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Family Network for Deaf Children and our deaf program WINTER Deaf Youth Today Deaf Youth Today Winter Jan 2016 FNDC s primary goal is to gather and share information with deaf and hard of hearing youth their families as well as the professional and social communities that support them Not all articles and advertisements in the FNDC newsletter reflect the views of or are endorsed by the FNDC Board staff its members or readers Happy 2016 Deaf Youth Today has a few changes this year Happy New Year We have lots of news to share She s got the best of both worlds she thinks she gets to work with folks of all ages Last year s DYT Coordinator Scott Jeffery plans to travel next summer so we were dissapointed to learn he couldn t commit to Summer 2016 Alayna loves to write create and play in the most awesome backyard in the world The west coast is the best coast We have good news to share and what better way to start off the New Year than to announce our new Deaf Youth Today DYT Coordinator Alayna Finley Interesting tidbit BC is known for having many families made up of hearing parents with more than 2 deaf children Alayna is very proud to come from one of these families Alayna has been down an adventerous road with school work and life Alayna is soooo close to finishing her thesis and would like to explore schooling past her Masters but first things first right She feels very fortunate to come from the Provincial Deaf Hard of Hearing Services PDHHS family where she worked for nine plus years as a family literacy specialist In this capacity she worked closely with DYT and other community organizations to create and support numerous programs and events that combined language learning community and most important fun These days she is loving a new challenge teaching English to Deaf adults at Vancouver Community College VCC She is excited about creating more parent infant opportunities for families with deaf children or parents in BC FNDC is very excited to welcome Alayna to the DYT team Alayna has an array of exciting ideas already planned for Summer 2016 Scott Jeffery will be working this Spring on DYT registrations while Terry Andrea Maloney continue as the DYT Hornaby Island Kids Camp Coordinators Watch for the DYT Summer Program schedule in mid April May 2016 Twitter FNDCandDYT Facebook www facebook com fndc ca

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FNDC Workshop Save the Date Saturday May 7 2016 FNDC is setting up a workshop for parents professionals and the community that work with our deaf hard of hearing children Teacher Other Professionals this is a great opportunity for a professional development experience day Parents Book your babysitters now Our Speaker will be Deborah Chen Pichler Deborah Chen Pichler became interested in linguistics and bilingualism as a young child growing up in a bilingual English Taiwanese household Since 2002 she has been a member of the Gallaudet Linguistics faculty teaching courses on first and second language acquisition and generative syntax Her research interests focus on the acquisition of ASL by Deaf children of Deaf families both with and without cochlear implants and hearing bilinguals Coda children as well as the acquisition of ASL as a second language by adults She also has a strong interest in the use of technology in teaching particularly in deaf classrooms Watch for our flyer in February with Information and registration details www fndc ca FNDC 3 Winter 2016

Family and Community Services Provincial Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services PDHHS Winter Program Calendar January to March 2016 Programs for Deaf Hard of Hearing and Deaf Blind individuals and their families About Family and Community Services FCS offers a range of programs workshops and events but we also offer individual services including but not limited to ASL development youth transition mentoring parent support literacy development and support to connect with resources If you have a specific request not covered by the programs offered let us know Please contact Melissa Mykle gov bc ca or Linda Ramsey gov bc ca You can also call and leave a message at 604 660 1800 voice and we will contact you Thank you SAVE THE DATE Family Summer Immersion Elementary school ages 5 12 July 25 29 2016 Family Summer Immersion Secondary school age 13 18 August 8 12 2016 Professional Immersion you can refer professionals who work with a deaf individual in your family August 24 25 26 2016 35 00 Please watch out for upcoming flyers for Babysitting Course Family Events Youth Socials Groups and Clubs for Parents and Youth Media Club is a fun group for youth to learn how to plan create edit their own movies as well as work with others in a group Location PDHHS 4334 Victory Street Burnaby Time 5 30 PM 7 00 PM every Tuesdays starting Feb 2 to April 19 10 Sessions Age 13 17 To register please contact David McGregor gov bc ca Deaf Parent Coffee Group is a time for Deaf parents to come together to share support and guide each other in their parenting journey When Thursdays 11AM Noon Dates Jan 14 March 10 2016 Location PDHHS Burnaby Please come by 10 45 am for coffee To register please contact Kathy Glover gov bc ca Turn the page for more programs FNDC 4 Winter 2016

Sign Language and Literacy Development Opportunities Fraser Valley ASL Family Sign Parents and Children learning together When Mondays Jan 18 Feb 1 15 29 Mar 7 2016 4 30 5 45PM Where North Poplar Elementary School 32041 Marshall Road Abbotsford Register Kathy Glover gov bc ca Burnaby ASL Classes Wednesday AM Intermediate Practising Conversational Skills in ASL When Wednesdays 10 00 11 15 am January 20 March 9 2016 Where TBA Burnaby Register Roger Chan gov bc ca Wednesday PM Beginner Basic ASL Parents Teen ASL Children s Program When Wednesdays 4 30 5 45 pm January 27 March 2 2016 Where PDHHS 4334 Victory Street Burnaby Register Roger Chan gov bc ca Parent s class Register Felicia DAmato gov bc ca Children s Program Register David McGregor gov bc ca Teen ASL Teen ASL for teens with d hh parents or siblings and who are d hh Kelowna ASL Classes Beginner Intermediate Classes Children s Program When Tuesdays 5 30 6 30 pm Dates February 2 March 8 2016 Location Starbright Child Development Centre 1546 Bernard Ave Kelowna Note We are also coming on April 26 May 31 Topics TBA Register Roger Chan gov bc ca If you are interested please contact Melissa Mykle gov bc ca or Linda Ramsey gov bc ca North Vancouver ASL Classes Beginner Intermediate ASL When Thursdays 6 30 7 45 pm January 21 March 10 2016 no class Feb 25 Where Carson Graham Secondary 2145 Jones Road North Vancouver Register Roger Chan gov bc ca Storytelling in ASL and English at the Library Central Library 350 W Georgia St Vancouver Time 2 00 3 00 pm When Saturdays Dates January 30 February 20 March 19 April 23 May 21 Tommy Douglas Library 7311 Kingsway Burnaby Time 2 00 3 00 pm When Saturdays Dates January 16 February 6 March 5 April 2 30 For more information contact Felicia DAmato gov bc ca FNDC 5 Winter 2016

What it is like to be deaf from birth From www thedailybeast com articles 2013 12 23 this is what it is like to be deaf from birth html This Is What It Is Like To Be Deaf from Birth Being born deaf is hardly a tragedy one woman explains in an answer on Quora It s just different In many ways being born deaf is quite normal in other ways it s not I did a lot of normal things joined the Little League where I was one of the worst players unrelated to my hearing or lack thereof played house where I told my male friend to stay home and bake cupcakes joined a sorority in college and talked back to my parents At the same time my educational and social experiences look very different than my hearing peers I went to a deaf program in the school district My parents had to go to ASL classes to communicate with me I had an ASL interpreter trailing me for my entire educational career I became a member of a culture other than my parents the deaf culture Make no mistake my deafness was no curse It shaped my perspective of the world and I m glad for it For me deafness opened up new worlds rather than the other way around Since you re asking me to describe my life I ll start at the beginning Prepare yourself for a long tale The reality of being born deaf in the 1980s I was lucky Even though I was born in the United States before mandatory infant hearing tests my parents discovered my hearing loss early and acted accordingly I couldn t have asked for better parents When I was four months old or so my older sister was making a racket when I was sleeping My mother told her to be quiet and in the way that only older sisters can say she retorted It doesn t matter She can t hear This comment spurred my mother to start testing my hearing After an array of tests it was confirmed that I was profoundly deaf At that point my parents faced a big decision how I would communicate and be educated In the early 80s oralism an educational technique with heavy emphasis on lip reading and speech was quite popular American Sign Language ASL was another option ASL however required my parents to learn and to teach me an unfamiliar language with a different grammatical structure than English At this time my parents were FNDC 6 Winter 2016 unaware that the choice between oralism and ASL was very political 1 My parents decided on ASL because I got no benefit from hearing aids whatsoever In fact I would regularly chew on my ear molds and throw the box back then hearing aids were boxes with cords and ear molds across the room My mom thought I would benefit more from a visual language and it d be silly to try to teach me how to listen and speak if I couldn t hear anything My hearing loss was so severe that I wasn t even aware that I would make noises and had to be trained not to make sounds during inappropriate times My parents started to go to ASL classes at night My mom worked the system and finagled an ASL teacher for me quite early She also got a few students from the local university ASL class to come and sign with me Apparently I was a popular diversion for them I was so lucky to have my parents I m eternally grateful for the efforts that they put into my education As hearing parents they had little knowledge of ASL deaf culture and the mess that is deaf education system was Even though my parents are immigrants they were educated My dad has a doctorate and my mom had a masters in their native country They knew that deafness wasn t a death knell for my future My normalcy has its own poignancy and beauty to it that most hearing people will never know A lot of prelingually deaf children aren t as lucky Some parents may not have resources or knowledge to understand or act on their child s needs This isn t necessarily bad parenting Having a deaf child can pose some confusing questions without simple answers Moreover some children s hearing losses are discovered too late the language delay has already done irreparable damage A child needs to be exposed to a language early for proper development Any language will do signed or spoken The situation has improved somewhat with mandatory hearing tests and the Internet but can be grim sometimes Interestingly many people questioned my parents decision to teach me ASL My maternal grandfather always insisted that I should learn how to speak not the hand waving thing Neighbors would constantly ask my mother if I had been cured yet and comment on how terrible it must be to have a child like me Advocates of oralism said that with enough effort and time I could learn how to speak and hear Never mind you that I had no hearing Early socialization as a deaf child Some people assume that if you can t speak or hear you live in a cage of silence and desolation That s not how I remember my childhood I remember my early years as full of excitement friends and adventure nary an iron bar in sight At six months my parents enrolled me in the infant deaf program in our area There I met my best friend who still remains my friend to this day Through the program I also befriended children of all racial ethnic socioeconomic and religious backgrounds One was the son of a vice president of a multinational company Another was a daughter of a former drug addict Not only did I met children of all stripes I met and conversed with adults from a young age My life is richer because of those friendships and experiences I had plenty of hearing friends as well I would use gestures and body language to get my message across if an interpreter wasn t available I d teach some of my hearing friends sign language which they picked up quickly Even when I went to countries where I didn t know the language I d happily gesture and play with other kids I ended up interacting more with the locals than my hearing sister who stood on the sidelines because she didn t know how to speak the language Many assume that you need a voice and hearing to communicate You don t You just need two people who want to communicate and the rest will work out I m not going to lie though There were people who didn t want to sign or make an effort to talk to me There were cruel kids and adults and there still are Cruelty in others and difficulties however don t make life less rich or wonderful It made me treasure the people who try more

