2020_winter_nl_fndc : simplebooklet.com

WINTER Winter Feb 2020 FNDC values sharing information to deaf children families professionals and the communities that support them These events advertisements and or articles do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of FNDC or offer an endorsement Some Things Never Change Almost 30 years ago my daughter was diagnosed as deaf at the age of 3 months I experienced the supports and services or lack thereof in BC during those early years FNDC was formed to advocate for change for all families at the time and so that future generations would never go through what we did back in the 1990 s Since then as Executive Director of FNDC I continue to advocate and I also have the privilege of watching the next generation of deaf and hard of hearing children DHH grow up I have witnessed many changes through advocacy that now enhance the lives of DHH children and their families Thirty years ago parents of DHH children birth to age 5 had the 3 Early Intervention Programs offering services and support Then it was time for kindergarten and it was like we fell off the government services support cliff Since that time with FNDC the Deaf Community and many other organization s advocacy we have seen all of the above supports and services now accessible to DHH children and their families This is something to definitely CELEBRATE These positive changes affecting DHH children and their families have been made at a federal level RDSP s Video Relay Services as well as in several BC Ministries Health Children Family Development Sports and Advanced Education Now here is where the crabby mama advocate in me comes out In those 30 years the one area that hasn t changed for DHH children is Deaf Education Minor changes have been made but no significant changes In fact most of the same complaints from parents 30 years ago are exactly There weren t any other services for DHH children the same that parents have today in regard to education their families after our DHH children entered the K to 12 for their DHH children For years FNDC has advocated education system Here s the list of what we didn t have and asked for meetings We have had a few meetings but no changes were ever made Our letters submissions and No counselling for children youth or families reports on deaf education could fill up 2 jumbo boxes YET No ASL classes for parents free Deaf Education in BC just keeps slogging away with No Provincial Deaf Hard of Hearing Services PDHHS No Family Community Services FCS the same old model without a lot of improved results No funding for BC Deaf Sports Federation BCDSF Inter Same old Same old preting No Registered Disability Savings Plan RDSP No Video Relay Services VRS No Medical interpreting Services MIS No Newborn Hearing Screening EHP No free hearing aids for pre school age children No funding for Gallaudet University National Technical Institute for the Deaf No replacement Cochlear Implant processors Only 2 to 3 cochlear implants per year in BC for children with a very long complex selection process I have yet to see any BC statistics on what happens to DHH students after high school Do they graduate with a Dogwood Certificate or receive a Evergreen Certificate school completion certificate Do we know their literacy levels Do we know their language levels Do they use hearing aids cochlear implants or unaided Do they go on to Post Secondary work and or receive Disability benefits Note see below for definition of Twitter FNDCandDYT Facebook www facebook com fndc ca Evergreen Certificate

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The issues below are experienced by Lower Mainland DHH students but for school districts in other areas of BC particularly remote districts these issues are magnified significantly We need to be creative in serving ALL DHH students throughout British Columbia Not only is the old model not working and isn t equitable for all DHH children in BC It is getting worse not better Here are the issues that we need to think out of the box on According to the BC Ministry of Education there are approx 1200 DHH students in K to 12 This includes students with a mild hearing loss moderate loss as well as students who are profoundly deaf Is this current funding model working 40 of DHH kids have additional special needs they can only be funded in one category Are they in the DHH category and ignore the other unique needs or are they in the other special need category and their language needs ignored DHH students with additional special needs should be funded and supported in more than one category A funding model issue DHH student s language levels spoken and or signed should be assessed yearly to determine language development Chronic shortage of Teachers of the Deaf HH in BC and across Canada Itinerant Teacher of the Deaf HH are so scarce that some have 20 to 30 students on their caseload Direct instruction is not possible Some students in rural areas may only see a Teacher of the Deaf HH once a month Is that enough to meet a student s language and education needs Chronic shortage of Interpreters and an even more dire shortage of Interpreters willing to work in a school setting FYI pay rate is 50 less per hour than they make working anywhere else Districts hire Educational Assistants with very little language acquisition development experience or sign language fluency Unaffordable to live or relocate in the Lower Mainland for DHH child to attend the BC School for the Deaf And if you live in the Fraser Valley that may be 3 hours per day commuting Three Provincial Resource programs for DHH students in Langley and Sooke have been closed FNDC 2 Winter 2020 Students attending their neighbourhood schools as the only DHH student may miss out on meaningful inclusion with DHH peers and mentors Students at the School for the Deaf are with DHH peers and direct access to classroom curriculum through a Teacher of the Deaf HH but mainstreaming full time at the School for the Deaf doesn t fall into the current Provincial Resource Program funding model Again should the funding model change Provincial Outreach for DHH students POPDHH provides outreach services to school districts but parents are not allowed to request the services The School District must request the service Shouldn t this be an automatic service to every DHH student in BC and not be a district request How do DHH students with significant language delays or language deprivation access the same curriculum and learning outcomes as their hearing peers Language delays have a huge impact a student s learning I could keep typing but I ll stop so I don t overload you all That concludes my 30 year Deaf Ed rant It s time to make changes Cecelia From the BC Ministry of Education website Evergreen Certificate The School Completion Evergreen Certificate is intended to celebrate success in learning that is not recognized in a Certificate of Graduation Dogwood Diploma It is used to recognize the accomplishments of students with special needs and an Individual Education Plan who have met the goals of their education program other than graduation and not all students with special needs should be in an Evergreen Certificate Program The Evergreen Certificate is not a graduation credential students who receive an Evergreen have not graduated It is important that students and their parents clearly understand that the Evergreen represents the completion of personal learning goals but does not represent graduation

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2020 at Tribune Bay Outdoor Education Centre Hornby Island BC Thursday July 2nd to Sunday July 5th 2020 REGISTRATION WILL OPEN in MARCH Family Deaf Camp is for parents with deaf hard of hearing children and Deaf hard of hearing parents with their children This camp is designed for families that use sign language for all or part of their communication There is something for everyone and most of the programs will be interpreted The Tribune Bay Centre staff and DYT Deaf Youth Today staff will be offering family participation programs and activities for children and adults Some examples of programs include climbing on the tower hiking high ropes course stand up paddleboards beach fun games mystery hunts crafts kayaking marine tours 12 passenger boat campfire stories skits in ASL There will be some cabanas yurts and cabins on a first come first reserved basis Registration will open in March We will send out an email with all the details and will give you two week s advanced notice before camp registration opens so that registration will be fair for everyone Last year the camp was filled within the first week that registration was open and we began a waitlist Please make sure you are on our FNDC email list ie if you received this newsletter by email you are on our list To subscribe to our email list www fndc ca subscribe FNDC 4 Winter 2020

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Incidental Learning with Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students http www raisingandeducatingdeafchildren org 2019 10 04 incidental learning with deaf and hard of hearing students The issue The more full or immediate access there is to incidental information the more options are available to participate Moreover the participation would include assuming various roles in conversations rather than being limited to the bystanding role see diagram Such access provides opportunities for connectedness and knowledge reconstruction Accessing incidental learning opportunities influences how one perceives her his sense of community membership where s he can be more inquisitive and contributing or sharing ideas and talents Before reading this bulletin reflect and contemplate about how and where most of your learning is retained from or beyond classroom instruction How is knowledge constructed and accumulated General education school settings provide students access to formal learning or classroom instruction however informal and incidental learning opportunities outside the classroom are typically not accessible for deaf Those who have hearing privileges take informal and incidental learning for granted and may not realize the marginalization phenomenon that have been placed on deaf students because ongoing dynamic fluid surrounding conversations are spokenladen As such many deaf students are marginalized to the periphery of their school community becoming relegated to the role of bystanding not realizing how accessing incidental information impacts learning or development of knowledge home and continues within the community Ultimately incidental learning is a lifelong social and academic phenomenon Historically we have placed the problems associated with incidental learning on deaf children when the issue is actually a societal attitude Instead of focusing on what deaf individuals cannot do or have limited access to a better solution may be to conceptualize how we all can make the environment accessible for them What we don t know What we know Incidental learning results from external stimuli in surrounding interactions These stimuli are only attuned to for seconds and can be auditory visual or kinesthetic Information from these stimuli are either tuned out stored consciously stored subconsciously or attended to and may be comprehended in the moment or at a later time The learning takes place when these stimuli are understood by associating them with prior new knowledge Ultimately those who have access have choices for participation There are three fundamental criteria that distinguish the differences between formal informal and incidental learning which are the type of environment the existence of an agenda or plan and the existence of an audience Formal learning naturally occurs in a structured environment with an agenda or plan and with an audience In contrast informal learning typically occurs in a loosely or non structured environment with or without an agenda or plan and with an audience Incidental learning is ubiquitous yet situated contextual and social without an agenda plan and without an audience For some time we have addressed the issues of accessibility during formal instruction but the access issue continues beyond the formal instruction Accessing incidental learning opportunities can boost literacy and vocabulary development Access to incidental learning fosters an individual s fund of knowledge starting at There is still a need to research and document incidental learning opportunities for deaf individuals of hearing parents and deaf students living in areas without access to Deaf language models and community Furthermore there is a need to investigate the impact of Deaf space or ASL immersion schools or programs on incidental learning opportunities Can technology interventions provide equal access to incidental learning opportunities What kind of impact can support service providers SSPs provide for incidental learning opportunities outside classroom instruction Lastly dialogues should be encouraged to examine the relationships between language deprivation and incidental learning opportunities Implications Accessing incidental learning involves an accumulation of knowledge This inconclusive list of awareness or skills are enhanced when incidental learning opportunities are accessible Negotiating Finance Management College Career Planning Health Literacy Leadership Local Global Issues Problem Solving Relationships Social Maturity Parents teachers SSPs and administrators should engage in discussions during Individual Education Program IEP meetings and request that accessible incidental learning opportunities should be created beyond classroom instruction Such decisions cannot be based on staff availability funding or convenience Considerations should include hiring qualified Deaf and hard of hearing personnel and promoting environments that would encourage a critical mass of deaf students where there are more opportunities for members to share a common intelligible and accessible language A strategy might be an implementation of a center program where deaf students from neighboring districts converge deaf is used here to refer to all deaf and hard of hearing people regardless of hearing abilities or language preferences Posted on Oct 4 2019 by Mindy J Hopper National Technical Institute for the Deaf mjhnce rit edu Editor s note This post was originally published Oct 4 2019 and was updated for language and clarity on Nov 15 2019 Further reading Oliva G A Lytle L R Hopper M Ostrove J M 2016 From social periphery to social centrality Building social capital for deaf and hard of hearing students in the 21st century In M Marschark V Lampropoulou E K Skordilis Eds Diversity in deaf education New York NY Oxford University Press Use QR app to scan or use iPhone camera FNDC 5 Winter 2020

