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Posts published in “Mid-Week”

DeafDigest – 19 November 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – November 19, 2021

— deaf TV services damaged

What can damage a Deaf TV Services? That the provider would
pull the plug and shut it down? No – it was a fire alarm
that shut down the entire system – something to with
messing up the gas suppression. Making it worse that
deaf TV audience was kept in the dark, not knowing
why everything was off the air for a long time.
It happened in Great Britain when the BBC and Channel 4
went down in September. It is still down and December
is coming up. Why no back up system? Just ask the
network engineers about it!

 

— forgetting Deaf Film history

Writer-director Sian Heder told Variety that his
story – CODA – is the first one to come up with
a simple story on a complicated deaf family
dynamics. DeafDigest would be asking the
writer is he sure he knows what he is talking
about! In 1985, the made-for-TV movie – Love is
Never Silent featuring Ed Waterstreet (deaf),
Phyllis Frelich (deaf) and Mare Winningham
(hearing) won praises everywhere. 

 

— a confusing newspaper comment

A newspaper ran this comment:
He has been deaf in one year since his birth

Did that newspaper try to mean that:
He has been deaf in one ear since his birth

Which is which?

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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11/14/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 18 November 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – November 18, 2021

— pop-up movie theaters

Pop-up movie theaters is nothing new. We
see pop-ups at big outdoor events in
smaller towns, as well as smaller
neighborhoods in larger cities. What is
new is that more pop-up operators are
seeing to that the films they show have
open captions. They do not want ADA
lawsuits thrown at them.

 

— always early

Are deaf people that always are early
for appointments whereas hearing people
arrive late? This was a funny comment
made by a hearing person that knows
the deaf community.

 

— winning a big Cintas award

Miriam Rodriguez Alvarez, who is deaf, is
employed at the Best Western Plus Villa Del
Lago Inn in Patterson, CA. She won a big
Cintas award for making sure the rooms
meet the standards for cleanliness
by Cintas Corporation. This award
includes money and trips to classes,
workshops and consultations by the
parent corporation.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
http://deafdigest.com/category/jobs/

11/14/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 17 November 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – November 17, 2021

— no more drive-in fast food orders for deaf

Many deaf drivers love to order food at KFC,
especially through the drive-ins. There are
always some hassles between deaf customers
and the fast food staff, many of whom never
met a deaf person in their lives. To speed up
the orders, KFC is experimenting with the
closing up of these drive-ins at certain
locations. This means all drivers, including
the deaf must use their KFC apps to order
their food and go inside for pick ups.
Good for the deaf, or bad for the deaf?
Time will tell!

 

– title cards for the deaf

In these early days, silent movies were shown,
and title cards were inserted between filmed
scenes. The deaf (and the hearing) loved
watching these silents during the 1920’s.
While silents were replaced by these talkie
films, there were no more title cards (and
therefore no captions for them). Emerson
Romero, who was deaf, came up with these
same title cards to caption these talkie
films. Seems no one gives Romero credit
for his hard work with a few films.
Eventually he gave up on this time
consuming efforts.

 

— no longer “the only deaf actor” any more

An insider in Hollywood said:

no longer “the only deaf actor” any more

This insider is correct, but it leads to
infighting and bitterness among deaf
actors rejected for roles that other
deaf actors won! Same as with these
hearing actors.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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11/14/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 16 November 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – November 15, 2021

— best welder in a shipyard

Tran Anderson was honored as the top welder at the
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. He is deaf; co-workers
have praised him for his welding skills, saying he
was able to weld into these difficult-to-reach angles.

 

— horror movies and some hearing viewers

A newspaper said that some hearing people
get too obsessed with deaf as prime characters
in these horror movies. While it gives roles
to deserving deaf actors, it may imply deaf
actors cannot “play” normal roles!

 

— deaf writer receives an offer in a different way

We have many deaf writers. Veronica Sukaczer
is one of them. Her writing skills won better
writing opportunities. One such opportunity
was made through the telephone; she would have
missed that opportunity if she didn’t ask for
assistance from a co-worker!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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11/14/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 15 November 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – November 15, 2021

— a high percentage of hearing people

A survey said that two thirds of hearing
people struggle to hear what is being
said on the theatrical stage and also said
captions is the way to go!

 

— confusing newspaper story about elected politicians

A confusing newspaper story said Scotland
has almost 20 deaf elected politicans
in that nation. That many?

Well, in another part of the story said
that Grant Ferguson is believed to be
the first deaf politician to give a
speech at a local government session.

Is it saying that elected deaf politicans
stay quiet during council sessions?

If true, it is a shame!

 

— not fully deaf but profoundly deaf

is there a difference between being
fully deaf and being profoundly deaf?

This was what one deaf actress said in
a newspaper interview. Fully deaf
may mean being stone deaf – which is rare!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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11/14/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 11 November 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – November 12, 2021

— deaf person working in secretive CIA operations

The late Rocky Stone, who founded Self Help for Hard of
Hearing People (SHH), said in his secret papers that
he served CIA with these secretive CIA operations
despite his hearing loss. Examples were missions in
Khartoum, Damascus, Katmandu, and Rome. Plus these
Soviet bloc divisions. DeafDigest editor once met up
with Rocky Stone and when his CIA background was
brought up, he quickly clammed up! Hard to say –
true story, as CIA requires a lifetime of total
secrecy. Or was it a fake story?

 

— deaf General Manager of a big chain outlet

Robert Dunn, who is deaf, is the General Manager
of a big chain – America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses,
His store is in St Augustine, Florida. Hope he
does well in his job because it could lead to more
hirings of deaf General Managers elewhere in USA.

 

— Good “old fashioned English”

A Coda described his sign language, as not ASL
but old fashioned English. Well, exactly what
is old fashioned English? Edward Miner Gallaudet,
who served Gallaudet as first president, was filmed
signing in old fashioned English. Was this exactly
the same sign language that the Coda grew up using
it? If it is true, then it is rare.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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11/07/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 11 November 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – November 11, 2021

— honoring a deaf Black man

Joshua Halsey, a deaf Black man, was killed in
1898 by a white mob in Wilmington, NC. They wanted
to overthrow the local government led by Blacks and
their white friends. Freemasons from the Grand Lodge
of South Carolina took care of his new grave site
across state lines. And then a formal funeral
took place 123 years later.

 

— most deaf-unfriendly tourist sites

many tourist sites are deaf-friendly. But
there are some other tourist sites that
are not deaf-friendly. One example are
caves; some are bright enough to clearly
see the interpreters. Some are so dark
that light is impossible and therefore
hard or difficult to see the interpreters
in action.

 

— many hearing people like TV captions

for reasons of their own, there are many
hearing people that enjoy TV captions,
saying it is not a distraction to them!
That means less and less family fights
over the living room TV set – turn on
captions or turn off sound (as revenge!)

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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11/07/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 10 November 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – November 10, 2021

— winning an election by few votes

Neil McDevitt, who is deaf and was a volunteer
firefighter, won the election for mayor of
North Wales Borough, a tiny town, just above
3,000 residents, located outside of Philadelphia.
He did not lead in the regular vote but write-ins
helped pull him ahead of his opponent. The latest
update is that McDevitt is still leading as the
write-in counts have not yet been completed.
Firefighting? He resigned after finding it
so time consuming.

 

— deaf-owned winery in Siena, Italy

Fattoria La Muraglia, owned by two deaf brothers,
Giovanni and Paolo Convito, is located in Siena.
The winery is harvested on a 74-acre farm, which
has a hotel that can house 8 tourists. This winery
produces one big batch and one small batch on
an annual basis.

 

— deaf truckers must tell the government they are deaf

There is a rule that drivers must tell the government
of their medical conditions before being allowed
to drive. The deaf do not have to tell the government
if they just drive cars, but with trucks they must
tell – or face a heavy fine. Not in any of these
50 states but in the United Kingdom.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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11/07/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 09 November 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – November 9, 2021

— a huge “Eternals” disappointment

There is a huge “Eternals” disappointment.
This movie won praises from the public –
but it comes with a disappointment. This
movie was not open captioned in movie
houses even though the leading actress is
Lauren Ridloff that uses ASL. Can’t
always win?

 

— comparing apples with oranges

Which tastes better – apples or oranges?
It is a matter of individual preferences.
Well, one deaf customer, trying to decide
which product is better, did something
interesting. She looked at TV commercials of
both products, and selected one that showed
better quality captions. Judging a book
by its’ cover? Well, many customers (deaf
and hearing) do that, even if it is not
the best way to decide one product over
another!

 

— new movie about deaf fighter

Matt Hamill is having a movie about his
life story as a top collegiate wrestler
and top level UFC fighter. For the RIT
wrestling team, he won three national
championships in three different weight
classes, an unusual feat. And as a bouncer
in a bar, he was recruited to become
a UFC fighter, a new sport for him.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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10/31/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 08 November 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – November 8, 2021

— interpreters for nothing

Evanston, Illinois has a problem. They would
hire interpreters upon request for civic meetings
and other city events. The big problem –
practically no one requests these interpreters!
In fact, so far this year, only three interpreters
were asked for ADA needs. Will Evanston
continue to make interpreters available? Yes.

 

— the MRI

John Mallard, who departed us not too long time
ago, has been credited for inventing body scanning
(MRI). Deafness? He has been deaf all his life!

 

— deaf in TV commercials

we are seeing more and more deaf actors that
appear in TV commercials. Does that mean
sponsors expect increased sales from the
deaf community because of these deaf
actors? This is the issue that bothers
DeafDigest editor – because if there
are issues with sales, then these
sponsors may go back to hearing actors!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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10/31/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 05 November 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – November 5, 2021

— many do not know about this FCC rule

FCC requires all TV captioned programs to be captioned
if shown over the internet. Captions must stay on;
cannot be removed! If we are talking about streaming?
Yes, must be captioned no matter if distributors,
providers and owners of such videos scream themselves
blue in their faces. This is the rule that many people,
not in the entertainment field, are aware of.

 

— ugly compromises

it is an old story that the living room only has
one TV set; the deaf watching it wants captions
turned on at all times; the hearing person wants captions
turned off at all times. Two suggested compromises,
both ugly – is that sound is turned off and captions
also turned off. Second compromise is that one of them
watch on the house 2nd TV set that is located in a bedroom.
Compromise is supposed to be win-win, but in these
TV cases, it is lose-lose and very ugly!

 

— these so many words

An interpreter said there are so many words that do not
have ASL signs. It is always a challenge for the
interpreter to quickly invent signs that deaf clients
never saw before! ASL-knowledgeable deaf clients will
catch on quickly; deaf that know ASL but may struggle
with it, may never catch these quickly invented signs!

 

 

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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10/31/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 04 November 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – November 4, 2021

— deaf in top sports management

We read of people that work in sports
management – baseball, basketball, football,
hockey and soccer. As far as DeafDigest editor
knows, we’ve had two deaf individuals. One is
Michael Fischer, a Gallaudet graduate who
works for Los Angeles Sparks in women’s pro
basketball as Vice President, Player Personnel. The
other one was Ben Wade who pitched in the majors
and then after he retired, became Director
of Scouting Operations for many years with
the Los Angeles Dodgers. Any others in the
future years? Fischer knows ASL. Wade does not.

 

— deaf people signing while sleeping

Do deaf people sign while they sleep? Many of
them do, according to their spouses or partners
or their children. Do neurologists help stop
signing? Why would they?

 

— dangers of written notes

Many deaf people use notes to communicate with the
hearing – and it may be a danger! Hearing people
may read such notes and reveal private and
confidential information! DeafDigest editor
recently had a hearing person grab his pocket
notebook. It was then grabbed back by a very angry
DeafDigest editor.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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10/31/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 03 November 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – November 3, 2021

— deaf people in a county says they are Dunch

Deaf people in Dorset, a county in southwest England,
all say they are Dunch. A joke or a dumb-sounding
word? No. It is a dialect that says they are deaf!
Residents of London do not use that dialect but
deaf residents of Dorset do.

 

— a reverse question

Deaf people hate it when hearing people pity
their deafness. A reverse question for the hearing
would be:

“would you want to hear?”

A silly question, but it is rude to pity deaf people’s
deafness to their face.

 

— deaf people that seek repeat election wins

there has always been a number of deaf people
that campaign for public vote in any capacity –
local, state, or even national. A few win but
most don’t. DeafDigest used to maintain a list
of elected public officials that are deaf –
and one thing sticks out – almost all of the
winners first time do not repeat their wins!
Why? Possiblity of brutality in bare-knuckles
political fights. Hearing candidates hate to
lose again, especially to deaf candidates.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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10/31/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 02 November 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – November 2, 2021

— Paranormal Investigator that is deaf

Explaining what paranormal means can get quite
complicated – but just one word can describe it
as accurately as possible – ghosts! In a
web posting a deaf person said he is a
Deaf Paranormal Investigator. Does he look
for Deaf Ghosts or Hearing Ghosts? Do not
know.

 

— #1 mission of a deaf social service agency

The director of a Deaf Social Service agency
was asked this question:

What is your biggest challenge

His response:
Making hearing businesses aware of Deaf Culture

 

— fear of fatique

do viewers get sick and tired of repeatedly
watching these Marvel re-runs? A critic
said:

It adds up to Marvel fatigue.

No one yet gets tired of watching these
Lauren Ridloff re-runs but one day
it may happen as the public shifts
their attention to a new and different
action videos!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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10/31/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 01 November 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – November 1, 2021

— these tired and exhausted interpreters

Many interpreters get tired and exhausted
from a long and hard day interpreting.
As a result, when they come home they
do not want to talk to anyone else!

 

— an incident with credit card processing machine

DeafDigest editor went to a store and purchased
something that he used his credit card. As a
frequent customer, the store clerks know him and
of his deafness. For some mysterious reason that
the panicked store clerks could not explain, the
minimum credit card was raised to $50.00. It was
too late – the purchase was accepted by the
machine despite falling below the minimum
credit card limit. It didn’t help that they
pulled the editor’s hand away from the machine.
One of the clerks wrote down on a piece of
paper – minimum purchase now $50.00. As a result,
not wanting future incidents, DeafDigest editor
stopped going to that store!

 

— sign language among deaf astronauts

The Zero Gravity Corporation, which is conducting
space flights by non-NASA astronauts, has made
study of sign language a priority while floating
around in zero gravity space.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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10/31/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 29 October 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 29, 2021

— golf course architect

Ben Stephens, who is deaf, is a golf course
architect. He just gave a presentation on
golf course design at a meeting of the
European Institute of Golf Course Architects
in Wales. It was in sign language. He probably
is not the first deaf golf course architect.
That honor goes to Charles Crowe who bought
the land, designed and built with his own
bulldozer a 280-acre land into a Skiqwaqui
Golf Course in North Carolina in the 2000’s.
Skiqwaqui, however, was a 9-hole course, not
a customary 18-hole course.

 

— photoshopping a hearing aid out of a picture

Should hearing aids be photoshpped out of a picture?
A student, with hearing aids, was photoshopped out
of it during a class photo session with a local
photographer. The parents are angry about it,
saying their son’s hearing aids are nothing to
be ashamed of!

 

— preferring subtitles over captions

Which is more preferable – captions
or subtitles. DeafDigest editor thinks
it does not matter to the deaf as long as
they are able to follow what is being said
on the screen. But it also seems that,
according to a survey, that hearing people
prefer subtitles!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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10/24/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 28 October 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 28, 2021

— almost same as ravioli

Many people love to eat ravioli. There
is a dish that is almost same, but not
quite so. It is Pierogi, and it is
a pasta dumplings with unique fillings.
A restaurant in Royal Oak, Michigan
serves up Pierogies. The owner is
deaf, and the restaurant is named
Gosia’s Pierogies.

 

— mocking the deaf, arrested and then charges dismissed

Two young women, riding a bus, mocked a deaf
passenger for her deafness. They were arrested
on hate crime. Yet, the court dismissed the
case as the prosecutor declined to file formal
charges. Why? Just ask the prosecutor, not in USA
but in Great Britain!

 

— McDonald’s plays games with frustrated deaf customer

A deaf woman drove up to McDonald’s in Marlin, Texas.
There was a sign that asks the deaf to just drive up
to the order window to place their orders instead of
using the voice kiosk. She did exactly that only to
be told to drive around to go to the order window
again and again and again. She has filed a complaint
with the management, which said they are “looking”
into the incident(s).

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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10/24/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 27 October 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 27, 2021

— eating alligators

Do deaf people like to eat alligators? DeafDigest
editor ate a serving of alligator and it was
delicious and he kept coming for more the
following day. The Deaf Alligator Roast has
become a new annual Deaf Event at a privately
owned campground in Florida, where alligators
are aplenty.

 

— Disabili-tea, as a new phrase

A deaf student attending hearing college
in one of these New England states,
has come up with a new phrase to
describe his deafness. it is
Disabili-tea. It stands for
inaccessibility, ableism and
continuous description of what
disability is all about. Will it
win over these hearing people?
Why did he pick a hearing college
instead of Gallaudet or RIT? He
simply felt he can do better mingling
with the hearing instead of with the
deaf!

 

— a weird interpreteing situation

As a kid, a Coda once interpreted for his deaf
father when a stranger rang the flashing
door button. He was soliciting donations
for Greenpeace. Flustered by the appearance
of the Coda who totally had no idea of
what was being discussed and the father
who got more confused, the Greenpeace
person showed them a can of green peas
hoping they would understand what he
was talking about. They didn’t understand
and the Greenpeace person left and moved
on to the next house. It was only until
later when they realized the stranger
tried to explain he was working for Greenpeace!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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10/24/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 26 October 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 26, 2021

— deaf mechanic’s unusual method

Yesterday’s DeafDigest mentioned a deaf
mechanic that solves engine problems that
hearing mechanics couldn’t. Here is
another one – a deaf mechanic that
worked with diesel engines. He was
high in demand by auto repair shops
in Midland, Texas and around West
Texas. He would use a broomstick
with the brush cut off. One end would
touch the vibrating engine; the other
end would touch his cheekbones! Tracking
down the problem, he would immediately get
the engine fixed.

 

— Prime Minister tries to push interpreter away

Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s Prime Minister was
giving a speech at a press conference, and in the
process, tried to push the interpreter out of
the way, but the interpreter resisted. This
Prime Minister then issued an apology but the
damage was done.

 

— ASL-speaking emergency alert devices

Do emergency alert devices use ASL? There is
a new such device that is being used in
Austin, Texas and Travis County. It is
called the Accessible Hazard Alert System.
Does it show captions for the benefit of
many, many deaf people that don’t use
ASL? It was not mentioned in their
press release.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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10/24/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 25 October 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 25, 2021

— Five greatest ASL movies

The Hollywood Insider has listed
five greatest ASL movies. These are:

Switched at Birth – (2011-2017)

Children of a Lesser God – (1986)

A Quiet Place – (2018)

Hush – (2016)

Sound of Metal – (2019)

Did the Insider overlook other great
ASL movies? Or that is it?

 

 

— the old deaf auto mechanic

A hearing driver had a problem with his
car that he couldn’t fix. He complained about
it with his friend. The friend recommended
an old deaf mechanic at a run-down garage
located on the other side of town. He tried
a nearby hearing mechanic who couldn’t fix
and gave up. He then went to the run-down
garage. The old deaf mechanic, who couldn’t
talk, had the car fixed. So, is it a choice
between hearing mechanic listening for motor
noises or a deaf mechanic that feels the
vibrations?

 

— AMC accused of an afterthought with captions

Did AMC add captions as an afterthought on
behalf of the deaf? The dictionary said
afterthought means an issue that is added
after an original decision (not to caption)
was made? DeafDigest worries that if captioned
movies are not shown during prime hours, then
attendance may be low. Deaf people have jobs
or chores or errands that may cause them to
miss early hours captions!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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10/24/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 22 October 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 22, 2021

— Lauren Ridloff’s secret

Deaf actress Lauren Ridloff is the star
of the Makkari role in the Eternals
program. Her secret? She never
auditiohed for that role! She
simply was asked to come and to join

 

— establishing an Army worldwide network

Francis Bourne, a quiet person, was well-known
in the Frederick, MD deaf community. What was
not so well known according to his obit
was that he helped “establish the U.S. Army
Intelligence and Security Command’s presence
around the globe” and additionally he
served as the only deaf civilian computer
programmer with that Army network.

 

— episode with no voice

Theo had an episode that was without
voice years back. Reason was to honor
a deaf actor that appeared in it.
Veteran actors talked about it and
they felt it was a great gesture to
honor deaf actors that play deaf roles.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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10/17/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 21 October 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 21, 2021

— Deaf Steve at the restaurant bar

Some years back, Steve and his group of
deaf friends entered a crowded restaurant.
Steve volunteered to sign up on the waiting
list as Deaf Steve on behalf of the deaf
group. They entered the bar area for some
beers while waiting to be called up for
the restaurant table. The clueless hostess
did not realize it was the deaf group,
under the name of Deaf Steve. Fortunately
a hard of hearing person caught the name
“Deaf Steve” that was shouted several times
and saved the night for the deaf group.

 

— hotel chain says no to deaf

A group of deaf travelers wanted to stay at
Sleep Inn but were turned away. No reason
was given. Looking back years ago deaf
people were banned from checking in by
several hotel chains. Reason? A deaf
softball team won the national championship
and out of joy, they wrecked several hotel
rooms. Word got around nationally leading
to the ban. It was lifted after some time.

 

— a new phrase for deaf actors playing small roles

Many deaf actors play one-scene minor roles.
There is a new name for these such deaf actors.
It is sideline role. Is that new name a fact
or an insult to our outstanding deaf actors
that Hollywood won’t cast?

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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DeafDigest – 20 October 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 20, 2021

— no exhibit on deaf

DeafDigest editor, on vacation, toured the
Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.
There were many special exhibits. One
example is Women in Baseball. An exhibit
on the deaf – zero. We have Dummy Hoy,
Dummy Taylor, Dick Sipek, Curtis
Pride, etc, but nothing on them.
Only reference to the deaf was a
Dummy Taylor baseball card which is
hard to find. Deaf players made huge
contributions but the Hall ignores them.

 

— deaf in important medical job

Zach Featherstone, who is deaf, is a
pediatrician at the University of Nevada
Las Vegas School of Medicine. A
pediatrician does not always take care
of babies and younger children;
that person also takes care of
teenagers up to age 18, which
could be difficult years for them
growing up!

 

— special needs wording is a joke

An activist said:

We Should Stop Labelling Persons With Special Needs

He is correct. Deaf people are human with
hearing issues. Hearing people also have
their own issues!

 

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DeafDigest – 19 October 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 19, 2021

— last name is Deaf

There was a big auto rally race in Spain.
The last name of one of the competitors
was Deaf. His first name was just
abbreviated as C. Interestingly
enough, one other competitor was
Dani Sordo. The last name Sordo –
means deaf in Spanish. Did the
writer get both names mixed up?

 

— lying and forgery

Kenny Cheong Chyuan Lih, a police officer,
was accused of forging accident statements
from families of victims. One such victim
was a deaf driver who was hit by another
vehicle and died in hospital. His sister,
who was deaf, was mentioned in the accident
report. This deaf woman never said anything
and said she was never interviewed by
the police officer. For these reasons
the police officer was suspended. It
took place in Singapore.

 

— the Corn Maze

There is a Corn Maze in Allenport,
Pennsylvania. It is owned by Tim
Jackson, and it is 8-acres, part of the
100-acre farm plot. Tim is deaf, but
does not use ASL. On first day
130 people showed up; 80 people
showed up on second day, which
was competing with the Steelers
that played that day!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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10/17/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 18 October 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 18, 2021

— strange wording from AMC Theatres

AMC Theatres made this strange announcement:

they would permanently offer some Open Captions
each week.

Why not just permanently offer all open captions
instead of some?

 

— catfish and the deaf

Do we have deaf catfish farmers? There is one –
Emmanuel Isado, who owns and operates his own
Catfish Farms and Enterprises. According to
the Ministry of Agriculture, he is to be
praised for growing this such a farm.

 

— a former terp that became a Hollywood regular

Camryn Manheim is a former interpreter that
has become a success in Hollywood. She has
agreed that deaf roles should never be played
by hearing actors!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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10/17/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 15 October 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 15, 2021

— a personal theft

What is Sudden Deafness? It is going to bed
as a hearing person, and waking up as deaf
person. Or chatting on the telephone as a
hearing person and hanging up, thinking
phone went dead. And so on. A victim of
Sudden Deafness said it is personal theft.

 

— traveling while deaf compared to traveling while hearing

Is there a difference between traveling while deaf as
compared to traveling while hearing? A world traveler
is trying to find out while “posing” as a deaf
traveler. Interesting!

— the deaf and the self-defense

People need to defend themselves against
violent attackers. It is unfortuate.
A group – eDeaf is now teaching self
defense with the deaf.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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10/10/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 14 October 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 14, 2021

— the clean-up

A deaf person, part of a clean-up crew in his
home town after a hurricane, felt it was an
opportunity for him to find employment
once the cleaning up is done. He may find
employment if employers notice him outperforming
hearing people in the clean up crew.

 

— a surprise cousin

Helen Keller had a future cousin, a surprise,
that is deaf. It is Millicent Simmonds, the
actress with the “A Quiet Place” film, is
a distant cousin of Keller, though few
generations apart. And to make things more
interesting, she is playing a deaf-blind
role in the upcoming film – Helen & Teacher.
Should the casting director have cast a
deaf-blind address instead of a fully-sighted
deaf actress? 

 

— the NIH priority

The National Institutes of Health has a new
priority with the deaf – to make sure
cancer health is taught in the Deaf
Community.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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10/10/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 13 October 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 13, 2021

— a big mistake for deaf student wanting to learn ASL

A deaf student was faced with a choice – to attend
George Washington University (GWU), in DC or to attend
Gallaudet. She chose GWU, thinking she could pick up
ASL by taking ASL classes and by visiting Gallaudet,
hoping to hang out with students, and picking up
ASL here and there. She immediately regretted her choice.
Why stay at GWU? She said their’ political science program
was the best in the nation, and it was her goal to
get involved with politics after graduation. But
is GWU political science classes that really better
than Gallaudet? DeafDigest editor thinks it is not
always that so.

 

— Superintendent resigns at Atlanta Area School for the Deaf

It was politics that gave Lisa Buckner her job as superintendent
of Atlanta Area School for the Deaf, despite her lack of
knowledge about the deaf and of deafness. Uproar forced
her to resign. The State Schools Director said it was
her choice, not his choice to get out of the job. He
also said students, staff, and community members would
“again” be allowed input on the next deaf superintendent.
What bothers DeafDigest editor is one word – “again”
Would have been OK if it is again, but not “again”

 

 

— missing out on subtitles

Captions are shown on American films; subtitles
are shown on non-English speaking films. This
being said, a student, that studies different
cultures, explained that subtitles do not
catch everything such as different numbering
systems and different meanings from one
word or one phrase. And also subtitles may
not be able to catch up with long conversational
sentences. And so on. It does not mean
subtitles are better than captions; just
means there are pros and cons! Also involved
are personal preferences.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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10/10/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 12 October 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 12, 2021

— anti-CART professor

A nightmare for some deaf students that attend
hearing colleges are professors that hate
CART, and would not allow it in their classrooms.
Making things humiliating is that one anti-CART
professor gave the deaf student an A grade
on one condition – that he skip classes for
the remainder of the semester! This very same
professor was so rude to the CART operator
that she quit after just one class. Is there
an option? Yes – just go to Gallaudet or
NTID/RIT!

 

— acting career instead of police career

For a deaf person, which is preferable, an
acting career or a police career? Marlee
Matlin, as a young woman, enrolled at Harper
College, taking classes in Law Enforcement
and Justice Administration, aiming for
a career as a police officer. Yes, she got
sidetracked but rest is history!

 

— asking a question of a body language expert

There are many, many hearing people, both pros
and amateurs, that study body language. The
question would be:

is there such a thing as Deaf Body Language?

DeafDigest editor says yes; can tell if the
person is hearing or deaf by watching the
body language – but would the hearing
person know?

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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10/10/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 11 October 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 11, 2021

— cruel act by some council members

In a small Wisconsin town, the members of the
council did not like one hard of hearing person.
He was giving the council a hard time on many
issues, some big, some small. On some of the
issues, the council members would slightly
move the microphone away from them, preventing
the hard of hearing person from catching, with
his hearing aid, what was being said. This
went away when he filed a lawsuit, that reached
settlement.

 

— 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and fifth times

A deaf person used the voice relay to order some
food from a carry out place. The owner hung up
five times. Fed up, the deaf person went to the
carry out place and confronted the manager. He
thought it was a scam. This deaf person is taking
her business elsewhere, even though the manager
apologized repeatedly!

 

— valued deaf employee in a dangerous business

David Pirl is deaf, and uses CI to communicate
with hearing employees and also reads lips and
knows ASL. For that reason, the family-owned
business employees can use signs to communicate
with him. That dangerous business is the
Blue Ridge Tree Service (PA), owned by David’s
brother. The tree cutters must avoid power
lines and moving these fallen trees away
from the highways, etc. It also helps
that David is a master mechanic, always
fixing up machinery and power equipment
that needs repairs. Yes, he also works on trees.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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10/10/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 07 October 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 8, 2021

— the deaf and the Holiday season

Many deaf people hate the Holiday Season
even though it is supposed to be happy
moments and fun to take part in. It is
that when hearing family members celebrate,
the deaf are left out. This is what the
Harris Poll surveyed, saying nearly 45
percent of the deaf hate such seasons.

 

— Mad scientist Kirk Langstrom

Kirk Langstrom, a comic book scientist,
and also as a villain, wanted to develop
a serum to help fix his sister’s deafness.
Like with these other Frankensteins, he
has become a bat/human (Man-Bat), on
path to destroying himself. Want to read
that comic book? Well, it appeared in
these early seventies comics before
being written off.

 

— a turbocharger rebuilding company

the Turbocharger helps heavy duty
vehicles travel long distances and
at high speeds – with no damage.
Somewher in Quebec is a deaf-owned
turbocharger rebuilding company.
Yes, it involved plenty of tests
to make sure all goes well by
these deaf technicians.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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10/03/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 07 October 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 7, 2021

— elite law firms are accused

There was a story of elite law firms that do not
hire deaf attorneys. Yes, a few do, but most don’t.
For that reason, Facebook, HP, and Novartis
and other huge corporations are telling these
law firms to go into diversity or they will
take their legal business elsewhere! Will
these such law firms become diversity-compliant?

 

— something not required during implants

there is one thing that is not required during
CI implants. It is that brain surgery is not
involved. If this is the reason why deaf people
are scared about brain surgeries, they should
relax about it.

 

— space landings and the deaf

USA is working with few other nations on a
joint space landings. One big concern
is that either Russia and/or China may
target these satellites for destruction.
If this happens, communications may be
disrupted – leaving the deaf without
means of electronic communications.

Wording is this:
any escalation of hostilities, leaving countries
“deaf, dumb and blind”.

DeafDigest is not sure if this is a fact or
a bad joke because the choice of the words
“deaf, dumb and blind” may show it as a joke?

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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10/03/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 06 October 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 6, 2021

— Miss America Pageant forced to change

Activists demanded that the Miss America pageant
rules be changed to accommodate diversity among
its contestants. Heather Whitestone, who was
deaf, won the pageant in 1995 while it followed
tradition for years. The tradition meant she was
not “allowed” to use ASL while competing. But
in a private interview with DeafDigest editor,
she was openly using ASL. Her chaperone entered
the room during the intereview and frowned on
her use of ASL. At any rate she won before
diversity changes were made!

 

— deaf musicians not on the list

A magazine listed 200 Most Influential Musicians
of the Last 25 Years. Our most influential deaf
musician right now is Evelyn Glennie. She is not
on the list! Flawed criteria for selecting these
musicians? Yes.

 

— deaf person with special skills

Jie-Jhou Li, who is deaf, owns his wood carving
business. This business is into fourth generation
with his family, and the owner is teaching
skills to his son, to continue into a fifth
generation. DeafDigest editor knows of a
deaf wood carver (part time hobby) that
was commisioned to carve into wood the
town emblem.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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10/03/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 05 October 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 5, 2021

— perfectly-acted deaf roles by hearing actors

A movie critic said some movies feature “perfectly-acted
deaf roles” by hearing actors.

Really?

Hearing actors that struggle with ASL and then forget
ASL when they move to next movie roles, are such examples.
The deaf in in the audience would immediately know
they are fakes. Hearing people would not know and “praise”
them for being authentic!

 

— The Fair Housing Center for Metropolitan Detroit is angry

The Fair Housing Center for Metropolitan Detroit is angry
and has filed discrimination lawsuits against many, many
area senior living homes. Testers were hired by the agency
to act as a family members of the deaf in search of
senior living residences – asking if interpreters
would be available for the deaf upon request. These
residential operators said no, thus opening the door
for lawsuits against them.

 

— an answer for hearing people that doubt the deaf

A deaf professional has this answer for hearing
people that doubt their high level skills because
of their deafness.

This answer is:

talk directly to me; the interpreter does not
talk for me, but to tell you what I am saying
to you and to tell me what you are saying
to me.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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10/03/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 04 October 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 4, 2021

— an episode Seinfield could fix

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld was suggested to have
some of his old sitcoms fixed, if he travels
back in reverse Time Machine. Could he fix
the old “Lip Reader” sitcom which featured
Marlee Matlin as the expert lip reader?
Could Seinfeld have learned some signs
to communicate with Matlin, never mind that
his ASL knowledge is Total Zero?

 

— hiring the deaf and then hiring the hearing

A employer hired the deaf for a top level position.
This hire worked out very well, but that deaf
person wanted to move on and left for another
top level position. What did the employer
do? Instead of finding another deaf person,
the employer simply hired the hearing!

Why!

 

— deaf artist with an unusual skill

Lim Anuar, who is deaf, is an artist,
specializing in Batik art. What is it?
Working with clothes, he applies artwork
that is dyed and waxed to keep the work
clean. Art is not always painting or
drawing or taking pictures but something
else!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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10/03/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 01 October 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 1, 2021

— Deaf Sand Bottle valued almost one million dollars

The American Furniture, Folk & Decorative Arts
auction featured a sand bottle featured by
Andrew Clemens, who was deaf. A private collector
paid $956,000 to win the auction.

 

— hearing loss professor mocks hearing loss student

Do deaf hate the deaf? Well, there was a tale at
George Washington University (DC) of a professor,
himself with a hearing loss, mocking his student
that has a hearing loss. The professor held
his microphone and a receiver above his head
in front of class, and said:

I’ve been informed that there is someone in this class
with a hearing impairment that is larger than mine

The student felt very humiliated by this
incident.

 

— In appreciation

An article in the Forbes Magazine was headlined:

Let’s Stop Fixing Disabilities And Start Appreciating Differences

the writer is correct!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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09/26/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 30 September 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 30, 2021

— watchdogs and the deaf

Just about everyday we read of new ADA-related lawsuits
filed by deaf litigants. One word caught the attention
of DeafDigest editor – watchdogs. Do these watchdogs
catch these ADA violations? Or does EEOC itself function
as a watchdog on behalf of the deaf? DeafDigest editor
does not know how this works.

 

— fired for discovering that $200 million was missing

In California, state auditor Alice Stebbins, not
deaf and a career auditor and budget analyst, lost
her job. She discovered that $200 million were
missing. That money was for state’s Public Utility
Commission, earmarked for deaf, blind and poor residents.
She would have kept her job if she kept her mouth shut!

Shame on California.

 

— shouting no ears, or shouting me deaf

A deaf man, stopped by police, shouted “no
ears” in an effort to tell them he was deaf.
“No ears” may mean he lacks real ears and the
cops may think it is that way. Would it have helped
if he shouted “me deaf” several times until the
cops realize his actual deafness?

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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09/26/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 29 September 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 29, 2021

— a nightmare at a residence for low-income disabled tenants

A residential building in New York City for
low-income disabled tenants is a nightmare.
Elevators break down too often. Emergency
buttons do not work, and deaf tenants cannot
scream for help. A resident said:

it is a deaf building and everyone is deaf;
no one hears these screams and ask for
assistance

 

— 62 complaints

Ofcom is a British agency, just about doing the
same thing as our own FCC. It got 62 complaints, but
nothing to do with communication issues – just about
the way the script was written up for the “Coronation
Street” – a popular soap opera. The script revolved
around a mother of a deaf child, being pushed into
a CI for that child. The mother refuses and is forced
to hide herself for that reason. These complaints
all bark up the wrong tree; these complaints should
go to the script-writing staff.

 

— an unethical doctor

A doctor has been friends with one person, who fell
down the steps in an accident. They agreed on a
prank – to convince the wife that her husband
became deaf because of that fall. The wife
believed it and for years she communicated with
him through notes and gestures. She eventually
found out the husband was faking his deafness!
For that reason, she filed for divorce. The doctor
admitted that it was all a medical prank that they
never shared with the wife for years!

Unethical doctor? Yes!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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09/26/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 28 September 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 28, 2021

— employer promises deaf employees better quality jobs

Employers say they hire the deaf but basically it is
dead-end, no-opportunity, low pay jobs. One employer is
different; a tire factory said they will continue
to improve the quality of the jobs offered to the
deaf and the disabled. This is the first
DeafDigest editor has read about it! And it is
great.

 

— Could a deaf person dance to the music?

Of course, it is a silly question because deaf people
love to dance.

Yet, there was a question from a dance instructor:
How can I do this for those with hearing impairments?

We’ve had professional dancers that were deaf. One of
them was Sam Edwards who gave a TV performance of his
dancing skills during the seventies.

 

— brutal police officer “punished”

There was a story today that a brutal police
officer was “punished” by breaking his own
leg while beating up a deaf man during a routine
arrest. And that he claimed the defenseless
deaf man “broke” his leg! He is facing a
lawsuit over this violent incident.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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09/26/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 27 September 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 27, 2021

— never to do with a deaf person

A newspaper article listed eight different
things never to do with a deaf person.
Two examples are – never talk directly to
the interpreter and never show pity. The
question is – even if hearing people attend
workshops on how to deal with the deaf,
will they remember? DeafDigest editor is
not sure as bad habits are hard to break!

 

— impossible job or possible job

Dave McOmie, who is hard of hearing, but
would not describe the extent of his
hearing loss (really deaf or really
hard of hearing) is a professional
safe cracker. He is considered to be
the best and he travels everywhere to
open “impossible to open” vaults and
safes! Does he listen for clicks?
He wouldn’t say – trade secrets!

 

— hearing person with no pity learns a lesson

A powerful businessman, who was rude
to the deaf and disabled, has learned a
lesson. His newly born son was found to
be deaf. He went to a supermarket to
some shopping and needed to go to the
bathroom. The cashier, who was
deaf, could not understand him and
asked another employee to help her out.
He admitted it was a painful lesson
for him.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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09/26/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 24 September 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 24, 2021

— a crypto sets up sign language video

CoinDCX, a cryptocurrency exchange, is setting
up s sign language video to teach deaf investors
how to use the cryptocurrency system. It is
located on blockchain. Just a warning – learning
cryptocurrency is not a get-rich quick plan, not
just for the deaf but also for the hearing.

 

— subtitling helps with rising popularity of movies

In Malaysia, a newspaper story said that subtitling
has helped boost the popularity of movies. This
is a pleasant surprise since many hearing people
hate subtitles as well as with captions!

 

— Year 1805: a book on a tale of Martha’s Vineyard deaf

Ann Clare LeZotte, who is deaf and is a new author,
has written a book – Show Me a Sign, which is about
the deaf in the Year 1805 in Martha’s Vineyard.
DeafDigest editor has not read the book so cannot
comment about the story.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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09/19/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 23 September 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 23, 2021

— 3 hotels caught in a Florida county

Inspectors in Indian River county in Florida
inspected all hotels and caught three hotels
in violation of regulations.

One hotel had no flashing smoke detectors for
deaf guests.

Two hotels had front desk clerks not knowing
where the flashing smoke detectors were located!

Shame on these three hotels.

 

— SpaceX’s future plans

SpaceX, owned and operated by the controversial
Elon Musk, said that he wants deaf passengers to
ride on SpaceX. All passengers, including
the deaf, would ride in space for three days,
before returning to earth. It costs money, plenty
of it, to reserve a seat on the flight. Do we
have any billionaires (not millionaires) that
are deaf?

 

— beef cattle

Jamie Mickelson is a rancher; she owns and
operates her own beef cattle ranch – Sonoma Mountain
Beef Company. She is deaf, but does not use
ASL. She admitted that operating her own ranch
has been a challenge because of Covid-19 and the
mask coverings.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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09/19/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 22 September 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 22, 2021

— appropriate or not appropriate sign language

On a sign language website, it says:
Deaf People Graciously Demo Sign Language for Swear Words and Insults

Is that appropriate or not appropriate?

You decide!

 

— contact lens for the deaf

Contact lens for the deaf to fix their vision
issues? Yes, but there is a diffferent type
of contact lens. It is for the ear of a
deaf person! Something to do with relaying
outside sound into the deaf ear. The
Ear, Nose, and Throat physician is saying
it does a better job than the hearing aid!

 

— a over dozen police cars arrive at scene of deaf incident

A deaf employee and hearing employees could not
understand each other at a work place. It resulted
in over 12 police cars arriving at the scene!
Police was carrying long guns and wearing tactical
gear. Once communications was clarified, the police
said that it was a miscommunication issue and that
there was never a threat to anyone, especially the
public. Embarrassing? Very much so.

 

09/19/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
http://deafdigest.com/newsletters/

Deaf jobs – latest update
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DeafDigest – 20 September 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 21, 2021

— good captions and bad captions

Are all captions made equal? No, according
to a captioner. There are good captions
and bad captions. We enjoy good captions
and are stuck with bad captions.

 

— deaf better off working at home instead of office

A job counselor said deaf employees are better off
working at home instead of at the office. At home
there are no hearing people around to look over
the deaf whereas at office hearing people can
create issues and problems for the deaf!

 

— chair of task force

James “Chris” Noschese, who is deaf, was selected
as chair of the City of Pittsburgh /Allegheny County
Task Forces under Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto and
Allegheny County Chief Executive Richard Fitzgerald.
According to the website, this task force is
responsible for advising City of Pittsburgh /Allegheny
County on the needs of the deaf and the disabled.
Will these government officials listen? Hope so,
as there are politics as these might be!

 

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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09/19/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 20 September 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 20, 2021

— fans crying over a departed actress

Deaf actress, playing a deaf role on a TV
sitcom, left the cast for good (her choice).
As a result the hearing TV audience was
crying because the deaf actress was their
favorite actress. It is the British sitcom
Casualty, and leaving the program for good
is Gabriella Leon. No reason was given why
she left, as it was a steady acting role
for her!

 

— embarrassing incident at a council meeting

A councilman, who was deaf but functioned as a
hearing person, was wearing a hearing aid
during the council meeting. It whistled, but the
deaf person didn’t know about it. It interrupted
the meeting and the chairperson discovered it
was the hearing aid. A choice was given – to
continue the meeting without the hearing aid
or to leave the meeting and go home. For
reasons of his own, the deaf councilman stayed
throughout the meeting without his hearing aid.
How was he able to follow the meeting proceedings?
Do not know.

 

— movies about the deaf

Are movies about the deaf for the deaf
people to watch and to enjoy? No, according
to a movie critic – it is for the enjoyment
of hearing people. Same goes for theatrical
plays about the deaf but is for the hearing.

 

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09/19/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 17 September 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 17, 2021

— opportunity to grow

Are the deaf employees given opportunities to grow
(and get promoted and given better responsibilities)?

No, said the activist.

 

— advising late-deafened senior citizens to learn ASL

An advisor advised late-deafened senior
citizens – learn ASL. Good idea or bad idea?
ASL, especially at lightning speed, is difficult
to learn. Some deaf people pick it up fast; some
don’t!

 

— a luxury-style web publication

Luxury Print Publishing is a web-based publication
of “Deluxe Version Magazine” which is all about
high fashion, high style luxury living with
fancy clothing, fancy homes, jewelry, etc.
The publisher is Timothy Hancock; he was born
deaf; does not use sign language.

 

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DeafDigest – 16 September 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 16, 2021

— a talent agency for deaf performers

The Zebedee Management is a talent agency for
actors, models, and influencers with disabilities,
the deaf, included. Where in USA is it located?
Not in USA; it is in Great Britain.

 

— Dunkin’ says no to a deaf customer

Dunkin’ counter person refused to take off
her mask to allow the deaf customer to read
lips. Angry, the deaf woman confronted the
Dunkin’ manager, who also refused to communicate
via notes. This Dunkin’ is located in California.
We will wait and see what the Dunkin’ headquarters
management has to say.

 

 

— ADA yes from some judges; ADA no from other judges

Are stand-alone websites subject to ADA rules?
Yes, says some judges; no says other judges.
This is why ADA has created a huge industry of
disability law. Not an easy job if ADA
regulations often add up to 1,000 pages!

 

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DeafDigest – 15 September 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 15, 2021

— the Stink and the new TV sign language ad

It was mentioned in DeafDigest over the past weekend
that Giffgaff, a British mobile network, produced a new
TV ad shown in British Sign Language. Helping produce
the new ad was the Stink Studios. Why the Stink? Just the
name of that ad agency; DeafDigest is afraid people may
misunderstand what they are reading about and think
deaf people stink. No way! Deaf people are great; they
do not stink.

 

— the word of mouth

An activist said that businesses normally do not
post accessibility information on their web sites.
This means deaf users must look for captions and/or
sign language on hearing web sites without being told
where to locate! This activist also said word of
mouth is effective.

 

— the European Union snubs the deaf

the the European Union is a group of many
European nations that deals wit political
and economic issues. The Brexit is one
example that the Union had to deal with the
British government. Anyway interpreters for
the deaf was not provided by the European
Union during its recent European Parliament
gathering. It only means one thing – the
deaf people are not important to the
European Union. So very disappointing!

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DeafDigest – 14 September 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 14, 2021

— the Deaf Guild

A guild means an association of people for mutual
aid or the pursuit of a common goal. This being
said – it was announced that there is a Deaf Guild
and it is titled:

the Guild Masters of Undaunted

This group describes itself as raiders. Not exactly
what is supposed to mean – because their press
release, coming out of Texas, is lengthy and not
that easy to figure out.