The deaf culture and cochlear implant debate If you re born deaf the debate about cochlear implants children and deaf cultural rights will touch your life in some way Many not all people take sides Some espouse deaf culture as the better more natural way of life Others prefer the more assimilated lifestyle that the CI provides I was at the front lines of this debate during much of my childhood unwillingly As an adult I emerged with a dim view of both sides In 1991 I received a CI soon after the FDA approved it for pediatric use I embarked on a 10 year joinery of speech therapy I got up at 6 o clock in the morning every weekday to go to therapy before school went to another one after school and practiced with my parents at home Thousands of hours went into my speech and listening skills I don t regret those hours but I didn t learn how to hear and speak overnight either Hearing for prelingually deaf children is not a switch you can flip on Other than speech therapy my life post CI didn t change much I still went to the deaf program but transferred out a few years later because of the commute 2 I still used an ASL interpreter and would continue to use one throughout my educational career I still participated in the deaf community I never abandoned my deaf identity not completely Most of my deaf friends were good about my CI They didn t mind it except for the fact that my speech therapy cut into play time That being said people in the deaf community felt free to make pointed and derisive comments about my CI I still get these comments even almost 24 years after my surgery To some I ll always be a CI wearer and a turncoat The CI advocates aren t any better if not worse I have very pleasant relationships with many parents of implanted children and CI users I however have also been called a failure because I still use ASL and don t speak perfectly I ve also seen a mother run across a room to prevent her child from signing to another deaf child I ve been scolded for making gestures and looking too deaf of these noises aren t pleasant dogs barking car starting Amidst the tumultuous world it s nice to know that I can carve out some tranquility I think too many people focus on losses or the absence of something I haven t lost anything by being born deaf I ve only gained Ultimately I got sick and tired of both groups trying to tell me how to live my life The deaf culture advocates tell me I should fling away my CI and make my home within the community The CI advocates tell me that I should give up using ASL and become fully immersed in the hearing world Deafness has shaped my life mostly for the better Because of my deafness I see the world in a different way I m more creative in how I communicate I don t mind being somewhere where I don t know the language I love meeting new people and hearing their stories My experience in the firestorm of the culture wars has complicated my relationship with deaf and CI communities I find myself thinking Not again whenever anyone from either side tries to convince me that my choices in life are ill advised without understanding my situation and values I ve carved out my own life based on my own cultural philosophies and left the debate behind mostly My life is more than CIs versus deaf culture Deafness can be inconvenient Sometimes I wish I could hear someone yell from across the yard Other times I get annoyed at how people treat me Inconvenience doesn t mean that my life is any less rich or worth living than a hearing person s My deafness was never a tragedy It s just a different way of living ________ The psychology of being born deaf To many it seems tragic to imagine that someone will never be able to know what sound is like enjoy music or hear one s baby cry It s because some hearing people cherish those experiences so much and want to know that others share them It s not a tragedy It s my normal My normalcy has its own poignancy and beauty to it that most hearing people will never know Even though I have a CI so I hear technically speaking I don t however hear like a hearing person My range is significantly smaller and I don t distinguish certain sounds as well or at all My hearing acuity falls short of a hearing person s But I can turn off my CI and I m deaf again Silence is far more peaceful and soothing for me There s a part of me that has to brace itself every morning when I turn on the CI and face the barrage of noise of the world around me Most 1 I am massively oversimplifying the educational and communication avenues available to d deaf children deaf education isn t actually as binary as ASL versus oralism but this answer isn t about the full spectrum of deaf education To maintain my sanity and yours I ve focused on the two ends of the spectrum 2 The deaf program served the entire county which was a pretty sprawling geographic area It took me 1 5 hours 3 hours round trip to get to school every day My parents got fed up especially since I made a lot of hearing friends who lived on the other side of town On weekends My parents would have to drive for a hour to get to a party So my parents decided to transfer me to my local school district moving me out of the deaf program FNDC 7 Winter 2016

The Two Most Painful Words to Hard of Hearing People From http hearinghealthmatters org betterhearingconsumer 2014 2 painful words hard hearingpeople utm_content bufferb958a utm_medium social utm_source twitter com utm_campaign buffer My name is Lauren Sherwood I m pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Geography and Professional Writing at the University of Victoria in British Columbia A few years ago I participated in a talent contest I was inspired by Gael Hannan whom my parents had seen at a conference to write a comedic monologue on living with hearing loss and I won This article recently appeared in the Victoria Time Colonist reprinted here with permission and I was thrilled to see how it resonated with many young people with hearing loss I m honored to share it this week on www hearinghealthmatters org I am one of an estimated 3 5 million hard of hearing Canadians This doesn t mean I don t hear people Every day I hear conversations and arguments and lectures and cussing all around me And of all the words that stream past the most hurtful aren t swear words Like almost everyone else I swear But the two words that I would never say to someone else and which I can t stand hearing are Never Mind Of course I m going to miss things during a conversation Sometimes I ll let it go but other times I want to be included so I ask Sorry What was that Can you repeat yourself And when I hear Oh never mind It wasn t that important it shuts me down I was born with a moderate to severe hearing loss in the high and mid range frequencies It wasn t until I was five that they discovered I was hard of hearing and needed hearing aids I went through elementary and high school using an FM system a receiver boot that attaches to the hearing aids and a transmitter mike that the teacher wears Most of my classmates were curious about my hearing aids and the FM system and I was always happy to answer questions At one point I may have had a classmate believing I could get radio on the system At university I used the FM system note takers and a fantastic program called Typewell Transcribers would come to my classes and type on their computer what the professor was saying It would show up on my computer and I would receive a copy of the transcript after class Typewell brought my learning up to a whole new level even though sometimes the keyboard shortcuts act up showing priests for parasites Outside of school I ve had jobs ranging from cosmetician at a drugstore in Osoyoos a town in the interior of British Columbia to front desk attendant at a resort in Fairmont Hot Springs I ve volunteered for many events and organizations such as Best Buddies Desert Half Triathlons and the Society of Geography Students In August 2013 I was crowned one of three British Columbia Ambassadors The program promotes self esteem motivation volunteering and post secondary education for young adults Competitors are judged on their public speaking a B C knowledge exam talent and an interview with the judges As I don t have any extraordinary talent I performed a comedy monologue about my hearing loss and the hilarious situations I find myself in sometimes such as my brother unplugging the vacuum and waiting to see how long it took me to notice So why am I telling you my life story To show that I m the same as you I sleep in on weekends procrastinate on my assignments and binge on Netflix The only difference is I m hard of hearing Through all my experiences I ve found my hearing loss helps me to stand out gives me a unique perspective on issues and is a great topic for an icebreaker I m never at a loss when the game is What s one unique thing about you My hearing loss is something I was born with and I have no idea what normal hearing is like but I imagine it s loud One of my favorite things to do after a long day of active listening when you re hard of hearing passive listening doesn t exist is take off my hearing aids and let silence descend around me It s similar to taking off tight shoes when you get home after being on your feet for a long time I work every day to hear what is going on around me and it is only when I m at home that I can fully relax I m a social person I like knowing what s going on around me being part of what s going on and it hurts when someone is unwilling to repeat themselves It makes me feel as if I m less than them or that they can t be bothered to make that little extra effort Being hard of hearing means you live in two worlds Every day I balance these two worlds and do my best to catch what everyone is saying and take part in conversations There will always be times when I just can t hear what was said and I will ask someone to repeat themselves So please don t mutter Never mind I mind FNDC 8 Winter 2016

Reprinted with Permission Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center Auditory Jennifer Mertes AuD is the director of Related Services and campus audiologist at the Maryland School for the Deaf She has worked in The Listening Center the cochlear implant center at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore Maryland and The River School an inclusion program for students who are deaf or hard of hearing in Washington D C She welcomes questions and comments about this article at jenniferdavis mertes gmail com Technology A N D i t s i m pA c t o N B i L i N G UA L D E A F E D U c At i o N By Jennifer Mertes Brain imaging studies suggest that children can simultaneously develop learn and use two languages Bilingualism is common throughout the world and children who are raised bilingually experience linguistic and educational benefits For children who are deaf or hard of hearing and who have access to language through listening these studies have special importance They show that keeping expectations high may mean taking advantage of a natural bilingual opportunity deaf and hard of hearing children can be fluent in both a visual language and spoken language A visual language such as American Sign Language ASL facilitates development at the earliest possible moments in a child s life Spoken language development can be delayed due to diagnostic evaluations device fittings and auditory skill development While the auditory pieces are coming together visual language should be used to support a child s cognitive development and social emotional well being Once auditory access is established and auditory skills are developing the two languages can be used to support education and bilingual approaches are available as teaching tools Research does not indicate that any single methodology is 100 percent successful when instructing children who are deaf or hard of hearing Proponents of all methodologies boast of star students and admit to struggling students A bilingual approach to deaf education ensures the best of methodological worlds language development and literacy are the primary focus Fostering development of a visual language and spoken language at the same time safeguards language acquisition and allows deaf and hard of hearing children to achieve their full potential Technology Impact on Auditory Access New auditory technologies from cochlear implants to hearing aids to devices that allow sound to be carried to the brain through bone conduction provide many deaf and hard of hearing children with improved access to spoken language These devices Photos courtesy of Jennifer Mertes 36 ODYSSEY 2015 FNDC 9 Winter 2016

