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December 26, 2006
Program a boost for deaf, blind boy's family
A little-known program at Western Oregon University that began almost 40 years ago and served as a research model for television's "Sesame Street" recently received a $10.5 million grant, the largest award in its history.
But in addition to state and national work on behalf of deaf-blind youths, the Teaching Research Institute, housed in Todd Hall at Western, also has played a large part in helping out the short but difficult life of a Monmouth child and his family.
Posted @ 7:31 AM
Deaf boy hears thanks to pioneering surgery
Jonathon Vickers, from Bamber Bridge, is one of the first children to undergo a new brain stem operation.
He was 18 months old when he was diagnosed after failing several hearing tests and was referred to a specialist at Manchester Children's Hospital.
Posted @ 7:29 AM
Airport technology will help hearing impaired
By this time next year, travel out of Gerald R. Ford International Airport will be a lot less stressful for hard-of-hearing passengers.
An upgrade to the public address system will add technology allowing flight announcements to be broadcast directly into hearing aids with a special receiver. The technology is said to be a first for U.S. airports.
Posted @ 7:28 AM
Deaf child's dog banned from Mass. school
When 14-year-old John Cave arrives in the Massachusetts town of Princeton, the deaf teen's new service dog will not be welcome in his new high school.
New York Newsday reported that officials at Princeton's W. Tresper Clarke High School decided to ban the trained Labrador retriever, whose name is Simba, because of state and federal regulations.
Posted @ 7:26 AM
Hastings teenager on Disney stage; part of group that signs song with Michael Bolton
On Christmas day, local residents tuning into the Walt Disney World Christmas Parade will see a Hastings girl standing center-stage behind Michael Bolton as he performs “Joy to the World.”
While it is remarkable enough that a local girl will be part of nationally televised concert with a Grammy winner, there is also one other unusual detail to note: Jennifer Anderson is deaf.
Posted @ 7:26 AM
Mobile phones aid for deaf children
Deaf children will now be able to communicate with their families by telephone, thanks to a donation by a telecom company.
MTC-Vodafone (Bahrain) donated 100 third generation (3G) video mobile telephones to hearing impaired children at the Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Hearing and Speech Development Centre, Sanad, yesterday.
Posted @ 7:24 AM
Kinny brings theatre to life for the deaf
As a child, it was a puppet show that first fired Edinburgh-born actor Kinny Gardner's love of theatre and opera.
Now based in Brighton, where he runs the acclaimed children's theatre company, Krazy Kat, the 47-year-old recalls, "I remember getting the bus to the West End and going to see Purves Puppets. They were doing a production of an obscure Gilbert and Sullivan opera called Thespis, performed with glove puppets. That was what sparked my love of opera and theatre.
Posted @ 7:20 AM
Those with hearing loss will get IP phone service
People with hearing loss in New York State can be reimbursed for their Internet protocol (IP) captioned telephone service, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) agreed Wednesday.
It voted to approve the service as reimbursable from the Internet Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) Fund.
Posted @ 7:19 AM
National Deaf Prep Dual Wrestling Tournament in Fremont
Fremont, California - - 19-20 January 2007 – California School for the Deaf (CSD) will host the 3rd annual National Deaf Prep Dual Tournament, an elite national deaf high school wrestling tournament in January. High school students and coaches will be flying in from eight different schools from all over the states. Teams from Connecticut, Arizona, Maryland, District of Columbia, Texas, Indiana, and California will be participating in the tournament. It is supposed to be the largest tournament in the last two years.
Posted @ 7:18 AM
CSDVRS announces Timothy Rarus as Senior Vice President of sales and marketing
CSDVRS is pleased to announce the appointment of Timothy Rarus as the Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for CSDVRS. Spun off as an independent company from Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD), the new CSDVRS incorporates all aspects of CSD’s former Video Relay Services (VRS) and related products.
Posted @ 7:16 AM
Teeing off for the deaf
MORE than 100 golfers are expected to come together next month to raise money for special devices that will give the gift of hearing to eight deaf Bahraini children.
