Printed in Olathe News in December 2007
Wichita Deaf Man Shot with Taser Gun
By Leonard Hall
Wichita police shot a hard of hearing man with a taser gun when he was leaving his bathroom wearing a towel and not wearing his hearing aid. The incident attracted national attention and blogs from the deaf community.
The blogs blasted the Wichita police department for the use of the taser. One blog gave the police department its weekly award for “most outrageous abuse of a Taser.”
Another blog listed the Wichita police as “The Barney Fife Police Academy” named after the deputy sheriff who starred in the old television series of “Mayberry.”
The incident began several weeks ago when the police department received a cell phone call about shots fired in a residence.
Believing there was a shooter and victims in the house, two police officers went into the residence and saw Donnell Williams, a 39 year old hard of hearing man, leaving the bathroom wearing a towel around his waist.
When Williams turned the corner, he saw guns pointing right at him.
Without wearing his hearing aids, Williams pointed to his ear and said “I can’t hear” several times.
The officers repeatedly shout at Williams to put his hands where they could be seen. Williams walked out of their field of view and came back.
William still would not comply with their orders. Then the officer shot Williams with a taser gun.
At the time when the taser gun was used, the officers said they did not know of Williams hearing condition.
Once the officers realized the call was a false report, they apologized numerous times for the breakdown in communication. Williams was not hurt and he has not filed a complaint with the City.
Recently, Wichita police department met with local deaf advocates from Wichita Association of the Deaf.
The local deaf advocates met several times with the Wichita police department over several years on complaints for failing to provide qualified interpreters when deaf people are arrested for various violations.
The local advocates wanted the City to retain a full-time interpreter and maintain a list of qualified interpreters. City of Wichita still does not have a full-time interpreter nor keep a list of qualified interpreters to use.
Fortunately, the City of Olathe has a full-time interpreter and keeps a list of qualified interpreters referral agencies to use. Due to the shortage of interpreters, it is not always possible to provide interpreter upon short notice.
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column for the deaf community and can be reached at Legalnetwk@aol.com.)
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
More Deaf Students with Severe Disabilities
Printed in the Olathe News in December 2007
More Deaf Students with Severe Disabilities
By Leonard Hall
Across the country and Kansas, schools and programs for deaf children continue to be challenged in their efforts to meet the needs of those children with additional disabilities.
Some estimates indicate that as many as 40% of deaf students have disabilities in addition to deafness. These may include developmental delays, learning disabilities, sight impairments, autism, emotional and behavioral issues.
There are currently an estimated 72,000 deaf students enrolled in public schools in this country, with about 15 percent or 10,800 of them in state schools for the deaf. While expertise on deafness is more concentrated in state schools, they struggle along with their colleagues in public schools to obtain and/or develop the expertise needed to address the additional challenges of the multiply disabled child.
Schools and programs for the deaf have always provided services to deaf children with other disabilities at some level. The key factors have been the severity of the disability and the extent to which the student could benefit from visual communication.
There seems to be an increase in the number of deaf students with severe disabilities challenging school programs. Autistic children are an example of such a population.
I have interacted with several deaf students with different degrees of autism. This can be a severe cognitive disability. The deaf student with severe autism may or may not be able to partially understand me and my sign language. His ability to respond with voice or sign is limited.
An environment with sign language may not be the highest priority for deaf students with such severe cognitive disabilities.
There is a big debate as to whether state schools for the deaf should accept deaf students with moderate to profound disabilities who cannot communicate in sign language effectively or otherwise benefit from an environment in which sign language is the primary mode of communication.
However, until deaf children with severe disabilities, such as autism, are placed in a visually accessible environment, such as KSD, where they can learn sign language, we can’t be sure whether the student will adjust and improve.
A recent lawsuit in California has required the California School for the Deaf in Fremont to establish a special program for autistic students. Everyone will be watching this program to see how this program will work for autistic deaf students.
One major problem is the shortage of qualified teachers in deaf education as well as special education in general. Recently, Kansas University cut back on its master deaf education program and merged it with the special education program. There may be less teachers specializing in deaf education graduating in the near future.