Reprinted with Permission Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center have become increasingly sophisticated more deaf and hard of hearing children than ever before access spoken language so extensively they can learn through listening HEARING AIDS Hearing aids are now smart in that they use digital processing to analyze the listening environments and optimize reception of speech Even in adverse listening situations where surrounding noise is loud and persistent hearing aids allow some deaf and hard of hearing people to identify and understand the conversational signal Further today s hearing aids allow improved amplification and processing of high frequency speech sounds This has proven to be a powerful advance as these sounds such as consonants k t s and f can influence the content of the message and are necessary for following the important grammatical structures that underpin comprehension Spoken language contains sounds that vary in volume pitch and frequency If a person can hear low frequency sounds but not high frequency sounds he or she can hear someone talking but not understand what is being said Children 2015 FNDC 10 Winter 2016 with this hearing configuration develop speech production skills that are intelligible but their reception of spoken language and novel vocabulary is degraded Previous hearing aid technology provided limited access to these high pitched sounds due to limitations of microphones and sound processing today expanded bandwidths and the advent of frequency transposition and non linear frequency compression allow sound to be shifted from high frequencies to a lower frequency therefore making it more audible for the hearing aid user COCHLEAR IMPLANTS Cochlear implant CI candidacy was previously restricted to those who were deaf and had minimal access to spoken information with hearing aids Candidacy has now expanded to include individuals who are hard of hearing and have partial access to spoken language when wearing hearing aids Previously recipients were implanted in one ear only Today CIs in both ears are recognized as the standard of care and most children receive bilateral CIs or use a CI for one ear and a hearing aid in the other ear ODYSSEY 37

Reprinted with Permission Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center Right The simplest approach to defining a child s auditory access is to complete a Ling 6 listening check The Ling 6 sounds mm oo ah ee sh ss can be used as a guide of which grammatical features a child can hear development include sound awareness discrimination identification and comprehension Build on the child s skills For children with emerging listening skills structured listening opportunities provide important support Exposure and scaffolding are essential in this area Alert to lack of progress If progress is not forthcoming and if the child is unable to benefit from the equipment for whatever reason use of a visual language for instruction should be considered Recently the Federal Drug Administration FDA approved the use of a hybrid CI which takes advantage of residual low frequency hearing through an acoustical component connected to a CI sound processor While the acoustic component allows the reception of natural sound an internal component electrically stimulates the high frequency region of the cochlea Today only adults have access to this technology but the FDA is anticipated to approve expansion of its use for children soon So complete has auditory access become for some deaf and hard of hearing students that they can learn to read through auditorally based literacy strategies used with hearing children These strategies may be modified on an individual basis to take into account the child s hearing levels An auditory access profile developed for each child specifies what the child can hear and what parts of English are missed through listening alone A multidisciplinary team can use this data to guide implementation of teaching strategies and monitor student progress Instructional strategies based on visual and spoken language shift depending on the area of need Through tracking language development data teachers and specialists ensure concepts are understood and use each language to support the other A bilingual approach with children who wear amplification and who have auditory access to English is a vital consideration for many deaf and hard of hearing children These children can be encouraged to develop both languages visual and spoken at the same time This preserves the individual learning experience and results in improved literacy Bilingual competence provides expanded opportunities for direct and accessible communication with family members peers professionals and Deaf community members plus increased options for academic learning Deaf and hard of hearing children deserve language acquisition at the earliest possible age and this is accomplished most surely through the children s accessible visual pathways With children enrolled in bilingual programs that equally respect ASL and spoken English and facilitate development of both languages parents and professionals can feel confident that children are receiving services designed with language and educational development in mind No time is lost waiting for one language to develop Both languages are utilized and facilitated in a systematic way to ensure each child s success Monitoring and Tailoring Teaching as the Child Develops Teachers and professionals must continually Assess linguistic competence in English and American Sign Language A multidisciplinary team should continually assess the child s language development Assessment can show how a child is developing language and help in setting goals to ensure that progress continues Assess auditory skills Auditory skills are a precursor to spoken language development Areas to consider in auditory skill 38 ODYSSEY 2015 FNDC 11 Winter 2016

Reprinted with Permission Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center 2015 FNDC 12 Winter 2016 ODYSSEY 39

PRESS RELEASE For immediate release 2016 CANADA DEAF GAMES Cancellation notice In September 2014 the Canadian Deaf Sports Association CDSA announced its selection of Durham Region as the host of the 2016 Canada Deaf Games CDG following a bid evaluation process In July 2015 the CDSA in collaboration with the lead host organizations released 2016 CDG expression of interest packages to the Provincial Deaf Sports Organizations Regrettably and after much deliberation the CDSA and the lead host organizations have been required to announce the cancellation of the 2016 Canada Deaf Games At this time based on the expressions of interest received to date from the provincial associations there is not an adequate number of teams and individual athletes registered in order to successfully execute this national multi sport competition This disappointing turn of events comes as a result of a number of International Deaf Sport competitions World Championship and Pan American Regional Qualifying tournaments which conflict with the scheduled timing of the 2016 Canada Deaf Games as well as other significant Deaf community events happening around the globe during that period It is with much regret that we make this announcement and we are hopeful that this event will be able to return and flourish in future years as a key milestone to Deaf Sport development in Canada We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause For future updates please visit the CDSA at www assc cdsa com join us on Facebook or follow us Twitter at ASSC CDSA About CDSA The Canadian Deaf Sports Association ASSC CDSA is a non profit private corporation that provides programs that bring awareness to Canadians and elite Deaf athletes at all levels of sports The ASSC CDSA is the governing body for Team Canada participating to the Deaflympics Pan American Games for the Deaf and various World Deaf Championships Contact Canadian Deaf Sports Association Craig Noonan Chief Executive Officer E mail craig noonan assc cdsa com 30 FNDC 13 Winter 2016

For Immediate Release October 8 2015 For More Information Trent Hager 916 651 4005 Galgiani Legislation Supporting Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children Signed by Governor Brown SACRAMENTO Today Governor Brown signed Senate Bill 210 authored by Senator Cathleen Galgiani D Stockton The bill passed through the Legislature with bipartisan support Senate Bill 210 which is co sponsored by the California Association of the Deaf and the California Coalition of Options Schools requires the California Department of Education CDE to select benchmarks for tracking the progress of deaf and hard of hearing students in language and literacy development Current statistics show that many children who are deaf and hard of hearing arrive at Kindergarten with severe language delays and in many cases language deprivation said Senator Galgiani These children begin Kindergarten without the necessary language skills to acquire the knowledge and academic capabilities which will allow them to be successful in school and life SB 210 will go a long way in helping children in the deaf and hard of hearing community and I hope Governor Brown stands with us and signs this legislation Galgiani concluded SB 210 will change the landscape of Deaf education in California claimed Julie Rems Smario President of the California Association of the Deaf The parents will be empowered with knowledge on an ongoing basis on whether their deaf child is acquiring a language during the first five years of the child s life This will help children so they can be Kindergarten ready for proficiency in American Sign Language and English With Governor Brown s signing of SB 210 the deaf child s language acquisition has been put on the educational map Today the excuse for language deprivation has ended Governor Brown s signing of SB 210 leads the way for deaf education in the country said Laura Turner of Children s Choice for Hearing and Talking CCHAT also a Member of the California Coalition of Option Schools CCOS and Center for Early Intervention on Deafness CEID SB 210 provides safeguards to help ensure children who are deaf or hard of hearing are progressing on a developmental path commensurate with their peers Beginning from birth SB 210 will help children who are deaf or hard of hearing develop the necessary language skills to be successful in school and in life while using their method of communication FNDC 14 Winter 2016

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Bible Study Classes offered to Deaf Children and Youths and their Siblings who use American Sign Language On third Saturday of every month except July and August 2 00 4 00 PM Register at the door or request for registration form At St Luke Lutheran Church at 10177 148th Street in Surrey BC Request for registration form or further information contact Deaconess Linda Desrosiers of Trinity Lutheran Church of the Deaf ldesrosiers1 shaw ca or Text at 604306 4711 FNDC 16 Winter 2016

Deaf Students Utilize Resources But Still Face Barriers Some students say that Harvard needs to offer American Sign Language as a for credit class By Julia E DeBenedictis CRIMSON STAFF WRITER December 2 2015 From www thecrimson com article 2015 12 2 deaf students culture harvard Vl_B7jhGfFA twitter As a student with a cochlear implant a device that ccreplaces the function of the damaged inner ear Westley West A Resendes 12 originally came to Harvard identifying as a hearing impaired person staff interpreters when she arrived at Harvard Halfway through her first semester however the school hired an interpreter full time who stayed with her for the next four years Upon arriving at Harvard however he reached out to University Disability Services and inquired about other deaf students He was invited to an American Sign Language or ASL table that met during dinner in Leverett House where he met other students who were either deaf themselves or advocates including the leaders of the Committee on Deaf Awareness or CODA Today deaf and hard of hearing students on campus can request specific accommodations This often includes interpreters attending class with students who identify as culturally deaf meaning they communicate solely or primarily Pivotal to him calling himself a culturally Deaf person Resendes said his involvement with CODA allowed him to reevaluate his identity and seek to understand the barriers that Deaf students physically and culturally face Harvard s resources work to ensure that there are no academic barriers for deaf students Still some students say that Harvard needs to offer American Sign Language as a for credit class something done at many peer institutions including Brown and the University of Pennsylvania to fully welcome Deaf students to the University EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES Harvard s resources for deaf students have certainly seen improvements in the past decade Caroline M Solomon 96 a deaf biology professor at Gallaudet University a leading school for the deaf and hard of hearing said there were no Her cochlear implants aid Artinian s hearing and make it easier her to have conversations with one or a few people but in large groups or at large events she still prefers to use an interpreter to help I have interpreters here so if I m walking into a classroom you see all of us Artinian said I call them my people and they are really great but people get intimidated Resendes despite being able to hear with his cochlear implant began identifying as culturally deaf or Deaf with a capital D a word he said serves as a more universal term that can refer both to physical hearing loss as well as associating with the culture surrounding deafness As I signed with my peers at that table for the first time in so many years I felt invigorated as I was rediscovering this part of me that had been hidden for so long Resendes said I realized that perhaps being deaf was not just a handicap to overcome that it was a doorway into a rich and vibrant culture worth embracing physically or culturally and are unsure how to communicate with her During the first few weeks of any class she makes sure to introduce herself explain that she can hear with her cochlear implants and tell others to tap her on the shoulder if she does not hear them Artinian said Harvard s resources are exceptional and she never experiences problems requesting interpreters for outside events She only needs to submit a request through sign language often have Deaf friends and family and identify with Deaf culture While the interpreters are vital they can often be confusing or discomforting to students who are unfamiliar with the experience of being deaf according to some students Heather S Artinian a culturally deaf first year student at Harvard Law School has a team of two interpreters who attend all her classes Several members of Artinian s family are deaf and identify heavily with Deaf culture so she grew up using sign language She was born unable to hear but when she was 10 years old she received two cochlear implants learned how to speak English and switched from a school for deaf children to a mainstream one I ve kind of been going to school with the hearing world for a long time And every time I go to a new environment it is always that cultural shock for everyone else Artinian said According to Artinian many of her peers have never met or interacted with a deaf person Resendes who was the director of CODA when he was an undergraduate also praised the resources Harvard provided to him He had interpreters for lectures sections and thesis meetings as well as outside events at the Kennedy School of Government and Kirkland House One memorable instance was an interpreted Harvard Humanist of the Year award ceremony at Memorial Church Resendes said fondly remembering one such event Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane discovered that his talk was being interpreted and took that opportunity to learn the signs of some vulgar words by saying them and watching the interpreter sign them One distinction between Resendes s experience and non Deaf students was that he had to solidify his schedule sometimes weeks in advance to secure an interpreter There were occasions when interpreters were unavailable for a lecture or a meeting and I either decided to skip the event or decided to go and try my best to understand what was going on Fortunately those instances were few and far between Resendes said FNDC 17 Winter 2016