 

— Silent Opera for the deaf

Is there such a thing as Silent Opera for the deaf?
Theatre director Robert Wilson, himself, not deaf,
has produced “Silent Opera” and feels the deaf
in the audience will like the performance because
it is non-verbal. Will the audience (both deaf and
hearing) like it? Hard to say because the performance
lasts seven hours!

 

— The deaf parents and the CI

A blog headine said:

It is NOT evil for deaf parents for not wanting to have
deaf kids to get cochlear implants.

Decisions affecting deaf (and hearing) children are
always parental rights.

 

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DeafDigest – 13 September 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 13, 2021

— one of the world’s best views from a roof

It was mentioned in a recent story that
hotel guests can go up to the rooftop to
look at one of the world’s best views. It
said that viewing Spanish Steps from the
roof of Rome’s Hotel Hassler is awesome.
The owner of Hotel Hassler is Roberto
Wirth and he is deaf.

 

— only leftover from past governor Cuomo’s regime

New York governor Kathy Hochul has replaced all of
past governor Andrew Cuomo’s people with one
exception. That is deaf TV interpreter
Arkady Belozovsky. The newspaper article
mentioned his deafness – but with one
interesting thing – that his first name –
Arkady – was never mentioned! It is strange.

 

— deaf graduates of Risk Management and Insurance

Gallaudet offers a major in Risk Management and Insurance
to train students for jobs in the insurance industry.
Bottom line is – are any deaf high level supervisors
in these insurance jobs – that hearing insurance
employees report to? As of date, DeafDigest does
not know of any such deaf supervisors that came
from Gallaudet. Qualified deaf employees deserve
promotions and opportunities.

 

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DeafDigest – 10 September 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 10, 2021

— doctor upset about her child’s deafness

A doctor gave birth. A year later she realized
that her child is deaf. She was very upset
about it – not about the child’s deafness,
but that as a doctor she said she could have
caught it immediately after birth instead of
one year. DeafDigest editor knows the doctor
but refrained from asking her – did the baby
go through a hearing screening exam?

 

— finally using an interpreter

a deaf student in a college finally began to use an
interpreter in her classes. Previously she was watching
captions on Zoom. She stopped using Zoom, exhausted from
watching it all day. This is called Zoom Fatigue and
she had enough of it!

 

— best noodle soup in town

Bisu Laksa is a food court stall at a
food court. Owning the Bisu Laksa
stall and preparing noodle soup, for
hungry hearing patrons, is chef Choo
Heng Fook. She is deaf and her soup
is considered the best. It is in George
Town, on the Malaysian island of Penang.
Her family started the stall in 1957 and
it has been handed down to the younger
family members. it is her goal to have it
continued for many more years.

 

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09/05/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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POSITION OPENINGS

* DEAFWIRE news writer (international)  
* REGIONAL REPORTER – in one of 6 world regions, right now seeking for
Oceania.
* NEWS WRITER – DeafDots (Canada)
* COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR (Canada)

Positions above are both paid and volunteer positions.
We also consider work experience and student opportunities.
Paid opportunities are independent contract work done remotely.
Signed vlog – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLwyiChDet0
[www.youtube.com]

View Opportunities list and to submit online application
– https://h3world.tv/opportunities/ [h3world.tv]

DeafDigest – 09 September 2021

 

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 9, 2021

— Deaflympics for the Blind

Deaflympics for the Blind! A joke? A posting
on an Asian web site said that it started
in 1924 in Paris and it was called the
International Silent Games, with participating
deaf athletes from nine European nations,
and it was chaired by a deaf man from
Paris. Yet it was described as an event
for blind athletes. It is disturbing to read
that facts can get all twisted around by
reporters that know nothing about  what they were
writing about!

 

— Deaf consultants and hearing script writers

Do hearing script writers listen to advice
from deaf consultants? A deaf movie critic
gave just one word:

no!

 

— last to know

A deaf person, remembering the 9/11, said he was the last
to know about it. No one told him about it. TV news was
not captioned. Watching that news program he thought it
was the plane, in 1945, crashing into the Empire State
Building, unable to see through the fog. And so on!

 

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DeafDigest – 08 September 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 8, 2021

— plastic shields not easy for the deaf

It was assumed plastic shields make life easier
for the deaf that struggle with hearing masks.
Not always that so, according to a hearing aid
consultant. Plus it does not help if these
shields are foggy, due to breathing by hearing
people!

 

— first wake-up device for the deaf

Who invented the first wake-up device for
the deaf? A newspaper story said that a
deaf man from Ohio came up with that
device in 1948. True? DeafDigest editor
is not so sure; there were many old
fashioned devices being used to wake
up the deaf years way before 1948.

 

— deaf cannot “guard” the door

Some secret societies allow the deaf to
become members, but they are not assigned,
for obvious reasons, to guard the
entrance door to the society headquarters.
Reason for guarding is to prevent nosey
non-members from listening to what is
being said through the walls.

 

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DeafDigest – 07 September 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 7, 2021

— hearing aid specialist says most deaf are lipreaders

Many of DeafDigest editor’s friends do not lipread
that well. A hearing aid specialist told a
newspaper reporter that most deaf are lipreaders.
Actually if lips are easy to read, it is great;
if lips cannot be read then deaf people do get
by through different ways.

 

— intelligent deaf person sent to school for mentally disabled

An intelligent deaf person, himself a Gallaudet
graduate was sent, years before PL 94-23 came
into being, was sent to a program for mentally
disabled students! Fortunately the school
district discovered the error of their ways
and had him transferred to a regular school
program for the deaf. Shocking? Yes!

 

— sign language kiosks

Railroad stations are coming up with new kiosks
for the benefit of the deaf that use sign
languages. These are avatars, not real live
human beings. Will this work? Yes and no.
There are deaf travelers may use sign language
that is not in the avatar programming. Plus
not every deaf person knows sign language.

 

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DeafDigest – 06 September 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 6, 2021

— assistant golf professional at a DC metro area golf course

Langston Frazier, who is deaf, is now the assistant golf
professional at the University of Maryland Golf Course.
To pass exams and to get certified, he had to attend
classes at PGA Golf Management University Program at the
University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Not sure if
he knows ASL, but there have been deaf golfers at the
University of Maryland Golf Course.

 

— punishing a mocking teenager

A teenager mocked deafness of a deaf person.
That deaf person reported it to the parents
of the mocking teenager. Punishment? The
parents just bought a new car for that
mocking teenager and had it returned to the
dealership!

 

— 30 is too many; judge was suspicious

A deaf man, with his attorney, filed lawsuits
against 30 gas stations, saying pump videos
lacked captions and therefore violating ADA
rules. The judge said 30 is too many and was
suspicious about it – did the deaf person
wanted captions at the pumps or was he looking
for money? Anyway judge threw out the lawsuit,
ordering both the deaf man and the attorney
to pay monetary damages.

 

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DeafDigest – 03 September 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 3, 2021

— Federal government says Supreme Court is wrong

The federal government told nation’s top court
that it is wrong regarding a deaf woman suffering
from emotional distress. The Fifth Circuit
disagreed, saying there is nothing in the law books
about emotional distress under federal disability bias
lawsuits. How often would a Supreme Court agree
with the federal government as there have been years
and years of past disagreements between the government
and the court?

— Stranger deaf man becoming buddies with Stranger hearing man

There was a story of Jerry Cooper who is deaf, becoming coffee
cafe friends with a hearing man, who knew no ASL in the past.
He has been learning ASL – for one reason, to chat with
Jerry on any topic, even politics! They also use gestures
and write notes.

 

— disagreement on best ways for police to deal with deaf

The Connecticut subcommittee of the Police Transparency and
Accountability Task Force wanted to find best ways for the
police to deal with the deaf during traffic stops. They
created a list of recommendations. Yet there were
disagreements among the subcommittee members! The vote
was for approval, yet disagreements have continued.

 

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DeafDigest – 02 September 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 2, 2021

— hearing aid taken away from a deaf prisoner

It may not be safe for the deaf in Belarus, which
is a dictatorship nation. He was accused of
insulting the government and asking for calls
of violence. He was given a 2-year prison
sentance and the officials seized his hearing
aid and refused to return it despite repeated
pleas.

 

— obit says deaf man was General Motors’ first deaf employee

There was an obit of a deaf man and it said he was the
first deaf employee at General Motors. This is a puzzling
comment – because in the past when automobile was the king,
many deaf people were employed at auto manufacturing
plants across the nation, including the Detroit area
and other rust belt areas.

 

— restaurant closed, but a new one opens

Deaf chef Darren Weiss has closed up his
popular restaurant Darren’s in Manhattan
Beach, CA after a 12-year run. He has turned
around and started a newer restaurant – Fox
and Farrow in the same locale. Closing
restaurants but opening up newer ones is what
well-known and popular chefs do and Darren
is no exception. If he is questioned about
his qualifications, he is a graduate of Culinary
Institute of America in New York.

 

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08/29/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 01 September 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 1, 2021

— old films thrown away by movie studios

Lon Chaney, a Coda, performed in great
silent films. His acting skills were the best
among these silent film actors. Where can
we find Chaney’s old films? Possibly some gone for
good, thanks to movie studio executives who
had no plans for future showings! Speaking
of Chaney, it is very possible that he learned
his acting skills (facial expressions, mime,
body language, etc) from his Coda parents
while growing up.

 

— a long way to make a voice 911 call

A deaf person, wanting to make a voice
911 call, traveled from his home
to his mother’s home. Both towns were
about 30-35 miles apart. DeafDigest
editor is puzzled – he could have
used the relay service to save him
traveling time and distance!

 

— minor and unimportant deaf role

Deaf actors struggle to get acting roles,
be it movies or TV sitcoms or theatrical
plays. And when they finally get a role,
it is so unimportant, so short, so small,
so minor that the audience immediately
forgets his appearance! A deaf actor,
appearing on a TV sitcom, warned
DeafDigest editor about it. That if
DeafDigest editor’s eyeblinked he would
miss the deaf actor’s cameo appearance.

 

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DeafDigest – 31 August 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 31, 2021

— deaf of hearing

When we hear this phrase – deaf of hearing,
it means deaf born to hearing parents. But
there is a twist – a deaf person, implanted
with a CI now call himself deaf of hearing!
Bottom line – can he pick up voice calls on
his iPhone? If not, then he is deaf despite
his CI!

 

— cannot add deafness to a discrimination lawsuit

A deaf person, deaf all his life, filed a job discrimination
lawsuit (about something on the job). He tried to amend his
lawsuit to include his lifelong deafness. The Iowa 
Supreme Court said no, but admitted the law itself
is vague, murky and confusing.

 

— funny or not funny

There is a mysterious siren that is coming out
from somewhere, but no one could locate it (to
turn it off). Some have suspected it is coming
from a school for the deaf! No, the deaf school
did not send out that siren, by the way. It
is happening in Great Britain.

 

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DeafDigest – 30 August 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 30, 2021

— bad hearing assumptions

there are always some hearing people that think deaf people
are mentally disabled and also have a learning disability.
Why? We do have deaf people that have won Nobel prizes!

 

— copycat movie

Is CODA a copycat movie? There was a movie about the
Belier Family. It was filmed in 2014 in France!
Both movies, however, were great.

 

— secret sign language

Is there such a thing as a secret sign language?
It is understood that Freemasonry (a secret fraternal
society) has a set of secret sign language that members
use to communicate with each other.

 

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DeafDigest – 27 August 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 27, 2021

— trusting the deaf

The biggest compliment a store owner can give
to a deaf employee is when that owner is away
from the store for some reason. And that a
hearing customer walks in and the deaf employee
takes care of business!

 

— court room logistics nightmare

A deaf person is accused of serious crime.
And there have been many witnesses to that
crime – meaning interpreters and CDI’s
lined up three weeks in advance. Could
lead to logistical nightmare and the
court officials are aware of it.

 

— deaf traveler said she was treated as criminal

A deaf traveler, flying home from a long trip,
said the airport personnel treated her as a
criminal. They did not know how to deal with
her deafness and routine requests for refreshments
became a big communication hassle. They just stared
blankly at her during her repeated requests.

 

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DeafDigest – 26 August 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 26, 2021

— Mr. Goodbar candy named by accident

Hershey named Mr. Goodbar candy by accident.
Milton S. Hershey was late deafened and he thought
an associate said “Mister Goodbar.” The associate
actually said something else that Hershey misunderstood,
thinking it was a good name for a new candy bar.
The name stood and Mr. Goodbar continues as a
popular candy! Fact or fiction?

 

— it is so fast

someone said on twitter:
deaf people do sign language so fast it’s amazing

no one actually says:
hearing people do speak so fast it’s amazing

 

— the Justice of the Pies

The Justice of the Pies, a pie-making company in
Chicago, is owned by Maya-Camille Broussard. She
said she is a member of the local deaf and hard
of hearing community, and therefore her taste buds
and sense of smell is higher. Is she really deaf?
There may be some hearing people that say they
belong to the deaf community, but without saying
they are deaf!

 

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DeafDigest – 25 August 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 25, 2021

— Culture wars dividing USA

A newspaper ran this headline:

Culture wars are dividing America

It was in reference to the hearing,
but it might as well as apply to
the deaf – oral vs manual, two rival
national deaf organizations, mainstreamed
vs residential schools, and so on.
In the past, we could visit a deaf
club and always be bumping into someone
that we know from somewhere. This is
almost impossible nowadays.

 

— delivery of goods not the reason for driving a truck

Daniel Zeolla, who is deaf, has become a
licensed truck driver. Truck drivers normally
deliver goods, but not him! He is a welder
and wanted to use his truck to repair dump
truck beds. He still had to get a license
and he did, after training at the The Community
College of Allegheny County (Pennsylvania).

 

— Deaf Village for hearing loss sufferers

A British newspaper story said that Deaf Village
is for hearing loss sufferers. This word (sufferer)
means there is a pain. Do deaf people suffer
from the hurtful pain of hearing loss? No.
Deaf people do face discrimination, and maybe
it is an emotional pain, but physical pain?
No.

 

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DeafDigest – 24 August 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 24, 2021

— being diabetic without realizing it

A deaf father became diabetic without realizing
it. Doctors told him he has diabetes but because of
bad and/or lack of interpreters the father didn’t
really understand what he was being told. His hearing
son volunteered to interpret for him and learned of
his father’s diabetic condition. ADA? Probably
in these early days when hospitals did not
fully realize what ADA was all about! Would have
never happened nowadays.

 

— our first Deaf Hero

A newspaper story said that deaf actress
Lauren Ridoff is our first Deaf Hero. This is
not accurate. The first Deaf Hero was Lou
Ferrigno, who played the role of Hulk in The
Incredible Hulk (1977-1981). We are just glad
that we now have our own second Deaf Hero
right now.

 

— the impossible Music

Historians of classical music said that
Beethoven, who was deaf, was not supposed
to compose his Ninth Symphony! That historian
said deafness is the reason why Ninth Symphony
was “impossible.” Of course, Beethoven proved
them wrong and for that reason he is an immortal
in the world of classical music.

 

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DeafDigest – 23 August 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 23, 2021

— perfect town for the deaf

The New York Post ran this headline:

Spanish town tells tourists not to come if they
can’t handle the (rural) noise

Hearing tourists complain about the noise – church bells,
roosters crowing early in the morning, livestock that
wear cowbells, etc in Ribadesella, a coastal town
in Asturias, Spain. The town officials told the
tourists not to come if they can’t stand the noise.

Perfect for deaf tourists?

 

— colleges with own identities

There are over 100 Historically Black Colleges and
Universities.

There are over 500 Hispanic-Serving colleges.

There are about 30 Tribal Colleges and Universities.

There are around 100 Asian American and Native
American Pacific Islander-Serving institutions.

What about the deaf?

Just one that is stand-alone – Gallaudet University.

What about NTID. It is not stand-alone; it serves
under the auspices of RIT. NTID is in a group of
RIT’s nine colleges and two degree-granting units.

 

— reason DSA was cancelled

Covid-19 was the reason why the Deaf Seniors of
American convention due to take place at Pittsburgh,
was cancelled. Many deaf senior citizens did not
want to risk their health while traveling to
Pittsburgh. The convention committee hoped to
shift the convention to the next available year –
2023, but it was not to be.

 

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DeafDigest – 20 August 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 20, 2021

— new captions, but yes and no

NordicTrack has announced that their fitness app
will have captions on its videos. Great – but no
captions on live workouts! Can’t always win them all.

 

— Katie Leclerc, deaf or not deaf

is actress Katie Leclerc deaf or not deaf?
On a good day, she is hearing. On a bad
day she is deaf. During these bad days,
her ears feel full, causing pressure –
which leads to deafness for that day!
Next day ears may go back to normal
meaning she is hearing – just a day
to day thing with her.

 

— state governor claims he cannot be sued

A deaf political appointee was fired by
the state governor. The deaf person filed
a lawsuit against the governor for that
reason. The governor says he cannot be
sued, saying he is protected from such
lawsuits. Who is correct? This is the
reason why lawyers fight each other in the
court room.

 

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08/15/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 19 August 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 19, 2021

— a newspaper defeats ADA lawsuit

A deaf man sued a newspaper, Newsday (covering Long Island
in New York). The deaf man said he cannot follow newspaper
videos if it is not captioned. The New York federal court
said the newspaper is not a place of public accomodation
because it has no public facing nor a physical retail
operation, and therefore not subject to ADA rules. This
is strange because Newsday has a building that is
headquarters.

 

— family interpreter or certified interpreter

Which is the better choice – using a family
member as an interpreter or using a certified
interpreter” The choice should be an easy one –
using a certified interpreter. But many families
depend on a family member that signs the best
as their designated interpreter. Why?

 

— a troubling trend between waiters and deaf patrons

DeafDigest editor is a foodie and loves to go out
and eat. He has noticed a trend that is troubling.
More waiters hesitate to come to the table if the
deaf person is pointing to a dish on the menu.
Normally when a deaf person points to a dish
the waiter look at it and write down the order
for the kitchen staff. It has been a struggle
with some waiters not wanting to come near to
look at the menu.

 

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DeafDigest – 18 August 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 18, 2021

— a big challenge or an exaggeration

A deaf activist said it is quite a big challenge just
to order coffee at a coffee cafe, and that by the time
the order arrives, it is already cold. An exaggeration?
DeafDigest thinks so. There are deaf people that love
just regular coffee and would point to it during the order.
There are also deaf people that love complicated coffee
mixes – and they could just write on a notepad what
they want – or point to the coffee menu on the wall. Just
keep in mind hearing people do find it challenging to
order their complicated coffee orders!

 

— punished for filing too many ADA lawsuits

A deaf man, who worked with his hearing attorney,
filed too many ADA lawsuits in a 6-year span. For
that reason, a federal circuit court panel
agreed to punish them with a fine and a community
service requirement. The judge said it was an
illegal way of trying to make money off the
ADA defendants.

 

— a widely-praised movie still has critics

There are always critics that express disappointment
even when a movie is perceived to be a success. The
CODA movie is no exception. Some said that despite
the movie success, there are still deaf people and
even Coda struggles. Others said the movie lacked
racial diversity. And so on. Can’t always win!

 

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DeafDigest – 17 August 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 17, 2021

— a deaf bus driver

Do we have bus drivers (of city buses) that are deaf?
There is one in Japan. What about USA?

 

— “one of best surgeons” is deaf

Dr. Wilder has been described as the best
surgeon according to a TV writer/producer.
It was in reference to the New Amsterdam
TV series about medical dramas in a
hospital. This fictional Dr. Wilder
is being played by Sandra Mae Frank,
a veteran deaf actress. The drama is
that Dr Wilder refuses to join the
hospital staff, not wanting to work
with a person she dislikes. Just have
to watch that program to follow the
action and the drama.

 

— difference between Bezos/Musk and Morgan/Vanderbilt

Famous inventor Thomas Edison was deaf. He needed
funding to support his work with new inventions.
He got the funding from J.P. Morgan and the
Vanderbilt family. If we had a great deaf inventor
today, would Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk fund
him? Probably not since they are only more
interested in funding their own “stunts” in space.

 

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DeafDigest – 16 August 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 16, 2021

— helping solve a crime

A newspaper story said that an interpreter
helped solve a crime! Really? No. The
interpreter just interpreted what the deaf
victim of a crime told the police. And
the interpreter was given credit for it!

 

— struggles of a deaf TV news photojournalist

Stephen Bourque, who is deaf, has been a
TV news photojournalist for 16 years in
Chicago. He is an oralist that knows no
ASL. The face mask cut off his lipreading.
And for that reason he said he had to
depend on common sense and experience to get
things done, saying he had to do the best he
was able to do so.

 

— computer discriminates against the deaf

Do computers discriminate against the deaf?
Or more specifically the AI! Many companies
use AI to screen out “unqualified” applicants
and so, for some reason AI has been designed
to consider the deaf as unqualified, no matter
their background and qualifications. This was
what an article in the Microscopy Research and
Technique magazine is saying!

 

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DeafDigest – 13 August 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 13, 2021

— all talk and no action

Years ago when AT&T was the king, their Bell Labs
was touted as the nation’s #1 lab for future inventions,
future devices, and future innovations. What happened?
Ideas from Bell Lab scientists was suppressed by the
AT&T bureaucracy. As a result – deaf devices such
as TV phone for the deaf, super TTY devices for
the deaf, email system for the deaf had publicity
but were killed off by the bureaucracy. This
was the accusation written in a story by an
“insider.”

 

— a puzzling claim about open captions

There was a claim that “Coda” has become the first
film to be open captioned in theaters with no need
for these captioning devices. This claim is puzzling
because DeafDigest editor, years back, saw open captioned
films – Jurassic Park, Seabiscuit, The River Wild
and possibly few others. Captions were on the screen
with no need for these devices.

 

— alone without advocacy

An interpreter said that while he has a contract
with an an interpreting agency, no one advocates
for his profession. In other words interpreters
provide an essential service all by themselves
without outside protection. This is what one
interpreter said in a newspaper interview –
being in a gray area.

 

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DeafDigest – 12 August 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 12, 2021

— signing person or an interpreter

A coach, that knows ASL, said that his kids
prefer a signing coach as opposed to having
an interpreter shadowing them. A coach is
emotionally involved with the team and may
compromise his signs. An interpreter, on the
other hand, is neutral. Which is better?

 

— treating deaf with respect

A newspaper headline said:

finally treating deaf people with respect

This was in reference to the upcoming movie
“Coda” – but respect? Hearing people may enjoy
the movie, but upon leaving the movie house
they continue to treat the deaf with disrespect.
Respect means involving the deaf in social
settings, giving the deaf better employment
opportunities, giving the deaf better social
services, providing more captions, providing
more interpreters and so on. DeafDigest editor
doesn’t see this happening overnight!

 

— upset ASL students

A common complaint among these ASL students is
that once they step out of the classroom, there is
no one to practice their signs with. This may be
the reason for loss of interest among these
students once they are done with classes!

 

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DeafDigest – 11 August 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 11, 2021

— for video chats, internet from satellite not great

A deaf person said he uses fiber instead of satellite
internet for video chats, saying fiber is fantastic.
What is satellite internet? What is fiber internet?
Confusing? Yes, but do check it out with your provider
if you are seeking best way to use video chats with
sign language.

 

— the hero person

Marissa Rohan, not deaf, has become an instant
national hero. As a ball girl with Los Angeles
Dodgers, she physically tackled a fan that ran
on the field. It was learned she is a CSUN
student, majoring in Deaf Studies. Will she
become a teacher for the deaf or an interpreter
or a deaf services professional? Also, does she
use ASL while chatting with the deaf? We don’t
know yet.

 

— failure of employer ASL classes and deaf awareness sessions

Many workplaces host ASL classes and also deaf awareness
sessions. Many of these programs fail – for one big
reason. High employee turnover pretty much kills these
ASL and awareness goals!

 

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DeafDigest – 10 August 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 10, 2021

— most powerful deaf person in Hollywood

Marlee Matlin is easily the most powerful
deaf person in Hollywood. When she was offered
a role in the “Coda” movie, she made a demand
– that all deaf roles be cast by real-deaf,
not fake-deaf actors. Hollywood accepted that
demand.

 

— Golden Rule for hearing people to follow

How to communicate with the deaf? The Golden
Rule is this – Get the deaf person’s attention
before speaking to that person. If it means tapping
(gently) the deaf person’s shoulder first, yes!

— the gesture, valuable or useless

The gesture, valuable or useless? Psychology
Today ran an article saying that the use of
hand gestures as a means of communication is
valuable for the deaf. It is valuable if both deaf
and hearing understand what the gesture is trying to
say. It is useless if it is same as waving the hand
wildly in the air, hearing hoping the deaf would
understand it. If the deaf person doesn’t then the
gesture is a waste of time!

 

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DeafDigest – 09 August 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 9, 2021

— caution by veteran deaf Hollywood actor

A veteran deaf actor of past Hollywood movies
said deaf actors must always struggle and
scuffle to get new acting roles. It does not
matter if a deaf actor feels so great about
landing a recent role, he must still struggle
to get that “next” acting role. All the more
reason why Marlee Matlin has always said that
it is very important to work with a good
agent! Very different from hearing actors –
for one reason – hearing roles are much more
frequent than deaf roles.

 

— ADA case was lost

A hospital that “knew” that an interpreter
must be provided, “won” ADA case filed by a
deaf patient! The deaf patient never proved
his deafness and did not request an interpreter
during his visit, even though notes and whiteboard
did not help! The hospital showed evidence of
these failed communication efforts and showed
it to the judge. Bad hospital attitude? Yes.

 

— mystery while traveling back into Deaf Past

A newspaper in North Vancouver (Canada) ran
s story of two deaf photographers in a business
partnership way between 1906 through 1908.
This partnership was shortlived. Why?
Lack of business? Partnership disputes?
Lost lease with a photographic studio?
Lost interest among these photographers?
Better opportunities elsewhere? Etc.
Always a mystery, but keep in mind
almost all businesses do not last
forever.

 

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DeafDigest – 06 August 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 6, 2021

— winner of 2021 Florida Python Challenge

Brandon Call who is deaf, has won the Florida
Python Challenge. 223 Burmese pythons have
been removed from the Everglades ecosystem
during the competition. Call removed the
contest’s longest – a 15 foot, 9-inch snake.
He said that his deafness helped sharpen other
senses, seeing hidden pythons that hearing
contestants would overlook.

 

— errors in ASL course

Deaf experts watched one on-line ASL course
that was taught by a hearing teacher with
20 years’ experience and pointed out
several errors! DeafDigest editor has
a question:

Did the hearing teacher obtain a teaching certificate
from American Sign Language Teachers Association?

 

— must have 10 years of experience with deaf

Many schools hire superintendents that have zero
experience working with the deaf. Illinois is
putting a stop to it – the state now requires
the Superintendent of Illinois School for
the Deaf to have at least 10 years of
experience working with the deaf.

 

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DeafDigest – 05 August 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 5, 2021

— a deaf funeral director in Maine

It was learned that we have another deaf person
that directs own funeral home in Berwick, ME.
It is Edward Bibber and he signs fluent ASL.
The other one DeafDigest editor knew of (and
wrote about it) was a deaf woman in South
Dakota.

 

— entering her second presidency

Jane Fernandes, who is deaf, would have been the 9th
president of Gallaudet University in 2006. It was
not to be but she moved on to top positions at
several universities, including being president
of Guilford University (NC). Again moving on,
she is now the next president of Antioch College,
a private liberal arts college in Yellow Springs,
Ohio. This will be the biggest challenge for
her as the college has issues with low enrollment
and with low endowment fund. This college closed
several times in the past. Any connection to the
deaf? The first president was Horace Mann, and
there is a Horace Mann School for the Deaf and Hard
of Hearing in Boston.

 

— very loud deaf participant in auction

Even with interpreters, deaf participants
in auctions (of any kind) seem to be at a
disadvantage. The bidding process often goes
too fast, and for that reason, the deaf person
is often lost and confused. Well, in the case
of a deaf woman who wanted to bid on a house
in Pennsylvania, she won! She was so loud
and so obvious with her bidding process that
other bidders backed off and “allowed” her
to win the house – at a price lower than what
the auctioneer expected it to be.

 

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DeafDigest – 04 August 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 4, 2021

— agreeing to an interview and then backing out

A California software publisher got into trouble
with EEOC for agreeing to an interview with a deaf
applicant and then backing out upon learning of her
deafness. This applicant asked for an interpreter
and while the publisher agreed to it, the publisher
had second thoughts and cancelled the interview.
EEOC forced the publisher to hire a consultant
and socked a $200,000 fine to settle the lawsuit.

 

— Marlee Matlin is a survivor

In a newspaper story, Marlee said she
survived these past people – a past president,
an old boy friend, and these Ableist Hollywood
people – to become a success that she is right now!

 

— a big reason for these deaf awareness events

Many minor league baseball clubs help promote
Deaf & Hard of Hearing Awareness events. It
makes hearing baseball fans aware that deaf
people love baseball as much as they do.

 

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DeafDigest – 03 August 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 3, 2021

— another thriller movie

Midnight is another thriller movie that features
a deaf character. Is that actor deaf or just
being fake-deaf? It is not an American
movie, though, but a Korean movie with
English subtitles.

 

— deaf people to be getting mortgage counseling

JLM Mortgage Services is now offering mortgage
counseling services for the deaf. Again,
not in USA but in Great Britain. Many deaf
Americans own houses and so, they are still
able to get mortgages but possibly not in
an easier way.

 

— a comment by a Certified Deaf Interpreter

A Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI) said during a
newspaper interview:

We use interpreter’s ears before using my hands!

 

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DeafDigest – 01 August 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 2, 2021

— unusual intra-tribe sign language

The Yolgnu sign language is being used by one
of these tribes in the Northern Territory of
Australia. Nearest major city is Darwin, just
310 miles away. This sign language is unusual
because it is being used by the hearing, not
by the deaf! While many native tribes use
sign languages, it is to communicate with
nearby tribes. This sign language is
intra-tribal, hence it being unusual. Sadly
it is in danger of extinction as younger
members of the tribe do not use it.

 

— one of the leading hotels of the world

one of the Leading Hotels of the World
is The Hassler Roma. It is completely deaf-owned
by Roberto Wirth in Rome. This group of
Leading Hotels of the World is an organization
that lists 400 best hotels in 80 nations
and is headquartered in New York. And
speaking of USA, Wirth has American School
for the Deaf, Gallaudet and NTID roots, having
attended all three schools while growing up.

 

— deaf editor of a county newspaper in Virginia

It was announced that Ben Peters, who is deaf,
has been named the editor of the Rapp News.
It is located in Rappahannock county, which
is not too far from the metro Washington, DC
area. He functions as a hearing person and does
not use ASL.

 

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DeafDigest – 29 July 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 30, 2021

— future interpreter got her start

A 10-year old girl was asked by a teacher
to help deaf students in their own classroom.
She was hooked with the idea of using
sign language to help the deaf. That was
her start with the interpreting profession
years ago.

 

— teaching the deaf to drive a truck

A deaf person enrolled in a truck-driving
school. The instructors were concerne about
teaching the deaf student the right way.
They came up with some ideas – using
remote control lighted beacon while
driving in the yard, using cue cards
and dry erase board while on the road.
Result – the deaf student graduated and
was immediately offered a job by a
trucking company!

 

— sad public health irony

The Pharmacists’ Defence Association has constantly
reminded the British government to provide interpreters
for deaf pharmacists in presss conferences, classes
and workshops. For reasons of its own, the government
won’t, even if their deaf pharmacists are the last
to know about public health announcements. Hearing
pharmacists more important than deaf pharmacists?
No way!

 

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DeafDigest – 29 July 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 29, 2021

— carnival has strict rules

A deaf man wanted to operate a booth, focusing on
the deaf, deafness and sign language. He is
fluent in sign language but the carnival people
told him he needed to pass an exam to get certified
to teach sign language. He did and he has been
allowed to operate his own booth. How many
carnival people care about this sign language
certification issues. Guess, not too many!

 

— Racial and ethnic slurs no longer OK

A newspaper columnist wrote:

Racial and ethnic slurs got thrown around in the
early 20th century. The deaf baseball player William
Hoy was nicknamed Dummy. We didn’t think about things
like that then. Now we do!

 

— a recommended restaurant in Rome

If you are visiting Rome and happen to be hungry,
do think of the OneSense by Valla. It is a
deaf-owned restaurant, operated by Valeria
Olivotti. She only serves Italian food and
her dishes depend on the season and on food
availability from nearby farms. It has been
around for three years.

 

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DeafDigest – 28 July 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 28, 2021

— gold medal winner

Meg Harris, from Australia, is hard of hearing, and
has struggled trying to catch messages from the public
announcement system. It did not stop her from winning
a gold meal with her swimming relay team at the
Olympics.

 

— Netflix’s hard of hearing pastry chef

Maya-Camille Broussard is a Chicago pastry chef;
she competed on the Netflix’s pastry competition.
She is hard of hearing, and said:

I relied on my superpowers in the sense of smell and
sense of taste to lead me in creating flavorful dishes

 

— a surprise USA announcement about the Paralympics

It was announced that American medalists in the
upcoming Paralympics will be paid the same as
American medalists in the Olympics. This means
$37,500 reward for each gold medal collected
with a sliding scale down to bronze medalists.
Two things – will it prompt our Deaflympics to
affiliate with the Paralympics? Money talks, you
know! And the second thing is that deaf-blind
swimmer Becca Meyers would have been paid if she
participated and won medals! She withdraw from
the Paralympics because the committee would not
allow her mother to be her personal assistant!

 

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DeafDigest – 27 July 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 27, 2021

— deaf stunt legend and speed racer was a good person

A deaf narrator said that Kitty O’Neil, who was deaf,
was a renegade (a person described as no good) while
speed racing on the Bonneville Salt Flats and while
performing impossible movie stunts. She also was a
diver with USA Deaflympics team in 1965. A renegade?
No way! She has always received good press in the
newspapers – so why was she described as renegade?
She passed away in 2018 at the age of 72 living out
a quiet life in South Dakota, away from the glare
of Hollywood.

 

— hearing governments looked on as ignoring the deaf community

An activist said that hearing people are the first to know
about social distancing, mask rules and lockdown rules.
And that deaf people are unaware of it until much time
have passed. And that some of these governments resist
hiring more interpreters and adding  more captions!

 

— New Jersey provides legal services to the deaf

The state Human Services announced partnership
with the Community Health Law Project to provide
legal services for the deaf. This is great. Years
ago we had a number of legal services for the
deaf across USA. Not any more; maybe just a few.
Why? Same old story – funding issues.

 

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DeafDigest – 25 July 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 26, 2021

— Deaf Art possibly locked away

A newspaper ran this headline –

Museums are keeping the world’s most famous
art locked away in storage

Some of these artwork are never showed in public

Deaf Art? Some years back there was a gallery of
deaf art hanging on the walls in Rochester, NY. 
Drawings were fascinating. This gallery closed
up; what has happened to these drawings? Also,
over the years there were tales of some great Deaf
Art being lost for good in hearing museums and
hearing galleries. These such paintings cannot
be located!

 

— information on health needs of the deaf

A doctor that works with deaf patients said that hearing
people can pick up health information from TV, the internet,
family and friends. It is different with deaf patients.

 

— Deaf Arts Festival

We have deaf arts festivals which feature deaf music,
deaf arts, deaf entertainment, and deaf culture. Put all
of them together and would it become the world’s largest Deaf
Arts Festival? This is what organizers of Festival Clin d’Oeil
is saying – and it is in France.

 

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DeafDigest – 23 July 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 23, 2021

— Indians, no; Bison, yes

For years the mascot of the athletic teams at Oklahoma
School for the Deaf was the Indians. No more! The
mascot is now the Bison. Discussions among the alumni,
and staff agreed on the change to the Bison. Sounds
familiar? Yes – the Bison has always been Gallaudet’s
mascot.

 

— Deaf Green; Deaf Red

A Coda is a fitness instructor, using musical boxes
to set the tone for her classes’ physical movements.
Her deaf father, watching her conduct her classes,
suggested that for deaf clients, she make an
adjustment with the colors to indicate green
as “go ahead and start exercising” and to
indicate red as stop. She immediately accepted
the suggestion as a great idea.

 

— no more walkie-talkies

On field trips, walkie-talkies is a much better
way of communicating by voice instead of the
cell phones. For a deaf scientist, working
on the field with hearing scientists, the
walkie-talkies is pretty much useless.
This deaf scientist suggested few simple
gestures. As a result, the walkie-talkies
has been used less and less by these
scientists.

 

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DeafDigest – 22 July 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 22, 2021

— deaf biomedical scientist with unusual interest

Lorne Farovitch, who is deaf, is a biomedical scientist,
with an interest in zoonosis. Not knowing what this means,
a google search says it is a disease that normally exists
in animals but that can infect humans. Why zoonosis? He
said he has always been interested in learning more about
infectious diseases to find a way to stop it.

 

— the deaf and the right to vote

Deaf people that live in Texas, Florida, and Georgia,
are worried. Will they be able to vote in future
elections? The state governments in these states are
making it harder to vote, especially more so for
the deaf voters. Will the federal government help?
Hope so!

 

— from licensed practical nurse to registered nurse

DeafDigest editor knew of a deaf woman who was a
licensed practical nurse. She always wanted to move
up to become a registered nurse. The path was not
easy for her – because of her deafness an the
discouragement by medical professionals. There was a
story yesterday of Angela Knight, a deaf licensed
practical nurse who worked in that field for many
years. At the age of 50, she took a big step to take
college classes to become a registered nurse – and had
to overcome too many challenges. She is making it
sometime soon.

 

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DeafDigest – 21 July 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 21, 2021

— comment about deaf juror by an interpreter

An interpreter said that accommodating a
deaf juror, both in the court room and
in the jury room would require many
interpreters. That many? DeafDigest is
not sure if many interpreters is
required; a few interpreters? Yes,
but that many?

 

— award winner in Science

Christabel Webber, who is deaf, won a
female STEM award for her work with
agricultural research on how to make
better farming lands in order to
improve soil and higher crop yields.

 

— a year of complaints

It was announced that Twitter will
add captions to its voice tweets.
Seems Twitter was not doing it
out of goodness of its heart but
after a year of ignoring complaints
from the deaf, this social media
“gave up” and agreed to captions!

 

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DeafDigest – 20 July 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 20, 2021

— interpreting for an event that no hearing people attend

An activist said that deaf people do not need interpreting
for events that hearing people don’t even show up. Normally
interpreters are used to interpreting at poorly-attended
events, and so this activist is wrong!

 

— city of over 150,000 people honors the deaf

Rockford, Illinois is honoring its deaf residents
by setting up a mural to bring attention to the
deaf community. It seems to be the first city
(or town) in USA with such a deaf-oriented
mural.

 

— deaf and blind schools merger research is expensive

Indiana wants to merge their deaf and blind schools.
To do that research would cost tax payers $13 million
dollars. Cost of research would go up and up and up,
and maybe $13 million is a low figure at the beginning
to make everyone happy.

 

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DeafDigest – 19 July 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 19, 2021

— a tri-lingual deaf association

Switzerland is a tri-lingual nation and it has
reflected in the make-up of its national
association of the deaf. One group speaks
German; another group speaks French and
a smaller one – Italian. Do these people
really communicate with each other? This
association was formed in 1946 and is still
very much in business!

 

— a way to cut down on airport noise

Past Toledo, OH mayor Carty Finkbeiner
is running for mayor again. He previously
served twice – 1994-2002 and 2006-2010.
He was always making controversial comments –
one such comment was suggesting that deaf
people move to houses near the airport
as noise from airplanes “wouldn’t” bother
them!

 

— ASL learner gave up

On a tweet, the ASL learner thought baseball
signs were part of ASL. When he realized it
wasn’t, he gave up on learning ASL!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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07/18/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 16 July 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 16, 2021

— Twitter is adding captions to voice tweets

Finally, but auto-captions will lead to auto-errors!
And a newspaper story also said it is a minor
upgrade.

Minor? No way!

 

— under jail officers’ noses

Jail officials not knowing what they have
right under their noses? This refers to
possession of assistive devices and knowledge
of services to ensure compliance with ADA. Yet,
when a deaf person was arrested the jail officials
refused to provide them with devices or with
interpreters! This was the basis of a lawsuit
in Washington state.

 

— ASL police in a small city

Corporal Glenn Jenkins, not a Coda, serves as
Columbus (Mississippi) Police department
interpreter. How often is he used to communicate
with the deaf? He said at least three times
a month. Columbus is not a big city, only has
a population of 24,000.

 

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07/11/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 15 July 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 15, 2021

— Corpus Christi messes up a deaf filmmaker

A Corpus Christi filming contest has allowed
local (hearing and deaf) filmmakers to film
scenes on city property. Local filmmaker Angel
Cantu, who is deaf, completed his original
filming, only to be told what he has done
was illegal because of some law that no
one knew about. The city told all filmmakers
to film elsewhere, on private, not city
property. Cantu had to film scenes all over
again, racing against a contest dead line!
He found a public park in a city next to
Corpus Christi. The city officials welcomed
him while Corpus Christi officials wouldn’t.

 

— long list of boxes to tick off

Disability Equality Index has a very long
list of boxes to tick off for big
corporations wanting to show the public
they are disabiity-friendly. One of the
tick off boxes is this:

services for Deaf and hard of hearing employees

Many corporations are successful with it
where as other corporations have failed!

 

— Hospitals’ Deaf Centers

How many hospitals have their own Deaf Centers?
DeafDigest knows of two such hospitals – University
of Michigan Hospital and Sinai Chicago Hospitals.
Any others that DeafDigest does not know about?

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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07/11/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 14 July 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 14, 2021

— hatred of hearing workshops

Many deaf professionals attend workshops
just to keep up with the changes in
their professions. Much of what they
learned in college has been pretty
much obsolete, hence these frequent
workshops (many on weekends). A
deaf professional said:

most sign language interpreters do not
know signs for words used by people
in his profession.

 

— deaf basketball on TV

according to a newspaper story, Nike and FIBA
have agreed to 11-year deal to add 8 sports to
TV networks. One of the 8 sports is basketball,
and it has included International Committee of
Sports for the Deaf (ICSD) competition as one
of these various basketball federations. TV
people are fickle, and while they say deaf
basketball could be televised, will it be?
As always, stay tuned!

 

— a state governor’s connection to the deaf

Kristi Noem, not deaf, serves as the governor
of South Dakota. She a Coda? No, but it was
just discovered by an archivist with the
South Dakota State Historical Society
that one of her family members is deaf.
Not the same as previous governor Dennis
Daugaard, pretty much known as a Coda.

 

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DeafDigest – 13 July 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 13, 2021

— becoming an active duty member of the U.S. Army

Could a deaf person join the Army as an active
duty member? Paige Hall, who is deaf, thinks so.
She is taking pharmacy classes at Southern Illinois
University Edwardsville while serving as a
ROTC cadet. She hopes to combine both careers
after she graduates. DeafDigest knows of few
deaf people that served in the military
and also of few other deaf people that couldn’t
serve in the military.

 

— Deaf Ninja Warrior semi finalist

Kyle Schulze, a Gallaudet student, is a Deaf Ninja Warrior
that has participated in past TV Ninja Warrior contests.
He had hoped to move up the ranks. While he ran out of time
before he had to complete these obstacles, he was
fortunate that he made it to the 30th place, reaching
the semi finals.

 

— World Health Organization may question gene editing

The World Health Organization (WHO) is raising questions
about gene editing being done for the public good
and that it does not get out of control. Flags were
raised in 2019 when Russian biologist Denis Rebrikov
wanted to help deaf parents bear hearing babies through
gene editiong. Is WHO saying yes or saying no on gene
editing? Not saying no or yes – so just stay tuned.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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07/11/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 12 July 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 12, 2021

— Apple’s map showing Deaf-Friendly Businesses

Apple is featuring a list of Deaf-Friendly Businesses
on its app (or rather map). Great news? Not really!
Many listed deaf friendly businesses can quickly
go unfriendly. ASL-fluent employees could quit
their jobs. Wall finger-point-to menus could be
taken down. A friendly boss is fired and replaced
by an unfriendly boss. Nothing is always the same
with the business sites. What to do? Go inside
the business and see if it looks deaf friendly
or deaf unfriendly. Just walk out if it looks
unfriendly.

 

— weirdest deaf warning street sign

Some street signs are weird. One such weird
sign was found in the Netherlands.

It said:

Warning – deaf pet cat

 

— 15 years in prison for scamming the deaf

Roger Nils-Jonas Karlsson, not deaf, is a Swede that
was arrested in Thailand and extradited to USA.
He scammed many deaf people by promising them
high interest rates for as low as a $100.00
investment. He has been sentenced to 15 years
in prison and ordered to pay back the victims
$16,263,820.

 

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07/04/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 09 July 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 09, 2021

— name cancelled or not cancelled

A tweet was interesting – about Dummy Hoy. It said
that after he passed away in 1961 at the age of
99, his name was “changed” to Billy and then
later on, to William. His wikipedia page says:

William “Dummy” Hoy

Is it half-cancelled? Hoy said for years that
being named Dummy did not bother him, but it was
a different era, so different from nowadays.

 

— these sophisticated Neanderthals

Neanderthals, these early men, lived in Europe and
Asia until they were wiped out about 40,000
years ago. Were they intelligent? Assumetech,
a web publication many of us never heard of,
said they were much sophisticated than what
we thought they were. Anyway, it said a
deaf Neanderthal with an injured leg and a
missing arm probably survived the age of forty
thanks to treatment of his community. A fact
or an assumption? We really don’t know due to
lack of written records.

 

— tempting these Coda police officers

Nebraska State Patrol has announced increase in
salary for police officers that are bilingual.
ASL is one of these bilingual languages offered
by the state patrol. Hope we do have some
Coda officers in the state that are tempted
by the offer!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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07/04/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 08 July 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 08, 2021

— a role-playing game

Sign is a role-playing game, evolved from
efforts to teach sign language in Nicaragua
years ago. This game is being played at the
Dover Public Library in New Hampshire.
It is designed for people that know nothing
about sign language but want to learn it.