The Rotary Club of Adliya is hoping that through the Bahrain Golf Invitational (BGI) 2007 it will be able to raise BD80,000 for special devices known as cochlear implants, which sell for approximately BD10,000 each.
Posted @ 7:14 AM
Deaf child put woman on teaching path
Patt Rubano of Applewood hoped to be a stockbroker, but when she learned one of her daughters, Ann Marie Rubano, was deaf, she became a teacher of the deaf.
Rubano, 77, who died of leukemia Dec. 13, spent 20 years teaching the deaf, the hearing impaired and developmentally disabled deaf students.
Posted @ 7:11 AM
Why are smoke detectors for deaf hard to come by?
It's a lesson in civic involvement that just might save someone's life. Eyewitness Wants to Know if there's any help available to those who may be the most vulnerable during house fires.
Even if you don't know sign language it's easy to read the concern on their faces.
Posted @ 7:10 AM
Deaf homeless man pleads guilty to church fire
A deaf homeless man who broke into a Charlottesville church to cook himself dinner has pleaded guilty to accidentally torching the church.
City prosecutors say Jason Scott Santos did not intend to burn the Charlottesville Church of Christ on May 4 when he broke in to find food. Now, the 25-year-old faces up to 20 years in prison for burning the building.
Posted @ 7:09 AM
December 18, 2006
A sound idea helps partial hearing loss
Jeanne Yeoman had been dealing with her hearing loss for a couple of decades, but listening still exhausted her. And technology wasn't really helping her patience. She remembers driving down the road one day and coming close to just hurling her hearing aids out the window.
"Hearing aids made everything louder, not clearer," she says. "I didn't need amplification. I needed clarification."
Posted @ 8:24 AM
Know the 7 elements of effective hearing protection
Using proactive terms in your safety program like hearing loss prevention and hearing conservation is a great way to increase awareness of this important topic at your company. That was just one tip from the speakers at a recent BLR audio conference on hearing protection.
Although documenting an occupational hearing injury on the OSHA Form 300 is required, it is not a hearing conservation measure. An effective, compliant program has several elements. The speakers discussed these elements of a successful hearing loss prevention program.
Posted @ 8:21 AM
Beware toys too loud, toxic, magnetic
Although many of the toys that will be purchased this year are safe, there are still troubles in toy land. Two national groups, the Sight and Hearing Association and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, have released studies about dangerous and noisy toys.
Posted @ 8:18 AM
Deaf piano player, 12, gives her first recital
Crowds from the deaf community turned out for a piano recital that they couldn't hear, but one that they could still appreciate. Kids Make Music held the holiday performance Thursday night at First United Methodist Church. Deaf supporters watched the mouths of five vocalists and sat through the dancing fingers of 19 pianists. But they were cheering for one special musician.
Posted @ 8:17 AM
Gallaudet protesters could face disciplinary action
Gallaudet University will proceed with disciplinary actions against students who led protests that at times shut down the nation's top school for the deaf, officials said Friday. Gallaudet's board of trustees has decided to let the administration move ahead with actions against the protesters as it normally would deal with infractions. The protesters were unhappy with the incoming president and succeeded in forcing the board to revoke her appointment.
Posted @ 8:16 AM
This special Santa holds kids' wishes in his hands
Seven-year-old Branden Lee Tsuji-Jones wants colored magnets and marbles for Christmas and told Santa so yesterday using American Sign Language.
For the 15th consecutive year at Pearlridge Center, "Deaf Santa" received the Christmas wishes of about 130 deaf and hard-of-hearing children from all over Hawai'i yesterday.
Posted @ 8:15 AM
CSD announces new spin-off venture known as CSDVRS
On Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2006, Communication Service for the Deaf, Inc. (CSD), a private, non-profit organization based in South Dakota, announces its newest venture or spin-off known as CSDVRS. The new entity incorporates all aspects of CSD’s former Video Relay Services (VRS) and related products. Due to a thriving industry and interest generated through investment capital groups, CSD has joined with other investors to galvanize CSDVRS, offering customers cutting edge technology and unparalleled services.