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Learning Language by Eye or by Ear An Online Course February 3 March 3 2020 v Go beyond baby signs to understanding how babies acquire language Discover the multilingual world of babies in this 25 day online course taught by Dr Deborah Chen Pichler Learning Language by Eye or by Ear introduces educators parents interpreters aspiring linguists caretakers and sign language users to the basics of language acquisition and developmental milestones of babies and toddlers from birth to 36 months Dr Pichler conducts the course in both English and American Sign Language This online course is self paced You can log into the online course room and do the work at your convenience evenings weekends during the day before established deadlines The course does not require real time classes Interaction will take place via email discussion boards chat rooms video conferencing and other forums PREREQUISITE High school diploma or GED TUITION 296 plus 35 application fee RID CMP Gallaudet University is an approved RID CMP sponsor for continuing education activities This Professional Studies program is offered for 1 5 CEUs and 1 professional studies credit Debbie Chen Pichler joined the Department of Linguistics at Gallaudet in 2001 Her teaching and research focus is on language acquisition by Deaf and CODA children L1 acquisition and adult learners of sign languages L2 acquisition Please view Dr Pichler s webcast discussion of the neurolinguistic benefits of early exposure to visual language for all babies at https tinyurl com beyond baby signs Registration deadline January 30 2020 For more information or to register www gallaudet edu ccoe learning language CENTER FOR CONTINUING AND ONLINE EDUCATION FNDC 7 Winter 2020

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Provincial Family Services Provincial Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services For families who have school aged deaf hard of hearing and deafblind children Winter 2020 PFS offers a full range of programs and services Family and Parent Support Children and Youth Services and Language Development We provide services in individualized or group settings Our programs vary every season however if any of the programs below do not work for you and your family please contact us at fs gov bc ca for general inquiries or service requests Save the Date In Person American Sign Language Classes When Thursdays Jan 23 Mar 12 2020 Time 5 00 pm 6 00 pm Where PDHHS 4334 Victory Street Burnaby Who Adults only No Children s Program Intermediate Level 1 Families Learning Together FLT Family Immersion at PDHHS July 19 24 2020 in Burnaby When Tuesdays January 28 March 17 2020 Time 6 00 pm 7 00 pm Where PDHHS 4334 Victory Street Burnaby Who Parents and Children together All Levels Welcome Online American Sign Language Classes Introductory ASL Mondays January 20 March 9 6 30 7 30pm Beginner I Mondays January 20 March 9 8 00 9 00pm Beginner II Tuesdays January 21 March 10 6 30 7 30 Beginner III Tuesdays January 21 March 10 8 00 9 00pm Intermediate I Thursdays January 23 March 12 6 15 7 15pm Youth Programs OUTREACH FAMILIES If you are interested in registering your Deaf or Hard of Hearing Child with Deaf Youth Today during their Summer program and would like to stay at Victory Hill please email fs gov bc ca When Fridays January 24 February 28 2020 Time 12 00 pm 2 00 pm Where PDHHS 4334 Victory Street Burnaby Who Youth 18 24 Need help with preparing for job search Join this group for information and resources Registration Deadline January 16 2020 at FS gov bc ca Provincial Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services FS gov bc ca www gov bc ca deafandhardofhearing FNDC 9 Winter 2020

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Hi Dear Campers of CDYLC 2020 Welcome to our 7th Canadian Deaf Youth Leadership Camp in Surrey BC I am very excited that the camp is now open to register For the past two years the DYC board and the CDYLC team have been working hard in preparing to host the 7th CDYLC camp in Surrey BC This camp is a great chance for Deaf youths to meet old friends and create new friends I promise this camp will offer you the tools and knowledge on becoming a potential leader through workshops and activities during the camp I hope this camp will bring you joy rich learning experiences and unforgettable memories together Our goal is to continue connecting Deaf Canadians from across Canada coast to coast We wish to maintain our passion in resolving Deaf related issues and to create opportunities for our future Deaf leaders I appreciate your time and participation in this camp This camp won t be made possible without you and the work done by our DYC board and CDYLC team Deaf Youth Canada DYC is a non profit organization under the Canadian Association of the Deaf Association des Sourds du Canada CAD ASC in emphasis with the goal of raising awareness to the broader Deaf youth community about our Deaf leadership and our beautiful sign languages HISTORY Deaf Youth Canada DYC was established by a group of Deaf youth leaders in 2008 They organized and hosted its first biennial Canadian Deaf Youth Leadership Camp CDYLC in Sylvan Lake Alberta in the summer of 2008 Although there were camps for Deaf youth in the past across Canada the CDYLC 2008 was the first ever to be run by Deaf youth only The motto of DYC is By youth for youth about youth Since then DYC is proud to have had hosted six successful camps since 2008 These camps came with fantastic support from our Deaf youth leaders MISSION Deaf Youth Canada DYC is hosting the 7th biennial Canadian Deaf Youth Leadership Camp CDYLC The camp is run by DYC and is to be held in Surrey British Columbia in 2020 Our mission is to give Canadian Deaf youth between the ages of 18 to 30 the ability to become leaders that strengthen and preserve our Deaf community Deaf culture and languages American Sign Language ASL and Langue des Signes Quebecoise LSQ for generations to come All the best Kamil Burnat President Deaf Youth Canada FNDC 11 Winter 2020

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The Importance of Deaf Role Models http www raisingandeducatingdeafchildren org 2019 10 04 the importance of deaf role models The Issue We know that all children need role models Role models are critical for children s social emotional development as well as development of a positive self image When children lack role models with whom they can identify they are statistically more likely to have low self esteem to perceive themselves as having limited social and vocational options and are even more likely to drop out of high school or what it is like to live with deafness Deaf role models can ease parents fears and share positive life experiences inform families of upcoming Deaf events provide access to a support network give real life examples about self advocacy and to provide authentic opportunity to practice sign language Some states have adopted Communication Plans as a part of a deaf child s IEP identifying a student s access to similar role models will help to ensure that the whole child s needs are being considered What We Know The majority of children s role models are adults that are a part of their everyday lives for example family members family friends teachers and coaches For most children these people are likely to be people that they can readily identify with in terms of gender race religion and or other traits For deaf or hard of hearing children this can be a challenge It is crucial for parents and educators to recognize the importance of identifying role models who can exemplify living life with a hearing loss Deaf children benefit from seeing how deaf adults navigate the day to day in their world for example how they request a captioning device at a movie theatre what strategies they use to navigate a bank or fast food drive thru how they handle rude stares or questions from wellmeaning people at the grocery store Because students subconsciously develop schemas for their daily lives based on what they see the adults in their lives do it is ideal that deaf children have access to deaf adults on an informal basis Most deaf children have parents that are hearing Many hearing parents fear that while they can make informed decisions regarding their deaf child s education and or language choices they feel at a loss when it comes to the intangibles FNDC 12 Winter 2020 While it is important to consider the need for deaf children to have access to similar peers it is equally as important to think about similar role models At minimum families and educators are encouraged to consider deaf children s access to deaf adults and to forge opportunities for them to interact Seek teachers medical practitioners religious leaders even simply guest speakers who are deaf Find local deaf community events and summer camp opportunities for deaf children By providing access to role models with whom deaf children can readily identify parents and educators ensure that these children are more likely to develop the tools and strategies that they will need in order to navigate the world What We Don t Know Posted on Oct 4 2019 by Daphne Werner Delaware School for the Deaf daphne werner christina k12 de usT While there is research that can tell us about the importance of role models for children and about the potential impact of a lack of role models there is not much to tell us how to purposefully seek a role model or really a community of potential role models Further reading Implications Goldblat E and Most T 2018 Cultural Identity of Young Deaf Adults with Cochlear Implants in Comparison to Deaf without Cochlear Implants and Hard of Hearing Young Adults Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education 23 228 239 view details The people in our children s lives are going to be the pool from which they seek and identify their role models Deaf children without a schema or model from which to emulate while developing their own views and feelings about their hearing status are more likely to view deafness as a deficit a flaw as something insurmountable Nikolaraizi M and Hadjikakou K 2006 The role of educational experiences in the development of deaf identity Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education 11 477 492 view details

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A Mother s Reflection Submitted by Claire LeBlanc A year ago the FNDC Winter Newsletter published an article I wrote in tribute to my deceased Deaf daughter Luce Victoria LeBlanc in which I described my experiences in raising a Deaf child My daughter was a graduate of the Deaf Children s Society of B C preschool in 1991 a graduate of the B C Provincial School for the Deaf in 2004 and a graduate of Gallaudet University in Washington D C in 2014 where she graduated with a double major in English and Theatre Luce passed away somewhat unexpectedly at the age of 32 on October 15 2018 due to rare lung diseases She was my only child and family member and we were very close and shared a unique and special bond I was not only her mother but also her interpreter teacher and friend A great deal has happened in the last year and I want to share an update I hope that my words will be encouraging to parents of Deaf children and others I want to emphasize the value of American Sign Language ASL and the Deaf community I want to offer hope that your Deaf children will have wonderful opportunities to live rich meaningful and fulfilling lives I am only now beginning to settle the details of my daughter s passing and her estate However there is still more for me to do I am determined to publish Luce s writing and to see through the establishment of the Memorial Scholarship in her name at Gallaudet University I continue to remain on a medical leave from my high school teaching position due to ongoing health issues some of which are related to my prior cancer diagnosis I also suffer from depressive disorder a condition which has worsened due to my having to move last August and other challenges including coping with the intense grief of losing my precious only child Luce was a mover and shaker in the Deaf community and she was very much loved in fact I had no idea of how much she was actually loved and respected in the Deaf and the wider communities until she passed away She made a significant impact on so many She was a leader and a tremendous advocate for those who are oppressed a warrior for social justice When Luce passed away her professors at Gallaudet contacted me to say that they wanted to establish a scholarship in her name and I am happy to announce that Gallaudet University has now received the five thousand in USD payment that was needed to set up an Endowment fund so that an ongoing Memorial Scholarship can be permanently implemented The five thousand dollars was raised via a GoFundMe campaign A founding donor myself was needed in the first phase of fundraising to provide five thousand US dollars for an Endowment fund so that the Memorial Scholarship can become an ongoing one During the second phase of fundraising tax receipts for donations will be issued and an additional twentyfive thousand in USD needs to be raised within five years so that the Memorial Scholarship in Luce s name at Gallaudet University will continue to help like minded students at Gallaudet University a place where Luce came into her own She will continue to inspire and to do good through the establishment of this scholarship indeed it brings me great satisfaction to know that Luce s legacy will keep paying it forward by continuing to help the Deaf community through the establishment of this scholarship The link to the Endowment fund is as follows https www gallaudet edu leblanc I feel that the Deaf community in B C will be particularly proud to see one of their own honored with this scholarship at Gallaudet In addition to arranging the setting up of the Endowment fund I attended a writers festival in Calgary in August and Luce attended this same festival with me in 2014 This conference was a very worthwhile experience and I learned a great deal which will assist me in publishing Luce s writing She was a gifted writer and poet Luce was born in London England and she held dual citizenship in Canada and the United States For approximately the last three years of her life Luce lived and worked in Seattle Washington where she was very active in the Deaf community She worked for an organization that helps Deaf women and also worked part time assisting Deaf clients with additional disabilities Luce also served on the board of Deaf Spotlight an organization dedicated to the Deaf arts In addition Luce worked as a stage manager and a costume designer she was a strong leader in the Deaf community and a frequent vlogger and blogger I am pleased to report that I attended a play in Seattle on August 24th 2019 that was dedicated to Luce It was an amazing production by Sound Theatre Company called peeling by British playwright Kaite O Reilly and it was the premiere U S performance It received rave reviews and is a ground breaking work on so many levels especially regarding its ideas in regards to women s issues and disability issues In 2018 Luce met with the director Teresa Thuman and she auditioned for the role of Alfa a Deaf character who is one of the three actresses in the play The talented Deaf actress who ended up playing the character of Alfa Michelle Schaefer knew and loved my daughter and she dedicated her performance to Luce The performance was absolutely amazing I attended the play on closing night and it was a magical experience The program paid homage to Luce and an article in the program quoted Luce s comments about the play I am grateful that I was introduced to this play It has left a significant impression because it has been a little over a week and peeling is still lingering on with me I love it when I encounter a work that really makes me think and touches upon the right places in my creative spirit Thank you so much for this opportunity and have a great weekend Prior to the performance of this play I attended the Deaf Spotlight awards ceremony also in Seattle on May 18th Here Luce was posthumously awarded the Patron of the Arts award which I accepted on her behalf AccomFNDC 13 Winter 2020

