Saskatchewan Needs More ASL Interpreters

<i><b>Deaf News: The Deaf Canadian community feels marginalized in Saskatchewan, says human rights report.</b></i><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://deafyouvideo.blogspot.com/2016/05/saskatchewan-needs-more-asl-interpreters.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Saskatchewan Needs More ASL Interpreters"><img height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVlalT-MZ33l2RDclItPMnKbbRIVnpWHrCA5TU26MMwoYITNcxFtA6a7ixddGbYJZorW4rpr-1Ia9vimJAFNouMNdsH2Xy0IPZ-GyoebykHnZ0b3pLCoeT6uIUrLyn_dwjf5ynyo4Q4yqE/s320/saskatchewan-needs-more-asl-interpreters.jpg" width="300" /></a>CBC REGINA, SK -- The <a href="http://saskatchewanhumanrights.ca/" target="_blank">Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission</a> is pushing for more <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_interpretation#Sign_language" target="_blank">sign language interpreters</a> in the province. The commission has just released a report identifying some of the barriers faced by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearing_loss" target="_blank">Deaf</a> community.<br /><br /><br /><br />Chief Commissioner David Arnot said people in the north suffer from a serious lack of access to services.<br /><br /><br /><br />"There are seven trained and certified interpreters in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saskatchewan" target="_blank">Saskatchewan</a>, as compared to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manitoba" target="_blank">Manitoba</a> that has 70," he said. "So I think that is clearly an area that needs to improve."<br /><br /><br /><br />The report also calls for universal screening of newborns and linking diagnosis with appropriate treatment.<br /><br /><br /><br />Arnot said the commission is helping the Deaf community to meet with policy makers to address these issues. He said he believes there is the political will to make changes. <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/deaf-community-feels-marginalized-in-saskatchewan-says-human-rights-report-1.3581238" target="_blank">SOURCE</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><b>Related Deaf Saskatchewanians:</b><br /><br /><a href="http://deafyouvideo.blogspot.com/2016/03/deaf-education-nonexistent-in-first.html">Deaf Education 'Nonexistent' In First Nations</a><br /><br /><a href="http://deafyouvideo.blogspot.com/2016/01/deaf-canadian-schools-in-lawsuit.html">Deaf Canadian Schools In Lawsuit Alleging Abuse</a>

Saskatchewan Needs More ASL Interpreters

Deaf News: The Deaf Canadian community feels marginalized in Saskatchewan, says human rights report. CBC REGINA, SK -- The Saskatchewan Huma...

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Deaf Student Told To Stay Home From School