 

— taking advantage of deaf inmate

A deaf inmate and hearing inmate shared the
same holding cell in a jail in North Carolina.
The detention officer, not following procedure,
shouted the name of the deaf inmate that was to
be released. The hearing inmate quickly took
advantage and claimed his faked identity and
was released. The deaf inmate was left behind
in the jail. When the detention officials
realized the goof, he was quickly caught.
In due time, same day, the deaf inmate was
released.

 

— some health officials don’t carefully read

A deaf woman, wanting an appointment with a medical
health center, put down on her form – please send me
appointment notification by text. Repeatedly over
through several months, she was notified by voice
and not by text. She has now taken this issue
with a local newspaper help service and follow
up is being done.

 

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07/04/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 07 July 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 07, 2021

— mumbling speech vs hard of hearing lipreader

Boris Johnson, the British prime minister, speaks
in a mumbling manner, making it impossible for
deaf lipreaders to read his lips. All the more
reason for BSL interpreters and also for TV
captions/subtitles!

 

— interesting birthday request

A deaf person made a request on his birthday.
He wanted his viewers to turn on captions
on the video he was doing for his audience!
While he uses sign language, he had a voice-
over person do the voicing on his signs.

 

— a big deaf conference has been cancelled

The 2021 Deaf Seniors of America conference, scheduled
to take place in Pittsburgh, has been cancelled.
Next one up is the 2023 Conference to take place
at Hollywood. Why was the Pittsburgh conference
cancelled? Don’t know – the wording was just this – cancelled.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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07/04/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 06 July 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 06, 2021

— deaf boy character delivers a joke

One of the most remembered scenes in the Grey’s Anatomy
TV series took place between a fake-deaf boy and
the Mark Sloan doctor character. The deaf boy
approached Mark, saying “Dad?” The confused doctor
realized it was a prank from another doctor, urging
the fake-deaf boy to be part of it!

 

— State general assembly provides no terps

Georgia is being accused of discriminating
against the deaf. The town hall meetings
hosted by the General Assembly across the
state are being conducted without interpreters!
Why?

 

— deaf actor pay vs hearing actor pay

Do deaf actors get paid the same money as
hearing actors? No, according to a survey.
It said that hearing actors out-earn
deaf actors by 45 percent. Not fair!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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07/04/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 05 July 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 05, 2021

— Gallaudet and NCAA’s NIL

Those that follow college sports know what NIL (name,
image and likeness) is all about. It means college
athletes (almost all on NCAA-I level) can get money
from endorsement deals. Gallaudet plays on the
NCAA-III level. Could Gallaudet athletes get these
NIL deals? In theory, yes, but keep in mind we have
a number of deaf-run businesses and deaf-run
corporations. Could they endorse (and pay)
Gallaudet athletes? Yes! Will this happen? Do
not know!

 

— non-ASL group not satisfied by lawsuit agreement

An agreement was made among the Sheriff’s Office,
Public Defender’s Office and the Superior Court
to settle the lack of communications lawsuit.
Not satisfied was a local group of non-ASL
deaf, saying the lawsuit does not accommodate
their communication needs!

 

— firing a newly-hired deaf employee

A qualified deaf person was hired for a job
in finances. The person who hired the deaf
person had to be away from his job for
several days, but instructed his assistant
to train and mentor the new deaf employee.
The assistant did not want to work with
the deaf and deliberately messed up the
work assignment to make the new employee
look bad, getting fired. The top boss came
back to office and found out that the deaf
employee was fired. He knew the work
assignment mess was deliberate. As a
result he immediately fired the assistant
and told the fired-deaf employee to come back!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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07/04/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 02 July 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 02, 2021

— communication between deaf client and financial advisor

Deaf people, like everyone else, need help with their
financial planning. In a newspaper interview, a hearing
financial advisor said communication is important and
that whatever works for the deaf client is fine.
This means ASL-signing deaf advisor or ASL-fluent
Good communications will lead to comfort and trust.

 

— big honor for a top immunologist

Dr. Hergen Spetses is an immunologist, treating
human immune system problems. He has been just
honored as a Knight of the Order of the Dutch Lion
by the government of the Netherlands. He is
deaf; doesn’t use sign language at all. A
comment about him in an announcement is
this – his achievements are still of great
interest to science and to the treatment of
critically ill patients.

 

— to punish or not to punish a deaf man with too many ADA lawsuits

The 11th Circuit is now thinking about punishing or not
punishing a deaf man for filing too many ADA lawsuits.
His attorney defended the deaf man, saying he is a
hero to the deaf and the disabled. The lower courts
is saying that the deaf man was not really that
serious about his many ADA lawsuits. Which is which?
Just stay tuned.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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06/27/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 01 July 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 01, 2021

— differently abled persons or persons with disabilities

The deaf described as differently abled person or as
person with disabilities? In Sri Lanka, advocates are
pushing the public towards the persons with disabilities.

 

— big reason for these name signs

Many deaf people have name signs, just as many
other deaf people don’t. According to a sign
language instructor the reason for name signs
is to save time on fingerspelling while
mentioning that deaf person in a conversation.

 

— one of first wave surfers in Texas

Texas is not known for wave surfing but there
are waves on the Gulf Coast. Duly noted as
one of the first surfers was Leroy Colombo,
a deaf lifeguard more famous for rescuing
over 900 swimmers from drowning. He is
honored by his spot at the Texas Surf
Museum.

 

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06/27/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 30 June 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 30, 2021

— oops with subtitles

A TV broadcaster in the Netherlands practically
said oops for subtitling the wrong German
national anthem. They said:

This was a mistake by one of our subtitlers

Not sure if the Germans accepted that half-apology?

 

— faked noise with audiological tests

There are people that fake their deafness;
there are also deaf people that fake being
hearing! Audiological people are aware of
these faking games – and use testing tricks.
One such trick is using masked noise to
fool these fakers.

 

— just being anti-communications

A deaf person is constantly confronting hearing
people for refusing to make communication efforts.
To fight and to make enemies with them or to
be friends with them without communicating
with them – this is a choice no deaf person
likes!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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06/27/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 29 June 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 29, 2021

— the hard-of-hearing phone

What is the hard-of-hearing phone? It was mentioned
in a newspaper story. Is it talking about the Captel,
which shows captions of what the caller said?
Always an interesting way of saying the same
thing in different words!

 

— a family argument led to a police taser

A family argument led to a husband walking away and
refusing to return to his car. The police arrived
but they did not know what was going on and were not
able to understand gestures from the angry man.
Instead of requesting an interpreter, the police
simply tasered this deaf man. Because of the taser,
they are facing a lawsuit!

 

— hearing actress wants to befriend a fake-deaf character

EastEnders, a wildly popular British TV soap opera,
is featuring actress Suzette Llewellyn, who is not
deaf. She is urging her script writers to have
her “befriend” a fake-deaf actress. She said that
in real life, she has some deaf friends and
is learning British Sign Language.

 

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06/27/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 28 June 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 28, 2021

— the cruelest irony

a vocational training and job placement agency
for the deaf and the disabled refused to provide
their deaf employees with certified interpreters
during staff meetings. For that reason, U.S. Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission is slapping
the agency with discrimination lawsuit. The
agency felt that notes, handouts and
poorly-trained interpreters will do!

 

— deaf sister vs hearing sister

A deaf sister refuses to communicate with her
hearing sister. Reason? The hearing sister
refuses to learn sign language, saying since
she is not deaf there is no need for her to
learn signs. This is sad.

 

— assuming it is OK without asking

Deaf people ask for accommodations. Hearing
employers say yes and go ahead and provide
them with accommodations – but without asking
the deaf if these are what they want! An
example would be an electrician, without
asking the deaf, installing a tiny flashing
signaler bulb that is difficult to see in
a big, bright room! This is an example of
an accommodation becoming a non-accommodation.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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06/27/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 25 June 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 25, 2021

— the CDI and the hearing confusion

A CDI (Certified Deaf Interpreter) interpreted
at a public event. Hearing people in the audience,
having no idea, what is a CDI, was confused on
why would there be a hearing and a deaf interpreter
working together at the same time!

Said a CDI:
I get strange expressions and questions, wondering
how could I interpret if I am deaf.

Comes with the territory, says DeafDigest.

 

— text-to-988

Text 988 is the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

The FCC is interested in your comments regarding the
text-to-988 rules.

You can reach the Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 TALK.

This service is supposed to start on July 16, 2022.

 

— not a joke; a Deaf Fear of barbers

You are deaf and you go to a barber, asking for a
special haircut. The barber, completely misunderstoods
you and gives you a very bad, and a very wrong haircut!
This scene was part of a short film “Waves” as played by
actor Omete Anassi. Is he deaf actor or a fake-deaf
actor? Do not know.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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06/20/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 24 June 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 24, 2021

— inventing sign language

A book for children, titled – The Big Book of Tell
Me Why – has a question – Who invented sign language?
Past pro football player John Urschel, not deaf,
continues to remember that question when he brought
it up recently. A web search said that Pedro Ponce
de León was credited for inventing sign language.
Did the book mention de León? Do not know.

 

— difficult to enforce web accessibility

We have ADA regulations regarding web accessibility.
Yet business.com said:

Online accessibility is a weak area for enforcement in the United States

Sigh!

 

— sound and music on a deaf facebook page

The Deaf Basketball Group facebook TV commercial
featured sound and music in the background while
deaf basketball players were signing to each
other. Appropriate or not? Good question!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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06/20/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 23 June 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 23, 2021

— our most powerful deaf females

Who are the most powerful deaf females?
These are Shirley Pinto (Israel), Pilar Lima (Spain),
Helga Stevens (Belgium), Amanda Folendorf (California),
Helene Jarmer (Austria), Wilma Newhoudt-Druchen
(South Africa), Mojo Mathers (New Zealand) and
Dimitra Arapoglou (Greece). They were profiled
in a big story today – serving as public
servants (elected officials, lawmakers, legislators,
etc). We, however, need more powerful deaf
female Americans, as there is only one –
Folendorf.

 

— a film story may not be realistic

Kiernan Shipka played a fake-deaf role in the
film – The Silence. The character was portrayed
as late-deafened, but learning lip reading and
sign language within a short span of three
years. Realistic or not? Lip reading and
sign language more or less requires lifetime
practice and learning – but in three years?
No way!

 

— a restaurant comes back after 20 years absence

A restaurant – The Italian Oven, McLean, Virginia,
has come back after being closed up 20 years
ago. The owner – Robert Esposito is deaf
and was said to have strong community roots
with the deaf. His family members ran the
restaurant before it was closed; Robert
stepped in and had the restaurant re-started.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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06/20/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 22 June 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 22, 2021

— daily plans of a deaf-blind woman

Talice Connelly, a deaf-blind Canadian, was
profiled in a newspaper story. Part of it
says that she organizes her day every morning.
She goes through a row of baskets – items
such as sweatband, scissors, food, clothing,
driftwood in each of these baskets. It leads
her on from task to next task for that day.
Next day, different tasks, different objects.

 

— three superintendent finalists

At Tennessee School for the Deaf, there
are three finals for the superintendent
position. These finalists are:

– Sandra Edwards
– Martin Keller
– Dawniella Patterson

Formal meetings with these candidates will
take place next month, and then in early
August, the announcement will be made.

 

— actress in many acting roles

Tessa Thompson is a veteran actress of many, many
acting roles – films, TV and theatrical plays.
In a story today it disclosed that she has a
hearing loss – meaning she functions as a hearing
person.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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06/20/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 21 June 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 21, 2021

— will never be obsolete

There was a story that AI will make interpreters
and sign language obsolete.

DeafDigest says NEVER!

 

— Self-Checkout Or Human Cashier

Which is better for deaf? Self-Checkout Or Human Cashier
in a supermarket or a chain store? Self-Checkout
avoids hassles with hearing cashiers. But Human Cashier
will solve pricing issues for you that the Self-Checkout
cannot solve!

 

— the librarian and the hearing aid battery

A library web site said their librarians can
help hearing aid users place their hearing
aid battery into their hearing aids.

Years ago, library was just books – times
have changed!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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06/20/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 18 June 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 18, 2021

— a stolen credit in astronomy

Henrietta Leavitt, who was deaf, was an astronomer
with the Harvard College Observatory during late
19th century/early 20th century. She discovered
a star (Cepheid variable) that acted differently
from other stars. Credit for her discovery was
stolen by her boss – Edward Pickering. This
fact was mentioned in the book “Cosmic Queries.”

 

— a deaf phase is part of a new theatrical show

During latter part of the 2000’s decade, the
phrase “not deaf enough” became the buzz.
Well, there is a new theatrical show, titled
Oral, which involves a character that has
become late-deafened, struggling through life’s
issues but still accepting her deafness!

 

— the deaf and the plastic surgery

A deaf woman wanted plastic surgery. She researched
plastic surgery clinics, wanting more information
about these services. None of these clinics (16 of
them) showed captions on their web sites. As a result,
there is now 16 new ADA-violation lawsuits!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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06/13/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 17 June 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 17, 2021

— a state rated #1 in nation in interpreter access

New Mexico’s courts was rated #1 in the nation
by the National Center for Access to Justice
for language access services, that included
access to interpreters. In second place
is Connecticut.

 

— a deaf candidate and her residency issues

Vivian Song Maritz who is deaf, is running for
the Seattle School Board. It is a controversial
matter due to her residency issues. She has been
accused of living in a different district
than the district she is campaigning as a
School Board candidate. She functions as
a hearing person.

 

— medical fellow said CI has inaccurate performance rates

Matthew Shew, not deaf, has been awarded a Dean’s Scholar
at the Washington University School of Medicine in
St. Louis. This honor will allow him to do research
on why there is no accurate way of figuring out
cochlear implant success/failure rates. Yes,
there are CI success stories, and also CI failure
stories – but why? This is what Shew is working on.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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06/13/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 16 June 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 16, 2021

— Nyle gets a shocking offer

Deaf Celebrity Nyle DiMarco travels a lot
everywhere. He was given the shock of his
life, when a confused airline personnel
offered him a wheelchair.

 

— in the “Nashville” movie

Well-known supporting actor Ned Beatty
has departed us. He acted in many, many
movies. In one such movie – Nashville –
Beatty played the role of a powerful
attorney that showed impatience with his
deaf children! That was probably his only
deaf-connected role in any of his old
films.

 

— a fact or just a wild guess

A linguist said:
More than 5% of the world population use sign language

A fact or just a wild guess?

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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06/13/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 15 June 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 15, 2021

— 93 percent is not enough

Paramount Pictures has been accused of not fully
captioning its movies. A movie critic said only
93 percent of the dialogue is captioned; seven
percent that is missing may be the key to the
plot in the movie!

 

— EEOC accuses Walmart of ghosting a deaf applicant

At Walmart, a deaf person applied for a job. Walmart
did not want to hire the deaf person and immediately
ghosted him. It meant Walmart is saying they cannot
be sued because the deaf person “never” applied for
a job. EEOC felt it was a trick Walmart was playing
with the deaf applicant, a violation of the ADA.

 

— worst case scenario: police officer knows no gestures

One of the deaf protesters said that a deaf person would
gesture something simple to the officer, who would not know
what it is all about. Scary? Yes!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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06/13/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 14 June 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 14, 2021

— the paver foreman is deaf

There was a short mention of a paver foreman in a
newspaper story. This foreman was deaf. The
foreman is responsible for making sure the
asphalt paving job is well done. Not sure if
it is unusual for a deaf person performing
as a paver foreman?

 

— a deaf participant in 2021 Olympics in Tokyo

There have been quite a few deaf participants in
the past hearing Olympics (not Deaflympics).
Some of them have earned medals in their events.
It is known that Emma Meesseman, a professional
women’s basketball player, will be taking
part in the Olympics. Her team – Belgium
has qualified for the Olympics. She is one
of the world’s best female players, having
playing professionally in Europe and in the
WNBA.

 

— the deaf on reality TV shows

A big question was asked:

When was the last time you saw a deaf person on a reality TV show?

The answer – most of us cannot remember!

 

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
http://deafdigest.com/category/jobs/

06/13/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 11 June 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 11, 2021

— Facebook strangers help deaf person move from one town to another

A deaf person, offered a new job in a new town, had issues
while packing and moving, while at the same time, was
unfamiliar with the new town environs. No problem!
She posted her moving issues on Facebook, and much
to her surprise, many strangers offered to help with
the move! In this case, Facebook helping the deaf?
Yes.

 

— visiting a big cemetery

Three deaf Texans – Steve Baldwin, David Myers and
Larry Evans, visited the Texas State Cemetery,
located in Austin. Walking around, they were
able to locate the graves of individuals that
either were prominent deaf Texans or of hearing
people that did much to help the deaf. They stopped
at nearly 10 names – but it may be possible there
were others that were overlooked!

 

— agents important for deaf actors

Years ago Marlee Matlin gave a speech at an event,
saying agents are a must for deaf actors wanting
Hollywood roles. A deaf actor cannot do it alone.
Anyway there was a story that deaf actress
Millicent Simmonds has signed with WME to have
her represented in all Hollywood activities.
WME is one of the world’s most important and
most powerful agencies. Will we be seeing more
of Simmons in the years to come?

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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06/06/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 10 June 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 10, 2021

— a mother is never a job coach for her deaf son

A mother is not a job coach. A hearing employer
had problems with his deaf employee. Frustrated
he telephoned the mother, explaining these
work-related issues, and hinted that she should
help out with the job tasks of her deaf son.
This approach is wrong. He should have found
better ways to reach out to the deaf employee,
instead of scolding, yelling and screaming
at him!

 

— panicking when deaf customer comes in

A store clerk said that when he faced a deaf customer
for the first time in his life, he pushed his own
panic button, unsure on what to do! Deaf people
are human beings and there is absolutely no reason
to panic. There are notes; there are gestures;
there are finger pointing at menu dishes, etc.
Just calm down and relax.

 

— a sign language incident

A hospital had a deaf patient. A new nurse came
in and checked the computer, not realizing the patient
was deaf. She then signed in ASL to herself while
looking at the computer. The deaf patient saw it
and asked the nurse to please start all over
with ASL as he thought she was signing to him
(in which she wasn’t). The nurse, shocked
at the deaf patient watching her, immediately
apologized, saying she was practicing her own
ASL.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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06/06/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 09 June 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 9, 2021

— to save the deaf or not to save the deaf

An angry activist said:
Deaf people don’t need to be saved

This comment is either correct or incorrect
as there are deaf people that can take care
of their own needs whereas other deaf people
need assistance. Case by case basis!

 

— looking back on rubella

Is rubella coming back or is it eliminated
in USA? Hard to say, depending on which
source of information is accurate. Anyway,
during the last rubella outbreak, there
were few people that would realize that even
mild cases could lead to birth of deaf
children.

 

— a restaurant trying to survive the pandemic

In Calgary, the Mykonos Street Grill is owned
and operated by Ebony Gooden. She is deaf.
She said it is quite a challenge to keep
the business running and so far she is
doing fine.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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06/06/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 08 June 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 8, 2021

— making a deaf actress feel comfortable

A long-running TV series has just featured a new
deaf actress. Wanting to make her comfortable
during her acting scenes, a veteran actor has
made it a point to communicate with her between
breaks. The deaf actress said:

He made me feel at ease right from the start

The TV series is EastEnders.

 

— taking a picture of a deaf person for a big reason

A hearing photographer, sensitive to the needs of
the deaf, entered a photo contest. His entry was
a picture of a deaf person – for a big reason.
He wanted to show the judges that deafness is
an invisible disability and no one, just by
looking at the picture, would know it!
His photo won him a prize.

 

— communicating with a 5-year old deaf kid

Kids are kids, regardless of being deaf or
being hearing. Some of them will sneak out
of the locked house and the locked back yard
for a walk down the sidewalk, all by themselves
behind the backs of their family members.
One such 5-year old deaf kid did, but a
police officer caught the kid, and realized
he was deaf. How to communicate with that
deaf kid? The police would show him a picture
chart, hoping the kid would point at the
appropriate response – such as as home, scared,
stop, etc.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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06/06/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 07 June 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 7, 2021

— a film director became uncomfortable

DeafDigest editor thinks it is rare – that a film
director, after auditioning fake-deaf actors
for a deaf role, became uncomfortable. He
then decided to cast a deaf actor for this
deaf role – and was glad he did it! It was
for a 2017 movie.

 

— deaf patient never wanted to die

A deaf patient, having communication issues
with the hospital staff, did not understand
the question – do you want to be saved
if you have a medical emergency such as
breath stopping or a heart attack? He
“agreed not to” but without realizing the
consequences. He showed the agreement
papers with his family. Naturally the
family was upset, so was the deaf
patient – and they made a big stink
out of it with the hospital staff.
ADA? No, because the hospital is
in Scotland.

 

— a big ADA question

A deaf person wins a ADA lawsuit and thinks
is entitled to “millions of dollars”
award! Is he correct in thinking that
way – or did the attorney miscommunicate
with him? This is the big question:

What Do I Get If I Win An ADA Lawsuit?

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
http://deafdigest.com/category/jobs/

06/06/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
http://deafdigest.com/newsletters/

 

 

DeafDigest – 04 June 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 4, 2021

— deaf scientist studying COVID-19 specimens

DeafDigest editor guesses there is a number of
deaf people in labs that study COVID-19 specimens.
At least there is one that works at a lab in
Alabama.

 

— eliminating deafness in one nation

The Medical for Quality Healthcare, an agency
in Zambia, wants to eliminate deafness. Is it
realistic? No.

 

— past deaf superintendent wins settlement

A deaf superintendent was terminated from
employment in one school. That superintendent
filed a lawsuit – and won a settlement.
There has been no public announcement
and for that reason, DeafDigest is not
disclosing the identity of the deaf
superintendent.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
http://deafdigest.com/category/jobs/

05/30/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 03 June 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 3, 2021

— a newspaper editorial mocks interpreters

Not happening in USA, but in Fiji – that a
newspaper editor mocked sign language
interpreters. Yes, the readers were
very angry about it, so was the
government commission overseeing
the needs of the deaf.

 

— Comcast gives deaf man a break

A deaf senior citizen, with limited income,
fell behind on his monthly Comcast cable
TV payments. As a result Comcast shut down
his account. He was not allowed by his
doctor to continue with his employment,
and so, found some bills hard to keep up
with, including Comcast. He explained
this problem with a local TV news help
service. After a few minutes of listening,
the Comcast customer service representative
had the monthly bill slashed to a very
affordable rate. This deaf person now
his TV turned on, much to his joy.

 

— Basic ASL, numbers and alphabet poster signs posted at Amazon warehouse

At the Schodack, NY Amazon warehouse, one can see posters
everywhere on these Basic ASL, numbers and alphabet
signs. This warehouse has two deaf employees,
and they worked with the Amazon human resources
people to make this possible. So far, it is working.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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05/30/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 02 June 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 2, 2021

— interpreting is not a dull job

A tweet said interpreting is a job that is not
glamorous, and it mentioned actress Camryn Manheim,
years ago, working as an interpreter. They are
our heroes, and to say this profession is an
unglamorous job is an insult to them!

 

— the deaf and the thumb

Said a tweet:
I made sure to always use the thumb for the number three
when communicating with the deaf

This is correct. When a hearing person uses his
first three fingers to indicate the number three,
the deaf person may get confused before realizing
it was about the number three. So, do use the thumb,
not the fourth finger!

 

— federal tax credits not always helpful

Many employers know that if they hire the deaf
they may earn federal tax credits. Yet, they
still won’t hire the deaf. They worry that
costs of accommodating the deaf is too
costly and that the tax benefits is no
advantage to them Not true, but these 
employers do not always listen.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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05/30/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 01 June 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 1, 2021

— no voice when deaf actor communicates

from time to time there are deaf actors
in hearing voice films. And when they
communicate in ASL, there is no voice
for the audience to follow. Not not even
“pop up” captions which disappear when
hearing actors come on the scene and
use their voices. Why is it that way?
Possibly because the film producers
want it that way.

 

— to be a helicopter parent or not to be

A parent has a deaf child. Should the parent
become “helicopter” and follow the deaf child
around to make sure all is OK? Or to let the
deaf child fight own battles with bullying
hearing children? This was the issue a
parent raised in a newspaper story.

 

— unsatisfactory appointments

Deaf patients make appointments with medical
clinics and are given interpreters. Despite
clear communications, they go home unsatisfied
because of confusing and conflicting responses
from doctors and nurses to their medical
questions. Is this just a Deaf Medical
problem? Or it a Medical problem that
many patients, both deaf and hearing,
deal with?

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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05/30/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 31 May 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – May 31, 2021

— interpreter and deaf client do not understand each other!

Is it possible that an interpreter and client do not
understand each other? It may not happen in USA
because we have Certified Deaf Interpreters that
bridge the gap. But it is happening, in a small
way, with the British video relay service!

 

— comic book with empty texts

Could a comic book be without texts in some pages?
Uncanny X-Men is a comic book that has been around
for 58 years. One of the characters is Claire Connell,
who is deaf. And to emphasize her deafness, her
comments are blank! Good idea or bad idea?

 

— happy or unhappy with a new law in Washington state

Washington State Senate passed a bill to require
captions to be turned on with TV sets at all
public places. Happy? Yes, but this bill allows
airports, tribal lands and houses of worship
to have captions turned off! Not sure why
captions can be turned on in some places and
turned off in other places.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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05/30/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
http://deafdigest.com/newsletters/

DeafDigest – 28 May 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – May 28, 2021

— an inspector flunked a restaurant

A restaurant in Kansas failed a food inspection;
the reason was not food but failed flashing
smoke detector for deaf diners! Probably
inspectors in Kansas look beyond the food
and the kitchen.

 

— hearing pay to learn on-line ASL

An angry deaf ASL instructor said that on one
social media, hearing ASL instructor charges
students to learn how to sign. The issue is
that the hearing instructor teaches wrong
ASL signs yet profits off these clueless
students!

 

— four possibly dangerous sign-words

Criminal Justice doctoral program students in
Pennsylvania have learned these four sign-words –
stop, help, gun and drugs. OK or not OK with
these words during traffic stops with deaf
drivers? Safe or dangerous signs? It is
best to get an interpreter instead of
nervous and inexperienced police officers
attempting to ask questions with these
signs.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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05/23/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 27 May 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – May 27, 2021

— an assumption about closed captions and subtitles

A writer made this assumption that people who watch
subtitles are hearing and that people who watch
close captions are deaf! And also that closed
captions are perfect for the deaf. The writer
forgot one thing – audiences have no choice –
either it is nothing on the screen or watching
subtitles or watching closed captions (but not
both).

 

— still using and loyal to the TTY

DeafDigest said that the TTY device is
pretty much obsolete. Well, a subscriber
said:

As long as I’m alive, I’ll need the TTY and the Relay

He said that it is extremely rare that customer
service reps will text their customers, hence
the reason for the TTY and the relay.

His point is well-taken.

 

— not pushing for captions

A deaf creator, the one that brings something
on-line, said that both Twitter Areas and Clubhouse
do not want to push or to make captions easier
for deaf users. While captions are “possible”
it takes hard work, and is not “push button”
automatic!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
http://deafdigest.com/category/jobs/

05/23/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 26 May 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – May 26, 2021

— deaf person hunting for gold in Northern California

Many people look for gold in Northern California,
hoping to make money. Any deaf people hunting for
gold in that area? DeafDigest editor knows of
one deaf person with this hobby. Has he been
successful? He finds gold nuggets and places
these in a jar in the living room of his house.
When he has guests he would show the jar, telling
them the jar is getting more and more full as
time goes on. And when time is right, he would
sell the gold.

 

— old-fashioned ADA language

ADA language being old fashioned? One example is
the “TTY devices” language. How many deaf people
actually own and use TTY devices nowadays?

 

— some doctors can’t deal with deaf patients

Many ER nurses have accused doctors of not knowing
how to deal with deaf patients – no matter if
interpreters are there! This was part of a
survey that questioned the quality of medical
care for the disabled, including the deaf,
in emergency rooms.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
http://deafdigest.com/category/jobs/

05/23/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
http://deafdigest.com/newsletters/

DeafDigest – 25 May 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – May 25, 2021

— non-verbal emergency service for deaf

Is there such a thing as “non-verbal emergency
service” that the deaf could use? A new app
is coming up on the market – which would not
require voice communications, but using two
phone taps on their phone. Why not just
911 text? The app developer says 911 has
failed too many times! Will this new
app work? One question remains – the telephone
is pretty much obsolete and how many deaf
people still have their telephones at home?
Stay tuned.

 

— best horror movie for people that hate horror stories

Is there such a thing as a best horror movie for
people that don’t like to watch horror movies?
An article said that “Hush” is the best horror
movie for horror haters! The leading character
in that film is a fake-deaf person.

 

— Deaf Monopoly or SignTown

A new online board game is coming up on
the International Day of Sign Language
this coming September. It is called
SignTown and it may remind board game
players of a popular game – Monopoly.
One of the partners helping create
SignTown is Google.

 

please visit:
http://deafdigest.com/mid-week-news/20210525/

Deaf jobs – latest update
http://deafdigest.com/category/jobs/

DeafDigest – 24 May 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – May 24, 2021

— hacking the video relay system

Could our video relay systems be hacked
by hackers? Unfortunately, yes – and was
said it is another security concern.

 

— Mr. Deaf in a big auto race

There was a newspaper story about a big
auto race in Europe. It said that a driver
whose name is Deaf (first name or last
name not known) finished in the fourth
place. A typo or an actual name? Do
not know.

 

— these invisible disabilities

Deaf people know that their deafness is
often invisible to the public. It is not
just deafness that is an invisible
disability. A survey said 80 percent
of people with invisible disability
are either MS, epilepsy, diabetes,
and autism.

 

please visit:
http://deafdigest.com/mid-week-news/20210524/

Deaf jobs – latest update
http://deafdigest.com/category/jobs/

DeafDigest – 21 May 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – May 21, 2021

— a Dummy Hoy falsehood posted on twitter

A tweet said that a deaf senior citizen told
someone recently that he played baseball at
St Rita School for the Deaf, and that his
coach was Dummy Hoy. Could this be true? No –
Hoy passed away at the age of 99 in 1961.
Looking at the years involved, no way –
and besides many Hoy stories and tales
never mentioned him coaching baseball at
St Rita School for the Deaf

 

— hearing people run around in circles

Deaf people often see hearing people running
around in circles. To communicate with the
deaf, these hearing people realized they
needed pen and pad – and have not been
able to find both in a hurry. It forces
them to run in circles looking around
for these vital communication aides!

 

— about time, 20 years later

20 years ago, Verizon was DeafDigest
editor’s internet provider. A bad
connection issue came up – resulting
in countless deaf relay calls with
their customer service representatives.
Their attitude and bad responses
forced DeafDigest editor to switch
to a more deaf-friendly provider!

This was in response to the news that
Verizon is setting up a Disability
Advisory Board. 20 years too late.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
http://deafdigest.com/category/jobs/

05/16/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 20 May 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – May 20, 2021

— photographic communications

A deaf man would communicate with the hearing
by showing him pictures of his life, his
travels and the Deaf Culture. This may be
the new way of communicating with the hearing!

 

— clarifying Deaf Space

In an article that was posted today, Deaf
Space was defined as floor and wall layouts
that are not square or rectangular, plenty
of inside space that Deaf Eyes can see and
look around, and lights that are not dark.

Not part of article, but Deaf Space is
also Deaf House at:
http://deafdigest.com/deaf-house/

 

— an almost-ASL overgesturing

A hearing basketball fan was watching a
basketball game, and noticed something
interesting. The referee used basketball
signals during the flow of the play
and by his gestures, suspected he
was deaf. His gestures seemed to be
almost-ASL. After the game the fan
asked the referee if he was deaf.
The referee said yes!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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05/16/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 19 May 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – May 19, 2021

— frustrations of a full time deaf investor

A deaf person, who is a full time investor,
is frustrated. He constantly gets iPhone
voice calls from an investment brokerage,
wanting to discuss an issue with one
stock in his portfolio. The deaf person
has indicated his deafness and text only,
no voice, in his investment profile.
That broker has that information – but
still stubbornly uses voice calls!

 

— a deaf pharmacy technician

Amazon Pill Pack is a full-service online
pharmacy that packages medication and delivers
it to patients’ homes. Nicole Hlibichuk, of
Phoenix, who is deaf, is a pharmacy technician.
She has struggled with employees that do not know
how to deal with her deafness. Things are getting
better in due time. This begs a question – are
there deaf pharmacy technicians at big chain
pharmacies – such as CVS or Walgreen or
Walmart?

 

— a sign language news anchor that looks like a cartoon

Which would deaf people prefer – a live sign language
news anchor or a sign language news anchor that looks
like a cartoon (or at least AI)? Sogou Inc is coming
up with a a sign language news anchor that is not
a real person! It is in China.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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05/16/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 18 May 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – May 18, 2021

— an interesting sign language issue

Lets’ say there is one family member that is deaf
and is part of the dining table group with other
hearing family members. Family members know
the deaf person cannot follow the dining
table conversation by himself. Do family
members “cheat” by using words and gestures
with him that were not really part of the
conversation. This issue was brought up
recently.

 

— deaf in pro sports photography

Dylan Heuer, who is deaf, is a freelance
photographer with the Iowa Cubs minor
league baseball team. He is not the
only one – DeafDigest editor knows
of two other deaf photographers in
pro sports. There may be others.

 

— a doctor challenging patient’s deafness

A deaf woman suffered a head injury and was
rushed to a hospital emergency room. She
was accompanied by her hearing friend.
The deaf patient immediately informed the
doctor of her deafness. The doctor’s
response (by voice) was this:

How deaf are you?

While she was treated, this incident has
become a nightmare with her!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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05/16/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 17 May 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – May 17, 2021

— our perfect world

What is our perfect world, and even also more-perfect
world?

An advocate said – deaf always having both captions
and interpreters, allowing them to decide which is
best for themselves.

More-perfect world?

Deef having full equity and accessibility to everything
in life!

 

— hearing doing homework

When DeafDigest editor toured Paris some years
back he had a meal at a deaf-run cafe. The
proprietor said he spent 2-3 years doing
research on other shops and stores that
employ the deaf – to see what works the
best and what doesn’t with the deaf.
There was a story about Pica Pica Bakery
in Wuhan (China). The owner did the
same thing – traveling to other deaf-run
bakeries, cafes and educational programs
for the deaf in three other major cities.
When hearing hire the deaf, do they do
homework? Good question!

 

— not a priority at police academy

Some police officers don’t know how to deal
with the deaf during traffic stops. Lack of
deaf training at police academy? Classes
at police academy sometimes are 4-5 months;
sometimes 6 months at other academies.
One or two hour one-time lectures on
deafness at these academies are never
enough!

 

please visit:
http://deafdigest.com/mid-week-news/20210517/

Deaf jobs – latest update
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DeafDigest – 14 May 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – May 14, 2021

— Akron finally recognizes the deaf

Akron is now displaying a new statue which honors the
huge contributions the deaf made to the city. The
statue has a kiosk; hope it is deaf-friendly. The
contributions were:

Ben Schowe, who was deaf, was a labor economist,
pushing for deaf rights with Firestone

deaf employed at rubber plants were valued as noise
didn’t bother them

growth of Deaf Population as #1 largest in USA

Goodyear’s training of “Silent Squadron” which
was tasked with doing all tasks the plant expected
of them

Goodyear Silents semi-pro football team that won
championships and had games with Akron Pros, an
early year NFL team!

 

— big reason some prison officers don’t like ASL

There are sign languages communicated by hearing
prisoners, which is not ASL. Some prison officers
feel that ASL, with a lot of facial expressions,
may be the same as one of sign languages used
by the hearing (coded communications). This is
the reason why some ASL interpreters are
given hard time in some prisons.

 

— second deaf wedding in NBC’s Bride & Groom

A while ago DeafDigest mentioned that the marriage
of Roy Pyles and his wife was featured in the NBC’s
1954 Bride & Groom program. It was learned that
there was another deaf marriage on TV – of Archie
and Roberta Woodie shown on the same program, at
a different time in 1954.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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05/09/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 13 May 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – May 13, 2021

— harassed interpreter wins $1.5 million

The California appellate court agreed with the
lower court to award an interpreter $1.5 million
from the California Department of Corrections.
The interpreter claimed harassment and
discrimination by the corrections staff who
did not like the way she was providing
services for deaf inmates. She was accused
of being too close to deaf inmates, a charge
she has denied.

 

— using the old-fashioned water pump

There is a tale that Helen Keller,
who was deaf-blind, used the water pump
to learn how to communicate with her
teacher-mentor Anne Sullivan. This
water pump is on the site that is
listed with the National Register
of Historic Places.

 

— always with a partner while on the job

Erica Trevino, who is deaf, is a police officer
with the Dalhart (TX) Police Department. She has
two job accommodation rules – must always have
a partner with her; she cannot drive alone
on police calls. Second rule is that all
calls to her while on patrol must be by
text. She can listen to radio calls but
still, must use texts. Her goal is to
become an investigator in the Police
Criminal Department.

 

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DeafDigest – 12 May 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – May 12, 2021

— deaf, but works as motorcycle paramedic and flight paramedic

Richard Webb-Stevens is deaf but performs both as motorcycle
paramedic and as flight paramedic. Possible for deaf to
find either positions in USA. Do not know – but it is
in London where he works for the London Ambulance Service.
His notable accomplishment? As the first responder
to arrive at the Westminster Bridge attack in 2017!

 

— due to communication and miscommunication issues, 4 interpreters needed

A deaf defendant in a court case requires four interpreters.
It is because of issues with communication and miscommunication.
Two CDI’s and two legal interpreters? Don’t know – newspaper
story didn’t say.

 

— a graduate from Johnson & Wales

Johnson & Wales is one of the world’s best culinary
schools. Graduates get top jobs in restaurant
kitchens. Jinhwan Kwon, who is deaf, graduated
after taking courses in baking and pastry.
It was not easy for him; coming from South
Korea, he had to learn two languages – English
and ASL just to keep up with the courses.
He hopes to stay in Rhode Island and find
a baking/pastry job; just do the paperwork
on Employment Authorization Document.

 

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DeafDigest – 11 May 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – May 11, 2021

— returning to the interpreting field

An interpreter left her profession in order
to raise her children. Now that her children
are now in college, she has returned to the
field. She said interpreters nowadays are
very encouraged to seek college degrees in
interpreting, regardless of their high level
signing skills. In the past there was no
such encouragement! She is taking courses
while at the same time interpreting for
her clients.

 

— advice for hearing

A deaf lecturer gave this following advice for the
hearing that want to communicate with the deaf:

point at something

use gestures

use notebook or text

never joke and say “I only know one sign” (dirty word)

never say “I will explain this later to you”

never say “Never Mind”

 

— the captioner disappeared

A deaf person depended on the captioner
during meetings and discussions. When
Zoom came up, the big question was:

hey, where is my captioner!

Yes, it is a nightmare

 

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DeafDigest – 10 May 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – May 10, 2021

— powerful deaf banker in medium-sized British city

William Wall, who was deaf, was written up in
a newspaper story as one of Oxford’s most
powerful bankers. He was said to be involved
in every major financial transaction in Oxford.
It was during the latter part of 19th century.

 

— deaf engineer in a TV drama

Racquel McPeek Rodriguez ia a deaf actress playing
the role of Sienna Marchione, an angineer on a
dangerous mission with her team. Military Technology
was stolen by the enemy and she is trying to get
it all back before further damage is done.
The program is ‘NCIS: Los Angeles.’

 

— Oscar puts its foot down with new rules

New rules for eligibility for Best Picture
consideration on will take place, not in 2022 or
2023 but during the 2024 Oscars. In four
categories, the minimum level of representation
must be met. Three years from now, ugh, yes!

 

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DeafDigest – 07 May 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – May 7, 2021

— agency’s online discrimination

A casting agency for actors has been accused
of using an on-line tick box to reject
interest and queries from deaf actors!

 

— different signs from different eras

A long-time interpreter said when she started
interpreting, the signs she used were
“old fashioned” but that over the years
new signs have come up while older signs
disappear. This meant she had to keep up
with these newer signs just about every
day.

 

— the Deaf Community and the Deaf School

When a Deaf School is located in a Deaf
Community, then deaf population is higher.
But when the Deaf School closes up for
good, then the deaf population shrinks.
This was the comment made by an observer
in a newspaper story.

 

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DeafDigest – 06 May 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – May 6, 2021

— deaf person allowed to sit next to court clerk

A deaf person, in a court case, was allowed by
the judge to sit next to the court clerk during
a trial, to keep up with the proceedings. It
took place — in 1882, which is 130 years ago!

 

— opportunity for deaf wine-tasters

The Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas is offering
an online Introductory Sommelier Course. The board
says it is a good opportunity for the deaf to learn
more about wines!

 

— “some sign language” on TV news

DeafDigest mentioned that a British TV
news program “welcomed” Deaf Awareness
Week but without using captions. It did
mention that “some” sign language was
used. Is it better than nothing?
No way! Must have both captions and
sign language, not one or the other.

 

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DeafDigest – 05 May 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – May 5, 2021

— worldwide text relay service for the deaf

The International Telecommunication Union,
part of the United Nations, is coming up
with aworldwide text relay service for the deaf.
Not exactly how will it work – because of
6,500 identified printed languages all over
the world – but hope it works, just the same!

 

— the Zoom and the deaf designer

A deaf person designs products at home. He relies on
everything – emails, Google Docs, Github, Slack
and other apps. His design company requires staff
meetings on Zoom to discuss design issues – and
this the deaf designer’s biggest problem. For that
reason, he uses a lot of communication tools –
to get his points through with the staff. So far,
he says it works.

 

— deaf asylum-seekers and their sign languages

According to a report, deaf people seeking asylum,
may use sign languages, that the immigration
officers have difficulty finding interpreters
to communicate with them! Even with those with
Spanish Sigh Language, not recognized as one
of these universal sign languages, use local
or regional dialects that no one understands!

 

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DeafDigest – 04 May 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – May 4, 2021

— hearing in comics, deaf in a movie

Makkari is a character in both Marvel Comics
and in the upcoming movie. In the comics,
Makkari is hearing; in the film Makkari
is deaf (Lauren Ridloff). An interesting
way to twist deaf/hearing fantasy all around.

 

— lipreading through the hand covering the mouth

Could deaf people see through a hearing
hand, covering the mouth, to lipread what
the person is saying? No way! Yet there
have been complaints that some hearing
people cover their mouths with their
hands while speaking to the deaf.
First, the mask; now this, the hand!
Why?

 

— warning from a deaf job applicant

A deaf job applicant gave this warning –
never ask the employer what the company
policy is on diversity. Employers do not
want troublemakers, and even the company
follows ADA rules, ways will be found,
legally, not to hire the deaf person!

 

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DeafDigest – 03 May 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – May 3, 2021

— deaf person as Chief Accessibility Officer

A newspaper interviewed Jenny Lay-Flurrie, who is
deaf, discussing her role as the Microsoft
Chief Accessibility Officer. The story emphasized
that Microsoft is one of the few companies that
has a Chief Accessibility Officer, especially
a deaf officer. If few, are we saying that
Walmart, Amazon, CVS Health, ExxonMobil and
others (while having deaf employees) lack
a Chief Accessibility Officer?

 

— a deaf installer of electrical power lines

Kevin Anyira, who is deaf, is an installer of
electrical power lines. It is a dangerous job
which requires physical challenges. DeafDigest
does not know if there are other such deaf
installers of power lines elsewhere. He
works for the Kenya Power and Lighting Company
(Kenya, not USA).

 

— no purpose for an interpreter

Interpreters serve no purpose, especially during
Covid-19 press conferences! This was what
the United Kingdom government said. This is
the reason why this case is a hot, hot issue
in the British court system. Keep in mind
the past White House would not provide
interpreters during Covid-19 press conferences.

 

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DeafDigest – 30 April 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – April 30, 2021

— no one knew the defendant was deaf

A deaf person was arrested but the police
officer and the arraignment judge both
didn’t know until later he was deaf. It
did not help that the deaf person was
angry and violent. An interpreter was
brought in but they all realized he
did not know ASL. It took notes passed
back and forth, before the angry deaf person
calmed down, realizing what led to
his arrest! Believe it or not?

 

— full time job for a deaf person

an activist said:
Being deaf is a full time job, but it shouldn’t have to be

That activist is correct – examples are using eyes
instead of ears walking on the sidewalk; entering
a store to determine if it is deaf-friendly
or not; hearing person encountering you, requiring
you to point to your ear to indicate your
deafness, and so on!

 

— deaf women’s clothing designer is everywhere

There was a story today of Mona Thalheimer, who is
deaf and owns her own clothes design company. How
good is she? Her clothes can be found at Bergdorf
Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue,
Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom, Fred Segal and others.
The story also said that she is first deaf American
in this clothing field. Don’t know if this is
true – but what she has done with her career
is quite an accomplishment.

 

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DeafDigest – 29 April 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – April 29, 2021

— shock: from big city to a small town

A deaf person lived in a big city and was
“spoiled” by a wide range of services
and opportunities – employment, social
life, captions, interpreters, social
services, etc. Needing a change of
scenery this deaf person moved to a
small town and was shocked by lack of
things that a big city would offer. It
was profiled in a newspaper story.

 

— no interpreter at Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour

There was a posting by the Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour
(Scranton, PA) that a handout has been prepared for
the deaf who are not accompanied by an interpreter.
Legal or illegal? The Small Museum Association
said that tourists should request an interpreter
via advance notification. In other words, no
last-minute walk-in requests!

 

— important meeting place in Faribault

Faribault is where Minnesota State Academy
for the Deaf is located. For the deaf
residents of Faribault, the most important
meeting place is the coffee shop in downtown!
For that reason, the coffee shop owner hired
a sign language person to accommodate
deaf patrons that want their coffee.

 

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DeafDigest – 28 April 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – April 28, 2021

— to grab by the arm or to tap on the shoulder

Two police officers tried to help a deaf person,
who seemed to have problems but would not admit it.
This incident was part of a police department
investigation. What was troubling was the one of the
officers grabbed the deaf person by his arm to draw
him to attention. Shouldn’t he have gently tapped him
on the shoulder?