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plished Deaf actor Howie Seago was one of the other two recipients honored at this ceremony We both gave speeches and I was presented with the beautiful artwork of Kellie Martin who designed an avatar of Luce Luce was honoured again at a gala held on November 2nd 2019 in Seattle The Gala was a fundraiser which is held annually by Luce s former employer ADWAS Abused Deaf Women s Advocacy Services where Luce worked as an assistant program developer and assisted with the previous ADWAS galas I was asked to attend this gala and to give a speech which I did and it was truly inspiring to see the good things that are happening in the Deaf community and the power of a community that works together for the good of all It is heartwarming to realize how dearly loved my daughter was and to see how she touched so many hearts and souls so deeply I continue to be inspired by and grateful for the ongoing expressions of love and respect for my daughter She was indeed a special soul who touched many lives and she is dearly missed by many I would like to share the poem which I wrote for Luce one night in ICU at the hospital in Philadelphia when it became more evident that things were not going well for her There is a reference to the poem Ithaca a poem which Luce greatly loved and in which life is spoken of as a journey rather than a destination There is also a reference to a famous line from Hamlet We defy augury Luce performed the role of The Gravedigger in Hamlet at Gallaudet University and that line was meaningful to both of us Luce was also an accomplished fencer I was comforted knowing that Luce was able to read my poem before she transcended She said she loved it Let There Be Light I will never forget The moment our eyes first met You lay on your belly On my chest And gazed in wonder At my face and eyes So curiously you examined me I smiled and said I m your mummy And our world was created Let there be light FNDC 14 Winter 2020 I remember thinking when you were one That Heaven s light shone in your eyes And I would die to win that prize You brought meaning To a soul lost in a sea of confusion I found myself and my purpose in life I found my pearl of great price When I gazed into your eyes Being your mother is my destiny And together we defy augury You face your battle sword at side Oh how my heart swells up in pride And how it beats just like a drum To see the person you ve become You are so stoic indeed heroic A beacon of light To all those who sail at night You enter harbours never before seen And understand what these Ithacas mean The hero s journey is no myth no story I see you in all your glory It is very fitting that Gallaudet University establish a memorial scholarship in Luce s name at the institution that she loved so much where she came into her own found her identity and where she found her purpose in life in serving the Deaf Now that the Endowment fund has been set up I am working with Jonathan Cetrano Annual Giving Specialist Gallaudet University Office of Development Jonathan will assist me as we move forward and as mentioned earlier he has now set up a website or giving page www gallaudet edu leblanc Pursuant to the donation of five thousand dollars to Gallaudet I received a letter from the President of Gallaudet University Roberta Cordana which was addressed to myself and my ex husband In this letter Dr Cordana expresses thanks for the donation that was made by myself as I am the founding donor However this thanks is also owed to all of the kind and generous people who donated to the GoFundMe campaign I was so touched by Dr Cordano s heartfelt personal note that she wrote by hand Thank you for letting Victoria s legacy and the deep love so many people have for her live on through supporting the future of many other students at Gallaudet This is an example of the transformative power of love I thank God that I was given such an amazing and loving daughter who did so much good while she was here on Earth and who in turn was loved so much by so many I want to acknowledge the Gallaudet professors who proposed the scholarship and who worked hard to see through the setting up of the Endowment fund They even donated to the fund from their own pockets these profs included Ethan Sinnott Jill Bradbury Jennifer Nelson Paige Franklin Pia Taavilla Borsheim and Miako Villanueva among others In fact I was deeply moved by the response I had to the GoFundMe campaign that raised the Endowment funds Such amazing support from the Deaf community as well as the larger community has been heart warming and generous It was at Gallaudet that Luce found happiness fulfillment lasting friendships and her calling in serving the Deaf community One professor who donated five hundred dollars told me that Luce was not in any of her classes but that she knew her and that she was phenomenal Another donor commented that Luce was a force to be reckoned with on campus That force will continue at Gallaudet in a very tangible way in the establishment of the Memorial Scholarship I am humbled by the support I have received especially from the Deaf community While I am happy that the scholarship will honour my daughter I am also very happy that the scholarship will benefit the Deaf community by promoting the arts and by providing opportunities Luce would be so happy to see the establishment of this scholarship in her name so that her legacy will keep paying it forward If interested in donating to the Gallaudet Memorial Scholarship please click on the link www gallaudet edu leblanc or contact and feel free to contact myself Claire LeBlanc and or Jonathan Cetrano Jonathan Cetrano gallaudet edu leblanc45 gmail com

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School for deaf takes kids into woods for nature based learning https www santafenewmexican com news adventure school for deaf takes kids into woods for nature based article_f4abb924 1d32 11ea aedb 4fd4cc00397b html First they say hello to the trees Then they re adorned with yellow green vests Then after a brief period of instruction they scatter The seven 4 year olds are off dispersing across their forested classroom in Santa Fe National Forest near Hyde Memorial State Park There is plenty to keep the kids occupied Some look for wooden numbers that have been hidden within their boundaries marked by an elastic orange cord Others climb logs and take turns hanging from branches And a few congregate on a blanket with a dozen or so picture books including one featuring yoga poses they seem to know well The kids and the adults supervising them are part of the New Mexico School for the Deaf Forest Day Learning program Marisa Soboleski coordinator of the initiative said the school has been conducting the program for four years and that each participating class spends a few hours in the forest every two weeks The initiative is run throughout the school year including during the winter for kids in preschool through kindergarten at the Santa Fe and Albuquerque campuses Soboleski added that the program is the only one of its kind she s aware of among deaf schools She said the initiative exposes deaf and hard ofhearing kids to learning opportunities they might not otherwise get A lot of people are overly protective with deaf and disabled kids and so they miss a lot of incidental learning in their lives generally speaking Soboleski said And so the forest program is a great opportunity for us to discuss things like that and problem solve Kids are encouraged to take risks within reason she said For example she said she likes to see the children climbing trees and testing whether a particular branch will hold their weight The adults present typically Soboleski the teacher of the class and a teacher s aide will help if necessary FNDC 18 Winter 2020 she said but they try to allow the kids to rely on themselves and one another notice a change in their kids after they ve participated in the program Looking at the kids running around in the forest Soboleski explained that having time for play is important Parents see their children be more involved more motivated he said Maybe they go home and they want to go out more with their families Sometimes children are afraid of these types of things If they re not as confident as they want to be after a couple of sessions they develop that confidence Often adults look at play and think it s frivolous like oh they re just playing she said But playing is full of developmental learning and it is a very powerful tool Information is retained much more deeply Mohan said with the busyness of everyday life it s important for NMSD to create opportunities to be in the wilderness Nowadays kids don t have as many opportunities to get out and experience nature he said Their parents are working more and schedules don t permit going outside as much as they used to Soboleski added that studies have shown kids who are exposed to the outdoors at a young age are more likely to value taking care of the Earth Specifically researchers at Cornell University found that kids under the age of 11 who spend time doing activities in wilderness settings such as hiking or camping displayed more pro environment attitudes as adults than those who did not Kim Hand a pre K teacher at NMSD said in addition to play learning from the classroom is incorporated into the forest program I m studying numbers with them and so I asked Could you integrate numbers in some way Hand said The result was an idea to hide wooden numbers and for kids to report which numbers they found Hand added that when her class is out in nature she s noticed a reduction in negative feelings saying the opportunity for forest play can help them work through some of those emotions Scott Mohan principal of NMSD s early childhood program said parents of students in the forest program are enthusiastic He said they often At the site near Hyde Memorial State Park the day s forest learning session is wrapping up Soboleski corrals the kids toward a blanket There she begins ladling apple juice into paper cups Some of the kids jostle knocking over items Soboleski tells them whoever can be the quietest gets juice first Three kids sitting near the front of the blanket are immediately quiet and still After everyone has had something to drink Soboleski asks them to draw their favorite part of being out in the forest that day Their scribbled crayon lines depict trees and other scenes Then it s time for the closing ritual Let s say goodbye to the trees Soboleski says

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The Best Kept Secret for Parents Of Deaf Children Mark Drolsbaugh Contributor From https www huffpost com entry the best kept secret for parents of deaf children_b_10739682 I recently had the honor of doing a keynote presentation at the National Counselors of the Deaf Association conference It was the first time in a while that I had presented to a predominantly Deaf audience The topic was Madness in the Mainstream based on the book of the same name There s a reason I say LRE actually stands for Legislators Ruined Everything The presentation focused on how Deaf mainstreamed students fly under the radar at their respective programs doing well academically but struggling in other key areas that teachers and administrators might overlook Why don t more people in mainstream society seek out the services of Deaf professionals Deaf role models and Deaf mentors They are the best kept secret for parents of Deaf children If you really want to know what it s like to be Deaf ask a Deaf person There s so much we can tell you Mainstreamed Deaf students put in a lot of effort to succeed They have a vast array of survival skills that help them get through the day But no matter how well they pull this off they still have to deal with gaps in incidental learning meaningful relationships and self esteem There s also the stigma that comes with being That Deaf Guy if you happen to be the only Deaf person in your school Most mainstreamed Deaf students willingly go through this Based on perceived attitudes from teachers classmates families and medical professionals they internalize the belief that it s entirely their responsibility to assimilate into the Hearing World Sometimes when it gets too frustrating they actually fake it They ll utilize clever strategies such as social bluffing This takes an incredible amount of hard work And many of these kids don t realize how hard they re working because they don t have a frame of reference they ve never had the opportunity to be in a one hundred percent accessible classroom with other Deaf kids At most of my presentations I m greeted afterwards with Thank you for sharing that Audiences are surprised when they find out how misinterpretation of Least Restrictive Environment in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act IDEA has pushed Deaf education in the wrong direction But with a Deaf audience at the NCDA conference I was besieged with an entirely different reaction OH MY GOD I went through exactly the same thing The Deaf professionals in the audience knew precisely where I was coming from They had lived it Unfortunately the vast majority of parents who have Deaf children don t get the opportunity to connect with the Deaf community Instead they encounter medical professionals who focus primarily on auditory verbal training Which is frustrating because auditory verbal training is just one aspect of the Whole Deaf Child If you give us the opportunity to share our knowledge and expertise it becomes easier for the next generation to navigate through life s inevitable roadblocks One of the best resources of them all is Turning the Tide Making Life Better for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Schoolchildren by Deaf authors Dr Gina Oliva and Dr Linda Lytle It s the most comprehensive book on issues affecting mainstreamed Deaf students Read it and you ll gain a full understanding of what it s like to be a Deaf child in today s school system It s a must read for parents teachers educational administrators and those aforementioned legislators who ruined everything Awareness is the first step towards positive change There are so many Deaf people working hard to create this awareness Oliva Lytle and Poynter are just the tip of the iceberg Check them out as well as countless others who share the same message We re here and it s time to turn the tide Yes there s more to it than that Lots more Soon after the NCDA conference I came across a powerful video by Rikki Poynter a dynamic 24 year old woman who only recently came to terms with her Deaf identity The video hit me to my very core My reaction OH MY GOD I went through exactly the same thing Rikki s experience at age 24 is uncannily similar to what I went through many moons ago when I was 23 Which begs the question Why do we have to wait so long to find ourselves When you take an entirely pathological approach to deafness the goal is fixing the ears I get that But this approach comes with a price As I said in my presentation Their minds are so full of who they want us to be they don t see who we really are If you want to unlock the full potential of Deaf children the quickest path is to connect them with other Deaf people Deaf people from all walks of life It s as simple as that We have gone through what your child is going through now FNDC 19 Winter 2020