<i><b>Deaf News: Canadian Deaf student told to stay home from mainstreaming school in afternoons due to a lack of interpreter, says mother.</b></i><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://deafyouvideo.blogspot.com/2016/05/deaf-student-told-to-stay-home-from.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Deaf student Kimberly Joy Anoee from Nunavut"><img height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcM0AztXhERV5Smf9mtF4LpZ_gRcCmDkaoED_Wp3Fnt1WgYFAZ3ODMnM83ZjYsbWS9SJuSzPk8fogRkkdCiCKhS9EYlQUhFWpPCEKIQo7IIL8IGUUq_iqOR1T-gugYO1xXXCwCH-bOqg-Q/s320/kimberly-joy-anoee.jpg" width="300" /></a>CBC ARVIAT, NU -- A mother in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arviat" target="_blank">Arviat, Nunavut</a>, says her <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearing_loss" target="_blank">Deaf</a> daughter has been told to stay home from school in the afternoons because of a lack of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_interpretation#Sign_language" target="_blank">sign language interpreters</a>.<br /><br /><br /><br />Rochelle Suluk's daughter Kimberly Joy Anoee is a Grade 9 student at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_schools_in_Nunavut" target="_blank">John Arnalukjuak High School</a> in a community of about 2,700.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/nunavut-children-hearing-loss-screening-1.3409415" target="_blank">Nunavut gets poor grade from audiologists for lack of child hearing programs</a>.<br /><br /><br /><br />At the beginning of the school year, Suluk said she met with the principal of the school who informed her about her daughter's change in schedule.<br /><br /><br /><br />"The principal was saying that she only has to go to school only in the mornings because the ASL (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Sign_Language" target="_blank">American Sign Language</a>) interpreter is looking after other students," she said.<br /><br /><br /><br />School only has one full-time interpreter: The high school has one full-time American Sign Language (ASL) assistant. According to the superintendent, there are two Deaf students in the school.<br /><br /><br /><br />Suluk says a handful of other students hard of hearing also require the use of the ASL assistant and are able to attend a full day of class.<br /><br /><br /><br />Related: <a href="http://deafyouvideo.blogspot.com/2016/03/mainstream-school-lacks-communication.html">Mainstream School Lacks Communication Access</a><br /><br /><br /><br />"I really want my Deaf child who is 15 years of age to go to school too, just like any other normal student who goes to school everyday," Suluk said.<br /><br /><br /><br />Suluk said her daughter spends her afternoons at home with nothing to do. She has failed Grade 9 once and her mother is worried that by not going to school full-time, her education and social life is being compromised.<br /><br /><br /><br />Families usually consulted: department - Nunavut's department of education would not discuss the details of Suluk's daughter, citing confidentiality and privacy concerns, but said it provides "appropriate programming for children with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_needs" target="_blank">special needs</a>."<br /><br /><br /><br />Cully Robinson, the superintendent for schools in the Kivalliq region, said staff positions are reviewed on an annual basis.<br /><br /><br /><br />"There's an ongoing gradual increase in school aged children with profound hearing impairments and ASL assistants assist with facilitating communication inside and outside the classroom," he said.<br /><br /><br /><br />Robinson said a student's schedule could be reduced for a variety of reasons, including social, physical or academic needs.<br /><br /><br /><br />"A change would not be implemented without family agreement, involvement of the school team, school administration and the involvement of the student support consultant," he said, adding the aim is to make sure every student is receiving the best education possible.<br /><br /><br /><br />Related: <a href="http://deafyouvideo.blogspot.com/2016/03/deaf-education-nonexistent-in-first.html">Deaf Education 'Nonexistent' In First Nations</a><br /><br /><br /><br />"The best way for parents to support their children is to work with the school and staff there who are very empathetic to the situation and want to help anyway that they can," he said.<br /><br /><br /><br />No help - Suluk said she has contacted the school's committee and district education authority officials to discuss why her daughter is not attending class in the afternoon.<br /><br /><br /><br />"I talked with them so many times," Suluk said. <br /><br /><br /><br />"I thought they would be helping me from the very start."<br /><br /><br /><br />She said it's heartbreaking when her daughter asks her why she can't go to school in the afternoon. <br /><br /><br /><br />When she grows up, she says Anoee hopes to become a sign language interpreter to help other students in Arviat. <br /><br /><br /><br />"If she ever graduates." <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/deaf-student-told-to-stay-home-from-school-in-afternoons-says-nunavut-mother-1.3581849" target="_blank">SOURCE</a>

Deaf Student Told To Stay Home From School

Deaf News: Canadian Deaf student told to stay home from mainstreaming school in afternoons due to a lack of interpreter, says mother. CBC AR...

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Houston's ASL Interpreter Steals The Show

