Evanthia Plakoura's life recently became a lot more complicated reports CBS News (16/12/11).
Conversations with her boss switched to email only. Visits to the doctor require additional planning. She feels helpless in Greece's bureaucratic labyrinth.
"It's like someone flicked a switch and turned off your voice," said Plakoura, a deaf woman who works at the Education Ministry.
Plakoura joined some 2,000 disabled demonstrators at a rally in central Athens this week to protest sweeping benefit cuts imposed in Greece's economic crisis that have deprived her of sign-language translation.
In August, a five-year-old program providing deaf people with interpreters was suspended after the government abruptly cut its funding to less than half. Overnight, 15,000 deaf people around Greece were left without help to report a crime to the police, rent a house or go to a job interview.
Funding cuts have opened up gaps across welfare services, with slashed services and longer waiting times for vulnerable groups including the blind, recovering organ-transplant patients, autistic children, and paraplegics in need of physiotherapy.
"This program is very important to us. It's our bridge to the outside world and it's vital for our education," Plakoura said in sign language, her speech relayed by one of the very translators whose help is being cut off.
"People have gone back to writing things down, or taking a relative, but it's not the same thing," she said. "It makes things very difficult for us, and especially for elderly deaf people."
The axed program is the latest casualty of Greece's draconian austerity measures that have battered social services as demand for help by the recession-hit public increases.
Independent welfare programs that rely on grants from the state offer a tempting target to a government fighting the threat of bankruptcy. Unlike state-run programs, which enjoy strong legal protections, the government can simply turn off the money taps.
As a result, independent programs to assist the disabled, the elderly, psychiatric patients and recovering drug users have all suffered steep cuts, occasionally with dramatic consequences.
An alarming rise in HIV infections in 2011 has been blamed in part on problems with needle exchange programs for drug users. Between January and October this year, 190 new infections of the deadly virus were reported among intravenous drug users, compared with 14 in the first 10 months in 2010, according to the Health Ministry.
Groups representing the disabled and other vulnerable Greeks have held several demonstrations outside the Finance Ministry, on Athens' main Syntagma Square, but getting attention is difficult in a city where between four and five protests are held every day.
At his suburban headquarters, Costas Gargalis, who heads the National Association of the Deaf in Greece, is struggling to keep his 60-member network of interpreters together, hoping to restart the program sometime next year.
"Since the program was suspended, it's been really chaotic," he said. "Some people can pay for interpreters on occasion, but others have simply postponed their tasks forever."
Gargalis, who is deaf, spends his working day in hectic silence: swiftly thumbing text messages on his cell phone, poring over fax requests from around Greece, and making video calls over the Internet.
His interpreters program started with an annual state grant of euro250,000 ($333,200) in 2006; that was steadily reduced to euro180,000 ($240,000) this year, before being suddenly slashed to euro80,000 ($106,600) in August.
"We were immediately over-budget and had to suspend the program. And even then, interpreters were left unpaid for two months of work," said Gargalis.
At previous funding levels, deaf people were offered 25 hours a year with interpreters. If the program is restarted next year, they will receive no more than 10 hours, Gargalis said.
"The amount of money we are asking for is laughable," he said, speaking through an interpreter. "This is a matter of survival for us."
Interpreters for the deaf need six years of training to get their license, and are paid below-minimum wage to crisscross Greek cities daily and provide help communicating.
"People generally become interpreters because they are interested in the subject," registered interpreter Costas Christodoulakos said.
"Now they are obliged to look for other work and take on other commitments, often unrelated to their interpreting jobs," he said. "What else can they do?"
Greece's debt-shackled economy has been kept alive by international rescue loans for the past 19 months, and creditors are pressing for more aggressive spending cuts, as the Socialist government continues to miss deficit-cutting targets and heads into a fourth year of recession in 2012.
Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos promised this week to submit protesters' demands to the country's new prime minister, and invite disabled groups to join negotiations on a major new tax code due to take effect next year.
Health care is facing major cuts this year — down from euro7 billion originally planned to euro5.6 billion ($9.4 billion to $7.5 billion), excluding state insurance subsidies.
Since the debt crisis started in late 2009, store closures have exceeded 20 percent in some commercial parts of Athens, while more than 275,000 people have lost their jobs nationwide, the vast majority in the private sector, pushing the unemployment rate to more than 16 percent.
"The unemployment rate among disabled people is normally more than double the national average ... so there is an urgent need for disabled people to be protected (from the cuts)," Yiannis Vardakastanis, leader of the National Confederation of Disabled People, said in an interview.
"The effects of the initial (government spending) cuts were not immediately obvious. But the cuts being made now have brought parts of the care system to a state of near-collapse."
Friday 16 December 2011
Deaf MP pushing for tech upgrade
Mojo Mathers takes her place in Parliament as New Zealand's first profoundly deaf MP writes Adam Bennett for New Zealand Herald (15/12/11).
She will be relying on the "far from ideal" solution of electronic note taking to follow proceedings but Ms Mathers hopes a more advanced "cap relay" service providing near real time captioning for Parliamentary TV, which would also allow the other 700,000 hearing impaired New Zealanders to follow Parliament better, will be provided before long.
Ms Mathers became profoundly deaf after being starved of oxygen at birth, but has led an active public life as a candidate for the Greens in three elections.
Named for the song Got My Mojo Working by bluesman Muddy Waters, Ms Mathers became the Greens' 14th MP after special votes were counted last weekend.
Since arriving at Parliament for caucus meetings and induction, she has been in discussions with the Parliamentary Service and the Office of the Clerk about arrangements to allow her to participate fully in the House.
"In the short term, what's immediately available is electronic note taking," she told the Herald yesterday. It will not be ideal because there's a bit of a time delay and it's not verbatim."
That initial arrangement means Ms Mathers will have a screen showing Parliament TV, enabling her to lip read when the House is being addressed by an MP sitting behind her. At the same time she will receive a text feed on her iPad provided by a notetaker watching proceedings on a video feed.
"My goal is ultimately captioning, because that then becomes a service for all 700,000 hearing-impaired New Zealanders."
She said that could be achieved via a "cap relay" service which is an advanced form of the telephone relay service now available to enable the hearing and speech-impaired to use the telephone.
The current service allows hearing impaired users to receive the other side of a telephone conversation via text, typed out by a relay assistant who listens in.
Ms Mathers said that in a cap relay service, the relay assistant would speak the response into voice recognition software to convert it into text, giving a faster service and therefore an easier conversation.
At present insufficient people have signed up for the service for it to be set up in New Zealand. But Ms Mathers hopes that will happen soon, and that the same technology can be used to provide real time captions on Parliament TV.
Ms Mathers said she had encountered few problems during public meetings when she campaigned for the Greens as other candidates were usually experienced in public speaking "therefore articulate in a way that's easy for me to lip read. At those meetings she was accompanied by a note taker who wrote down questions from the floor.
She will be relying on the "far from ideal" solution of electronic note taking to follow proceedings but Ms Mathers hopes a more advanced "cap relay" service providing near real time captioning for Parliamentary TV, which would also allow the other 700,000 hearing impaired New Zealanders to follow Parliament better, will be provided before long.
Ms Mathers became profoundly deaf after being starved of oxygen at birth, but has led an active public life as a candidate for the Greens in three elections.
Named for the song Got My Mojo Working by bluesman Muddy Waters, Ms Mathers became the Greens' 14th MP after special votes were counted last weekend.
Since arriving at Parliament for caucus meetings and induction, she has been in discussions with the Parliamentary Service and the Office of the Clerk about arrangements to allow her to participate fully in the House.
"In the short term, what's immediately available is electronic note taking," she told the Herald yesterday. It will not be ideal because there's a bit of a time delay and it's not verbatim."
That initial arrangement means Ms Mathers will have a screen showing Parliament TV, enabling her to lip read when the House is being addressed by an MP sitting behind her. At the same time she will receive a text feed on her iPad provided by a notetaker watching proceedings on a video feed.
"My goal is ultimately captioning, because that then becomes a service for all 700,000 hearing-impaired New Zealanders."
She said that could be achieved via a "cap relay" service which is an advanced form of the telephone relay service now available to enable the hearing and speech-impaired to use the telephone.
The current service allows hearing impaired users to receive the other side of a telephone conversation via text, typed out by a relay assistant who listens in.
Ms Mathers said that in a cap relay service, the relay assistant would speak the response into voice recognition software to convert it into text, giving a faster service and therefore an easier conversation.
