkorn, associate commissioner of Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, to discuss her concerns over the state's certification standards.
"They seemed very open," said Ioannides through a sign language interpreter. "I was heartened by the fact that they'd be willing to discuss it, look into it and include me in the process."
State education department Spokesman JC Considine wrote in an e-mail to The Eagle-Tribune that Ionnides was invited to participate in a review of the certification standards, along with other teachers and the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
"We found her to be very helpful in providing information on what other states are doing with respect licensing ASL teachers," wrote Considine. "We have agreed to look into these issues from a policy perspective."
In Florida, Ionnides said certified American Sign Language teachers are required to earn both a bachelor's degree and a certification through the American Sign Language Teachers Association, rather than a subject-specific state certification exam.
"I think it would be a great improvement, not just for me but for everybody else who (is hearing impaired and) has tried to take and pass this literacy test and has not been able to," said Ionnides.
A deaf tour, anyone?
Source Link - A deaf tour, anyone?
Before the interview, 38-year-old born deaf Gilda Quintua made clear to us two things: her inadequacy in Tagalog being a native of Borongan and San Julian, Eastern Samar; thus, she requested that our communication be done in English; and the swapping of notes using our respective laptops. She could hardly hear and speak but could write on a piece of paper, or send an SMS. “But no calls through mobile phone,” she stressed.
M.G.L.Q Deaf Tour Assistance, whose initials were taken after her full name, is a travel and tours agency Gilda put up in February 2004. It caters to deaf tourists here and abroad, who want to experience Filipino hospitality and culture. Gilda’s tours offer services similar to what other agencies would offer regular tourists.
“I book my clients in hotels and resorts, arrange their itinerary, book their flights, arrivals and departures, and get transport vans, among others. I meet them at the airport and bring them back here.”
Determined
Raised by parents without disabilities, Gilda confessed that deafness runs in the family: of her other six siblings, two are deaf, another sister is hard-of-hearing, and a nephew and two other nieces are also deaf.
Because of this, Gilda was made aware of looming marginalities along the way. This made her more determined in becoming a diligent student. After earning a vocational course in computer software operations, she took another course in diploma accounting.
The travel agency, which she manages, was not a spur of the moment idea.
Gilda narrated: “Our church would hold conferences and functions in Manila. There would be participants from different walks of life and situations, with deaf participants as one of them. I have a good grasp of the sign language, therefore I was assigned to take care of my deaf counterparts. I and my deaf friends would bring them around town.
“In the many times that I was into it, the idea of running one raced through mind; but the experience in the church naturally honed my talent in tour guiding.”
Operations
Gilda began consulting help centers in the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) for her business.
There were no quick rules, Gilda keyed in on her notebook. “An innate love to travel, to share experiences and to promote the country were solid foundations of the business. I also wanted to remind myself that like any normal human being, we are part of mainstream society and that there could be bigger challenges ahead of us.”
Gilda describes herself as a patient woman. She is organized and keen in transactions. She is a good listener, always quick to learn and receptive to comments—traits that endeared her to her clients. When at one time her Japanese and Korean clients commented she needed to expand her knowledge in East Asian sign language, so she could understand them, Gilda diligently sat down with them to augment her knowledge in their sign language.
It helped that Gilda is skilled in computer to help her cope with communication requirements.
"Everything begins in the Internet," Gilda said. Reservations in hotels, in resorts or in restaurants are processed through electronic mails. She would browse the Internet for quick references and information then sends proposals through e-mails.
Challenges
By all accounts, Gilda is an epitome of a successful Person with Disability or PWD. The perks of her business she never fails to share with family members. She is also proud that she was able to raise the awareness level on PWDs one bar up in her own little way.
“As a deaf person in this kind of business, I am proud to say that I have crossed the border of so-called limited access. I honestly worked hard to achieve my goals. I wanted to show the world that we are not cut off from mainstream society and we are capable of regularly doing and keeping our jobs like the rest of hearing and speaking people.”
But Gilda also had her share of heartaches before her efforts were recognized by society. In buying sprees, she would often run out of communication skills to convey her message.
“I could not immediately get the message across to the sellers. There were times when feedback from them was quite slow such that we would just stare and attempt at more handwriting.”
Tour proper
Gilda has no actual staff to speak of in her “virtual office” because everything commences and happens through the Internet.
Prior to the actual tour, Gilda sends the tour package she had prepared. Majority of these packages are visits to Intramuros, Cebu, Baguio, Corregidor, Batangas, and Boracay. “If they could afford the total cost of the package, then we proceed with the trip.”
Gilda also requests her clients to make a half or full payment of the cost. This is either deposited through her back account or sent through Western Union. With everything agreed upon, Gilda sees to it she arrives at the destination the day before the actual tour. She hires a transport van and an assistant deaf staff and proceeds to meet her clients at the airport.