VIDEO: <i><b>Deaf News - Sign language interpreter Ashley Henderson stole the show at a flood press conference held by mayor the City of Houston.</b></i><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://deafyouvideo.blogspot.com/2016/04/houstons-asl-interpreter-steals-show.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="ASL Terp Ashley Henderson of Houston"><img height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6vbj1IuEy_J1QFaTOVWuE-b9JFHiWjpGY58-_iklUCNP2Yprk0vfSBtJTsoBpfuG207sndUwgyFgSOfPHWVeYmzHEGq01i2-3QROr1X4j-E284_3EIQgcJc31tuqozAcvYTCGqc257Mg/s320/asl-terp-ashley-henderson.jpg" width="250" /></a>HOUSTON, TX -- During Mayor <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvester_Turner" target="_blank">Sylvester Turner</a>'s press conference to address <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-April_2016_United_States_storm_complex" target="_blank">Houston's disastrous flooding</a> on Tuesday there was one person who stood out among the city's officials. But it wasn't a politician, member of an emergency agency, or a press officer. It was the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_interpretation#Sign_language" target="_blank">sign language interpreter</a> the city hired.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-henderson-93098133" target="_blank">Ashley Henderson</a> is an energetic interpreter who often works with the city, especially during televised press conferences that take place during disasters. She was there during last year's flooding and again this year. She's employed by the <a href="http://nightingaleinterpreting.com/" target="_blank">Nightingale Interpreting</a> firm in Houston.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lliZ6k4wFOs" width="500"></iframe></div><br /><br />Her signing style became the subject of a <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/houston/comments/4fnfoa/" target="_blank">Reddit.com post on Wednesday</a>. It was hard to miss her enthusiastic <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facial_expression" target="_blank">facial expressions</a>, and most people who commented on the post pointed out how that's just how effective sign language works.<br /><br /><br /><br />"Yes, it may look funny to those who don't use or know sign language," Henderson told <a href="http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Houston-s-sign-language-interpreter-steals-the-7281476.php" target="_blank">Chron.com</a>.<br /><br /><br /><br />"But it would look funny to (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Sign_Language" target="_blank">American Sign Language</a>) users if there weren't any. Basically, if I talked English with no affect, intonation, pauses, it would be difficult for someone listening to pull the correct meaning, or to even be interested at all," she explained.<br /><br /><br /><br />"Expressions are the lifeblood of ASL and provide the much needed grammar, tone, structure and meaning into an interpretation."<br /><br /><br /><br />Henderson said she's been getting steady work assignments for city government in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston" target="_blank">Houston</a> for three years. She received her training at <a href="http://www.lonestar.edu/interpreter-training-certificates.htm" target="_blank">Lone Star College</a> and became a certified sign language interpreter about six years ago. She enjoys her work but said sometimes people just don't get the importance of what she does.<br /><br /><br /><br />"Some people complain about having to watch the interpreters next to whoever is speaking on TV because if you don't know the language it can be distracting," she said.<br /><br /><br /><br />"Obviously, there are captions available on TV's, but I think we can all agree that most of the time the captioning quality during a live event can get jumbled, making it difficult to read in general, and it makes for a disadvantage to a significant number of Houstonians who need pertinent lifesaving information."<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Houston-s-sign-language-interpreter-steals-the-7281476.php" target="_blank">SOURCE</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><b>Related Terps Goes Viral:</b><br /><br /><a href="http://deafyouvideo.blogspot.com/2014/10/sign-language-interpreter-goes-viral.html">Sign Language Interpreter Goes Viral During Ebola Press Conference</a><br /><br /><a href="http://deafyouvideo.blogspot.com/2012/10/lydia-callis-bloomberg-interpreter-goes.html">Lydia Callis: Bloomberg's Interpreter Goes Viral</a><br /><br /><a href="http://deafyouvideo.blogspot.com/2015/02/de-blasios-deaf-interpreter-steals.html">De Blasio's Deaf Interpreter Steals Spotlight</a><br /><br /><a href="http://deafyouvideo.blogspot.com/2015/02/cyclone-sign-language-guy-goes-viral.html">Cyclone Sign Language Guy Goes Viral</a><br /><br /><a href="http://deafyouvideo.blogspot.com/2015/03/eurovision-sign-language-interpreter-is.html">Eurovision Sign Language Interpreter Is A Web Hit</a>

Houston's ASL Interpreter Steals The Show

VIDEO: Deaf News - Sign language interpreter Ashley Henderson stole the show at a flood press conference held by mayor the City of Houston. ...

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Kenyan Wedding Deaf Couple & Deaf Bridal Party

VIDEO: <i><b>Deaf News - Rare wedding of a Deaf couple and a Deaf bridal party.</b></i><br /><br /><br /><br />NAIROBI, KENYA - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriage" target="_blank">Marriage</a> is one of the most important and beautiful expressions of love. Well, a couple with hearing problems tied the knot amid cheers from family and friends but more fascinating, the bridal party too was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearing_loss" target="_blank">Deaf</a>. The colourful wedding was held in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presbyterian_Church_of_East_Africa" target="_blank">PCEA</a> Nyamachaki church, Nyeri county. And as <a href="https://twitter.com/rosiewangui" target="_blank">NTV’s Rose Wangui reports</a>, the ceremony was conducted in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenyan_Sign_Language" target="_blank">Kenyan Sign Language</a>.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QCQ4LEbfnKI" width="500"></iframe></div><br /><br /><b>Follow NTV News on Social Media:</b><br /><br />For more news visit <a href="http://www.ntv.co.ke/" target="_blank">http://ntv.co.ke</a><br /><br />Follow us on Twitter <a href="http://www.twitter.com/ntvkenya" target="_blank">http://twitter.com/ntvkenya</a><br /><br />Like our FaceBook page <a href="http://www.facebook.com/NtvKenya" target="_blank">http://facebook.com/NtvKenya</a><br /><br />Like us on Instagram <a href="http://www.instagram.com/ntvkenya" target="_blank">http://instagram.com/ntvkenya</a>

Kenyan Wedding Deaf Couple & Deaf Bridal Party

VIDEO: Deaf News - Rare wedding of a Deaf couple and a Deaf bridal party. NAIROBI, KENYA - Marriage is one of the most important and beauti...

