Dear Friends,
CNN has a video of a mother crying when her deaf son heard her voice
for the first time after receiving cochlear implants. You can see
"Deaf no more" at CNN Video at
http://dynamic.cnn.com/apps/tp/video/health/2006/11/20/carson.fl.deaf.baby.impla\
nt.wlfa/video.ws.asx
and we need to be thankful for great developments in dealing with
hearing loss.
Many of our subscribers have had problems accessing our huge photo
albums because theyre not members of yahoogroups. We have great news
for them. We are moving our photos to our Flickr account which is a
photo blog and it enables people to leave comments on the pictures.
Find it at http://flickr.com/photos/ocdac/ and enjoy!
And we have been experimenting with a new format for our newsletters
and it has been declared a complete success as you've received our
announcement of our ASL related gifts. We will soon be incorporating
imagery and articles from the newswires. Our newsletters will soon
take a very colorful appearance.
It gets very sad when one helps a client and succeeds in averting a
disastrous situation and the client decides to thank the advocate by
testifying against him or her in an unrelated case. Thats one of the
the many definitions of martyrdom. And that's exactly what happened
to the agency's CEO last week. And the editor is non other than a
victim of excessive social control and that he witnessed justice
that's not blind enough.
We now have 2007 ASL calendars for sale now. Check our ebay catalog
item
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&viewit\
em=&item=230051766285&rd=1&rd=1
and they make great holiday gifts. We just got more and they're hot!
We also have a huge stock of American Sign Language Alphabet Placemats
this year we wont run out like we did last year.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&viewit\
em=&item=230049855051&rd=1&rd=1
and they also make great holiday gifts too.
The holiday shopping season has already begun and we are offering
accessible holiday offerings such as brailled holiday cards, texting
of the musical holiday cards and many more items to make holiday
season a real blessing for people with disabilities. They can all be
found in our ebay store.
Start your holiday shopping at our eBay store today! Lots of products
for the deaf, and blind, and other disabilities. We have gifts for
Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and many other holidays, birthdays,
anniversaries. 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. Stop by
http://stores.ebay.com/OCDAC-Adaptive-Equipment-and-More today to
start your holiday shopping. So far 71 of our readers have taken the
time to visit the website.
We are selling 2007 Entertainment Books for $35 each, save $$$$ in
coupons! You can get them at our office or go to our website for the
link. We already have sold some and we have a few of books left over.
Many many thinks to those of you have sent in those big donation
checks. This is the society's permission to continue the good deeds
we have been doing since June 1998.
OCDAC Communications
[email protected]
http://www.deafadvocacy.org/img/keycard.jpeg
-------------< HOUSING NEWS >
The editor was recently elected as the head super of his apartment
association. This will enable him to use the apartment building our
training program and there is room for 15 deaf people to babysit the
vacant apartments for the owners.
-------------< INSIDE NEWS >
With our subscribership from the international communities increasing
at a steady pace, we wish to make this newsletter accessible to them
and the easiest way to accomplish this is by directing them to
http://www.babelfish.altavista.com/ and entering
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ocdacnewsletter/ in the website
translation box and the babelfish will help our international
subscribers become strong advocates for the deaf and disability
communities.
This weekly newsletter is now available in print form to be mailed out
each week. The price is going to be $90 per year for the print
version and the price is highly reasonable due to it's very rich deaf
and disability advocacy content and very little advertising. This
still beats out the other deaf print news that are chock full of
distracting advertisements. They are now available in other
alternative formats like floppies, braille, and in large print for
people with vision impairments. For more information, please email
[email protected]
Our Campbell's product label collection campaign to help us raise the
means to get supplies for our office is producing results. Start
saving your Campbells product labels today and mail them to us on the
first week of each month. We have aproximately 1600 subscribers and
if each one of them accumulates and sends us 900-1000 labels a month,
we'd be able to get lots of new equipment for our office and internal
and external education programs! Lets get those labels coming. Our
big thanks to those who sent in their labels.
-------------< ANNOUNCEMENT >
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.