Still these positive reviews of Harvard s resources are not universal Sarah D Gluck a deaf graduate student pursuing a degree in speech and hearing bioscience and technology said University Disability Services is not as efficient as it could be in allotting interpreters for outside events Gluck graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology a school she said had a notably large Deaf community and resources for Deaf students She points to University Disability Services policies requiring students to place interpreter requests for outside events with two to three weeks notice if possible as a source of frustration Hearing students have the privilege of walking through the hallway and seeing a poster for something like a science lecture or talk that s happening that day or later that week but it s hard for me to have any sort of spontaneity Gluck said Gluck said this makes it difficult to become involved with things outside of the classroom She said she would have liked to attend a recent meeting held by a group of graduate students trying to unionize for example but she could not secure an interpreter for the event Michele Clopper the interim director of University Disability Services declined an interview request but said in a statement that the office encourage students to make their other needs known for providers as soon as possible and that Harvard makes every effort to secure services but they are subject to availability ASL AND HARVARD S DEAF COMMUNITY While many peer institutions work offer American Sign Language as a for credit class Harvard does not provide this option and some Deaf students FNDC 18 Winter 2016 and advocates say it should to better integrate them into the campus community In the 1990s Harvard s Linguistics Department offered ASL classes but canceled them in response to financial constraints Today the only formal ASL instruction at Harvard is offered by CODA which runs classes on Sundays in three different levels of difficulty for no credit Because an outside ASL instructor who CODA hires teaches those classes students must pay for them out of pocket According to CODA s director Erica X Eisen 16 the organization began offering those weekend classes because Harvard removed ASL as a for credit language course option whose request was denied called that standard rather unfair considering other languages can be taken for pleasure at Harvard The University needs to reconsider its outdated position on ASL he argued ASL is the third most common language other than English taken by college students nationally as of the fall of 2013 according to the Modern Language Association s most recent report In line with these statistics many of Harvard s peer institutions have begun to offer it as a for credit course Eisen a former Crimson Arts chair co led a movement last year to put a question calling for Harvard to reintroduce for credit ASL classes on the Undergraduate Council s fall election ballot The measure passed with overwhelming support prompting the UC to advocate for CODA and their push for ASL course options Brown has offered ASL since 1995 and for credit since 2005 according to Timothy B Riker a visiting lecturer in ASL there At the University of Pennsylvania students may pursue ASL for credit and even a Deaf Studies minor according to Jami N Fisher the ASL program coordinator at Penn the school has offered ASL since 1996 and it has fulfilled the world language requirement since 2001 Progress halted according to Resendes when administrators indicated that Harvard will only offer a language class if at least one student has a demonstrated academic interest in it that is the intention of conducting research on ASL Offering ASL classes at Harvard could mitigate the stigma that has historically surrounded deafness integrate Deaf students in the campus and expose other students to a new culture and community Gluck said According to Dean of Undergraduate Education Jay M Harris his office can arrange language tutorials if students demonstrate that they will do research related to that language Offering ASL would go so far in supporting Deaf students and the Deaf community at large Resendes said ASL is a modern language highly relevant to American society and for those studying a profession involving a considerable component of social interaction an ASL course would be a truly valuable asset when these Harvard graduates interact with Deaf people We are happy to arrange classes for students who can articulate a research agenda that involves the study of that language and a faculty member who is willing to supervise that research Harris said Resendes who attempted to fulfill his Harvard foreign language requirement with ASL but

University of Manitoba researchers study how people who are deaf understand sarcasm Researcher Nicole Hiebert studying how sarcasm is conveyed and understood among deaf hard of hearing From www cbc ca news canada manitoba university of manitoba researchers study how people who are deaf understand sarcasm 1 3382283 Researchers at the University of Manitoba are looking for deaf and hard of hearing Manitobans to participate in a new study covering uncharted territory discovering how people who use American Sign Language convey sarcasm It s the first time researchers have looked at how adults who use sign language communicate and understand sarcasm For those in the community it s no secret Rick Zimmer co ordinates the ASL interpretation program at Winnipeg s Red River College and instructs interpreters He says he uses sarcasm in his instruction but whether interpreters can understand and use it is another question CBC There isn t a lot of research We certainly know sarcasm is prevalent in sign language usage but there is not that research that actually provides evidence how sarcasm is relayed said Rick Zimmer who co ordinates the ASL interpretation program at Winnipeg s Red River College Zimmer is deaf as is his wife Kyra and son Cody Kyra and Zimmer are both instructors at RRC and Zimmer said sarcasm is a part of his instruction teaching hearing interpreters how to understand and convey sarcasm between people who use ASL and the hearing community I do it by demonstrating sarcasm and in that way they see it and learn it he said Whether or not interpreters are actually capable of using it and conveying sarcasm themselves is another question Nicole Hiebert has completed the Deaf Studies Program at Red River College and the University of Manitoba Now she s an undergraduate psychology student bringing the two programs together with a study on sarcasm CBC That s where the U of M s Nicole Hiebert comes in I ve just been really fascinated and passionate about signing for my entire life pretty much she said I ve had a deaf friend since I was really young Now she s melding her experiences in the deaf studies program with the research of Melanie Glenwright an associate professor who specializes in sarcasm and sarcasm comprehension for the U of M s psychology department The study is going to look at the cues within the deaf community for understanding and comprehending sarcasm In the hearing community those can be in the language choice and intonation the rise and fall of your voice or they can be what researchers call paralinguistic things like body language facial expression and laughter It develops slowly with age It can be different in people who speaks different languages or people who use ASL for example said Glenwright who just finished a study that looked at sarcasm comprehension in English as a second language students We found that those students sometimes tend to think you re speaking sarcastically when you re actually speaking literally Melanie Glenwright an associate professor in Department of Psychology at the University of Manitoba meets with undergraduate student Nicole Hiebert to discuss their study on sarcasm and ASL CBC It wasn t what researchers were expecting to find Whereas kids miss the sarcasm and think it s all literal when undergraduate students participate in a study where they expect to hear sarcasm they make many sort of false hits where they ll identify literal language as sarcastic said Glenwright And sarcasm use is different across languages A less indirect form occurs in Japanese but it s definitely not a cross cultural event that we know of There isn t enough research on that topic she added ASL is markedly different from English and most often English is a second language for deaf children who learn ASL first There is some research on how children who are deaf interpret humour she added but there hasn t been a study that focuses specifically on sarcasm and works with adults So how is sarcasm conveyed in ASL Zimmer says it s not hard to catch sarcasm in ASL and it s often clear through facial expression Some things may be exaggerated Some things may be reduced he said adding slowing down signs can be an indicator as well Facial expression is a key relayer of that and you can very quickly identify when a deaf speaker is being sarcastic He also says it depends on the person I know one person who attended a deaf school and was always very sarcastic he said He would sign it with the opposite movement that would be found in the actual sign to sign good your hand moves outward from the mouth Instead he would sign it towards the mouth It was just his unique trademark way of conveying sarcasm Zimmer said even though sarcasm is obvious within the community research on ASL is welcomed and sorely needed Research on ASL is very new probably only since 1975 that it s even been done in just the basic sense and it wasn t even identified as a language at that point he said Linguists did not believe that sign languages were languages until 1985 There s a lot of research yet to be done Glenwright said beyond general interest the research will hopefully be useful to families and educators It s got practical applications so when do kids understand it That information is useful for parents and teachers she said Sarcasm isn t an inherently negative form of language It can be used to strengthen relationships Hiebert and Glenwright are aiming to complete the study by April 2016 ________________________________________ Hiebert and Glenwright are still looking for deaf or hard of hearing participants for their study Anyone who wants to get involved can contact the pair by email at hieber20 myumanitoba ca or Melanie Glenwright umanitoba ca or send a text to 204 782 8931 FNDC 19 Winter 2016

Hearing impaired teen is 1st North American to undergo groundbreaking surgery Montreal Children s Hospital surgeon performs minimally invasive surgery recently approved by Health Canada From www cbc ca beta news canada montreal montreal children s hospital bone anchored hearing aid 1 3329558 A Montreal teenager born without the ability to hear from one ear recently became the first patient in North America to have groundbreaking surgery to implant a bone anchored hearing aid I felt it a little bit but it didn t hurt at all Karina Theoret In a few weeks doctors will finish the procedure on Karina Theoret They ll attach a small external microphone that will conduct vibrations through the implant through Theoret s skull so her working left ear can process it The 15 year old s hearing problem doesn t affect her speech but she says she sometimes has difficulty hearing friends or classroom conversation In conversations I would have to place myself where I could hear everybody she says Initially she had anticipated that it would take months to recover from surgery to implant the bone anchored hearing aid BAHA Karina Theoret 15 was awake for the whole surgery The Montrealer says her surgeon warned her the vibrations would feel like an electric toothbrush against her head CBC But surgeons at the Montreal Children s Hospital proposed a new procedure just approved by Health Canada that would shorten her recovery time to a matter of weeks Bone anchored hearing aids aren t new but the technique used for Theoret s surgery has only just been approved and is much less invasive according to her surgeon Theoret underwent the surgery Wednesday and was wide awake because it only required a local anesthetic It was just like a loud vibration I heard it I felt it a little bit but it didn t hurt at all she says Surgeon Sam Daniel punctured a tiny hole smaller than five millimetres in width to drill a screw into into his patient s skull during the surgery at Montreal Children s Hospital The hole was so small it didn t require stitches CBC Her surgeon punctured a tiny hole smaller than five millimetres in width to drill a screw into Theoret s skull The hole was so small it didn t require stitches Pediatric ear nose and throat surgeon Dr Sam Daniel says the surgery took less than 10 minutes compared to other similar surgeries that have been undertaken and have taken several hours She lost two drops of blood he says In a few weeks doctors will attach a small external microphone that will conduct vibrations through this implant CBC Daniel believes the procedure could soon become the norm though it s not suited to all patients Not everyone is a candidate You need a minimal skull thickness so it s not something I would do on a very small child Theoret says since the surgery she has been relaxing with her family She s also looking forward to being able to hear more of the world around her FNDC 20 Winter 2016