It will continue to be a major challenge for state schools for the deaf and local deaf education programs to provide an appropriate and meaningful education for those deaf students with moderate to severe disability.
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column for the Olathe News and can be reached at Legalnetwk@aol.com.)
More Deaf Students with Severe Disabilities
By Leonard Hall
Across the country and Kansas, schools and programs for deaf children continue to be challenged in their efforts to meet the needs of those children with additional disabilities.
Some estimates indicate that as many as 40% of deaf students have disabilities in addition to deafness. These may include developmental delays, learning disabilities, sight impairments, autism, emotional and behavioral issues.
There are currently an estimated 72,000 deaf students enrolled in public schools in this country, with about 15 percent or 10,800 of them in state schools for the deaf. While expertise on deafness is more concentrated in state schools, they struggle along with their colleagues in public schools to obtain and/or develop the expertise needed to address the additional challenges of the multiply disabled child.
Schools and programs for the deaf have always provided services to deaf children with other disabilities at some level. The key factors have been the severity of the disability and the extent to which the student could benefit from visual communication.
There seems to be an increase in the number of deaf students with severe disabilities challenging school programs. Autistic children are an example of such a population.
I have interacted with several deaf students with different degrees of autism. This can be a severe cognitive disability. The deaf student with severe autism may or may not be able to partially understand me and my sign language. His ability to respond with voice or sign is limited.
An environment with sign language may not be the highest priority for deaf students with such severe cognitive disabilities.
There is a big debate as to whether state schools for the deaf should accept deaf students with moderate to profound disabilities who cannot communicate in sign language effectively or otherwise benefit from an environment in which sign language is the primary mode of communication.
However, until deaf children with severe disabilities, such as autism, are placed in a visually accessible environment, such as KSD, where they can learn sign language, we can’t be sure whether the student will adjust and improve.
A recent lawsuit in California has required the California School for the Deaf in Fremont to establish a special program for autistic students. Everyone will be watching this program to see how this program will work for autistic deaf students.
One major problem is the shortage of qualified teachers in deaf education as well as special education in general. Recently, Kansas University cut back on its master deaf education program and merged it with the special education program. There may be less teachers specializing in deaf education graduating in the near future.
It will continue to be a major challenge for state schools for the deaf and local deaf education programs to provide an appropriate and meaningful education for those deaf students with moderate to severe disability.
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column for the Olathe News and can be reached at Legalnetwk@aol.com.)
Holiday Season and Gifts for Deaf People
Printed in the Olathe News in November 2007
Holiday Season and Gifts for Deaf People
By Leonard Hall
The holiday season is always one of the busiest times of the year for the deaf community with several Christmas parties and New Year’s Eve parties.
Nearly every deaf club in Kansas, including those in Olathe, Hutchinson, Topeka, and Wichita, will have a Christmas party. Olathe Club of the Deaf (OCD) will have its Christmas party with a deaf Santa Claus on Saturday afternoon on December 8th.
It is a delightful event to see several dozens of deaf and hearing children having a chance to sign with a deaf Santa Claus who knows sign language. OCD will start off with a pot luck dinner at 1 p.m. and Santa Claus will come at 3 p.m.
There are some interesting Christmas gifts that deaf and hard of hearing people can use. One is the PDA which can send and receive text messages.
The two most popular ones are the BlackBerry PDA offered by Sprint and the Sidekick offered by T-Mobile.
These PDAs has a miniature keyboard which the deaf person can easily type email message with their thumbs. They may end up with BlackBerry thumbs from overusing these PDA devices.
The PDAs can also work as cell phone for the hard of hearing users. BlackBerry PDA tends to work well for hearing aid users.
Another good Christmas gift is to buy a smoke alarm with a light to be installed in the bedroom. However, this gift is no substitute for the electric smoke alarm with strobe light, which is more expensive. There is a smoke alarm with a strobe light that can be plugged into the bedroom electrical outlet.
A smoke alarm with a light is better than having no smoke alarm that would work for the deaf or hard of hearing person in the bedroom.
Another good gift is the alarm clock that works by turning on a light fixture or lamp in the morning. Adding a small connector that allows the light to blink will wake up anyone in the morning.