At present insufficient people have signed up for the service for it to be set up in New Zealand. But Ms Mathers hopes that will happen soon, and that the same technology can be used to provide real time captions on Parliament TV.
Ms Mathers said she had encountered few problems during public meetings when she campaigned for the Greens as other candidates were usually experienced in public speaking "therefore articulate in a way that's easy for me to lip read. At those meetings she was accompanied by a note taker who wrote down questions from the floor.
Deaf burglar failed to hear victim approaching
A PROLIFIC deaf burglar was caught because he didn’t hear his victim approaching as he ransacked a house reports the Leyton Guardian (15/12/11).
Marc Kaye, 45, of Radlix Road, Leyton, broke into the first floor of a house in Kew, Richmond, in June this year. But he did not realise one of the occupants, Martin Dean, 41, was upstairs at the time.
On hearing a disturbance, Mr Dean went to investigate and found Kaye in a ground floor bedroom.
Kaye fled when he spotted Mr Dean, who tried to stop him but the thief managed to escape through a window with a stash of jewellery.
When being interviewed by Detective Constable Gary Smith, Mr Dean described the burglar as bald and about 45 years old. He also mentioned his surprise that Kaye had not heard him approaching.
Det Cons Smith then recalled arresting a bald and profoundly deaf man for burglary in 2008 and traced Kaye through police records.
He stood trial at Kingston Crown Court earlier this month after being picked out by Mr Dean from an identity parade.
Kaye initially pleaded not guilty but changed his plea during the trial. He was sentenced to five years in prison for one count of burglary.
Following the sentencing Det Cons Smith said: "Taking into account Kaye's prolific history of burglary and that within weeks of his release from prison he broke into this house, it was highly likely that he would have gone on to commit many more break-ins if we hadn't caught him. “He was a menace to the public and the sentence given to him reflects this".
"Mr Dean deserves praise for his bravery in confronting Kaye and successfully identifying him in the ID parade. It is also to his credit that he noted the importance of the suspect having not heard him coming, from which I was able to make the connection to Kaye".
Marc Kaye, 45, of Radlix Road, Leyton, broke into the first floor of a house in Kew, Richmond, in June this year. But he did not realise one of the occupants, Martin Dean, 41, was upstairs at the time.
On hearing a disturbance, Mr Dean went to investigate and found Kaye in a ground floor bedroom.
Kaye fled when he spotted Mr Dean, who tried to stop him but the thief managed to escape through a window with a stash of jewellery.
When being interviewed by Detective Constable Gary Smith, Mr Dean described the burglar as bald and about 45 years old. He also mentioned his surprise that Kaye had not heard him approaching.
Det Cons Smith then recalled arresting a bald and profoundly deaf man for burglary in 2008 and traced Kaye through police records.
He stood trial at Kingston Crown Court earlier this month after being picked out by Mr Dean from an identity parade.
Kaye initially pleaded not guilty but changed his plea during the trial. He was sentenced to five years in prison for one count of burglary.
Following the sentencing Det Cons Smith said: "Taking into account Kaye's prolific history of burglary and that within weeks of his release from prison he broke into this house, it was highly likely that he would have gone on to commit many more break-ins if we hadn't caught him. “He was a menace to the public and the sentence given to him reflects this".
"Mr Dean deserves praise for his bravery in confronting Kaye and successfully identifying him in the ID parade. It is also to his credit that he noted the importance of the suspect having not heard him coming, from which I was able to make the connection to Kaye".
Toddlers banned from making 'rude' star sign
Toddlers singing along to a nursery rhyme have been banned from making a "star" sign in case the "rude" gesture offends deaf people reports The Telegraph (16/12/11).
The children were making the sign with their hands to indicate a twinkling star as they sang along to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, when staff asked them to use a different gesture - prompting a furious response from one parent.
The children were making the sign with their hands to indicate a twinkling star as they sang along to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, when staff asked them to use a different gesture - prompting a furious response from one parent.
The disgruntled mother said: "It seems a little politically correct. These are innocent little children just making a sign to show a star. No-one would give it a second thought. Now every parent may worry their child may be making an offensive gesture when they're singing this song."
A spokeswoman for City of York Council, who are responsible for the Sure Start mother and toddler group in Acomb, York, denied it was a case of political correctness, insisting it was more "a sensible decision taken to prevent deaf children or deaf parents being offended by the use of the gesture".
She added that staff at the Sure Start group had been on a sign language course at which they were advised that the "star" gesture was very similar to the sign used for female genitalia.
She added that staff at the Sure Start group had been on a sign language course at which they were advised that the "star" gesture was very similar to the sign used for female genitalia.
The staff used a language programme called Makaton which uses signs and symbols to help people communicate, she said. Makaton is designed to support spoken language by using sign and symbols use with speech in spoken word order.
She said that staff realised it was a sensitive matter and, using their own discretion, had decided to use the accurate hand sign for a star.
The spokeswoman added: "Parents have not been banned from using the other sign and City of York Council does not have a policy over this matter."
She said that staff realised it was a sensitive matter and, using their own discretion, had decided to use the accurate hand sign for a star.
The spokeswoman added: "Parents have not been banned from using the other sign and City of York Council does not have a policy over this matter."
Deaf's signs of music proclaim Christmas joy
A group of deaf women ‘sing’ for joy about Christ’s birth in sign language writes Ben Tan for the New Straits Times (16/12/11).
THEY might not be able to hear words or music, but a group of deaf women nevertheless "sung" Christmas carols in sign language at the City Square Johor Baru's shopping centre recently.
For the first time in Johor, the group called Celtic Women entertained the deaf community with a unique rendition of Christmas songs.
"The event showed the general public that sign language can be a beautiful language.
"The event was certainly an eye-opener for many people, especially for parents with deaf or mute children," said Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus spiritual director for the deaf community Father Lionel Thomas.
He said that the event was also organised with the help from several volunteers to boost the self-esteem of the deaf community.
The half-hour event started at 4pm. It attracted a large crowd of afternoon shoppers as they saw the women perform.
The group, dressed in beautiful, flowing gowns, "sang" a rendition of five spiritual and inspirational songs.
They were O Holy Night, O Come All Ye Faithful, You Raise Me Up (made popular by Josh Groban), Fields of Gold (made popular by Sting), and the traditional Have Yourself A Merry Christmas.
Thomas, who is adept in sign language himself, was on hand to bring the music alive by having the deaf express the emotion and spiritual meaning of the songs by using facial expressions.
On the event being the first of its kind in Johor, Thomas said the Celtic Women were thrilled to play a part in helping the deaf community see themselves as useful members of society,
He said the women took about a month to prepare for the event, with him leading the group.
Thomas, who has been working closely with the deaf community and conducting mass in sign language, said that he does not see sign language as a a communication barrier for those who are deaf.
"I see it (sign language) as a different language.
"We should take pride in it as it goes beyond race and religion," he said.
He added that he hoped to organise more of such events in future for the benefit of both the deaf and the public.
The Celtic Women will be performing at the Conrad Singapore Hotel in Marina Bay, Singapore, tomorrow at 7.30pm.
THEY might not be able to hear words or music, but a group of deaf women nevertheless "sung" Christmas carols in sign language at the City Square Johor Baru's shopping centre recently.
For the first time in Johor, the group called Celtic Women entertained the deaf community with a unique rendition of Christmas songs.
"The event showed the general public that sign language can be a beautiful language.
"The event was certainly an eye-opener for many people, especially for parents with deaf or mute children," said Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus spiritual director for the deaf community Father Lionel Thomas.
He said that the event was also organised with the help from several volunteers to boost the self-esteem of the deaf community.
The half-hour event started at 4pm. It attracted a large crowd of afternoon shoppers as they saw the women perform.
The group, dressed in beautiful, flowing gowns, "sang" a rendition of five spiritual and inspirational songs.
They were O Holy Night, O Come All Ye Faithful, You Raise Me Up (made popular by Josh Groban), Fields of Gold (made popular by Sting), and the traditional Have Yourself A Merry Christmas.
Thomas, who is adept in sign language himself, was on hand to bring the music alive by having the deaf express the emotion and spiritual meaning of the songs by using facial expressions.
On the event being the first of its kind in Johor, Thomas said the Celtic Women were thrilled to play a part in helping the deaf community see themselves as useful members of society,
He said the women took about a month to prepare for the event, with him leading the group.
Thomas, who has been working closely with the deaf community and conducting mass in sign language, said that he does not see sign language as a a communication barrier for those who are deaf.
"I see it (sign language) as a different language.
"We should take pride in it as it goes beyond race and religion," he said.