 

— a group of deaf women refused seating at a crowded restaurant

A restaurant seated patrons on a first come, first served
basis. The average waiting time was 25 minutes, but after
an hour and half of waiting, the staff told the deaf
group to leave the restaurant. This led to words between
the group and the staff. Fortunately, the restaurant
manager realized what was going on – and immediately
seated them – with discounts on meals and drinks.
Bitter feelings still have continued afterwards.

 

— visible deaf actors are considered invisible

A deaf actor said in a newspaper interview:

Deaf actors are often invisible in the theater
community. We belong in the room. We are every
one of you. We have the talent. We have the skills.
Yet we are invisible to them.

 

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DeafDigest – 27 April 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – April 27, 2021

— this is nothing new

Oscar fans were upset that Academy Awards presenter
Marlee Matlin was cut away from the viewing while
presenting documentary awards in ASL. Hint? Our past
Super Bowl ASL presentations of our national anthem!

 

— an almost ADA-perfect hospital

A big hospital in Washington, DC has an excellent
reputation for medical services in addition to
being almost ADA-perfect. Only one thing wrong –
the callbox in the hospital emergency parking lost
is not deaf friendly!

 

— opening up a small town restaurant

Kendall Kail, who is deaf, lost his job in a
Minneapolis restaurant because it closed up
during the pandemic. He grew up in Farnhamville,
Iowa, which has a population of 371 at the
2010 Census. Returning home, he opened a
new restauarant in the same town. So far
the residents are happy for they needed a
place to hang out after a long hard day
at the farm or at the factory.

 

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DeafDigest – 19 April 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – April 19, 2021

— from old career to new career

Owen Logue, who is deaf and participated in the
past Deaflympics, retired from a long career as
educator. His most recent job was executive director
of Maine’s Governor Baxter School for the Deaf.
His new career is feeding the hungry, as the
interim executive director of the Bar Harbor Food
Pantry and its resale clothing boutique.

 

— Deaf attorney wins defamation case

Lawyer Chris Murphy, who is deaf and has
been victimized by ageism, filed a lawsuit
accusing a newspaper of saying that he was
“too old and deaf” to represent his clients
in court. The judge observed Murphy and said
he had no problem following the courtroom
proceedings despite his deafness, and
awarded him monetary damages!

 

— critic said Godzilla vs. Kong movie was awful

A critic said the Godzilla vs. Kong movie was awful.
One of the reasons was a fake-deaf child actor
who just couldn’t act at all!

 

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DeafDigest – 16 April 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – April 16, 2021

— something else instead of closed captions

In the late 1990’s, a South Korean committee
met to discuss ways to set up closed captions.
The committee vote was to forget closed captions
and to install very loud TV speakers to help
the deaf follow the programs! Hard to believe?
Yes, but very fortunately this loud speaker
idea was never used and the group agreed to
follow USA’s closed captioning model.

 

— another deaf invention helping the hearing

A deaf invention is speech to text. Surprisingly
enough this invention seems to benefit the
hearing (possibly more than the deaf). During
hearing meeetings, no one takes accurate notes;
people don’t remember the issues being discussed;
information over due time will go away. This is
where the deaf device – speech to text comes in!

 

— yelling across the court room

A deaf person, that depends on hearing aids,
was using a special device to hear questions
from the attorney during a cross examination.
The device broke down, and the hearing
aid did not help. For some reason, instead
of asking for a recess to find a replacement
device, the judge allowed the cross examination
to proceed. It forced the attorneys to yell
across the court room to allow the deaf
person to catch what was being said. This
incident took place in a courtroom in
Sacramento, CA. Shocking? Yes.

 

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DeafDigest – 15 April 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – April 15, 2021

— to be serious or to be funny

A deaf person and a hearing person share the same
residence. The deaf person requires captions
whereas the hearing person hates captions – and
repeatedly suggests that the deaf person wear
hearing aid when watching TV. Is the hearing
person serious about it or is repeatedly trying
to be funny about it? Sad!

 

— these disability statements

If and when you surf corporate web sites to look
up something, it may be best to look at
these disability statements. These big
corporations – such as American Airlines
and Marriott have their own disability
statements inside somewhere their own
web sites. They do not want ADA lawsuits
hence these statements. The problem is
that such statements are hidden and
it may not be easy to find it!

 

— using wrong interpreters

A deaf woman, near Las Vegas, was arrested in a
traffic stop. Her children were riding in the
car with her. Realizing communication was
impossible, the cops used the children to
interpret for their mother! The police
department said afterwards:

This department will make every effort to see that
its employees communicate effectively with people
who have identified themselves as deaf or hard of
hearing

 

 

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DeafDigest – 14 April 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – April 14, 2021

— the newspaper headline is wrong

A newspaper ran this headline:

Lip-reading masks help sign language users

This headline is trying to tell us that all
deaf people, even those that use sign language,
can read lips! The writer does not know what
he is writing about.

 

— advocate for the deaf shames the head of a nation

A head of nation knows what ADA is, for he is a dual-citizen
(of USA and Great Britain). It is UK’s Boris Johnson who
spent nearly £2.6m (nearly $4.0 million USA dollars) on
press conferences – but with no interpreters! Angry
Vicky Foxcroft, the Shadow Minister for Disabled People,
pointed this out to Boris’ face. Boris, who normally
is outspoken and is never at loss for words, had nothing
to say to Vicky! Same thing happened to the White House of
the previous administration, which had to be sued for this
same reason.

 

— TV weather news led by deaf meteorologist

Meaghan Thomas, who is deaf, but functions as
a hearing person (with hidden hearing aids)
is the meteorologist of the Nashville (TN)
WKRN News. She does not use sign language,
but only recently has accepted her deafness.

 

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DeafDigest – 13 April 2021

— lip reading contest: deaf vs AI machine

Lip reading researchers said that in a
deaf vs AI machine contest, focused on
a TV news program, AI machine would win.
They said AI machine catches 48 percent
of newscaster spoken speech as compared
to deaf human’s 12 percent accuracy.
Really? Four times machine accuracy rate
above human accuracy? In real life,
lipreading is always tricky – accents,
dialects, lips easy to read, lips
impossible to read and so on.

 

— Godzilla vs. Kong is a big deal for one reason

Much publicity has been focused on deaf actress
Kaylee Hottle’s performance in the Godzilla vs. Kong
movie. It is a big deal for one reason – according
to a movie critic, it is a high budget film. And for
that reason, Hollywood people shy from casting deaf
people in “expensive” films! Low budget films, yes,
but not films that expensive.

 

— jobs for deaf at GBH

Years way back in 1972 WGBH came up with closed
captions for the deaf. WGBH has now become GBH
and they announced Donna Danielewski to be their
first Executive Director of Accessibility. The
goal is to employ the deaf, and  the disabled. Hope it
all works out.

 

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DeafDigest – 12 April 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – April 12, 2021

— one deafness insult will be difficult to forgive

Prince Philip insulted many people and many things
for many years. He even insulted a group of deaf
people – even though his mother was deaf. Now
that he has departed us, it will now be more
difficult for the Royal Family to ask the
public, especially the deaf, to forgive his
insults!

 

— less entertainment for a group

For a group of deaf, hard of hearing, hearing impaired,
late deafened, hearing loss, it means one thing.

Less entertainment for the group when watching non-captioned
movies.

This is what one critic said in an interview!

 

— deaf marriage on TV

Roy E. Pyles, a long time resident of West Virginia,
departed us. He was praised for his leadership among
the deaf of West Virginia. He also has earned a big
honor – getting married on a 1954 TV program – NBC’s
Bride and Groom. His bride was the former Delores Stepp.
Keep in mind there were no captions in these days.
Was the program interpreted? Do not know. Anyway,
only deaf marriage on TV or were there others?
Again, do not know.

 

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DeafDigest – 09 April 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – April 9, 2021

— Captions for the Hearing, not for the Deaf

There was a survey that said 80 percent of people
using captions were hearing, not deaf! Three reasons –

… hard to hear sounds in a noisy room
… to better learn English as a language
… to understand speakers that have thick accents

Could we say captions is the big Deaf Contribution to
the Hearing Society? Yes!

 

— Comment by New York Times

The New York Times headlined a story, saying
that Granville Redmond was an early example
of deaf representation in Hollywood. He was
well noted for his skills in painting and
acting and as a friend to everyone. Deaf
representation is not a correct description.
The correct description is Token Hollywood
Representation. While Redmond passed away
in 1935, this tokenism continues to this day!

 

— Bad communication: Doctors and/or Deaf Patients

Even with interpreters and video devices, something
always seem to be missing when doctors and deaf
patients try to communicate with each other.
Examples are – doctor telling the deaf patient
he will be getting a prescription, yet he leaves
the office without a slip for the pharmacist.
Another example is telling the deaf patient
he will be getting full tests – yet the deaf
patient leaves the office thinking he has not
gotten these tests. Whose fault is it? A group
of students from Babson College in Massachusetts
is working with University of Global Health Equity
on how to best improve communications.

 

 

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DeafDigest – 08 April 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – April 8, 2021

— Hollywood diversity officer vs Hollywood casting director

Right now Hollwood studios are being asked to hire
diversity officers. What this means – no more fake-
deaf actors. Will studios accept this idea? What
is going to happen to Hollywood casting directors
that want to cast fake-deaf actors whereas Hollywood
diversity officers tell them – cast real-deaf, not
fake-deaf actors for deaf roles? Will be interesting
to see how this all develops!

 

— easy talk, no action

Employers are always saying “we will hire the deaf;”
we respect the ADA and support it”

Yet when a deaf person applies for a job and is
turned away, this easy talk becomes no action

DeafDigest editor, over the years, has been
discriminated by hearing people that tell him
they are very supportive of ADA!

 

— deaf person becoming a chancellor

Robert Gordon University is a public university in
Aberdeen, Scotland. This university has named a
new chancellor – and it is Evelyn Glennie, who is
deaf and is considered one of the world’s most
famous musicians. Some questions – is she a graduate
of university? Yes – the Royal Academy of Music.
As a chancellor, is she the “boss” – the university
CEO? No, in the United Kingdom, it more or less
is an ambassador of the university, spreading
goodwill and making important contacts wherever
she travels! Congrats, Evelyn.

 

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DeafDigest – 07 April 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – April 7, 2021

— fake-deaf actor’s ASL skills

A movie critic had this to say about ASL skills
of a fake-deaf actor. The critic said:

The actor does not know ASL; not even accurate
or correct with it. For that reason this
movie – a comedy where we laugh with the plot
has been changed to – we laugh at the actor’s
ASL struggles!

 

— the worry of a deaf activist

A deaf activist, that loves sports, has this
worry – that if and when stadiums reach full
capacity, the teams will forget the needs
of deaf fans – meaning interpreters and
scoreboard captions. Yes, we have ADA
but things may have a way of falling through
the cracks!

 

— state representative remembering or forgotting

There was a story of Arkansas Representative
Charlene Fite as she goes through a typical
hectic day. Her second task of the day
was going to the budget committee to
restablish the office of the deaf and
hard of hearing services. After this is
done, she moves on to other tasks, hour by
hour until the day ends and she arrives
home exhausted, and probably jumping
backwards on her bed. Will she remember
her appointment earlier in the day on
behalf of the deaf? Hope so.

 

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DeafDigest – 06 April 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – April 6, 2021

— to clean, clean and clean

A big screen theater, that never closed up during
this pandemic, has been cleaning everything every
day. One of the most important things being cleaned
up is captioning devices. It is still cleaned
up even when no one used it the previous day!

 

— to work with the deaf, hearing must remember something

Hearing employees know that a fellow employee is deaf –
and that they must either gently tap on his shoulder
or to wave in front of his eyes to get attention.
Yet they will forget sometimes – and then throw
paper clips or crumpled paper to get his attention.
Making things worse is that some of them would
speak too fast for a long time, “trapping” the deaf
person against the wall, not able to lipread a word!

 

— more important, or less important

Many deaf people own iPhones and Androids.
These devices are packed with features.
Which is the most important deaf-feature?
Is it weather alert? Is it text/email
alerts? Is it sound alerts? Or whatever!

 

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DeafDigest – 05 April 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – April 5, 2021

— a president broke a promise to hire an interpreter

Cyril Ramaphosa, the president of South Africa, promised
the deaf community that he would hire an interpreter. He
never did. A group of organizations serving the deaf
have asked him to apologize to them – in sign language –
for breaking the promise. Do the deaf really want an
apology in a broken sign language that the president
will quickly forget few minutes later?

 

— auto-captions on instagram

Instagram management is working on auto-captions.
Great for deaf? Yes, if captions is perfect.
Auto-captions not always perfect! Should deaf
people accept it as better than nothing?

 

— continuing to insult the deaf

Prime Minister Edi Rama, of Albania, has
continued to insult the deaf by calling
them deaf-mutes. European human rights
organizations are now asking the
European Commissioner of Human Rights
to stop  his insulting of the deaf. Will the
Prime Minister listen to the
human rights people?

 

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04/04/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 02 April 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – April 2, 2021

— drive-in theater in large deaf community won’t respond to deaf

Frederick, MD has a large deaf community, and there
was talk that a drive-in theater will be coming
back to that city. The management, however, refused
to respond to this question:

Will this drive-in theater show captions for the deaf?

A deaf person made a stink out of the refusal in
the newspaper “Letters to the Editor” column.

 

— said to be one of the oldest deaf clubs in USA

A deaf club 121 years old? The Puget Sound
Association of the Deaf was written up in
a newspaper, saying it is one of the oldest
deaf clubs in USA. It is located in Seattle,
WA. We do have other older deaf clubs –
Buffalo Club for the Deaf and Pittsburgh
Association of the Deaf and Charles Thompson
Memorial Hall (St Paul, MN) but Puget Sound
is older than these three deaf clubs. Is
there another deaf club that is older than
Puget Sound? DeafDigest editor does not know.

 

— police roughs up deaf man with cerebral palsy

A deaf resident, of Dayton, Ohio, with cerebral
palsy, has accused the city police of roughing
him up for no reason. He was handcuffed and taken
to a hospital at quite a distance from his home.
The city said police actions were justified. The
public Citizens’ Appeals Board said police actions
were not justified. At this point, the city does
not know what to to!

 

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03/28/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 01 April 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – April 1, 2021

— honoring a NTID legend

Dr. Robert Frisina, a NTID legend, departed us
yesterday. He started his career working with
the deaf at Gallaudet in the late forties,
even coaching the basketball team one season.
In the late sixties, he moved on to another
career with the brand new NTID. People have
said it was Frisina that made NTID the world’s
most eminent technical school for the deaf.
Thank you, Robert, for providing the world
with highly skilled NTID graduates in the
rapidly evolving world of technology.

 

— bad lipreading April Fools’ Day joke

A hearing person may say Voltswagen,
and the deaf person may think it is
Volkswagen. It was an attempted
April Fools’ Day joke, telling the
world of the name change to Voltswagen.
Not only the joke was leaked out few
days before today – but that the company
may have broken the US securities law
for possibly misleading the investors.
A bad Deaf Lipreading joke that may
have backfired on them!

 

— the mask and the deaf, per shop owner

A shop owner told his hearing employees:

Wear your mask, but always think about deaf customers

 

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DeafDigest – 31 March 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – March 31, 2021

— The Clubhouse and the Deaf

Clubhouse is a new app, that DeafDigest
previously mentioned as unfriendly to
the deaf. Unfriendly for two reasons –
no captions nor interpreters; and the
Clubhouse policy that anything that is
said inside the “room” cannot be revealed
outside. This means no chat transcripts
that could have benefitted the deaf. Not
surprised if ADA attorneys are awaiting
a wave of complaints from the deaf in
the near future!

 

— two reasons deaf people are not hired

A businessman who hires many disabled and
deaf people said:

companies often don’t hire people with disabilities
for what they perceive as liability reasons, or because
they think it might make customers uncomfortable

 

— the Undercover Boss and the deaf employee

Bowlero Corp was featured on Undercover Boss TV
program. It operates a chain of 300 bowling
alleys in USA. Colie Edwin had a deaf employee
that she was featured with on a segment of that
TV program. She learned that he needed a
hearing aid but couldn’t afford it. She
made him a promise – of a new hearing aid.
Just hope it is a real promise, not a fake
promise – because Undercover Boss is getting
a bad reputation of making broken promises.

 

 

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DeafDigest – 30 March 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – March 30, 2021

— character showing no love to real person love

Coda actress Louise Fletcher, while winning an
Oscar for best actress, showed no love in
her role in the 1975 movie “One Flew Over the
Cuckoo’s Nest.” She, however, as a real person,
showed real love while thanking in ASL, her deaf
parents for raising her. It was pointed out in
a short newspaper story today.

 

— all interpreters hate this

All interpreters deal with situations that they
hate – interpreting bad news.

One interpreter said:
I keep a straight face even when my stomach is churning

Another interpreter said:
I am doing the right thing, although it is often unpleasant

 

— lack of cooking show deaf contestants

We have talented deaf chefs. They are not afraid
to challenge Bobby Flay on the “Beat Bobby Flay”
TV program. But are our deaf chefs given
opportunities? As far as DeafDigest editor
is concerned – only one deaf chef appeared
on a TV program – Kurt Ramborger. He is not
the only great deaf chef around.

 

 

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03/28/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 29 March 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – March 29, 2021

— deaf hairstylist with unusual experience

Virginia Maldonado, who is deaf, is a hairstylist
in Jensen Beach, Florida. Her first day on the
job was the first day businesses were allowed
to reopen with use of masks. She has never known
what it was to work as hairstylist without
masks! For that reason many of her customers
were not aware of her deafness, but were still
accepting of her work on their hair!

 

— $1,000 for essential artists

San Francisco has announced a plan – to pay $1,000
per month for essential artists to continue to
work on their art. What is essential? Are deaf
artists essential in the eyes of the San Francisco
officials? Keep in mind we have many great deaf
artists.

 

— live captions, yes; automated captions, no; interpreters, no

A deaf resident of Minneapolis filed a formal complaint
about public meetings not being interpreted. This
complaint went into mediation and agreement was reached
to provide captions. But which captions – by humans or by
machines. The city tried out several captioning systems
and decided to go for the more expensive one – human
generated captions.

 

 

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DeafDigest – 26 March 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – March 26, 2021

— a deaf newscaster mystery 71 years ago

In 1950, John Tubergen became the first deaf
sign language TV newscaster in Chicago. He
only lasted 13 weeks before being dropped.
Why? It was understood that the program
was shut down because of a labor strike
by the TV electricians. But when the strike
was settled, he was not asked to come
back, nor was the ASL news resumed. This
is the big mystery that endures to this day.

 

— Cooking show on Facebook better than Cooking show on TV

There are many cooking shows on TV and all of them are
captioned. The show “Sheryl in the Kitchen” is not
on TV, but among the deaf of New Orleans, is much more
popular than the ones shown on TV. Reason is that
Sheryl’s brother – Anthony Aramburo is an interpreter
and he interprets any and everything that his sister
speaks out about these cooking skills and tricks.
It is shown via Facebook, so if you wish to improve
on your cooking skills, do look her up!

 

— AT&T great to deaf in past; bad to deaf in present

Years ago AT&T was great to the deaf in the past;
they donated surplus teletype machines for
conversion into these Model 15 and Model 19
machines that became the national deaf TTY
network. Plus AT&T made annual cash donations
to TDI, Inc to help distribute the national
deaf TTY directory. And they had one person
(Joe Heil) who represented AT&T at all big
deaf conventions and deaf events. Times
have changed – AT&T has been fined nearly
20 million dollars for not sponsoring and
supporting programs for the deaf as they
were supposed to do so.

 

 

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DeafDigest – 25 March 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – March 25, 2021

— Dr. Fauci’s idea not good for the deaf

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the White House chief adviser for
COVID-19, felt that while many Americans have already
received their vaccines, they should continue
wearing the masks. This is not good for the deaf.
It is another matter if it was temporary but
not if this idea becomes permanent. Very scary.

 

— Matlin’s sign language e-cards

American Greetings is working with famed deaf
actress Marlee Matlin on on these sign
language e-cards – that has everything –
music, vocals, animated lyrics and ASL.
Hope it takes off and is successful.

 

— functionally-hearing deaf person shocked by the deaf

A deaf person, that functioned as a hearing person,
refused, for years, to accept her deafness. This
person, who is a store manager, finally met a group
of deaf people for the first time in her life and
was shocked. She said:

Deaf people were more accepting of their deafness
than I ever was

 

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DeafDigest – 24 March 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – March 24, 2021

— deaf person accused of having “attitude”

Homeless hearing people beg for money and
harass people that walk past them in downtown
of a major city. For some reason a certain
homeless person continues to accuse a deaf
person of having an attitude problem! This
person sits in front of a CVS store and
would open the doors for hearing people
that enter or exit the building (hoping
for tips). When there is behind-the-back
yelling and screaming, the hearing person
hears it but often ignores it whereas the
deaf person is clueless (and is labelled
as having an attitude).

 

— deaf BBQ chef vs hearing BBQ chefs

On all these TV BBQ grilling contests,
DeafDigest editor has never seen a
deaf contestant. Hearing BBQ contestants
better than deaf BBQ chefs? No way!
But deafness may be a disadvantage,
and it has nothing to do with grilling
skills. It has a lot to do with “spying”
on judges’ tasting preferences and on
contestants’ grilling tricks. Yes,
deaf contestants can see but cannot
hear these whispered comments among
contestants that are forever talking
trash with each other. There is one
deaf contestant that has competed
locally and is hoping one day he
will win big. DeafDigest hopes so.

 

— Coda remembers these days of past years

A Coda was interviewed in a newspaper story.
She said:

my parents couldn’t watch non-captioned movies

my parents couldn’t enjoy non-interpreted public festivals

my parents didn’t want to go to restaurants and
not understanding what the waiters were saying

This Coda is correct.

 

 

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DeafDigest – 23 March 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – March 23, 2021

— no lip reading at all

No lip reading at all, according to part of a
newspaper story. It was not in reference to
pandemic masks, but in reference to watching
captions on TV. It was part of humor while
staying home much of the time.

 

— tricks of a deaf referee

Matt Ayyash is deaf and is a respected referee
in soccer. He depends on tricks to make players
aware of his deafness, especially those shocked
about it for the first time. During the pre-game
coin flip, he would immediately tell the team
captains of his deafness and that he would
officiate the game differently from hearing
referees. He would explain that if they wish
to communicate with him during the game, just
to tap on his shoulder and to directly face him.
He wears a buzzer on his arm to allow fellow
referees to quickly bring attention. He also
follows closely, not afar, the action on the
field. Lastly but most important of all,
requiring his interpreters to know soccer signs!

 

— the deaf and the military

Paige Hall, who is deaf, is a ROTC student at
Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville.
A big newspaper story was written up about her,
and the bottom line is that she believes her
deafness will not be a barrier to a military
career. A barrier or not a barrier? Many
deaf soldiers fought on the both sides of
the Civil War. Theodore Roosevelt, before
he became the president, wanted to recruit
a Deaf Cavalry during the Spanish-American war.
A school for the deaf currently has a Deaf
Military unit. And we have known of deaf
fighters in other nations right now.
A barrier or not a barrier?

 

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03/21/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 22 March 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – March 22, 2021

— interpreter requests not filled

An agency, that serves the deaf in a small city
in a western state, receives several hundred
requests for interpreters. Approximately 15 percent
of these requests are not filled – for one reason –
lack of interpreters around. This is a troubling
issue – because while we have video and VRI services,
the deaf prefer face to face interpreters.

 

— importance of deaf and hearing as equals

A hearing businessman made this comment in a
workshop panel:

Learn about the importance of working with the deaf community

Words and phrases can be tricky and can be misunderstood.
A google search showed this explanation:

To work with means you are working usually on equal footing

Deaf and hearing as equals?

Yes, always, and all the time!

 

 

— working in a control room

All NASA flights into space are watched and monitored
by a group of engineers in a control room. One of
these engineers is Johanna Lucht. She is deaf.
NASA has had several other deaf engineers but
never in the control room.

 

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03/21/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 19 March 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – March 19, 2021

— marketing people ignore the deaf, says Forbes magazine

The Forbes magazine ran an article saying that when
marketing people develop videoes of their products
and services, they ignore the deaf. One reason, Forbes
says, is because captions is time consuming and when
there is a rush to move products into videos, it
is not a priority. ADA? Wait and see what pro-ADA
attorneys have to say!

 

— TV program run by a deaf club

A sign language online TV program is being run by
a deaf club. It features programs on sports and
cooking as well as a weekly contest. Where in
USA? Sorry, it is run by the Cambridgeshire Deaf
Association in Great Britain.

 

— locating a deaf brother that left home 4 decades ago

Many young deaf people, not feeling too close to their
hearing family members, leave home to seek fortunes
elsewhere, and often do not return home. A hearing sister
missed her deaf brother who left home four decades ago
and started to look for him via on-line resources.
It was a difficult task for one reason – the brother
changed his last name and he moved nearly half way
across USA. One way or other she was able to locate
him – and even though she never learned sign language,
she’s planning a reunion with him.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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03/14/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 18 March 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – March 18, 2021

— scammed out of $36,000 USA dollars

Scammers or even Deaf Scammers are everywhere.
We hate these scammers but it won’t go away.
Just recently the Finnish Sports Association
of the Deaf (Finland) was scammed out of
30,000 euros by scammers that pretended
to work as security guards in a bank.
30,000 euros equals nearly $36,000 in
USA dollars.

 

— small business vs big business

From the Deaf Training point of view what
is the difference between Small Business
and Big Business? If the employer wants
to give employees training in ASL, the
Big Business can afford to hire an
interpreter with a Power Point.
Small Business may find hiring
an ASL interpreter too expensive
for them! This was what one owner
of a Small Business said.

 

— interpreter’s nightmare

What is an interpreter’s nightmare? Having to
invent a new sign for a word that was never
interpreted in the past? No – all interpreters
deal with it. Then what is the nightmare?
Because of the pandemic, the interpeter faces
the camera with no audience in front of her
eyes! The interpreter had no way of knowing
if the deaf audience understood and
appreciated her signs. Fortunately for
that interpreter, she got responses from
Facebook and emails, all of them positive!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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03/14/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 17 March 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – March 17, 2021

— probably first Karen complaint against a deaf person

Karen is an insult that became a recent buzzword.
It refers to a female that uses the 911 line to file
a complaint with the police for no real reason.
Anyway, it seems to be the first Karen that
complained about a deaf person. This deaf person,
a coffee shop barista, was wearing hearing aids
that the Karen thought were Air Pods. The supervisor
and the owners told Karen to go away and buy
coffee elsewhere!

 

— used to it but hate it

Deaf people are used to discrimination, no captions,
no interpreters, no note writing, etc. It does not
mean they don’t hate it because they do. This was
the issue an activist pointed out.

 

— deaf cheesemakers

Kase, a cheesemaking company, has five deaf
cheesemakers. It was suggested to the Kase
owner that he hire the deaf, and he did –
and he said his customers all love the
cheese made by his deaf cheesemakers.

 

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03/14/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 16 March 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – March 16, 2021

— interviewers’ tricks discriminate against deaf

Some hearing employers use tricks (scanning software
and body-language formulas) on hearing applicants.
Critics are saying that such tricks discriminate
against deaf appicants because hearing body language
may not be the same as deaf body language! Hearing
people know what hearing body language is; they
may not always know what deaf body language is.

 

— Pennsylvania’s mental health law

There is a law in Pennsylvania that during deaf
incidents with the police, the deaf can tell
the police they do not need mental health
assistance. Advocates worry that these deaf
rights may lead to worse incidents with
the police.

 

— Deaf people hate such questions

#1. Can you read my lips?

Answer: if deaf can’t read lips how could they
understand the question?

#2. How do you communicate with others at work?

Answer: if hearing people can’t read and write,
how can they pass notes with the deaf?

#3. Can you do the job working under the supervisor?

Answer: if deaf people have training for the job
they were trained to do so, then is there a
reason they cannot do the job?

 

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DeafDigest – 15 March 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – March 15, 2021

— doctor that said being deaf is not stupid

In a newspaper story, the doctor said, after
taking care of a deaf patient:

Deaf patient is not stupid

DeafDigest wonders why did it take the doctor
so many years of medical practice to realize
deaf people are not stupid people?

 

— a popular but lawless media

TikTok is a wildly popular media. It is also the
most lawless media ever! No rules on captions
not even by TikTok management. Throw ADA at
TikTok?

 

— Pandemic long distance voice calls

During the pandemic, many hearing people make
long distance calls with people they have
not chatted in many years. Not that always
so easy for the deaf because of these media
communication issues!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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DeafDigest – 12 March 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – March 12, 2021

— jobs for ASL course graduates

Not every ASL graduate become interpreters.
A newspaper story listed these jobs for
ASL graduates:

Government

Recreation

Audiology

Acting

Education

Social Work

Psychology

ASL Instruction

Yes, there are still other jobs.

 

 

— Doctors become strangers to deaf patients

After an operation, the deaf patient told her
surgeon:

You examined me before the operation; you operated
on me; and had post-operation discussions with me.
Yet I don’t know what you look like because of your
mask!

That comment hit the doctor very hard.

 

— 16-year old girl not aware of her deafness

A 16-year old girl grew up struggling for words
and sounds, never realizing she was deaf. Even
when she was given many hearing tests over the
years, the assumption was that she had a cold
or had some kind of illness. It wasn’t until
she was 16 when the latest hearing test
confirmed her deafness. Hard to believe!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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DeafDigest – 11 March 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – March 11, 2021

— Deaf Bath and Body products

The Grammy is coming up soon. During this
event, gift bags are being handed out. One
of the gifts in the bag is handmade bath
and body products, made by Christi Leonardi.
She is deaf.

 

— Coda replaces an interpreter

An incident took place at a Covid-19 vaccination
site. A deaf husband/wife duo showed up to take
these shots. The staff offered them a VRI screen
to help with communications. Two things went
wrong – the interpreter couldn’t understand their
sign language – and secondly, the VRI was
disconnected. The staff “agreed” to allow the Coda
daughter to step in as the family interpreter. Whew!

 

— fighting for the right to vote

Years ago, women were not allowed to vote. Discrimination?
Yes, but it was the way of life in these early American
days. Angry women fought for the right to vote, and
won. What about deaf women? They demanded equal rights
alongside with these hearing women. Two of these
most prominent deaf American women joined in and
pushed hard for voting rights – astronomer Annie
Jump Cannon and writer Laura Redden Searing.
DeafDigest believes there were other deaf women
that we do not know about because history has
forgotten them.

 

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DeafDigest – 10 March 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – March 10, 2021

— a bad Hollywood attitude of years way back

It was a very bad Hollywood attitude of years
way back that if a new movie featured deaf
actors, it automatically was labelled as
a bad story! Not any more, but still Hollywood
continues to cast fake-deaf actors in some
movies!

 

— doing something about pandemic boredom

A great newspaper story came up today about Tom Christian,
who is deaf. During the lockdown he decided to track
down his biological parents. He was adopted at birth
and grew up attending Arizona School for the Deaf
and Blind. He is currently employed by a school
district in Worthington, Minnesota, working with
special education students. It was not an easy
task since Arizona is a sealed-records state,
but one way or other he succeeded in locating
his ancestral family and they are now busy
getting to know each other better!

 

— NASDAQ snubs deaf and disabled

NASDAQ is a stock exchange, second only to the
New York Stock Exchange when it comes to daily
trading volume. The NASDAQ recently proposed that
its’ board get more diverse – but their idea
of diversity does not include deaf and disabled
board members. NASDAQ forgets one thing – there
are many deaf people that buy and sell stocks
on this exchange. So disappointing.

 

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03/07/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 09 March 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – March 9, 2021

— a stranger in a room

There is a reason why many people in the legal
profession are uncomfortable with the deaf
serving as jurors. It has nothing to do with
the jurors’ deafness, but of interpreters in
the jurors’ rooms. They consider interpreters
as unwanted strangers. They are still strangers
even if they are always neutral. Fortunately,
over the years it has become less of an
issue.

 

— a common complaint with deaf-owned storefront businesses

A common complaint with deaf owners of storefront businesses
is that their deaf friends wish to visit and hang out
without buying anything. Some of them consider the
storefronts their “clubhouses” and in some cases it has
caused anger and rift between them.

 

— a deaf woman and her wedding dress designs

Angelina Colarusso, who is deaf, owns her wedding
dress design business. The pandemic has hit her
business hard, especially with these face masks.
Doing something about it, she has asked her son
to work with her on a see-through Covid mask
design – that would not steam up! It took quite
some time and many experimental designs before
they came up with one that satisfied her.
She plans to reopen her store, wearing the
see-through to greet her wedding dress customers.

 

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DeafDigest – 08 March 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – March 8, 2021

— public made unaware of these deaf-owned businesses

We have many deaf-owned, deaf-run businesses. And while
they sell products and services to the hearing people,
they sort of hide their deafness from the public.
It is for a good reason – there are always still hearing
people that do not believe deaf can operate businesses.
Hearing employees deal with the hearing public, not the
deaf owners themselves. It is better to use hearing
employees than to have hearing customers walk out and
lose business that way!

 

— The Hearing Space

We have Deaf  House (Space), originated by Bernard Brown, who is
deaf and is a retired home improvement business owner.

We also have Hearing Space. An activist described it as:
We operate in a society, and workplaces, designed for people who hear

 

— helping Zoom help the deaf

Deaf people are not 100 percent happy with ASL
in Zoom. Deaf people are also not 100 percent
happy with captions in Zoom. What next? There
is a new App called Scribe. It is supposed
to take notes of Zoom discussions, and is
supposed to benefit the deaf? Will it?
DeafDigest hopes so.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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03/07/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 05 March 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – March 5, 2021

— earliest surviving photograph of a deaf person

The earliest photograph took place in 1826.
Some of the earliest photographs were of
some famous people – such as President John
Quincy Adams, outlaw Billy the Kid and some
others. The earliest known photograph of
a deaf person is at:

https://definition.org/historical-figure-photographs/19/

 

 

— promising a 97 percent return on investment

Investments normally yield returns in low percentages.
One such investment promised a 97 percent return if
certain conditions were met. Sounds too good to be true?
Yes, and in that case it is a scam. Roger Nils-Jonas
Karlsson may be sentenced to many years in prison and
may be fined nearly a million dollars for the scam
he targeted against some members of the Deaf Community.
It was part of a plea deal he made with the federal
authorities.

 

— fake-deaf actors OK with some deaf fans

There are deaf people that hate fake-deaf
actors, demanding deaf actors for deaf
roles. DeafDigest editor does not like
fake-deaf actors. Anyway, what is
disappointing is that fake-deaf actors
are OK with some other deaf fans!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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02/28/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 04 March 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – March 4, 2021

— a finance company makes surprising comment about deaf drivers

Bankrate is a finance company that advises clients on
their financial needs. With respect to deaf drivers,
in one part of their recent article said that deaf
drivers can drive safely, pointing out to our
deaf truck drivers as an example. Yet, in another
part of that same article, it said that deaf drivers
may face distractions as opposed to hearing drivers!
Are we safe drivers or are we getting distracted while
driving? DeafDigest always said that Deaf Drivers
are Safe Drivers, trusting eyes more than hearing
trust their ears!

 

— The Economist says Tech Sector ignores the deaf

The Economist is the magazine that professionals in
world of finance, business and economics, read. The
article today said that Alexa, Siri and others
have not accommodated the deaf – and as a result
they are racing against each other to catch up
to win praises from the Deaf Community!

 

— deaf GrabFood driver’s nightmare

A deaf Grabfood driver was bringing food to a customer,
but needed help with directions to her home. He was
trying to chat with her on the app, but it was turned
off. He eventually got the directions and delivered
food but with a very bad tip in return. She, however,
felt very guilty about giving the deaf driver a bad tip.
She then reached out to him and rewarded him with a very
generous second tip!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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02/28/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 03 March 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – March 3, 2021

— McDonald’s or 7-Eleven

If a deaf individual has money, should he invest it in
a McDonald’s franchise or a 7-Eleven franchise?
A McDonald’s franchise may require an upfront money
of over 2 million dollars. 7-Eleven is much cheaper
– $150,000 upfront money plus least $150,000 net
worth. Money may not be the problem (if the
deaf person has it); biggest problem is attitude.
McDonald’s once refused a deaf applicant, which
led to a lawsuit. DeafDigest does not know if
a deaf person approached 7-Eleven management
about buying a franchise and was turned down?

 

— can hear but is considered deaf

There was a story of a person that can hear
but ears and brain “don’t” work together.
For that reason, that person is considered
deaf. There have been different cases of
“hearing” people considered deaf because
of issues – cannot hear high frequency
sounds; up and down deafness just like
an elevator ride; cannot hear in a crowded
room but one on one is fine, and so on.

 

— unusual comment about deafness

We always see this phrase, that we hate –
turning a deaf ear. Could this be part
of an unusual comment re deafness?

A newspaper story said:
Don’t turn a deaf ear to ‘deafness’

Rather unusual a comment, says
DeafDigest!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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02/28/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 02 March 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – March 2, 2021

— deaf on one side; hearing on one side

In cramped workplaces, many deaf employees work opposite
hearing employees, with just a counter or desk or a
wall separating them. Hearing people can communicate with
other hearing people via voice. Deaf people can’t. If
a hearing person cannot reach over to call attention
to a deaf person, then it is a serious communications
challenge. Just tossing a paper clip or a crumpled
piece of paper won’t do in these days.

 

— a comment by a medical student that works with the deaf

A 4th year medical student at University of Minnesota
works with deaf patients. She said that some are pushed
into cochlear implants or being “forced” to mingle with
the hearing despite their discomfort. She is correct.

 

— another Zoom tweak

Zoom is not perfect. Hearing users tweak it.
Deaf people tweak it, first with captions
and now this – the ASL that they use.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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02/28/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 01 March 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – March 1, 2021

— deaf member of SWAT team

Could a deaf person serve with a SWAT
team? Hard to believe, but a newspaper
story (not in USA) said that a SWAT
team has a deaf member. Are newspaper
stories always well-written and accurate?
Not always that so!

 

— a careless tweet posting

A tweet said deaf people invented closed
captioning. Wish it was true, but it
is not true. The first closed captions
came up when a team of hearing engineers
at ABC and the National Bureau of Standards
worked together to come up with it. The
year was 1972 but the deaf people had to
wait 8 years before closed captions
became available to them.

 

— police teaching police to deal with the deaf

Karran Larson, not deaf, has been appointed by
Great Barrington Police Department (MA) to
train officers on how to best work with the deaf
during emergencies and other critical issues.
Just hope it all works out. In the heat of action,
police officers often forget what they have learned!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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02/28/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 26 February 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – February 26, 2021

— can remember or can’t remember during emergency

The apartment manager knows a deaf tenant. Yet when
there is an emergency that requires residents to
vacate the premises, would that apartment manager
remember that deaf tenant?

 

— an old crime TV movie

In an old TV movie, a criminal was arrested and
the police said he was deaf and dumb. Years ago
deaf people were often called as deaf and dumb.
While it was a common phrase, it is never that
acceptable! Dummy Hoy, the baseball legend?
Well, this is a debate good for another time!

 

— comparing deaf waiter with a hearing waiter

a restaurant critic, that was served by a deaf
waiter, said they perform much better, taking
orders and serving orders and handling menu
specials and menu problems as compared to hearing
waiters! It is not a surprise.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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02/21/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 25 February 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – February 25, 2021

— Gallaudet becomes a leader in local Covid-19 testing

Gallaudet is establishing a new lab site on campus
to test Covid-19 samples, not just from people
at Gallaudet but also of Marymount University,
American University and Catholic University PLUS
public schools in Baltimore! Quite a huge honor
for Gallaudet to serve as a leader in the fight
against Covid-19.

 

— an apology and rematch requested

Yesterday’s DeafDigest ran a story of a deaf
wrestler in Nebraska high school state
championship finals – who lost because the
referee would not clearly communicate with
him, which cost him an all-important point.
The family has demanded an apology from
Nebraska State High School Athletic
Association plus a championship rematch
with the hearing winner. DeafDigest
hates to say it but a rematch more likely
is not going to happen. Referees decisions
are always final in all sports even when
they have made apologies for their own wrong
decisions!

 

— a fake-blind actor

There was a TV re-run on “In the Heat of the
Night” in which a fully-sighted actor became
blind because of violence. For the remainder
of the program, his eyes were blindfolded,
and he struggled while moving around. Should
we call it a “fake-blind” actor even when he
previously was a sighted person per the script?
Always such issues with fake-deaf actors
playing deaf roles.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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02/21/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 24 February 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – February 24, 2021

— a parallel to a famous comment

In 2006, Jane K. Fernandes, after being ousted
as the the incoming president of Gallaudet
Univesity, made this comment that reached
front page headlines – I am not deaf enough.
Fifteen years later (yesterday), a parallel
comment came up – a disabled person said “I
am not disabled enough” after losing her
position with the disabled group!

 

— referee punishes a deaf wrestler

Paul Ruff, who is deaf, was wrestling in the Nebraska State
wrestling tournament championship finals. Just to play
it safe, Ruff’s coaches advised the referee of his deafness.
Did it help? No. Ruff could not understand the gestures
of the referee, who was wearing a mask. While the referee
gestured, Ruff misunderstood, and as a result was given
a penalty point for “not following” instructions.
It was a major factor in the hearing wrestler winning
the state championship. If it is any consolation,
the champion wrestler got a lot of criticism on
the social media for defeating a deaf wrestler
who could not understand these “masked” instructions.
Why didn’t the referee accommodate Ruff’s deafness?
We shall never know!

 

— breaking ADA laws or not breaking ADA laws

A hospital has come up with an idea to communicate
with deaf patients. No interpreters. No VRI. Just
digital flashcards that asks deaf patients questions
about their medical issues. These flashcards work
with phone, tablet or computer. ADA? The hospital
is not worried as it is in Ireland!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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02/21/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 23 February 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – February 23, 2021

— screaming at a deaf group

Years ago, a hearing person saw a group
of deaf people in a room – and immediately
screamed:

CAN YOU HEAR ME?

A hearing person that witnessed this
screaming said she has been haunted
to this day by this lack of respect for
the deaf. 

 

— NASA never planned to train deaf astronauts

Way back in the late fifties, the NASA tested
a group of Gallaudet students to see how
their deafness gave them “perfect” balance
in space. Was there a hope that NASA would
train a deaf person to become an astronaut?
A NASA spokesperson said the deaf were never
considered as astronauts even though their
balance was much better than hearing!

 

— a deaf kickboxer with an interesting background

Mary Whittaker, who is deaf, has a blackbelt in
kickboxing. Her background is interesting as she
is a minister in the Church of Scotland, taking
care of her deaf parishioners.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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02/21/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 22 February 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – February 22, 2021

— coin flip: captions or interpreters

Leon County Schools in Florida has used interpreters
at their School Board meetings. Now they are
switching to captions. Which is better – interpreters
or captions? Both are better, meaning coin flip,
that everyone hates!

 

— a sign language dictionary compared to another one

Comparing one sign language dictionary with another
one? The latest sign language dictionary has these
sign categories broken down into percentages:

32 percentage – every day signs
25 percentage – academic signs
20 percentage – agricultural signs
13 percentage – technical signs
10 percentage – legal signs

This dictionary in USA? No, it is in India.

 

— Full length deaf films or short length deaf films

Very few full length deaf films, led by deaf actors,
not fake-deaf actors, have been produced – those come to
mind are – Love is Never Silent; And Your Name Is Jonah;
Children of a Lesser God plus some others. What about
deaf short films – too many of them! A Hollywood insider
said that the way to get deaf actors more roles is to
make more full-length movies about them!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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02/21/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 19 February 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – February 19, 2021

— one-time pointing or 1,000-times pointing means nothing

A deaf man was in an automobile accident. The police
came over. He pointed to his own card which said:

I Am Deaf or Hard of Hearing

He pointed at it many times. And the more he pointed,
the more he was ignored by the police. He was never
provided with an interpreter or with some communication
aids. For that reason, a lawsuit against the police
in Michigan has been filed just recently.

 

— Coda’s biggest fear

A Coda said that her deaf father operated a
business that partly depended on her interpreting
with hearing customers and her handling of
these voice telephone calls. When she grew up,
she became more interested in other, and different
things. For that reason, she has carried this guilt
(depriving her father of providing for the
family).

 

— finally after many years

Finally after many years of begging and pleading.
Deaf people hate it very much when captions on
TV would block football scores or something
like that. Deaf people have complained and
was told there was nothing that could be done
with it. Now, Samsung is saying that their
4K and 8K QLED TVs can be adjusted to move
captions away from these “football scores.”
Will it? We need to wait until their March
2nd showcase event.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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02/14/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 18 February 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – February 18, 2021

— by invitation-only

Some deaf professionals, that want to participate
in conferences and workshops via Zoom and
even the Clubhouse and other “conference”
apps, are worried. They get the impression
that while they are told they are welcome,
the ome hearing participants give hints
that participation is by invitation-only.
Just hope it never happens – because it would
lead to more and more ADA lawsuits!

 

— tone-deaf an insult or a joke

Is the phrase tone-deaf an insult to the
deaf or just a joke among the hearing?
A writer, arguing against ableism, said
it is an insult to everyone.

 

— wanting to become deaf

A hearing woman, suffering from misophonia,
has asked her doctor to make her deaf!
Misophonia is a psychological disorder
in that certain sounds would lead to
emotional issues. Not sure if the doctor
would agree.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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02/14/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 17 February 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – February 17, 2021

— interpreter’s own version of ASL

A newspaper story, in part, about an interpreter, said:

while providing her own American Sign Language version while she spoke

DeafDigest is not sure exactly what “own version” of ASL
means, while interpreting? Does the writer know what he
is “writing” about – because interpreters need to be
consistent with ASL while interpreting.

 

— says the chief accessibility officer

Quemuel Arroyo, who is disabled, is the chief
accessibility officer of the New York City
public transportation system. He said that
public transportation workers that know
ASL should make themselves available to
deaf passengers. This is important – in
case of emergencies, public address
systems would not help the deaf!