There are some alarm clocks with built-in light features that will make a good gift.
For those deaf or hard of hearing people who have a hard time waking up, a good gift would be a bed vibrator or shaker that will shake the bed. It is hard to sleep when your bed is shaking.
Another gift is a web cam that allows deaf people to communicate with other deaf people by sign language through their computer.
Many of these gifts can be purchased on-line at www.harriscomm.com.
Have a happy holiday season!
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column on the deaf community and can be reached at Legalnetwk@aol.com.)
Holiday Season and Gifts for Deaf People
By Leonard Hall
The holiday season is always one of the busiest times of the year for the deaf community with several Christmas parties and New Year’s Eve parties.
Nearly every deaf club in Kansas, including those in Olathe, Hutchinson, Topeka, and Wichita, will have a Christmas party. Olathe Club of the Deaf (OCD) will have its Christmas party with a deaf Santa Claus on Saturday afternoon on December 8th.
It is a delightful event to see several dozens of deaf and hearing children having a chance to sign with a deaf Santa Claus who knows sign language. OCD will start off with a pot luck dinner at 1 p.m. and Santa Claus will come at 3 p.m.
There are some interesting Christmas gifts that deaf and hard of hearing people can use. One is the PDA which can send and receive text messages.
The two most popular ones are the BlackBerry PDA offered by Sprint and the Sidekick offered by T-Mobile.
These PDAs has a miniature keyboard which the deaf person can easily type email message with their thumbs. They may end up with BlackBerry thumbs from overusing these PDA devices.
The PDAs can also work as cell phone for the hard of hearing users. BlackBerry PDA tends to work well for hearing aid users.
Another good Christmas gift is to buy a smoke alarm with a light to be installed in the bedroom. However, this gift is no substitute for the electric smoke alarm with strobe light, which is more expensive. There is a smoke alarm with a strobe light that can be plugged into the bedroom electrical outlet.
A smoke alarm with a light is better than having no smoke alarm that would work for the deaf or hard of hearing person in the bedroom.
Another good gift is the alarm clock that works by turning on a light fixture or lamp in the morning. Adding a small connector that allows the light to blink will wake up anyone in the morning.
There are some alarm clocks with built-in light features that will make a good gift.
For those deaf or hard of hearing people who have a hard time waking up, a good gift would be a bed vibrator or shaker that will shake the bed. It is hard to sleep when your bed is shaking.
Another gift is a web cam that allows deaf people to communicate with other deaf people by sign language through their computer.
Many of these gifts can be purchased on-line at www.harriscomm.com.
Have a happy holiday season!
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column on the deaf community and can be reached at Legalnetwk@aol.com.)
ASL Language Courses Is Growing
Printed in the Olathe News on November 16, 2007
ASL Language Courses Is Growing.
By Leonard Hall
American Sign Language (ASL) is the third most common used language in America after English and Spanish. Many high schools offer ASL classes.
Hundreds of colleges and universities offer ASL, too. More than 70 universities and colleges accept ASL as a foreign language requirement.
Many foreign language departments resisted making ASL a foreign language course since the departments preferred focusing on literature. To these professors, foreign language is speaking and reading. That view has changed considerably during the past several years as the linguist academic community has recognized ASL as its own language.
A Kansas law designated ASL as a foreign language.
A recent press release indicated that enrollment for ASL in college and university has reached 5% of all language courses being offered in 2006. Approximately 79,000 students took ASL courses that represented a 30% increase since 2002.
52% of language courses are offered in Spanish, followed by French (13%) and German (6%).
I remembered that Emporia State University in the 1970s required at least two classes of foreign language for many majors. Fortunately, my Business degree did not require any foreign language.
In 1965, 16.5% of university/college students took a foreign language course. Due to many majors dropping foreign language course as a requirement, currently 8.6% of students now take a foreign language course.
While many students viewed ASL as being an easy or an interesting course, it is not easy to learn. ASL has its own grammar structure; most of the vocabulary is composed of words with meanings.
The students have to learn an entire new language from scratch. Students have to use ASL for several years before becoming fluent.
Sign Language is not the same throughout the world. ASL is much different than German Sign Language or Chinese Sign Language.