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Deaf Student Teaching Lessons On Accessibility

<i><b>Deaf News: Deaf cosmetologist student teaching lessons on accessibility at the Colorado community college.</b></i><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://deafyouvideo.blogspot.com/2016/03/deaf-student-teaching-lessons-on.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Deaf Cosmetologist Amanda Schuster"><img height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJmJHW-WBt3XMWMXv_8MNXZan-uaJZskYJmwLFaAWYVvn2i4JyYJf3JX3C5fxrYBVxYFBvQd2e0Hnh6_k7kGFy9KD8jIV-1qfsc899Z-uFk32KK3qEhNZOLJgvBN3Zn8rGe5yJggPNuPss/s200/deaf-cosmetologist-amanda-schuster.jpg" width="200" /></a>CORTEZ, CO -- <a href="http://www.starherald.com/news/regional_statewide/deaf-student-teaching-lessons-on-accessibility/article_370f5ee4-d57a-5aba-af53-80a617d4800b.html" target="_blank">Scottsbluff Star Herald</a>: Going back to school as a single parent with two kids is challenging for many.<br /><br /><br /><br />For <a href="http://www.coloradolicensing.org/amanda-f-schuster" target="_blank">Amanda Schuster</a> getting certified as a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmetology" target="_blank">cosmetologist</a> has had an additional layer of complexity because she is completely <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearing_loss" target="_blank">Deaf</a>.<br /><br /><br /><br />To get the most from her classes, she taught her instructor and others at the <a href="https://www.pueblocc.edu/SCCC/" target="_blank">Southwest Colorado Community College</a> how to accommodate her, helping to pave the way for other students that might follow her.<br /><br /><br /><br />"I've never allowed my deafness to stop me," she said, through her interpreter Dawn Kern-Anderson.<br /><br /><br /><br />Styling hair has always been one of Schuster's passions, but when she decided to go back to school to get certified it required some coordination with the college.<br /><br /><br /><br />The college didn't have an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_interpretation#Sign_language" target="_blank">interpreter</a> on staff, so she got in touch with Kern-Anderson, her interpreter from high school to translate her classes. It's a service that the college pays for.<br /><br /><br /><br />While Schuster can read lips, Kern-Anderson makes it much easier for her to keep up with her peers.<br /><br /><br /><br />"It makes me feel like a normal person in the classroom," she said.<br /><br /><br /><br />Schuster is Brenda Knapp's first Deaf student and the experience has taught her to slow down and avoid tangents in her lectures that might be hard to translate.<br /><br /><br /><br />"You have to be very structured," Knapp said.<br /><br /><br /><br />While Schuster appreciates help from Kern-Anderson, she has been in the hearing world her whole life and she doesn't need an interpreter all the time.<br /><br /><br /><br />Her parents always pushed her to communicate in both <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_language" target="_blank">English</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Sign_Language" target="_blank">American Sign Language</a> after she lost her hearing at 14 months to spinal meningitis.<br /><br /><br /><br />She attended <a href="http://www.projecttalk.org/" target="_blank">Project Talk</a> in California, which specializes in helping Deaf children learn to talk, and speech therapy through the <a href="http://www.sjboces.org/" target="_blank">San Juan Board of Cooperative Educational Services</a>.<br /><br /><br /><br />Growing up she also excelled in sports including tennis, cheer leading, volleyball and sharp-shooting. After high school, she attended two years college in California and majored in photography.<br /><br /><br /><br />"I never let anything stop me, although people do try," she said.<br /><br /><br /><br />Her long-term goal after she finishes classes in cosmetology and aesthetics is to open a salon and photography business.<br /><br /><br /><br />But before she can take her state test to get certified, she has to complete 1,800 hours in class.<br /><br /><br /><br />During all her time in school, she has noticed several ways the school can be more accessible and safe for Deaf students.<br /><br /><br /><br />For example, after the school held an assembly on school safety following a college shooting in Oregon, she suggested the school install TVs and more lights as part of the alarm system. These could help make Deaf students aware of an emergency.<br /><br /><br /><br />In addition, none of the other students are able to bring their phones into class. But Schuster can't be reached through a regular telephone during personal emergencies, so Knapp made an exception for her.<br /><br /><br /><br />But rather than being given special treatment, Schuster would be prefer the school have <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Videophone" target="_blank">video phones</a> available so she could communicate not only with her family, but with school administrators on different campuses.<br /><br /><br /><br />"I'm trying to improve the systems, not just for me but for everyone," she said.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.starherald.com/news/regional_statewide/deaf-student-teaching-lessons-on-accessibility/article_370f5ee4-d57a-5aba-af53-80a617d4800b.html" target="_blank">SOURCE</a>