He added that he hoped to organise more of such events in future for the benefit of both the deaf and the public.
The Celtic Women will be performing at the Conrad Singapore Hotel in Marina Bay, Singapore, tomorrow at 7.30pm.
Thursday 15 December 2011
Deaf woman from Letchworth on overcoming her job battle
A DEAF woman who was jobless for more than a decade has revealed the barriers she has overcome to find work writes Nick Gill for The Comet (10/12/11).
Jennifer Banton, of Kyrkeby in Letchworth GC, lost her job as a machinist at lingerie and hosiery company Fermark when it closed in the town in 1999.
Since then the 48-year-old had tried and failed to find employment for 12 years but has now secured employment as an online shopper at Sainsbury’s in Coreys Mill, Stevenage.
Comet reporter Nick Gill asked the mother-of-two about her experiences, aided by a BSL Interpreter.
NG: How did you feel when you lost your job in 1999? Were you optimistic you could find work or were you daunted by the task?
JB: Up until that point I’d been in full-time employment or education all my life so it was difficult adjusting to being unemployed. I was bringing up my two children and caring for my mother so there was always plenty to do, but I still missed going out to work.
Looking for work can be challenging anyway, but for me there were the added complications of my disability and family situation. I applied for many jobs but got nowhere, it was very disheartening. I never thought I’d get a job again.
NG: What barriers associated with being deaf have you had to overcome to find employment?
JB: My applications had an ever-growing period of unemployment on them which pushed me further and further away from being employable to some people. Some employers also misjudge what deaf people can do and overestimate the adjustments they’ll have to make. I still communicate quite happily with shoppers and colleagues in the store for instance.
NG: Do you think there is adequate support for people in your situation?
JB: I don’t think there’s enough information readily available about how to get help. Some organisations can also be quite inflexible in how they will communicate so it’s easy to get bogged down without the proper help. Once I was referred to Ingeus (a provider of employability services for the government) though, I had all the support I needed. My Ingeus advisor Nii, and Anna, a BSL Interpreter, helped me put together my CV, look for jobs, made phone calls for me and sorted paperwork. Anna then translated for me at the Sainsbury’s interview and induction. Sainsbury’s too has been amazing. One of my deaf colleagues is a delivery driver. If a customer isn’t home, he’ll text the store and someone else calls the customer, then text’s back. Just a simple system like that means he has a fulfilling job – just like me!
NG: How does it feel to be back working again?
JB: I am so happy to be back in work, even with the 6am starts! I’m really proud that my children have seen me overcome my problems and get back out to work – I hope I’m a good role model.
NG: Drawing on your own experience, what advice would you give to someone who is currently in a similar situation to the one you faced?
Don’t give up – I never thought I’d get a job, but I did. Be positive, focus on your abilities not disabilities and use all the help available at the Jobcentre. Don’t be daunted if you’re passed onto a partner like Ingeus because they genuinely have helped change my life.
Jennifer Banton, of Kyrkeby in Letchworth GC, lost her job as a machinist at lingerie and hosiery company Fermark when it closed in the town in 1999.
Since then the 48-year-old had tried and failed to find employment for 12 years but has now secured employment as an online shopper at Sainsbury’s in Coreys Mill, Stevenage.
Comet reporter Nick Gill asked the mother-of-two about her experiences, aided by a BSL Interpreter.
NG: How did you feel when you lost your job in 1999? Were you optimistic you could find work or were you daunted by the task?
JB: Up until that point I’d been in full-time employment or education all my life so it was difficult adjusting to being unemployed. I was bringing up my two children and caring for my mother so there was always plenty to do, but I still missed going out to work.
Looking for work can be challenging anyway, but for me there were the added complications of my disability and family situation. I applied for many jobs but got nowhere, it was very disheartening. I never thought I’d get a job again.
NG: What barriers associated with being deaf have you had to overcome to find employment?
JB: My applications had an ever-growing period of unemployment on them which pushed me further and further away from being employable to some people. Some employers also misjudge what deaf people can do and overestimate the adjustments they’ll have to make. I still communicate quite happily with shoppers and colleagues in the store for instance.
My main barrier though was making initial contact with employers. British Sign Language is structured differently to spoken or written English so I didn’t feel confident using text phones, or even writing applications. I needed advice on how to show my skills and then for them to be properly communicated for me.
NG: Do you think there is adequate support for people in your situation?
JB: I don’t think there’s enough information readily available about how to get help. Some organisations can also be quite inflexible in how they will communicate so it’s easy to get bogged down without the proper help. Once I was referred to Ingeus (a provider of employability services for the government) though, I had all the support I needed. My Ingeus advisor Nii, and Anna, a BSL Interpreter, helped me put together my CV, look for jobs, made phone calls for me and sorted paperwork. Anna then translated for me at the Sainsbury’s interview and induction. Sainsbury’s too has been amazing. One of my deaf colleagues is a delivery driver. If a customer isn’t home, he’ll text the store and someone else calls the customer, then text’s back. Just a simple system like that means he has a fulfilling job – just like me!
NG: How does it feel to be back working again?
JB: I am so happy to be back in work, even with the 6am starts! I’m really proud that my children have seen me overcome my problems and get back out to work – I hope I’m a good role model.
NG: Drawing on your own experience, what advice would you give to someone who is currently in a similar situation to the one you faced?
Don’t give up – I never thought I’d get a job, but I did. Be positive, focus on your abilities not disabilities and use all the help available at the Jobcentre. Don’t be daunted if you’re passed onto a partner like Ingeus because they genuinely have helped change my life.
DR Congo election: Deaf anger at ban on texting
Deaf people in the Democratic Republic of Congo say a ban on texting threatens their lives because they no longer receive warnings of violence writes Thomas Hubert for the BBC News (15/12/11).
The government banned SMS messages more than a week ago to preserve "public order" following disputed elections.
President Joseph Kabila was declared the winner, but his main rival, Etienne Tshisekedi, rejected the result.
There are an estimated 1.4 million deaf people in DR Congo, which is recovering from years of conflict.
Last month's elections were the second since the 1998-2003 war which claimed about four million lives.
Four people were killed in the capital, Kinshasa, after Mr Kabila's victory was announced. He is due to be inaugurated for a second term next week.
The official results gave him 49% of the vote against 32% for Mr Tshisekedi.
The opposition says they plan to organise mass protests, alleging the polls had been rigged.
'Disturbing'
"We're finding it very hard to communicate. All our communications used to go through SMS messages," he says.
I met him as a centre for deaf and mute people in Kinshasa that I had visited to guage reactions to the election.
A group of friends at the centre kept giving their SMS service another try, switching on their mobile phones, typing a message, hitting send... but transmission still failed.
Interior Minister Adolphe Lumanu said he had been "forced to suspend all cellular [mobile phone] text messaging services to preserve public order" because they had been used to "incite ethnic hatred, insurrection and xenophobia" around the 28 November presidential and parliamentary elections.
The measure means deaf Congolese people have been condemned to indefinite isolation.
"Our members are scattered across the city, some are ill in hospital, others are dying. Without communication we don't even know about it," Mr Kisangala said.
"Few of them have been coming here, whereas with text messages, many used to come to church here on a Sunday."
As electoral violence spread across Kinshasa in the days following the election, deaf people could not hear gunfire and were dependent on family and friends to tell them when it was safe to go out.
"When shooting started in the city I wanted to contact those who were sleeping here and tell them not to go out," said Freddy Mata, the co-ordinator of a cultural centre for deaf people.
"I tried to contact them but messages didn't go through. Then I remembered text messaging had been suspended. It was very disturbing."
Essential tool
The community groups who support deaf people have been losing touch with each other.
The president of the Deaf People's Association in Kinshasa, Ngoy Mwanza, said he only heard about a deaf person being beaten up during electoral turmoil several days after the incident.
Mananga Biala, the head of Kinshasa's main educational centre for deaf people, said as only a few people had access to email, the deaf community currently had no alternative means of staying in touch.
According to the Kinshasa-based African Association for the Defence Human Rights (Asadho), the texting ban has affected all Congolese people.
It said text messages were an essential tool for communities to maintain security, as they could spread alerts cheaply, quickly and discreetly to a large number of people who may be in danger.
Other human rights groups have warned that the ban could cost human lives in isolated regions with poor mobile phone reception, as emergency services could only be alerted to rebel attacks via text message.
Mr Mwanza says deaf people are considering what they should do to get the ban lifted.
"Let's enforce democracy and free up SMS messaging," he said. "If it continues, we may stage a protest march."