One surprising fact about ASL is that deaf people communicated faster through ASL than English speakers. When an interpreter is translating ASL between two deaf people, it is at twice the speed of a conversation between two hearing people.
While many deaf people communicate well in ASL, they can read and write well in English. English is a second language for many deaf people.
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column on the deaf community and can be reached at Legalnetwk@aol.com.)
ASL Language Courses Is Growing.
By Leonard Hall
American Sign Language (ASL) is the third most common used language in America after English and Spanish. Many high schools offer ASL classes.
Hundreds of colleges and universities offer ASL, too. More than 70 universities and colleges accept ASL as a foreign language requirement.
Many foreign language departments resisted making ASL a foreign language course since the departments preferred focusing on literature. To these professors, foreign language is speaking and reading. That view has changed considerably during the past several years as the linguist academic community has recognized ASL as its own language.
A Kansas law designated ASL as a foreign language.
A recent press release indicated that enrollment for ASL in college and university has reached 5% of all language courses being offered in 2006. Approximately 79,000 students took ASL courses that represented a 30% increase since 2002.
52% of language courses are offered in Spanish, followed by French (13%) and German (6%).
I remembered that Emporia State University in the 1970s required at least two classes of foreign language for many majors. Fortunately, my Business degree did not require any foreign language.
In 1965, 16.5% of university/college students took a foreign language course. Due to many majors dropping foreign language course as a requirement, currently 8.6% of students now take a foreign language course.
While many students viewed ASL as being an easy or an interesting course, it is not easy to learn. ASL has its own grammar structure; most of the vocabulary is composed of words with meanings.
The students have to learn an entire new language from scratch. Students have to use ASL for several years before becoming fluent.
Sign Language is not the same throughout the world. ASL is much different than German Sign Language or Chinese Sign Language.
One surprising fact about ASL is that deaf people communicated faster through ASL than English speakers. When an interpreter is translating ASL between two deaf people, it is at twice the speed of a conversation between two hearing people.
While many deaf people communicate well in ASL, they can read and write well in English. English is a second language for many deaf people.
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column on the deaf community and can be reached at Legalnetwk@aol.com.)
Halloween, Dart and Poker Games
Published in the Olathe News in November 2007
Halloween, Dart, and Poker Games
By Leonard Hall
Halloween, dart tournament, and poker tournaments are popular activities for deaf people in October and November.
Halloween was a popular as Olathe Club of the Deaf (OCD) and Wichita Association of the Deaf each had a lot of children and deaf adults coming to their annual Halloween party last Saturday. Kansas School for the Deaf had several Halloween parties for its students.
It is great to watch people wearing creative costumes at these parties. The children were better than adults at creating wild costumes to wear.
Another popular event is the dart leagues, which dozens of deaf players played dart at OCD every week.
This Saturday, OCD will have its 5th annual dart tournament that will attract many deaf players from throughout the Kansas City area. The tournament with several different events will last from noon to midnight.
Another popular activity is playing poker games. Many deaf people, including myself, would watch those poker tournaments and poker lesson programs on cable television when there is nothing else to watch.
At a local bar on one Sunday night, I attended a poker tournament packed with many hearing poker players and a few deaf players.
During the tournament, deaf people would sign to each other giving tips on playing poker while playing their cards. It was a learning process for me as I never played in a poker tournament before.
Throughout the night, nearly all of the deaf poker players were winning. Hearing players would cursed quietly and were amazed at the deaf players beating them.
In the championship round, 2 out of the 6 final players were deaf. The winner of the poker tournament was a young deaf female visiting Olathe from California.
She played showing no emotion throughout the night. No-one could figure if she was bluffing or not.
She was good at figuring out the other hearing players’ style of playing. She would tell us in sign language how the other hearing person is bluffing.
When I asked several local deaf players how they did in local poker tournaments, they won several poker tournaments winning prizes of $100 to $500 over the past year.
Several local deaf players would play regularly in several national deaf poker tournaments held on the coasts and would often finished in the top 10 out of hundreds of players.