Nyle DiMarco Wins America s Next Top Model From www people com article americas next top model nyle dimarco wins cycle 22 December 5 2012 History had already been made when Nyle DiMarco was selected as ANTM s first Deaf contestant Now the 26 year old has done it again by becoming the modeling competition s first Deaf winner and its final Top Model ever DiMarco tells PEOPLE Being a Deaf person on a television show alone is pretty groundbreaking so it felt incredible just to be on the show but to win it was amazing With his piercing blue eyes and sculpted abs DiMarco performed consistently well throughout the photo shoots which had him posing with live animals as a doll and in the dark My proudest moment would be the picture of me with the husky he says It was basically the first time I was clothed for a shoot and I won the best photo That photo proved that there is more to me than just my body there s my ability to blend into clothes my modeling skills and my ad worthiness An outdoor photo shoot in pitch black darkness proved to be extra difficult for DiMarco I m Deaf but shooting in the dark also made me blind he says I ve never been so frustrated in my life because I knew that I could do it While DiMarco usually excelled in front of the camera he found the times when he was not modeling to be the most challenging The competition and especially living with the models in the house was undoubtedly a lot of fun but it was also pretty tough he says The inability to use my language American Sign Language and the lack of communication information access and the general connection to the world was difficult It truly did take a toll on me mentally he continues I even cringe now when I watch myself on ANTM being all alone FNDC 21 Winter 2016

FNDC 22 Winter 2016

RAISING AND EDUCATING DEAF CHILDREN Foundations for Policy Practice and Outcomes Cochlear Implants Considerations for Families and the Professionals Who Work Alongside Them Posted on Oct 20 2015 by Debra Nussbaum Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center Debra Nussbaum at gallaudet edu From http raisingandeducatingdeafchildren org node 168 The issue The number of children now obtaining cochlear implants is growing quickly and as a result so is the diversity in the characteristics of the children using them It would therefore seem logical that recommendations for language and communication approaches habilitation supports and educational placements also be varied and tailored to match the individual profile of each child using the technology This is not always the case Recommendations are often centered on listening and spoken language as this is the intended purpose of the device with sometimes inequitable attention on other critical areas of development It is important that families of children with cochlear implants and the professionals working alongside them consider thoroughly not only decisions involved in the surgical and spoken language habilitation aspects of this technology but also decisions impacting the full range of a child s language communication learning and social development What we know We know that accessible language language provided in a manner in which a child has the likelihood of being able to learn and interact with it from the earliest age possible is essential to establishing language foundations and preventing language delay in children who are deaf Evidence indicates that some children using cochlear implants will be an appropriate match for approaches exclusive to spoken language and will develop competence in listening and spoken language at a level to fully access learning For reasons known and unknown not all children using cochlear implants will equally benefit from these approaches and achieve this level of spoken language competence Some children are observed to benefit from approaches that also include visual strategies i e sign support American Sign Language cueing systems to establish early language foundations transition to spoken language after implantation and or support learning throughout their education What constitutes as accessible language has been shown to vary from child to child to change for some children prior to implantation and as spoken language skills emerge or not emerge as expected and to vary in different environments i e home school social In addition evidence indicates that children with cochlear implants as children who are deaf can benefit from exposure to and interaction with other children and adults who are deaf to support social emotional and identity development We also know that families may receive conflicting advice as to which approaches and supports to consider When visual supports may be warranted for their child some families are cautioned that to use anything but spoken language will compromise spoken language outcomes There is no evidence however indicating that signing impedes spoken language development in fact evidence actually suggests that the use of sign language can support spoken language development What we don t know The characteristics of children obtaining cochlear implants as well as the technology itself continue to change It has therefore been a challenge to study the complex and interconnected factors that impact practices and outcomes Research is just beginning to scratch the surface in looking beyond speech perception and production at language literacy cognitive growth learning and social emotional development as well as at factors such as neural reorganization and its impact on memory and learning of children with cochlear implants As there is still so much unknown about the relationship between practices and outcomes it is difficult to be certain of how to promote balanced practices that facilitate listening and spoken language with practices that focus on and safeguard all areas of a child s development and education Having an individualized language and communication plan that can be built into a child s Individualized Family Service Plan IFSP Individualized Education Program IEP 504 plan or other educational planning document should be considered integral to designing and monitoring appropriate strategies and services to ensure access to learning for each child with a cochlear implant One such resource to consider in guiding this collaborative planning is Students with Cochlear Implants Guidelines for Educational Program Planning These guidelines available at http clerccenter gallaudet edu were developed by a team of more than 40 professionals convened by the Boston Children s Hospital Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program and designed and published in 2015 in collaboration with the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center Further reading Huttunen K V limaa T 2010 Parents views on changes in their child s communication and linguistic and socioemotional development after cochlear implantation Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education 15 383 Hyde M Punch R Komesaroff L 2010 Coming to a decision about cochlear implantation Parents making choices for their deaf children Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education 15 162 178 Pisoni D B Conway C M Kronenberger D L Horn J K Hennings S C 2008 Efficacy and effectiveness of cochlear implants in deaf children In M Marschark P C Hauser Eds Deaf cognition Foundations and outcomes pp 52 101 New York Oxford University Press Spencer P E Marschark M Spencer L J 2011 Cochlear implants Advances issues and implications In M Marschark P E Spencer Eds The Oxford handbook of deaf studies language and education Vol 1 2nd ed pp 452 471 New York Oxford University Press Implications Not knowing what constitutes effective practices collectively for all children using cochlear implant technology should compel professionals and families to work collaboratively to implement an individualized planning process Each child s plan should reflect both the potential and the limitations of the technology and take into consideration all areas of development Walker E A Tomblin J B 2014 The influence of communication mode on language development in children with cochlear implants In M M Marschark G Tang H Knoors Bilingualism and bilingual deaf education pp 134 149 New York Oxford University Press FNDC 23 Winter 2016

OPTIMIST COMMUNICATION CONTEST 22nd Annual Pacific Northwest Application Deadline Before 4 00 pm February 26th 2016 or capacity of 30 students is reached Teachers this event is a great opportunity for your students to observe and prepare for future competitions Students are welcome to come and observe if they are not participating but are planning to attend the 2016 competition Please let us know how many to expect so that we can count you in for lunch Visit www popdhh ca website for more information and registration How My Best Brings Out the Best in Others Location Michael J Fox Theatre 5455 Rumble Street Burnaby BC V5J 2B7 Event Date April 5 2016 Registration 8 15 8 45am Time 8 45 3 00 pm Competition will be limited to 15 signing students and 15 oral students First and Second place winners in each category will be awarded scholarships or prizes All four winners will be given the opportunity to participate in the Pacific Northwest District Optimist competition in Vancouver Washington USA at the Washington School for the Deaf April 30 2016 Apply Early FNDC 24 Winter 2016 Lunch and a snack will be provided

Telus offers 15 monthly discount for deaf hh customers As of Oct 7th Telus is now offering a monthly plan discount for deaf hh customers that don t utilize their voice plan The 15 monthly discount is good for 24 months The plan is called Special Needs Accessibility Offer Deaf In order to request the discount contact information below from Telus website Accessibility section Mobile phone rate plans If you are a customer with accessibility needs including the deaf or hard of hearing and you do not require standard TELUS voice service you may be eligible for promotional rate plan pricing To learn if you are eligible please speak with one of our client care representatives at 1 866 558 2273 OR If you require assistance in order to get in touch with us please use one of our accessibility services at http www telus com en bc get help accessibility services topic do FNDC 25 Winter 2016

News from the Canadian Administrator of Video Relay Services CAV Hello and Happy Holidays As 2015 comes to a close CAV is pleased to share news about two new exciting accomplishments First a few days ago we launched our new website The address is www cav acs ca this will be the home for updates as we make progress towards launching Video Relay Services VRS In addition it will be a place to learn more about how VRS will work We hope you ll take a few minutes to view the website and sign up for updates Secondly we are pleased to announce the selection of our Video Technology Platform Provider The company s name is IV S and they are technology experts specializing in developing and delivering Video Relay Services technologies around the world Ives is based in Crolles France and their Canadian headquarters is in Montreal The coming year 2016 will be an exciting one as each completed step brings us closer to launch We are making history together We wish you a happy holiday season and best wishes for 2016 Sincerely Sue Decker Executive Director CAV ACS SAVE THE DATE Mon April 4 2016 Education Day Educators Itinerant Confernce at Michael J Fox Theatre Burnaby Out of town students Grades 6 9 will be integrated into classes at BCSD Burnaby Out of town students Grades 10 12 have the option of attending BCSD or participating in a workshop at BCSD and a tour of local post secondary institutions More information visit our website www popdhh ca keep your eyes peeled for registration more information soon Tue April 5 6 2016 Friendship Day Vancouver Aquarium overnight All DHH students visiting and local in Gr 6 12 are invited to spend the night at the Vancouver Aquarium where they will engage in a variety of activities a sleep over and a morning activity Aquarium organized activities 9 00 pm to 9 00 am Self guided visit 9 00 am 11 00 am More information visit our website www popdhh ca keep your eyes peeled for registration more information soon From Douglas College Department of Sign Language Interpretation Greetings Parents of Deaf Children This won t be the first nor last time that I say I absolutely love my position as the Program Technician at Douglas College s Program of Sign Language Interpretation I have a variety of duties that keeps things interesting for me such as posting volunteer student interpreting requests supporting our students learning and recruiting Deaf volunteers You may recognize my name if you have contacted our volunteer student interpreting services to request volunteer student interpreters for your child s birthday party or community event Recently I was amazed to tally up hours and realize that in 2015 our volunteer student interpreting services provided over 200 hours of access Every year our volunteer student interpreting services are closed from mid December until mid February because our 2nd year students are away on practicum and our 1st year students will pick up the slack mid February after the retreat weekend I support our students learning through lab classes and tutoring Often I will ask students to show me videos of their assignments drafts or ASL practice and give them feedback The students usually have a wide variety of topics they can choose from and it s always interesting to see what they do with a particular topic they choose for instance from a list of various man made and natural disasters In the winter semester one of the assignments that 1st year students have is doing a children s story in ASL I have fond memories of students doing stories by my favorite children s book author Robert Munsch Thomas Snowsuit Stephanie s Ponytail and Millicent and the Wind just to name a few Earlier I wrote that one of my duties is recruiting Deaf volunteers Well If you re a Deaf parent and are available sometime during the last weekend of January and would like to participate in our retreat weekend as a Deaf role play volunteer so our 1st year students can practice interpreting for the first time please do e mail me at desmaraisa douglascollege ca with your availability The retreat weekend takes place at Camp Alexandra in White Rock Jan 29th 31st and if you volunteer for a full day lunch will be provided All the best Adrian Desmarais FNDC 26 Winter 2016