 

— a deaf joke ends up in the Supreme Court

A deaf joke ends up in the Supreme Court.
Not of USA, but of Canada. Years ago
a Canadian comedian told of a joke about
a young singer with a disability, which
included deafness. Ten years later, this
joke complaint is being heard in the
Canadian Supreme Court! Comedians try
so hard to be funny but it often
blows up in their face.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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02/14/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 16 February 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – February 16, 2021

— finally revealing hotelier’s deafness

Roberto Wirth, who is deaf, owns two hotels,
one in Rome and one in the nearby mountains.
His hotels have been been written up as
world’s best in many newspapers and magazines.
Yet, for years, his deafness has never been
mentioned. Those that do not personally
know him, may never realize his deafness.
Finally, one recent story said:

Roberto Wirth, was born profoundly deaf and
is the fifth generation of a famous family of
Swiss hoteliers

While in USA, Wirth attended both Gallaudet
and NTID before moving on with his career
in the hotel field.

 

— an app possibly inviting itself into a messy lawsuit

The Clubhouse is an audio-based app that is gaining
in popularity. It seems not to be deaf-friendly
for reasons of audio. Yet, a deaf person set up
captions on the Clubhouse. Much to her anger,
she was kicked off the app because the users
objected to captions on the screen. What this
means is that Clubhouse may be setting themselves
up for a lawsuit, discriminating against deaf users!

 

— a thief mocks a deaf security guard

A thief, not wearing a mask, stole merchandise
from a supermarket and attempted to escape.
He realized the security guard was deaf and
mocked his deafness while running away.
He was caught and in addition to charges of
stealing, was charged for verbal abuse of
individual’s deafness!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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02/14/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 15 February 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – February 15, 2021

— a poster saying the employee is deaf

Do you want a poster at your workplace telling
customers that you are deaf? Well, at the Subway
in Fort Valley, GA, there is a sign saying the
sandwich maker is deaf. There are many deaf people
comfortable with this poster but there are also
many other deaf people that just want their
deafness to be invisible!

 

— Kevin Hall and the Pebble Beach Golf tournament

Kevin Hall, who is the world’s best deaf golfer,
competed at the Pebble Beach Golf tournament
on a sponsor’s exception. He did not make the
cut but was extremely competitive against the
world’s best golfers. How did he get the
exception? The Advocates Pro Golf Association,
a golfing organization for top minority golfers,
makes pushes for exceptions for these golfers
at big time golf tournaments. This is not Hall’s
first exception and most likely, not his last one!

 

— high percentage of these fake actors

A survey was taken in Hollywood on the percentage
of fake-deaf and fake-disabled actors playing these
deaf and disabled roles is shockingly high – 78
percent! We do see some deaf and some disabled
actors, but not enough.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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02/14/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 12 February 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – February 12, 2021

— the imperfect Zoom and the deaf

Zoom is not perfect. There was a hearing attorney
showing up on Zoom as a cat. And again of Cal Ripken, Jr,
the baseball legend, showing up on Zoom with just
his head and without his body! We can laugh; and these
hearing people use voice to try to fix things on
the screen. What about the deaf, stuck on Zoom,
if we cannot see their hands and faces on the
screen?

 

— a bobblehead for the deaf

The Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum
will be distributing a new set of bobbleheads.
One such bobblehead will be of Dummy Hoy, who
needs no introduction to all of us.

 

— to be known as actor or known as deaf actor

An actor said, in a newspaper interview, that he
wanted to be acknowledged as an actor rather
than an actor of a cultural/ethnic background.
The same can be very said of our many deaf
actors and actresses!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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02/07/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 11 February 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – February 11, 2021

— meaning of the word – dumb

What does that word dumb mean? Is it
deaf person that cannot talk? Is it
deaf person that is not smart? Or
is it both? This is the reason why
legislators in Nevada are planning
to remove the words “deaf mute”
in the state law books.

 

— refusing to turn on captions

A deaf woman did not get along with the
town council in her home town. As a result
council members refused to make accommodations
for her deafness – meaning turn on the captions
during council meetings. They still refused
even when she put up a big sign that
said:

I’m deaf, please turn on the closed captioning

It was a big story in the local newspaper.

 

— making a bet on The Bachelor

Bookies.com suggested that The Bachelor’s
deaf contestant Abigail Heringer would be
facing poor odds if bets were made in
her favor! It is just fun talk because
bets cannot be legally made on the program’s
contestants.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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02/07/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 10 February 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – February 10, 2021

— a big problem real-time captions

There is a serious problem with real-time
captions, according to a deaf person,
who is a TV critic and watches news and
talk programs. The real-time captions
is fine. What is not fine is that hearing
speakers talk too fast, real too fast,
making it a challenge for captioners
to catch up! Interpreters, too!

 

— one kitchen, yes; other kitchen, no

A deaf person applied for a job in a kitchen
of a Cracker Barrel restaurant, and was
refused an interview because of his deafness.
Not giving up, he applied for another kitchen
in a different restaurant and got the job.
To this day he is still successfully employed
in that restaurant. Is there a difference
between one kitchen and another kitchen –
inasmuch as all kitchens pretty much look
the same? Anyway Cracker Barrell has to pay
to settle the EEOC lawsuit.

 

— fake-patients, deaf and hearing

A team of researchers at Idaho State University
conducted an experiment. A group of four
deaf fake-patients and four hearing
fake- patients attempted to make medical
appointments. These medical facilities
said yes to these four fake-hearing
patients but gave four fake-deaf
patients a very hard time. Discrimination?
So very obvious!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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02/07/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 09 February 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – February 9, 2021

— a village’s two unusual things about sign language

Adamrobe is a tiny village in Ghana of 1400 hearing
and 30 deaf residents. It is unusual for two reasons –
deaf population was about 140 in the early sixties;
the village chief made it a rule that deaf cannot
marry another deaf – in an effort to bring down
the deaf population. For better or worse, this is
the reason deaf population is lower nowadays.
Second reason is that sign language is used
by all residents, both deaf and hearing.
In Martha’s Village, hearing people sometimes
(not all the time) used signs with other
hearing people.

 

— a grammar that is alive

What is alive grammar? Deaf people watch the
interpreters’ faces for facial expressions
and for lipreading, while at the same time
watching the signs. Alive grammar is
sometimes called facial grammar.

 

— AI (artificial intelligence) and the deaf danger

Many social media platforms use AI (artificial intelligence)
to trap bad words and bad phrases, but for the deaf, it may
trap the “bad” word and may block it from being posted.
An example would be – “I am a woman who is deaf” and the
AI may think it is a bad phrase that would be insulting.
AI engineers are very aware of it and are hard at
work improving on better formulas to know the
difference between “I am a woman who is deaf” (good)
and “he is tone-deaf” (bad)

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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02/07/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 08 February 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – February 8, 2021

— High stakes confidence in interpreter’s neutrality

Today’s newspapers ran stories of the past White House
interpreter not being asked by the new administration
to continue interpreting for them. Two points need
to be raised – when the new White House takes over,
many, if not all, past White House people, are
replaced. Secondly, while all interpreters say they
are neutral, regardless of personal beliefs, the
audience must have have confidence in the interpreter’s
neutrality. No confidence means serious speech issues!

 

— advising HSBC clients of best investment opportunities

HSBC is a huge international investment bank,
tasked with giving clients their best investing
opportunities. One of these investment counselors
is Tim Roberts. He is deaf, but knows no sign
language.

 

— A deaf person stole the show from MVP Brady

Warren Snipe, better known as Wawa, is deaf
and he gave the ASL rendition of the National
Anthem. Not only he outperformed Tom Brady
(who does not sing at all) but also of the
Eric Church-Jazmine Sullivan voice duet.
The newspapers said the voice duet was a
mess while they all said Wawa, who does not
play football,  was great. About time for the deaf
to get national attention from the media and
the newspapers during the Super Bowl!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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02/07/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 05 February 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – February 5, 2021

— a very simple advice that is mostly ignored

An advocate said:
just listen and communicate with the deaf

It was brought up in a newspaper interview.

 

— an increasingly popular hobby

Learning sign language has become an
increasingly popular hobby for people
that stay home because of the pandemic.
Just hope that when the pandemic ends,
these sign language learners will
continue to learn and practice in
actual surroundings. Who knows –
some of them may become interpreters
or teachers or in work in professions
that deal with the deaf.

 

— an important job during World War II

A deaf man wanted to serve in the military
during World War II but couldn’t because of
his deafness. Instead he was given a job
of huge importance – as air raid warden.
As the warden in his home district, he
directed people to air raid shelters where
they would stay until the bombing ended.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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01/31/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 04 February 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – February 4, 2021

— a big hospital nightmare

A hospital says they offer interpreters
for the deaf. Great, only that it is
VRI, not face-to-face interpreting.
VRI is better than no interpreting
at all but it leads to one huge
nightmare. It is that a VRI may run
low on battery power and the nurses
do not know where to locate the
battery charger. It happened to
DeafDigest editor once; in fact
the nurses were warned that the
VRI was low on battery, and
they were dismissive about it!

 

— USA vs China; China wins

USA vs China; China wins. USA has just
one ASL Starbucks store (in Washington, DC).
There was a story today that China now has
four sign language Starbucks stores –
Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijing and Hangzhou.
Why is this happening?

 

— deaf CEO makes big money

CEO Martin Port made big money by selling
Bigchange, his high tech company, to
Great Hill Partners, a US private equity
firm. Port is deaf, but functions as a
hearing person.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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01/31/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 03 February 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – February 3, 2021

— GSL or USL – which one?

GSL means Gesture Sign Language.
Many hearing people use it, and
it is not the same as ASL.

USL means Useful Sign Language.
DeafDigest saw this phrase while
surfing today’s deaf news. Same
thing as GSL? Probably so!

 

— first alarm clock for the deaf

Was the first alarm clock for the deaf invented
in 1948? There was a short story in a newspaper
in 1948 that said a deaf man from Rainsboro, Ohio
invented his own alarm clock. He was worried
about not coming to work on time in the mornings.
The name of the deaf man was not mentioned in
the story.

 

— hearing doctors discriminate against deaf doctors

There was a story today of Dr. Chad Ruffin, a deaf
ENT physician saying ableism exists in the medical
field. Ableism is discrimination, just a different
word describing the same thing. Keep in mind
discrimination against deaf professionals exists
in all fields, and not just medicine. Successful
deaf professionals have shared with DeafDigest
their stories of discrimination at their work
places. A sad fact of life? Yes.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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01/31/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 02 February 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – February 2, 2021

— BioCatch hopes to help the deaf

BioCatch is a new tech company that should help
the deaf. People, both hearing and deaf, forget
their passwords and go through lots of trouble
trying to log in. Support service people ask
them to use their voice to establish their
identities. This does not help the deaf.
Instead, BioCatch copies people’s computer
mouse movements and establishes their identity
in case they forget their passwords. Hope it
works because it is a terrible hassle for the
deaf to use voice relay and run into challenges
by these support service people.

 

— one deaf patient, two different medical opinions

Doctors often (or always) disagree with each other.
There was a newspaper headline that said:

Two doctos give different disability certificates
to a deaf patient.

One was certified as deaf; the other was certified
as disabled.

 

— the CODA movie

Is the upcoming CODA movie realistic? There are Codas
that are very comfortable being with the deaf. There
are other Codas that are very uncomfortable being
with the deaf. No two Codas are the same. DeafDigest
editor never forgot an argument at the bar with one
of the Coda founders. He loved being a Coda but said
it is often an uncomfortable feeling. It was an
issue that DeafDigest editor’s deaf friend, himself
a father of two Codas, disagreed.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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01/31/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 01 February 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – February 1, 2021

— deaf in dangerous jobs

Could deaf people work in dangerous jobs?
A hearing peson that works in a dangerous
job said that his fellow workers use
gestures and simple sign language to
communicate with each other! Pay in
dangerous jobs are much better than
those in “safe” jobs.

 

— coded sign language

Some deaf people use ASL to communicate in
codes, that other deaf people would not
understand. An annual event in New Ulm,
Minnesota is the Amazing Race. Just
recently over 30 hearing teams took part
in this event. One of the race clues
was in ASL, hidden in a code. The
teams had to figure out the code before
running to the next location.

 

— importance of interpreter’s neutrality

DeafDigest questioned the neutrality of
the White House interpreter. He recalls
an incident, many years ago. At that time
there was no such a thing as RID-certified
interpreters. Interpreting was mostly
voluntary. At one meeting, a very hard of
hearing person volunteered to interpret.
At the end of the meeting he was challenged
as to his neutrality, being accused of
distorting the speaker’s words!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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01/31/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 29 January 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – January 29, 2021

— so much controversy over White House interpreter

DeafDigest editor is concerned with the appointment of
the White House interpreter because of her personal
background. The issue is neutrality. Today’s Washington
Post said she has translated misinformation.

 

— an influential fashion model is deaf

Carola Insolera, who is deaf, was said to have
a strong influence in the modeling/fashion
industry – thanks to her varied background.
Before devoting herself to modeling, she was
a TV host, actor, clown, trapeze artist
and contortionist.

 

— ex-interpreter knowing only 50 signs

Camryn Manheim, before becoming an Emmy winning
actress, was a past hospital interpreter.
In an interview, she said:

I had learned the alphabet and certainly a hand
full of signs, perhaps fifty words

It is disappointing that hospitals would
hire interpreters that only knew 50 words
(signs)!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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01/24/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 28 January 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – January 28, 2021

— Attorneys that avoid paying for interpreters

The ADA requires the attorneys to pay for interpreters
when communicating with deaf clients. There are
attorneys that avoid paying for these fees –
they suggest handwritten notes or using texts.
Additionally the attorney has the final say
on how to accommodate the deaf client.
Fair or unfair? Communications should be a
win-win situation, instead of one side
“winning” and the other side “losing”

 

— English language police

Monroe County has one of the largest deaf
populations in the world, because it is
where NTID is located. The county
Legislature Committee voted to favor
a bill that would hire a “language access”
position that reports to the Department of
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. This
person would function as English
language police officer, making sure
that everyone understands the language
that everyone, including the deaf and
immigrants, would understand!

 

— 207 – really?

Sometime ago, a disgruntled deaf employee
was fired, and claimed it was because of
his deafness. The settlement was made
for $207,000. The deaf employee said his
attorneys told him it was $207,000,000.
The federal circuit court sided with
the employer. The sign for $207,000
is “M” touching once the palm of
the hand. The sign for $207,000,000
is “M” touching twice the palm of
the hand.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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01/24/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 27 January 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – January 27, 2021

— interpreter or captions

An interpreter said that most of the deaf clients
prefer interpreting than captions. This is an
issue that government officials need to be
aware of – funds for captions or for interpreters.

 

— law on TV commercials we don’t know about!

Many TV commercials are captioned. Many other
TV commercials are not captioned (and we get
angry about it). It was just realized that
federal law requires captions on TV commercials
only if it lasts more than five minutes! Many
short TV commercials are captioned because
of public service! Sponsors are not
required to caption short commercials but
they do. Thank goodness.

 

— bad language about deaf actors

A movie casting director made this announcement.

It said:
we would really like to look for actors who are
deaf or hard of hearing, and are fluent in ASL

It is wrong wording.

It should be said:
we will cast actors who are deaf or hard of hearing
that are fluent in ASL

The wording “we would really like to” is
a loophole they use to cast fake-deaf actors
in ASL roles.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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01/24/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 26 January 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – January 26, 2021

— ears or eyes

— activist says sign language is not hobby

— Coda’s reason for stopping the use of ASL

A deaf person applied for a warehouse job
and was rejected and as a result, filed
a job discrimination lawsuit. What
were the warehouse tasks the deaf
person applied for?

#1 – picking up a product that the customer
ordered and placing it in a tote bag

#2 – moving the products to a cart and
pushing the buttom to take it to the
dock to load up the delivery trucks.

These simple tasks require eyes, not ears!

 

— activist says sign language is not hobby

An activist says sign language has become more
popular, helped by visibility of interpreters
during pandemic TV news coverages. Yet there
are still some people that say that learning
sign language is a hobby. This activist says
hobby is the wrong word to describe sign
language.

 

— Coda’s reason for stopping the use of ASL

A Coda said he stopped using ASL while growing
up, despite loving it and being fluent with it.
Reason was peer pressure from friends and unwanted
stares from strangers.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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01/24/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 25 January 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – January 25, 2021

— huge irony with a fake-deaf actor

A fake-deaf actor said he spent seven months
learning ASL for a fake-deaf role in a movie.
The irony? The film was shot in much less than
seven months!

 

— a Coda-owned cafe for deaf customers

Deaf’s Delight Cafe in Newark, NJ, is Coda-owned,
with the goal of serving the deaf. Inside the
cafe is space reserved for the deaf. Hope it
is a success and that the idea spreads across
major American cities.

 

— agency serving the deaf blocked by Facebook

An agency serving the deaf has been blocked
by Facebook. Fortunately, the Facebook people
realized they were wrong and allowed the
agency access! Scary? Yes – sort of Big
Brother controlling our lives!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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01/24/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 22 January 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – January 22, 2021

— weird deaf error

A newspaper basketball headline said

Georgia Tech women deaf Wake Forest women in basketball

Deaf?

It actually is:
Georgia Tech women defeated Wake Forest women in basketball

So weird!

 

— driver’s license, required or an option

Some states have made it an option (not a
requirement) for deaf drivers to indicate
their deafness on their driver’s ID.
A legislator in New Jersey wants to pass
a law to make it a requirement. Good idea
or bad idea?

 

— part-time interpreters

A newspaper suggested that people, working their day
jobs, but making little income, could become
part-time interpreters. DeafDigest does not know
what to make of it, because all of the interpreters
he has had over the years were full-timers.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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01/17/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 21 January 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – January 21, 2021

– explaining Deaf Art

We have many talented deaf artists. There was
a Deaf Art gallery with wall to wall paintings
of these deaf artists. Unfortuantely, that
gallery closed up. Anyway, one Deaf Artist
described Deaf Art as:

paintings of unspoken words!

 

— honoring a Deaf Communication mode

Cued Speech is not sign language, even though
it seems to look like it. The new White House
administration has honored Cued Speech by
having a translator on stage. Cued Speech
now joins ASL and captions as an accepted
Deaf Communications mode. Does not matter if
not too many deaf people use Cued Speech.

 

— in charge of research at a marine life center

The Loggerhead Marinelife Center, located in
Juno Beach, Florida, focuses on research of
sea turtles. In charge of all aspects of
research is Jennifer Reilly. She is deaf,
and her job title is Research Operations
Manager.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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01/17/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 20 January 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – January 20, 2021

— to be fluent for only $20.00

ASL is one of the most difficult languages
to master. Many people try to learn ASL but
are not too good at it. It is interesting
to see an ad today that says:

Here’s How To Become Fluent In American Sign Language For Just $20

really?

 

 

— puzzling comment about VRI

VRI is Video Remote Interpreting. It is not
the same as relay interpreting. Anyway
there was a posting today that said:

It is an effective device used in the absence
of qualified interpreters

In absence of qualified interpreters?
It is puzzling because one has to be qualified
to interpret on VRI (and also on relay
interpreting)!

 

— Zoom captions, free or not free

Must pay to get captions on Zoom? Two
deaf individuals opposed the idea of
paying for captions on Zoom, saying
it violates the ADA. They have
filed a lawsuit to force Zoom to
offer free captions.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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01/17/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 19 January 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – January 19, 2021

— fast-food outlet instructs deaf to drive to an open window

A nationally-known fast food outlet has a sign that instructs
deaf drivers, unable to use the voice kiosk, to drive
to an open window to place written orders. One deaf
driver did and he was denied service. The inside employees
have not been made aware of this deaf-driver policy.
As a result, the company attorney is trying to undo
the damage because the deaf driver used his iPhone
to run a video of this incident in which the
employees used inappropriate language!

 

— many lip readers won’t admit it

There are many hearing people that can lip read
(not necessarily better or worse than deaf).
It is just that many of them just won’t admit it!
Why?

 

— a serious problem with voice conference calls

Interpreters do handle voice conference calls, but
there is a problem. When too many people spoke
up at the same time, or when they do not identify
themselves, not only the interpreters are lost
but so are the deaf clients! This was the issue
raised in a lawsuit when a deaf client lost
his job.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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01/17/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 18 January 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – January 18, 2021

— a trick to avoid credit card machine incidents

It seems there are always new technology with the
credit card machines that makes current store
machines obsolete. Clerks would voice out which
credit card machine (out of 2 or 3 on the counter)
to use. Deaf people cannot hear voice and may
insert their credit cards into wrong machine,
creating ugly incidents with the clerks. The
trick is to delay inserting the credit card,
allowing the clerk to point to the correct
machine to use! Works for DeafDigest editor.

 

— On the Waterfront; 1954 film vs 2021 film

The famous movie “On the Waterfront” that was
filmed in 1954, was shown again on TV
yesterday. The 1954 movie had no subtitles
(captions weren’t invented yet) whereas
yesterday’s movie was captioned. Deaf people
loved the 1954 movie for one reason – a lot
of action, despite not understanding the plot.
67 years later, these same deaf people finally
understood the plot (union issues leading to
violence).

 

— Massachusetts hires a new director

Opeoluwa Sotonwa is the new director of the
Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard
of Hearing. This position had been vacant for
some time. DeafDigest editor, years ago
remembers an event in western Massachusetts.
The past state director attended the event
and the local deaf leaders were excited
about it, expecting to have a private
face to face meeting to discuss local
deaf-related issues. Unfortunately, due
to a personal emergency, the director
had to leave the event to go home
(in eastern part of the state). This
early departure left the local leaders
very disappointed.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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01/17/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 15 January 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – January 15, 2021

— no interpreter for deaf person during parole hearing

All prisoners, both deaf and hearing, look forward
to parole hearings, with the hope that they will
be paroled – and move on with their lives. A
deaf prisoner was NOT provided with an interpreter
during his parole hearing! He filed a discrimination
lawsuit. For some reason, it was announced that a
settlement has been proposed – but the deaf prisoner
refused to accept the settlement. As a result both
parties agreed to let a judge make a decision for
them!

 

— TV set deaf said to be very friendly

Samsung issued a press release that their latest
TV set is very deaf-friendly – avatar explaining
what each on-screen option is all about, ability
to move captions up or bottom or left or right,
and moving the “corner” TV interpreter to anywhere
on the screen. Really? Stay tuned!

 

— difficult job description for deaf applicant

Some jobs are difficult – must rely on voice
communications. A deaf person applied for
a railroad job (not easy, very dangerous)
which depends on voice communications. He
did not get the job and filed ADA job
discrimination lawsuit. The court said
that he could not prove that he could
safely perform these jobs that totally
rely on voice communications – voice signals
and voice danger warnings, etc. The court
decided against the deaf person.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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01/10/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 14 January 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – January 14, 2021

— coming home from work; comparing deaf with hearing

A social worker made this observation – that
when hearing people come home from work they
want to relax (like watching TV). And that
when deaf people come home, they want to
chat in ASL.

 

— company says they design perfect mask for the deaf

Project Hazel is said to be a “perfect” mask for
the deaf – in that deaf people can see hearing
people’s facial expressions as well as to be able
to lipread. Just have to wait if it is a fact
or just talk!

 

— which world, deaf only or hearing only or both

There are deaf people that say they mingle comfortably
in the deaf world as well as in the hearing world.
Are they a bicultural deaf person?

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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01/10/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 13 January 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – January 13, 2021

— pictorial history of roller-skating rinks

Roller skating arenas in past years was popular.
These arenas were crowded with deaf and hearing
roller skaters, all just wanting to have fun.
There is a collection of these old time
roller-skating rinks, about 2,000 such pictures.
The work is being done by Mark Falso. He is
deaf. He said he just loves history in pictures.

 

— deaf prisoner allowed to use videophone to call friends

A deaf prisoner was not allowed to use videophone to chat
with his friends. The officials said he could use either
TTY or video relay, but the deaf prisoner objected.
This lawsuit has been continuing for about four years
until the Fourth Circuit said he could use the videophone.
Will the court decision stand or is the battle continuing?

 

— another role for Marlee Matlin

Another role is coming up for Marlee Matlin.
A role in a movie or a TV sitcom? No, as
Executive Producer for “Feeling Through”
which is lauded as the world’s first film
involving a deaf-blind actor!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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01/10/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 12 January 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – January 12, 2021

— these web accessibility lawsuits

As recent as 2019, there were nearly 2,300
ADA Title III lawsuits because of web
inaccessibility issues. 2020 stats is not
yet available, but don’t be surprised if
the count has jumped to 3,000 or even 4,000
lawsuits!

 

— association of architects and designers agree with deaf

An association of architects and designers made a
statement that deaf employees prefer their desks
to face the room instead of facing the wall.
For some reason, in many offices, deaf desks face
the wall, which is what many deaf employees hate!

 

— important for deaf that live in apartments

Many deaf people live in apartments. It is very
important that they be made aware of – Tenants’
Rights Law; Fair Housing Act; best ways to
communicate with the landlords; having
flashing smoke signalers; having flashing
doorbell signalers. Plus some other stuff.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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01/10/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 11 January 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – January 11, 2021

 

— completely misunderstanding a finger-pointing gesture

DeafDigest editor, at a supermarket, carried a tote bag
with him and pointed to it with the check out clerk,
explaining groceries would be bagged inside it. The
clerk thought the request was for paper bags and
charged him for it! No matter how careful a deaf
person would gesture, some hearing people would
totally misunderstand it and add the charge to the bill!
Very frustrating.

 

— to be deaf or to be hard of hearing or to be a CI

In a newspaper interview, a person with a hearing loss
hinted that there are three categories – deaf; hard of
hearing;  CU user. Since when is a CI being added as
a third hearing loss category? Take off a CI, the person
is deaf; put on a CI, the person could be viewed as
a hearing person?

 

— a reverse app

A reverse app? In almost all cases, deaf people use
speech to text app to try to communicate with the
hearing. A hospital is using this very same app
in reverse – to allow its deaf staffers communicate
with hearing patients!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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01/10/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 08 January 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – January 8, 2021

— deaf pushing the Georgia votes

One of the most contested campaigns took place
in Georgia – these Warnock vs Loeffler and
the Ossoff vs Perdue double Senate races.
A deaf person helped push people to vote for
Ossoff, and Ossoff won. Some campaign winners
will offer political jobs to election volunteers.
This being said, will the deaf person get a
job with the Ossoff team as a political reward?

 

— which interpreter – deaf interpreter or hearing interpreter

What is the difference between a Deaf Interpreter and
a Hearing Interpreter? Deaf interpreter uses signs
that are Deaf Culture-based whereas Hearing interpreter
use a different signing style. Which one is best?
Both are bests! Whatever works for the deaf client
is fine. As long as correct signs for certain words
are conveyed, DeafDigest editor is happy.

 

— Flash: Super Bowl update

As part of the Super Bowl weekend, there is the
Puppy Bowl. Any deaf pups? Yes.

The deaf pups are:

Marshall, a Boston terrier

and

Fletcher, an American Staffordshire terrier/beagle mix

May the best Deaf Pup win!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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01/03/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 07 January 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – January 7, 2021

— Covid-19 responsible for a big influence

For years and years hearing people paid no
attention to our sign language, our interpreters
and signed news, etc. They are now much more
aware of our sign language – because of these
many interpreted Covid-19 press conferences
on TV. They see sign language everywhere they
go!

 

— small group within large family dining table

An interpreter came from a large family. The only
family members that knew ASL was her deaf mother
and her younger sister. The others – grandparents,
aunts, uncles, cousins all knew ZERO ASL. Why
wouldn’t they be willing to pick up some ASL
to communicate with the smaller ASL-signing
group? It is always a big family mystery.

 

— A scary Covid-19 sign up form for vaccine shots

In Florida, a deaf couple wanted to sign up for
Covid-19 vaccine shots. They were scared for one
reason – the forms they had to fill out did not
ask if they were deaf. The form did ask for their
home phone nunmbers. Possibly in haste to get
the forms printed out and distributed the
public health officials neglected to take into
consideration that there are deaf people that
want to take shots.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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01/03/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 06 January 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – January 6, 2021

— deaf attorney in bedroom all day

DeafDigest editor was chatting (on email) with
a deaf attorney yesterday. Because of Covid-19
he works out of his home – and his office is
located in the family bedroom. He said:

I argued several times remotely (with captioning)
from my bedroom.

He works for a federal government agency in
Washington, DC

 

— the crashing of the business communication software

Slack is a nationally known business communication
software used by many places of business. It crashed
yesterday. The co-owner of a computer management
company in St Louis, works with his deaf partner.
They communicate all day through Slack, and when it
crashed, they couldn’t communicate with each other.
As a result, they quickly jumped on Google chat,
and the day was saved!

 

— Conspiracy theory and a famous person

There was a shocking question today in the media.

It asked:
Did Helen Keller Not Exist?

It said that there is a Conspiracy theory that she
never existed as a world-famous deaf-blind person!

 

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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01/03/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 05 January 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – January 5, 2021

— Coda is about Coda

The Houston Cinema Arts Society will be featuring
a film, titled – Coda. It is about a Coda torn
between her deaf parents and her dreams of a
career in music. Taking part in the film are
well-known deaf actors – Troy Kotsur and
Marlee Matlin.

 

— a comment from a deaf agency representative

Regarding the pandemic, a deaf agency representative
said “real advocacy” cannot be really done until
things get back to normal. We do web seminars here
and there and referring clients to specialists, but
that is about it.

 

— placement of interpreters very important

A deaf theatrical actor complained that when
interpreters are hired to do a play, often
they’re either placed too far off from the
front and center – or – standing on a level
below the stage level. This makes things
much harder for the deaf in the audience
to follow the action and the plot.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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01/03/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 04 January 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – January 4, 2021

— “America’s Next Top Model” or “Dancing With the Stars”

Nyle DiMarco won both “America’s Next Top Model”
and “Dancing With the Stars” TV contests, propelling
him into celebrity fame. But which victory was more
important for him? According to TV contest buffs,
the “Dancing With the Stars” was more important!

 

— Payday loan company for deaf files for Chapter 7

ACS Payment Solutions, which was supposed to give
deaf people these payday loans, and is based in
Louisville, Kentucky, has filed for Chapter 7
bankruptcy. DeafDigest lacks enough information
about this story and so, cannot comment any
further – but also hopes deaf people were not
financially harmed by this Chapter 7 filing.

 

— thehill.com insults DC Mozzeria

thehill.com covers politics and happenings in
the metro Washington, DC area. It describes
deaf-run Mozzeria as a “scrappy Napolitana
pizzeria.”

Scrappy? Just to make sure what that word means,
a google search said: disorganized, untidy, or
incomplete – and also – determined, argumentative,
or pugnacious

Regardless of how one choses either definition,
it certainly is an insult!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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01/03/21 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 01 January 2021

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – January 1, 2021

— best Amazon employees are deaf

The best Amazon employees are deaf!

Not a joke. The Amazon warehouses where employees
locate boxes to ship out to customers, are very
noisy – always boxes creating noises while being
moved around; forklifts going on back and forth
and conveyor belts never stopping, all creating
noises that hearing employees hate. Plus boxes
always falling off the forklifts, and so on.
Noise plus on top of another noise. A deaf
employee said – eyes, not ears, are more important.

 

— Deaf Beer in a small town

Deaf Beer in a small town? Yes, Sperryville
only has maybe 350 people, and it is located
maybe 75 miles from Washington, DC. And a
new brewery is coming up – the Veditz and Company
Brewing, being set up by four deaf investors.
Veditz? He was a past president of National
Association of the Deaf during the 1900’s and
was one of these “save-ASL pioneers.” Will hearing
people drink Deaf Beer? Yes, if it is the best
beer in the Rappahannock County (Virginia).
Competition? Just two county breweries around.

 

— deaf dropouts at Hearing Colleges

Hearing students drop out at hearing colleges.
Deaf students also drop out at hearing colleges,
but why do they drop out? Academics? Maybe yes,
maybe no – but there are other issues – social
isolation, problems with interpreters and
captions, bad support services from the college
Disability Support Services department, and so on.
Deaf students need to realize there are always
Gallaudet, SWCD, CSUN and NTID to help with their
academics.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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12/27/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 31 December 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – December 31, 2020

— people-related job or a non-people related job

A deaf man had a goal – to find a job working
with hearing people. The school counselor told
him deaf people cannot work at a people-related
job and must find a job that does not involve
working with people. A discriminatory advice?
Yes.

 

— two things interpreters hate

interpreting non-scripted speeches and
too many people in the audience shout
out too many questions at the same time!

 

— captions too fast or too slow

Captions are supposed to keep up with the
voice audio. Yet there are people that say
captions are too fast for them to read or
that captions are too slow (and fall behind)
while TV action goes on. This will always
be a debate that no one wins.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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12/27/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 30 December 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – December 30, 2020

— Beethoven’s reason for his world’s best music

Did Beethoven have a big reason for his world’s
best music? People still talk about Beethoven
even though he died in 1827, which is 194 years
ago. Music historians said Beethoven, over anger
of his deafness, wanted to use music to explain
it for that reason. Beethoven is one of the three
deaf people that historians remember over the
years – two others were Dummy Hoy and Helen Keller!

 

— our Super Deaf Heroes

Do we have Super Deaf Heroes?

The late George Johnston, who passed away in 2012,
was a professional deaf performer. One of his favorite
skits was performing as a Super Deaf Hero. He made
many of us laugh. And then John Maucere, the deaf
comedian, who played these Super Deafy roles. And
now this – the Eternals (hearing) is planning
to introduce our “first deaf superhero.” Funny
or not funny? DeafDigest wishes that all of our
deaf people have their own successful lives and
careers! This wish is our Super Deaf Hero.

 

— Best-kept secret that would help the deaf

Deaf people require captions 24/7 and when there
are no captions or if captions are bad, we get
upset, rightfully so. Anyway there was a
newspaper headline which said:

best-kept secret when it comes to a lucrative career choice

It was to explain to hearing people, seeking
jobs, that they should consider captioning as
their career choice (if they qualify). Yes, they
must attend captioning schools first! Again, if
they qualify after taking these captioning exams.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
http://deafdigest.com/category/jobs/

12/27/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 29 December 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – December 29, 2020

— wearing a mask that says Deaf

Should deaf people wear masks that say Deaf?
This is a personal choice and it is best to
leave it at that. But in the case of one
deaf person, his life was saved during a shopping
mall shooting incident; hearing mall employees
saw the word Deaf and immediately pulled him
into safety. Does DeafDigest editor wear a
mask that says Deaf? No.

 

— from a viewpoint of a 911 dispatch center

A deaf person may use emergency 911 text to seek
assistance. What many people, including the
deaf, may not realize is that:

dispatchers work 12 hour shifts which gets exhausting

dispatchers may juggle between five calls at one time

dispatchers may also handle the radio

dispatchers may be busy doing paperwork between calls

a dispatch center may only have three dispatchers on duty
at any one time, and it can get overwhelming

dispatchers love their jobs, out of strong sense of service

 

— the eyes of a hard of hearing person

A hard of hearing person said he stares at
people’s faces – to lip read and to catch
facial expressions. And while he wears a
hearing aid, it does not always catch
every word and every sound. And the
mask wipes it all out!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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12/27/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 28 December 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – December 28, 2020

— story of a deaf farmer makes it to state’s top farming stories

Some months back DeafDigest ran a piece on deaf farmer
Matt Fry and his deaf wife with two hearing children
successfully operating a grain and cattle farm in Ohio.
This newspaper story made it to the Top 10 agricultural
stories in Ohio for the year 2020.

 

— “sign language” movie was huge box office flop

A “sign language” movie had an $18 million budget
but only made $2 million, and was branded as a
major flop. It was “The Clan of the Cave Bear”
that was shown in 1986, as a prehistoric theme.
Communication between the characters was by
sign language among these fake-deaf actors.
DeafDigest hopes the next sign language
movie performed by deaf actors will be
a huge financial success.

 

— child Coda loved doing family interpreting

A newspaper story focused on a Coda, now owning
her interpreting business. She said:

I was the family interpreter for my deaf parents
and my deaf sister. I loved it; felt very blessed
to do the interpreting. But later on while
growing up, I had to take speech therapy because
all I knew was sign language!

Not every Coda feels the same. Some embrace
living in a deaf family; some don’t.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
http://deafdigest.com/category/jobs/

12/27/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 25 December 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – December 25, 2020

— upcoming Super Bowl, deaf-friendly or not-deaf friendly

It is quite a bit early for Super Bowl talk since the
NFL playoffs have not yet started – but what is in
it for us with the Super Bowl? Friendly or not friendly?
ASL signer of National Anthem shown on screen or
pushed out. Captions not showing up on Super Bowl
commercials and so on. Just wait and see.\

 

— interpreters being popular

A newspaper headline said that an interpreter,
working a news conference, was said to
be popular among the deaf in the audience.
What is popularity? An interpreter, possibly
a Coda, being well known in the deaf community?
Or is it an interpreter, a non-Coda, who signs
so smoothly, making it so easy for non-ASL deaf
to understand what is being said by the speaker.

 

— nation’s most controversial politician has a deaf brother

Do read the newspapers and you will find AOC (Alexandria
Ocasio-Cortez) always in the front page news. What it
was just learned was that she has a deaf brother – Gabriel
Ocasio-Cortez. He became deaf as a teenager, and as a
result, has become a strong advocate for the deaf in
New York City. The only other top rank politician
with a deaf brother was Tom Harkin, the father of ADA.
Any others? DeafDigest does not know of any others.

 

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
http://deafdigest.com/category/jobs/

12/20/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 24 December 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – December 24, 2020

— deafness and politics

A deaf man, fed up with USA and now living
in Europe said, in a newspaper interview,
that deafness is full of politics! Well,
CI vs hearing aid; hearing aid vs no hearing
aid; oral vs ASL; deaf school vs mainstream
and so on. But keep in mind, hearing world
is also politics!

 

— Ridloff said casting is diverse

Actress Lauren Ridloff, who is deaf, has
landed a few prize roles, so far in her
career. She said, in a newspaper interview,
that the acting cast is diverse – people of
color, women, men, and others.

One thing she said is interesting – was that
she is the only “disabled” actor in the cast.

Hallmark has begun to feature hearing wheelchair
actors in some movies! What about the deaf?

 

— very ugly case in California

Alice Stebbins, not deaf, was assigned to locate
the “missing” $200 million dollars in the
state deaf relay/deaf services fund. As a result
of her hard work, she was fired! The Commissioners
with the California Public Utilities Commission
said that she was guilty of wrong doing. She said
the state is trying to cover it all up. It is
ugly – and just – stay tuned.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
http://deafdigest.com/category/jobs/

12/20/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
http://deafdigest.com/newsletters/

 

 

DeafDigest – 23 December 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – December 23, 2020

— to make deaf guests happy during Holiday Season

What makes a deaf guest happy during the Holiday
Season? Just turning on the captions on the TV
set at the home of the guest! Yes, Covid-19
issues may make such indoor gatherings impossible!

 

— a comment by a hearing father of a deaf son

A hearing father said his deaf son was not
permitted to learn sign language (until he
got older) because of these oral education
rules. The truth is that if the deaf son
wanted to learn sign language then he will
(behind the backs of his teachers and his
parents)! This is what DeafDigest editor
did while growing up.

 

— importance of back up interpreters

Professional interpreters back up each other
at important conferences – switching around
in 15-20 minute intervals. This is not the
only reason for the value of back ups. A
deaf mother brought her hearing daughter
(not an interpreter but fluent in ASL) as
a back up – in case the scheduled interpreter
did not show up for a medical assignment.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
http://deafdigest.com/category/jobs/

12/20/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 22 December 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – December 22, 2020

— a worried hearing author

Will Dean is a worried author. He is currently
writing a series about a deaf detective solving
crimes. Dean is not deaf and he has never had any
experience, nor exposure with the deaf and of the
Deaf Culture. He is worried that deaf critics
may criticize him for writing about the deaf
especially when he knows nothing about the deaf!
So different from Hollywod when hearing actors
are cast in fake-deaf roles and that these producers
do not worry about Deaf Community criticisms!

 

— to feel sorry for a deaf person

Many hearing people feel sorry for the deaf person
because of their deafness. They think deaf people
are “defective.” Well, we have so many successful
Deaf Stories that these hearing people have never
been made aware of. Did we fail in one thing –
to educate these hearing people that we have
had deaf NFL players, deaf elected public officials,
deaf judges, deaf corporate CEO’s, deaf major
league baseball players, deaf presidents of hearing
universities, deaf real estate tycoons – and so on?
If hearing people know nothing about it, then did we
fail to educate them?

 

— Zoom vs ADA

Already there are ADA lawsuits about Zoom trying
to charge money for Video Conference Closed Captions!
ADA violation or not ADA violation? Just leave these
to attorneys, judges and juries to sort it all out.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
http://deafdigest.com/category/jobs/

12/20/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
http://deafdigest.com/newsletters/

 

DeafDigest – 21 December 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – December 21, 2020

— using gestures or using sign language

A linguist observed a deaf man chatting with
a hearing man, but could not determine if it
was gestures that both made it up throughout
the conversation or if it was sign language!
This is the reason why the linguist is working
on his doctorate on deaf-hearing communications.

 

— social media people do not ask the deaf

People that work in social media do not ask the
deaf for their advice and input. A perfect example
is Twitter in audio. Did these Twitter people ask
the deaf if audio is a good idea or not?

 

— a choice: deaf school or mainstreamed program

Many deaf students prefer deaf school; many other
deaf students also prefer mainstreamed program.
The TV program “I Hate Suzie” showed a scene
where a student was asked for his choice –
a deaf school or a mainstreamed program. His
choice was simple – both!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
http://deafdigest.com/category/jobs/

12/20/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 18 December 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – December 18, 2020

— Hollywood employs nearly 930,000 people

Hollywood employs nearly 930,000 people. How
many of these people are deaf? Maybe just
100 or 150 people. What this means is that
Hollywood casts too few deaf actors
and hires too few deaf non-actors!

 

— attorney described as too old and too deaf

A newspaper insulted an attorney, saying he was
too old and too deaf to represent clients.
As a result, this deaf attorney has filed a
defamation lawsuit against the newspaper.

 

— one of the best Best TV Documentary series of 2020

Deaf U by Netflix has been praised by TV critics
as one of Year 2020’s best TV Documentary series.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
http://deafdigest.com/category/jobs/

12/13/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 17 December 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – December 17, 2020

— city manager admits technology may be unreliable

A city manager is involved in a lawsuit regarding
a death of a resident. He said that his 911 dispatch
center had to deal with unreliable technology, part
of which dealt with TTY issues! In that particular
issue, his 911 operator guessed (wrongly) that the caller
(hearing) may have used a TTY and it led her to pressing
the wrong key, shutting down the 911 emergency message 
by that hearing person!

 

— ASL outside of USA and Canada

Is ASL being used outside of USA and Canada?
Don’t know – but there was a press release
issued by a German tech provider doing business
in Hungary, saying it plans to increase ASL
for business outside of USA. Not sure what it
is supposed to mean because deaf people do not
use ASL in their nations!

 

— 60 year old deaf man finally learning to speak

Is it realistic?

A newspaper headline today said:

Man in silent world for 60 years finally learned to speak

Possible or impossible? Probably impossible!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
http://deafdigest.com/category/jobs/

12/13/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 16 December 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – December 16, 2020

— not every hearing foreign person knows gestures

Nyle DiMarco, in an interview, said:

The biggest advantage of being deaf while traveling
is that so many people in foreign countries are incredible
at gesture

Is he correct? Well, DeafDigest editor and his wife
was having breakfast at a restaurant in Barcelona,
Spain. Keep in mind, people of Madrid gesture all
the time with each other, not that so in Barcelona.
Anyway the editor wanted eggs as scrambled and made
a gesture to indicate scrambling. The waitress couldn’t
understand it so asked her shift manager, whom did not
understand it. The manager asked the cook to come
over, and after struggling with the gesture he
finally figured it out as “scrambled.” Took about
five minutes just for a simple, and routine
breakfast order! Scrambled eggs in Barcelona?
The best!

 

— federal judge dismisses ADA interpreting case

A federal judge in Georgia dismissed an ADA
interpreting case. The interpreter was not
certified but was hired at the last minute
as requested by a deaf patient for a medical
appointment. Why was it dismissed? The judge
said the clinic followed ADA rules but was not
at fault due to this last minute request.

 

— a big issue almost invisible in the deaf community

People park their cars in garages inside their
houses, and accidentally leave the engine
running, leading to carbon monoxide. Forgetful
hearing people can hear the engine and run back
to the garage to shut it off. Not so with the
deaf. A national deaf leader died in 1968 for
that reason. There is a lawsuit against
Toyota for not installing a flashing signaler
to warn of engine still running or to
auto-shut off the engine.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
http://deafdigest.com/category/jobs/

12/13/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 15 December 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – December 15, 2020

— Action-Adventure Game deaf consultant

There are some deaf people hired as consultants
in deaf movies in Hollywood and deaf Broadway
plays. What aboutAction-Adventure Game deaf
consultants? There is one – Morgan Baker.
Is he a hearing person consulting on deaf
accessibility needs or a deaf person
doing the same kind of consulting?
A google search indicated that he is deaf.

 

— the mask and the hearing check-out cashiers

A hearing check-out cashier at a supermarket
said that she would normally smile at her
customers. The mask prevents that. As a result,
she says something pleasant such as “good
morning” or “do have a great day” and so on.
She also said that with deaf customers, this
courtesy is impossible unless she removes
her mask which is what her store does not
allow.

 

— CI and now captions, USA vs Australia

Are Americans losing out on the CI business
and now the captions to our friends, the
Australians? This big island nation has
captured the international CI market –
and now this announcement today – that
Caption IT and CaptionAccess, both of
them American captioning rivals,
have been sold to an Australian
captioning company. Is it bad news
for USA? Or is it a concern for us?
Maybe a concern if deaf employees
lose their jobs. Hope it never happens.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
http://deafdigest.com/category/jobs/

12/13/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 14 December 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – December 14, 2020

— Alexa improvement not enough for deaf

Alexa said it has improved its “talking”
device to slow down for the benefit
of its hard of hearing users. Yet, where
is the Alexa digital read out captions
to benefit the deaf?