At a regional deaf conference, I had a chance to play one night in my first poker tournament with 24 deaf players from throughout the Midwest. After 3 hours of playing pokers, I took 2nd place to the deaf chef.
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column on the deaf community and can be reached at Legalnetwk@aol.com.)
Halloween, Dart, and Poker Games
By Leonard Hall
Halloween, dart tournament, and poker tournaments are popular activities for deaf people in October and November.
Halloween was a popular as Olathe Club of the Deaf (OCD) and Wichita Association of the Deaf each had a lot of children and deaf adults coming to their annual Halloween party last Saturday. Kansas School for the Deaf had several Halloween parties for its students.
It is great to watch people wearing creative costumes at these parties. The children were better than adults at creating wild costumes to wear.
Another popular event is the dart leagues, which dozens of deaf players played dart at OCD every week.
This Saturday, OCD will have its 5th annual dart tournament that will attract many deaf players from throughout the Kansas City area. The tournament with several different events will last from noon to midnight.
Another popular activity is playing poker games. Many deaf people, including myself, would watch those poker tournaments and poker lesson programs on cable television when there is nothing else to watch.
At a local bar on one Sunday night, I attended a poker tournament packed with many hearing poker players and a few deaf players.
During the tournament, deaf people would sign to each other giving tips on playing poker while playing their cards. It was a learning process for me as I never played in a poker tournament before.
Throughout the night, nearly all of the deaf poker players were winning. Hearing players would cursed quietly and were amazed at the deaf players beating them.
In the championship round, 2 out of the 6 final players were deaf. The winner of the poker tournament was a young deaf female visiting Olathe from California.
She played showing no emotion throughout the night. No-one could figure if she was bluffing or not.
She was good at figuring out the other hearing players’ style of playing. She would tell us in sign language how the other hearing person is bluffing.
When I asked several local deaf players how they did in local poker tournaments, they won several poker tournaments winning prizes of $100 to $500 over the past year.
Several local deaf players would play regularly in several national deaf poker tournaments held on the coasts and would often finished in the top 10 out of hundreds of players.
At a regional deaf conference, I had a chance to play one night in my first poker tournament with 24 deaf players from throughout the Midwest. After 3 hours of playing pokers, I took 2nd place to the deaf chef.
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column on the deaf community and can be reached at Legalnetwk@aol.com.)
Better Hearing With Cochlear Implant
Printed in Olathe News in October 2007
Better Hearing with CI
By Leonard Hall
Four months after receiving my cochlear implant in my right ear, the wonderful technology has allowed me to hear more than I ever did in my life.
During the first days of wearing the implant, my right ear could not handled any kind of sensitivity of the sounds entering the implant. My right ear was simply deaf which I have never worn a hearing aid out of.
Like most deaf people who never had any hearing, my brain would not process any sound from the implant. It was a process of training my ear, nerves, and brain to hear and understand sounds.
Through the first 2 months, I went through 11 different mapping levels of volume and sensitivity adjustments before reaching the hearing level to hear, but not understand, voices. Each level brings painstaking adjustment to my brain and nerves of the louder volume and exposure to more sounds.
At each level, it was simply learning how to hear electronically at an increasing volume and sensitivity of sounds. There are different sounds coming at me in every kind of environments.
In talking with deaf friends wearing cochlear implant, some could not go beyond the 6th or 7th levels due to the maximum sensitivity the person can handled. They are not to reach the levels to hear or understand spoken words.
I wore a hearing aid and understood 25% of verbal communication for many years. My hearing in my left ear has decreased to the point of almost being profoundly deaf.
One part of my brain using my left ear has the ability to hear and understand verbal communication. It is the other part of my brain using my right ear that needed training.
At the 12th level of mapping, I was able to hear voices, but the spoken words sounded jumbled.
My audiologist, Kristen, had a surprise. Among the three different cochlear implant brands, she and Dr. Luetje recommended Advanced Bionics (or AB Harmony), which came out last year.
The three brands have 16 to 22 electrodes to allow the device to process the sounds. The AB Harmony processor can be adjusted to work at the sound spectrum of up to 120 spectral bands.
When Kristen adjusted my AB Harmony processor to 120 spectral bands, I begin to hear the distinction between spoken words to understand verbal communication better.