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Why SD school districts struggle to teach deaf and hard of hearing children https www aberdeennews com news why sd school districts struggle to teach deaf and hard article_1e0345de 3175 11ea 81a9 873e7a397f0c html Shawna Diedrich emptied tote after tote onto the living room carpet of her blue and gray house She sat in the middle of the floor on a summer night in 2018 surrounded by years of her son s school work A former military brat she didn t like the clutter If there was something she didn t use anymore she had been raised to toss it out or give it to someone else in need For whatever reason something inside call it a gut instinct a mother s intuition told her to keep these papers Shawna had just learned her 12 year old son Trey Diedrich who is deaf and uses cochlear implants had passed into middle school in the Mitchell School District with a third grade reading level Looking closer at the handwriting on his assignments it was clear paraprofessionals and educators were at times even doing school work for him That night she realized her son s school was failing him Trey wasn t getting the education promised to him by federal law and he wasn t alone If I wasn t woken up to everything that was sideways Trey would have graduated with a third grade reading level Shawna said A Sioux Falls Argus Leader investigation found schools across South Dakota struggle and sometimes refuse to provide the services deaf and hard of hearing children need That lack of support is one piece of a greater puzzle in which state leaders overall have ignored the needs of deaf and hard of hearing students for decades leaving them at risk of falling through the cracks and like Trey failing to get the education promised to them Money shouldn t be a problem but it is The federal government hasn t delivered on promised special education funding in South Dakota for about 40 years according to a Senate Concurrent Resolution passed earlier this year That lack of funding contributed to the state s dismantling of the South Dakota School for the Deaf during the last two decades sending students instead to their local school districts for deaf education services Schools struggle though to pay for those services A sign language interpreter for FNDC 20 Winter 2020 Districts often rely on the School for the Deaf as the intermediary between school district staff and families to provide services such as training for teachers and technological assistance But the School for the Deaf does not provide interpreters and even if districts can afford them there are only about 20 certified in schools today There are also only six certified deaf educators in South Dakota schools example can cost anywhere from 40 000 to 50 000 per year The federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act states a lack of funding can t be an excuse for schools to deny services but in reality the money isn t always there That law also gives schools the primary responsibility for determining what services are appropriate for students School districts get about 16 260 per deaf and hard of hearing child and nearly 30 000 is allocated for each child with multiple disabilities which can include a hearing loss State lawmakers are looking to increase that amount in 2020 according to special education interim legislative committee meetings this summer It s important to note that although there s a dollar amount attributed to a disability category that is not what is spent on a student who is deaf or hard of hearing said Linda Turner the special education director for the South Dakota Department of Education There is no cap on what school districts can spend said Mary Stadick Smith the deputy secretary of education We have much greater needs for staffing and serving students No one knows definitively how many deaf and hard of hearing children are in South Dakota For two decades the state education department has never recognized more than an estimated 150 students with a hearing loss significant enough to receive special education services At least another 50 deaf and hard of hearing students annually since 2014 have been put in a different special education category not specific to hearing loss But those numbers miss students who don t fit into those categories but still need help Those kids then rely on the School for the Deaf s outreach services which are expected to have 650 students enrolled by 2021 The Bon Homme School District has had to ask the state for special education extraordinary cost funds to support the use of an interpreter for the last 15 years special education coordinator Barb Linguist said The running joke around the office she said has been the district would get better funding and support from the state if it was renamed to Bon Homme Correctional For some districts supporting deaf education is simply not a priority In the Aberdeen School District which has one of the few certified deaf educators and at least four certified interpreters the challenge still comes down to finding enough qualified individuals Superintendent Becky Guffin said We have much greater needs for staffing and serving students that outweigh the concerns and challenges with deaf education Guffin said Trey hears about half of the words spoken to him in a normal situation with background noise That s with both cochlear implants If he wears one implant he hears only about 20 according to a speech discrimination test prompted by what Shawna found in the totes That floored me Shawna said This poor kid is now hearing part of your sentence and in his head he s got to guess the rest of it Several times Shawna requested a sign language interpreter for Trey so he could pick up on more than half of what his teachers were saying Mitchell school officials sometimes did not even document those asks according to emails about his special education paperwork but the district ultimately honored her request in spring Trey was also denied other resources for several years before asking for an interpreter including an FM system to help him process background noise his records show

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Meanwhile Trey was punished for using sign language in the school cafeteria by a teacher who thought he was throwing gang signs and he got detention for not responding to an administrator who yelled at him when he was facing away and couldn t see or hear her Mitchell School District Superintendent Joseph Graves refused to comment about Trey s situation despite having legal permission from Shawna to discuss Trey s education plan Graves also declined to allow other staff or administrators to speak to the Argus Leader and he refused to allow the Argus Leader into the public school s classroom to observe and photograph what class was like for Trey However Shawna braced for the fight She knew her son was a smart normal kid If he could learn in a language he understood he would be fine I m not going to let him be held back she said We re going to get it done the right way The Argus Leader found at least three state complaints by parents the latest of which was filed in October and at least two complaints to the U S Department of Education Office for Civil Rights Those complaints paired with a classaction lawsuit filed 10 years ago on behalf of 400 deaf families concerned about South Dakota s lack of resources for deaf and hard of hearing students have never resulted in an overall state investigation into deaf education gaps homeroom in a half circle of desks facing a large TV screen that projected the district s plan for Trey s accommodations and specialized instruction The meetings about his needs were only supposed to happen annually and they typically involved a variety of people including The district s special education director A speech pathologist Advocates Teachers Even the superintendent at one point This one though was the fifth or sixth for the 2018 19 school year and Shawna came armed with an attorney from Disability Rights South Dakota The state has ignored the chance there s an overarching problem The state has options for parents to file a grievance about their child s education like a state complaint or request for a due process hearing and state education officials conduct annual accountability reviews for each school district on a five year cycle Only individual complaints are investigated And when parents complain about cracks in the system state officials note there s no evidence of a bigger problem We don t want any students to fall through the cracks obviously but that s a term that gets thrown around without any real data to back it up School for the Deaf Superintendent Marje Kaiser said Those reviews are meant to make sure districts are compliant If a district is found not to be the department gives a corrective action plan the district must complete within a year Stadick Smith said But officials won t say how often those plans include issues specific to deaf education Shawna decided not to file a formal complaint She worried it could cause retaliation and make life more difficult for her son something she d been warned of by other parents Instead she chose to keep the fight local and in mid spring it all came to a head Shawna was sitting in her son s The meeting started with a speech pathologist alleging Trey was doing well until Shawna took away his ears referring to when Trey opted in October 2018 not to wear his cochlear implants to prove he needed an interpreter The protest lasted three weeks Shawna boiled over Her voice rose I said Go get my son and ask him who made him deaf Shawna said He took his own implants off but he is deaf Implants are just a tool Him having a third grade reading level in sixth grade is not doing well by my standards at all She didn t give administrators or educators a chance to chime in That s when her attorney intervened He cut the conversation short and told the district That s it He is deaf Move on Deal with it 2020 Scholarship The 2020 Scholarship Program is Open for Applications This program was established by the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association in 2002 and to date we have awarded over 50 000 00 to help students with hearing loss with their post secondary studies CHHA now has four scholarships within its program 1 Carrell Hearn Memorial Scholarship 2 Dr Charles A Laszlo Scholarship 3 Frank Algar Memorial Scholarship 4 Susan Brown Memorial Scholarship Online applications are now being accepted The deadline for applications for the 2020 academic year is April 3 2020 All applications must be submitted by 5 00 pm EST Application link https www chha ca get involved scholarships FNDC 21 Winter 2020

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Work for PLAN Join a passionate group striving to create a more inclusive community https plan ca about our team join our team PLAN is looking for Community Connectors in Vancouver New Westminster Coquitlam Maple Ridge Burnaby and Langley to build networks with people with disabilities and those who are experiencing social isolation This is a part time flexible position that requires a time commitment of 4 18 hours per month Community Connectors are personal network facilitators who connect people with one another and the community If you find yourself naturally introducing people to each other believe that everyone has gifts and contributions to share and are passionate about your community then this is the role for you PLAN supports people to build their personal support networks Our belief is that we are all happier safer and more secure when surrounded by a network of people who love and care about us Community Connectors are facilitators who help people nurture the relationships in their lives while adding to their circle of friends They make it easy to get together like a trip to the beach a concert or a poker night with family and friends and attend events in the community to help with the introductions to others in the group and meeting new people Connectors also assist in initial meetings of new friends then get to watch as connections grow naturally A few times a year Networks also come together for planning meetings to ensure that the person that they care about is recognized for the gifts and contribution that they are empowered in their decision making have a place to call home financial security and a well planned future This work involves Spending time in the community with the person we match you with exploring gifts interests and ways to get involved Recognizing potential connections with others and then nurturing them Helping the person start those first awkward conversations then fading into the background so that relationships can unfold naturally Organizing and hosting fun events where friends can get together and enjoy one another s company Nurturing relationships by valuing everyone s involvement and contribution big and small Inviting family and friends new and old to become integral members of an individual s personal support network Facilitating planning meetings to mobilize the networks involvement ensuring that the person can live a good life in community and that their families can have peace of mind Does this work excite you If so then we would like to meet you Requirements Connects easily and naturally with other people Sees the gifts rather than the deficits of others Has mature judgment about working with people Is a self starter in communications and is able to respond innovatively in complex situations with diverse groups of people Has strong oral written and organizational skills with attention to detail Comfortable with technology for communication and record keeping Demonstrated links and involvement in their own community Ability to commit for at least one year Personal and professional references Current valid police check Rate of Pay 25 00 hour Please send your resume to Rebecca Pauls at rpauls plan ca FNDC 22 Winter 2020