Because she has high regard on socio-cultural restrictions, Gilda would look for Halal restaurants for her Muslim clients.
There would be adjustments in the actual conduct of tour but Gilda is grateful for the patience and understanding of her clients. It helped that majority of them were adults, ranging in ages from 22 to 63 but who had come from all walks of life—a web designer, truck driver, self-employed, a teacher, couple and office worker, among others. There would be deaf people, hard-of-hearing persons, some with hearing capacity but who knows the sign language and others who could only communicate through handwriting.”
For her European clients, Gilda makes sure the transport van is well air-conditioned and the rooms are very cool. But the hospitality she showers her clients seems inadequate in giving tourists a good impression of our country. “They say local PWDs are not given serious attention by the government such as giving them jobs. Traffic, pollution, and street vagabonds are on the rise, and that the government seemed not to care about their welfare.”
Blessings
Be that as it may, Gilda is thankful for the blessings in her life. For her, there is no such thing as corollary effect of her being a deaf person with the affairs of her heart.
Married in civil rites to her Japanese boyfriend five months ago in Samar, a church wedding was calendared this month. Gilda said that by then she would be Mrs. Nakahara. She met her husband, a quality inspector of the NEC Company in Tokyo in one of the deaf tours they had participated in eight years ago.
The possibility of being based in Tokyo is not a remote thing, she said but insisted that she would not stop operating her travel agency. Gilda is in the process of hiring a very reliable deaf staff to take her place as a tour guide and will manage her business “by remote control” or through the Internet. “I would work on the packages online while the tour guiding part would be handled by my assistant.”
And this is just a fraction of the excitement Gilda excitedly shared during the interview. The motherhood issue propped up to which she replied, “Somebody up there holds the master plan.” So excited was she at the prospect that she pressed her lips in a flying-kiss motion to mean “thank you”.
“Thank you so much,” Gilda keyed in.
Before the interview, 38-year-old born deaf Gilda Quintua made clear to us two things: her inadequacy in Tagalog being a native of Borongan and San Julian, Eastern Samar; thus, she requested that our communication be done in English; and the swapping of notes using our respective laptops. She could hardly hear and speak but could write on a piece of paper, or send an SMS. “But no calls through mobile phone,” she stressed.
M.G.L.Q Deaf Tour Assistance, whose initials were taken after her full name, is a travel and tours agency Gilda put up in February 2004. It caters to deaf tourists here and abroad, who want to experience Filipino hospitality and culture. Gilda’s tours offer services similar to what other agencies would offer regular tourists.
“I book my clients in hotels and resorts, arrange their itinerary, book their flights, arrivals and departures, and get transport vans, among others. I meet them at the airport and bring them back here.”
Determined
Raised by parents without disabilities, Gilda confessed that deafness runs in the family: of her other six siblings, two are deaf, another sister is hard-of-hearing, and a nephew and two other nieces are also deaf.
Because of this, Gilda was made aware of looming marginalities along the way. This made her more determined in becoming a diligent student. After earning a vocational course in computer software operations, she took another course in diploma accounting.
The travel agency, which she manages, was not a spur of the moment idea.
Gilda narrated: “Our church would hold conferences and functions in Manila. There would be participants from different walks of life and situations, with deaf participants as one of them. I have a good grasp of the sign language, therefore I was assigned to take care of my deaf counterparts. I and my deaf friends would bring them around town.
“In the many times that I was into it, the idea of running one raced through mind; but the experience in the church naturally honed my talent in tour guiding.”
Operations
Gilda began consulting help centers in the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) for her business.
There were no quick rules, Gilda keyed in on her notebook. “An innate love to travel, to share experiences and to promote the country were solid foundations of the business. I also wanted to remind myself that like any normal human being, we are part of mainstream society and that there could be bigger challenges ahead of us.”
Gilda describes herself as a patient woman. She is organized and keen in transactions. She is a good listener, always quick to learn and receptive to comments—traits that endeared her to her clients. When at one time her Japanese and Korean clients commented she needed to expand her knowledge in East Asian sign language, so she could understand them, Gilda diligently sat down with them to augment her knowledge in their sign language.
It helped that Gilda is skilled in computer to help her cope with communication requirements.
"Everything begins in the Internet," Gilda said. Reservations in hotels, in resorts or in restaurants are processed through electronic mails. She would browse the Internet for quick references and information then sends proposals through e-mails.
Challenges
By all accounts, Gilda is an epitome of a successful Person with Disability or PWD. The perks of her business she never fails to share with family members. She is also proud that she was able to raise the awareness level on PWDs one bar up in her own little way.
