Dear Friends,
Our 20' by 10' deaf awareness booth at Orange County Fair has finally
has been constructed. It is going to be an educational goldmine in
the name of deaf awareness education. We are fine tuning our
presentation items, the computers, the monitors. We have a good
number of volunteers already lined up to help us out and we have
plenty more tickets for extra volunteers. Our deaf awareness booth
could create as much as 2-3,000 new signups to this newsletter. Some
of our education materials will be offered in Japanese, Russian, and
in Spanish. The Oberkotter foundation has given us some freebies to
hand out. We commend and thank all of our 35+ volunteers for their
time in prepping our booth for this event. This is the positive
result of volunteerism. Now we wait for the judges to decide on the
booth qualities and we have high hopes for at least a small blue
ribbon or at least a large red ribbon for our efforts.
If you happen to 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.
The 15th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities is coming
up. The best way to celebrate this is to check at least 20
businesses in your area for ADA violations and report them to your
local deaf/disability service agencies.
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, California.
-------------< OUTSIDE NEWS >
Brand X Could Impact Hearing Impaired
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA623822.html?
display=Breaking+News
Planners schedule first reading of zoning ordinance for deaf town
http://www.aberdeennews.com/mld/aberdeennews/news/12060091.htm
Gates: Get ready for chip implants
http://edition.cnn.com/2005/TECH/07/04/gates.implants.ap/
More classes for deaf children
http://www.moroccotimes.com/news/article.asp?id=7922
Shattering the silence: Sign language interpreter Cathy Copeland
empowers the deaf
http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?
ts=1&display=rednews/2005/07/04/build/workweek/30-shattering-the-
silence.inc
State moving toward consolidation of schools for deaf, blind
http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/virginia/dp-va--
deafandblindschoo0704jul04,0,3045991.story?coll=dp-headlines-virginia
Deaf 'missing out' on health care
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/4654807.stm
Judge rules deaf-mute man to stand trial with training
http://north.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=deaf-mute-
ruling05072005&ref=rss
City for deaf residents possible near Salem
http://www.aberdeennews.com/mld/aberdeennews/news/12064635.htm
Lawyers with disabilities speak up about large firms' hiring practices
http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2005/07/04/focus3.html?
from_rss=1
ADA education, events on tap
http://www.thereporter.com/editorials/ci_2838523
Conference to focus on jobs for disabled
http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?
id=1&display=rednews/2005/07/06/build/local/28-conference.inc
ADA problem at ballot boxes alleged
http://www.gilmermirror.com/index.php?ArtID=10100
ADA's legacy lauded as anniversary nears
http://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?
AID=/20050705/NEWS01/507050309/1002
-------------< DEAF GRAPEVINE >
Hands On Video Relay Services (HOVRS) is possibly merging with
GoAmerica. This is strong wind from a number of reliable sources.
If true, then HOVRS will have a leading video relay service (VRS)
market share since GoAmerica has excellent marketing capabilities as
i711.com is heavily advertised in many deaf portal websites.
-------------< 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 >
Significance of O'Connor Resignation for Disability Rights
Thanks to Jennifer Mathis from the Bazelon Center for Mental Health
Law for drafting this report on the significance of O'Connor
resignation for disability rights
It is important that President Bush seek meaningful advice and
consent from Senators on both sides of the aisle when choosing a
nominee for the Supreme Court.
I. Justice OConnor was nominated by President Reagan with an eye
toward reaching consensus among all political parties, and was
confirmed by the Senate by a vote of 99-0. We hope that President
Bush will similarly choose a consensus nominee to replace Justice
OConnor.
II. Justice OConnor was frequently sided with business interests
against the interests of individuals with disabilities. For example,
in Sutton v. United Airlines, 527 U.S. 471 (1999), Justice OConnor
authored a decision greatly narrowing the class of people protected
by the ADA by holding that mitigating measures such as eyeglasses,
medications, and prosthetic devices must be considered in determining
whether a person has a disability. In Toyota Motor Mfg. v. Williams,
534 U.S. 184 (2002), OConnor authored an opinion expressing doubt
that an employee with bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and tendinitis
had a disability in performing manual tasks and holding that the ADA
contains a demanding standard for determining who is protected. In
Board of Trustees of Univ. of Alabama v. Garrett, she joined the
majority in a 5-4 states rights decision holding that Congress had
exceeded its authority in allowing damage suits against state
employers under Title I of the ADA.