Community Job Postings Job Postings BC School for the Deaf Education Assistants Interpreters Deaf Blind Intervenors The Burnaby School District invites applications for the following casual on call positions to work at the British Columbia School for the Deaf EDUCATION ASSISTANTS Education Assistants provide support for students in and out of the classroom and in the community This includes support such as behaviour management curriculum implementation social skills development personal care and physical assistance Required qualifications include the completion of Grade 12 plus a recognized program in social sciences childcare special needs or ECE Fluency in American Sign Language is required Additional training or skills in Non Violent Crisis Intervention and Autism Spectrum Disorder or experience working with children with Autism would be an asset SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETERS Sign Language Interpreters facilitate communication between deaf hard of hearing and hearing students and staff by providing interpreting services in and out of the classroom in a variety of settings and activities with students parents staff and community groups adjusting to the signing educational and communication levels required Required qualifications include completion of Grade 12 plus an American Sign Language English interpreter program coupled with demonstrated fluency in American Sign Language including the ability to adjust to the signing educational and communication levels required DEAF BLIND INTERVENORS Deaf Blind Intervenors facilitate communication between deaf blind students other students and staff by providing intervenor services in and out of the classroom providing information to help facilitate their participation in the visual oral world around them assist in planning and implementing behaviour management strategies and monitoring and reinforcing behaviour Intervenors also reinforce the educational program by tutoring adapting or modifying classroom materials to meet the specialized needs of students Required qualifications include completion of Grade 12 plus completion of a recognized program in special needs assistance supplemented by course work in deaf blind intervention or one year relevant work experience Demonstrated proficiency in American Sign Language including the ability to adjust to the signing educational and communication levels required as well as a demonstrated ability to work effectively with a full range of students with special needs is required Applications for the above positions can be forwarded to Human Resources Department Burnaby School District 5325 Kincaid Street Burnaby BC V5G 1W5 Email applications sd41 bc ca FNDC 27 Winter 2016

Community Job Postings Painter and Assistant Needed Currently I Gordon P Hoeppner who have my own handyman service business Gordon the Handy Service has been operating for more than 5 years I have a contract with a residential penthouse 2 bedrooms and with 10 ft height to ceiling so for interior painting This project is starting now and through out the winter We need 2 people who are able to work with Gordon for temp job for next week and able part time in New Year We are looking to hire a painter and assistant I prefer someone who uses ASL Hearing welcome Priority to Deafie who is experienced or knowledge in work of construction renovation painting drywall repair electrical system tiling etc Two positions available Assistant or helper Paying between 10 00 and 12 00 per hour Painter 15 00 per hour depending on experience Please send me your resumes and references at gphoeppner gmail com Included your skype or Facetime or call me at gordonbc54 Skype or my cell 778 995 1445 able use Glide ca Vancouver Community College Auxiliary Classroom Assistants Auxiliary Classroom Assistants Classroom Assistants Personal Care Attendants To provide 1 1 support for students with disabilities in classroom Qualifications Experience working with disabilities populations Fluency in ASL and good communication skills Ability to take notes scribe and assist students with technology i e laptop assistive communication devices Ability to perform personal care duties Preferred training in care aide health care work Assist students in navigating around the campus Assist students in accessing personal items and classroom materials as needed Possess an understanding of the boundaries between classroom assistant and students and able to follow the established guidelines Contacts Julia Li 604 871 7000 Ext 7404 juli vcc ca Alice Cheung 604 871 7000 Ext 7210 alicheung vcc ca FNDC 28 Winter 2016

Community Job Postings FNDC 29 Winter 2016

Reprinted with Permission Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center Jennifer S BealAlvarez PhD is an assistant professor in the Middle Grades Secondary Reading and Deaf Education Department at Valdosta State University where she teaches graduatelevel courses in deaf education Her research interests include sign language development and use by deaf children and adults as well as evidence based assessment and instructional practices Beal Alvarez welcomes questions and comments about this article at jbalvarez valdosta edu Joanna E Cannon PhD is an assistant professor in the Educational and Counseling Psychology and Special Education Department at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver She is co director of the Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing graduate program teaching and researching in the areas of language literacy evidence based strategies and assessments Captions Whiteboards Animation and Videos Technology Improves Access By Jennifer S Beal Alvarez and Joanna E Cannon The field of deaf education lacks rigorous research that supports any singular instructional practice Luckner Sebold Cooney Young III Muir 2005 2006 Easterbrooks Stephenson 2012 However studies indicate that technology frequently used during instruction with students who are deaf or hard of hearing Easterbrooks Stephenson Mertens 2006 Kaplan Mahshie Moseley Singer Winston 1993 is motivating for students Alessi Trollip 2001 Cannon Fredrick Easterbrooks 2010 Cannon Easterbrooks Gagn Beal Alvarez 2011 Nikolaraizi Vekiri 2012 and that it can facilitate student learning Beal Alvarez Easterbrooks 2013 Cannon et al 2010 Cannon et al 2011 In a review of research based studies we found that most instruction in classes of deaf and hard of hearing students included use of multiple facets of technology Beal Alvarez Cannon 2014 This may be advantageous because technology allows a combined visual and verbal presentation of information and this may strengthen students processing and retention Paivio 1991 2006 Sadoski Paivio 2004 We categorized these facets of technology as text pictures animation and sign language Beal Alvarez Cannon 2014 Here is a look at how technology incorporates each of these within the classroom Text C Print CART Captioned Videos Tablets and Whiteboards Text used to be exclusively encoded in print and paper students read books and wrote on paper Today writing enters the classroom in a variety of digital formats and multiple studies have looked at its effects For deaf and hard of hearing students most digital text enters the classroom via captions Captioning serves two purposes it gives students access to Photos by John T Consoli and Michelle Gough 4 FNDC 30 ODYSSEY Winter 2016 2015

Reprinted with Permission Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center information and it allows them to communicate Studies indicate that when there is any kind of audio stimulus whether through video or simply in the surrounding environment deaf and hard of hearing students always prefer captions over no captions Cambra Silvestre Leal 2008 2009 Lewis Jackson 2001 Students demonstrated no preference over how the captions were edited but evidence indicates that expanded captions showing definitions and labels for illustrations and maps allowed better comprehension than captions that were simply the visual representation for spoken words Anderson Inman Terrazas Arellanes Slabin 2009 Szarkowska Krejtz Klyszejko Wieczorek 2011 Ward Wang Paul Loeterman 2007 C Print a system that captions spoken English through speech to text technology was found to be more effective for comprehension at the middle school and high school levels but not at the college level than interpreters who used American Sign Language ASL Stinson Elliot Kelly Liu 2009 At the college level studies show mixed 2015 results for student comprehension whether the information was presented through C Print or CART the predominate speech to text technologies of the classrooms through interpretation via ASL or through presentation of simultaneous speech text translation and ASL interpretation Marschark et al 2006 Stinson et al 2009 However students comprehension may improve when captions appear at a slower rate and when students are provided with a printed transcript Tyler et al 2009 For students in middle school 120 words per minute provided the optimal speed for comprehension when captions appeared at the rate of 180 words per minute the typical speed for adult viewers comprehension declined Tyler et al 2009 Further younger children may require captioning at rates of 60 90 words per minute for maximum comprehension Deafness Forum of Australia 2004 Wireless technology enables the use of text through personal computers tablets iPads class whiteboards and Internet access When paired with scaffolding software and teacher instruction technology increased students 5 ODYSSEY FNDC 31 Winter 2016

Reprinted with Permission Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center engagement and performance in solving math problems Liu Chou Liu Yang 2006 In the Liu et al 2006 study teachers used technology to model the steps in solving math problems and to provide students with opportunities for practice and teacher feedback Text and Pictures LanguageLinks When software embodied in the product LanguageLinks was used in the classroom elementary students English language skills increased Cannon et al 2011 When LanguageLinks which combined pictures games and text presented sentences for which students selected the correct syntax was used students grammar skills improved and their engagement in learning deepened Cannon et al 2011 Reading level predicted the rate of students growth as they advanced through the software program students who read at higher levels progressed at faster rates Animation Baldi and Tetris Digital animation has come to the classroom and animation has been used to increase students vocabulary and thinking skills Barker 2003 and Massaro and Light 2004 found that students were able to rapidly increase their vocabulary identification and production after working on speech skills by watching Baldi an animated avatar that modeled vocabulary articulation and selecting corresponding words in print Similarly students who used a 3 D reality version of Tetris to place shapes in designated spaces on the computer screen increased their cognitive skills by expanding their flexibility in thinking and pattern inference Passig Eden 2000a 2000b This animation software permits students to look at items from different perspectives which may increase their understanding and critical thinking skills Further students ability to successfully participate in an animated game may promote motivation to stay on task fingerspelling vocabulary after repeated viewings of stories presented in sign language The videos embedded a narrator who prompted students to sign along and provided wait time for students to do so before continuing encouraging active participation Golos 2010 When teachers added live instruction to the viewings stopping the video and prompting students to answer related questions students literacy behaviors and engagement increased further Golos Moses 2011 Similarly teachers used repeated viewings of stories presented in sign language with both late elementary aged Cannon et al 2010 and high school aged Guardino Cannon Eberst 2014 deaf students who had emergent literacy skills Teachers combined pre teaching math vocabulary with reading math storybooks and repeated viewings of the stories on screen where the text was presented in sign language In these studies all students increased their ability to identify the targeted words Videos paired with teacher and class discussion have also aided in teaching ASL Elementary students increased their use of classifiers handshapes and movements that reflect physical attributes and motions of objects Neidle Kegl MacLaughlin Bahan Lee 2000 Supalla 1986 when teachers used videotaped stories presented in sign language stopping the video to identify and discuss the classifiers when they were used and prompting student discussion Beal Alvarez Easterbrooks 2013 The Accessible Materials Project at the Atlanta Area School for the Deaf AASD developed videos that presented stories in two formats an ASL format and a connect to print format with English like signing presented with text on screen An overview of the creation and availability of these and other Video and Sign Language Improving Language Skills Multiple studies have looked at video technology paired with embedded or live sign language as a way to increase students vocabulary and comprehension In some instances sign language is included within the video and classroom teachers use sign language to elaborate on the material either before or during viewings For example in one study preschool students increased their literacy engagement including signing and 6 FNDC 32 ODYSSEY Winter 2016 2015

