THE TOP STORIES OF THE WEEK
We have a new/old co-editor this week. Beth Koenig is helping out with the
newsletter again.
We would like to remind our readers to send us comments for posting in the last
section of the newsletter. We really want to hear from our readership so sent in
those comments!
We would like to remind every one about last weeks post briefly:
See our entry to the $15,000 Green Heroes Grant competition. Facebook
membership is required to vote for us.
http://apps.facebook.com/greenheroes/heroes/204
The voting begins on March 18 and you'll vote on the program every day until
April 17.
Please join us at facebook and sign onto our cause
http://apps.facebook.com/causes/11660?m=fe434a8d
Please see our video of the TOP-RATE program
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8sDFF-bOZw
Brought to you by the Orange County Deaf Advocacy Center
Http://www.deafadvocacy.org
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DO YOUR SHOPPING AT OUR WEBSTORE.
We have lots of new items and our webstore count stands at over 700 items!
Lots of products for the deaf, and blind, and other disabilities. 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.
We have recently added big ticket items that would make Theaters, Cinemas,
Houses of Worship, Classrooms, Zoos, and any places of public access accessible
to the hard of hearing. This your rare opportunity to get them at unbeatable
prices!
Buy Here, Buy Now, Pay Less with our ADA kits! This includes long term savings
associated with ADA compliance.
Stop by http://stores.ebay.com/OCDAC-Adaptive-Equipment-and-More today to start
your shopping.
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THE GRAPEVINES
In nod to deaf viewers, YouTube adds captions to millions of videos
YouTube's automatic caption tool, which was previously restricted to a handful
of channels, is set to go into wide-release.
YouTube will expand its auto-captioning service – currently available only on
select YouTube channels – to tens of millions of videos, the Google-owned
company announced on Thursday. In a blog post, YouTube reps said the move would
make the entire library accessible to deaf and hearing-impaired users, and allow
creators to reach "a whole new global audience."
Last year, YouTube rolled out the auto-caps system, which uses Google's
automatic speech recognition technology, to a handful of media outlets,
including National Geographic and PBS. The technology scans videos, isolates
speech, and churns out captions along the bottom of the screen. "I see the
addition of automatic captioning as a huge step forward," Google software
engineer Ken Harrenstien wrote when the service launched.
Now YouTube says it hopes to process scores of videos in the next few months,
eventually introducing captions in a range of languages. In an interview with a
reporter for the BBC, Angel Harrington, a student at the California School for
the Deaf, said YouTube would be providing an invaluable service. "Now we really
can completely understand what is going on and we feel like we are on an equal
playing field," Harrington said.
Of course, as YouTube has acknowledged, the captions won't be perfect. In some
cases, the company pointed out, "the audio file may not be good enough to
generate auto-captions. But please be patient – our speech recognition
technology gets better every day." YouTube says that content creators will be
able to correct or refine incorrect captions.
Over at PC World, Jeff Bertolucci writes that "the wide availability of this
tool will certainly benefit content owners, who can easily and quickly make
their videos accessible to a worldwide audience." Still, as Bertolucci jokes, "a
poorly translated video could lead to some troubling international incidents."
http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/Horizons/2010/0305/In-nod-to-deaf-viewers-Yo\
uTube-adds-captions-to-millions-of-videos
Brought to you by The Orange Deafie Blog
Http://www.deafadvocacy.org/blog/blog.html
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FACE TO FACE TIMES
Deaf school to reassign teachers to meet law
PROVIDENCE — While state officials have described problems in the qualifications
of teachers at the Rhode Island School for the Deaf, the Web site of the state
Department of Education lists most of them as "highly qualified" in accordance
with federal law.
State Education Commissioner Deborah A. Gist said the teachers are highly
qualified, just not necessarily in their current assignments.
"We need to revisit the assignments," she said.
All 35 teachers have been given layoff notices effective at the end of the
school year in anticipation of a reorganization of the school that Gist ordered
to ensure that deaf and hard-of-hearing students are taught by instructors with
academic expertise in core content areas.
Gist said on Friday that the layoff notices should not be taken as a signal that
anyone has done anything wrong.
She said the notices resulted from "this incredibly odd law" that requires
public schools to notify teachers by March 1 if there is even a remote chance
that they may not be rehired for the following academic year.
The law "puts a really odd and arbitrary deadline [on school districts'] and the
state's ability to work with one another," Gist said.