 

— loud voice or loud hands

Hard of hearing people, CI users and hearing aid
users often tell hearing people to speak up just
a bit louder. Said a deaf activist:

My hands are loud enough

He is correct!

 

 

— employers are much more careful these days

Employers are afraid of ADA lawsuits and so, they
are much more careful. Careful about hiring the
deaf? Unfortunately, no! They are more careful
about not mentioning the dangerous word – deaf
and also more careful with “excuses” not to hire
the deaf. This “careful” attitude is disappointing.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
http://deafdigest.com/category/jobs/

12/13/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 11 December 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – December 11, 2020

— preferring to be called Dummy

There was a newspaper story about Dummy
Hoy. It said he preferred to be called
Dummy instead of William or Bill or even
Billy. There was no such a thing as
Political Correctness in these days!
Different eras carry different attitudes.

 

— must hear to comment on dangerous intersections

University of Minnesota is paying hearing volunteers
to fill out a survey regarding “knowledge and
perceptions of high-risk intersection roadway
designs.” What about deaf volunteers? The
university is basically saying to forget it.
Discrimination? Yes. ADA violation? Just ask
these disability rights attorneys. Keep in
mind Deaf Eyes is just as good as Hearing Ears!

 

— deaf patient in one room; interpreter in other room

A deaf patient put in one room; an interpreter is
put in another room. Why? A department of health
spokesperson said:

For safety, we are not able to have the interpreters
in the same room with the doctor

Will the appointment be cancelled if the video has
problems (bad battery; bad video, etc)?

Not a joke. It happened to DeafDigest editor, just
that the hospital was in DC and interpreter in Texas.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
http://deafdigest.com/category/jobs/

12/06/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 10 December 2020

 

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – December 10, 2020

— deaf trusted to perfectly cut the diamonds

Diamond-cutting is a stressful profession; make
a wrong cut or a bad cut and thousands of dollars
go to waste. This being said, Schachter & Namdar,
a diamond-cutting company, has 28 deaf cutters
in its employ of 43 professional diamond cutters!
The company said they’re very happy with these
deaf cutters.

 

— captioner announces new feature – making video calls

Ava, a captioning provider, made this announcement
today, saying that video calls for the deaf will be
part of their upcoming app. Ava also said it will
be 99 percent accurate. Is there such a thing as
99 percent accuracy in human captioning or machine
captioning? DeafDigest editor is skeptical.

 

— pandemic threatens state’s only deaf social club building

Shenandoah Valley Club of the Deaf, located in Staunton, VA
(the home of Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind) is
the state’s only deaf social club with its own building.
The pandemic has not been kind to the deaf club. Because
of no social events, income flow has stopped – whereas
the building needs upgrades to HVAC, kitchen, bathroom,
flooring, front and back doors and the lighting system.
This club has been in existence since late seventies.
Years ago, deaf social clubs were the bedrock of the
Deaf Community. Not so much any more these days and
it is sad.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
http://deafdigest.com/category/jobs/

12/06/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 09 December 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – December 9, 2020

— deafness as a way of life

A newspaper headline screamed:
Deafness isn’t a disability, it’s a world

This being said, deafness is a way of life.

 

— Deaf Antique piece breaks auction record

Sold for $275,000 which broke a new auction
sales record was a sand bottle done by
Andrew Clemens. He placed layers of different
rainbow sand colors into a seven-inch tall
glass bottle in 1885. A collector purchased
it a while ago and just placed it for sale
for $275,000. It was highly valued because
it remained intact as is upon completion in
1885. Clemens was deaf and graduated from
Iowa School for the Deaf.

 

— Zoom or something else

Many deaf people use the Zoom for classroom
use or for organizational meetings. Is Zoom
the best? There is a competitor – Webex,
which just announced a better closed
captioning system. How much better is it –
Zoom or Webex?

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
http://deafdigest.com/category/jobs/

12/06/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 08 December 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – December 8, 2020

— special tag at seven American airports

Hidden Disabilities Sunflower has come up with
a special tag to inform airport officials at
seven American airports to inform them of
their deafness, in a discreet way. This would
help avoid unpleasant issues at the check-in
gate. This tag is optional and not required
as it is a personal matter. Why not all
airports, instead of just seven. Perhaps
in due time, it may involve all airports.

 

— Dictionary group to review the word “deaf” or “Deaf”

The Oxford University Press, which publishes a group of
dictionaries, said they will review how is or what is
the definition of the word “deaf” (or even of “Deaf”).
Never ends – these deaf vs Deaf debates.

 

— a big ADA trend

A Law Journal ran an article that said ADA is going
through a trend, be it for good or for bad. It said
ADA was shifting from ramps, curbs, elevators,
interpreters, captions to COVID-19 issues, especially
with face masks!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
http://deafdigest.com/category/jobs/

12/06/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 07 December 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – December 7, 2020

— part of hearing being returned

There was a story of Leland Melvin, an astronaut
with a hearing loss. It said that he could not
qualify as an astronaut because of his hearing
loss – yet the story said his hearing returned,
but not all of it! Real story or fishy story?

 

— Oral training classes explained differently

Many deaf people attended oral school classes,
including this DeafDigest editor. A story said
a deaf person attended “special pronunciation
classes.” What is that supposed to mean?

 

— light switch deafness

A light switch means room is bright or a room is
dark depending on the switch on the wall.
Deafness as an electrical switch? Well, there
was a story of a comic book character, over
many years being deaf or being hearing depending
on the cartoon artist. Does it mean deafness up
and off as in an electrical switch?

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
http://deafdigest.com/category/jobs/

11/29/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
http://deafdigest.com/newsletters/

DeafDigest – 04 December 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – December 4, 2020

— saying that deafness is common

In a newspaper story, a veterinarian said:

Deafness is common in dogs and cats. Some are born
deaf, while others develop hearing loss as they
get older. DeafDigest editor has had dogs for
decades; only one dog he had was deaf – due to
old age!

 

— open captioned and no one complained

Many hearing people in the movie audience
will complain that open captions were forced
on them. This is the basic reason why movie
houses oppose open captions. Anyway the
“hot” movie – Sound of Metal, was open
captioned and everyone, even these
anti-open captioned people, applauded
it because of the theme involving a
musician who became deaf! Fair not fair
to the deaf? A boring movie will not be
open captioned; a hot movie may be
open captioned!

 

— a degree from Rutgers leads to a business involving dogs

Kyle Morse, who is deaf, graduated from
Rutgers University, and found employment
in positions that did not satisfy him.
He then established a dog walking business
that not just only walked dogs but babysat
these dogs, plus exercising, boarding
and even non-dog stuff such as watering
plants, picking up mail, house sitting, etc.
About 25 people work for him, and his
territory involves four New Jersey counties!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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11/29/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 03 December 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – December 3, 2020

— job interviewer tries to accommodate but doesn’t

It is often that a deaf person, showing up for
a job interview, requests an interpreter. The
interviewer refuses the request but thinks that
notes written back and forth would comply with
the ADA guidelines. Is the interviewer compliant
or violating the ADA? This is why we have many
attorneys that specialize in disability laws.

 

— deaf woman goes up in the air, doing tricks

Katia Schwartz, who is deaf, is a professional
trapeze performer. She is always doing these
impossible acrobatic tricks while up there
in the air. DeafDigest wonders if she is the
only deaf acrobat in the world or if there are
others.

 

— born deaf during space travel

An Interstellar flight means crew members would have
been born during this endless space trip. And since
some of them may possibly be born deaf, they need
to use sign language to communicate – and so,
the Interstellar Sign Language! This is what some
Space Futurists are saying.

 

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DeafDigest – 02 December 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – December 2, 2020

— first time Deaf Villain

Many movies and TV programs have Hearing
Villains. We hate these Villains. But
what about Deaf Villains? Keep in mind
these Villain acting roles could give
opportunities for deaf actors to be
cast in these movie & TV productions.
Well, it was learned that Russell Harvard,
himself a deaf actor, played this such
a Villain role in the Fargo series shown
on Netflix. First time Deaf Villain?
Possibly!

 

— weird newspaper story

A newspaper story said:

37 deaf patients cured

The story said a hospital successfully
performed operations on 37 deaf patients
and they can now hear and speak as well
as any other hearing people.

Really? A deaf person, deaf and non-speaking
before the operation, suddenly able to
hear and speak well, after the operation?????
It takes years of training, coaching and
re-learning, and not just overnight.

 

— different way for ASL Santas with ASL deaf

Normally children, with their wishes, would
sit on the laps of these Santa Clauses. The
same goes for Deaf Children with these Deaf
Santa Clauses. There is a twist – Drive-in
Deaf Children meeting up with their Deaf
Santas. It is taking place in Comstock
Park in Washington (state). Just hope
that Deaf Children, not sitting on laps,
will get their wishes on Christmas Day.

 

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DeafDigest – 01 December 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – December 1, 2020

— The unfriendly convenience store

What happens if a hearing customer enters
a convenience store (such as 7-11) and
finds it unfriendly because of heavy noise
inside? Would he try to communicate with
gestures or with notes or by finger-pointing?
A deaf group is sponsoring this special
workshop to demonstrate to the hearing
that they would face these same barriers
as much as the deaf would in these
deaf-unfriendly conditions!

 

— Deaf actress in a Disney+ streaming TV series

The Mandalorian is an American space Western streaming
television series shown on Disney+. One of the characters
is the Frog Lady. This role is played by Misty Rosas.
She is deaf – but functions as a hearing person and
does not use ASL. Cannot see her face because the
Frog Lady make-up covers it up!

 

— referees’ hand signals used in world’s #1 sport

Soccer is world’s #1 most popular sport. Referees use
hand signals during these soccer games. There was a
tweet posting saying that these hand signals were
invented by the deaf! Really? DeafDigest editor
does not believe it.

 

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DeafDigest – 30 November 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – November 30, 2020

— eugenics illegal but will not pay victims

Today Japan said their old eugenics protection
law was unconstitutional, but would not pay
the victims. These deaf married couples could
not have children because of that old law,
and they have been very bitter about it.

 

— longest-serving deaf TV actress

We have great deaf actresses – Marlee Matlin,
Shoshannah Stern, Phyllis Frelich, Lauren
Ridloff, etc. But there was one great deaf
actress that served 30 years on a TV program.
Actresses normally don’t serve that so many
years but that that one did – and it was Linda
Bove, with PBS’ Sesame Street program!
DeafWest? She co-founded DeafWest with her
husband, actor Ed Waterstreet. DeafWest
continues as nation’s #1 deaf theatrical
group.

 

— almost by 2-3 inches instead of 2-3 feet

A deaf jogger was complaining that cyclists
would blow their horn or scream “get out of
the way” that he could not hear, and was
lucky when these cyclists whiz by him just by
2 or 3 inches. Do these cyclists realize that
if the jogger does not respond, he may possibly
be deaf! In almost all cases, no.

 

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DeafDigest – 27 November 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – November 27, 2020

— Bad TV sitcom script; deaf-hearing date

According to a bad “The Big Bang Theory” script,
Raj, who knew no sign language, asked out a
deaf woman on a date. In hopes of making
communications easier, he asked a third person
to come on the date as the “interpreter” despite
not really knowing sign language at all. Raj
could have simply brought with him a notepad
and a pen to communicate with the deaf date.

 

— people start to notice something missing

Nowadays, people, both deaf and hearing, are
noticing something – that they had not noticed
in the past – a missing interpreter, especially
during Covid-19 press conferences. Possibly
the past missing White House interpreter started
people to notice this thing! Yes, the White
House finally had an interpreter at its
latest conference.

 

— a wedding forced to be postponed

An interpreter planned to get married one
day. That wedding was postponed – because
of a last minute interpreting assignment.
It was her second postponement for that
same reason. Fortunately she finally
got married later on, on her third
and successful attempt.

 

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DeafDigest – 26 November 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – November 26, 2020

— tall stage tables (lecterns) maybe not deaf friendly

According to New Horzions (the magazine published
by Deaf Seniors of America) deaf ASL speakers
using lecterns (tall stage tables) may not be
deaf-friendly. These lecterns may prevent
deaf in audience from seeing clearly these
ASL signs. Board member Renwick Dayton came
up with a solution, using his carpentry skills
to make new lecterns much more deaf friendly.
Thank you, Dayton!

 

— Minneapolis tells cops to be “aware”

Minneapolis has allowed cops to enter a house
without knocking on the door if they suspect
criminals trying to hide themselves. What
about deaf occupants of a house that the cops
are trying to enter? The city says that
the police should be “mindful” that the occupants
may be deaf and cannot hear the knocks. Scary?
Very much so. Cops may not realize deaf homes
may have door flashing buttons and may overlook
it or older dogs that may not respond to knocks!

 

— CI abuse or not a CI abuse

Is it CI abuse if a deaf child is forced to use this
device even if the processor causes pain? This is
what a newspaper story today said!

 

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DeafDigest – 24 November 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – November 25, 2020

— state requires police officers to pass exam about the deaf

The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement requires all
police officers to take and pass an exam about the
deaf. If they do not pass, they cannot get peace
officer license!

 

— deaf engineer oversees manufacturing of a military ship

Tony Madalena, who is deaf, is the director of operations
of a ship building factory which is manufacturing a
secret military ship. His job is to see that the
manufacturing steps are going smoothly on a day to
day basis. He was profiled today in a big story.

 

— Mozzeria is not dead

Mozzeria is not dead even though its San Franciso
restaurant closed up, as mentioned a couple of
times in DeafDigest. There is a Mozzeria food
truck that sells exactly the same types of pizza
that the restaurant used to serve. Operating
a brick and mortar restaurant is completely
different from operating a food truck – worrying
about parking spots, worrying about the health
of the engine, worrying about the weather,
worrying about the traffic gridlock, etc, etc.

 

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DeafDigest – 24 November 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – November 24, 2020

— hearing people badly need video call captions

It is not just the deaf that badly need video
call captions. It is also the hearing – for
the reason that audio may be bad or audio-only
headphones are not available or that the videos
are made in a noisy environment. So, video captions
is a win-win for both the deaf and the hearing!

 

— Yes, we have ADA but there is a problem

Covid-19 has forced applicants to apply for
jobs on-line. A deaf applicant said she has
to put down the word – deaf – on all on-line
applications so that voice-only interviews
cannot be conducted. As a result, she has not
received a single phone call. How will
ADA attorneys deal with it – another series
of lawsuits!

 

— Deaf Ear in Wisconsin

There is a store in Lacrosse, Wisconsin, called
the Deaf Ear. Deafness? No, this store sells
musical records (VHS tapes to vinyl records
and others). Why the Deaf Ear? Is it because
loud music may make music-lovers deaf?

 

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DeafDigest – 23 November 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – November 23, 2020

— first time ever deaf contestant

Abigail Heringer, who is deaf, will appear on
The Bachelor TV program. A resident of Portland,
OR, she is employed by an ad agency.

 

— a reason for shortage of see-through masks

There is a serious shortage of see-through masks,
which would have benefitted the deaf. Reason is
lack of factory workers with these needle-and-thread
skills!

 

— Deaf Turkey at Jennie-O Turkey Store

Many people need help and advice in preparing
turkeys for Thanksgiving. The Jennie-O Turkey Store
has a hotline (1-800-TURKEYS) for those that
need help. Deaf Turkey? Yes, Hadassah Patterson,
who is deaf, is a chef and knows sign language.
Deaf people can contact her for help – but an
appointment must be set up in advance. What is
the procedure to set up this sign language
appointment? Do not know since the announcement
wasn’t too clear about it.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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11/22/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 20 November 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – November 20, 2020

— a choice by a hungry deaf driver

All drivers get hungry, and many of them go through
drive-thru to pick up quick, fast food. For a deaf
driver, it is a big choice. Risk humiliation by
drive-thru window person that refuses to serve
them – or – to look for an open parking
spot and to walk into the fast food restaurant
to place an order. Either choice is a hassle!

 

— highly qualified, MBA marketers that do not know the deaf

Many universities offer MBA programs for hearing people
that want to succeed in the business world. Almost all
of these programs do not explain how to deal with deaf
customers. There are some deaf people that have money
to spend – yet are being ignored when they want to
shop for something!

 

— remembering Mozzeria

A story today felt bad that Mozzeria (San Francisco)
has closed up. It was mentioned in DeafDigest last
week. In a story that came up today, it was learned
that the deaf owners practiced making pizzas for two
years until it became perfect. Also that they
traveled to Italy to learn how the perfect pizzas
are being made. Plus before the restaurant was
opened, a deaf electrician, deaf wood refinishers
and a deaf woodworker and deaf artists were all
hired to get things ready before the opening
nine years ago.

 

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DeafDigest – 19 November 2020

— lies told by drive-in employee

An employee at a fast food drive-in refused to
serve a deaf customer, saying he had to order
through the voice kiosk. He posted this incident
on the facebook, and the company apologized
to him. The employee said he was too busy
to read the order written on a piece of paper.
Too busy to read the order which read as
cheeseburger with fries and coke! The employee
said the deaf driver was blocking traffic
behind him. Actually it was just one car
behind the deaf driver!

 

— Twitter finally realizing they discriminate against deaf

Twitter has come up with disappearing tweets, voice-only
chats, voice-only tweets. After realizing how discriminatory
their innovations have become, they’re putting a temporary
stop, trying to find ways to satisfy the deaf.

 

— a confusing story

A newspaper story, in part, said:

Recent Deaf and is fluent in American Sign Language

It is puzzling and confusing. People who became
recently deaf normally struggle with the learning
of signs for quite some time. Some eventually
become fluent; some struggle with it for life.
And the word – recent – is also vague. Recent
as if it happened few days ago, or last year
or few years ago?

 

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DeafDigest – 17 November 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – November 18, 2020

— from deaf work environment to hearing work environment

A deaf person said deaf work environment is much different
from hearing work environment. In a deaf work environment,
it is easy to take for granted – interpreters, captions,
devices, person to person communications, etc. Not always
that so in a hearing work environment. What this means
is that the deaf person must advocate for himself on
his needs!

 

— reality TV’s first deaf contestant remembers something

Christy Smith became reality TV’s first deaf contestant
when she competed on the Survivor program in 2003.
During the daytime she was able to figure things out
by lipreading, but when it was dark, the contestants
would not make things easier for her; shutting her
out during private conversations!

 

— SFVSC vs RIT

The stakes were pretty much high in 1966 when
Congress proposed a new technical university
for the deaf. Several colleges competed for
this honor; the top two contenders were
RIT and SFVSC. RIT won and established the
NTID. SFVSC? It was San Fernando Valley
State College, which changed its name to
CSUN. While disappointed, CSUN moved on and
has grown to become the nation’s third
leading university serving the deaf, after
Gallaudet and RIT.

 

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DeafDigest – 17 November 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – November 17, 2020

— conversation books

Centuries ago, some deaf people used conversation
books to communicate with the hearing. What is the
difference between conversation books and notebooks?
Same thing, just that years ago people called it
conversation books, not notebooks!

 

— advocate’s fact or falsehood

An advocate (not in USA) said that lack of
sign language recognition in his nation
is the reason why many deaf people are
unemployed. DeafDigest says this comment
is a falsehood. Hearing employers do not
hire the deaf, not because of lack of
sign language recognition, but because
they are afraid to communicate with
the deaf.

 

— deaf helping the hearing

Normally deaf groups help the deaf, but
this deaf group – Deaf Ladies of Pleasanton
(California) has been formed with a purpose
– to help the hearing. To be more specific,
helping the local firefighters. This group
was profiled in a newspaper story.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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DeafDigest – 16 November 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – November 16, 2020

— NOAA’s Deaf Slogan

The NOAA, which oversees the weather, has come
up with a Deaf Slogan. It says:

See a flash, dash inside

In other words, if one sees something flash in
the sky, just run indoors.

 

— the Dummy Hoy code

A baseball historian said the umpires used the
Dummy Hoy code – meaning hand signals that are
still used in baseball (and softball). The
historian said:

It worked so well, that umpires adopted the system
permanently

This Dummy Hoy code phrase is no longer used.

 

— Alien Sign Language

Alien Sign Language? It is not a joke according
to space scientist Douglas Vakoch, not deaf.
He is sending messages into space, hoping to
reach aliens – by some different languages,
including sign language. ASL? Or international
sign language? Don’t know.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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11/15/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 13 November 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – November 13, 2020

— refrigerator installer mostly speaks Spanish

DeafDigest editor had a delivery of a new
refrigerator in his residence today. The installer
crew struggled with English and wore facemasks.
How did communication go beautifully? One of
the installers was able to use easily understandable
gestures to make communications go smoothly.
It is unfortunate that most hearing people cannot
gesture well, but that one installer did!

 

— sad news; nation’s #1 deaf restaurant closes up

Mozzeria (in San Francisco) has closed up, citing
Covid 19 that hurt the business. It is not to be
confused with Mozzeria (in Washington, DC) as
both restaurants are operated by different
management groups. San Francisco’s Mozzeria has
had a great run, surpassing the 5-year benchmark
where 80 percent of new restaurants fail within
that time span. A deaf food critic said Mozzeria’s
dishes were one of the best.

 

— eight different ways to accommodate the deaf

Many employers scream they just cannot accommodate
the deaf, thus inviting themselves into unwanted
ADA lawsuits. According to an agency that
advocates hiring the deaf, there are eight different
ways to accommodate the deaf. These are – apps,
captions, text to speech, speech to text,
interpreters, texts, and to be so old fashioned
but so effective – note pads and whiteboards,
(or even blackboards)! What is our ninth
and tenth accommodation – very possibly many more
others that we’ve overlooked!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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DeafDigest – 12 November 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – November 12, 2020

— difference between certified interpreter and qualified interpreter

What is the difference between a certified interpreter
and a qualified interpreter? Certified means RID
approval of their interpreting skills. Qualified means
very capable but not RID-certified. Does it mean
a certified interpreter is better than a qualified
interpreter? No. There are many great interpreters
that, for reasons of their own, do not seek
certification from RID. If the interpreter is
bad, then he probably is not RID certified, much
less being a qualified interpreter. Confusing?
Yes.

 

— Deafness may be the reason for some games not great

Game developers are always looking for ways to make
their video games more dazzling and more sensational.
This may stop – especially with these 3D audio
games. They are aware that deaf gamers may be at
a disadvantage trying to play 3D games which depend
on sound and may be difficult to caption. As a
result, some game developers stay away from these
dazzling games! No one wants ADA lawsuits hanging
over their heads.

 

— interpreter’s angry comment

An interpreter plays competitive softball.
His teammates mocked him for working as an
interpreter. The angry interpreter told them
that it was deaf baseball players of years
way back that helped develop baseball signals
being used by umpires and understood by these
anti-deaf hearing softball players!

 

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DeafDigest – 10 November 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – November 11, 2020

— deaf-owned business shown on Netflix

Streetcar 82 Brewing Co, a popular deaf-owned
beer garden in Hyattsville, MD, is being shown
on Netflix. While the bartenders are deaf, just
almost all of the patrons are hearing. DeafDigest
editor stopped at the crowded garden on Saturday,
looking for any deaf patrons and found none!

 

— a Derrick Coleman update

Derrick Coleman, who has been out of football for
some time, is being given a tryout by the Las
Vegas Raiders. He was the third deaf player in
NFL history. We shall wait and see if the Raiders
will sign him to a free agent contract.

 

— safety is a priority, but what about the deaf

Everyone talks about safety (fire escapes, emergencies,
etc). Architects all talk about site evacuation
systems, but do they really take a deaf person in
consideration? An example; a deaf person may be
in the rest room when an emergency alerting system
goes off. Not all rest rooms have alerts. It
was a big point DeafDigest editor brought up when
a safety expert gave a lecture at a workshop – he
just has never thought of the deaf at all!

 

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DeafDigest – 10 November 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – November 10, 2020

— fifty percent, true or false

A report said that 50 percent of police officer
incidents involve the deaf and the disabled.
Who said that – American Justice advocates!
Let us change the question around – would the
police still attack them if they knew these
people were either deaf or disabled? If the
deaf person repeatedly pointed to his ear
and shouted “deaf, deaf, deaf” would the
attack still take place?

 

— pros and cons of some election issues

Many hearing people do not understand some
election issues. At least they can listen
to what candidates have to say about these
issues. Yes, there are some deaf people
that do not understand these same election
issues – but more often than not, they do not
have someone telling these these pros and cons
of these issues! And when candidates are vague,
then it is not easy for interpreters to explain
clearly these vague issues!

 

— a very bored Prince Philip

Prince Philip, the husband of England’s Queen
Elizabeth, was described by a British newspaper,
to be a bored person – and that his boredom has
led to many insulting comments. One such insult,
years ago, was telling the deaf they became
deaf because they listened to a loud, rock music!

 

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DeafDigest – 09 November 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – November 9, 2020

— problem with captions during Covid-19

Deaf people get captions – but there is a problem.
Captions are not perfect – one reason for it is
background noise. Hearing people know the
background noise. Deaf people don’t. What this
means is perfect captions is a long way from
becoming a reality.

 

— Rosie the Riveter

From time to time we read of tales of Rosie the
Riveter, the female factory heroes during the
World War II years. What about Deaf Rosie
the Deaf Riveter? DeafDigest thinks we have
had these Deaf Rosies, just that no one
writes up about them. There is one, right
now, a hearing granddaughter said that her
deaf grandmother was the Deaf Rosie the
Deaf Riviter, and considered a success in
a male-oriented factory (in the state of
Washington).

 

— finger-pointing at a direction

There was a headline that said:
AI Could Soon Give Speakers Directional Voice Detection

What about the deaf?

ASL interpreters, especially at a round-table
conference are always pointing fingers at the
hearing person that spoke up on an issue. The
problem is that the deaf person needs to turn
his head to see who was speaking up – and by the
time the deaf person looks at the interpreter
again, he is probably 2 sentences behind.

 

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DeafDigest – 06 November 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – November 6, 2020

— finally after 6 months at elite university

Yale University is considered elite. Yet it took
Yale six months to establish captions in Zoom
classroom sessions. Why?

 

— XR software has ignored the deaf

XR software is powerful – used everywhere
either for personal use or for business
use. Yet, XR software developers has been
scolded by the XR Association (an advocacy
group of XR developers) for ignoring the
needs of the deaf. It was the focus of
a newspaper story today.

 

— adding to a challenge grant

Pink Umbrella Theater is a rookie theatrical
group in Milwaukee. This theater helps the
deaf and the disabled get involved. A
theatrical family has issued a challenge
grant – they will match all donations up
to $10,000 for Zoom captions. This original
challenge was not satisfactory – because it
did not ask for funds for interpreters. This
has since been added to the challenge. A
big concern – $20,000 is not enough for
captions and for interpreters. Eventually
the funds will run out. Back to Square One.

 

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DeafDigest – 05 November 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – November 5, 2020

— Troy Kotsur’s sign language opportunity

DeafDigest mentioned a few days ago that deaf
actor Troy Kotsur invented the Tusken Raiders’
sign language. It was learned that this production
team had a hearing person that knew ASL. And
he saw a perfect opportunity for Troy to come up
with a brand new sign language!

 

— demanding equal rights in the legal profession

The New York Law Journal said that deaf attorneys
do not want to be identified as deaf for the sake
of sympathy, but to have equal rights with hearing
attorneys in the legal profession. This is a big
reason why many deaf attorneys switch careers
after getting frustated in the field of law.

 

— deafness logo on the mask

Do deaf people want to have deafness logo
on their masks – to alert hearing people
of their deafness? Guess some do, some don’t.
This mask story was shown on a local TV
news program.

 

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DeafDigest – 03 November 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – November 4, 2020

— an abandoned deaf school

There are always stories of abandoned
deaf schools. One such story said
there were hidden cellars and rooms
underneath the surface. And one such
forgotten sign said that all deaf
children must be accompanied by adults.
It was said to be creepy!

 

— the Post Office and the Deaf Rules

Do post office clerks know Deaf Rules?
Some do. Some don’t. Years back there
were a lot of arguments between clerks
that said library rates (cheaper) do not
apply to borrowed Captioned Films that the
deaf had to return. And now this – one
post office would not allow a deaf man
to bring his service dog into the building.

 

— hard of hearing or deaf

A newspaper story said one person is
either hard of hearing or deaf. Vague?
Maybe but possibly that person is deaf
when he takes off his hearing aid (or CI)
but hard of hearing with his device?

 

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DeafDigest – 03 November 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – November 3, 2020

— TRSL lacks ASL

Those that follow Star Wars know about the
Tusken Raiders. Do they communicate?
Yes, thanks to deaf actor Troy Kotsur
who invented the Tusken Raiders Sign
Language. Does it look like ASL?
No, Troy, who is fluent in ASL, wanted
a sign language that is not ASL at all!
Interestingly enough Marc Okrand, who
worked as a captioner at NCI in the
past, invented Klingon, a language,
spoken by some Star Trek people.
Two such languages with these deaf
connections on Sci Fi programs! This
is amazing.

 

— a terrible police advice in Portland

Serious issues have surfaced between the people
of Portland (Oregon) and the police. There is
an accusation that the police told some
people that deaf people should not attend
public protests because of their deafness!
True or false?

 

— voting for the first time

A Gallaudet acquaintance of DeafDigest
editor told a newspaper writer that
at the age of 77, he has voted for
the first time – in a presidential
election. Why hasn’t he voted in the
past? Do not know.

 

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DeafDigest – 02 November 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – November 2, 2020

— Deaf chef’s Deaf Nose

A deaf chef was interviewed and was asked about
spices he uses in his dishes. He said that his
nose tells him the difference between all
kinds of spices, without having to look at the
bottle labels! A Deaf Nose, that is.

 

— hotels said they want to attract deaf tourists

According to a hotel media posting, there are
hotels that try to become deaf friendly –
allowing dogs, door knockers, text pagers
in hotel rooms, easier wi-fi connections,
staffers quickly notified of tourists’
deafness. and so on. No hotel is perfect,
though, and DeafDigest has his own list
of Hotel Horror stories!

 

— Plan A or Plan B for an interpreter

An interpreter said she fell into Plan B
by entering the interpreting field. Years
later, Plan B has continued as Plan B
since she never got around to trying for her
Plan A.

 

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DeafDigest – 30 October 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 30, 2020

— not enough captioners

Deaf people require captions, rightfully so, and
it creates problems for captioning agencies.
There was a short newspaper story about one
captioning company saying they need more
captioners and have trouble finding them
anywhere.

 

— another deaf with a colorful life

Edward G. Ziegler, Ohio, departed us. He was deaf
but functioned as a hearing person. He held these
various jobs throughout his life – family-owned
businesses, Ohio Department of Transportation, working
his way up from laborer right up to the top as
Special Projects Assistant Superintendent, and then
becoming a County Superintendent and then becoming
a truck driver. In between he was a mechanic and
electrician for a traveling circus group. There
wasn’t anything he couldn’t fix. He simply didn’t
like to work behind a desk.

 

— making impatient and hungry Marines happy

When Marines are hungry, they get impatient.
Good food makes them happy. And responsible
to making them happy is Kevin Tong, a kitchen
chef. Not only he is deaf but is also
deaf-blind and serves these Marines at a
base in San Diego.

 

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DeafDigest – 29 October 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 29, 2020

— Deaf Space or Deaf Friendly

What is Deaf Space? What is Deaf Friendly?
Deaf Space, copied from the original Deaf
House concept, means no walls would block
Deaf Eyes. Deaf House was originated by past
deaf contractor Bernard Brown. Deaf
Friendly means signs in the store that
a deaf customer could point to. A perfect
example would be Subway setting up a “Steak”
sale on the counter instead of high up on the
walls!

 

— in a rush to accommodate

Covid-19 has forced a big accommodation
rush. In this big rush, overlooked are
captions and interpreters. Two of many
examples are legislative meetings and
voting rules being rushed without thought
to interpreters and captions. Leaders
in a big rush do not bother to ask the
deaf for their advice and input. As a
result these hearing leaders get one
big black eye.

 

— big time mover in Montana

Moving gas stations, commercial buildings,
schools, bridges, etc from one location
to another location is quite a challenge.
Forrest “Scotty” Zion, who passed away
10 years ago at the age of 94, was up
to the task. He had been deaf because
of a childhood illness. And he has been
just nominated for induction into Montana
Cowboy Hall Of Fame & Western Heritage.

 

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DeafDigest – 28 October 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 28, 2020

— Coda’s comment

A Coda made this comment in a newspaper
story, as follows:

I can never really know what life looks like
for the deaf even though I have seen for myself
the frustrations the deaf face in everyday life.

 

— a politician with long list of Deaf Promises

It is rare that a hearing politician has a long
list of Deaf Promises. Maybe a short list,
but certainly not a long list. Well, Charlene Fite,
who is campaigning for re-election for a seat
in Arkansas house of representatives, has a
long list. Her background with deaf? She
taught at a deaf school and has worked with
agencies serving the deaf. Reality – a politician
is a success if just one item on the long list
becomes a law, state politics being what it is!

 

— best musical instrument for a deaf musician

Taylor McDowell, who is deaf, but functions as a
hearing person, said he tried trumpet, guitar,
and piano – but failed at all of them because
of prolems with frequency pitches. The best
instrument – the drum! He is one of the popular
drummers in the Central New York area.

 

 

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DeafDigest – 27 October 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 27, 2020

— if less than 7 days, Pennsylvania says “too bad”

DeafDigest editor is troubled by the statement that
says – Anyone who needs an accommodation to participate
in PA State Park, and requesting an interpreter must
contact the park at least seven days notice. At least
means 7 or 8 or 9 or 10 days, etc. Hearing tourists
can visit the park at the last minute; deaf tourists
must wait, wait and wait to make sure the interpreter
is available. This is what DeafDigest editor hates.

 

— New York Society for the Deaf owns a problem residence

A newspaper story surfaced today of New York Society
for the Deaf owning a building for deaf residents,
helped by HUD loan. The problems are no security,
broken toilets, ceilings falling down, mold everywhere,
rats, and broken elevators. The building was built in
1994 (26 years ago). And the Society has been around
for so many, many years providing services for the deaf.

 

— deaf asked – Are you really deaf?

“Are you really deaf” was the question by a
Delta flight attendant when the deaf man’s
mask slipped below his nose and did not
understand the question. He was kicked out 
of the flight. Ultimately Delta headquarters
apologized for this incident. This is not
a surprise when deaf with “perfect” speech
are often challenged by hearing people
that do not believe the hearing loss.

 

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DeafDigest – 26 October 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 26, 2020

— trying to lipread a ventriloquist

Deaf people trying to lipread a ventriloquist?
It seems to be a bad joke, but a senior citizen
said years ago students were taught to speak and
move their mouths at the same time, but nowadays
many people speak like ventriloquists, making
lipreading impossible!

 

— A reason for the Hush movie

The 2016 movie – Hush – about a deaf woman
living alone in the woods, is considered to be
one of the greatest horror movies ever. Why
was that movie produced? Director Mike Flanagan
said he wanted to show the audience that deaf
people have four remaining senses – touch, sight,
smell and taste which more than just make up
for their missing sense of sound.

 

— attitude of some doctors

There are some doctors that think the deaf
people do not know how to take care of their
own health and need to be told what to do
with their medical needs. An angry deaf
person brought this up in a newspaper
story.

 

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DeafDigest – 23 October 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 23, 2020

— deaf artist featured in a New York Times story

Joseph Grigely, a deaf artist and a professor
at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago,
said in a New York Times story that Covid-19 did
not hurt his art business. He just had to change
from old ways to new ways to communicate with
his customers and fellow artists. He previously
taught English at Gallaudet

 

— a deaf participant in the Bachelor Season

Abigail Heringer, who is deaf, is a participant
in the TV’s Bachelor Season. She previously would
not talk about her deafness, but said she will
open up during the program.

 

— New Hampshire candidate makes no deafness promises

Casey Conley, not deaf, is campaigning for a seat
with the Strafford County District in New
Hampshire. He has served on the state
commission for the deaf and hearing loss.
In a newspaper interview, he outlined a list
of promises he will do if elected. Not on
his list of promises is to help the deaf.
So disappointing.

 

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DeafDigest – 22 October 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 22, 2020

— lost in a long list of priorities

A hearing mother of a deaf child showed up
at a board of education meeting. She wanted
to pass a new rule – that only deaf teachers
can teach the deaf. The problem is that others
spoke up with their long list of suggestions,
meaning the committee members may forget the
“deaf to teach the deaf” suggestion.

 

— Deaf Author vs Hearing Publisher

DeafDigest mentioned a while ago that deaf author
Adam Pottle wanted the public to boycott his
children’s book because the publisher drew
illustrations that he felt was racist. But
the publisher refused to pull out the book
from the shelves. Now, the Deaf Author
won as the publisher agreed to pull out the
book despite feeling that the illustrations
were not racist.

 

– our Deaf Truck Drivers

It was not too long time ago that the deaf
were allowed to drive trucks. Are they
doing OK with their jobs as truck drivers?
Said an association of truck drivers:

Trucking companies have already had great success
with people who are deaf

 

This is great!

Some day we will see a deaf truck driver
delivering food to a deaf-owned restaurant.

 

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DeafDigest – 20 October 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 21, 2020

— suddenly deaf joins the deaf

Could a suddenly deaf adult feel comfortable
socializing with those that been deaf all
their lives? No, not always – yet there is
a movie – Sound of Metal. It portrays
a suddenly-deaf adult learning ASL and
feeling comfortable with these deaf groups.
Realistic? No. Impossible? It is possible
but not that easy.

 

— blue instead of white (or yellow)

White and yellow are the common colors
of hearing strobe lights, both for
hearing and for the deaf. But what
about blue strobe lights? The area
around Mount Rainier (in the state of
Washington) has problems dealing with
volcanoes. For that reason, the emergency
people are installing blue strobe lights
to alert residents of these volcanoes.
Why blue instead of white or yellow?
It has been felt that blue strobes would
attract the eyes of the deaf better
than white or yellow.

 

— deaf writer writes about hearing, not deaf

Deaf authors and writers tend to write about the
deaf, not about the hearing. DeafDigest editor
is no better – always writing about the deaf.
Well, deaf writer Genevieve Barr, who is said
to be a talented writer, was praised for writing
articles about non-deaf issues.

 

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DeafDigest – 20 October 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 20, 2020

— hearing people looking down on the deaf

A hearing engineer won an award from the
American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
His invention – a sign language glove
(that we have too many of these such
proposed gloves on the market). He said
sign language gloves will make hearing
people proud of the deaf instead of
looking down on the deaf. Really?

 

— CI engineer said CI is not perfect

A deaf man, who is a CI engineer (his
degree is in electronics engineering)
said CI is not perfect. One reason
is that CI does not function well
in noisy environments. This is his
goal – to make the CI more perfect.

 

— lipreading fun

Many deaf people are lipreaders. Again,
many deaf people hate to lipread or are
not good lipreaders. Whatever! There
is a new video game – Mega Mouth, which
suggests challenges for deaf lipreaders,
both good or bad or even those that hate
lipreading!

 

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DeafDigest – 19 October 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 19, 2020

— podcasts becoming ADA-headache for media providers

Podcasts are not captioned. This will lead to ADA
lawsuits. Already one deaf person is talking about
filing a lawsuit over these non-captioned podcasts.

 

— Beethoven learning sign language

Would Beethoven be given an opportunity
to learn sign language? Author Paul Griffiths
has written a fictional novel titled – Mr Beethoven.
It shows Beethoven traveling to USA to learn
sign language. And there is a twist – that he
would be taught Martha’s Vineyard Sign Language!
It is not the same as ASL, by the way. The
author is not deaf.

 

— Fresh to Deaf in Youngstown, Ohio

Tiffany Hamilton, who is deaf, owns a food stand
titled Fresh to Deaf, in Youngstown, Ohio.
She sells ready-to-go salads and other
healthy meal choices. Her most popular item
is a fruit drink that she mixes in a blender
and is called Sea Moss Water. She even sells
tamarind, an exotic African fruit. She admits
her business is a challenge because people
of Youngstown do not go for health-based
food but for traditional food.

 

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DeafDigest – 16 October 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 16, 2020

— the deaf and the family dining table

The deaf, for the most part, has been left
out of the hearing family dining table
conversation in the past. Hearing comments,
if the deaf ask questions are always this –
“never mind” or “it is not important.”
Nowadays, it is made worse when family
members wear masks, cutting off communications
almost completely.

 

— Microsoft’s Deaf Artificial Intelligence

In the past, Microsoft paid no attention to the
needs of the deaf. Right now, the Deaf Needs are
a priority with Microsoft, especially with
artificial intelligence. Microsoft admitted
that in the past, there was lack of information
regarding the deaf as an artificial intelligence
category. We will wait and see how it all
works out for the benefit of the deaf.

 

— ASL classes affected by Covid-19 for one reason

There are many hearing students that take ASL
classes on-line, likely via Zoom. A student
explained that Zoom prevents the feeling of
an ASL environment, limitations on viewing
body language that comes with signing,
and seeing closely these facial expressions.

 

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DeafDigest – 15 October 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 15, 2020

— useless robbery

A robbery was useless. A thief robbed a deaf man
of his Cochlear Implants. The thief is hearing and
does not need CI’s and would he think he can
make money selling the stolen devices on the
street? Anyway the police arrested him.

 

— another case of sudden deafness

DeafDigest editor has known of a man
who became deaf in middle of a telephone
conversation, and another man who went
to bed hearing and woke up deaf. And
now this, a woman became deaf while
walking. Sudden deafness cases are
always mysterious.

 

— entering doctor’s office is a horrible hassle

Doctors do not permit their patients to just
open the door to walk to their office. This
is due to Covid-19 concerns. One has to
use voice telephone to access the office.
And then to use Zoom to discuss medical
matters with the doctor. Said an angry
deaf patient:

always problems with technology – bad wifi
or screen scrambling around or screen
freezing up.

 

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DeafDigest – 14 October 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 14, 2020

— Deaf U reveals something very shocking

Some hearing people posted on the social media,
expressing their shock that Gallaudet, consisting
of deaf students, has a football team. These
hearing people do not realize that Gallaudet’s
football history is storied – first huddle,
one of nation’s oldest collegiate football
programs, several players moving on to pro
football (not NFL, though) and winning several
conference championships.

 

— hearing forced to learn sign language

For years, before Covid-19, two neighbors, one
deaf and one hearing, worked together on gardening
projects. Sign language was not necessary as
communication was done via lipreading, body language
and gestures. This has changed – the hearing gardener
had to learn sign language for communication purposes!

 

— number #1 rule with deaf employees

When employers hire the deaf, they must
realize the #1 rule – ADA, ADA and ADA.
This means accomodations, accomodations
and accomodations. A deaf employee was
fired – and the issue prior to the firing
was – did the employer look for
accomodations first? This is the issue
in an upcoming court case filed by the
fired deaf employee.

 

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DeafDigest – 13 October 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 13, 2020

— captioned news delayed for five hours

Could captioned news be delayed for five hours?
Yes, and the deaf people were happy about it!
Well, in 1973 (7 years before we finally got
our closed captions), the PBS converted
ABC News into open captions. This process
took five hours.

 

— big reason hearing kids sing songs in ASL

ASL education is pretty much commonplace in many
public high schools and colleges. But for
St. Damian Catholic School in Illinois, there
is a big reason the students use ASL to sing
songs. Because of school Covid-19 rules,
singing is not permitted. Instead, the music
teacher uses ASL with the kids to sing songs!

 

— battle won, but war is not yet won

The Forbes magazine ran this headline:

How The Deaf Community Challenged The White House—And Won

The corrected headline is this:
How The Deaf Community Challenged The White House—And Won the battle

Battles won does not mean the war is won; for some reason
the White House does not support interpreters and even
if the judge ruled in favor of us, the White House,
on other and future occasions, will still find ways
to avoid interpreters. An example is no interpreters
at the debates.

 

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DeafDigest – 12 October 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 12, 2020

— liking it, now hating it

When Deaf U came out, many people loved it,
now we are reading stories of how many
people now hate it. Can’t win!

 

— three-years only

A politician, campaigning to win his election,
promised the deaf that he would find funding
for three years to pay for interpreters.
Why three years? Why not permanent funding?

 

— mental health issues

This is a sad story. A hearing person had mental
issues, tried to tell the world, especially the
police that she is deaf and used fake-sign language
in an effort to prove her deafness! The woman’s
husband, who is not deaf, was helpless when trying
to take care of her.

 

 

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DeafDigest – 09 October 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 9, 2020

— interruptions, arguments, yelling

The Preidential and the Vice Presidential
debates involved a lot of interruptions,
arguments and yelling. One thing went
wrong – deaf people knew nothing on what
was going on – for one reason – no
interpreters! Captions, yes, but again,
no interpreters. Whose fault – very
easy – the Commission on Presidential
Debates.

 

— a big Netflix question

Deaf U is already a media sensation. Everyone
talks about it. This leads to a big Netflix
question – will there be a Deaf U Season 2?
Keep in mind Netflix, some years back, had
a history with the Deaf Community as this
media giant refused to caption their
videos. We had to force them to caption, under
the pain of a lawsuit.

 

— a logo or a number code

A New Jersey legislator introduced a bill to
require state Motor Vehicle Commission to
affix either a logo or a number code to
indicate the drivers’ deafness. This would
make it easier for police officers to deal
with the deaf. A logo or a number code? This
would be the choice of the deaf driver.
What is your choice?

 

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DeafDigest – 08 October 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 8, 2020

— deaf can hear without CI or hearing aid

The ‘Monsterland’ Episode 3 (on Hulu network)
has featured Annie, who became deaf because
of an unfortunate incident. Later on, she
suddenly hears music and footsteps. At
this point, the program ends! Realistic
or not realistic?

 

— Google going into a new Deaf Project

Google is trying to detect sign language
shown in some videos – hoping it can
help communicate with hearing people whose
knowledge of sign language is zero.
Requires some very high level engineering
and programming knowledge.