The government banned SMS messages more than a week ago to preserve "public order" following disputed elections.
President Joseph Kabila was declared the winner, but his main rival, Etienne Tshisekedi, rejected the result.
There are an estimated 1.4 million deaf people in DR Congo, which is recovering from years of conflict.
Last month's elections were the second since the 1998-2003 war which claimed about four million lives.
Four people were killed in the capital, Kinshasa, after Mr Kabila's victory was announced. He is due to be inaugurated for a second term next week.
The official results gave him 49% of the vote against 32% for Mr Tshisekedi.
The opposition says they plan to organise mass protests, alleging the polls had been rigged.
'Disturbing'
"Since 3 December, we've been unhappy," said Pastor Kisangala, the deaf community's religious minister in the capital, Kinshasa.
"We're finding it very hard to communicate. All our communications used to go through SMS messages," he says.
I met him as a centre for deaf and mute people in Kinshasa that I had visited to guage reactions to the election.
A group of friends at the centre kept giving their SMS service another try, switching on their mobile phones, typing a message, hitting send... but transmission still failed.
Interior Minister Adolphe Lumanu said he had been "forced to suspend all cellular [mobile phone] text messaging services to preserve public order" because they had been used to "incite ethnic hatred, insurrection and xenophobia" around the 28 November presidential and parliamentary elections.
The measure means deaf Congolese people have been condemned to indefinite isolation.
"Our members are scattered across the city, some are ill in hospital, others are dying. Without communication we don't even know about it," Mr Kisangala said.
"Few of them have been coming here, whereas with text messages, many used to come to church here on a Sunday."
As electoral violence spread across Kinshasa in the days following the election, deaf people could not hear gunfire and were dependent on family and friends to tell them when it was safe to go out.
"When shooting started in the city I wanted to contact those who were sleeping here and tell them not to go out," said Freddy Mata, the co-ordinator of a cultural centre for deaf people.
"I tried to contact them but messages didn't go through. Then I remembered text messaging had been suspended. It was very disturbing."
Essential tool
The community groups who support deaf people have been losing touch with each other.
The president of the Deaf People's Association in Kinshasa, Ngoy Mwanza, said he only heard about a deaf person being beaten up during electoral turmoil several days after the incident.
Mananga Biala, the head of Kinshasa's main educational centre for deaf people, said as only a few people had access to email, the deaf community currently had no alternative means of staying in touch.
According to the Kinshasa-based African Association for the Defence Human Rights (Asadho), the texting ban has affected all Congolese people.
It said text messages were an essential tool for communities to maintain security, as they could spread alerts cheaply, quickly and discreetly to a large number of people who may be in danger.
Other human rights groups have warned that the ban could cost human lives in isolated regions with poor mobile phone reception, as emergency services could only be alerted to rebel attacks via text message.
Mr Mwanza says deaf people are considering what they should do to get the ban lifted.
"Let's enforce democracy and free up SMS messaging," he said. "If it continues, we may stage a protest march."
Monday 12 December 2011
Deafblind girls' guide dog banned from dining hall
A deafblind girl refuses to go to school after teachers ban guide dog from dining hall because another pupil has allergy writes Jessica Satherley for the Daily Mail (12/12/11).
Molly Watt, 17, says she was left to eat lunch alone in a separate room because another pupil who uses the canteen is allergic to the dog.
She has since been signed off sick by a doctor after suffering a panic attack when she was separated from her black Labrador-retriever cross named Unis.
The A-level student, from Maidenhead, Berkshire, has not attended classes at Mary Hare School in Newbury, Berkshire, since November 3.
And the pupil, who has been nominated by deafblind charity Sense to carry the Olympic flame, says she will not return until the ban is lifted.
Her mother Jane, 46, said Molly is ‘besotted’ with her dog and becomes ‘distressed’ when her companion is not by her side.
Jane, a charity worker, said: ‘The school has banned Molly from taking Unis into the dining room. ‘The dog gives her independence and freedom and means everything to her.
‘She has been left to eat alone in a separate room and that stress has left her feeling incredibly down.
‘She should be able to socialise with friends at lunchtime like everybody else.
‘She was shaking, having panic attacks and was unable to sleep after being asked to leave Unis in a sideroom. Her doctor has signed her off sick.
‘My main concern is Molly's well-being and education. She doesn't deserve what is happening to her.’
Molly - who is studying English, textiles and performing - was born deaf and lost her sight aged 14.
That prompted her to move from mainstream education to the specialist boarding school for deaf children.
She initially relied on a cane or a friend to guide her between rooms but was ‘embarrassed’ to be seen with the stick.
She was given Unis in July and returned to school before the start of term in September so the two-year-old dog could learn the layout of the buildings.
But concerns were raised about the welfare of another pupil who has a ‘hyper sensitivity to allergens’ - particularly animals.
It means he is at risk of a fatal anaphylactic shock if he comes into contact with the dog.
Her mother said: ‘Molly used to bump into things and be covered in bruises.
‘She is a young girl who is fashion conscious and did not like to be seen with a cane. She would rather fall over.
‘The alternative arrangements the school has put in place are not good enough.’
School principal Tony Shaw says he consulted medical experts and charity groups before making alternative arrangements, which included re-timetabling lessons and banning the dog from the dining room.
He said it leaves Molly without Unis for less than two hours a week and he believes she could use alternative support - such as a stick or friend - to guide her during this time.
Mr Shaw said it was ‘regretful’ that restrictions were necessary but stressed they had the backing of the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association.
He added: ‘One pupil has recently been provided with a guide dog to ensure her safe mobility and the school has been working hard to accommodate her needs.
‘Another student has a current medical diagnosis of hyper sensitivity to allergens and in particular to the allergens from animals, including dogs.
‘Mary Hare has an equal duty of care to both students and a duty to ensure that any adjustments affecting the use of a guide dog are reasonable and proportionate.
‘The solution has involved re-timetabling and changes of class locations to avoid use of the same rooms and two restrictions on the movements of the guide dog.
‘These restrictions involve the hall used for weekly assembly and the main dining hall.
‘The expert medical advice has been that if the dog enters either room, the other pupil cannot use them.’
Molly was named Young Deafblind Person of the Year 2010 by deafblind charity Sense and was nominated to carry the Olympic flame.
A petition called Justice 4 Deafblind guide-dog Owner Molly Watt has been signed by more than a thousand people, including former alumni.
Molly Watt, 17, says she was left to eat lunch alone in a separate room because another pupil who uses the canteen is allergic to the dog.
She has since been signed off sick by a doctor after suffering a panic attack when she was separated from her black Labrador-retriever cross named Unis.
The A-level student, from Maidenhead, Berkshire, has not attended classes at Mary Hare School in Newbury, Berkshire, since November 3.
And the pupil, who has been nominated by deafblind charity Sense to carry the Olympic flame, says she will not return until the ban is lifted.
Her mother Jane, 46, said Molly is ‘besotted’ with her dog and becomes ‘distressed’ when her companion is not by her side.
Jane, a charity worker, said: ‘The school has banned Molly from taking Unis into the dining room. ‘The dog gives her independence and freedom and means everything to her.
‘She has been left to eat alone in a separate room and that stress has left her feeling incredibly down.
‘She should be able to socialise with friends at lunchtime like everybody else.
‘She was shaking, having panic attacks and was unable to sleep after being asked to leave Unis in a sideroom. Her doctor has signed her off sick.
‘My main concern is Molly's well-being and education. She doesn't deserve what is happening to her.’
Molly - who is studying English, textiles and performing - was born deaf and lost her sight aged 14.
That prompted her to move from mainstream education to the specialist boarding school for deaf children.
She initially relied on a cane or a friend to guide her between rooms but was ‘embarrassed’ to be seen with the stick.
She was given Unis in July and returned to school before the start of term in September so the two-year-old dog could learn the layout of the buildings.
But concerns were raised about the welfare of another pupil who has a ‘hyper sensitivity to allergens’ - particularly animals.
It means he is at risk of a fatal anaphylactic shock if he comes into contact with the dog.
Her mother said: ‘Molly used to bump into things and be covered in bruises.
‘She is a young girl who is fashion conscious and did not like to be seen with a cane. She would rather fall over.
‘The alternative arrangements the school has put in place are not good enough.’
School principal Tony Shaw says he consulted medical experts and charity groups before making alternative arrangements, which included re-timetabling lessons and banning the dog from the dining room.
He said it leaves Molly without Unis for less than two hours a week and he believes she could use alternative support - such as a stick or friend - to guide her during this time.