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New program in Saskatoon having positive impact on deaf and hard of hearing preschoolers https globalnews ca news 4752539 preschoolers deaf hard of hearing saskatoon regina An early learning pilot program for preschool aged children who are deafand hard of hearing recently opened in Saskatoon and Regina The program Children Communicating Connecting and in Community is operated by Saskatchewan Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services and is aimed at reducing communication barriers In Bree Sproule and Alyson Hein s classroom at St Therese of Lisieux School the learning dynamic is a bit different As a deaf person I m going to be using ASL American Sign Language full time and then the assistant is here so she can speak said lead teacher Bree Sproule speaking through an interpreter It s an opportunity for them to socialize get some exposure to ASL as well as exposure to English and giving the option to use whatever language they are feeling comfortable with When the program launched in September they had a lot of ideas We didn t have anything to start with Sproule said Kids are coming in with not a lot of language they don t understand about deaf culture Like most preschools it s a place to learn through play and develop basic interaction skills but it incorporates that culture as well It has different things that we do in the community and with each other that s really different from the hearing world said educational assistant Alyson Hein It s really important for them if they re going to be involved in the community to learn those types of things In class they play games learning how to properly interact how to tap on the shoulder to get somebody s attention how to properly make eye contact with people Hein said It s just so important to get that information right at the beginning Four year old Isaiah was diagnosed with hearing difficulties at the age of two and his parents say this class has been a blessing We ve struggled to communicate with him at home at times but once he entered this class we ve just seen him flourish said Isaiah s dad Brendon Johnston Isaiah s mother Tara said the class gives him an opportunity not be frustrated Ultimately Hein said it s the access to the different modes of language that makes the difference If children aren t allowed that access to language whether it s English or ASL it s definitely frustrating she said They can t express their needs and wants and feelings so having them here where they re able to use ASL or English it definitely helps them feel more comfortable expressing In the short time the children have been attending the program both Sproule and Hein have noticed positive changes They re more affectionate they re more social they feel comfortable with class and they re just learning lots of new signs Sproule said Hein noted seeing improvement when it comes to eye contact a big struggle at first It s so important when you re signing with someone to have that eye contact and the kids all the time they wouldn t look they couldn t focus and we ve definitely seen especially with story time and stuff is their visual focus has improved exponentially At home we found he would scream a lot or he would just get angry because he couldn t communicate with us Tara said So if he s feeling frustrated that he can t verbalize something he has the opportunity to try it in sign language The family makes the drive from Waldheim to Saskatoon so Isaiah can attend the class Before this he attended a pre school there I ve seen leaps and bounds from this preschool as compared to that one Tara said Not because the teaching is less but because his needs are met more completely here than they were there because it was a hearing preschool and this caters to his style a little better The class has space for 16 students Of the nine currently enrolled three have hearing loss and the others are Children of Deaf Adults CODA Whether the child is hard of hearing or there s just that connection to the deaf community Hein said the class gives them a peer group they can connect with Having them here with a group that can sign or speak with them and just accept them for who they are you can definitely see them growing more confident and happy in the classroom FNDC 23 Winter 2020

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Museum Honors 11 Deaf Men Who Helped NASA Send Humans to Space https www space com 36789 deaf men nasa spaceflight museum exhibit html experience in space and ferry rides on choppy seas off the coast of Nova Scotia according to the statement These experiments help to improve understanding of how the body s sensory systems work when the usual gravitational cues from the inner ear aren t available as is the case of these young men and in spaceflight NASA officials said in the statement The Gallaudet 11 included Harold Domich Robert Greenmun Barron Gulak Raymond Harper Jerald Jordan Harry Larson David Myers Donald Peterson Raymond Piper Alvin Steele and John Zakutney The Deaf Difference Space Survival exhibit is currently on display at Gallaudet University s Jordan Student Academic Center A new museum exhibit honors 11 men who made significant contributions to spaceflight in NASA s early days School of Aviation Medicine is lowered down into a centrifuge pod Image credit NASA U S Navy Personal collection of David Myers In the late 1950s NASA recruited 11 deaf men from Gallaudet College now Gallaudet University to study the long term effects of weightlessness on the human body before the agency ultimately sent astronauts to space Throughout a decade of various experiments researchers measured the volunteers non reaction to motion sickness on both a physiological and psychological level relying on the 11 men to report in detail their sensations and changes in perception NASA officials said in the statement The group of men also known as the Gallaudet 11 suffered from inner ear problems As a result they did not experience the adverse effects of motion sickness making them the perfect candidates for early spaceflight experiments according to a statement from NASA Now Gallaudet University which focuses on education opportunities for deaf and hard ofhearing students is honoring the 11 men for their contributions to the NASA spaceflight program with a new museum exhibit called Deaf Difference Space Survival The exhibit spotlights the relatively unknown contributions to the study of motion sickness made by the Gallaudet 11 NASA officials said in the statement Fun in Zero G Weightless Photos from Earth and Space John Zakutney a participant in joint weightlessness research from NASA and the U S Naval FNDC 24 Winter 2020 From 1958 to 1968 the men participated in various weightlessness balance and motionsickness experiments that helped NASA scientists better understand how the human body responds to foreign gravitational environments For one of the experiments four men spent 12 straight days inside a slow rotation room to test the effects of gravitational changes on the human body Other experiments included zero gravity flights in the Vomit Comet an airplane that simulates the feeling of weightlessness that astronauts

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Morris to host world class training program for deaf curlers https globalnews ca news 4748571 morris to host world class training program for deaf curlers hearing athletes an opportunity to train for international competitions including the Deaflympics and World Championships We ve been involved in you know recreational bonspiels but its challenging to compete at such an elite level and this provides us with the opportunity and the skill to get there said Ross Lavalee a deaf curler World class training facilities for deaf curlers will soon be open in Morris The Canadian Deaf Sports Association CDSA announced Monday that Morris Curling Club will be the home of the first national deaf curling training centre The project beginning in spring 2019 is aimed at providing facilities for Canadian deaf and hard of The program also includes components geared toward deaf and hard of hearing coaches as well as training hearing coaches in ASL and other courses This ground breaking partnership will allow deaf and hard of hearing curlers of all ages from the beginner to the elite to fine tune their skills to learn a lifetime sport said Lorne Hamblin a level 4 Olympic curling coach Morris is already home to the year round Cargill Curling Training Centre which features high end equipment including the world s first rockthrowing machine Deaf Cleveland girl finds inspiration in first American Girl doll with physical disability https newschannel9 com news local deaf cleveland girl finds inspiration in first american girl doll with physical disability CLEVELAND Tenn It s an iconic toy in recent years especially for girls growing up very little in her right This is the company s first doll depicted with a physical disability She was a little excited that the doll had brown hair and looked a lot like her Shannon Allmon said 8 year old Wyllow Maclaren from Cleveland loves American Girl dolls There s another page after this one though the big one she said while going through her magazine But this brand new doll released for the new year named Joss has got her especially excited Wyllow can relate Wyllow was born bilaterally deaf Allmon said Allmon tells us her daughter has battled 80 to 85 percent hearing loss in both ears since she was a baby She reads lips and hears very little without the aids she said Her mom Shannon Allmon knew what it was right away When we saw the doll for the first time we noticed there were very much similarities in her look and Wyllow s look Allmon said If you look closely Joss is wearing a hearing aid American Girl president Jamie Cygielman told newspapers Joss is supposed to be hearing impaired deaf in her left ear and able to hear She got hearing aids at age 3 which changed her family s world Allmon says she went from not speaking at all to talking with people within a year She believes this further drives a message of hope to kids and society as a whole Wyllow functions as an athlete and as a student she can absolutely do anything any other child can do Allmon said You can do anything you want even if you have a disability Wyllow told us And that s why Wyllow can t wait to get Joss How great would that be we asked her Amazing she said Wyllow s also raising money through her business of selling chocolate covered strawberries to buy Joss for other girls who are hearing impaired The National Institute on Deafness reports 2 to 3 out of every thousand children in the U S are born with a detectable level of hearing loss in one or both ears American Girl is partnering with the Hearing Loss Association of America to raise awareness and collect donations for the cause The company also plans to donate 25 000 to the organization and support its annual walk FNDC 25 Winter 2020

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Lauren Ridloff will play first deaf superhero in Marvel s The Eternals https www hearinglikeme com lauren ridloff first deaf superhero marvels the eternals acting career includes her role as Connie in the AMC television series The Walking Dead and Pearl the Maid in the 2017 film Wonderstruck ears However Ridloff will become the first Deaf superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe The rise of DeafTalent Actress Lauren Ridloff who is best known for her role in the Broadway play Children of a Lesser God will be the first deaf superhero according to Marvel Studios Ridloff who was born deaf will play the role of Makkari in the upcoming film The Eternals which is based on the Marvel comics of the same name She will star alongside actors Angelina Jolie Richard Madden Kumail Nanjiani Brian Tyree Henry Salma Hayek Lia McHugh and Don Lee The film is scheduled to be released in U S cinemas on November 6 2020 The journey of a deaf superhero Ridloff grew up Deaf with hearing parents according to an interview she did with NowThis Entertainment She was the only deaf child in her family and was mainstreamed most of her life and had an interpreter who signed what the teacher said in the classroom Once she got older her parents enrolled her in Model Secondary School for the Deaf in Washington D C to help her identify with the Deaf community she tells NowThis I saw Deaf people who were professionals who were teachers who were scientists researchers and that blew my mind she says though sign language I feel representation is so important whether it s in real life or on TV or on the big screen We need to see other people who are like ourselves to help us define who we are According to her Wikipedia page Ridloff who s maiden name is Lauren Teruel moved to the West Coast to attend California State University Northridge where she graduated with a degree in English and Creative Writing in 2000 The same year she was named Miss Deaf America Her FNDC 26 Winter 2020 She was also nominated for a Tony for her role as Sandra Norman in Children of a Lesser God in 2018 The 41 year old now has two deaf sons and lives in Brooklyn I never once thought I would end up on the stage she says in the NowThis video I mean me When I was nine I was voted the quietest camper when I went to sleep away camp I m really shy so I never thought I would end up on stage acting and be nominated for a Tony Why we need deaf superheroes Representation lets the five year old in each of us know that we will be ok Ridloff tells NowThis I didn t meet Deaf people For a while I thought that Deaf people didn t become adults because I never saw any older Deaf adults If you do a Google search for deaf superheroes you ll find a list of comic book figures including characters in the series Sign Gene Walter Shreeve or Shriek or Batman Beyond who gets tinnitus after his sound suit is damaged and Blue Ear a superhero who wears Phonak hearing aids created by Marvel Comics in honor of a 4 year old fan who told his mother superheroes don t wear blue In recent years films featuring Deaf and hard ofhearing actors have been receiving high praise In 2018 the films The Silent Child and The Shape of Water won an Oscar for best Live Action Short Film and Best Picture respectively Both films showcased deaf actors and sign language Baby Driver Wonderstruck and the show This Close are also examples of films and TV shows with themes of tinnitus deafness and stories that focus on the normal lives that people with hearing loss have rather than focusing on disability I think right now Hollywood is ready to hear stories from people that have been marginalized for a very long time Ridloff says in the video However I would say we are in a learning phase where we re learning what each actor needs as part of a whole community and as individual actors Deaf filmmaker and director Jules Dameron who lead the DeafTalent movement has also pushed against the historical trend of having hearing actors play D deaf roles The mentality that deaf people should only play deaf roles has been the mentality of the deaf community since the 90s she says I just feel that it s unethical for a privileged person to play a role that is meant for others Deaf people already can do the job themselves Ridloff says that while she s grateful to represented the larger Deaf community and play a role that represents closely to who she is a female Deaf woman of color she s also looking forward to when we can dig deeper and explore the intersectionality of identity that a Deaf and hard ofhearing person has and we all have throughout our lives I m not just a Deaf woman she says I m so much more