For the most part, teachers at the School for the Deaf are certified in a
specialty that focuses on the implications of hearing-impairment, rather than
particular areas of content.
"It was kind of a shock for our folks to be told there was a question about
certification," said John Leidecker, a representative of the National Education
Association Rhode Island.
Leidecker said the school administration did not inform teachers that their
individual plans for professional development were deficient.
Lori Dunsmore, director of the School for the Deaf, declined comment until she
has a chance to view a detailed analysis compiled by state education officials.
State education officials say the demands on teachers at the School for the Deaf
are more complex than at most other schools.
Hearing-impaired students often have other special-education needs, as well as
an entitlement to access to the same kind of academic material taught to
non-handicapped peers in other schools.
Gist has asked Dunsmore for a new staffing plan by June 1, but Gist's staff said
they would help the school administration create a plan by April 1 to relieve
anxiety and allow the recall of teachers to begin.
The Education Department will work with teachers to meet federal requirements.
http://www.projo.com/education/content/SCHOOL_FOR_THE_DEAF_03-06-10_NLHM5V5_v10.\
37d0e28.html
Brought to you by Modern Deaf Communication
http://www.moderndeafcommunication.org
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MAXED OUT ON YOUR CREDIT CARDS?
Get yourself an OCDAC credit card through a special program at
http://www.cardpartner.com/enduser.aspx?AEID=D0974
We get a $50 donation for each person who completes the signup, and uses the
card.
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THE FINGER BOWS
Deaf Ga. residents challenge mental health policy
ATLANTA (AP) - Mental health advocates filed a federal lawsuit against the state
of Georgia claiming that it is not providing proper mental health care for deaf
residents.
The lawsuit filed Monday claims that the state is refusing to enforce the
federal requirement that "public health services must be equally accessible to
and culturally and linguistically appropriate for the deaf."
Attorney Lee Parks says there are only a handful of mental health counselors
capable of communicating in sign language, and few of those are trained in the
unique needs of Georgia's deaf. He says there are likely 1,000 deaf residents in
"severe" need of mental health help.
The Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities did
not immediately comment on the case.
http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?S=12078282
Brought to you by ASL News http://www.aslnews.com
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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.
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THE SOUR ORCHIDS
Deaf mate swindles $130k
Mortgage broker Mike Pero says he feels "violated" by a deaf Christchurch woman
who cheated more than $130,000 from the local deaf community by using his name.
Christine Ticehurst, 49, sent texts to close friends claiming to be from "Mike
Pero" as part of a sophisticated plot to swindle them through a bogus housing
development.
"It's unbelievable. I'm almost speechless," said the high-profile businessman.
"It's sad that someone would prey on someone less fortunate - though you can
understand why they would trust someone with the same condition as them.
"It's bizarre and I feel almost violated by the fact that someone can use my
good name and integrity to cheat people out of their money.
"It's very cunning and very smart, and I feel really, really sorry for these
people."
Ticehurst stole $84,000 from close friends Debra Jamieson, 40, and Michael King,
37, to feed her alcohol and gambling addictions.
Speaking through an interpreter, Jamieson said the scam had ruined their dreams
of buying a new home and left them penniless. They also feared for the futures
of their two children.
"I really never thought someone from the deaf community would do something like
that. We are a small community here and like a family - we support each other
and play sports - and I just can't believe it.
"Now there's nothing we can do. Everything is gone and we are never going to get
our money back. We just have to try and keep strong."
Jamieson said Ticehurst had convinced them to buy a house through a private
builder she knew, who was building 13 houses. Once they were built, they could
take their pick of their favourite house.
But after nearly two years without any progress, the couple became suspicious
and confronted Ticehurst before approaching police.
"The last time we saw her she told me three times, 'I fooled you about the
house. I fooled you, I fooled you'," said Jamieson. "She was crying and I got
such a shock and she just walked out of the house.
"Christine has ruined everything."
Detective Gary Shaw, of Christchurch police, said a number of other people had
come forward with concerns about Ticehurst in the last week.
Because their claims were not of a criminal nature, he urged them to lodge a
complaint for a civil case.
Deaf Aotearoa NZ chief executive Rachel Noble said a lack of funding for
interpreters means many deaf people look for help within the deaf community. A
"serious" lack of resources means they often have to lean on others to get by.