Mr Shaw said it was ‘regretful’ that restrictions were necessary but stressed they had the backing of the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association.
He added: ‘One pupil has recently been provided with a guide dog to ensure her safe mobility and the school has been working hard to accommodate her needs.
‘Another student has a current medical diagnosis of hyper sensitivity to allergens and in particular to the allergens from animals, including dogs.
‘Mary Hare has an equal duty of care to both students and a duty to ensure that any adjustments affecting the use of a guide dog are reasonable and proportionate.
‘The solution has involved re-timetabling and changes of class locations to avoid use of the same rooms and two restrictions on the movements of the guide dog.
‘These restrictions involve the hall used for weekly assembly and the main dining hall.
‘The expert medical advice has been that if the dog enters either room, the other pupil cannot use them.’
Molly was named Young Deafblind Person of the Year 2010 by deafblind charity Sense and was nominated to carry the Olympic flame.
A petition called Justice 4 Deafblind guide-dog Owner Molly Watt has been signed by more than a thousand people, including former alumni.
NDF congratulates NZ's first profoundly deaf MP
NZ Green Party's Mojo Mathers becomes New Zealand's first profoundly deaf Member of Parliament reports Voxy.co.nz (12/12/11).
"It's a fantastic achievement," says Louise Carroll, CEO of The National Foundation for the Deaf. "We are looking forward to working with her over the next three years."
Ms Mathers is one of over 700,000 New Zealanders who are deaf or hearing impaired. She is a wonderful role model, a shining example of how people who are deaf or hearing impaired can be positive, active members of their communities" says Ms Carroll.
The National Foundation for the Deaf hopes that the appointment of Ms Mathers may help make parliamentary information and debates more accessible for people who are deaf and hearing impaired.
"New Zealand has the lowest amount of captioning on TV in the western world," says Ms Carroll. "This is a good opportunity for parliament to make some much needed changes."
"It's a fantastic achievement," says Louise Carroll, CEO of The National Foundation for the Deaf. "We are looking forward to working with her over the next three years."
Ms Mathers is one of over 700,000 New Zealanders who are deaf or hearing impaired. She is a wonderful role model, a shining example of how people who are deaf or hearing impaired can be positive, active members of their communities" says Ms Carroll.
The National Foundation for the Deaf hopes that the appointment of Ms Mathers may help make parliamentary information and debates more accessible for people who are deaf and hearing impaired.
"New Zealand has the lowest amount of captioning on TV in the western world," says Ms Carroll. "This is a good opportunity for parliament to make some much needed changes."
Wednesday 7 December 2011
Workshop busts myths about deaf culture
People who are deaf often have to face challenges that those who aren't would never have to even consider writes Kim Writer for Daily Campus (07/12/11).
However, in the words of the former president of Gallaudet University, Irving King Jordan, "Deaf people can do anything, except hear" says Lambda Alpha Upsilon who hosted an interactive workshop titled "I am Not Disabled" at the Puerto Rican/Latin American Cultural Center, facilitated by UConn's American Sign Language Club President Christopher O'Rourke.
"What interests us in doing this workshop is that we have brothers in our fraternity that are deaf, and they are still individuals capable of communicating," Bryant Dominguez, president of Lambda Alpha Upsilon, said. "We wanted to bring more awareness to their culture and the misconceptions associated with it."
O'Rourke said he wanted to "bust myths" about the deaf culture by showing an appreciation for the language and what the deaf culture embodies.
"We want to show you what it's like to be on the receiving side of any language,' O'Rourke said. "Just because they speak a different language and come from a different background, they're not really that different from us."
O'Rourke taught some relevant sign language vocabulary and how to provide some background information when conversing with a deaf person to those in attendance.
"Deaf people are very proud of their culture and they love to know background information," O'Rourke said.
Facial expressions are key in ASL (American Sign Language). For example, when you signal the word stress, you must emphasize the meaning of the word by puffing your cheeks. Similarly, the eyebrows must be lowered when a question is signed.
"You really play around with your emotions when signing," O'Rourke said.
O'Rourke asked everyone in attendance to play a fingerspelling version of the game "telephone." Fingerspelling is the process of spelling out words using the American Sign Language alphabet. In the game, everyone had to fingerspell a word to the next person until it reached the last person. O'Rourke began the game by signing PRLACC, because the event was hosted there, but the word had transformed to "apples" by the end.
O'Rourke then explored the disparities between the deaf and hearing cultures and how misconceptions about deaf people arise in the hearing community.
"One of the biggest questions I get asked is ‘isn't sign language just like English?'" O' Rourke said. "The answer is no. It has evolved to borrow some English, but it still stands on its own."
O'Rourke explained the different methods of sign language, including the Rochester Method, which includes fingerspelling every word and British Sign Language, which uses both hands.
"Hearing people tend to think that deaf people are broke," O'Rourke said. "And that is not the case. They can do everything just as well, and in some cases, better than other people."
O'Rourke said deaf people actually have a lower occurrence of car crashes than hearing people, which he attributes to their heightened awareness of their surroundings.
He also gave some advice to understanding deaf culture. As in hearing culture, O'Rourke said, pointing to get a person's attention is rude, whereas gentle wave in the person whose attention you wish to have will suffice.
Everyone in attendance participated in the program with enthusiasm and learned to sign his or her name and a few complete phrases.
"I think it's an enjoyable program and is something people don't normally think about or try to get educated on," attendee Jamal Catoe, the assistant director of fraternity and sorority life at UConn, said. "I think it would be nice to do more with this to learn to really effectively communicate. As far as learning the basics, I think this was a really good program."
O2 store provides help for blind and deaf customers
Operator’s Workshop store in central London fitted with hearing loops and ‘personal listeners’ as it hires its first deaf member of staff writes Jasper Jackson for Mobile News (07/12/11).
O2’s new concept Workshop store in Tottenham Court Road has hired its first deaf member of staff. Abigail Gorman has been trained in sign language and dealing with deaf and blind customers.
O2 hired “deaf-led” consultancy, training and communications service Positive Signs to help with its accessibility programme. It has fitted the store with hearing loops and ‘personal listeners’ to help deaf people hear conversations more clearly while moving around the store.
The O2 Workshop, which is run by O2 franchise operator Telenomics, has worked with the Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB) to provide ‘Sight Loss Awareness’ training for its staff, who have been given training by RIM, Apple and app developers Code Factory on devices and apps to help the blind. A second member of staff, who is not deaf but is fluent in sign language, has also been hired.
O2 head of corporate responsibility Simon Davis said: “It is sometimes difficult for older or disabled customers to find the right mobile phone for their needs. By offering expert advice at our Tottenham Court Road store we’re looking forward to providing a better experience to our customers with sensory needs.
“Smartphones and apps can increase independence and confidence for those with sensory needs”, Telenomics founders Amar Radia, Adarsh Radia and Asad Hamir said in a joint statement. “We want to make these devices as accessible as possible to the sight loss and deaf communities.”
RNIB has lent its advice on making the store more accessible for blind people. The institute is also running monthly events to familiarise partially sighted and blind people with new mobile technologies and products.
The O2 Workshop store opened in September to offer free and connected work space and meeting rooms for public use. O2 says it is the only store where all staff have been trained to handle business customers.
Monday 5 December 2011
Police 'killed deaf cyclist with stun gun after he failed to obey instructions to stop'
A police officer killed an elderly, deaf and mentally disabled man riding his bicycle by shooting him with a Taser stun gun after he failed to obey instructions to stop writes Daniel Miller for the Daily Mail (24/11/11).
Roger Anthony, 61, was killed as he made his way home in Scotland Neck, South Carolina, after officers responded to a 911 call about a man who had fallen off his bicycle in a car park.
The caller told dispatchers that the man appeared drunk and that it looked like he had hurt himself.
Officers said they repeatedly told Mr Anthony to get off his bike, but when he didn't respond, they shocked him. The state Office of the Medical Examiner hasn't yet determined a cause of death.
Family members claim Mr Anthony had hearing problems and suffered from seizures. Now they're considering whether to file a lawsuit against the town.
His brother Michael said: 'What did they tase him for? It's hurting me. It's really hurting me.'
Scotland Neck Mayor James Mills said he wouldn't blame the family for suing.
'There has been no information that this man was a threat to anybody,' he said.
'If I was a family member, I'm sure I'd be thinking the same way.'
Mills said he has tried to get information from the police department about what happened to Mr Anthony, but they have turned him away.
Police Chief Joe Williams says the officer is on administrative leave while the SBI conducts its investigation.
He declined to comment further. Anthony's family said they hope the case is resolved soon.