-------------< OUTSIDE NEWS PART 1/3 >
Russian pop duet Tatu insults the disabled
The latest CD by the well-known Russian pop group Tatu gave rise to a
scandal recently. The CD is titled "Lyudi-Invalidy" (disabled persons
in Russian). Leonid Vokuyev, an ombudsman in Russia's Komi Autonomous
Republic believes that the lyrics of the album's title track are a
public insult to the disabled
According to information obtained by Moskovski Komsomolets, several
disabled persons in Syktyvkar, the republic's capital, wrote a letter
to Vokuyev, in which they strongly objected not only to the lyrics of
the song, but to the record sleeve as well. The record sleeve contains
the following line notes: "The disabled don't know what it takes to be
a human being. The disabled are just a counterfeit built around the
humanoid dummy. The disabled do not live, they just function. Their
functioning complies with the law of mechanics and four more
characteristics, namely, cruelty, stupidity, greed and baseness."
Vokueyv supports the indignation of the disabled. He demanded that the
Moscow prosecutor's office institute a legal action against Tatu's
singers Yulya Volkova and Lena Katina in order to hold them
responsible for libel and public insult.
Tatu's members comment on the allegations:
"Actually, gave it a thought while working on the concept of the
album. We were thinking over a possible impact the lyrics might have
on those with physical handicaps. By no means had we intended to
insult them or treat them inappropriately so we put a definition of
the "disabled" on a booklet enclosed with the album. No doubt about,
the definition concerns the persons whose soul is flawed. The same
interpretation should be applied to the lyrics of the song," said
Yulya Volkova.
"Incidentally, we believe that the term invalid is absolutely
inappropriate with regard to persons with physical handicaps. The word
sounds too gross and humiliating to a disabled person no matter what
has caused them," said Lean Katina.
-------------< CALIFORNIA DEAFIE HAPPENINGS >
COME TO OUR MEETUPS!
The Orange County American Sign Language Meetup Group -
http://asl.meetup.com/37/ - and the he Orange County Deaf & Hearing
Impaired Meetup Group http://deaf.meetup.com/38/ meets each 3rd
Fridays of the month.
Come to our meetup on this Friday December 15, 2006.
The Orange County American Sign Language & Orange County Deaf &
Hearing Impaired Meetup.
When:
Friday, December 15, 7:00 PM
Where:
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
17595 Harvard Ave #B
Irvine, CA
(949) 660-1332
What:
Meet the 2 meetups
===================================
Oral Deaf Orange County Club
Come to our meetup on Tuesday December 5, 2006.
Oral Deaf Orange County Club
When:
Tuesday, December 5, 7:00 PM
Where:
Natále Coffee
2801 W. MacArthur A2
Santa Ana, CA
714-668-9094
===================================
DEAF SEMINAR SATURDAYS
We are having two 2 hour FREE educational seminars to our community
members.
Deaf employment rights FULL
Safety at home
December 30, 2006, 10 am – 12 Noon and 1pm – 3pm
Classes take place at the OCDAC classroom. RSVP is required and 8
students maximum per class. Reply back with reservation choices. And
the seminars are always FREE.
-------------< ANNOUNCEMENT >
See what we offer at Ebay!
http://members.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=ocdac
-------------< DEAF GRAPEVINE >
The Department of Transportation amended its ADA regulations to adopt
the new ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) for transportation
facilities. The Department did make several modifications, including
maintaining requirements for detectable warnings on curb ramps, and
provided additional guidance. The rule becomes effective November 29,
2006.
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/200\
6/E6-16680.htm
-------------< BULLETIN >
FCC Found In Violation of Its Rules
WTTG-TV Fined $12,000; Agrees to New Policies and Practices By Cheryl
Heppner
Today the Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau
announced that WTTG-TV (FOX Channel 5) was found in violation of its
rules for making emergency information accessible to people with
hearing disabilities. A Consent Decree calls for WTTG to pay a $12,000
fine within 30 days to the US Treasury.
The action is the result of a complaint for not providing visual
information during a thunderstorm/tornado watch in the Washington, DC
Metropolitan area on May 25, 2004. I was the person who filed the
complaint after I experienced confusion and fear in trying to get
information from WTTG's broadcast, and then talked to several other
individuals who also reported the same experience during the storm.