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Deaf Artist at the Cirque du Soleil Maxim Fomitchev https www unusualverse com 2019 02 maxim fomitchev deaf circus clown html on television and made his first performance at 13 years old He graduated with a Master s degree in Fine Arts from the Russian Theatre Academy The Vakhtangov Theatre Academy The Cirque du Soleil needs no introduction World famous every show can cost millions of dollars tickets sell out quickly and every circus artist would wonder to work with this company once A Deaf artist has achieved it Maxim Fomitchev Maxim was born in Moscow Russia When he was a child he imitated clowns of mime who appeared His stage name is Max i mime or Maximime He s a world renowned mime artist who uses mime techniques of flexibility and strength combined with comedy and expression He has worked for the Cirque du Soleil for six years but has a career of more than 20 years With the Cirque du Soleil he participated in the shows Zarkana and Alegr a the last is one of the most successful shows of the circus company The following video was produced by the Cirque du Soleil itself to present his only deaf artist It was published in July 2017 and already has more than 800 000 reproductions subtitles in English and parts in American Sign language https youtu be Z8D13L7IaPE At the beginning of the 90s Maxim left Russia to live in Vancouver Canada This was two years after visiting the United States and acting before thousands of deaf people which marked and moved him in addition to his negative experiences in his Jewish past Maxim said In the following video you can see a story and interview with Maxim by the popular Joel Barish subtitles in English and International Signs https youtu be j9g4UzJhUZ0 Maxim has made us laugh and has thrilled thousands of people adults and children all over the world Surely you ve been to the Cirque du Soleil you ve had it in front of your eyes you ve laughed and you did not even know he was deaf This is how Deaf people and Sign Languages contribute to make the world better FNDC 27 Winter 2020

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Vancouver family seek return of stolen cochlear implants https vancouversun com news local news vancouver family seek return of stolen cochlear implants amp utm_term Autofeed utm_medium Social utm_source Twitter __ twitter_impression true Inside the stolen bags was Caryn s wallet phone car keys and the outside component of Annie s cochlear implants the ear pieces and the part that attaches to the side of the head behind the ear All the lockers around us were open That s when I realized my car keys were in my bag she said Mother Caryn Matheson centre with Mae 2 father Dan left with Lucy five months and Annie 5 foreground at their home in Vancouver on Sunday Feb 9th Arlen Redekop PNG Five year old Annie Matheson of Vancouver had her 60 000 cochlear implant sound processors stolen from a Surrey community centre over the weekend Caryn Matheson mom of Annie two yearold Mae and five month old Lucy said she arrived at the Guilford Recreation Centre on Saturday morning for Annie s weekly swim lesson I was a bit foolish Caryn told Postmedia News The coin slot was jammed and I was rushing with the kids to get Annie to the class The kids were all over the place and I was managing them on my own so I shut the locker and ran off After Annie s lesson the only available in Metro Vancouver tailored for deaf children with a sign language interpreter on hand the young family returned to the locker Their dad Dan is site pastor at the Tenth Church in Kitsilano and was working at the time I opened the locker and our clothes had been dumped out of our gym bags and the bags were missing Caryn said FNDC 28 Winter 2020 Caryn said Annie was a little baffled by the theft and watched as her mom dashed out to the parkade while recreation centre staff kept an eye on the kids There were also other members of the deaf community there that had driven in from Vancouver for the lessons important for kids with cochlear implants she said Caryn said she hadn t heard back from the Surrey RCMP but they told her it usually took a few days before stolen vehicles turned up Caryn said the sound processors were worth 30 000 each and the family s insurance offered replacement of one pair One of Annie s sound processors had already been replaced so they ll hope to get another one on insurance But they still expect to pay 30 000 for a second one Sadly the family s 2014 Mazda 5 was missing and a busy Saturday turned into a painful one with waiting calls to police meeting cops and arranging a ride back to Vancouver Annie s reaction was bafflement more than anything Caryn said Annie is one of about 300 children in B C who have had cochlear implant surgery Annie had hers at age three after getting a late diagnosis that she was profoundly deaf The implant processors are worn all day and taken off for sleeping or any time in the water Caryn said sign language was crucial to Annie and her family as it offered a primary language that they had all learned making them a bilingual family It s terrible that there was a theft but even though she had cochlear implants it s important in moments like this that she has sign language That we have a language with her American Sign Language is very Mom Caryn and dad Dan with Annie 5 at centre Mae 2 and Lucy five months at their home in Vancouver on Feb 9 Arlen Redekop PNG In the meantime the Australian based Cochlear Ltd has offered to send over a set of loaners until either the missing ones are recovered or an insurance claim is filed Annie starts kindergarten this fall at the B C School for the Deaf in Burnaby dcarrigg postmedia com

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Dancing While Deaf What It s Like to Move to Music You Can t Hear www dancemagazine com deaf dancers 2641619050 html rebelltitem 7 rebelltitem7 rebelltitem 7 Paul Taylor rather famously never allowed mirrors in his studio believing they fostered bad habits But spend a few hours in the studio with Deaf and hard of hearing dancers and you ll never look at your reflection in the same way again thanks to growing opportunities high profile role models and even Instagram wouldn t be the dancer that I am today without her The Drive to Dance Still Figgins worried about appearing antisocial to her fellow dancers when in reality she never snickered in class because she couldn t hear other dancers jokes She also knew that if she lost her place it would be nearly impossible to catch up Brooks began dancing for the same reason as many hearing kids She saw a live performance in her case Swan Lake and knew dance was something she wanted to do But other Deaf children are drawn to dance after feeling left out of team sports Deaf from birth dancer Zahna Simon who today serves as the assistant director at the Bay Area International Deaf Dance Festival and the Urban Jazz Dance Company remembers being in fourth grade loving movement and struggling to play softball Then she visited a friend s ballet class Some dancers use mirrors just for vanity says Lexine Brooks a Deaf dancer who began training at age 2 For nearly two decades she s learned choreography in all sorts of ways including an FM system that amplified her teachers instructions in her ears Today she prefers to learn dance through American Sign Language and counting as well as keeping an eye on the mirror Brooks is a member of Gallaudet Dance Company a 65 year old performance troupe at Gallaudet University for the Deaf and hard of hearing in Washington DC At one fall rehearsal members spent an hour watching intently in the mirror while choreographer Teresa Dominick a Gallaudet alum held her hand high and beat out an eightcount with her fingers Dominick fluent in ASL is able to sign and count at the same time a top priority for the dancers Also possible thanks to studio mirrors Moving in sync with partners on the opposite side of their V shape formation once Dominick started up music that not all of the dancers could hear to the same extent Gallaudet Dance Company is no different than other dance groups Dominick says We just use a different language to communicate and utilize different cues Dance may be a visual art form but it s tightly intertwined with sound Even as the field strives to be more inclusive learning to dance without two fully functioning ears remains a challenge But today dancers with full and partial hearing loss are becoming more visible I instantly connected with ballet as I watched the teacher physically demonstrating it making direct corrections on the students says Simon I knew I could learn to dance by watching and wouldn t have to struggle with following conversations She no longer struggled to communicate with teammates but Simon like other Deaf dancers still faced challenges My teachers told me early on You are going to have to work three times harder says Annemarie Timling a Gallaudet dancer who is hard of hearing and trained at North Star Ballet in Fairbanks Alaska I would go home and count through music in my head And I was always watching making sure I was in sync with my peers From childhood through high school Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater s Samantha Figgins trained alongside her twin sister Jenelle And when Figgins says alongside she s referring to years of strategically positioning herself at the barre so that if her deaf right ear was facing the instructor she could follow her twin sister At home and after class Jenelle now with Aspen Sante Fe Ballet would review combinations with her Jenelle was my angel Figgins says I I have to stay laser focused and make sure I m not distracted she says Figgins believes that sense of hyper focus has ended up being the key to her professional career Making Space for Deafness San Francisco dancer Antoine Hunter used to encounter people who would claim that he was the only Deaf dancer I would tell them there are others but we are not given opportunities to show our artistry Hunter writes in an email So in 2013 he founded what s now known as the Bay Area International Deaf Dance Festival I wanted Deaf artists from all over the world to have a safe place to learn and perform Each year guests hail from as far away as Colombia India Russia and Taiwan for three days of workshops panels and performances We know firsthand what it s like to be rejected from the world says Simon With the festival our goal is that no one feels that way Although the festival highlights performers working in many genres hip hop has become especially in demand in part because it s in vogue to fuse footwork with ASL One popular 2019 workshop was taught by Deaf ASL interpreter Matt Maxey a viral YouTuber who has gone on tour with Chance the Rapper Maxey not only signs with his hands but gestures with his full body shoulders curving forward whenever he wants to especially emphasize a phrase rapped by the likes of Kendrick Lamar Deaf hip hop performer Shaheem Sanchez has also amassed more than 400 000 Instagram followers by smoothly integrating signing with full body movement He lost his hearing at age 4 and relies on the music s vibrations to phrase his dancing He has also experimented with a high tech backpack called a SubPac a tactile audio system which transfers the energy of music directly to the body The beat makes it flow FNDC 29 Winter 2020