Nonetheless, Justice OConnor sided with people with disabilities in a
number of important disability rights cases. In Olmstead v. L.C.,
527 U.S. 581 (1999), she concurred with the majoritys conclusion that
unnecessary institutionalization of people with disabilities is a
form of discrimination prohibited by the ADA. In Tennessee v. Lane,
541 U.S. 509 (2004), Justice OConnor joined the majority in a 5-4
decision rejecting a states rights argument and concluding that
Congress had the power to authorize damage suits against states for
claims under Title II of the ADA relating to access to courts. In
U.S. Airways, Inc. v. Barnett, 535 U.S. 391 (2002), Justice OConnor
concurred with the majority ruling that the ADA requires reasonable
accommodations to disability-neutral rules that have the effect of
excluding people with disabilities, and that seniority systems may,
under certain circumstances, have to give way to allow reassignment
of an individual with a disability as an accommodation required by
the ADA.
III. It is critical to disability rights that landmark decisions such
as Olmstead v. L.C. and Tennessee v. Lane not be overturned when
Justice OConnor leaves the Court.
We call on President Bush to honor the promises made in the New
Freedom Initiative and ensure that whoever is nominated to replace
Justice OConnor is committed to protecting the important rights that
people with disabilities fought hard to secure.
-------------< 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 >
"I like it here because I get to meet more new friends and see all of
my old friends and we get to learn about the Gospel," Heather Turner
said of Camp Shocco for the Deaf. "My parents are deaf and were
councilors for Ricky, so that's how I fell in love with this place."
-------------< COMMUNITY BULLHORN >
Mark Johnson of the shepard center has ideas of ways to Celebrate the
15th anniversary of ADA
--sign the Statement of Solidarity at http://www.aapd-dc.org/
-July 26th, participate in a local event, go to http://www.aapd-
dc.org/ADAcelebration/adacel05/stateadacel.html
-July 23rd, support the National Fun Run, http://www.adaptfunrun.org/
-support the protesters in TN, Day 11, http://www.mcil.org/mcil/ ,
http://www.familiesusa.org/site/Survey?
SURVEY_ID=2160&ACTION_REQUIRED=URI_ACTION_USER_REQUESTS&autologin=true
&JServSessionIdr006=ac0z1w7mn1.app25a
FOR information about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), go
to http://www.sedbtac.org/ .
TO resolve a complaint, go to http://www.napas.org/
Looking back, 10th anniversary of ADA
- http://www.aapd-dc.org/torchrelay/torchrelayindex.html
-http://www.icanonline.net/news/fullpage.cfm?articleid=24F0AB10-54DA-
4EE3-92DB6E211B5183E5&cx=news.special_reports
-------------< 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 >
Hello,
I am a research assistant with the American Family Association Center
for Law and Policy. We have recently been contacted by Congressman
Trent Franks. Congressman Franks' number one issue is judicial
misconduct. He is preparing to have a hearing regarding the process
by which federal judges police themselves in situations of
misconduct. Congressman Franks has asked us to compile instances of
federal judicial misconduct that he can present at a hearing before
his sub-committee in the House of Representatives. As you are
probably aware, cases of judicial misconduct and judicial sanctions
usually go unreported, so we are trying to reach out to other
organizations who actively oppose judicial misconduct, like the Equal
Justice Foundation, in order to try to compile examples of misconduct
that Congressman Franks can use in his hearing. Any information that
you can provide regarding instances of judicial misconduct in federal
courts would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance for your help.
Sincerely,
Andy Richmond
AFA Center for Law and Policy
100 Parkgate Dr.
Ste. 2B
P.O. Drawer 2440
Tupelo, MS 38801
Tele: 662.680.3886
-------------< 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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