Mr Anthony's niece, Porsha Anthony said: 'I'm sad. I lost an uncle.
'Hopefully it will be rectified so that not another family in Scotland Neck has to go through this'.
The State Bureau of Investigation in South Carolina said they are looking into Mr Anthony's death.
Roger Anthony, 61, was killed as he made his way home in Scotland Neck, South Carolina, after officers responded to a 911 call about a man who had fallen off his bicycle in a car park.
The caller told dispatchers that the man appeared drunk and that it looked like he had hurt himself.
Officers said they repeatedly told Mr Anthony to get off his bike, but when he didn't respond, they shocked him. The state Office of the Medical Examiner hasn't yet determined a cause of death.
Family members claim Mr Anthony had hearing problems and suffered from seizures. Now they're considering whether to file a lawsuit against the town.
His brother Michael said: 'What did they tase him for? It's hurting me. It's really hurting me.'
Scotland Neck Mayor James Mills said he wouldn't blame the family for suing.
'There has been no information that this man was a threat to anybody,' he said.
'If I was a family member, I'm sure I'd be thinking the same way.'
Mills said he has tried to get information from the police department about what happened to Mr Anthony, but they have turned him away.
Police Chief Joe Williams says the officer is on administrative leave while the SBI conducts its investigation.
He declined to comment further. Anthony's family said they hope the case is resolved soon.
Mr Anthony's niece, Porsha Anthony said: 'I'm sad. I lost an uncle.
'Hopefully it will be rectified so that not another family in Scotland Neck has to go through this'.
The State Bureau of Investigation in South Carolina said they are looking into Mr Anthony's death.
Friday 2 December 2011
Judge tosses DUI conviction for deaf man
A local attorney is heralding Thursday's dismissal of a five-year-old DUI conviction as a victory for deaf people reports Tri City Herald and The New Tribune (02/12/11).
William M. Kral, 33, of Snoqualmie, who is deaf, was arrested in December 2005 in Benton County on suspicion of DUI and driving with a suspended license, said attorney Moe Spencer of Kennewick.
But when Kral was arraigned, no sign language interpreter was available in the courtroom. When he signed a paper waiving his constitutional right to a speedy trial, the interpreter who explained the document to him was unqualified, Spencer said.
Kral was convicted and served a nine-month sentence that included three months in an alcohol treatment program. He paid more than $4,600 in fines.
In the next five years, Kral went through appeals and several court-appointed attorneys whom he claims ignored or mishandled his case or had to step aside because of conflicts.
Then in August, Kral won his argument that his constitutional rights had been violated because of the lack of a qualified sign language interpreter. Judge Robert Swisher ordered the case back to District Court to be dismissed, and the conviction overturned.
The end of what Kral described as a "very long battle" came Thursday when District Court Judge Dan Kathren officially threw out Kral's conviction and ordered the $4,600 in fines returned to him.
"I certainly agree Kral is entitled to money he paid as a result of a conviction that is no longer a conviction," Kathren said.
But despite the crux of the case being the court's lack of a qualified interpreter, Spencer had to bring in a professional sign language interpreter Thursday because there still isn't one employed by the court.
Kral told the Herald through interpreter Shelly Hansen that the person who interpreted for him on the day he signed the speedy trial waiver told him he was agreeing to a continuance -- basically a temporary delay of his hearing.
"I never found out I had signed a waiver for speedy trial until two weeks or a month later," he said. "About the same time, I found out the interpreter did not have formal training or a (sign language) certification. The way he translated, I thought it was clear it was a continuance. I didn't have a reason to doubt."
The interpreter in the courtroom that day was actually a Spanish-language interpreter who knew a little sign language, according to Spencer's appeal brief.
The brief said Kral asked several times for a court-certified interpreter because he wanted someone who could accurately explain complicated legal issues. Kral also told the court that the interpreters used were signing incorrectly or that he didn't understand them.
The brief said Kral's then-attorney also communicated with him using handwritten notes, but Kral couldn't understand what his attorney was writing.
Swisher agreed that Kral's agreeing to waive his right to a speedy trial was "unintelligent and not knowing," Spencer said.
Kral lost his hearing when he became ill with spinal meningitis when he was 9 months old. Spencer's brief said research shows people who become deaf before age 3 have difficulty with language and tend to have a median of a fourth-grade reading level, mostly because written English is based on translating symbols into sounds -- sounds they never have learned.
Kral said he lost his construction job in the Tri-Cities and his then-girlfriend because of the DUI conviction. He now operates heavy equipment in the Seattle area, is married and has a 2-year-old son. But Kral said the years since his conviction have been "very tough."
"I just kept on fighting," he said. "This issue is not about money and not about me personally. It's about making sure deaf people get equal access and to try to raise that awareness."
William M. Kral, 33, of Snoqualmie, who is deaf, was arrested in December 2005 in Benton County on suspicion of DUI and driving with a suspended license, said attorney Moe Spencer of Kennewick.
But when Kral was arraigned, no sign language interpreter was available in the courtroom. When he signed a paper waiving his constitutional right to a speedy trial, the interpreter who explained the document to him was unqualified, Spencer said.
Kral was convicted and served a nine-month sentence that included three months in an alcohol treatment program. He paid more than $4,600 in fines.
In the next five years, Kral went through appeals and several court-appointed attorneys whom he claims ignored or mishandled his case or had to step aside because of conflicts.
Then in August, Kral won his argument that his constitutional rights had been violated because of the lack of a qualified sign language interpreter. Judge Robert Swisher ordered the case back to District Court to be dismissed, and the conviction overturned.
The end of what Kral described as a "very long battle" came Thursday when District Court Judge Dan Kathren officially threw out Kral's conviction and ordered the $4,600 in fines returned to him.
"I certainly agree Kral is entitled to money he paid as a result of a conviction that is no longer a conviction," Kathren said.
But despite the crux of the case being the court's lack of a qualified interpreter, Spencer had to bring in a professional sign language interpreter Thursday because there still isn't one employed by the court.
Kral told the Herald through interpreter Shelly Hansen that the person who interpreted for him on the day he signed the speedy trial waiver told him he was agreeing to a continuance -- basically a temporary delay of his hearing.
"I never found out I had signed a waiver for speedy trial until two weeks or a month later," he said. "About the same time, I found out the interpreter did not have formal training or a (sign language) certification. The way he translated, I thought it was clear it was a continuance. I didn't have a reason to doubt."
The interpreter in the courtroom that day was actually a Spanish-language interpreter who knew a little sign language, according to Spencer's appeal brief.
The brief said Kral asked several times for a court-certified interpreter because he wanted someone who could accurately explain complicated legal issues. Kral also told the court that the interpreters used were signing incorrectly or that he didn't understand them.
The brief said Kral's then-attorney also communicated with him using handwritten notes, but Kral couldn't understand what his attorney was writing.
Swisher agreed that Kral's agreeing to waive his right to a speedy trial was "unintelligent and not knowing," Spencer said.
Kral lost his hearing when he became ill with spinal meningitis when he was 9 months old. Spencer's brief said research shows people who become deaf before age 3 have difficulty with language and tend to have a median of a fourth-grade reading level, mostly because written English is based on translating symbols into sounds -- sounds they never have learned.
Kral said he lost his construction job in the Tri-Cities and his then-girlfriend because of the DUI conviction. He now operates heavy equipment in the Seattle area, is married and has a 2-year-old son. But Kral said the years since his conviction have been "very tough."
"I just kept on fighting," he said. "This issue is not about money and not about me personally. It's about making sure deaf people get equal access and to try to raise that awareness."
Deaf man wins award for outstanding contribution
A DEAF man from Stoke Park who led groundbreaking training and research in sign language has been presented with a national award in recognition of his work reports This is Bristol (02/12/11).
Clark Denmark was presented with the Joseph Maitland Robinson Award for outstanding contribution at the 2011 Signature Annual Awards.
Mr Denmark, 57, learned to sign from a young age after being born deaf and into a deaf family. He first became involved with British Sign Language teaching and research in Edinburgh in the 1980s. He was later instrumental in developing Durham University's groundbreaking sign language course, launching the first formal qualifications for BSL teachers that became a template for future learning. As director of Education and Training at the British Deaf Association he introduced training opportunities for deaf people and those who work with them.
In 1992 Mr Denmark joined the teaching staff on the newly- established degree course at Bristol University's centre for deaf studies, teaching sign language, sign language teaching, deaf history and deaf politics. He has since joined the deaf studies team at the University of Central Lancashire, splitting his time between Lancashire and his home in Bristol.