Over the past two months on the 13th and 14th level, I am getting better at hearing and understanding spoken words from some people. Using my hearing aid and the implant, I am able to hear and understand most verbal communication.
In the near future, I hope to hear most verbal communication through my implant without the use of my hearing aid.
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column on the deaf community and can be reached at Legalnetwk@aol.com.)
Better Hearing with CI
By Leonard Hall
Four months after receiving my cochlear implant in my right ear, the wonderful technology has allowed me to hear more than I ever did in my life.
During the first days of wearing the implant, my right ear could not handled any kind of sensitivity of the sounds entering the implant. My right ear was simply deaf which I have never worn a hearing aid out of.
Like most deaf people who never had any hearing, my brain would not process any sound from the implant. It was a process of training my ear, nerves, and brain to hear and understand sounds.
Through the first 2 months, I went through 11 different mapping levels of volume and sensitivity adjustments before reaching the hearing level to hear, but not understand, voices. Each level brings painstaking adjustment to my brain and nerves of the louder volume and exposure to more sounds.
At each level, it was simply learning how to hear electronically at an increasing volume and sensitivity of sounds. There are different sounds coming at me in every kind of environments.
In talking with deaf friends wearing cochlear implant, some could not go beyond the 6th or 7th levels due to the maximum sensitivity the person can handled. They are not to reach the levels to hear or understand spoken words.
I wore a hearing aid and understood 25% of verbal communication for many years. My hearing in my left ear has decreased to the point of almost being profoundly deaf.
One part of my brain using my left ear has the ability to hear and understand verbal communication. It is the other part of my brain using my right ear that needed training.
At the 12th level of mapping, I was able to hear voices, but the spoken words sounded jumbled.
My audiologist, Kristen, had a surprise. Among the three different cochlear implant brands, she and Dr. Luetje recommended Advanced Bionics (or AB Harmony), which came out last year.
The three brands have 16 to 22 electrodes to allow the device to process the sounds. The AB Harmony processor can be adjusted to work at the sound spectrum of up to 120 spectral bands.
When Kristen adjusted my AB Harmony processor to 120 spectral bands, I begin to hear the distinction between spoken words to understand verbal communication better.
Over the past two months on the 13th and 14th level, I am getting better at hearing and understanding spoken words from some people. Using my hearing aid and the implant, I am able to hear and understand most verbal communication.
In the near future, I hope to hear most verbal communication through my implant without the use of my hearing aid.
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column on the deaf community and can be reached at Legalnetwk@aol.com.)
Racial Incident at Deaf School in D.C.
Printed in the Olathe News in October 2007
Racial Incident at Deaf School in D.C.
By Leonard Hall
Another national new event came out about a shocking racial incident occurring at the Model Secondary School for the Deaf (MSSD) last September. MSSD is located on the campus of Gallaudet University in Washington D.C.
It started as a friendly horseplay event between different racial groups of students with the names of “Nazi” and “Black KKK”. The event later turned into an ugly incident which six white and one black deaf student took another black student into a dorm room and used markers to write “KKK” and swastikas on the black student.
The black student was held again his will in the room for about 45 minutes.
As the only deaf liberal university in the world, Gallaudet University started to rebound from the week-long students campus protest that ended in the selection of another deaf President last year, the MSSD dormitory event shocked everyone and attracted national media attention.
Gallaudet did not hide the incident and called the police to investigate the crime.
Because of the race of the victim and the symbols drawn on him, the police are investigating the incident as a hate crime. No charges have been filed.
The high school students participating in the event were sent home. It was doubtful that these students were aware of the serious consequences for their actions.
Gallaudet officials were quick to denounce the incident. Gallaudet President Robert Davila said the game was “destructive and represented a kind of evil that existed in society.
Gallaudet Provost Stephen Wiener said the school does not tolerate any kind of action, any kind of behavior of this type.
MSSD has a student population of 170 students with approximately 100 students living in the dormitory. Gallaudet and MSSD have a wide racial diversity of staff working at both schools.
Upon entering the real world, deaf students would face discrimination and prejudice in education, social, and employment as they would never dreamed of while in school.