What information was provided visually did not tell how severe the
storm was, the locations affected, and what should be done to remain safe.
In the Consent Decree, WTTG also agreed to these policies and practices:
- To close caption all emergency information broadcast outside a
regularly scheduled newscast if the information is conveyed via the
Stations audio.
- To make the critical details of the emergency information
accessible by other visual means, such as crawls, scrolls, or
handwriting on a blackboard, whiteboard, or other display and will
continue to do so until captioning begins if captioning services are
not immediately available or if caption services cannot be
immediately secured. Emergency information will include any
information relating to an imminent or ongoing emergency, intended to
protect life, health, or property.
- To distribute, at least every six months, the Station's Emergency
Visual Presentation Policy to all employees.
- To incorporate the Station's Emergency Visual Presentation Policy
into the Station's regular news employee training session.
- To promptly begin captioning, or contact its captioning service,
before or contemporaneously with any broadcast coverage of a pending
or imminent emergency that endangers viewers and make its best
reasonable efforts to ensure that coverage of the emergency is
captioned as soon as possible.
- To caption the newscast or breaking news report, make the critical
details of the emergency information accessible by other visual
means, such as crawls, scrolls, or handwriting on a blackboard,
whiteboard or other display during any time that captioning is not
immediately available.
- To maintain a dedicated captioning computer that is remotely
accessible by the News Desk that has direct internet access to all of
its captioning services captioners nationwide so that Master Control
Operators and personnel at any News Desk computer can:
(1) initiate emergency captioning by pressing one key,
(2) order future captioning by accessing and clicking on an icon
on the computer,
(3) verify that captioning has come on line and
(4) converse with captioners via internet.
- To maintain visible postings on television monitors in the
Station's newsroom that remind employees to promptly contact the
Station's captioning service during emergency events, and giving the
phone number for that service.
- To provide special weather text graphics, as circumstances warrant,
in addition to captioning, for hearing disabled viewers to receive
shelter-at-home tips during coverage of tornado, severe thunderstorm,
flash flooding or other weather emergencies. This is in addition to
providing emergency information in an accessible format while waiting
for captioning to commence.
-------------< ANNOUNCEMENT >
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.
-------------< OUTSIDE NEWS PART 2/3 >
International Day of Disabled Persons 2006
E-Accessibility
Access to information and communication technologies creates
opportunities to everyone in society, but perhaps no-more so than for
persons with disabilities. No longer do the societal barriers of
prejudice, infrastructure, and inaccessible formats stand in the way
of participation. When available to everyone, information technologies
foster individuals to reach their full potential, and for persons with
disabilities it allows them to play their part in society's development.
At the First World Summit on the Information Society in 2003,
Governments expressed their commitment to build a people-centred,
inclusive and development-oriented information society, where everyone
can create, access, utilize and share information and knowledge.
Despite the vision, many persons with disabilities remain unable to
take full advantage of the Internet as most websites are: inaccessible
to the blind and visually impaired, heavily dependent on using the
mouse, and training is often conducted in inaccessible formats and
venues. As persons with disabilities are amongst the most marginalized
in society, many do not have access to information technologies at
all. Even those with access to information technologies may not be
able to utilize them effectively, as available adaptive equipment
cannot keep pace with innovation.
Persons with disabilities are at a considerable disadvantage by not
being able to access information technologies. For instance, as
education becomes increasingly dependent on information technologies,
not being able to access the Internet for example limits the learning
potential of persons with disabilities.
Several places already have legislation and regulations requiring
websites to be fully accessible. At the international level, standards
and guidelines on website accessibility are being developed. Once
adopted and ratified, the International Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities will require entities ensure that persons
with disabilities can access information technologies. It specifies
that measures should be introduced to eliminate obstacles and barriers
to information and communications, and to promote access for persons
with disabilities to information and communications technologies,
including the Internet.
Making information technologies available to persons with disabilities
is not only a matter of human rights, it also makes good business
sense. Studies suggest that accessible websites appear higher up the
page rankings of search engines and can save costs on web maintenance.