 

— frustrations of non-ASL deaf professor in hearing college

A deaf professor, who is non-ASL, is being frustrated
by COVID-19. He depends on lip reading of students in
his classes, and is not able to get closer to them
to read their lips. As a result, his students ask
him less questions and offer less comments.

 

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DeafDigest – 07 October 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 7, 2020

— deaf attorney’s choice

Some deaf attorneys leave their professions
for different careers. Some deaf attorneys
stay with their profession until they retire.
Said one deaf attorney:

I suffer job discrimination but I ignore it and move on

 

— a new storefront in Frederick, MD

A new storefront in Frederick, MD, which
has a high deaf population, is Sisters in Style.
It is co-owned by Emilia Doudt and Nikki Reineck,
both of them deaf. It is a clothing boutique.

 

— deaf author tells public not to buy his book

Adam Pottle, who is deaf, wrote a book for
children – The Most Awesome Character In The World.
He was upset that the publisher drew up some
illustrations in the book that he felt was
racist. He asked the publisher to pull out
the book and the publisher refused. As a result,
he is telling the public not to buy his book.
Unusual? Yes!

 

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DeafDigest – 06 October 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 6, 2020

— employers that reject deaf do not explain why

Deaf people apply for jobs, knowing ADA is on their
side – yet they get rejected. And because of legal
issues, these employers do not have to explain
why they were turned down! In that case, ADA may
be possibly a joke in job hunting.

 

— a comment by a movie producer

Michael Madsen, not deaf, is a movie producer and he
made this comment:

I don’t like to make any character a villain

This is great – because his most recent production
involved a deaf character. In the past, many
movie producers would cast a deaf character as
an evil villain. Yes, times have changed, in
small steps.

 

— a rare deaf person in restaurant industry

there are always restaurant success stories in
that a hearing person would start out as a
dishwasher and then over the years become a
chef and then eventually as restaurant owner.
What about the deaf? Well, Ken Tan, who is deaf,
started his restaurant career as a dishwasher
but moved all the way to the top as restaurant
owner!

 

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DeafDigest – 05 October 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 5, 2020

— second deaf hotel 100 miles away

DeafDigest has mentioned frequently that Roberto
Wirth, a deaf man, owns Hotel Hassler in Rome,
ranked as one of the world’s best hotels. He has
taken over another hotel – Hotel Vannucci,
located in Città della Pieve, which is 100 miles
away from Rome, and is getting a big luxurious
upgrade.

 

— a person many deaf people hated was census consultant

Many deaf people hated Alexander Graham Bell because
of his anti-ASL, pro-oral advocacy – but way back
in 1900, US Census Bureau hired him as a consultant
on Deaf Questions with the census!

 

— Too much Zoom may be bad for the deaf

There was a report that too much Zoom may be
bad for the deaf. They get tired of concentrating
hard on lip reading and on ASL, especially when
the screen is somewhat blurry. Plus difficulty
in knowing when it is their turn to speak out on
Zoom!

 

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DeafDigest – 02 October 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 2, 2020

— Census Bureau suggests TTY/TDD line

The Census Bureau said the deaf people can
use the TTY/TDD line. A critic said it is
obsolete and many deaf people no longer
use this device, preferring to use relay
service.

 

— using ASL at 9 months old

There was a story of a 12-year old high IQ
genius, who is not deaf, and the family
was all hearing. The story said he could
understand and use ASL while at the age
of 9 months. Is this a fact story or an
exaggeration?

 

— a typical interpreting agency

Has Covid-19 impacted privately-owned
interpreting agencies? In the case of
one agency, business dropped to 25
percent of what it was before the
Covid-19 outbreak. This is not good.

 

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DeafDigest – 01 October 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – October 1, 2020

— Tampa Bay Lightning hockey goalie

Andrei Vasilevsky is the goalie with the Stanley
Cup-winning Tampa Bay Lightning team. His father
(same name) coached the national deaf Russian
hockey team that competed in the Winter Deaflympics.
The story today said that the father “knows” all
of the needed gestures perfectly.

Needed gestures – meaning hockey signs for
skate hard, check hard, move around,
freeze the puck, etc

or

something else (players’ private language)?

 

— less money to fund relay services

Pretty much not good news – that the FCC
has reduced from $1.58 per minute to $1.30
per minute (for the coming year and half)
to fund deaf relay services. Hope this
does not force our relay services to
go out of business. This is worrisome.

 

— Forbes Magazine says so

an article in the Forbes Magazine says:

Recognize obviously insulting terms and stop
using or tolerating them

First example was this – deaf and dumb for deaf
and non-speaking or non-verbal

 

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DeafDigest – 30 September 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 30, 2020

— police officer confused by deaf-speech

During a traffic stop, the police officer was
confused by the “deaf-speech” of the deaf
driver and asked him if he was drinking!
Apparently the police officer thought
“deaf-speech” may be the “drunken-speech”
by a driver that had one too many.
Fortunately, the deaf driver convinced the
police officer that he was deaf and was not
drunk at all.

 

— deaf owner of a shipping container factory

Stephen Foster, who is deaf and whose three children
are also deaf, owns Chill Pak, a manufacturer of
plastic-based shipping containers in Missouri.
He said he went out and founded his own company
for one reason – hearing employers would not
give him the opportunities he wanted to do.
Yes, many of his employees are disabled.

 

— Uber accused of deaf discrimination

A big irony with Uber. Many deaf drivers work
for Uber, and they are happy with the tech
support given them. But deaf passengers are
not happy, saying Uber discriminates against
them. A Human Rights committee is looking into
these accusations. Right hand Uber not getting
along with Left hand Uber!

 

— Uber accused of deaf discrimination

A big irony with Uber. Many deaf drivers work
for Uber, and they are happy with the tech
support given them. But deaf passengers are
not happy, saying Uber discriminates against
them. A Human Rights committee is looking into
these accusations. Left hand Uber not getting
along with Right hand Uber!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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09/27/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 29 September 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 29, 2020

— a hearing crook cheats about 850 deaf investors

Roger Nils-Jonas Karlsson, not deaf, was born in
Sweden but is a resident of Thailand. His fake
company – Eastern Metal Securities promised
deaf and hearing investors big earnings from a
fake funded-pension plan, with no risk of losses.
He also said top economists operate the company
with him. The Securities and Exchange Commission
has charged him with this crime, because many of
his deaf victims are Americans. Sad to say, this is
not the first fraud that fooled deaf victims, nor
it is going to be the last. If promises sound too
good to be true, then it is fake.

 

— Union Pacific is a liar

DeafDigest mentioned a deaf conductor losing
his job with Union Pacific because of his
deafness. This case has bounced between the
federal court and the federal appeals court.
Union Pacific told the appeals judge that
they looked very hard to find ways to
accommodate the conductor’s deafness and
failed. The judge said Union Pacific never
really looked around. In other words,
Union Pacific was lying. For that reason,
the case has restarted.

 

— law enforcement officer pays the price

In Michigan, a county sheriff made anti-deaf
comments about one of his officers. This
officer filed a lawsuit. As a result, the
sheriff decided not to run for election
again, knowing his opponents would make
a big issue of his anti-deaf comments!
It never pays to make anti-deaf comments.

 

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DeafDigest – 28 September 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 28, 2020

— bad Twitter news for the deaf

Many deaf people tweet their short messages
on the Twitter – and here comes the possible
bad news – that it is coming up with voice
messages? If this is the case, would these
voice messages be captioned – on top of
these text Twitter messages?

 

— something wrong with “What The Deaf Man Heard” movie

It has been said that the movie shown 20 years ago –
“What The Deaf Man Heard” was one of the best TV
movies ever shown. One thing wrong with it – the
main role was played by a Fake-Deaf character.
The movie should have been titled as:

What The Fake Deaf Man Heard

 

— bypassing the police roadblock

DeafDigest editor lives in downtown Washington, DC
and recently there was a police roadblock on the
street in front of his residence, because of a
nearby public BLM demonstration. DeafDigest
editor opened the car window, and gestured softly
“I sleep there” several times. The police officer
realized the gesture and allowed the car to go
through to enter the parking garage. Many people
fight the police and it often leads to tragic
results – but a smiling gesture, repeated several
times, should not lead to communication problems
or issues!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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09/27/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 25 September 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 25, 2020

— no one forgets a Deaf Legend

Beethoven passed away 193 years ago. Yet
music-lovers and non-music lovers all know
who he was. Very few people are well-remembered
so many years later after their deaths. Beethoven
is in that group of well-remembered select few!

 

— Deaf Man Cave; Hearing Man Cave

There was a big story in the newspapers about
Hearing Man Cave inside a hidden and
forgotten utility room deep inside, under these
Grand Central (NYC) railroad tracks. It is
illegal and these three employees have gotten
away with it for years until they were caught.
Deaf Man Caves at some Deaf Organizations and at
some Deaf Schools? In a way, yes. There have been
tales over the years of these secret (and
illegal) Man Caves at these Deaf Sites.
DeafDigest editor actually saw one such
Man Cave – but that was years ago.

 

— Judge’s ruling ordering the White House is flawed

A U.S. district judge in DC ordered the White
House to use ASL interpreters at all Covid-19
press conferences. A win for the deaf? Hope so
because this ruling only applies to Covid-19
briefings and not to all other non-Covid-19
briefings. And what happens if White House
stops these Covid-19 briefings? This is
scary.

 

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DeafDigest – 24 September 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 24, 2020

— Forbes article – true or false

An article in the Forbes Magazine said
a person, who became deaf at the age
of 45, taught herself sign language
and lip reading in a short time, and
that she ended up teaching others.
True or false? Fact or exaggeration?
DeafDigest finds it difficult to
believe.

 

— Covid-19 hurts sponsorship funds

Professional racers depend on funding from sponsors
to allow them to race their cars. It is much harder
for one deaf racer. He had no problems getting
sponsorship funds from local hearing merchants
in the past. But when Covid-19 hit everyone all
around, sponsorship funds suddenly disappeared.
A hearing racer can somehow get some sponsorship
funds but it is different for deaf racers.

 

— a panel involving deaf owners of small businesses

There was a panel of deaf owners of small businesses.
The biggest issue among these business owners is
interacting with the hearing. They said:

some hearing employees resist the idea of deaf owner
giving orders and instructions

some hearing customers do not like to be served
by deaf owners

hearing competitors may deliberately create a playing
field that is not level for the deaf business owners

some deaf business owners use hearing family members
to handle telephone calls and for face to face
discussions with hearing customers

 

 

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DeafDigest – 23 September 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 23, 2020

— the deaf leak

How often does it happen that the first deaf person learned
about a confidential matter that was revealed by the second
deaf person. It was assumed that the first deaf person knew
about it! Deaf leaks or hearing leaks? Same thing!

 

— author’s challenge

A hearing author wanted to write a mystery book about an
all-deaf town – and that these deaf people were better off
being deaf than being hearing. His challenge is to make
the story believable otherwise knowledgeable deaf people
would see through this fakery! This was what he said
in a newspaper interview.

 

— nightmare for hearing mother of two deaf children

The family of hearing mother and two deaf children
live off the grid – with very weak dial-up internet
connection. These deaf children are being remotedly
schooled – requiring all-day wifi links. As a result
she had to drive both girls to a library parking lot
to pick up wifi connection. Other times she has to
use the wifi that town shops and stores offer.
Sometimes wifi is weak, forcing her to drive around
the town, looking for a better connection. She
has asked the school to help but is not getting it.

 

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DeafDigest – 22 September 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 22, 2020

— a trailblazing interpreter

A newspaper story described an interpreter
as trailblazing. This word means introducing new
ideas or methods. Not sure why that interpreter
was described that way because interpreters have
been operating the same for years and years.

 

— deaf-hearing team in operating room

Some time ago DeafDigest mentioned that a deaf
mother serving as office manager for her son
in a medical practice. There is another one –
a hearing surgeon has his deaf brother as his
operating room assistant in the OhioHealth
Grant Medical Center. Hope we are seeing more
other deaf-hearing teams in medical facilities
that we don’t yet know about?

 

— difficult to get a job at law firms

Do private law firms hire deaf attorneys?
Some do, but many don’t. A frustrated
job-seeking deaf attorney said that
he passed his bar exam and has the
support of a society of attorneys,
but not a single offer from a private
law firm. One firm told him he has to
be a rainmaker, meaning bringing in
new clients that the law firm can make
money out of billable hours!

 

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DeafDigest – 21 September 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 21, 2020

– impossible in the military

Impossible in the military? A hearing person said
that his father, 90 percent deaf in one ear and
70 percent deaf in the other ear, served in the
military during World War II. The father was
wounded in action and sent home and placed on
limited duty.

No such a thing as percentage deaf; it probably means
Decibel-deaf.

Believe it or not?

 

— an obit – a deaf caddy

A deaf man passed away recently.

His obit said he was employed as a golf caddy.

note:

never thought of it – but have we had some deaf
working as caddy on a golf course?

 

— public utility company refuses to write letters

A public utility company is trying to discuss an
issue with a deaf customer. This company refuses
to respond through letters, insisting that the
deaf customer use voice phone to discuss the
ongoing issue. Public utility company ashamed
of its bad grammar and thus avoiding letters?
As a result, the deaf customer refuses to do
business with that public utility company!

 

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DeafDigest – 18 September 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 18, 2020

— AI and the lost sign languages

There was a story that was titled:
Surprising Ways AI can help recover lost languages

Just add one word:
Surprising Ways AI can help recover lost sign languages

An example of a lost (or dying) sign language is the
Maritime Sign Language. DeafDigest editor saw a
video of a deaf person demonstrating this sign language.
Rest of Canada uses ASL, while in Quebec, the deaf use
French Sign Language. Years ago, the deaf of the
Maritimes used their own sign language. The younger
deaf of the Maritimes use ASL instead.

Would artificial intelligence help save these
lost sign languages? Hope so.

 

— deafness cures

A deaf woman is writing a book on efforts of her
family to try to cure her deafness. All of these
cures failed. Examples were religious events,
applying herbs, special food, plant-based food,
airplane diving, placing many different objects
into the ear, fake ear drums, opium, tobacco, etc.
These people just could not accept their deafness,
and move on.

 

— learning sign language five minutes per day

There is an app that says “Learn sign language in
5 minutes per day” – that easy to learn sign
language? No. It requires constant use of
sign language all day to pick up speed both
ways – reading signs and expressing signs.

 

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DeafDigest – 17 September 2020

— honoring a captioning pioneer

A tech web site ran this piece:

1947:
Emerson Romero, a deaf former silent film actor,
develops the first technique for captioning movies
with sound by splicing images with text between picture
frames, similar to the text cards of the silent film era.

While DeafDigest is not sure if Romero was the first
person to caption a movie, it is great that he is
being recognized. This task was so labor-intensive
and so time-consuming that he was only able to caption
just a few full length movies.

 

— American deaf child transfers to a deaf school in Canada

An American family, with a deaf child, moved from USA
to Canada. Reason was to have the deaf child attend
classes in Canada, instead of taking classes on-line.
How was this possible. The father is a Canadian citizen
hence making the move possible. The mother who is an
American, was not happy with the on-line classes in USA.

 

— a big reason to caption the videos

Captioning a video is hard work and time consuming.
No one likes to do it. Yes, there are auto-captions
that could do the job, but captioning accuracy
is a big issue. Anyway one important reason to
caption the video, either manually or automatically
is to locate the video easier during web searches.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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DeafDigest – 16 September 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 16, 2020

— an expense that many people dread

What is an expense that many hearing people
dread?

Paying for interpreters.

It was mentioned in a newspaper story
and this is why we have the ADA.

 

— gestures and ASL

There are computers that can recognize
ASL and convert it to text or voice.

These same computers cannot convert
gestures to text or voice!

This was the story of a Netlix engineer
being recognized for programming gestures
into word balloons.

Word balloon? Just a new thing in texts.

 

— classes for deaf students

A question was asked of an adminstrator of
a mainstreamed program:

What is your plans for deaf students?

The response was disappointing:
We don’t know what to expect.

 

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DeafDigest – 15 September 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 15, 2020

— National Labor Relations Board says RID broke no rules

Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) deleted facebook
posts that discussed bad union issues and bad working conditions.
This complaint was brought to the attention of the National
Labor Relations Board (NLRB). In a ruling, NRLB said RID’s
actions was legal – because these postings were not made
by RID’s employees but by those not employed by RID!

 

— Union Pacific Railroad discriminates against deaf train conductor

DeafDigest editor was surprised that we do have a train
conductor that has been deaf most of his life. Train conductors
deal with passengers that never paid for their tickets or with
passengers that missed their stops, etc. He was employed
by the Union Pacific Railroad Company but was fired because
of his deafness. This lawsuit dragged on and just now, the
Seventh Circuit agreed to restart this lawsuit after it
was originally thrown out.

 

— One of world’s most famous movie comedians was deaf

Leslie Nielsen, the world’s most famous comedian, who made
many people laugh in his movies, was deaf. He passed away
ten years ago. He wore hearing aids all of his life and
for that reason, many people never knew of his deafness.
Take off his hearing aids, he was profoundly deaf.
ASL speaking? No, as he was able to function as a
hearing person.

 

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DeafDigest – 14 September 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 14, 2020

— a twist in hiring the deaf

There have been some hearing parents that own big
businesses, but would not hire their deaf
children. There was an obit  today – but with a twist –
it said that a deaf son that owned a medical practice
hired his deaf mother to be the office manager!
Being the office manager is not always that easy
a task, hence it is a big deal to hire the deaf.

 

— no interpreter in a court case

What is going to happen if the appointed interpreter
does not show up in a court case involving the deaf?
An upcoming workshop will be discussing this
situation – suggesting that deaf people have
rights, benefits and challenges in case there
are no interpreters. Really? In almost all cases
the judge will postpone the case.

 

— company co-started by the deaf now listed on the stock market

Do deaf-owned companies get listed on the stock market? Don’t
really know, but a company that was started by two partners,
one deaf and one hearing, has just got listed. The company
is AI-Media, which is one of USA’s largest captioning
providers. The deaf partner is second in command with
the company operations.

 

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DeafDigest – 11 September 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 11, 2020

— too bright or just ok

The Architect Magazine ran a piece on the
new Mozzeria restaurant. What caught DeafDigest
editor’e eye was the apparent brightness
of the restaurant interior, as designed
by a “Deaf Space” architectural firm.
Too bright or just ok, perfect balance
between brightness and darkness? Do not
know – must go into Mozzeria to find out!
Admittedly DeafDigest editor hates to eat
in a very bright restaurant as much as
he hates to eat in a dark restaurant.

 

— deaf employee’s home needs

Many people, including the deaf, work at home
because of the pandemic. Do hearing employers
realize these deaf work needs? These needs
are password access, access to on-line work
interpreters, chat box to discuss work matters
with fellow employees, captions when work
videos are shown AND hearing employers
willing to write notes (and post them into
PDF formats)? And most important of all –
during these Zoom office meetings, do deaf
employees have equal voice?

 

— terps’ oops

Do interpreters make mistakes (oops) while
interpreting? A workshop, taking place in
Texas, focuses on how to quickly fix these
mistakes without the deaf in the audience
realizing these oops! To err is human, happens
to all – no matter the professions they are in.
No one is perfect.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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09/06/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 10 September 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 10, 2020

— old Deaf films better than old Deaf videotapes

For deaf people that wish to preserve Deaf Heritage
or Deaf Culture, they need to realize that saving
old Deaf Films is much better than saving old
Deaf Videotapes! Says who? Says David H. Pierce,
who knows a thing or two about saving old Deaf
Stuff, as he operates Silent Network, which
focuses on these great Deaf History material
saved on videos and films. The Silent Network
banner ad is located on this web page.

 

— judge says White House “may” have violated ADA

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg said the White
House “may” have violated federal law by refusing
to provide an interpreter during Covid news conferences.
“May” is the big word that bothers DeafDigest!
It is a big difference between a comment that
mentions “may” as compared to a comment that leaves
out that word. Anyway the White House must provide
a visible ASL interpreter at least on a temporary
basis. DeafDigest will not be surprised if the
White House immediately files an appeal. So
disappointing.

 

— personal trainer in gym or an all-deaf gym

There are deaf people that go to gyms for physical
work outs. Many of them struggle, trying to understand
the commands of gym directors. Some bring their
own personal trainers. Some do work outs on their
own. What about all-deaf gyms? A deaf member of an
all-deaf gym said it is a big and huge difference.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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DeafDigest – 09 September 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 9, 2020

— same Mozzeria or different Mozzeria

Mozzeria has opened up for business in Washington, DC,
serving pizzas. It is being headed by CEO Ryan Maliszewski
and his management team. What about Russell and Melody Stein,
the owners of the San Franciso’s Mozzeria? They serve as
consultants, inasmuch as the current management team hopes
to franchise Mozzeria in other parts of USA at the rate
of two new restaurants per year. Are Mozzeria dishes
delicious? A food critic said:

I love their Duck Pizza and their Burrata dish

Hope the Duck Pizza and Burrata dish will taste as great
in DC as it is in San Francisco?

 

— new Oscar rules carry hope for  deaf in Hollywood

Oscar has changed its rules to create diversity
(ethnic minority, racial minority, the disabled,
the LGBTQ, the deaf/hard of hearing, etc). It will
take effect in 2024, meaning in 2021, 2022 and
2023 Oscar may follow the old rules. Waiting
three years for it to happen? So disappointing!

 

— our deaf-owned businesses

A newspaper said there are less than 500 known deaf businesses
in the country. Really that few? Many deaf people work at
full time jobs but operate private businesses on the side,
pocketing taxable income. Does that count as part of 500
or as non-500?

 

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DeafDigest – 08 September 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 8, 2020

— not comfortable with sign language

Ana Rocha, a hearing film director, said in an
interview that she was not comfortable with
sign language. Her film script asked for
a sign-language deaf character. Despite her
discomfort she gave a deaf actress that role.
How many entertainment directors would do
the same thing? Not too many, unfortunately
– but fortunately Rocha did it. Hope other
directors would do the same thing in future roles.

 

— unable to find employment

A deaf woman said she was turned down 3,000 times
in her search for employment and thinks the reason
is her deafness, that no one wants to hire her.
It is never that easy for a deaf person to find
employment – but there always ways. Examples are
moving from city that is hard to find employment
to another city where finding employment is easier;
networking with family members and friends, always
someone that may know of someone with contacts;
doing some research, finding which employers have
deaf members in their families, meaning they may
be willing to hire deaf people; going to deaf
social service agencies and employment agencies.
No method is perfect but whatever may work would
be great.

 

— a deaf professional poker player at Las Vegas championships

Richy Mackie, who is deaf, and plays poker
professionally, has been invited to take part at the
Redtooth Poker’s VEGAS100 national final at The Orleans
Hotel and Casino next year. It is not his first trip
to Las Vegas as he competed there professionally three
times in the past. Maybe the fourth time will be the
charm. He is profoundly deaf.

 

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DeafDigest – 07 September 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 7, 2020

— Zoom is bad for a deaf defendant

A deaf person, defending himself in a criminal case,
appeared on the Zoom screen in a court case. His
interpreter had serious technical issues with Zoom.
Making it worse was time lag delays; muffled voices,
and continuous attorney interruptions. Judge’s face
was also hidden from the Zoom screen. And captions
were bad. The judge, giving up, sent the case back
for future recall. The defendant later eventually agreed
for dismissal of case in exchange attendance in anger
management classes.

 

— interpreting a job interview

A deaf person applied for a job 24 years ago, and
got it. That person continued with the job until
recent retirement. Who served as interpreter for
the deaf person during the job interview? It was
the deaf person’s son. ADA was already six years
old, yet the employer would not hire a professional
interpreter for that interview. Fortunately for the
deaf person and the employer, it was a great hire,
never mind ADA laws were broken!

 

— batting average of a deaf district attorney

Janine Madera is deaf and serves as the prosecutor
in the Orange County District Attorney’s office
in California. Very challenging for the deaf in the
legal profession – but she is considered a success.
She has prosecuted 72 jury trials in 15 years and
won 58 of these cases, already an impressive batting
average. While she functions as a hearing person,
she uses an interpreter in the court room. Plus
her own bag of tricks (studying body language,
and speaking with an authoritative voice, etc).
Even with the visibility of an interpreter, many
court room observers do not realize her deafness!

 

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DeafDigest – 04 September 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 4, 2020

— confessions of a deaf man that functions as hearing

A deaf person (lost without his hearing aid, but functions
as hearing with his hearing aid) said:

I struggle to hear a whisper from few feet away if their
backs are turned to me

I use telephone but must have double amplifier

Cannot always follow the topic (words, yes) on the telephone

I am always having problems with certain frequency ranges

And most frustrating of all, Deaf Militants hate me even
though I use ASL fluently!

 

— a perfect description of the hated facemask

An advocate said:
Facemasks are almost impossible barrier for the deaf

That advocate is correct. DeafDigest editor hates
the facemask.

 

— wide range of CI device failures in percentages

A magazine devoted to audiology ran a piece on
CI device failures, requiring repeat operations.
It said failures range from 4 percent to 11 percent.
This is puzzling. While statistics are often
misleading, it is surprising to see a statistical
count of failures in this wide a range of seven
percentage points? DeafDigest thinks this statement
is too confusing to figure it out.

 

 

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DeafDigest – 03 September 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 3, 2020

— a phrase, an insult or not an insult

If a hearing person calls a deaf person
as “deafie” it is an insult

If a deaf person calls his deaf friend
as “deafie” it is not an insult

This was the issue a deaf writer wrote
in her column.

 

— backing up and removing mask

A deaf person said that many courteous hearing
people would back up (to provide more space)
and then remove the mask – in order to communicate
better. That deaf person said backing up is not
always possible in tight public spaces!

 

— lip reading allowed or not allowed

A hearing man was convicted of a crime. He filed
an appeal in Iowa, saying witness’s lip reading
of his comments as caught on video, should not be
allowed. The Iowa Court of Appeals disagreed,
saying the lip reader’s description would be allowed.
This may be the reason why we have professional
lip readers!

 

 

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DeafDigest – 02 September 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 2, 2020

— hearing deciding what is best for the deaf

Deaf people pretty much hate it when hearing people
decide what is best for them – without even asking
the deaf for their input and comments. The
Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf began during a
conference of 73 participants in 1963 in Indiana.
58 of these participants were hearing; just 15
were deaf. Was the root of RID’s problems and
issues nowadays caused by the majority vote
57 years ago? We don’t know and we hope RID
will fix itself now and move on smoothly.

 

— difficulty in publishing a sign language dictionary

A sign language dictionary is 80 percent complete but
it has been sidetracked for quite some time. Very
difficult to find an editor that knows sign language
and also knows linguistics. Turnover has been high
in that editorship position, which requires travel
to all parts of the nation, asking around which sign
should be used for which word and so on. That
nation is Rwanda. We already have quite a few sign
language dictionaries in USA.

 

— the deaf and the TikTok

TikTok is very controversial. Many people love it.
Many people also hate it. What about the deaf?
A TikToker is trying to teach Sign Language, one
TikTok video at a time. The title of the video
series is –

TikToker Uses App to Raise Awareness About the Deaf
Community

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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08/30/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 01 September 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – September 1, 2020

— the McDonald’s discriminations

Today’s headline said:
McDonald’s discriminates against Black franchisees, lawsuit claims

True story but not a newspaper headline many years ago:
McDonald’s discriminates against a deaf franchise applicant

In the late 1970’s, a deaf man, that functions as a hearing
person and knowing no ASL, wanted to purchase a McDonald’s
franchise. That man had a lot of money and could easily
afford these franchise start-up fees, but he was turned
down. McDonald’s basically told him a deaf person cannot
own a franchise. Upset, he went to the NAD; at that
time NAD had its own law center, and they tried to
help him win. Don’t know what happened, but there
was no ADA in these days.

 

— a mask loophole

The state of Indiana allows hearing coaches to take
off their masks if they have a deaf athlete on their
teams. Coaches of teams that have no deaf athletes are
not allowed to take off masks during games and practices.

 

— something that a deaf actor hates

Many deaf actors only get a few roles in TV episodes.
What they hate the most – is for script writers to
write them off the script! This means they cannot
come back to the same program sometime later on.
Being written off the script is common for hearing
actors, and they more likely will find other roles
in different TV programs. Not always that so with
deaf actors.

 

 

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DeafDigest – 31 August 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 31, 2020

— DeafDigest thinks Arizona is different from others

Almost all states have a commission for the deaf and
hard of hearing. Not all commissions operate the same.
Anyway Arizona Commission for the Deaf and the Hard of
Hearing seems to be different. This commission is
pushing for hearing employers to hire the deaf.
This is great! Other state commissions provide
services, but not jobs. This is probably the responsibility
of state vocational rehabilitation services as well
as with local social service agencies!

 

— Fortnite squabble with Apple affecting a deaf player

Fortnite, the world wide popular game, is having legal
squabbles with Apple. It has resulted in Apple shutting
down the game from its network. Fortnite has one
deaf pro player who is very popular – Soleil “Ewok”
Wheeler. Would her participation be restricted or
will it continue as always? Just stay tuned.

 

— world’s most famous deaf-owned business to reopen

Hotel Hassler Roma (Rome, Italy) is one of the world’s
best hotels. It also is the world’s most famous
deaf-owned business. Owner Roberto Wirth is
deaf (attended American School for the Deaf,
Gallaudet and NTID during his younger days).
Anyway, the hotel will reopen on September 1st.
While the restaurant was open, the hotel itself
was closed. He is grooming his hearing twin children
to take over the hotel one day in the future.
When this happens, it no longer will become a
deaf-owned hotel!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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DeafDigest – 28 August 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 28, 2020

— DC Fandome vs Comic-Con

In the world of comic books and action fantasy, there
are two rival organizations – DC Fandome and Comic-Con.
What is the difference between both organizations?
Just one thing – captions and subtitles! DC Fandome
captions everything. Comic-Con doesn’t.

 

— formal outside training or on-job training

Many employers won’t hire the deaf, saying they
lack formal outside training. They won’t give
the deaf on-job training, yet will give hearing
applicants on-job training!

 

— Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration doing nothing

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has not been
doing anything to support deaf truck drivers. The same
goes for other trucking organizations, state licensing
agencies and some medical groups – which all say that
the deaf cannot become truck drivers. The deaf are
able to drive trucks right now, but the rights may
be removed – and that is scary.

 

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08/23/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 27 August 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 27, 2020

— one of best jobs for quiet and shy hearing people

There was a list of 11 best jobs for these quiet
and shy hearing people. #8 on the list is
closed captioner. It stressed that they have to
go to school to learn how to type captions at
blazing speed on a non-typewriter keyboard.

 

— vibrating  and flashing radio alerts

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
is making available these low-cost radios for the
deaf. These radio alerts display emergency warning
messages – that will vibrate in beds and also turn
on strobe lights – ideal for the deaf households.

 

— college degree but uncomfortable working with hearing

There was a newspaper story about deaf man, getting a college
degree in computer systems, but was always uncomfortable
working with hearing people. They don’t involve him in
technical discussions and technical issues. He is
working in a different job where interaction with the
hearing is minimal.

 

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DeafDigest – 26 August 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 26, 2020

— police arrests an important person

A very important person among the deaf is the
interpreter. Andrew Tolman was interpreting for
the deaf during one of these riots in Portland.
And for reasons, no one knows why, he was pushed
to the ground by the police and then arrested.
The big irony was that the arresting police
officer did not know what to charge the
interpreter with. Despite the arrest, the
county District Attorney would not
prosecute people on these vague charges.

 

— the deaf architects

How many American architects are deaf or hard of
hearing? The American Institute of Architects
said they have 121 members that have hearing
loss. How many of them use ASL? Do not know.

 

— open captions hard to read at drive ins

Do drive ins show open captioned movies? Do not
know but it was said that it may be possible
these open captions may be hard to read while
sitting in cars. Reason is lights from nearby
cars and nearby buildings!

 

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DeafDigest – 25 August 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 25, 2020

— refusing to provide interpreters at news conferences

The White House has refused to provide interpreters
at Covid-19 news conferences. For that reason,
a lawsuit is pending. But it is not just only
the White House that has been refusing. Also
refusing is the BBC turning down the British
Government request to provide interpreters.
White House. BBC. Any others refusing
interpreters?

 

— ammonia production on a deaf school campus

Is there an ammonia production facility on the
campus of deaf school? There was a story in a
1920 newspaper about this such facility at
Maryland School for the Deaf! Not sure why
people thought it was OK in 1920 because
ammonia is a chemical; and chemical productions
are so dangerous if not carefully monitored.

 

There was a comment:

how “nervous” everyone gets around deaf people

This comment was made by Jenny Lay-Flurrie,
Microsot accessibility boss.

This comment is partly accurate. There are always
some people that are not nervous being around
deaf people.

This comment should be read as:
how “nerveous” most people gets around deaf people

The woman who made the comment is deaf.

 

 

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DeafDigest – 24 August 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 24, 2020

— deaf man lost his job because of face mask

A deaf man, who does not use sign language,
but relies on lip reading, lost his job as
a building superintendent. Why? No warning.
No explanation. Just fired, period. Does
he have ADA rights? No, if the company
has less than 15 employees. But if there
were no bad reports in his personnel file,
then he was advised to speak to a disability
rights attorney.

 

— a hearing aid in Lucifer

In a Lucifer TV episdoe, a detective,
looking for something, noticed a hearing
aid beep in one of the characters. Is the
character deaf, and using a hearing aid
to hear better? Or is the character using
a hearing aid as a spying device? Always
an unexplained mystery on a TV thriller!

 

— delivering packages in China

there was a story of 40 deaf cyclists
delivering packages in parts of Shanghai.
Some of them, in fact, deliver as many
as 300 packages in one day. Easy to deliver
packages? No. 100 deaf cyclists applied
for the job but most couldn’t make it
and gave up. The story stressed that
these deaf cyclists earn equal pay
as compaired to hearing cyclists.
USA? There was a deaf-owned delivery
company in Washington, DC during the
eighties – but the company closed up.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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08/23/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 21 August 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 21, 2020

— deaf partnership with a powerful person in Hollywood

Most, if not all, Hollywood people do not work with
the deaf, nor offer them opportunities in the
entertainment field. Daniel Dae Kim did, giving
Nyle DiMarco an opportunity to produce a soon-to-be
filmed comedy. Just one break in Hollywood and
Daniel Dae Kim offered it to Nyle DiMarco.
Hope this opens the door to many deaf hopefuls.

 

— getting a prized apprenticeship

Rolls-Royce is one of the world’s best cars.
The mechanics must do a perfect job with
these Rolls-Royce cars. This means hiring
world’s best mechanics! And becoming an
apprentice Rolls-Royce mechanic is almost
impossible. But for Reuben Litherland, who
is deaf and dreams of becoming a master
mechanic, he just won an apprenticeship
with Rolls-Royce. DeafDigest does not know
if Rolls-Royce has ever hired deaf mechanics
in the past.

 

— designing popular micro sunglasses

Fads come and go. Styles come and go. Right
now the hot thing on the market is micro sunglasses.
Christianah Jones designs her own line of
micro sunglasses. And one of her customers
was Beyoncé. Christianah Jones is deaf, but
functions as a hearing person.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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08/16/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 20 August 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 20, 2020

— open captions and these big movie chains

AMC theaters are supposed to reopen today.
Regal Cinemas are supposed to reopen Friday.

AMC will be charging 15 cents admission
per movie. This is not a joke.

Do not know how much in admission would
Regal charge per movie.

Open captions in these movie chains?
Because of Covid-19 these captioning
devices may be at risk, therefore
open captions carry no health risk!

 

— fast-talking bosses

Many deaf employees have this big problem –
that bosses talk too fast and would not slow
down and do not like to write things down
on paper. ADA? Yes, but there are always
last minute, unexpected issues at work that
force the bosses to deal with these situations.
Sigh!

 

— to listen or to ignore

Deaf people have issues (ADA, interpreters,
captions, communications, etc). New hearing
candidates for these political offices know
ZERO about deaf issues. When deaf leaders
come to them with these issues, most candidates
just either smile, nod their heads and make
fake promises and immediately throw these
out of their minds. There are always these
rare candidates that listen and take these
seriously. Brittni Kiick, who is campaigning
for the Livermore City Council (CA) seat,
said that she is taking Deaf Issues seriously.
Just hope if she wins she will follow up on
these Deaf Promises.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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DeafDigest – 19 August 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 19, 2020

— deaf correctional officer

Could a deaf person function as a correctional
officer, especially with locked up young men?
One did – it was Jack Van Natta in Pennsylvania.
He did not know ASL and functioned as a hearing
person. There was a deaf woman working as
correctional officer in Arizona; not sure if
she is still at it.

 

— event planner ignores the needs of the deaf

An event planner gave this advice – to make sure
the acoustics in the meeting rooms and the banquet
hall would work for the hard of hearing. Yet, not
a single word about accommodating the needs of
deaf conventioneers – visibility sightlines,
interpreters, captions, etc. Very disappointing
about ignoring the needs of the deaf.

 

— all-deaf kitchen staff

A kitchen staff consisting of a deaf executive chef,
deaf head chef, deaf sous chef, deaf station chef,
deaf line cooks, deaf waiters and deaf runners?
And even of deaf front hosts greeting the patrons?
Why not! There was a story of a fancy, pricey
restaurant having an all-female kitchen staff.
DeafDigest is not talking about small cafes
hiring the deaf, but of these great restaurants
doing the same!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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08/16/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 18 August 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 18, 2020

— circuit courts vs circuit courts

No two attorneys agree on ADA. The same
goes for federal circuit court judges.
On one side is Third, Fifth, Sixth and Ninth
Federal Circuits. On the other side is the
First, Second and Seventh Federal Circuits.
One circuit, the 11th, is neutral. Smart
attorneys try to find the right Federal
Circuit court that will agree with them!
This is not a joke – rights to captions,
rights to interpreters and rights to other
things are very important to the deaf.

 

— cartoon music for deaf

Many deaf people try to follow the music
and are frustrated. Aaron Ziegler, not
deaf, has come up with a special series
of videos, that look like cartoons.
The characters in the videos jump around
here and there, up and down, depending
on musical beats. He was honored by
the Ohio Invention Convention for
this idea.

 

— simple or difficult for hearing

An interpreter suggested a list of 30 simple
gestures – such as where, restroom, follow
me, etc? This would be used by hearing people
that know nothing about ASL to try to
communicate with the deaf. Will this work?
DeafDigest has doubts. Simple gestures are
often overwhelming to some hearing people!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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08/16/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 17 August 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 16, 2020

— White House, we hands off

The White House has been slapped with a lawsuit
for refusing to provide interpreters during
Covid-19 press conferences. The White House
basically responded as this – we are hands off
with interpreters; we have nothing to do with it.

What about ADA? This is why we have many, many
pro-ADA and anti-ADA attorneys fighting each other!

 

— some hearing people think all deaf people are same

Everyone knows that two hearing people are not the
same. Yet why is it that some hearing people think
all deaf people are the same (meaning all deaf people
can lipread; all deaf people know ASL; all deaf people
are mute, etc)

 

— Deaf In Government

There is an organization called “Deaf In Government”
meaning federal government and it has been around
for years. These deaf employees in federal government
advocate for their promotion opportunities, captions
during training sessions and interpreters during
important meetings. At an event, a very high level
federal government administrator said:

I am not comfortable when these deaf employees
fight for their rights and needs as it was never
a problem with me

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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DeafDigest – 14 August 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 14, 2020

— deaf instructor at a private swimming school

SafeSplash is a nationally recognized school
that teaches safe swimming for everyone.
One of the instructors at the SafeSplash
facility in Colorado is Brian Bennett,
one of the best swimmers in Gallaudet’s
swimming history. At SafeSplash he
demonstrates the swimming strokes and tells
his hearing students to copy him stroke
for stroke. At that private school, he
won the Instructor of the Year honor.

 

— changing the routine rail station announcements

There are rapid rail systems in major American
cities. Many of these have read-out displays
announcing the next stops. How many of these
systems can change from next-stop announcements
to emergency announcements? This was the issue
an activist pointed out.

 

— a sad incident at a deaf school

New York State School for the Deaf was defaced
by graffiti on its property. The person doing
the graffiti work was:

a former student

and also

a frustrated job applicant at his alma mater

Very sad.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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08/09/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 13 August 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 13, 2020

— Our state commissions for the deaf and hard of hearing

Almost all states have state commissions for the deaf and
hard of hearing. Almost all of them operate differently
from each other. New Hampshire is interesting. The chairperson
is an elected state legislator. If that chaiperson loses his
next election, then the state has to find another legislator.
Other states chose their directors differently from New
Hampshire.

 

— beware of face mask scams

It is going on in New Mexico, a facemask
scam. Being circulated is a fake facemask
excemption card issued by New Mexico Department
of Health and also by the U.S. Justice Department.
This card “allows” the deaf not to wear facemaks
at all. This is a scam.

 

— honoring a skateboarding legend

Tony Hawk, not deaf, is a skateboarding legend.

For years he used an in-the-air skateboarding
trick which was developed by retired skateboarder
Chris Weddle, who was deaf.

For years the trick was called “mute grab” but
Tony didn’t like that name and discussed it
with Weddle.

They agreed to rename the trick as “‘Weddle grab”

 

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DeafDigest – 12 August 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 12, 2020

— using interpreter only when being sued

New York governor Andrew Cuomo is getting this
reputation for not using interpreters when he
is not being sued, but using interpreters when
he is being sued! Bad attitude? Very much so.

 

— a big reason for FCC repeated requests

FCC has repeated its request for all broadcasters
to always caption emergency information updates. There
are always few broadcasters that don’t – and this
is the reason why they look on FCC as a big
pest looking over their shoulders.

 

— difficult deaf customer choice

This is a difficult choice for deaf customers.

Should deaf people boycott stores that require
face masks even if these stores have always
been deaf-friendly?

or

Should deaf people patronize stores that
do not require face masks even if these
stores have always been deaf-unfriendly?

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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08/09/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 11 August 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 11, 2020

— upsetting incident at a store

DeafDigest editor purchased supplies at
a store yesterday with his credit card.
The store clerk knew of his deafness but
never told him of the increase in
minimum credit card purchases. Too late –
the credit card was already inserted in
the machine. The upset clerk, wearing a
mask, gestured something that the editor
couldn’t understand. Was it the fault of
face masks that prevented better communications?

 

— attitude or lawsuits

An advocate told DeafDigest editor years ago
that some bad-attitude business owners would rather
spend a lot of money, hiring expensive attorneys
to defend a lawsuit on refusal to pay a fee for
one-time interpreting service. That difficult
for many hearing people to develop good
attitudes? Unfortunately, yes.

 

— public service announcement: fact or scam

Harris County, in Texas, posted a facebook
announcement, urging residents to set up
their own 911 profiles to help first
responders to know of deafness or other
medical issues. Fact announcement or a
a scam announcement? No one knew, because
the county was not forthcoming about
its announcement. Fortunately it was a fact.
Just have to be very careful when dealing
with emails, texts, facebook postings, etc
asking for Deaf Information! DeafDigest
is not joking; and if in a doubt, just don’t
respond.

 

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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08/09/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 10 August 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 10, 2020

— hands-on training for deaf interested in science

We have many deaf people that work as scientists.
Chemistry, many years ago, was a popular major
at Gallaudet and many graduates became chemists.
Harry Lang, who is deaf, wrote several books about
the deaf in science. This being said, University of
Calicut would not allow the deaf to take hands-on science
courses. Discrimination? Yes, but that university
is located in India!

 

— popular hamburger chain has no timers in the kitchen

Hearing chefs and cooks depend on kitchen timers to
alert them to meals being ready to be served. One
popular hamburger chain does not believe in timers,
saying experienced kitchen staff use their eyes
to tell them food is ready. That chain is Five Guys.
Does that chain hire the deaf? Do not know.

 

— the NASA and the deaf

NASA has been renaming bodies in the sky (planets,
comets, novas, etc) to remove insulting names.

A list of some deaf astronomers are at:
http://deafdigest.com/scientists/

DeafDigest thinks NASA left alone these deaf
astronomers, while changing those discovered
by hearing astronomers.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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08/09/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 07 August 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 7, 2020

— not that so easy to teach themselves ASL

There have been stories people trying to
learn ASL as a hobby. It is always difficult
to learn ASL (both expressive and receptive)
and when people say it is so easy, they do not
know what they are talking about!

 

— not easy to find qualified superintendents

It is normal every year to see turnovers in
superintendents of deaf schools. And it is
never easy to find qualified replacements!
A school said, in a newspaper story that
ten people applied for the vacant position.
Eight of them did not meet the job qualifications.
Two of them did, but just did not meet the
ASL fluency requirement. What this means
is back to Square One or back to the
Drawing Board.

 

— Telehealth does not caption chats with deaf patients

We have Telehealth. The problem is that this
group does not caption the conversations with
the deaf patients. Discrimination? Very much so!
American Medical Association raised his issue,
but will it do anything about it?

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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08/02/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 06 August 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 6, 2020

— deaf wife of a deaf farmer

A deaf wife of a deaf farmer said that she knows
of no other deaf women in agriculture that she
could communicate about farming issues.

 

— New York loses case against demoted department director

Richard Natofsky, who is deaf, but functions as a hearing
person, was demoted from his job as the human resources
director of the New York Department of Investigation.
The demotion took place in 2014 due to Natofsky’s request
that employees stop covering their mouths while speaking
to him. And that the chief of staff was annoyed by
Natofsky’s speech problems. The demotion slashed his salary
by almost half. The case was settled years later with
$870,000 awarded him.

 

— Netflix’s research contradiction

Netflix said:

More than 80 per cent of members use subtitles or closed
captions at least once a month

Netflix is saying that many, many hearing people watch
programs with subtitles and captions. If this is true
then why do many, many hearing people hate open
captions in movie theaters?

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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08/02/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 05 August 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 5, 2020

— confession of a script writer

A hearing person, who writes scripts for theatrical
plays and movies, made this confession. He said:

I never wrote about deaf characters because I thought
hearing people would not be interested about them.
I realized I was wrong!

