OCDAC Newsletter June 28, 2005

Dear Friends,

We are all geared up and excited about our 3 week long deaf awareness
program at the Orange County Fair next week! We are fine tuning our
presentation items, the computers, the monitors, the freebie
giveaways. We have a good number of volunteers already lined up to
help us out and we have plenty more tickets for extra volunteers. We
had to overcome some major glitches to make this happen. After the
fireworks we will be in the office almost 24 hrs a day making the
final touches on our presentation materials.

After OC-Fair we will rest in August and then focus on our deaf
awareness booth at the Children Festival which is double the OC Fair
deaf awareness program all in a single day! This is going to be a
double challenge for everyone involved!

Celebrating Fourth of July is fun for people, not for service
animals. They can become frightened, injured, or lost during Fourth
of July holidays. Keep the service animals safe inside, away from
the noise. This is because their hearing is much more sensitive than
ours. Have a TV or radio on to drown out the fireworks noise. And
it's also important to check on the ID tags, current license tags,
with home phone number including area codes in case they become lost.

Have a safe Fourth of July!

OCDAC Communications

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

Our Sign Language booklets have been developed. They are different
from last year's booklets. We learned from the OC-Fair meeting we
will have only 2 days to set our OC-Fair booth. We need a lot of
help during those 2 days. July 6 and 7! We've chosen a mascot for
OC-Fair booth this summer. It's the small Emmett Kelly Jr. "I Love
You" figurine! These figurines are no longer being produced and are
offered for $25 donations.

Virtual volunteerism is working for us! Our ocdacvolunteer list at
yahoogroups helps us create a pool of volunteers. If youre
interested in being an OCDAC volunteer, feel free to sign up on our
ocdacvolunteer list at yahoogroups.

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.

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

Implants help deaf students learn
http://www.connpost.com/news/ci_2825087

Device lets deaf say, 'Call me on my cell'
http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?
AID=/20050625/BUSINESS05/506250333/1029/BUSINESS

Deaf and blind celebrate Helen Keller day
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=18&ObjectID=10333074

Tech failing to serve blind-deaf users
http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000173048339/

Plane flown by deaf pilot crashes on Martha's Vineyard, three injured
http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/06242005/south_of/49277.htm

Workshop gives voice to conerns of the deaf
http://www.theheraldbulletin.com/story.asp?id=13832

Deaf cook earning her stripes in Taj kitchen
http://www.courierpostonline.com/news/living/f062505b.htm

Deaf man pleads guilty to drug charge; faces extradition
http://www.orovillemr.com/Stories/0,1413,157~26686~2934801,00.html

Agency For Disabled Won't Spend $50 Million Of Budget
http://news.tbo.com/news/MGBJB6UREAE.html

Governor signs bill revamping program for disabled children
http://www.newstribune.com/articles/2005/06/26/news_state/0625050010.t
xt

RadioShack Settles With Wheelchair Users
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2005/06/22/AR2005062201828.html

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

Killer Orange directory has included us in their Speech and Hearing
section.
http://www.killerorange.com/KillerRefs/Category/orgspeechhearing.htm

-------------< 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 >

Judge: Amtrak Can Charge Disabled Extra

By PATRICK WALTERS
The Associated Press
Wednesday, June 22, 2005; 4:27 PM

PHILADELPHIA -- A federal judge ruled that Amtrak can charge a group
of wheelchair users extra to ride in the same car together.

The wheelchair users, members of Disabled in Action of Pennsylvania,
travel to Washington regularly to lobby. They sued after Amtrak told
them that they could ride together on a Philadelphia-to-Washington
train but that some of them would have to pay $200 more than the
usual ticket price to cover the cost of removing seats.

The group sued, saying the policy violated the federal Americans With
Disabilities Act.

U.S. District Judge Harvey Bartle III said Friday that under federal
law, Amtrak must have one space to park a wheelchair and one space to
store an unoccupied chair per passenger coach. It can charge extra
for anything beyond that, Bartle ruled.

About three-quarters of those who were to go on the February trip are
on fixed incomes of about $600 a month, the group said. Executive
director Nancy Salandra said the charge on top of the $90 round-trip
ticket price was too much for them to bear.

"If you and your family and friends and sisters and brothers and
cousins, more than 20, wanted to travel to Washington, you would get
a discount as a group," said Stephen Gold, an attorney for the group.

Amtrak spokeswoman Marcie Golgoski said the policy of charging for
the removal of seats does not apply to just the disabled. If people
wanted to have party on a train and seats had to be removed, they
would be assessed the fee, too, she said.