Deaf Student Teaching Lessons On Accessibility

Deaf News: Deaf cosmetologist student teaching lessons on accessibility at the Colorado community college. CORTEZ, CO -- Scottsbluff Star He...

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CPD Gets New VRS Equipment To Assist Deafies

VIDEO: <i><b>Deaf News - Cleveland Police Department gets new video relay service equipment to assist Deaf community.</b></i><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZtScXAAGk2V6xh9-hRiOfDzQIqkAuwnpEf8EKRXtZxFk6X7UKQjN_l0QR_VCX2vylPS5zLZESvEabv8S66C5vJJbuQsDQQVhU0WUYy7uW6wkInqTQJIZpJzRQ2JwDaRAkRNktjVv_Miw8/s1600/cleveland-police-gets-new-equipment-for-the-deaf.jpg" title="Cleveland police department gets new equipment to assist Deaf community"><img height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZtScXAAGk2V6xh9-hRiOfDzQIqkAuwnpEf8EKRXtZxFk6X7UKQjN_l0QR_VCX2vylPS5zLZESvEabv8S66C5vJJbuQsDQQVhU0WUYy7uW6wkInqTQJIZpJzRQ2JwDaRAkRNktjVv_Miw8/s400/cleveland-police-gets-new-equipment-for-the-deaf.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />CLEVELAND, OH -- The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleveland_Division_of_Police" target="_blank">Cleveland Police Department</a> has invested in new equipment to help its officers better serve the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearing_loss" target="_blank">Deaf</a> community.<br /><br /><br /><br />The department announced Wednesday that all officers have been trained to use video technology that gives them instant access to an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Sign_Language" target="_blank">American Sign Language</a> interpreter.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,47,0" height="360" id="flashObj" width="500"><param name="movie" value="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1&isUI=1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="flashVars" value="videoId=4785011134001&playerID=2436822743001&playerKey=AQ~~,AAAAQBxUNqE~,xKBGzTdiYSQO_AtyrK_TWDarhTlAxJpV&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true" /><param name="base" value="http://admin.brightcove.com" /><param name="seamlesstabbing" value="false" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="swLiveConnect" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1&isUI=1" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" flashVars="videoId=4785011134001&playerID=2436822743001&playerKey=AQ~~,AAAAQBxUNqE~,xKBGzTdiYSQO_AtyrK_TWDarhTlAxJpV&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true" base="http://admin.brightcove.com" name="flashObj" width="500" height="360" seamlesstabbing="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" swLiveConnect="true" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed></object></div><br /><br /><br />Officials from the police department and local advocates for the hearing-impaired demonstrated the new equipment Thursday.<br /><br /><br /><br />"The reality is there are barriers in place for some members of our community," Cleveland police Capt. James McPike said. "This grant was intended to try to remove those barriers for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing community."<br /><br /><br /><br />Each of the city's five police districts is stocked with an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPad" target="_blank">iPad</a> equipped with the <a href="https://www.zvrs.com/" target="_blank">ZVRS</a> video <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_interpretation#Sign_language" target="_blank">interpreter</a> application. The application gives officers dealing with a Deaf crime victim, suspect or witness access to an interpreter within seconds.<br /><br /><br /><br />The technology was purchased using a portion of a $350,000 grant from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Justice" target="_blank">U.S. Department of Justice's Office</a> on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violence_against_women" target="_blank">Violence Against Women</a> that was awarded to the department in 2011, Cleveland police Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia said.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.chsc.org/" target="_blank">The Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center</a> and the <a href="https://www.dvcac.org/" target="_blank">Domestic Violence and Child Advocacy Center</a> helped train the police force.<br /><br /><br /><br />Deaf women in the U.S. experience domestic and sexual violence at rates twice those of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearing_%28person%29" target="_blank">hearing</a> women, according to <a href="http://www.vera.org/about-us" target="_blank">the Vera Institute of Justice</a>, a nonprofit organization that advocates for fairness in the justice system. Yet they often encounter barriers when seeking help, from a phone-based 911 system to having their credibility as witnesses in court questioned.<br /><br /><br /><br />The police department purchased the equipment after getting feedback from the Deaf community, said Maria O'Neil Ruddock, coordinator of training and outreach services for the Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center.<br /><br /><br /><br />"The reason it's here is because the Deaf community has told us, 'We want access to the police, we want to be able to communicate, but it's difficult,'" O'Neil Ruddock said.<br /><br /><br /><br />Cleveland is only one of two large police departments in the country using this technology, she added.<br /><br /><br /><br />The department is also updating its general police orders to include a policy about communicating with the Deaf, McPike said. A draft of that policy is still in the approval stage.<br /><br /><br /><br />Ciaccia said the interpreting technology is not related to <a href="http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2015/05/cleveland_consent_decree_provi.html" target="_blank">a binding agreement with the Justice Department</a> that requires the Cleveland police to improve the way they interact with citizens. The addition of the technology is the latest in a string of efforts by the department to expand training.<br /><br /><br /><br />Mayor Frank Jackson announced in December that officers received <a href="http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2015/12/cleveland_police_accelerated_f.html" target="_blank">first aid training and emergency medical kits</a>.<br /><br /><br /><br />The Cleveland Police Academy class that graduated in October was the first to receive 40 hours of <a href="http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2015/10/newest_graduates_of_cleveland.html" target="_blank">crisis intervention training</a>.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2016/03/cleveland_police_department_ge.html" target="_blank">SOURCE</a>