 

— deaf farmer’s issues

Yesterday’s DeafDigest ran a piece on deaf farmer’s
bag of tricks. This tale has a twist – there is no
national organization, either formal or informal,
of deaf farmers that can get in touch with each
other for tips and assistance. The few deaf farmers,
that he knows of, specialize in different things with
farming – meaning a deaf dairy farmer has nothing
in common with a deaf hogs farmer or even of
a deaf crops farmer!

 

— a trick with voice telephone calls

A deaf owner, of a business, used an interpreter
to make voice calls for him. These calls were
hung up too often. He then used a family
member (not an interpreter) to make these
voice business calls – and the hang ups
stopped and he started getting new customers.
Is there a difference between phone calls
by an interpreter and phone calls by a
family member? Do not know. Why wouldn’t he
use the Deaf Relay service? Again, do not
know!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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DeafDigest – 04 August 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 4, 2020

— fortunate to have relay services

In USA, the deaf people are fortunate to have
relay services. This cannot be said for other
nations overseas. In one nation, appointments
to COVID-19 testing centers require voice
telephone calls. That nation lacks a relay
service.

 

— tricks of a deaf farmer

In a newspaper interview, a deaf farmer explained
his bag of tricks – using eyes instead of ears
to look for problems and issues; feeling the
vibration in farm machinery; flashing signalers
and digital read outs, again in farm machinery;
using computer monitors to give updates on
his agricultural fields. And most important of
all, years of experience giving him the 6th
sense.

 

— deaf winner in Film Festival

Arnav Roy Choudhury, who is deaf, was voted as the
#1 animator at the Kosice International Monthly Film
Festival in Slovakia. His cartoon was judged to be
the best among his hearing competitors. The title of
his cartoon is The Open Window.

 

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DeafDigest – 03 August 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – August 3, 2020

— finally a movie after 32 years

Nyle DiMarco is producing a “Deaf President Now”
movie. This historic event took place in 1988,
and there was a buzz among some interested deaf
people on making a movie out of it. This idea
got nowhere because of issues such as funding,
legal agreements, business structure, agreements
with writers and copyright ownerships, etc. This
being said, Nyle has succeeded in what other
deaf people in the entertainment field have
failed to do so!

 

— a deaf daredevil

Danny Murphy, who is deaf and is just 16 years old,
is a fearless daredevel. He has cleaned outside windows
of a tall building, jumping off a bridge with a
bungee, etc. Apparently Great Britain allows these
stunts to take place because it not that easy to
get away with it in USA.

 

— insurance for a deaf device

Could a deaf device by covered by insurance?
Yes, in the case of hearing aids by a pet
insurer. A dog ate the deaf owner’s hearing aid,
and insurer honored the coverage. Unusual?
Yes.

 

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DeafDigest – 31 July 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 31, 2020

— hot selling burgers

Aris Burger stand is operated by two deaf men in
Bangi, a small town in Malaysia. The sign in front
of the stand tells the public that it is deaf-owned
and deaf-operated, and for patrons to write down
their orders in a note book. The burgers are so
popular that the note book gets full every few weeks,
and has to be replaced with a new note book!

 

— Silent Network returns to cable TV

Silent Network has affiliated with DATV of Dayton, OH
on the Spectrum cable network. Silent Network, which
started in 1979, has been showing programs through
broadcast, cable and satellite systems over the years.
It also shows accessible sign language programs through
Access Network.

 

— deaf actors’ nightmare

There have been occasions that deaf actors respond to a
casting call asking for deaf actor, only to show up
and find the interpreters not being around! It, indeed,
is a nightmare. Difficult to understand why these
producers would ask for a deaf actor without providing
an interpreter for him?

 

 

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07/26/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 30 July 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 30, 2020

— forgiving Netflix or not forgiving Netflix

Several years back Netflix was slapped with a
lawsuit for not captioning all of its videos.

There was a headline today that said:
Netflix Celebrates ADA

Should we hate Netflix for refusing to caption
until the lawsuit forced them to do so. Or should
we forgive Netflix for supporting ADA?

 

— some last names of deaf people changed without permission

There is a bit of history behind some deaf people’s names being
changed without their permission! Immigration to USA was heavy
in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Deaf people,
without notes and pencils and without interpreters, were
asked by immigration agents for their last names. If the deaf
couldn’t communicate then these agents, deciding on the spot,
would write down last names that were different from their
own names.

 

— deaf character in a comic book; same character as hearing in a movie

Hawkeye has been profiled as a deaf character in the Marvel
comic book series but this same Hawkeye character has been
profiled as hearing character in movies and videos. Why?
Totally makes no sense at all.

 

 

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DeafDigest – 29 July 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 29, 2020

— a first for Gallaudet

In a first for Gallaudet, a past chair of
the Board of Trustees has returned, years
later, to his old position. Past chairs
have only served once and that was it.
This repeat chair is Glenn Anderson, who
chaired between 1994 and 2005. As with all
colleges and universities across USA, these
are challenging times for Gallaudet. DeafDigest
has confidence that Anderson will again do a
great job.

 

— Hollywood may not listen to a popular Oscar winner

Octavia Spencer, not deaf, has achieved a Grand
Slam – an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and
three Screen Actors Guild Awards. She said today
that fake-deaf and fake-disabled actors should
NEVER play deaf roles and disabled roles. Will
Hollywood listen to her? DeafDigest has doubts
that Hollywood will listen, except for these
once-in-a-while token roles by the deaf and
the disabled.

 

— a deaf deer seen at a major city campus

Would a deer visit the campus of Gallaudet
University? There was a posting that it
happened, attracted by “free” food being
offered! Keep in mind years ago, part of the
Gallaudet campus was farm land. There was
a building that was called Hay Barn and the
football field was named Garlic Field. A
deer chasing Gallaudet ghosts?

 

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DeafDigest – 28 July 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 28, 2020

— a newspaper story raises a question

A newspaper ran this headline:

volunteers translating the event into American Sign
Language to provide a more accessible platform for
deaf protesters.

Volunteer hearing people, who are not professional
interpreters – or – professional interpreters that
volunteer their time? DeafDigest hopes it is
volunteer professional interpreters. Volunteers
who are not trained interpreters may make
interpreting errors! During the Gallaudet’s
first Deaf President Now protest, the interpreters
were professionals that volunteered their time.

 

— hidden-face mask rules, confusing and confusion

Are deaf people required to wear masks. Some states
and some cities say yes, while others say no.
Are hearing people, trying to communicate with the
deaf, required or not required?

A newspaper headline today said:
You do not have to legally lower your mask for lip-readers

Confusing and confusion? Yes.

 

— teaching the deaf, past and nowadays

A teacher of the deaf said things have changed
between past years and nowadays. In the past
there were enough mainstreamed students from
small towns. Nowadays, numbers of mainstreamed
students from these small downs have gone
down. It has forced the teacher to change directions
with her teaching career.

 

 

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DeafDigest – 27 July 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 27, 2020

— choice of jobs, now and past

Years ago, a deaf person, graduating from a
school for the deaf, was told that he could
either become a baker or a printer or a shoemaker.
This is pretty much the same in Bulgaria during
the Communist years – factory job, become an
optician or dental technician. Times have
changed and qualified deaf people can aspire
for better jobs. They just have to fight for it.

 

— FCC confessing or non-confessing

FCC said they have made progress on accessibility
in smart devices for the deaf – but that there have
been gaps and failures. A confession of failure
or a non-confession of failure? Do not know.

 

— face masks hiding mouth or clear face masks

A group of small business owners were polled for
choice of face masks hiding the faces or see-through
face masks. A huge majority of these business people
have preferred clear face masks – for one big
reason – lip reading!

 

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DeafDigest – 24 July 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 24, 2020

— Deaf Chocolate-maker and the Pandemic

Ross Demars, who is deaf, is an assistant Chocolate Maker
at the Champlain Islands Candy Lab in Vermont. His boss
has been giving him chocolate-making lessons and tips
beginning from the day he was hired. The Pandemic shut
down the shop, and it has just re-opened. Very difficult
to communicate with face masks and with clear face masks.
Since then it has been a struggle but no one is giving up.

 

— a Deaf Karen

Karen is a new nickname for older women that create problems
over small issues and ask for police assistance. Daily newspapers
have run stories on these Hearing Karens. A Deaf Karen? A
deaf woman wanted to order pizza but without her facemask.
She was told by employees to put on her mask and she has
refused. It went on back and forth with her claiming that
ADA does not require her to wear masks. Fortunately, without
calling the police, she agreed to have the pizza delivered
to her vehicle. Hope this is the last Deaf Karen story
we will read about.

 

— a legislator cannot locate disappeared Deaf Bills

Rep. Mark Pearson, New Hampshire, introduced two Deaf
Bills, both of which was passed in the state House and
then sent to the Senate. No one in the Senate knows what
happened to these two Deaf Bills. Was it killed? Was it
bundled into a bigger, but unrelated bills? Or was it
“lost” somewhere? Legislator Pearson is not too happy
about it!

 

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DeafDigest – 23 July 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 23, 2020

— deaf astronomers, past and future

We’ve had some great astronomers that were deaf, but
that was years ago. Will we be getting deaf astronomers
in the future years? The National Science Foundation
hopes so, and has backed it up with grant money
to train future deaf astronomers.

 

— a shocking gesture by interpreter (or not shocking)

An interpreter, on TV, used a gesture that many people
thought was a dirty word. The speaker spoke the word
“lazy” and it led the interpreter to show that
gesture. The speaker was Daniel Andrews, the
Premier of Victoria (in Australia). Many signs
for many words are different in USA and in Australia!

 

— A comment by the Father of ADA

Retired congressman Tom Harkin, known as the Father
of the ADA, made this comment today:

employment still an issue on 30th anniversary of ADA

He is correct. How does he know much about the deaf?
His late brother was deaf.

 

 

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DeafDigest – 22 July 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 22, 2020

— purpose of sign language classes

For some ASL students, they take sign language classes
to learn to become interpreters or to become teachers
of the deaf or to help the deaf (psychologists, social
workers, counselors, etc). But for some students, learning
ASL is a fun hobby for them. And when they lose interest
in the hobby, their ASL knowledge gets rusty. Of course,
for many others, it is a way to earn academic credits.

 

— Microsoft says so

Microsoft said, in an article today, that modern
devices are not better than human interpreters
but that captions could do the job, if not better
than interpreting.

 

— sign language bracelets and wristbands

Bracelets and wristbands reading our sign language?
Yes, according to engineers from Cornell University
and University of Wisconsin working together on
this project. Well, in 1946, the Dick Tracy comic
strip came up with wrist radios (voice only).
Nearly 75 years later, we may now have this
voice-less wristbands!

 

 

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07/19/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 21 July 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 21, 2020

— video producers must make a decision

Not really in USA, but in other nations, video producers
of films must make a decision – to caption the film or
to subtitle the film. This is what one European video
producer said in an interview. Which is best? Both
have their pros and cons.

 

— the power of the word of mouth

Derik Kendrick, not deaf, is a contractor in Texas.
He has never, just once came into contact with a deaf
person. One of his hearing employees asked Kendrick if he
was willing to hire a family member who is deaf. Kendrick
hired him and was so happy with his work. Word got
around and two deaf men, looking for jobs, were also
hired – and quickly there were ten deaf men working
for that company. He now has to deal with phone calls
asking to hire more deaf! The word of mouth is
quite powerful. Just wish many other employers out
there have this positive attitude that Kendrick has.
Kendrick then learned sign language to communicate
with his deaf employees.

 

— ADA celebration party

ADA is nearing its 30th anniversary as the world’
most set of disability laws. A party is being
hosted by ADA activists – theme is ADA30 Lead On
and it will feature entertainment shows by
disabled entertainers, including the deaf.
Just hope there are many deaf entertainers in
these shows instead of just a “few”!

 

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DeafDigest – 20 July 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 20, 2020

— art museum curator is deaf

Liza Sylvestre, who is deaf, is the curator of the
Krannert Art Museum on the campus of University of Illinois
at Urbana-Champaign. DeafDigest editor does not see
too many, if any, curators, especially in museums,
that are deaf but she is it. Most important of all
she works with heads of academic departments to
make them understand that the deaf can do anything
despite inability to hear.

 

— using app to communicate with a deaf patient

a deaf patient stopped by a medical clinic.
The medical assistant, who knew no sign
language, quickly went to a sign language
app to pick up signs to communicate with the
deaf patient. The medical assistant said
it was successful, but was it really a
success? It is much easier with expressive
sign language but very difficult with
receptive sign language!

 

– a joke or not a joke

A newspaper writer wrote this joke:
He could talk the ears off of a deaf man

Hearing people may laugh at this “joke” but
this is not a laughing matter for the deaf.
No deaf person likes to be trapped into
an unlipreadable talk by a hearing person
where there is no “escape” from it. This
has happened too many times with the DeafDigest
editor over the years, at places of work,
at employment interview sessions, in the
hall ways of buildings, at parties, etc.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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07/19/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 17 July 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 17, 2020

— a deaf man on History Channel’s “The uneXplained”

Lidell Simpson, who is deaf, will appear on
History Channel on the The uneXplained program.
He will discus synesthesia, a brain and a nervous
system that messes up with the five senses
(touch, taste, sound, sight, and smell).
While he is deaf, the four other senses
rings up weird sounds in his head!
He does not use ASL, and functions as a
hearing person.

 

— list of ADA modifications

A newspaper story said a building has these
ADA modifications – disability signs, hallway handrails,
entrance ramps to buildings, accessible seating,
door handles, restrooms and parking spots. What
about stuff for the deaf (flashing signalers, digital
read outs, interpreters, captions, etc)? The
story did not mention things for the deaf!
Very strange.

 

— Gally is the name of a new zoo animal

The National Zoo, in Washington, DC has welcomed two
new animals – both American bison. The Smithsonian
has asked Gallaudet and Howard University to name
their own Bison. Gallaudet named its own bison as Gally!
Why Howard? For some reason both universities have
the same name – Bison as their mascots. Yes, Gallaudet
and Howard have played each other in some sports in
the past – and it was a matter of Bison vs Bison.

 

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DeafDigest – 16 July 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 16, 2020

— freelance interpreter vs full time employed interpreter

Which is better for an interpreter? Go freelance or
work as full time interpreter for an employer?
This is a decision that interpreters need to make
for themselves. A freelance interpreter said he
decides on cost for his services, sets his own
interpreting hours and selects (or rejects)
clients, but the disadvantage is the need to
maintain accurate income records for tax
purposes.

 

— veterinarians that know ASL

There was a story of veterinarians that learn sign
language to communicate with deaf clients that own
dogs and/or cats. Not in USA, but in Great Britain.
We have a few deaf veterinarians in USA, but probably
too far and too few in between. A sick animal is
not interested in ASL but in getting quick veterinary
attention!

 

— deaf characters for hearing gamers

Hearing gamers are only interested in winning
their own games against their own competitors.
Do they care if the video characters are hearing
or deaf? Well, it was learned that GRIP Combat Racing
has a video game that involves disabled and deaf
characters. This is probably a first with these
video games!

 

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DeafDigest – 15 July 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 15, 2020

— Dancer, Model and now Actor

Nyle DiMarco, who won top honors with Dancing with
the Stars with Next Top Model, is now moving to a big
challenge – starring in a comedy program, about life as
a Deaf Person. Will this lead to a third big honor –
an Oscar?

 

— an interesting career

A deaf woman, who passed away recently, was
written up in an obit as – having worked
on the management levels of a supermarket
chain (Hannaford Stores) and with some
restaurant chains. Many deaf people work
in supermarkets and restaurants but only
just a very few work on the management levels.
Keep in mind managers often deal with
customer complaints!

 

— aging and clunky equipment

A newspaper story said that the TTY was
aging and clunky. This is partly correct.
Model 15 machines were clunky. The
portable digital TDD machines are
aging but not clunky. These digital
devices were easy to carry around.

 

 

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DeafDigest – 14 July 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 14, 2020

— costly to change a deaf name

The Washington team in the NFL will be changing its name.
How much would it cost the team to change the name – logos,
colors, stationery, business cards, video images, legal
issues, etc? More than millions of dollars! In the late
seventies, the NAD was asked about a name change. The
NAD business manager warned that the costs would be over
$10,000 to complete name change. It was “pennies” at
that time but nowadays, costs would be much higher!

 

— Slack or Zoom

Slack? It is an app that is almost the same as
Zoom. A deaf social service agency is using
Slack, and said it is just as good as Zoom.
Helps the deaf stay in touch with each other
during this Pandemic.

 

— ADA is a law or ADA is a right

A disability advocate said:

ADA not just a law but a right

ADA has become a law because of bad
attitudes among many people that would not
give the deaf and the disabled these
opportunities (jobs, education, social
services, captions, etc).

 

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DeafDigest – 13 July 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 13, 2020

— a deaf-owned bakery in the Los Angeles area

A & S Sweet has been written up in a newspaper
as a deaf-owned bakery in Panorama City, CA.
The owners are Aina Mulleda and Sunshine Enriquez.
They serve up these Filipino sweets. Deafness
and communication issues affecting them? They
said no.

 

— viewpoint of deafness by a deaf person

A deaf person made this comment:

Every deaf person looks on deafness differently

That person is correct. No two deaf persons
think the same way about their own deafness.

 

— interpreting a bad luck name

Macbeth is a Shakespearean play. This name is
considered to be bad luck – because of these
theatrical superstitions. When this play is
shown in Great Britain, the interpreters do not
have a sign for that name. What about this
play as shown in USA? Do not know!

 

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DeafDigest – 10 July 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 10, 2020

— ADA’s boss

Who is ADA’s boss? It is not a person but
a small federal agency – the National Council on
Disability (NOD). This agency is supposed to be
independent, meaning no other agency can boss it!
NOD said, in a statement:

Everything we do is about ADA. That’s who we are

 

— audios on NFL team websites, no captions

Many of us root for our NFL teams.

All NFL teams have their own web sites. The
video audios are not captioned.

ADA violation? Possibly, but do read on.

DeafDigest editor contacted one NFL
team about their non-captioned audios.

The NFL team responded, saying that:

#1 – the team discussed it with the NFL Digital staff

#2 – the team has no control over captions as the
NFL digital group handles it (for all 32 teams)

#3 – the digital group told the team it takes
24-72 hours for captions to appear on a video.

#4 – the NFL team told the digital people that
the 24-72 hour wait is not acceptable.

#5 – that NFL team looked at its own audios and
learned that all were not captioned at all.

#6 – the NFL team promised to follow this up with
the league. A suggestion was hiring a third party
vendor that provides captions. Would the NFL
headquarters permit it?

Just stay tuned.

 

— Sign Language announcement interrupting a hearing TV movie

People that watch many TV programs are used to
these “interruptions” – but there is a twist.
The program “There She Goes” was suddenly
interrupted by an announcement of an upcoming
sign language program. Not in USA but in
Great Britain. Very embarrassing for these
British TV producers!

 

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DeafDigest – 09 July 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 9, 2020

— see-through masks or face masks

Deaf people hate face masks. Deaf people love
see-through masks. It was disappointing to read
today that an official of a public health agency
in Canada said face masks offer better protection
than see-through masks! If this is true then we
need a better third option.

 

— small town newspapers dying

A story came up today that said small town newspapers
are dying. No one reads or are interested in
small town newspapers. The Deaf Community has
had about a half-dozen deaf newspapers. It was
popular and widely read. The most notable one
was Silent News. Not any more; there are no
deaf newspapers in existence nowadays, and this
means we miss out on these interesting deaf
stories.

 

— one of the most famous graduates of Harvard

Harvard, over the years, has had a number of
deaf graduates. Harvard, in a recent posting,
listed its most famous graduates. One of
them was Helen Keller. She graduated in 1904.

 

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DeafDigest – 08 July 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 8, 2020

— Walmart may offer something free that is not deaf-friendly

Walmart is seriously thinking of offering free drive-in
movies at their own parking lots. Open captions for
the deaf? This matter was not discussed in their
announcement. Walmart is sometimes good to the deaf;
Walmart is sometimes not good to the deaf. We shall
see if their free drive-ins are open captioned!

 

— deaf trying to open combination lock safes

There was a story that hearing people, with superior
sense of hearing, can open up combination lock safes,
after listening for these clicks. This story also said
this method will not work for the deaf. DeafDigest
has known of deaf locksmiths. Are they able to open
up these safes?

 

— percentage wars

We have many tech groups trying to develop sign
language gloves, possibly each thinking their
such glove is the only one of its kind in the
world! One would say their glove is 98 percent
accurate; another one would say their glove is
99 percent accurate, and so on. Percentages?
Is it possible that the one saying it is 98
percent accurate may say it is 99 percent accurate
on their next testing, and also those saying
99 percent may go down to 98 percent, too.

 

 

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DeafDigest – 07 July 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 7, 2020

— four cats that help the deaf

DeafDigest mentioned a while ago that cats may help
the deaf. A DeafDigest subscriber has four cats, and
they all raise their heads when there is noise
coming from the outside. And they also raise their
heads when people walk up the stairs. So, dogs do
help the deaf, so do the cats.

 

— city council compares captioning options

In a medium-sized town, the city council has
decided to caption its meetings. Three
options were brought up.

#1 – captions from a public domain app? It cannot
be livestreamed and has errors, and speaker
identification is not shown.

#2 – captions from a provider at a very low cost?
It has errors, and voice speech sometimes shows
dirty words!

#3 – captions from another provider, cost much
higher than #2 option? 95 percent accuracy rate
with speaker identification; the longer the
meeting the higher the cost!

The city council, upon recommendation from a
local deaf agency, recommended #3

 

— preferred accomodation vs reasonable accomodation

A deaf employee preferred live interpreter; the employer
preferred video interpreting. The deaf employee filed
a lawsuit. The jury agreed with the employee with a
$775,000 award. The 11th Circuit Appeals court
disagreed and threw out the case, making Costco,
the defendant, the winner, saying employer can
provide reasonable accomodations. Next step –
the Supreme Court, which almost just rarely takes on
deaf cases?

 

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DeafDigest – 06 July 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 6, 2020

— if video movie has no sound

If a hearing person watches a video movie
and there is no sound, then what to do?
There were 9 suggestions; the last
suggestion was this – turn on the captions.
DeafDigest editor has this question – what
happens if captions do not work (or is terribly
garbled)?

 

— first accessible fast food place

Americans grab their food at fast food places
(and eat on the go). Sheetz, a popular gas station/
fast food chain in the eastern parts of USA came
up with touch screen menus in 1995. The ADA
was signed into law in 1990. Was ADA the reason
for Sheetz’s touch screens or was it set up
to make things easier for the hearing (while
at the same time, making things much, much
easier for the deaf).

 

— our Deaf Astronauts

Our Deaf Astronauts? A joke? No. A research paper
was written by two linguists and published
in a European Space Agency journal. It said
that linguistics could become an issue during
space travel. These writers suggested that
sign language could be used to overcome linguistic
issues. This is where, DeafDigest suggests, that
we train deaf individuals to become astronauts!

 

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DeafDigest – 03 July 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 3, 2020

— creating a sign language dictionary

It is never that easy to create a sign language
dictionary. The reason is local and regional
dialects. Even in USA, there are as many as
half dozen signs for the word – computer!
In one nation, a team of 100 sign language
people from 60 different cities and regional
areas met together to agree on best signs
for each important word or important phrase.

 

— boycotting Facebook

Facebook is being boycotted by a number of
huge corporations. Any deaf-related corporations
boycotting Facebook? There was a short newspaper
story of a small hearing aid company boycotting
Facebook. That company admitted that by joining
the boycott they would lose exposure – because
it is so small that most people have never
heard of it!

 

— Heavy Equipment operator

Hunter Flower, who is deaf, graduated at the top
of his class at the North Country Heavy Equipment School
in Michigan. The instructors used gestures to communicate
with him during these heavy equipment field drills.
Plus they installed a flashing signaler inside his cabin
so that he would just stop the machine if there were
issues. The newspaper story did not say if he found a
job at a construction site. Hope he did.

 

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DeafDigest – 02 July 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 2, 2020

— dangers of a future sign language glove

DeafDigest brought up the UCLA sign language glove
only being tested by four deaf people. There
was a newspaper headline that said that over 1,000
spoken words may accidentally turn on a voice device
such as Alexa and Siri. Well, how many wrong sign language
gestures could accidentally turn on a sign language glove!
Scary?

 

— Oscar has 819 new voters

With the goal of diversity in mind, Oscar has invited
819 new voters. Approximately 45 percent are women,
and 36 percent are non-white. What percentage of
new members are deaf? Zero percentage, and it is
disappointing.

 

— Drive-in movie thoughts

A DeafDigest subscriber, who is an avid
movie-goer, gave his thoughts regarding
captioned or non-captioned drive-in
theaters. Issues were – would captioning
glasses work through the car windshield?
Could he eat his popcorn at the same time
handle the captioning box? Are these
captioning devices cleaned up (Covid-19)?
The wide-length drive-in screen may not
possible work with the glasses? He has
a suggestion – bring own iPhone and the
theater could provide a “Guest Wifi
Theater Channel” but would these
theater owners go for it? And if
open captions are forced on them,
these theaters could just go out of
business just to avoid the hassles of ADA
lawsuits!

 

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DeafDigest – 01 July 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – July 1, 2020

— a surprising story about the latest sign language glove

A sign language glove is nothing new. There are always
announcements from time to time on labs creating their
own latest sign language glove. But what was shocking was
the announcement that UCLA scientists came up with
their own sign language glove. The shocker was that
only just four deaf individuals were tested with that
glove the scientists were working on. Normally if one
wishes to develop or invent something, then the field
testing must involve much more than just four humans
being tested on! The Los Angeles area has many, many
deaf residents, so why just four?

 

— sign language user bumping into a street pole

We often hear of jokes of sign language users
bumping into street poles, not careful with
walking and signing. It is not a joke in Dublin,
as there were complaints of 300 street poles
in the city without signs, confusing hearing
pedestrians, drivers as well as deaf users
of sign language. Michéal Kelliher, who is
deaf and uses sign language, said these
“empty” poles are not a joke to them.

 

— sign language confusing a fake-deaf actress

A fake-deaf actress, selected for a deaf role
in a movie, is fluent in three spoken languages.
Sign language is not one of these languages.
Anyway she was supposed to use sign language
in a movie scene and she struggled to keep
her knowledge of sign language apart from
her three fluent languages. It took several
takes before the scene was done right.

 

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DeafDigest – 30 June 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 30, 2020

— The Walkman and the deaf

The first Walkman was introduced in Japan in 1979
and quickly became popular. Many deaf people
couldn’t use the Walkman because of the need to
understand the voice. But in a way, it helped the
deaf! For years and years hearing people wrongly
thought all deaf people used earphones, which was
not true. The Walkman showed these hearing
people that they were wrong about it!

 

— a celebrity forced to subtitle her videos

Paige Turley is a star with “Love Island”
which is a popular British dating reality
TV show. She said she was “forced” to
subtitle her videos so that her deaf fans
could follow her. Forced means bad attitude!
Would she have subtitled if she did not
feel being “forced”? Probably not.

 

— Drive-in movies suddenly become popular

Years ago many people loved to watch movies
at the drive-in theaters. It was no longer
popular – but it is probably coming back
because of social distancing issues. Will these
drive-in movies be captioned? This issue was
not mentioned in these recent newspaper
stories. Are we seeing a new wave of ADA
lawsuits regarding no drive-in movie captions?

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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DeafDigest – 29 June 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 29, 2020

— still always a hot issue, deaf actor or fake-deaf actor

DeafDigest editor had a long and interesting series of
discussions with a deaf person who has been long involved
with the entertainment field. Pros and cons, advantages
and disadvantages were discussed. The bottom line, he
said was this:

the real world of casting because acting is a cut-throat business

He is correct.

 

— first deaf president of a hearing college

DeafDigest mentioned over the weekend that Guilford College’s
president Jane K. Fernandes, who is deaf, will be stepping
down from her current position in 2021. She is not the first
deaf president of a hearing college. That honor goes to
Frederick Augustus Porter Barnard who founded, and served as
president of Columbia University. He served for 25 years.
The Barnard College, part of the Columbia University complex,
is named after him.

 

— White House announcement not good for the deaf

The White House announced the overhauling of the
Federal Government employment system; priority is to
hire the experienced, as opposed to giving opportunities
to young graduates with college degrees. This may be
scary. For years Schedule A Federal hiring rules was the
option for young deaf people seeking federal employment.
Many deaf people achieved good and long careers in federal
government. Will this continue or not? We shall see how
these new regulations will be written into the revised
government hiring procedures.

 

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DeafDigest – 26 June 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 26, 2020

— deaf in deaf roles or deaf in hearing roles

A deaf actress said in an interview that she
prefers to play hearing roles than to play
deaf roles, hoping it will be a trend.
This is a risk – more deaf roles for
deaf actors than hearing roles for
deaf actors!

 

Just announced is another Starbucks Deaf Cafe,
this time in Japan. It will be Starbucks’
5th Deaf Cafe. The first four are located
in Malaysia (two of them), China and
Washington, DC. More Deaf Cafes coming
up? There are none in New York, Rochester,
Los Angeles, Chicago, Austin and Fremont,
these high deaf-population areas.

 

— a past Deaf Hobby

A past Deaf Hobby was filling out newspaper
crossword puzzles. This hobby was popular among
some linotype operators who were deaf. They
would read (and type) all day at work, and
so filling out these crossword puzzles at
home was second nature to them. Not any
more these days.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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06/21/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 25 June 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 25, 2020

— captions/subtitles; different nations, different rules

A worldwide distributor of films said that captioning
or subtitling their movies require obeying each
nation’s rules and regulations, all of which
differ from each other! And another issue is the
choice of language to caption or to subtitle!
A big hassle? Yes.

 

— change in Oscar nominations not helping the deaf

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said
it is establishing rules to encourage diversity
among nominees. What about deaf actors? These
new rules made no mention of these deaf actors
that deserve nomination. Very disappointing.

 

— the face mask and the deaf physician

Though exact count is difficult, it has been
estimated we have about 100-125 deaf physicians
in USA. Do they have problems dealing with
face masks? Yes. This was a big issue raised
by a deaf physician in a newspaper story.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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06/21/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 24 June 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 24, 2020

— interpreter walks away from prime minister’s speech

Hard to believe? Believe it or not? There was a newspaper
story in Great Britain that during prime minister Boris
Johnson’s speech, the interpreter just stopped interpreting
near the end and walked off the stage! The video of the
“walk away” was posted on the newpaper site but was
taken down. Did the interpreter actually walk away?
Or was it a hoax story? Good question!

 

— ADA-chasing attorney may be suspended

There was a newspaper story in Florida that a hearing
attorney worked with a deaf client to file many, many
ADA lawsuits. The Florida Bar has asked the state
high court to suspend that attorney and to levy
him with heavy fines. He worked with a deaf client
on many ADA lawsuits, splitting the victory money
between both of them. A example was filing lawsuits
against gas stations for not providing captions on
gas pumps!

 

— no notes, no interpreters, no texts

A designer, with an engineering company, said that
the only way to communicate with his hearing boss
and hearing designers was to draw designs on
a drawing pad. This method completely replaced
these options (notes, interpreters, texts)!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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06/21/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 23 June 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 23, 2020

— NAD deals with racism issues

Melissa S. Draganac-Hawk, the NAD president,
said in her  recent video that systemic racism must
be eliminated, while at the same time
affirming the association’s support for
National Black Deaf Advocates. This is an
important step for the Deaf Community.

 

— some hearing people struggle with simple gestures

A professor of ASL said that there may be common
gestures from the deaf that hearing people should
understand. They should, but there are always
some hearing people that just understand no
gestures at all! This is sad.

 

— bus drivers do not wear face masks

In one huge city, bus drivers do not wear
face masks. This is a public service for
deaf passengers that need to do lip reading.
This huge city is London. It is true, however,
that not every deaf person is an expert
lip reader.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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06/21/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 22 June 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 22, 2020

— a shocking thing about a social networking provider

Twitter created an audio announcements of its tweets
as a way to help the hearing, but without helping
the deaf. What was the most shocking thing about it?
That when the deaf complained that these audio tweets
were not helping them, Twitter admitted the company
has no team of engineers working on disability
issues! All that in the day of these ADA lawsuits
everywhere.

 

— a favorite Hollywood tale

Hollywood has many great tales, but the favorite
one, that comes up from time to time, was the
hiring of ASL-speaking deaf man. His job was
important – to act as the go-between with his
boss and the outside world – media, agents,
directors, producers, etc. The boss was
comedian Bill Murray, because of his personal
issues, did not want to be bothered by
outsiders, and felt a deaf man would be the
perfect choice. This arrangement only lasted
two weeks – because Murray was frustrated
in not being able to communicate in ASL
with the deaf person! Crazy world, Hollywood?
Yes.

 

— dangers of two people with the same name

During the sixties and seventies, there
were two deaf leaders both sharing the
same name – Gordon Allen. One was from
Texas and the other from Minnesota.
And the 1949 Gallaudet football team had
two quarterbacks with the same name –
Marvin Tuttle. One was from Iowa and the
other from North Carolina. And now
this – Mohammad Irfan, a deaf cricket
player from Pakistan passed away. There
were so much confusion among hearing fans
because there was a hearing cricket star
with the same name who was very much alive!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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06/21/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 19 June 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 19, 2020

— never on a Big Screen movie

There was a discussion among those that follow the
Marvel Cinematic Universe episodes and characters,
especially the deaf hero Echo aka May Lopez. It
was pointed out that the Echo character was
never shown on the Big Screen (meaning these
big movie theaters)! Do keep in mind that
Love Is Never Silent, starring Marlee Matlin,
was a Big Screen movie. But it was shown in
1985, which is 35 years ago.

 

— working so hard but so unpaid

It is assumed that interpreters that work the
press conferences that are shown on TV news
are paid for their work. It has come as quite
a big surprise that in one city, the
interpreters doing these press conferences are
unpaid! It is love of labor for them. Should
they be paid? Definitely, yes.

 

— good or bad judgement

A letter to the editor was titled –

Police don’t always have good judgment.

DeafDigest editor has always said that
despite many hours of training and
workshops and seminars on how to deal
with the deaf, some police officers
forget quickly what they were supposed
to learn. And if their workshop took
place 10-15 years ago, are they expected
to remember it all when they stop their
first deaf driver during traffic stops?

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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06/14/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 18 June 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 18, 2020

— teaching the deaf these complicated factory skills

A deaf person was hired to work in a factory, but
had to learn these complicated skills as a heavy
machinery mechanic. The instructor never worked
with the deaf in the past, and while he used
notes and white boards to explain to the deaf
what to do, he had something that many hearing
instructors lack – unlimited patience. In due
time, the deaf person learned fast and became
a master mechanic! Why not an interpreter?
Very difficult for an interpreter to work
in tight working spaces.

 

— ouch, says Fedex

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
fined FedEx Ground Package System $3,300,000
for discriminating against deaf employees.
This is a big, big fine because normally
EEOC would fine wrong-doing companies
about $50,000 to $100,000. So for Fedex,
to be fined $3.3 million is a big ouch.
Hopefully Fedex has learned its lesson
and give deaf employees opportunities
for advancement in the company.

 

— from voice-less to voice

Tweets were just text-only. Not any more,
it will include voice, for the benefit
of the hearing. This change does not
impact on deaf users, just something
to be aware of.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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DeafDigest – 17 June 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 17, 2020

— voice-activated supermarket shopping

There was an announcement that Carrefour,
a supermarket chain in France, would be
introducing a voice-activated shopping
device real soon. What about the deaf?
This issue wasn’t discussed in the press release,
as France does not have ADA!

 

— a mountain town sees deaf population grow

A hearing person that lives in Big Bear Lake,
a mountain town in California, said that
about 20 years ago only five deaf people
lived in the area. And that nowadays it
has grown to about 40 people. Interestingly
enough the hearing Big Bear Lake population
has dropped by 400 people between 2000 and
2010 census counts!

 

— closed captions: Microsoft Teams vs Google

There was a newspaper report, comparing the
Microsoft Teams captions with the Google
captions. Which captions are better? We
can ask the same question – which soft
drink is better – Coca Cola or Pepsi?
In other words, sort of equal quality
captions!

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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06/14/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 16 June 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 16, 2020

— The lucky Deaf West

The Deaf West Theatre operates on a $300,000
per year budget. The Pandemic forced cancellation
of their plays this year, forcing the management
to refund in full the tickets the patrons bought in
advance. Much to the management’s surprise
approximately 35 percent of these patrons donated
the refunds to the Deaf West treasury!

 

— simple advice from a job coach

A job coach that helps the deaf adjust to their
new jobs gave this advice for hearing employers –
just use simple English in their job training
manuals. Just avoid shop lingo in the manuals.

 

— CSL may have helped development of hearing language

A topic that fascinates linguists is the development
of human spoken (and written) language – way back
in these Cave Men days. It was suggested that CSL
may have helped speed up the development of the world’s
many, many languages. CSD? It is Cavemen Sign Language.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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06/14/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 15 June 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 15, 2020

— deaf connection in The Big Bang Theory

The Big Bang Theory was a TV series that lasted
12 seasons. One of the leading characters was
aerospace engineer Howard Wolowitz. His “deaf”
connection was his knowledge of ASL. Did he show
his use of ASL in one of these plots? Do not know.

 

— not the same thing

Are face masks the same thing as surgical
masks? No, said people in the medical community.

 

— deaf organizations leave White House live streaming project

Fed up with indifference by the White House on the
interpreting needs of the deaf during press coverages,
the RID and a group of cooperating deaf organizations
have given up on this project. This may mean White House
would go alone with these unsolved interpreting issues.

 

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DeafDigest – 12 June 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 12, 2020

— the mask is a risk for one reason

People who wear behind-the-ear hearing aids
are taking a risk while wearing the mask!
When they take off the mask, the strings may
snag the hearing aid and pull it out. By the
time the user is aware the hearing aid is
missing, it may be too late to locate it
on the grounds.

 

— doctors that often disagree

Doctors often disagree. This is the reason why
many patients (both deaf and hearing) seek
second, and even third opinions. One doctor
may suggest cochlear implant while another
doctor may suggest hearing aid. Which doctor
is correct? Only the deaf patient will know
what is the best answer after researching
both sides.

 

— A state agrees and then breaks the agreement

Two years ago the Illinois Department of Corrections
reached agreement regarding deaf prisoners that
needed a 2nd hearing test if the first test failed
them. Yet, this agreement was not honored, forcing a
federal judge to punish the correction group once
more again. Very disappointing for the state to
mistreat the deaf prisoners.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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06/07/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 11 June 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 11, 2020

— some speakers just don’t want interpreters next to them

In a newspaper “Letter to the Editor” section, a deaf
advocate said that some speakers just do not want
interpreters standing next to them. Nothing to do
with Covid-19 but wanting the glory and the attention
for themselves!

 

— reason for admitting hearing to a deaf school

The Houston’s Center for Hearing and Speech
operates a pre-school program for the deaf.
They are now accepting hearing pre-school
children. Reason? To teach classmates how
to mingle with each other in all settings.

 

— to untranslate me

To translate means to convert from first language
to second language. To untranslate means not having
one language translated to another language.
There is a deaf off-Broadway play titled “Please
Untranslate Me” which consists of an all deaf-cast.
Does it mean that hearing people say something
to the deaf that is not interpreted – or – deaf
say something to the hearing that is again, not
interpreted? Do not know. Must watch the play
to see what it is all about.

 

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DeafDigest – 10 June 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 10, 2020

— the hearing aid and the deaf

There was a report by one university research
team that 20 percent of people that have hearing
aids do not use this device. Does this include
deaf people that function as hearing? Or is
it mostly profoundly deaf people that do not
use hearing aids? Do not know.

 

— the deaf protester and the interpreter

Many deaf people have participated in the
national Black Lives Matter protests. For
them, there is a danger that many hearing
protesters (and even the police) are not
aware of. Interpreters accompany these
deaf protesters and the risk is that
in the mass crowding confusion, interpeters
get lost. This leaves the deaf protesters
at risk and jeopardy!

 

— Almost a Deaf Cigarette

Years ago, cigarettes were popular as smoking
was socially acceptable. Not any more, but
there is a tale associated with deaf chemist
Sterling White that just departed us. He
was a senior research chemist with the RJ Reynolds
Tobacco Company. He developed a new cigarette
prototype that tasted like a bubble gum. This
experiment failed because the “bubble gum”
cigarette would get spoiled fast sitting on the
store shelves!

 

 

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DeafDigest – 09 June 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 9, 2020

— Mayor appoints a deaf person

Rachel Arfa, a deaf attorney, has been appointed
by Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot as commissioner of
the Office For People With Disabilities. She
currently serves as president of the Deaf and Hard
of Hearing Bar Association.

 

— a strange lawsuit involving the deaf

A crime took place in a warehouse. The night watchman
was deaf and did not see the crime take place.
A lawsuit was filed, and it was learned that the
night watchman did not testify as to what happened
because of his deafness. The Supreme Court ordered
the investigation to be re-opened. It could only
take place, not in USA, but in India!

 

— another description for interpreters

A broker (verb) arranges deals or agreements between
two people. Someone said:

terps are language brokers

A strange, but interesting way of explaining what
interpreters do.

 

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DeafDigest – 08 June 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 8, 2020

— deaf man leads the Black Lives Matter march

Devin Grandberry, who is deaf, led the Black
Lives Matter march in North Platte (Nebraska),
a small city of 24,000 people. He said:

It’s a message many of us want to get across and
show the unity that can happen across the world,
not just in our community

 

— barber communications

A deaf female hairdresser communicates with
her hearing customers by showing pictures
of various hairstyles and asking them to
point to the one they want. Great, but
what about deaf barbers? The deaf barber
would point to sides and the back of the
head – and watch the customer respond –
with head nods or head shakes. The same
goes for beard – how should it be
trimmed. It works because he has been
doing that for years and customers keep
on coming to him.

 

— Washington state makes an exception for the deaf

The government of Washington has ordered all
employees to wear face masks effective today.
It has made an exception for deaf employees
becauce of invisible facial expressions and
invisible lips. Not sure why clear see-through
masks were not made part of the state ruling?

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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DeafDigest – 05 June 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 5, 2020

— sign language consultant with TV and movies

From time to time directors hire the deaf as
sign language consultants with TV, movies
and theater. Do consultants teach actors to
use sign language? Well, a sign language
consultant said she reads the script to
make sure deaf people understand it!

 

— deaf-friendly advice for shopkeepers

Many shops, stores and fast food places
are not deaf-friendly. Do these owners
get advice on getting their businesses
deaf-friendly? Do not know but there
was an advice written up in a newspaper
article to make businesses deaf-friendly.
Do these owners ask the deaf for advice?
Again, do not know!

 

— complaints about interpreting on TV

Deaf people are happy that TV news programs
are interpreted. Deaf people are also unhappy
that the signing is hard to read because of the
small box; that some interpreters wear face masks;
that interpreter are “cut” in half, only seeing
their face and hands. Also, interpreters placed
at end of stage instead of next to the speakers.

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
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05/31/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
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DeafDigest – 04 June 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 4, 2020

— suggestions for deaf during hurricane season

Summertime brings on hurricanes and destructive
weather. For the deaf, a local weather service
suggested getting a weather radio that has text
display and flashing alerts. Plus notepads and
pens to communicate with the hearing in case
no interpreters are around. And also get access
to VRS, emails, and text messages.

 

— an interpreter never got formal training

Tan Lee Bee is an interpreter. Her only family
connection to the deaf is a deaf younger sister.
They became close, and the interpreter learned
signs by observing her at her deaf school
classes and by her communications with her
classmates. At the age of 18 she became
a teacher of the deaf, despite no formal
college training. Later on she traveled
across USA, picking up sign language skills.
She is currently the interpreter at government
news conferences – in Malaysia!

 

— a machine, a joke or not a joke

We have read about sign language machines
(actually computers) and have said these
really do not work perfectly. And now this –
a lip reading machine. A joke? Microsoft
does not think so, and in fact has subcontracted
with a tech company to develop this such a
lip reading machine.

 

 

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DeafDigest – 03 June 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 3, 2020

— interpreter suddenly stops signing for half-minute

Could an interpreter suddenly stop signing and then
fold arms for nearly a half-minute? It happened
when Canada prime minister Trudeau suddenly stopped
his speech for that long time. Deaf people watching
that speech may think the interpreter refused to
sign some words. This was not the case!

 

— no haircuts for a long time

People who regularly get haircuts do not like it
when they are forced to stay away from hair
salons and barber shops for a long time.
John Bellavia, a deaf barber in the Buffalo, NY
area, has been cutting hair for 50 years, but
his shop had to be closed up. Yesterday his
shop opened and many of his regular customers
were glad to see him again!

 

— the deaf and the curfew

Many people, including the deaf, would know
if their home town has a curfew late at night.
Unfortunately there was an incident when a
deaf man went out at night, unaware there was
a curfew. Police came over and detained him.
His interpreter came over and explained the
deafness issues to the police, and he was
released.

 

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DeafDigest – 02 June 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 2, 2020

— fuzzy TV sound and blurred TV subtitles

DeafDigest mentioned a couple of times that
Ben, the leading character in the British
sitcom EastEnders, has become deaf. And that
the EastEnders producers wanted to introduce
Deaf Culture to the hearing viewers. As a
result, the sitcom last night showed fuzzy
TV sound and blurred TV subtitles. Of course,
the British hearing viewers were not too
pleased about it!

 

— walking through the riots with the shirt written deaf

A deaf resident of Washington, DC, making it a
point during the riots last night, had his white
shirt written “Deaf” on the front. Don’t know what
the hearing protesters had to say about this
unusual white shirt.

 

— our LSM signers

The deaf of Mexico use LSM, which means Mexican
Sign Language, properly titled as lengua de señas
mexicana. Our French friends up north in Quebec
use LSQ (Langue des signes québécoise or Langue des
signes du Québec).

 

Deaf jobs – latest update
http://deafdigest.com/category/jobs/

05/31/20 Blue and Gold editions & sub options at:
http://deafdigest.com/newsletters/

DeafDigest – 01 June 2020

DeafDigest Mid-Week edition – June 1, 2020

— Covid-19 affects world’s best hotel

Roberto Wirth, who is deaf, owns and operates
Hotel Hassler, located in the best part