It also allows companies access to a largely untapped customer base.
Many websites, however, remain inaccessible for the visually impaired
and the blind. A recent study of the FTSE 100 companies in the United
Kingdom showed that around three-quarters of company websites did not
achieve basic levels of accessibility. By not making their websites
accessible, UK companies are forfeiting #80 billion in lost revenue.
The theme for this year's International Day of Disabled Persons (3
December 2006) is accessibility to information technologies, and the
day will be referred to as E-Accessibility Day. Through its efforts,
and collaboration with others, the United Nations aims to raise
appreciation among Governments, private entities and the public of
the significant benefits to persons with disabilities and society when
they are empowered with increased access to information technologies.
Secretary-General's message on the International Day of Disabled Persons
<http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/iddp2006sgme.htm>
-------------< DEAF QUOTES >
"We want to preserve our deafness." Darren Hause
-------------< ANNOUNCEMENT >
Do you shop at Albertsons or Sav-on stores? You can get a free
community partners card at those stores and then add it to our list of
supporters. A percent of what you buy will go to helping our Deaf
youth program. If you already have a school or other program that you
are supporting, don't worry, you can add your card to support our
program too! It doesnt cost you anything more than your purchases to
be a supporter. There are two ways to add your card. You can email
your First and Last name with your phone number and community partners
card number to [email protected] or you can download and print
our Albertsons / Sav-on Community Partners signup forms at
http://www.deafadvocacy.org/community/AlbertsonsSignup.pdf and have
your friends, neighbors, associates, and relatives sign up as
supporters and then mail the form to the address on the form. To reach
our funding goal we need 25,000 supporters who shop at Albertsons /
Sav-on. And remember to use your community partners card when you shop
at Albertsons or Sav-on.
-------------< COMMUNITY BULLHORN >
Federal Judge Rules That The U.S. Treasury Dept.'s Failure to Offer
Blind People Alternatives To Paper Money Violates Federal Law
American Council for the Blind v. Sec'y of the Treasury
A federal judge rules that the U.S. "Treasury Department's failure to
design, produce and issue paper currency that is readily
distinguishable to blind and visually impaired" people violates
federal law, since paper money effectively precludes them from
"meaningful access to U.S. currency."
-------------< OUTSIDE NEWS PART 3/3 >
Bionic ears 'threaten deaf culture
http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=26346&in_page_id=34
Deaf to Reason
http://www.townhall.com/Columnists/ChuckColson/2006/11/13/deaf_to_reason
Postal shipping service offers services for the deaf
http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/157125
Deaf woman says hearing dog was banned
http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061119/News05/61119\
0317/0/SPORTS
-------------< LETTERS >
Yes, I think and believe that all deaf and hard of hearing must be
open to implants and other new technoloy. If they can only see with
clear eyes how this new technology will help them. Thankyou very much
for touching base and keeping me informed. i was born hearing and
after listening to too much music, I clearly lost about 90 percent in
the higher frequencies and 70 in mid range etc.... i dont know what I
would do without my new digitals! They are perfect for me. Clearly
we must be open to new technology. i know i am and you have helped
open the doors for many, I am positive! Thanks for the highlights.
Sincerely,
Susan E. Erlich
-------------< 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 in 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 to accomplish this objective.
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 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.
DISCLAIMER: 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.
Fair use in teaching and research
The 1976 Copyright Act provides important exceptions to the rights of
the copyright holder that are specifically aimed at nonprofit
educational uses of copyrighted works and libraries. Two provisions of
the copyright statute are of particular importance to teachers and
researchers: a provision that codifies the doctrine of "fair use,"
under which limited copying of copyrighted works without the
permission of the owner is allowed for certain teaching and research
purposes; and provision that establishes special exemptions for the
reproduction of copyrighted works by libraries and archives. The "fair
use" doctrine embodied in the Fair-Use Statute Section 107 of the 1976
Copyright Act, allows reproduction and other uses of copyrighted works
under certain conditions for purposes such as criticism, comment, news
reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use),
scholarship or research for educational and research purposes.
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 [email protected]
No comments:
Post a Comment