The students at state school for the deaf and even those attending mainstreamed school programs are often isolated from the real problems of prejudice and discrimination in the world.
At nearly all deaf schools, deaf clubs and sporting events across the country, deaf people from all diverse backgrounds such as white, black, Hispanic, and Asians are good friends and mixed well at most events.
Most deaf people would never dream that any deaf person or student would do racial insults against another deaf person as what happened at MSSD.
State schools for the deaf would be wise to follow Gallaudet and MSSD actions in educating their own students that these types of behaviors are not acceptable in school or in the real world.
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column on the deaf community and can be reached at Legalnetwk@aol.com.)
Racial Incident at Deaf School in D.C.
By Leonard Hall
Another national new event came out about a shocking racial incident occurring at the Model Secondary School for the Deaf (MSSD) last September. MSSD is located on the campus of Gallaudet University in Washington D.C.
It started as a friendly horseplay event between different racial groups of students with the names of “Nazi” and “Black KKK”. The event later turned into an ugly incident which six white and one black deaf student took another black student into a dorm room and used markers to write “KKK” and swastikas on the black student.
The black student was held again his will in the room for about 45 minutes.
As the only deaf liberal university in the world, Gallaudet University started to rebound from the week-long students campus protest that ended in the selection of another deaf President last year, the MSSD dormitory event shocked everyone and attracted national media attention.
Gallaudet did not hide the incident and called the police to investigate the crime.
Because of the race of the victim and the symbols drawn on him, the police are investigating the incident as a hate crime. No charges have been filed.
The high school students participating in the event were sent home. It was doubtful that these students were aware of the serious consequences for their actions.
Gallaudet officials were quick to denounce the incident. Gallaudet President Robert Davila said the game was “destructive and represented a kind of evil that existed in society.
Gallaudet Provost Stephen Wiener said the school does not tolerate any kind of action, any kind of behavior of this type.
MSSD has a student population of 170 students with approximately 100 students living in the dormitory. Gallaudet and MSSD have a wide racial diversity of staff working at both schools.
Upon entering the real world, deaf students would face discrimination and prejudice in education, social, and employment as they would never dreamed of while in school.
The students at state school for the deaf and even those attending mainstreamed school programs are often isolated from the real problems of prejudice and discrimination in the world.
At nearly all deaf schools, deaf clubs and sporting events across the country, deaf people from all diverse backgrounds such as white, black, Hispanic, and Asians are good friends and mixed well at most events.
Most deaf people would never dream that any deaf person or student would do racial insults against another deaf person as what happened at MSSD.
State schools for the deaf would be wise to follow Gallaudet and MSSD actions in educating their own students that these types of behaviors are not acceptable in school or in the real world.
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column on the deaf community and can be reached at Legalnetwk@aol.com.)
Disability Awarness Week and Jobs
Disability Awareness Week and Jobs
By Leonard Hall
The Olathe Human Relation Commission, the People with Disabilities Advisory Board and the city are promoting several important programs for Disability Awareness Week during the week of October 14th.
The groups have been very active in providing education and information to the public about people with disabilities. This year, workshops, a job fair, and an informational fair will be offered.
While I was writing this column, a 62-year old deaf man came to City Hall wanting information about part-time employment to pay his ever increasing monthly bills and monthly health insurance premium of $800.
He retired after 32 years from a well-known business six months ago which provided a poor retirement program.
Even with social security and the small income from his retirement, he and his wife could not pay all of the monthly bills and insurance premiums. He also said he is bored staying at home and wants to work part-time. He applied for part-time employment at the area grocery stores, restaurants and other places, but no-one has hired him.
The biggest strikes against him are that he is older and deaf.
He was referred to the State of Kansas Rehabilitation Services at 89th and Lenexa Drive in Lenexa. The office can assist and train him in search for employment.
He will contact the Jewish Vocational Services in Kansas City, which has a good employment search and training program for people with disabilities.
His story is similar to those of several deaf people who were either laid off or retired early from their jobs. Full-time or part-time employment for deaf people in their 50s to 60s is difficult to obtain.