Reprinted with Permission Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center Moses 2011 materials is provided in Beal Alvarez and Huston 2014 According to a schoolCaptioned materials and information wide survey AASD teachers used these should be included in every classroom sign language materials with Teachers can expose students to text students of all ages and within all frequently by providing captions for content areas Additionally the instructional movies morning videos were sent home with announcements and in class video students to view with their productions Students can caption families Beal Alvarez Huston their own videos and use this activity 2014 to improve their skills in ASL and Using digital books parents in English Finally students can learn to Mueller and Hurtig s 2010 study self advocate for the provision of increased their frequency of captioning across instructional and storybook reading with their precommunity settings school children and parents and At the same time however teachers children increased their sign language must consider the reading levels of their acquisition The books included pictures students and the speed of captions as students text and sign narration as well as optional with higher reading levels read at faster rates In embedded questions Comprehension can vary based on addition it is important to remember to allow time for how the information is presented For example when students students to process the information presented via captioning aged 9 18 years were presented with stories in four formats Teachers might administer both sign language and reading assessments Beal Alvarez 2014 to ensure individual students print only print and picture print and sign language and sign language only the highest comprehension rates were in the receive effective technology based presentations Teachers print and picture format Gentry Chinn Moulton should especially consider their instruction in 2004 2005 Further when Reitsma 2009 compared student reading and comprehension of captions performance in two digital formats he found students performed better when material was presented in print and using a sign language interpreter effectively assisting students in apportioning their attention among technology pictures rather than in print and signs components Finally participation in Cornerstones an interactive curriculum that includes video based stories matching individual students to the with captions interactive games on line technologies that are most beneficial to hypertext books story maps graphic them and organizers and clip art adaptions in ASL Results of a Total Communication Signing Exact fostering students ability to self monitor English and Cued Speech increased word their own comprehension of captions collection of identification for most students aged 7 11 Recent educational legislation calls for years Wang Paul 2011 technology based evidence based practices meaning instructional practices that are supported by Implications for Teachers instructional studies rigorous research Common Core State Technology and Teachers Standards Initiative 2010 Individuals with Classroom Partners support both the use Disabilities Education Improvement Act Teachers need to be aware that the use of 2004 Institute of Education Sciences 2013 of technology based technology during their instructional time Meaningfully incorporating technology and may be essential See Luft Bonello pairing it with in the flesh teacher activities and the Zirzow 2009 for a technology abilities explanation and class discussion improves assessment Results of a collection of learning need for in the technology based instructional studies support both the use of technology based activities and the need for in the flesh teacher instruction Teacher instruction paired with technology appears to be more effective than use of technology alone Cannon et al 2010 Golos 2010 Golos 2015 flesh teacher instruction Note Beal Alvarez and Huston 2014 provide a detailed overview of the creation and availability of these materials See also www facebook com accessiblematerialsproject and www youtube com user AMPresources 7 ODYSSEY FNDC 33 Winter 2016

Reprinted with Permission Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center References Alessi S M Trollip S R 2001 Multimedia for learning Methods and development 3rd ed Boston Allyn Bacon Anderson Inman L Terrazas Arellanes F E Slabin U 2009 Supported eText in captioned videos A comparison of expanded versus standard captions on student comprehension of educational content Journal of Special Education Technology 24 3 21 34 Easterbrooks S Stephenson B Mertens D 2006 Master teacher responses to twenty literacy and science math practices in deaf education American Annals of the Deaf 151 4 398 409 Beal Alvarez J S 2014 Deaf students receptive and expressive American Sign Language skills Comparisons and relations Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education 19 4 508 529 doi 10 1093 deafed enu025 Easterbrooks S R Stephenson B 2012 Clues from research Effective instructional strategies leading to positive outcomes for students who are deaf or hard of hearing Odyssey 13 44 49 Beal Alvarez J S Cannon J E 2014 Technology intervention research with D HH learners Levels of evidence and Causal Factors American Annals of the Deaf 158 5 486 505 Gentry M M Chinn K M Moulton R D 2004 2005 Effectiveness of multimedia reading materials when used with children who are deaf American Annals of the Deaf 149 5 394 403 Beal Alvarez J S Easterbrooks S R 2013 Increasing children s ASL classifier production A multicomponent intervention American Annals of the Deaf 158 3 311 333 Golos D B 2010 Deaf children s engagement in an educational video in American Sign Language American Annals of the Deaf 155 3 360 368 Cambra C Silvestre N Leal A 2008 2009 Comprehension of television messages by deaf students at various stages of education American Annals of the Deaf 153 5 425 434 doi 10 1353 aad 0 0065 Cannon J E Easterbrooks S R Gagn P BealAlvarez J 2011 Improving DHH students grammar through an individualized software program Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education 16 4 437 457 doi 10 1093 deafed enr023 Cannon J E Fredrick L D Easterbrooks S R 2010 Vocabulary instruction through books read in American Sign Language for English language learners with hearing loss Communication Disorders Quarterly 31 2 98 112 FNDC 34 Deafness Forum of Australia 2004 Captioning quality code of practice Retrieved from http www deafness forum org au pdf PositionStatements CaptioningQualityV2 pdf Barker L J 2003 Computer assisted vocabulary acquisition The CSLU vocabulary tutor in oral deaf education Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education 8 2 187 198 Beal Alvarez J S Huston S 2014 Emerging evidence for instructional practice Repeated viewings of sign language models Communication Disorders Quarterly 35 2 93 102 doi 10 1177 1525740113514437 8 Common Core State Standards Initiative 2010 Common core state standards for English language arts and literacy in history special studies science and technical studies Retrieved from http www corestandards org assets CCSSI_ ELA Standards pdf ODYSSEY Winter 2016 Golos D Moses A 2011 How teacher mediation during video viewing facilitates literacy behaviors Sign Language Studies 12 1 98 118 Guardino C Cannon J E Eberst K 2014 Building the evidence base of effective reading strategies to use with deaf English language learners Communication Disorders Quarterly 35 2 59 73 doi 10 1177 1525740113506932 Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 20 U S C 33 1400 et seq 2004 Reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 Institute of Education Sciences 2013 WWC procedures and standards handbook version 3 0 Retrieved from http ies ed gov ncee wwc pdf reference_resources wwc_procedures_ v3_0_draft_standards_handbook pdf Kaplan H Mahshie J Moseley M Singer B Winston E 1993 Research synthesis on design of effective media materials and technology for deaf and hard of hearing students Tech Rep No 2 National Center to Improve the Tools of Education Eugene OR ERIC Document Reproduction Service No 386851 2015

Reprinted with Permission Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center Lewis M S J Jackson D W 2001 Television literacy Comprehension of program content using closed captions for the deaf Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education 6 1 43 53 Passig D Eden S 2000a Enhancing the induction skill in deaf and hard of hearing children with virtual reality technology Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education 5 3 277 285 Liu C C Chou C C Liu B J Yang J W 2006 Improving mathematics teaching and learning experiences for hard of hearing students with wireless technologyenhanced classrooms American Annals of the Deaf 151 3 345 355 Passig D Eden S 2000b Improving flexible thinking in deaf and hard of hearing children with virtual reality technology American Annals of the Deaf 145 3 286 291 Luckner J L Sebold A M Cooney J Young III J Muir S G 2005 2006 An examination of the evidencebased literacy research in deaf education American Annals of the Deaf 150 5 443 456 Luft P Bonello M Zirzow N K 2009 Technology skills assessment for deaf and hard of hearing students in secondary school American Annals of the Deaf 154 4 389399 Marschark M Leigh G Sapere P Burnham D Convertino C Stinson M et al 2006 Benefits of sign language interpreting and text alternatives to classroom learning by deaf students Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education 11 421 437 Massaro D W Light J 2004 Improving the vocabulary of children with hearing loss The Volta Review 104 141 174 Mueller V Hurtig R 2010 Technology enhanced shared reading with deaf and hard of hearing children The role of a fluent signing narrator Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education 15 1 72 101 Neidle C Kegl J MacLaughlin D Bahan B Lee R G 2000 The syntax of American Sign Language Functional categories and hierarchical structure Cambridge MA The M I T Press Nikolaraizi M Vekiri I 2012 The design of a software to enhance the reading comprehension skills of deaf students An integration of multiple theoretical perspectives Educational Information Technologies 17 167185 Paivio A 1991 Dual coding theory Retrospect and current status Canadian Journal of Psychology 45 255 287 Paivio A 2006 Mind and its evolution A dual coding theoretical interpretation Mahwah NJ Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc 2015 Reitsma P 2009 Computer based exercises for learning to read and spell by deaf children Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education 14 178 189 doi 10 1093 deafed enn031 Sadoski M Paivio A 2004 A dual coding theoretical model of reading In R B Ruddell N J Unrau Eds Theoretical models and processes of reading 5th ed pp 13291362 Newark DE International Reading Association Schleper D 1996 Literacy in deaf children 15 principles for reading to deaf children Washington DC Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center Gallaudet University Stinson M S Elliot L B Kelly R R Liu Y 2009 Deaf and hard of hearing students memory of lectures with speech to text and interpreting note taking services Journal of Special Education 43 1 52 64 Supalla T 1986 The classifier system in American Sign Language In C Craig Ed Noun classification and categorization pp 181 214 Philadelphia Benjamin Szarkowska A Krejtz I Klyszejko Z Wieczorek A 2011 Verbatim standard or edited Reading patterns of different captioning styles among deaf hard of hearing and hearing viewers American Annals of the Deaf 156 4 363 378 Tyler M D Jones C Grebennikov L Leigh G Noble W Burnham D 2009 Effect of caption rate on the comprehension of educational television programmes by deaf school students Deafness Education International 11 3 152 162 doi 10 1002 dei 262 Wang Y Paul P 2011 Integrating technology and reading instruction with children who are deaf or hard of hearing The effectiveness of the Cornerstones project American Annals of the Deaf 156 1 56 68 Ward P Wang Y Paul P Loeterman M 2007 Near verbatim captioning versus edited captioning for students who are deaf or hard of hearing A preliminary investigation of effects on comprehension American Annals of the Deaf 152 1 20 28 doi 10 1353 9 ODYSSEY FNDC 35 Winter 2016