“As a deaf person in this kind of business, I am proud to say that I have crossed the border of so-called limited access. I honestly worked hard to achieve my goals. I wanted to show the world that we are not cut off from mainstream society and we are capable of regularly doing and keeping our jobs like the rest of hearing and speaking people.”
But Gilda also had her share of heartaches before her efforts were recognized by society. In buying sprees, she would often run out of communication skills to convey her message.
“I could not immediately get the message across to the sellers. There were times when feedback from them was quite slow such that we would just stare and attempt at more handwriting.”
Tour proper
Gilda has no actual staff to speak of in her “virtual office” because everything commences and happens through the Internet.
Prior to the actual tour, Gilda sends the tour package she had prepared. Majority of these packages are visits to Intramuros, Cebu, Baguio, Corregidor, Batangas, and Boracay. “If they could afford the total cost of the package, then we proceed with the trip.”
Gilda also requests her clients to make a half or full payment of the cost. This is either deposited through her back account or sent through Western Union. With everything agreed upon, Gilda sees to it she arrives at the destination the day before the actual tour. She hires a transport van and an assistant deaf staff and proceeds to meet her clients at the airport.
Because she has high regard on socio-cultural restrictions, Gilda would look for Halal restaurants for her Muslim clients.
There would be adjustments in the actual conduct of tour but Gilda is grateful for the patience and understanding of her clients. It helped that majority of them were adults, ranging in ages from 22 to 63 but who had come from all walks of life—a web designer, truck driver, self-employed, a teacher, couple and office worker, among others. There would be deaf people, hard-of-hearing persons, some with hearing capacity but who knows the sign language and others who could only communicate through handwriting.”
For her European clients, Gilda makes sure the transport van is well air-conditioned and the rooms are very cool. But the hospitality she showers her clients seems inadequate in giving tourists a good impression of our country. “They say local PWDs are not given serious attention by the government such as giving them jobs. Traffic, pollution, and street vagabonds are on the rise, and that the government seemed not to care about their welfare.”
Blessings
Be that as it may, Gilda is thankful for the blessings in her life. For her, there is no such thing as corollary effect of her being a deaf person with the affairs of her heart.
Married in civil rites to her Japanese boyfriend five months ago in Samar, a church wedding was calendared this month. Gilda said that by then she would be Mrs. Nakahara. She met her husband, a quality inspector of the NEC Company in Tokyo in one of the deaf tours they had participated in eight years ago.
The possibility of being based in Tokyo is not a remote thing, she said but insisted that she would not stop operating her travel agency. Gilda is in the process of hiring a very reliable deaf staff to take her place as a tour guide and will manage her business “by remote control” or through the Internet. “I would work on the packages online while the tour guiding part would be handled by my assistant.”
And this is just a fraction of the excitement Gilda excitedly shared during the interview. The motherhood issue propped up to which she replied, “Somebody up there holds the master plan.” So excited was she at the prospect that she pressed her lips in a flying-kiss motion to mean “thank you”.
“Thank you so much,” Gilda keyed in.
Deaf soldier wins £330K damages from MoD
Source Link - Deaf soldier wins £330K damages from MoD
A soldier has won £330,000 from the Ministry of Defence for hearing loss - after being told not to wear earplugs during a training exercise to make it more "battle realistic".
Charles Bradlaugh was left with hearing loss and tinnitus, which has created a "fuzzy noise", in his left ear.
Mr Bradlaugh, 22, was a cadet when colleagues started firing before he could find earplugs or alert anyone at Barry Buddon Training Centre in Carnoustie, Angus, in 2004.
He was given a discharge from the army on health grounds in 2007. Mr Bradlaugh, of Sunderland, had sued the MoD for breach of statutory duty saying his condition left him "disadvantaged in the labour market". The MoD admitted liability.
At Newcastle county court yesterday he won £328,941 for loss of earnings and damages.
Judge Christopher Walton said: "I'm satisfied it was his intention to continue in this career for 22 years."
A soldier has won £330,000 from the Ministry of Defence for hearing loss - after being told not to wear earplugs during a training exercise to make it more "battle realistic".
Charles Bradlaugh was left with hearing loss and tinnitus, which has created a "fuzzy noise", in his left ear.
Mr Bradlaugh, 22, was a cadet when colleagues started firing before he could find earplugs or alert anyone at Barry Buddon Training Centre in Carnoustie, Angus, in 2004.
He was given a discharge from the army on health grounds in 2007. Mr Bradlaugh, of Sunderland, had sued the MoD for breach of statutory duty saying his condition left him "disadvantaged in the labour market". The MoD admitted liability.
At Newcastle county court yesterday he won £328,941 for loss of earnings and damages.
Judge Christopher Walton said: "I'm satisfied it was his intention to continue in this career for 22 years."
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