"This reliance on others erodes the deaf person's independence and leaves them
open to being taken advantage of," said Noble. "In this case, it shows the
importance of ensuring finance educational programmes are accessible for deaf
people."
Ticehurst pleaded guilty to two charges of obtaining by deception at the
Christchurch District Court earlier this month, and is to appear for sentencing
tomorrow.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10630388
Brought to you by the other Orange Deafie Blog at http://ocdac.wordpress.com/
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COME TO OUR MEETUPS!
The Orange County American Sign Language Meetup Group -
http://asl.meetup.com/37/ - and the Orange County Deaf & Hearing
Impaired Meetup Group http://deaf.meetup.com/38/ meets each 3rd Fridays of the
month.
We are currently pondering a new locations for all of our meetup events because
our competition appears to have hijacked the excitement, prestige, and normalcy
of our cherished monthly gatherings.
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FROM THE BLOGSPHERE March 5, 2010
Deaf Students in ESL Classes?
Friday "Curious student" asked on the forum about the idea of deaf students in
English as a Second Language classes:
Do you believe that Deaf Americans whose primary language is ASL, should be
included in ESL (English as a Second Language) Programs to address their English
skills?
That's an intriguing question. I've never heard of deaf students being placed in
ESL classes, but it is a thought. After all, ESL classes work with students who
have skill (sometimes limited) in a different language, and teach them English.
Reply to Curious Student on the forum.
http://deafness.about.com/b/2010/03/05/deaf-students-in-esl-classes.htm
Brought to you by the Hearing For Life Foundation Http://www.hear-for-life.org
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DO YOU HAVE TINNITUS? ARE YOUR EARS RINGING ALOUD BY ITSELF? DO YOU WANT THAT
TO STOP?
Tinnitus affects people with or without hearing loss.
Tinnitus is the ringing sensation that occurs in the ears. Severe tinnitus can
be painful and disable a person. Orange County Deaf Advocacy Center has two
people serving in a patient advocacy council. Orange County Deaf Advocacy
Center wants to help people retain their productivity by helping them manage
tinnitus.
We are introducing a nutraceutical cocktail of Ginkgo Biloba, Zinc, and Garlic
to manage tinnitus (ringing) in the ears. New studies show that a combination
of these three working together helps manage tinnitus. We have the research
that suggest the cocktail helps manage tinnitus.
This cocktail doesn't create the flush reaction you get from using high dosage
of Niacin taken to manage tinnitus.
Tinnitus management kit contains Ginkgo Biloba, Zinc, Garlic, pill minders box,
carrying case, and 2 sets of ear plugs.
Kit is assembled by people with disabilities.
If you care about your ears, please shop through our paypal link below now
Tinnitus 2 month management kit $79.99 - Free Shipping On All Orders!
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=8502596
Refills each month $29.99 (Link will be mailed to you with your order)
The funds generated from this offering will be returned to the community in the
form of assisted housing, education, advocacy, free equipment, outreach, and
conference activities.
***These Statements have not been evaluated by the US FDA. This product is not
intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease. There is no guarantee this
will help you manage tinnitus. This may work on some people and this may not
work on some people too.
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FROM THE VLOGSPHERE (VIDEO BLOGGING)
Have been destructed the educations in our Deaf Community
I would like to share you about the two competing groups are the impact of
cultural diversity in our Deaf Community...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJyMzJg68Ak&cc=1
Brought to you by the Eye Fire Vlogs Http://eyefirevlogs.com
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Please donate to Orange County Deaf Advocacy Center. We have a lot of work to
do on behalf of people with hearing and speech impairments and we have a
donation form ready for your use.
Donation form :
http://partners.guidestar.org/controller/searchResults.gs?action_donateReport=1&\
partner=networkforgood&ein=33-0806007
Thank you very much for the time youve taken to read this newsletter and
clicking on the donation link above.
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FROM THE NEWSLETTER READERS
Really enjoyed the movie done in BSL mentioned in the newsletter.
Sort of reminded when I was in Egypt and was attempting to communicate
with deaf Egyptians.
Looking forward to more of these movies. Thanks for mentioning it.
Tom
Brought to you by Deaf Paradise Http://deafparadise.ning.com/
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**** DISCLAIMER ****
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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.
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 IN ITS ENTIRETY to anyone and any of
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wide and encourage them to sign up for our weekly newsletter.
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To subscribe to this newsletter go to
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