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DeafDigest Mid-Week edition, July 31, 2015

— Gallaudet changing its looks

Gallaudet going through a facelift? Don’t know but
there is an international design contest for world’s
best architects (both deaf and hearing) to make
Gallaudet look better. A big challenge for them
is to keep Gallaudet same as is (historic district
by the National Register of Historic Places) yet
change Gallaudet’s looks! How? Just don’t know.

— accidential invention helping the deaf

Rubber is an example of an accidential invention
that helped the world. What about the deaf?
Glide is a video software invented in 2013
that was supposed to help people communicate
much easier in video. These software engineers
had no idea that the Deaf Community immediately
picked it up for their own communication needs.
So, for the deaf, Glide became an accidential
invention!

— a businessman thinking of the deaf

Very few businesses think of the deaf. Examples are
cash register with no displays; wall menus in
fast food places that are hard for the deaf to
point at; immigrant clerks that do not understand
written English, etc. In the case of Dean Saunders,
not deaf, he is a top realtor in Polk County,
Florida with $650 in sales. He had his company
web site videos captioned so that deaf customers
could review the houses they want to buy. No
one asked him to caption; he just did it on
his own.

Latest deaf jobs:
http://deafdigest.com/category/jobs/ or click on “jobs”

new job announcements every day
past Mid-Week & morning editions:
http://deafdigest.com/category/mid-week-news/

7/26/15 Blue and Gold editions at:
http://deafdigest.com/newsletters/

2015/07/31

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition, July 31, 2015 morning

— Forbes rates Gallaudet as tops

Forbes is a business magazine that corporate
officers read along with big time investors.
This magazine gave Gallaudet a grade of A
in the private college sector. Forbes
evaluates colleges in terms of finances,
endowment, reserves, assets, surplus,
tuition, admission rate and other stuff.

— a new director of a state agency of the deaf

Former attorney Kelby Brick, who is deaf, has been
appointed as the director of Maryland Governor’s
Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. It is
homecoming thing for Kelby because back in 2001,
the state opened this new office, after he
spent considerable time lobbying for it!

past Mid-Week & morning editions:
http://deafdigest.com/category/mid-week-news/

7/26/15 Blue and Gold editions at:
http://deafdigest.com/newsletters/

2015/07/30

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition, July 30, 2015

— waiting 72 years for deaf school campus to be razed

Do mention Northern New York School for the Deaf (Malone, NY)
and the chances are that no one has ever heard of it. This
school was closed in 1943. The campus, however, continued
for 72 years. It is being razed soon. DeafDigest editor
knew of an acquaintance that graduated from that school,
and also met an alumni group at a deaf function in
Syracuse, NY about 35 years ago.

— a sneak preview of a 2017 convention

Coming up real soon is the 2015 Deaf Seniors
of America convention at Asheville, NC. Want
to take a sneak preview of the 2017 event
at Houston, TX? Go to:

http://deafdigest.com/2017-deaf-seniors-convention/

— two deaf texts in three weeks

The Snohomish County (Washington) 911 Center is
able to get deaf 911 emergency texts. It was
set up three weeks ago, and so far, two deaf
texts. Either deaf people have had just two
emergencies – or – there were many emergencies
in the deaf community but the deaf people just
didn’t use 911 text service?

Latest deaf jobs:
http://deafdigest.com/category/jobs/ or click on “jobs”
new job announcements every day

past Mid-Week & morning editions:
http://deafdigest.com/category/mid-week-news/

7/26/15 Blue and Gold editions at:
http://deafdigest.com/newsletters/

2015/07/30morning

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition, July 30, 2015 morning

— name of person is Deaf

Could someone have Deaf as their name? That person
is from Maryland.

Do read below; it was posted in a local newspaper

DEAR AMY: About once a month, my wife and I get together with a
group of our friends for dinner. “Vivian” is a girlfriend of
“Fred,” and is a very nice person.

However, Vivian has a very high, loud and screechy voice.

I deliberately try to sit down the table from her, but sometimes
this is not possible. I know Fred is aware of how annoying her
voice is (his facial expression sometimes gives it away), but I
doubt he has said anything to her.

I would like to say something to Fred, but my wife told me to
hold off. She says it is rude. I simply do not want to attend
any other gatherings where Vivian is in attendance.

What do you advise?
Deaf in Maryland

DEAR DEAF: “Fred” is not in charge of his girlfriend’s voice.

Your choices are: To speak to “Vivian,” (i.e. “Would you mind
lowering your voice just a little bit?”), stay home, or get
over it. I vote for getting over it.

— deaf winner of Miss Teenage Toronto pageant

Neha-Samantha Banerjea, a 14-year old deaf girl, won the
Miss Teenage Greater Toronto Area pageant. She will
be competing at the Miss Teenage Canada this
weekend.

past Mid-Week & morning editions:
http://deafdigest.com/category/mid-week-news/

7/26/15 Blue and Gold editions at:
http://deafdigest.com/newsletters/

2015/07/29

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition, July 29, 2015

— a heavy equipment operator in Canada

Robert Nepinak, now a certified certified heavy equipment
operator, in Canada, had a hard time convincing construction
companies to hire him because of his deafness. They felt
deaf people cannot drive cars, let alone operate heavy
construction equipment. They would not believe him when
he told them of his experience with rock truck, skid steer,
dozer, packer and side boom. Even when he told them there
are 90 deaf semi truck drivers in Canada, they still
wouldn’t believe him. Years ago there was a deaf man
in Maryland operating heavy equipment. He had no problem
getting thisjob – only because his father owned the
construction company!

— fined for traffic violations caught on camera

Many cities use cameras to catch traffic violations,
and then to mail the summons to violators’ homes.
Where does the money go? In the case of Belfast,
Northern Ireland, it goes to the purchase of video
displays for the benefit of deaf passengers
on buses and trains.

— not allowed to break a record

This is a true story. During the seventies, Kitty O’Neil,
who was deaf, was a well known high speed driver on land
and water. She broke 22 high speed records. Yet there
was one speed record she was not allowed to break! She and
a male driver both shared the same car, called Motivator.
He paid $25,000 for a contract that only allowed him
to break the world’s overall record. Kitty, while allowed
to break the women’s record, also wanted to break the
world’s overall record. Because of the contract, she
was not allowed to do so. Arguing between his attorneys
and her attorneys went nowhere. It made Kitty very
bitter about the whole speed politics.