ASL interpreted performances and events The PuSh International Performing Arts Festival is very proud to announce this year s selection of ASL interpreted performances and events Vancouver s mid winter performing arts festival features acclaimed local national and international artists and presents ground breaking work in theatre dance music and various forms of multimedia and hybrid performance We are committed to making our festival accessible to all and are reaching out you to communicate our programming that is accessible to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing with hopes that you could spread that information amongst your community This year we will provide ASL interpretation for two shows Miss Understood by about and with local poet Antonette Rea as well as a show visiting from Australia Jack Charles v The Crown Furthermore we have curated a number of shows that are accessible without interpretation We are also training our volunteers in helping Deaf HH patrons idea s and suggestion are welcome and we will have ASL interpretation for the Youth Assembly a unique opportunity for youth interested in a career in the arts Please note that the shows with ASL interpretation this year are appropriate for teenagers and older However PuSh International Performing ArtsL immediat Festival and especially Vu are appropriate for all ages and are purely visual Vu is presented with the Children s festival and we highly Jan 19 Feb 7 2016 recommend that show for younger children pushfestival ca pushfestival 12th Annual PuSh International Performing Arts Festival January 19 February 7 2016 Theatre Dance Multimedia Music Each winter the PuSh Festival presents ground breaking work in the live performing arts theatre dance music and various forms of multimedia and hybrid performance by local and international artists At the 2016 festival we are proud to expand our services for people who are Deaf or hard of hearing This year we provide ASL interpretation for two shows and have curated four visually striking shows that do not feature spoken language To ensure the lowest ticket cost take advantage of our group booking program for 10 people or more Plus the organiser receives one complimentary ticket For more information on individual rates please consult our website Ilbijerri Theatre Company Australia JACK CHARLES V THE CROWN ASL interpreted on Jan 22 8pm SFU s Goldcorp Centre for the Arts Group rate 28 They call them the Stolen Generation Aboriginal children who were torn from their families by the Australian government during the 20th century Jack Charles was one of them Raised as a ward of the state subject to abuse and separated from his cultural roots he grew up hard and fast He s had quite the life criminal drug addict convict and acclaimed actor Now he stands before us at his best to present his case Starting point for a discussion on indigenous culture and the ongoing legacy of colonization The talk back after the show will also be ASL interpreted the frank theatre company Canada MISS UNDERSTOOD ASL interpreted on Jan 31 2pm Performance Works Group rate 28 Antonette Rea is one formidable presence In this show she bares her soul and the story of her life through poetry It s been a long journey for this trans woman from life as a middleclass husband and father to the turmoil of a gender identity crisis to the Downtown Eastside where she lived as a drug addicted sex worker Now she is a spoken word artist and when she speaks you ll be riveted An empowering and uplifting expression of pride and identity If there is a talk back after the show TBD there will be ASL interpretation YOUTH ASSEMBLY January 30 2 30 7PM Roundhouse Community Centre with ASL interpreters A free day long performance arts conference just for arts minded young people age 16 24 who hope to pursue a life or maybe a career immersed in and around the performing arts Group Sales Terms Conditions Subject to availability Tickets for groups of 10 or more are available starting at the special discounted rate of 28 per ticket including tax Plus each group will receive one complimentary ticket Group sales will be accepted up to 14 days prior to the performance date and full payment is due at time of booking No refunds or exchanges Please contact Accessible PuSh Coordinator Anika Vervecken at access pushfestival ca 604 605 8284 ext 204 for full details FNDC 36 Winter 2016 Group Sales Contact Anika Vervecken Accessible PuSh access pushfestival ca 604 605 8284 ext 204

PuSh International Performing Arts Festival Jan 19 Feb 7 2016 pushfestival ca pushfestival Performances that will not have ASL interpretation but which may be appropriate for patrons who are Deaf or have hearing loss Compagnie Sac kripa France VU January 20 24 Performance Works Group rate 28 Presented with the Vancouver International Children s Festival Supported by the Consulat g n ral de France Vancouver Institut fran ais Manceau s performance is wordless a blend of Object Theatre clowning and what the artist calls miniature circus It s a mix that could only come from the mind of an eccentric One thing this show is not is conventional Appropriate for all ages No spoken language Daytime performances for schools Association Imm diat France L IMM DIAT February 4 6 Vancouver Playhouse Group rate 35 Supported by the Consulat g n ral de France Vancouver Institut fran ais The adventurous spirit of the avant garde meets the crowd pleasing slapstick of circus comedy The result is something like dance something like pantomime The performers move among intricate sets and familiar objects take on a whimsical life of their own Physical comedy has rarely seemed so expressive visual anarchy of the Marx Brothers delivered with a French accent Pure fun and crazy stage play No spoken language Appropriate for all ages Aakash Odedra UK INKED MURMUR January 19 20 Vancouver Playhouse Group rate 28 Presented with The Dance Centre Supported by the British Council Two dance performances featuring one of art s brightest contemporary lights Aakash Odedra is an award winning British contemporary dancer trained in the Indian classical forms of kathak and bharata natyam In this double bill he uses the dance to explore issues that vex us all focusing on conceptions and misconceptions of identity Only minimal use of language which is not essential to the narrative we will provide an introductory note Very visual with a lot of use of technology to visually translate movement The Holy Body Tattoo Godspeed You Black Emperor Canada MONUMENTAL January 28 Queen Elizabeth Theatre Group rate 65 How do you express the madness of urban life the repetition confinement alienation Here it s turning movement into metaphor dance into poetry sound into substance Godspeed You A wonderfully energetic and accessible way to introduce people to contemporary dance Group Sales Contact Anika Vervecken Accessible PuSh access pushfestival ca 604 605 8284 ext 204 FNDC 37 Winter 2016

FNDC 38 Winter 2016

FNDC MEMBERSHIP FORM April 1 2016 March 31 2017 35 00 includes newsletters by MAIL update by e mail 10 00 includes newsletters updates by e mail ONLY WHICH TYPE OF MEMBERSHIP Voting Member Parent guardian of deaf hh child Non Voting Member Individual without deaf hh child Note voting members are parents legal guardians of a deaf hh child One vote per family Birth year of your deaf hh child ____ This helps with our program planning If you are unable to pay at this time please just let us know NAME ADDRESS CITY PROVINCE E MAIL TEL CELL POSTAL CODE Check if text only Note to receive FNDC email Please add fndc fndc ca and fndc shaw ca to your safe sender s list You will receive our email information via MAILCHIMP Please add Mailchimp to your safe sender s list too DONATIONS I would like to make a charitable donation of ____________ income tax receipts will be issued for donations over 10 00 Thank you for your continued support Chartiable Registration No 88622 5655 RR 0001 PAYMENT METHOD Visa MasterCard Cheque CHARGE CARD EXPIRY DATE MM YY SIGNATURE TOTAL AUTHORIZED PAYMENT Please make your cheque payable to FNDC Family Network for Deaf Children FNDC Family Network for Deaf Children PO Box 50075 South Slope RPO Burnaby BC V5J 5G3 Phone 604 684 1860 voice message Email fndc fndc ca Website www fndc ca FNDC 39 Winter 2016

FNDC is a non profit society S 33351 that was founded in March 1995 to bring together families of deaf children in British Columbia who share common concerns Federal Registered Charity Number 88622 5655 RR0001 Deaf Youth Today DYT is a program administered by FNDC D Y T What is FNDC all about Family Network for Deaf Children FNDC is a parent run non profit charitable organization supporting families with deaf and hard of hearing children that use sign language or are interested in learning sign language Even though technology and methodology have changed over the years we seek the wisdom of parents professionals and Deaf HH adults so that common themes of access equity and a sense of belonging continue to be highlighted in areas such as social recreation leadership education employment general services and community involvement What is Deaf Youth Today Deaf Youth Today DYT is FNDC s summer social recreational program and is committed to providing recreational experience and leadership opportunities for deaf and hard of hearing youth in British Columbia that use sign language for all or part of their communication or who are interested in learning sign language FNDC Board of Directors Hester Hussey Mentor Advisor Colleen Peterson President April Cowley Director Nicki Horton Director Karen Jackson Director Angie Keats Director Charlie Coyle Director Joy Santos Director Heather Ratzlaff Director Gwen Wong Director The Board of Directors are parents of deaf children Membership Paid Membership is open to those who support the goals of our Organization Our membership is open to individuals schools and organizations Parents guardians of deaf and hard of hearing children are eligible to vote Join Our E Mail List for free Join our email list for free and receive FNDC and DYT Staff Cecelia Klassen Executive Director cecelia fndc ca Our newsletter which is published four times a year Email Updates regarding upcoming workshops and courses children youth programs as well as community updates Bella Poato Executive Assistant accounting fndc ca Jason Berube Website Designer Developer webmaster fndc ca Alayna Finley DYT Coordinator alayna fndc ca Terry Maloney DYT Hornby Kids Camp Coordinator terry fndc ca Deaf Youth Today General Inquiry dyt fndc ca Contact Us Contact us below and be added to our email list or to request a membership form Family Network for Deaf Children P O Box 50075 South Slope RPO Burnaby BC V5J 5G3 604 684 1860 voice text message www fndc ca website fndc fndc ca e mail