-------------< 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

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 >

"As long as people talk slowly, I have no problems," Andrea Seltzer
of the Casbah Cafe at the Trump Taj Mahal

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

Defeating Deafness organization reaffirms benefits of cochlear
implants

Today there are more than 4,000 cochlear implant users in the UK and
it is widely recognised that these devices have the potential to
transform lives.

Improved technology means that more profoundly deaf people than ever
before could benefit from implants which work by stimulating the
auditory nerve, bypassing damaged sensory cells in the cochlea.

Unfortunately, in some parts of the UK, patients are being denied
access to this life changing technology because of insufficient
funding. While most children who are eligible for a cochlear implant
receive one, adults in many areas are missing out.

Following discussions with our advisers, we have issued a statement
affirming the benefits of implants which we hope will encourage
health authorities to make more funding available.

"Although Defeating Deafness recognises that cochlear implants are
not appropriate for everyone, and patients must undergo a rigorous
assessment process, we are concerned about the current situation,"
says Defeating Deafness Chief Executive, Vivienne Michael. "There is
clear evidence that the majority of people fitted with a cochlear
implant have better communication skills, take more pleasure from
family life and enjoy greater financial independence. With the aid of
an implant, profoundly deaf children are able to succeed in
mainstream schools."

Speaking recently on the subject, Defeating Deafness cochlear implant
adviser, Dr Huw Cooper said, "Cochlear implants are improving all the
time. It is important that we receive funding, not only to carry out
more research, but also to ensure that all those people who could
benefit from implants are able to do so. In reinforcing its position
on the benefits of cochlear implants, Defeating Deafness is sending
out a clear message about the importance of these life-enhancing
devices".

To view the position statement produced by Defeating Deafness, click
on the link below or contact the Information Service for a copy
(email: [email protected], tel: 0808 808 2222).

-------------< 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 >

From OCDAC Newsletter June 13, 2005 : "It's a shame that large deaf
sports organizations are forbidding the use of hearing aids and
cochlear implants at their competitions. They choose to be the old
british fighter plane as stated in NAD's Vice President Mark
Apodaca's video. And we say theyre actually sending the deaf
communities backwards when the rest of the society has advanced.
It's time to move the deaf communities forward, not backwards!"

From USADB :

Most of us in Deaf Sports Community disagree with this statement.
By not allowing the use of hearing aids and cochlear implants we are
leveling the playing field for ALL deaf people. Everyone is equal
in that no one using assistive devices has an advantage over those
who don't have that option. In that context, we're ahead of the
game, not behind!

Furthermore, we are abiding by the Deaflympics/CISS rules for fair
play.

Shirley Platt
Public Relations
USA Deaf Basketball

Editor's reply :

Dear Shirley Platt,

Thank you for responding to the assistive technhology in deaf
sports issue. I appreciate your taking the time to write to me in
this issue. It is important for me to hear from the Deaf community
as this debate continues.

I read your recent letter on assistive technhology in deaf
sports and believe that the newsletter correctly states my views. As
we both know, this is a complicated and difficult issue which affects
the Deaf community. I am open to suggestions as to how to improve
the OCDAC Newsletter's position on the assistive technhology in deaf
sports issue.

I fail to see how a hearing aid or a cochlear implant could
improve one's ability to shoot baskets, improve chances at winning
ping pong games, running faster, throwing farther, shooting a clay
pigeon, or improving any person's athletic performance on any
competition does not involve, in any way, the use of the ears.

What I see is that this CISS policy is not a 'level playing
field' policy but a policy that is based on an established hatred for
assistive devices that enables deaf people to function independently
and be more free from the so called big deaf industry need to cash in
on the special needs of the deaf community. Society is advancing
and is welcoming the use of hearing aids and cochlear implants. I'm
seeng that the the assistive devices are improving deaf people's
participation at the general society's offerings. This is all about
the evolution of the deaf society. As society evolves, the deaf can
too and no deaf organization should act as barriers to the
advancement of the deaf society.

I value your opinion and appreciate you actively contributing to
this discussion. As the Deaf community proceeds to debate on this
issue, I look forward to a thorough review of this issue. While I
want to promote all aspects of the Deaf community, I dont want to do
so at the expense of some parts.

Once again, thank you for your correspondence. I hope that you
will continue to share your thoughts and ideas with me. If I can be
of further assistance, please do not hesitate to email me.

With warmest personal regards.

Sincerely Yours,
Richard Roehm

-------------< 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
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