Posted @ 8:12 AM
Ex-Review printer leaves enduring legacy of advocacy
After a career in the print rooms of newspapers that included 13 years at the Oakland Tribune followed by 22 at The Daily Review, Bertt Lependorf stayed involved in daily operations by frequently sending letters to the editor.
Posted @ 8:11 AM
Relay service helps businesses connect with deaf, hard of hearing
Ordering pizza, calling information or making an appointment are all routine tasks for most of us. But for the hearing or speech impaired, placing a simple phone call can be a slow, arduous task, especially when the person on the other end hangs up.
The Virginia Relay Partner program is opening the lines of communication by connecting businesses with deaf or hard-of-hearing customers trying to reach them.
Posted @ 8:09 AM
Pennsylvania sign language teacher sentenced to prison in rape of deaf man
A sign-language teacher was sentenced to 10 to 20 years in state prison in the sexual abuse of an autistic, deaf and mute man at a group home.
James French, 47, of Glenside, pleaded guilty in July to charges of rape of a mentally disabled person and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a person with mental disabilities.
Posted @ 8:07 AM
Smoke detectors for hearing impaired
Some hearing-impaired families in Lycoming County will be better protected should a fire break out in their home. They received special smoke detectors on Monday. Four families received special smoke detectors from the Williamsport bureau of fire. They are designed for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Posted @ 8:06 AM
A high-tech kitchen designed just for these cooks
After two years of patient waiting, the students at the New Jersey School for the Deaf Katzenbach campus, a public residential institution for the deaf and disabled, have a new state-of-the-art kitchen to call their own. This Tuesday, the $50,000 high-tech kitchen, funded by a grant from the New Jersey Department of Education, was unveiled to the delight of dozens of students and faculty members.
Posted @ 8:05 AM
Deaf and proud to use sign language
Lizzie Sorkin was born deaf to deaf parents, but when she reached high school age, her mother asked her whether she would consider the latest medical technology had to offer — cochlear implants to restore some of her hearing.
Posted @ 8:03 AM
December 12, 2006
Hearing aid would help
His father is deaf in one ear and has partial hearing in the other. His grandmother is deaf. His father's sister is deaf. Her two children are hearing-impaired. And Max Tepper has been losing his hearing since age 6, when he began wearing hearing aids.
He's one of the brightest 16-year-old extroverts bouncing around the halls of Walnut Hills High School, where he's been a student for 2½ years, since his family moved here from Ontario for his father's rabbinical studies at Hebrew Union College.
Posted @ 6:01 AM
Airbags cause tinnitus in kids
Car airbags could cause children the hearing condition tinnitus and breathing problems because of the piercing noise they make when they inflate and the chemicals they let out, experts have warned. Although they have been hugely successful in preventing deaths and injuries in accidents they are designed for adults and must be switched off if youngsters sit in the front.
Posted @ 6:00 AM
A more sound solution
Jeanne Yeoman had been dealing with her hearing loss for a couple of decades, but listening still exhausted her. And technology wasn't really helping her patience. She remembers driving down the road one day and coming close to just hurling her hearing aids out the window.
Posted @ 5:57 AM
Deaf high school students vie for chance at National Academic Bowl title
Who will take home the coveted national Academic Bowl trophy? Which high school has the best and brightest deaf and hard of hearing students in America? Will New Jersey’s Mountain Lakes High School bring home the title for a second straight year?
Posted @ 5:55 AM
Toys that make children go deaf
Noisy toys can harm children's hearing, it was claimed yesterday. Fourteen out of 15 tested by charity Deafness Research UK produced noise levels above the recommended safety limit of 85 decibels when close to the ear.
Posted @ 5:54 AM
Idaho is restructuring how it educates children who are deaf or blind
They couldn't see or hear many of the changes going on around them, but it was obvious to the students that the Idaho School for the Deaf and the Blind would never be the same again.
