Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Johnny Scott The Deaf Humanitarian



Johnny Scott was a very popular gentleman in the 80's. Not only was he popular, he was a true humanitarian. He's cared for the welfare of scores of deaf people in Orange County. He was a great feller to work with at our agency in the last years of his life.

His biggest impact was getting about a dozen hotels along Beach Blvd and the Knotts Berry Farm area to rent to deaf people at $150 a month.

YES $150 A MONTH!

Can you imagine how big of a help Johnny was? He had a big heart for the deaf community and he was a true humanitarian. He did that by keeping a lot of deaf people off the streets.

Our agency offers our lasting gratitude and eternal respect to him for his impact on the lives of hundreds of deaf people on Orange County, California. We do that by hosting a chess tournament under his name. He's loved chess.

4th Annual Johnny Scott Memorial Chess Match

September 6 & 7, 2008 at our classroom.

Prizes
1st Place $100
2nd Place $75
3rd Place $50
4th Place $25


We hope you attend this event because this is what a good name is all about and that name is Johnny Scott!

Project Enableworks

Project “Enableworks”

A one stop center for people with disabilities offering the following;

1) Social service assistance

2) Education

3) Manufacturing and employment

4) Housing and assisted living

5) Healthcare and physical therapy meeting place

6) Recreational activities

7) Social activities

8) Outreach activities

9) Rescue and shelter

The one stop center would be a large apartment building several floors high and each floor will house a particular age group with a few multipurpose rooms in each floor for certain activities.

The building itself will be made accessible to U.S. ADAAG guidelines such as ramps, elevators, signal notification systems, adaptive technology, and other modifications needed to sustain the independence of people with disabilities.

The one stop center is needed because people with disabilities oftentimes face barriers and difficulties in transportation. If we can have everything in one place, we can eliminate one of the biggest worries faced by people with disabilities and their families.

Possible outcomes from the project;

1) Increase in morale

2) Improvements in individual safety, health, and productivity

3) Improvements in independent living skills and knowledge

4) Improvements in relations with local governments and general public

5) International prestige for compassion toward people with disabilities


Monday, May 12, 2008

UCI Gets $27.2 Million Today For Stem Cell Research





(VIDEO ABOVE WAS PART OF THE GRANT PROPOSAL)

This the letter that I just got in my emailbox,

Stem Cell Patient Advocate Committee,

We are very pleased to announce that UC Irvine was awarded $27.2 million today from the state to build a new stem cell research facility that will unify and strengthen the campus’s fast-growing stem cell biology program and serve as a hub for research in Southern California.

When completed, the three-story, 61,600-square-foot building will house the UCI Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, as many as 26 laboratory-based and clinical researchers, a stem cell techniques course for young scientists, a master’s program in biotechnology with an emphasis on stem cell research, and an array of programs and activities that involve and educate patients and the general public. It will include the core stem cell laboratory and state-of-the-art equipment for human embryonic stem cell line derivation, cell culture, differentiation and purification, and cell and tissue imaging. It also will include clinical space with resources to see patients.

Pending final University of California Board of Regents approval, construction is scheduled to begin in September and finish in July 2010. The facility will be modeled after the existing Hewitt Hall and located within the heart of UCI’s Biomedical Research Center in the Health Sciences complex.

We are extremely thankful of the institutional support that has enabled this award, and the growth of UCI's stem cell activities. We look forward to many years of continued success, and welcome your involvement.

Hans and Peter

I am very happy to be part of the UCI Stem Cell Patient Advocate Committee as a representative from the deaf community since November 2006.

Richard

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Congratulations Deafskullo!



You've successfully hijacked the deaf vlog world!

With 9 out of 10 video blog comments being about the mystery character known as Deafskullo, its safe to say that a witch hunt has started for the individual who is behind the Deafskullo mask.

People have been losing sleep, burning a lot of tobacco, and pointing fingers at anyone who they think could be playing this mean game to the deaf vlog world.

The ASL deaf culture hardliners seem to have given Deafskullo an immense amount of power and this opens the possibility of copycats playing the same gimmicks to destroy the ASL deaf community.

The best way to deal with Deafskullo and the likes of it is to IGNORE IT.

And a big lesson is going to come out of this.

Richard