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Sanchez writes in an email I love feeling the music and integrating sign language into my dancing Big name artists like Jidenna and T Wayne pop up in his DMs making special requests for him to use their songs in his videos He s also in demand as a commercial dancer and appears in Sound of Metal a new film about a drummer losing his hearing had attended the performance Figgins was still backstage taking her makeup off but she reluctantly agreed to go meet the aspiring dancer and her mother We shared our stories and that was the first time I realized it was important for me to be vocal about my struggle Figgins says We were crying just talking about everything she was going through I wanted to hug her and also hug myself Perhaps most importantly Sanchez is inspiring others in the Deaf community to take up dance including students at Gallaudet and has shown that high profile dancers can make a difference when they go public with their hearing loss After years of quiet struggles two years ago Figgins started opening up about her partial deafness as well as the residual auditory processing disorder and balance issues all of her injuries have been on her right side that complicate her dancing every day I m trying to acknowledge what I m living with and really take ownership of my hearing loss because it s opened up opportunities to connect with people Figgins says Before joining Ailey she always attempted to pass as a hearing dancer in auditions including when she was hired by Complexions Contemporary Ballet Three years later she joined Ailey but still never shared her struggles publicly during talks and interviews The turning point came one night on tour with Ailey in Texas when a fellow dancer mentioned that a girl with hearing loss since many in the Deaf community view Deafness as a culture not a disability Deaf dancer Heather Whitestone who performed on pointe when she was named Miss America 1995 faced considerable backlash when she later chose to get implants However many dancers embrace the advances in hearing aid technology Most members of Gallaudet Dance Company wear hearing aids I couldn t function in a hearing world without them says Brooks Figgins will never forget the first time she danced Revelations wearing the small devices held in place by a wire loop over each ear During last year s national Ailey tour Figgins volunteered to perform for children in special education programs but she wants to do more for aspiring Deaf dancers Maybe a mental health program maybe a summer intensive Something to give them tools to succeed Figgins says I m working on a lot of things and I m still working on myself Deciding to Amplify Or Not I thought they changed the music Figgins recalls laughing All of a sudden she could make out individual voices in the opening choral number I Been Buked When she found herself on the left side of the first formation she could hear her fellow dancers breathe and during Wade in the Water she discovered a bass line that she never knew was there There s a different texture and sensitivity to my dancing now Figgins says It was a real revelation But with the newfound sensitivity has also come a need for more self care Figgins continues to reflect on how single sided deafness has affected her social life and self esteem and reserves time for quiet moments when she takes out her hearing aids Choosing to augment sound through hearing aids or cochlear implants can be a complex decision JOB CLUB AT WAVEFRONT CENTRE Wavefront Centre will be hosting Job Club workshops on February 10 12 and 14th Thank you for your interest in Wavefront Centre s job club We are pleased to announce the following three sessions Disability Management Disclosure in the Workplace Learn how to manage your disability hearing loss deafness in the workplace You will learn how to inform and educate your employers on the job or during the interview about how to work with your hearing loss deafness February 10th 2020 9 30 am 12 00 pm ASL group 1 30 4 00 pm Hard of Hearing group Workplace Expectations Discuss what to expect in the workplace Topics include team work workplace behaviour grooming appearance and effective communication on the job February 12th 2020 9 30 am 12 00 pm ASL group 1 30 4 00 pm Hard of Hearing Group Online applications Social Media Learn how complete online job applications and how to use social media platforms including LinkedIn to apply for jobs February 14th 2020 9 30 am 12 00 pm ASL group 1 30 4 00 pm Hard of Hearing group Where Wavefront Centre for Communication Accessibility Cost Free Please sign up https forms gle MQPfkA5TVuPJzM9SA If you have any questions regarding these sessions please contact Grace Straw Employment Placement Specialist at grace straw wavefrontcentre ca or at 604 736 7391 FNDC 30 Winter 2020

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South Korea s Parasite Crashes the Subtitles Barrier https variety com 2020 film awards south koreas parasite crashes the subtitles barrier 1203488979 hss_channel tw 45331214 Once you overcome the 1 inch tall barrier of subtitles you will be introduced to so many more amazing films Change sounds like this South Korean director Bong Joon Ho accepted his foreign film award for Parasite at the Golden Globes saying Once you overcome the 1 inch tall barrier of subtitles you will be introduced to so many more amazing films Bong s statement echoes Alfonso Cuar n s comments last year when he took the foreign language Oscar for Roma I grew up watching foreignlanguage films and learning so much from them films like Citizen Kane Jaws Rashomon The Godfather and Breathless With Parasite which has had the expansive theatrical run denied to Netflix s Roma subtitles haven t stalled box office 2019 s highest grossing foreign language film broke records with a 393 000 opening weekend at three theaters It bested the per screen average record last set by La La Land and claimed the biggest ever opening for an international film in the U S All told it has accumulated a 25 million domestic gross Internationally it crossed the 100 million mark grossing 137 million That includes strong showings in France Germany Italy Mexico Japan Vietnam and 73 million in Bong s native South Korea Influential accolades have supported the movie s powerful word of mouth It began with the Palme D Or at the Cannes Film Festival According to IMDb Parasite has scored 157 wins and 163 nominations In addition to the Globes win it has received six Oscar nominations for best picture director original screenplay and production design see story p23 Additionally the international film nomination is the first recognition for South Korea in the awards 91 year history Parasite made history as the first foreign language film to win the coveted top SAG prize for performance by a cast in a motion picture It grabbed an ACE Eddie for feature drama The DGA the WGA the PGA and the Art Directors Guild have all nominated Parasite for outstanding achievements in their respective areas Critics from coast to coast have recognized the film s power exemplified by its recognition for foreign language film at the New York Film Critics Circle and best film and screenplay at the National Society of Film Critics Does this recognition signify that the 1 inch tall barrier of subtitles has finally gone the way of the Berlin Wall ushering in an era that reflects Bong s inclusive statement one language one cinema Not quite FNDC 31 Winter 2020

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We re so out of the loop says Rajendra Roy MoMA s chief curator There s still a vestigial feeling that cinema not in the English language is exotic that it s art for connoisseurs or cinephiles We hold this opinion at our own peril The notion of a universal story which the Academy loves to elevate is that it can emanate from any country The perfect thing about Parasite is that it takes the crisis of late stage capitalism which is a global phenomenon and puts it in a microcosm of Korean society that amplifies the terrible consequences to thrilling and horrifying effects Roy says This is a story that could have been told in any number of advanced countries The real question for the next generation is when Parasite is released digitally will watching subtitles on screens of varying sizes be prohibitive Millennials and Gen Z s love this movie so they ll tell friends to watch it Will this new generation be converted to watching subtitles That breakthrough may have already arrived With the advent of the internet and streaming global content has permeated screens large and small unfiltered by domestic gatekeepers Younger consumers raised on anime Asian martial arts movies and computer games that routinely incorporate subtitles may actually be more open to smash Bong s 1 inch tall barrier than previous generations Subtitle Definition from Wikipedia Subtitles are text derived from either a transcript or screenplay of the dialog or commentary in films television programs video games and the like usually displayed at the bottom of the screen but can also be at the top of the screen if there is already text at the bottom of the screen They can either be a form of written translation of a dialog in a foreign language or a written rendering of the dialog in the same language with or without added information to help viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing to follow the dialog or people who cannot understand the spoken dialogue or who have accent recognition problems FNDC 32 Winter 2020

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They are hurting him Newfoundland family fights for education equality FROM https globalnews ca news 6113747 ewfoundland human rights complaint Churchill says they alone are not the answer because the processed sound is often distorted With his mother providing sign language to translate Carter told Global News he is sometimes overwhelmed by several sources of noise at the same time in his classroom A husband and wife in suburban St John s Nfld say they won t back down in their demands the school system give an equal education to their son who is Deaf Eight year old Carter Churchill is in a Grade 3 classroom with hearing classmates His parents have filed a complaint under the province s Human Rights Act claiming Carter has been denied the equal education Newfoundland families are promised starting in kindergarten Todd Churchill says his son has fallen behind He only saw a Deaf itinerant teacher one and a half to two hours every seven school days So for the vast majority of his time he was with a teacher who knew zero sign language When the provincial government closed the school for the deaf in 2010 it promised parents that the needs of children like Carter would be met in mainstream classrooms Holding back tears Carter s mother Kim says the reality is different They re harming him in this process under the umbrella of education which is just not happening Educators believe electronic devices called cochlear implants minimize the need for sign language instruction because they partially restore hearing Carter has the implants but Kim Christopher Sutton National Executive Director of the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association says Carter s case is not unusual As the Schools for the Deaf have closed across the country and we only have a handful of them now students that are using a sign language that are put into a mainstream classroom with their peers are not getting language instruction are not getting educated in their first language which is a sign language The empassioned father goes on to point out that he only wants what any parent would want for their kids Would any parent of a hearing child be satisfied if their child only received 1 5 2 hrs of quality instruction every 7 school days Of course not but what is deemed unacceptable for a hearing child is the norm for a Deaf one Inclusion is simply more than just having your doors open up to invite people in says Kim Churchill You have to put the money into that and be able to back it up to make sure that these children are truly being involved To say the Churchill s are concerned for the wellbeing of their son is an understatement They have installed an elevator in their home in the community of Portugal Cove St Philip s at their own expense to make Carter comfortable Kim has learned sign language and provides Deaf awareness classes for free But after negotiating with school officials for more education supports they did something they never thought would be necessary filing their human rights challenge In a statement the Department of Education says enhancing support for the deaf and hard of hearing is a priority referring to a review that is already underway to determine how services can be better delivered and the resources that are required Saying their fight is not only for Carter but for other Deaf students as well the Churchills set up a GoFundMe campaign on which Todd says filing the complaint was not a decision they entered into lightly The Churchill s note teachers who ve worked with Carter are doing their best There just don t seem to be enough of them to educate him properly Todd Churchill fears Carter s prospects for a successful future are being diminished After 4 failed attempts at a mediated settlement with EECD and NLESD over the past 2 years to protect Carter s right to an equitable education to that of hearing children we feel that we have been forced to elevate our complaint to a formal human rights hearing the campaign states People will look at these people and say they re Deaf That s that s why they failed because they re Deaf For us the choice was simple We fight for our son and others like him While he may be no more than a student number to the people entrusted with educating our children he is very much more important than that He is important His future is important They expect their human rights battle to continue for another 2 or 3 years hoping the outcome leads to fairness As of the time of this writing the online fund raiser aiming to off set legal expenses had exceeded 10 000 FNDC 33 Winter 2020

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Hey That Ref Is Deaf From https sanmarinotribune com hey that ref is deaf He moves nimbly and comfortably around the To satisfy his early dreams to enter that sport Gough s parents encouraged him to join the wrestling program at his new school He had recently transferred from an oral school in Portland Oregon to the California School for the Deaf in Berkeley CDSB which is now located in Fremont Upon entering the gym Ron s first impression was as he says puzzled to say the least I asked the coach who was also deaf where the 3 ringed match would be held Gough said The coach responded with contempt saying the pro wrestling matches on TV are just a bunch of dumb clowns Ron soon understood the difference when after a minute of real wrestling on the mat that day he was completely out of breath After a month of training Ron s passion developed even more He began to favor the sport of wrestling over other sports he had joined which included football and track Wrestling opened up an entire new world for Ron and his passion was far from faded In fact it flourished Wrestling official Ron Gough has lived his entire life without the sense of hearing but the condition has not kept him from a Hall of Fame career Mitch Lehman Photos mat his keen eyes preying on every detail that unfolds around him Ron Gough 71 has been a familiar face around the local high school wrestling world for forty years officiating at the sport s highest levels He communicates to those at the scorer s table through a series of hand motions that signify who has scored points and how many It becomes apparent that Gough is special however when a shrill buzzer pierces the din created by screaming coaches and fans to signify the end of a period or match and Gough doesn t budge There exists at all amateur wrestling matches a designated participant who wanders onto the mat in the final seconds of a match or period to gently nudge the official so he or she may keep their attention on the action until the final second but in Gough s case it is a necessity and not a reminder For it becomes apparent at that very moment that Gough is deaf He was born without hearing in Tacoma Washington in 1949 His love for wrestling began as early as 15 years old when he enjoyed watching televised professional wrestling matches FNDC 34 Winter 2020 Ron won the Bay Area League 127 lb championship twice in his junior and senior years During summer he would participate in club wrestling Despite a lack of communication with all of its hearing members Gough enjoyed working up a sweat and building his strength and stamina He also loved to win Losing a match only meant Ron would train harder Gough attended Gallaudet University in Washington D C a federally chartered private university for the education of the deaf and hard of hearing where he earned a BA in Art History and a Masters in Counseling He was a four year member of the Bisons wrestling team and during his junior year was undefeated at 12 0 until he placed 3rd in the 134 lb weight class at the Mason Dixon League championships He attended the World Games for the Deaf now the Deaflympics in Belgrade Yugoslavia in 1969 and at Malmo Sweden in 1973 participating in both Greco Roman and Freestyle wrestling After graduation Gough got a job as a dorm counselor at the Texas School for the Deaf TSD in Austin with the goal of becoming a wrestling coach Unfortunately the head coach already had four assistants who wouldn t move from their positions any time soon Gough said in retrospect Disappointed but not deterred Ron soon discovered another way to put his 12 years of wrestling experience to good use When TSD held its first match of the season Gough began to observe the referee An idea popped up he said I wondered if I could become a referee But how could I communicate with a scorekeeper Gough figured he could rely on the colored wrist bands used by referees and use his fingers to tell the score and of course all the existing wrestling hand signals He also learned to rely on the tap on the shoulder to help him identify the end of a period I did not let my deafness dissuade me from accomplishing this goal or anything I have put my mind to he said Gough met with the local w r e s t l i n g c o m m i s s i o n e r who welcomed him to join a local chapter of the Texas Wrestling Officials Association The first two years I made several bad calls and mistakes Gough recalled Some coaches complained but I continued to officiate and according to feedback I very quickly improved He advanced through the ranks as a certified referee to achieve top ratings with three wrestling officiating associations Southern California Wrestling Official Association SCWOA USA Wrestling and FILA International Wrestling Ron became the first and only deaf official for both USA Wrestling and FILA International Wrestling