CPD Gets New VRS Equipment To Assist Deafies

VIDEO: Deaf News - Cleveland Police Department gets new video relay service equipment to assist Deaf community. CLEVELAND, OH -- The Clevela...

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Deaf Woman Sues NYPD For Wrongly Arrested

<i><b>Deaf News: Deaf woman denied interpreter by cops who arrested her after car accident sues city and NYPD.</b></i><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://deafyouvideo.blogspot.com/2016/02/deaf-woman-sues-nypd-for-wrongly.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Tanya Ingram sues NYPD for denied interpreter"><img height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB10YGJLCNXes2BhesU4fS77t6hj_qXGmw1bYywQMLslx1lwnzOz8UAMARaWluxfc8eMknhdJbLF-T4jxCDtrUg8QzVdGkgX62Za91YH97W-_Y0Hv0Fdogx09tQdYPzuswNvqxvCWPGSQk/s400/deaf-woman-tanya-ingram-sues-nypd.jpg" width="250" /></a>NEW YORK CITY -- A <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearing_loss" target="_blank">Deaf</a> woman was mocked and wrongly arrested by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_Police_Department" target="_blank">New York City Police Department</a> cops after a minor car accident - all because they refused to get an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_interpretation#Sign_language" target="_blank">interpreter</a> to hear her side of the story, a new Manhattan federal lawsuit alleges.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://nycbda.weebly.com/member-achievements.html" target="_blank">Tanya Ingram</a>'s alleged ordeal began around 3:15 p.m. on Feb. 26, 2013, when she and another car collided at the intersection of Second Ave. and E. 120th Street.<br /><br /><br /><br />The other driver got out of her car and rushed toward Ingram, apparently angry and shouting, the suit claims.<br /><br /><br /><br />Ingram felt threatened by the other driver’s behavior so she "picked up a small metal pipe that she had in her car and exited the car, gesturing to (the other driver) to back away with her free hand. At no time did Ms. Ingram swing the pipe, nor did she ever attempt to strike (the other driver)," the suit states.<br /><br /><br /><br />The cops who arrived on the scene some 45 minutes later spent considerable time speaking with the other driver in the accident, the suit says.<br /><br /><br /><br />They refused to provide Ingram with the means to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communication" target="_blank">communicate</a>, however - though she repeatedly pointed to her ear and shook her head to show her hearing impairment, she says.<br /><br /><br /><br />One of the responding officers asked Ingram for her keys and opened the trunk. He then made several gestures to indicate a pipe, and she retrieved it from the car.<br /><br /><br /><br />As the officers mulled about the scene of the accident, an EMT dispatched to the intersection approached Ingram. She explained that she was Deaf through gestures, and he gave her a piece of paper and pen so that she could speak with him. The officer who had opened her trunk was 10 feet away.<br /><br /><br /><br />"You did not understand me. That's not right. I know she's lying to you. How can I tell you my story? I want my rights. Call interpreter," the note stated.<br /><br /><br /><br />Ingram, 51, tried to show him the note, and while he glanced at it, the cops "expressed visible annoyance" and ignored her.<br /><br /><br /><br />She then saw several officers speaking with each other and they "appeared to be mocking her use of gestures."<br /><br /><br /><br />When the cops moved to arrest her, Ingram had no idea what was happening and became "extremely frightened and utterly bewildered as to the reason for her arrest began crying and repeatedly tried to audibly shout, 'Why?,'" her lawyers maintain.<br /><br /><br /><br />Ingram was ultimately detained for 24 hours and never received an interpreter as required by law, she alleges.<br /><br /><br /><br />She had been charged with four misdemeanors menacing, criminal possession of a weapon, harassment, and resisting arrest but all charges were dropped in July 2013, the suit contends.<br /><br /><br /><br />Ingram is seeking unspecified damages.