Mr Denmark said: "I am honoured that, as a member of the deaf community who endeavours to make BSL stronger, and the deaf community a better place to live in every day, I am able to contribute to achieving this in a small way for deaf BSL teachers and BSL learners so that we can make it happen through the empowerment of deaf people. To receive the Joseph Maitland Robinson Award for outstanding contribution is an absolute privilege."
Jim Edwards, chief executive of Signature, said: "Clark's contribution to the deaf community cannot be overstated."
Clark Denmark was presented with the Joseph Maitland Robinson Award for outstanding contribution at the 2011 Signature Annual Awards.
Mr Denmark, 57, learned to sign from a young age after being born deaf and into a deaf family. He first became involved with British Sign Language teaching and research in Edinburgh in the 1980s. He was later instrumental in developing Durham University's groundbreaking sign language course, launching the first formal qualifications for BSL teachers that became a template for future learning. As director of Education and Training at the British Deaf Association he introduced training opportunities for deaf people and those who work with them.
In 1992 Mr Denmark joined the teaching staff on the newly- established degree course at Bristol University's centre for deaf studies, teaching sign language, sign language teaching, deaf history and deaf politics. He has since joined the deaf studies team at the University of Central Lancashire, splitting his time between Lancashire and his home in Bristol.
Mr Denmark said: "I am honoured that, as a member of the deaf community who endeavours to make BSL stronger, and the deaf community a better place to live in every day, I am able to contribute to achieving this in a small way for deaf BSL teachers and BSL learners so that we can make it happen through the empowerment of deaf people. To receive the Joseph Maitland Robinson Award for outstanding contribution is an absolute privilege."
Jim Edwards, chief executive of Signature, said: "Clark's contribution to the deaf community cannot be overstated."
Thursday 1 December 2011
Founder of Rockville deaf services company gets nine years for fraud
Joseph and John Yeh guilty of conspiring to defraud the Federal Communications Commission’s Video Relay Service program writes Kevin James Shay for Maryland (USA) Community News Online (01/12/11).
A federal judge on Wednesday sentenced John T.C. Yeh, former CEO of Rockville deaf services business Viable, to nine years in prison and ordered him to pay restitution of $20 million for his role in a multimillion-dollar government fraud case.
His brother, former Viable vice president Joseph Yeh, received a prison sentence of 55 months on Wednesday and also was ordered by Judge Joel A. Pisano to pay $20 million in restitution.
In November 2009, John and Joseph Yeh were among 26 people nationwide to be indicted for conspiring to defraud the Federal Communications Commission’s Video Relay Service program, which helps deaf people communicate, by billing the government for millions of dollars in illegitimate calls. They pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud in October 2010.
John Yeh is eligible for a credit of his prison term when he was held during revocation of bail, according to records from U.S. District Court in Trenton, N.J.
Paul F. Kemp, a partner with Ethridge, Quinn, Kemp, McAuliffe, Rowan & Hartinger of Rockville who represented John Yeh, noted that prosecutors were asking for 15 years in prison and the maximum prison sentence the brothers faced was 20 years. He said Wednesday that he does not plan to appeal the sentencing.
“I wish [the prison term] had been shorter, but the judge tried to be fair,” Kemp said. “He was trying to find a middle ground.”
Stanley J. Reed, a principal with Lerch, Early and Brewer in Bethesda who represented Joseph Yeh, also said Wednesday he does not plan to appeal his client’s sentence.
“The judge did a superb job of balancing all of the issues and factors,” Reed said. “Joseph and John are grateful for the amazing outpouring of support they got from the community and the deaf community.”
About 100 people, many from the deaf community, traveled from across the country and even from overseas to support the Yehs at the sentencing hearing, Reed said.
About eight character witnesses testified on the Yehs’ behalf Wednesday, which likely helped their case, Kemp said. “We were grateful to the witnesses who came forward,” he said.
Pisano recommended to the Bureau of Prisons that the Yehs be incarcerated together in a federal prison camp in Cumberland, to be close to family members and be provided with all services they were entitled to under federal disability laws.
During the four-plus-hour hearing Wednesday, the Yehs were “remorseful, somber, scared and very focused on listening to everything the judge said,” Kemp said. The Yehs are not eligible for parole but can receive five days of “good time” per month credited against their prison terms, he said.
Pisano also sentenced both Yehs to three years of supervised release.
“It was a long journey to get here,” Kemp said. “We are glad that we had a thoughtful, considerate judge.”
Two other former Viable executives, Anthony Mowl and Donald Tropp, are among those who have pleaded guilty in the case. They are scheduled to be sentenced by Pisano on Dec. 14 in New Jersey, according to court documents.
John Yeh has long been involved with organizations that advocate for the deaf community, such as the National Asian Deaf Congress and National Deaf Business Institute. He was a trustee of Gallaudet University, a Washington, D.C., institution that specializes in education for deaf people, for more than a decade. Deaf Life, a monthly national magazine founded in 1987, honored him as its Deaf Person of the Year in 2008.
Yeh founded Viable in 2005 to develop and market real-time transcription text and video relay services to help deaf and other hard-of-hearing people communicate. Within three years, Viable had shot up from a handful of workers to almost 200 full- and part-time employees, while annual revenues exceeded $7 million.
But prosecutors said in court documents that Viable charged the government for millions of dollars in illegitimate, or “run,” calls.
A previous business that John Yeh formed, software engineering and integration company Integrated Microcomputer Systems, in Rockville with the help of his brothers, reached $40 million in revenue in 1995 before he sold it in 1996.
Musical magic for Peterborough deaf children
DEAF children are able to experience the magic of music at special sessions reports the Peterborough Evening Telegraph (01/12/11).
Youngsters as young as eight with hearing impediments were invited to take part in a monthly session at Jack Hunt School in Walton.
The children from across the city learnt how to play a number of instruments, as well as taking part in other activities.
Matthew Gunn, head of music services at Cambridgeshire County Council, which helped organise the session, said: “We have held the sessions in Cambridgeshire for a while, but in Peterborough only for this year. They give children the chance to get individual or small group tuition, that they would not normally get.”
The next free session will be held after the Christmas break. It will be held at Jack Hunt School on January 14 between 10am and noon.
To book a place email cm@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
Youngsters as young as eight with hearing impediments were invited to take part in a monthly session at Jack Hunt School in Walton.
The children from across the city learnt how to play a number of instruments, as well as taking part in other activities.
Matthew Gunn, head of music services at Cambridgeshire County Council, which helped organise the session, said: “We have held the sessions in Cambridgeshire for a while, but in Peterborough only for this year. They give children the chance to get individual or small group tuition, that they would not normally get.”
The next free session will be held after the Christmas break. It will be held at Jack Hunt School on January 14 between 10am and noon.
To book a place email cm@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
Deafblind photographer London exhibition
An artist from Essex who has limited sight and hearing hopes his work will act as an inspiration to others reports the BBC News (01/12/11).
About 25 photographs by Ian Treherne, from Rochford, are to feature in an exhibition in London organised by the deaf-blind charity, Sense.
The 33-year-old has Usher Syndrome, meaning he has deteriorating eyesight and a hearing impairment.
He said: "I see less than most people, but I think in some ways it actually makes me see more in life."
He added: "It is a bit ironic that I need to use my eyes for my photography, but I get a lot of enjoyment out of it. I have to think about everything I am doing and am constantly looking 10 times as hard where I'm going”
"I like to show people who take their eyesight for granted the simple views they walk past every day and do not notice."
Mr Treherne, who has been photographing seriously since he was in his late 20s, explained the genetic condition "affects me in every possible way".
He said: "I've got tunnel vision, so have very limited eyesight, especially at night time when I can't see very much.
"I have to think about everything I am doing and am constantly looking 10 times as hard where I'm going."
'Passion and enthusiasm'
Among his images of people, buildings and landscapes which will be displayed at the "Secret Window" exhibition in Soho from 13 December is a shot of the Southend Borough Council offices.
Mr Treherne said: "People do say how ugly it is. But for some reason, I've got an ability to see some beauty in something not particularly nice.
"With busy lives, you come and go to your work place. I tend to take time out and try to appreciate some of the beauty in our streets and towns."
A particular admirer of photographers David Bailey and Brian Duffy, who rose to prominence in the 1960s, Mr Treherne hopes his work will help inspire other people who had impaired sight or hearing.
He said: "I hope people enjoy the pictures, appreciate them and maybe be surprised that someone with an eye condition can take good pictures.