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Ron moved to Southern California in 1989 The first high level competition he officiated was in 2001 at the CIF Southern Section Division 5 wrestling championships in Azusa He has since gone onto officiate at many high level competitions Gough also has the distinction of being the first deaf official in Deaflympics history since its inception in 1924 He officiated at the 1997 Summer Deaflympics wrestling venue in Copenhagen the 2001 Summer Deaflympics wrestling venue in Rome and both the Freestyle and GrecoRoman competitions in the 2005 Deaflympics in Melbourne Australia and Taipei Taiwan in 2009 He was selected for the American Athletic Association for the Deaf AAAD Hall of Fame as an official in 2001 and potentially dangerous holds at any moment Every year I attended officials meetings where there is no sign language interpreter I had to attend these training meetings in order to receive assignments During the meetings instead of watching lectures I read rule books and made notes from what read Whenever I had a question I would write it down and bring it to the instructor I am not great at lip reading but if I know what the He said that the perception that those who have lost one sense experience an improvement of the other senses is his Number 1 favorite misconception about disabled people It seems to be that way when you ve lost the use of one sense the other senses magically become stronger but that is not the case Gough said The remaining senses do not become stronger instead a person s focus will rely more on what is left Deaf people learn to rely on visual cues and are therefore more alert to them While I am on a wrestling mat I tend to use visual cues anticipating any possible next wrestling moves I am constantly looking around checking the clock the scoreboard and looking for illegal holds Gough is currently retired from his career as a vocational rehabilitation counselor He lives in the San Gabriel Valley with his wife Sharon who is also deaf The couple has a daughter who is hearing in the vernacular and the family employs American Sign Language But his job as an official is not without its challenges The biggest challenges in terms of being deaf when it comes to officiating is emphasizing to hearing officials wrestlers parents and coaches to treat me as an official first Gough explained The main barrier between deaf and hearing people is attitude not communication For example when a hearing coach has a complaint but finds out that I am deaf he will avoid me and instead go to another official or someone else Sometimes they do not know what to do with me but there are several easy ways to directly communicate with me I can gesture write back and forth and lip read fairly well if only they would make their best effort That is a challenge I encounter not only on the mat but anywhere Overcoming social barriers at work at school at the park or at an airport is something I deal with everyday Though he cannot hear the buzzer in the arena or even his own whistle Gough said he is a strong visual learner and an avid observer Before I decided to become a referee I watched and studied how the wrestling referees performed on the mat especially when it came to tough calls he said I would study how different referees would determine different calls I developed confidence in my own judgment to make the best call Wrestling is part of my life My many years of wrestling experience has lent itself to my expertise in officiating I rely on my vision to quickly see scores the timer any illegal holds For example deaf people could be more proficient in jobs which depend on the ability to see a wide are a of activities and respond quickly to situations such as sports referees teachers or closed circuit television camera operators Gough said Research also shows that deaf people have an eye opening experience or visual attentiveness to them So researchers think the deprived auditory areas of the brain reorganize to better process visual information As a result people are more sensitive to moving stimuli in their periphery like a car speeding toward them in the street This gives them greater peripheral vision allowing them to see more and thus increase their awareness of their surroundings and any potential hazards An attendant taps Gough on the arm with a towel to make him aware that a period has ended while he remains focused on the action Mitch Lehman Photos context is most of time I can follow pretty well In 2009 thanks to advances in technology other officials and I use email and video relay interpreting services to communicate YouTube has also been helpful with captions At a recent match at San Marino High School between the Titans and the visiting South Pasadena Tigers Gough patiently pantomimed his deafness to several student volunteers who quickly and pleasantly adapted their communication style to allow a connection Tiger Coach Al Shuton took offense to one of Gough s decisions but the two were able to work through the disagreement and parted on good terms Gough believes that what some call a disability is actually a different ability Research shows that adults who have been deaf since birth may have advantages over hearing people in terms of their range of vision he said Not only does Gough feel he has achieved a sort of equality in his life he senses an advantage I find peace and quiet he said It is much easier to find a minute alone to think or meditate when I cannot hear what s around I also enjoy a peaceful night s sleep Gough feels that his condition allows him to be calm in situations when coaches or parents attempt to curse or yell at me he allowed I sign back to them that I do not use my voice he said I keep my attention on the wrestling activity regardless if there is a lot of surrounding noise or not It doesn t distract me from seeing what s happening on the mat I do not feel or think that I am at a disadvantage because the truth is I can do anything except hear Gough said he is thankful for his forty year journey Wrestling has and always will be a part of my life he said I am very pleased to have had the opportunity to give back all the joy that wrestling has given to me FNDC 35 Winter 2020

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Why I Performed for Deaf Viewers at the Super Bowl By Christine Sun Kim From https www nytimes com 2020 02 03 opinion national anthem sign language html Christine Sun Kim performing the national anthem in American Sign Language at the Super Bowl on Sunday A J Mast for The New York Times It was an act of both patriotism and protest And it brought both joy and frustration As a child of immigrants a grandchild of refugees a Deaf woman of color an artist and a mother I was proud to perform the national anthem and America the Beautiful in American Sign Language at the opening of the Super Bowl on Sunday I accepted the invitation to represent the National Association of the Deaf in partnership with the National Football League because I wanted to my express my patriotism and honor the country that I am proud to be from a country that at its core believes in equal rights for all citizens including those with disabilities So while Yolanda Adams and Demi Lovato sang on the 50 yard line at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami I signed along on the 40 Unfortunately while the performance was broadcast in real time on the jumbo screens in the stadium those watching on their televisions computers and phones got a seriously truncated version While Fox Sports announced the signed performance of the two songs on Twitter it did not actually show it On the television broadcast I was visible for only a few seconds On what was supposed to be a bonus feed dedicated to my full performance on the Fox Sports website the cameras cut away to show close ups of the players roughly midway through each song Why have a sign language performance that is not accessible to anyone who would like to see it It s 2020 We ve had the technology to do so for decades And people noticed The deaf actress Marlee Matlin who has signed the anthem at three Super Bowls in 1993 2007 and 2016 tweeted To be honest it was a huge disappointment a missed opportunity in the struggle for media FNDC 36 Winter 2020 inclusiveness on a large scale Though thrilled and excited to be on the field serving the deaf community I was angry and exasperated and Magdiel Sanchez who was shot and killed by police in front of his home in Oklahoma City in 2017 Still my pride in being chosen for this performance was genuine Because of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990 I have been afforded the rights and access that have allowed me to live a life on par with my fellow citizens I am able to watch TV with captions make phone calls through an online video platform and have interpreters provided for my education among many other privileges I have traveled to many countries and witnessed firsthand the lack of equality for deaf people all over the world making me appreciate being an American even more I realize that being a citizen of this country is not something to be taken for granted These incidents are part of a pattern as Amiel Fields Meyer noted in a 2017 article for The Atlantic While the Americans with Disabilities Act requires the government to provide effective communication and reasonable accommodation Fields Meyer wrote When it comes to the deaf community officers gaps in cultural competency have led to strain and miscommunication and at times the use of deadly force It is a little known fact that the NFL has been providing some access to deaf people for more than three decades Recently that has extended to game day commercials In 2008 Alexis Kashar a deaf civil rights attorney raised the issue of Super Bowl commercials not being fully captioned with the NFL Ms Kashar who at that time was the chair of the National Association of the Deaf s civil rights committee brought in her colleague Howard A Rosenblum the organization s chief executive to petition for more accessibility The NFL subsequently encouraged advertisers to address the issue even though they were not required by law to add captions Within a few years almost all Super Bowl commercials were captioned The NAD continues to ensure the commercials are captioned to this day Even so I accepted the invitation with some hesitation Being deaf in America has always been political and I needed to process some internal conflict before accepting I knew that some musical artists had refused opportunities to perform at the game last year in support of Colin Kaepernick I wondered whether I should do the same I thought of the deaf people who had been mistreated or killed by police I thought about Robert Kim a deaf man who was beaten and tasered in 2012 by a police officer in a St Louis suburb and Daniel Kevin Harris who was shot and killed in 2016 by a North Carolina state trooper and two Oklahoma men Pearl Pearson who was badly beaten by police officers in 2014 Of course deaf people face many other obstacles and injustices limited access to mental health service health care and sign language itself inadequate online accessibility lack of employment opportunities and more And as usual these inequalities and the burden of their effects fall disproportionately on people of color But in the end I accepted the invitation Our rights can easily disappear if we do not continue to show up in places like the Super Bowl I had hoped to provide a public service for deaf viewers and believed that my appearance might raise awareness of the systemic barriers and the stigmas attached to our deafness and move some people to action I hope that despite the failure of Fox to make the performance accessible to all it did do that What kind of action My parents took action by learning to sign for my Deaf sister and me This made us feel seen and respected Today I m teaching my hearing child to sign as well Respecting all languages and identities can only lead to better laws and a higher quality of life Signing the anthem was a way to celebrate my language The NAD has posted video of my entire performances of America the Beautiful and the national anthem on YouTube I wholeheartedly support the efforts to promote accessibility and equality that have been undertaken by the NFL and the NAD I also stand in recognition and support of those who have used the NFL s platform toward wider goals of social justice I see my performance as part of that expression

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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 Board President colleen fndc ca Nicki Horton Director Karen Jackson Director Charlie Coyle Director Joy Santos Director Gwen Wong Director Laura Batista Director Leigh Chan Director Dan Braun Director Bobbi Taylor Director Pauline Anderson Director The Board of Directors are parents of deaf children FNDC Staff Cecelia Klassen Executive Director cecelia fndc ca Bella Poato Executive Assistant accounting fndc ca Scott Jeffery Info Tech Manager FNDC DYT scott fndc ca Jason Berube Newsletter Tech IT Support webmaster fndc ca FNDC General Inquiry fndc fndc ca DYT Staff DYT General Inquiries dyt fndc ca 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 Our newsletter which is published four times a year Email Updates regarding upcoming workshops and courses children youth programs as well as community updates 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 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