<br /><br /><br /><br />Asked about the lawsuit, a city Law Department spokesman said that: "The complaint will be reviewed."<br /><br /><br /><br />Ingram’s lawsuit is one of several recent false arrest claims in which Deaf individuals allege they were denied an interpreter.<br /><br /><br /><br />Also Thursday, Susan Herman, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_Police_Commissioner" target="_blank">NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Collaborative Policing</a>, said the department is hosting an outreach event for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing this March at the former police academy building on E. 20th Street.<br /><br /><br /><br />At the event, they hope to distribute visor plaques for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing so they can better communicate with police officers, she said.<br /><br /><br /><br />These plaques would say that the driver is Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing and the driver's preferred method of communication, as well as various symbols and words, to explain things such as why an officer has stopped the driver.<br /><br /><br /><br />Deaf and hard-of-hearing drivers will also be able to indicate whether they're having a medical emergency, Herman says.<br /><br /><br /><br />The NYPD will soon launch a pilot program in three precincts to increase access to in-person and tablet-based <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Sign_Language" target="_blank">American Sign Language</a> translation. The department also worked with the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing community to create a roll call training video, she told The News. <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/deaf-woman-sues-nypd-arrest-denying-interpreter-article-1.2544773" target="_blank">SOURCE</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><b>Related:</b><br /><br /><a href="http://deafyouvideo.blogspot.com/2015/10/deaf-woman-sues-nypd-for-wrongly.html" target="_blank">Deaf Woman Sues NYPD For Wrongly Arrested & Assault</a><br /><br /><a href="http://deafyouvideo.blogspot.com/2015/12/deaf-woman-sues-nypd-for-denying.html" target="_blank">Deaf Woman Sues NYPD For Denying Interpreter</a>

Deaf Woman Sues NYPD For Wrongly Arrested

Deaf News: Deaf woman denied interpreter by cops who arrested her after car accident sues city and NYPD. NEW YORK CITY -- A Deaf woman was ...

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ASL Terp Shares About 'Hearing Privilege'

<i><b>This video is a talk about how hearing people can truly make changes...</b></i><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/1stopforasl" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amber Galloway Gallego</a> shares educational video with closed captions - Video Description: Split screen; on the left screen is white woman interpreting in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Sign_Language" target="_blank">American Sign Language</a> with grey shirt, slightly hanging earrings shaped as triangle with pearls inside, dark brown hair with bright neon pink hair across forehead, wearing glasses. On right screen, same woman speaking in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_language" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">English</a> with red V-Neck shirt sitting down.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hhzuEeOTln0" width="500"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">To activate this feature, press the "CC" button.</span></div><br /><br />Subscribe Amber Galloway Gallego Channel - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/1stopforasl" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://youtube.com/1stopforasl</a><br /><br /><br /><br />Related Amber Galloway Gallego - <a href="http://deafyouvideo.blogspot.com/2015/06/asl-terp-stop-calling-sign-language-cool.html">ASL Terp: Stop Calling Sign Language 'Cool'</a><br /><br />Related Post - <a href="http://deafyouvideo.blogspot.com/search/label/Hearing%20People">@Hearing People</a>

ASL Terp Shares About 'Hearing Privilege'

This video is a talk about how hearing people can truly make changes... Amber Galloway Gallego shares educational video with closed caption...

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