"And [I hope it] shows that with a bit of willing, passion and enthusiasm, no matter how hard things are you can get somewhere in life if you try a little bit harder."
Monday 28 November 2011
Deaf man held without Interpreter sues Police
Adams County (USA) sued by a deaf man held for 25 days without access to an Interpreter reports Monte Whaley for the Denver Post (28/11/11).
When Adams County sheriff's deputies knocked down the motel-room door of a deaf couple, slammed the man to the ground and locked him in jail for 25 days without providing a sign-language interpreter, they violated the Americans With Disabilities Act, a federal lawsuit says.
"There were 25 days of his life that he had access to nothing — no information on why he was being held, no information about his case or what was going to happen to him," Williams said.
The Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition advocacy group is also a plaintiff in the suit. Adams County Sheriff Doug Darr is named as the defendant.
An Adams County Sheriff's Office spokesman on Friday did not have any comment on the lawsuit, saying officials needed to review it first.
The suit asks for damages for Siaki and Moore and to find that Adams County is violating the ADA by not providing an interpreter nor auxiliary aids for deaf suspects during their arrest and booking process.
The suit claims Adams County also does not provide aids and services to deaf inmates to communicate with people outside the jail while the same privileges are provided for those with normal hearing.
"They need policies and procedures for folks who are deaf," Williams said. "People just assume that a deaf person understands what they are saying."
Williams said the coalition recently settled a similar case against the Lakewood Police Department and the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. The settlements require very specific policies for compliance with the ADA to ensure deaf people can communicate with police officers and jail deputies.
According to the lawsuit, Siaki and Moore were staying at a Super 8 Motel at 5888 Broadway on May 14, 2010, when they began arguing.
Both communicate by American Sign Language, as Siaki does not speak, read or write English. He also does not read lips. Moore has a limited ability to speak, read and write in English and can occasionally read lips, the suit said.
Like many deaf people, Siaki and Moore both "verbalize sounds which, to a person who is not deaf or who is unfamiliar, may sound like the deaf person is speaking loudly or abruptly," according to the suit.
Their fight resulted in a noise complaint. Two Adams County deputies broke down the motel room door, entered with their guns drawn and ordered Siaki to the floor, the suit said.
Both deputies learned after their arrival that Siaki was deaf. But since he was unable to understand the deputies' commands, one of the deputies grabbed Siaki's left arm and forced him to the floor.
The deputy also said Siaki refused to write down his version of the events. Moore, meanwhile, tried to tell the deputies that Siaki did not hurt her but could not because she was not provided an interpreter or any aids.
The two were separated, and Siaki was evaluated by medical intake personnel at the jail. Still, he was not provided a sign-language interpreter.
Siaki stayed in jail from May 15 until June 10, unable to comprehend jail policies and procedures, the suit said.
He was eventually assigned a public defender, and he was cleared in the criminal case, Williams said.
"To this day," he said, "we don't know why he was held for 25 days."
Monday 21 November 2011
Plea to save the Middlesbrough Deaf Centre
THE closure of a deaf centre in Middlesbrough would have a devastating effect on the lives of its users, it has been claimed writes Linsay Bruce for the Gazette (21/11/11).
Middlesbrough Deaf Centre has been earmarked for closure as part of the council’s wide-ranging cost-cutting plan. More than 80 people attended a highly-charged public meeting at the centre in Park Road South yesterday to discuss the proposal.
Dave Walker, a user of the facilities, speaking through signing, said: “I was born and bred in Boro - for over 65 years and what people need to realise is that there are two worlds.
“There’s the hearing world and the deaf world. Moving us out of our world and just telling us to get around in the hearing world is not simple. It’s not helpful and it’s not what we want.
“Splitting us up would be like you moving to Nepal and just when you started feeling part of the only English speaking club, finding out the club could close or move to another part of the country - and without any language skills you have to find your own way there.”
Brenda Moore, whose 93-year-old aunt, Marjorie Johnson, uses the centre, said: “Shutting this centre will shut people out of the only world they know.”
The public meeting was attended by service users, their families and centre staff.
Pauline Stevenson, strategy and delivery manager for adult care at Middlesbrough Council, pledged that the authority remained committed to providing services to the deaf community.
She said “I must stress that at this stage it is only a proposal to close the Middlesbrough Deaf Centre building.”
A meeting of the full Middlesbrough Council will be held next month when the Mayor, Ray Mallon, will present final proposals for making the required savings.
He will also make a further statement regarding the remaining £3.5m that has to be found.
Middlesbrough Deaf Centre has been earmarked for closure as part of the council’s wide-ranging cost-cutting plan. More than 80 people attended a highly-charged public meeting at the centre in Park Road South yesterday to discuss the proposal.
Dave Walker, a user of the facilities, speaking through signing, said: “I was born and bred in Boro - for over 65 years and what people need to realise is that there are two worlds.
“There’s the hearing world and the deaf world. Moving us out of our world and just telling us to get around in the hearing world is not simple. It’s not helpful and it’s not what we want.
“Splitting us up would be like you moving to Nepal and just when you started feeling part of the only English speaking club, finding out the club could close or move to another part of the country - and without any language skills you have to find your own way there.”
Brenda Moore, whose 93-year-old aunt, Marjorie Johnson, uses the centre, said: “Shutting this centre will shut people out of the only world they know.”
Last month Middlesbrough Mayor Ray Mallon unveiled a package of 78 proposed cuts. They aimed to contribute £10m of the £13.8m of cuts the council has to make in its budget next year. The proposed cuts range from the closure of council buildings to staffing and management restructures and increased charges.
The public meeting was attended by service users, their families and centre staff.
Pauline Stevenson, strategy and delivery manager for adult care at Middlesbrough Council, pledged that the authority remained committed to providing services to the deaf community.
She said “I must stress that at this stage it is only a proposal to close the Middlesbrough Deaf Centre building.”
A meeting of the full Middlesbrough Council will be held next month when the Mayor, Ray Mallon, will present final proposals for making the required savings.
He will also make a further statement regarding the remaining £3.5m that has to be found.
Deaf charity’s Cumbria contract
A NATIONAL deaf charity has been awarded a contract to provide mental health services for people with hearing problems in Cumbria writes Pamela McGowan for the News & Star (21/11/11). SignHealth won the tender to offer the first British Sign Language ‘Improving Access to Psychological Therapies’ (IAPT) services for the deaf community in the north west, including Carlisle.
Steve Powell, chief executive of SignHealth, provides services across the country, said: “IAPT is a government initiative aimed at improving emotional and psychological wellbeing, and getting people into work or back into work. The service is available for the general population, including black and ethnic minority groups, but until now it has not been appropriately accessible for the deaf population.
“We will be providing the first specialist IAPT service for deaf people in England, which will be piloted in the North West, including Cumbria, and will be known under the name of ‘BSL Healthy Minds’. If successful, it is envisaged it will be extended throughout the country.”
The pilot will employ psychological wellbeing practitioners fluent in sign language to provide one-to-one support and group therapies for deaf people experiencing common mental health problems.
Mr Powell added: “Until now the communication needs of a deaf person seeking support have been managed by having an interpreter in the room or by not accessing any treatment at all. To provide an interpreter is not only costly and time consuming, but more importantly, is not effective.
“Having a third person in the room is intrusive and doesn’t encourage the relationship between the therapist and client to develop to its full potential. In many cases the client will feel closer to the interpreter and develop a trusting relationship with them rather than the therapist, which can lead to less successful treatment.”
Steve Powell, chief executive of SignHealth, provides services across the country, said: “IAPT is a government initiative aimed at improving emotional and psychological wellbeing, and getting people into work or back into work. The service is available for the general population, including black and ethnic minority groups, but until now it has not been appropriately accessible for the deaf population.
“We will be providing the first specialist IAPT service for deaf people in England, which will be piloted in the North West, including Cumbria, and will be known under the name of ‘BSL Healthy Minds’. If successful, it is envisaged it will be extended throughout the country.”
The pilot will employ psychological wellbeing practitioners fluent in sign language to provide one-to-one support and group therapies for deaf people experiencing common mental health problems.
Mr Powell added: “Until now the communication needs of a deaf person seeking support have been managed by having an interpreter in the room or by not accessing any treatment at all. To provide an interpreter is not only costly and time consuming, but more importantly, is not effective.
“Having a third person in the room is intrusive and doesn’t encourage the relationship between the therapist and client to develop to its full potential. In many cases the client will feel closer to the interpreter and develop a trusting relationship with them rather than the therapist, which can lead to less successful treatment.”
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