At first, it just seemed like there were fewer students, but then there were fewer teachers. Life grew quiet on the Gooding campus as dormitories closed and the swimming pool shut down.
Posted @ 5:53 AM
Deaf couple finds help when buying a home
From communicating with a mortgage broker, to understanding the legal forms. Buying a home can be a challenging process for anyone.
But: it can be especially difficult for the deaf and hard of hearing. That's why one Boise couple is teaming up to help those with special needs get their piece of the american dream.
Posted @ 5:52 AM
Deaf professor at Lindenwood U. gets teaching excellence honor
Lindenwood University education professor Rebecca Panagos is dedicated to teaching methods that help elementary children, especially those who have difficulties, to read. She herself is deaf — a disability she prefers to downplay — and is a skilled lip reader.
Posted @ 5:51 AM
Police in text-it deal to help deaf
The plan is part of a raft of measures being brought in by Hertfordshire Constabulary as part of a new disability equality scheme.
Other measures include ensuring new police stations, such as that planned for Hatfield, are fully accessible to both staff and the public who have disabilities.
Posted @ 5:50 AM
Harvest Baptist Church Of The Deaf Presents “Christmas Reunion”
Harvest Baptist Church of the Deaf will present a unique, original Christmas drama. “Christmas Reunion” and all music is beautifully presented in ASL (American Sign Language) and is voice interpreted for the hearing.
Posted @ 5:49 AM
Deaf defendant walks free in rape case confusion
A deaf man accused of repeatedly raping a disabled woman has been allowed to go free because he is unable to understand the court case against him.
Emmanuel Etoundi, 41, went on trial accused of a string of sex attacks on the woman, who has learning difficulties.
Posted @ 5:48 AM
He was deaf, now he hears
A 21-year-old Swazi man has revealed how he was healed permanently after American Evangelist Ernest Angely prayed for him during his visit to Swaziland in 2002.
Sifiso Nkambule was deaf and dumb since birth until he was prayed for by the Evangelist at the Trade Fair grounds in Manzini.
Posted @ 5:47 AM
Gallaudet University names Robert Davila interim president
Today, Gallaudet University Board of Trustees Chair Pamela Holmes announced the selection of Robert R. Davila as interim president of the university.
Dr. Davila, who is deaf, served from 1996-2004 as vice president for the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, one of seven colleges of Rochester Institute of Technology. In 1989, he began a four-year appointment as Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services in the Department of Education where he was the federal government’s chief advisor on federal policy affecting the education and vocational rehabilitation of the nation’s 40 million persons with disabilities.
Posted @ 5:45 AM
Gunshots - hearing’s not-so-silent enemy
There’s a not-so-silent enemy that threatens every hunter and target shooter who picks up a gun.
This enemy can be heard with every blast of a shotgun, rifle or pistol—but the long-term damage isn’t detected until an expert like Appleton audiologist Dr. Michael Thelen checks a shooter’s hearing.
Posted @ 5:44 AM
Inner ear disease causes balance, hearing problems
Leroy Watson had never experienced anything like it. While working as a cook at the Hotel du Pont six years ago, he suddenly felt the room spin. His right ear filled with a deafening roar and waves of severe nausea came over him. He feared he would fall face first onto the grill.
Posted @ 5:43 AM
Edmonton Oilers playoff hockey games caused temporary hearing loss
Three hours of sitting next to a roaring, buzzing chainsaw punctuated by the occasional deafening blast of a jet taking off wouldn't be anyone's idea of a good time.
But that's the equivalent of what hockey fanatics endured during the Edmonton Oilers' Stanley Cup playoff run last spring, according to a study published Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
Posted @ 5:42 AM
Device flashes when sound levels can cause hearing loss
A new device designed to protect people from hearing loss flashes red when an MP3 player or lawn mower is emitting enough noise to cause damage. Three staff members of the Hollins Communications Research Institute spent about a year developing the device, called Ear3.
Posted @ 5:41 AM