The following programs will be offered at the Olathe Fire Administration Building, 1225 S. Hamilton Circle:
* “Navigating the Waters of Special Needs Planning,” 1 – 3 p.m. and 6 – 8 p.m., Monday, October 15th. This is a financial planning workshop for the parents of special needs children. Presenters are Mark A. Gash and Karen Weber.
* Disability Mentoring Day and Job Fair, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., Wednesday, October 17. A metropolitan area event designed to promote career development for job seekers with disabilities through hands-on career exploration, job shadowing, and internships or mentee/mentor relationships.
There will also be a “Disability Mentoring Day and Job Fair” from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 31 at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, 4801 Rockhill Road.
* “Community Services Informational Fair,” 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Friday, Oct. 19th . A fair featuring community service providers offering service resources to the disabled community. The guest speaker is Lee Jones, who will talk about the importance of having dreams and pursing them.
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column on the deaf community and can be reached at Legalnetwk@aol.com.)
By Leonard Hall
The Olathe Human Relation Commission, the People with Disabilities Advisory Board and the city are promoting several important programs for Disability Awareness Week during the week of October 14th.
The groups have been very active in providing education and information to the public about people with disabilities. This year, workshops, a job fair, and an informational fair will be offered.
While I was writing this column, a 62-year old deaf man came to City Hall wanting information about part-time employment to pay his ever increasing monthly bills and monthly health insurance premium of $800.
He retired after 32 years from a well-known business six months ago which provided a poor retirement program.
Even with social security and the small income from his retirement, he and his wife could not pay all of the monthly bills and insurance premiums. He also said he is bored staying at home and wants to work part-time. He applied for part-time employment at the area grocery stores, restaurants and other places, but no-one has hired him.
The biggest strikes against him are that he is older and deaf.
He was referred to the State of Kansas Rehabilitation Services at 89th and Lenexa Drive in Lenexa. The office can assist and train him in search for employment.
He will contact the Jewish Vocational Services in Kansas City, which has a good employment search and training program for people with disabilities.
His story is similar to those of several deaf people who were either laid off or retired early from their jobs. Full-time or part-time employment for deaf people in their 50s to 60s is difficult to obtain.
The following programs will be offered at the Olathe Fire Administration Building, 1225 S. Hamilton Circle:
* “Navigating the Waters of Special Needs Planning,” 1 – 3 p.m. and 6 – 8 p.m., Monday, October 15th. This is a financial planning workshop for the parents of special needs children. Presenters are Mark A. Gash and Karen Weber.
* Disability Mentoring Day and Job Fair, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., Wednesday, October 17. A metropolitan area event designed to promote career development for job seekers with disabilities through hands-on career exploration, job shadowing, and internships or mentee/mentor relationships.
There will also be a “Disability Mentoring Day and Job Fair” from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 31 at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, 4801 Rockhill Road.
* “Community Services Informational Fair,” 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Friday, Oct. 19th . A fair featuring community service providers offering service resources to the disabled community. The guest speaker is Lee Jones, who will talk about the importance of having dreams and pursing them.
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column on the deaf community and can be reached at Legalnetwk@aol.com.)
"Celebrate ASL" Day in America
Printed in the Olathe News in September 2007
“Celebrate ASL!” Day in America
By Leonard Hall
Deaf schools, communities and organizations across America will be hosting “Celebrate ASL!” Day on Friday, September 28th, 2007. ASL is American Sign Language that is the primary language used by many deaf Americans.
The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) designated “Celebrate ASL!” Day on Friday, September 28th as part of the Deaf Awareness Week events and in observance of the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) International Day of Sign Languages.
At the July 2007 World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf, delegates overwhelmingly supported the creation of an International Day of Sign Languages. It is a celebratory event to be observed annually throughout the entire world during the last full week of September.
NAD was founded in 1880 when ASL in deaf schools and deaf communities across the country was under attack. NAD, state associations and deaf communities across the country have worked together to turn the tide.
ASL is reported to be the third most widely used language in America after English and Spanish. Many states recognized ASL as an official language and taught in public schools and universities across the country.
NAD and state associations, including Kansas Association of the Deaf, support the global objective of WFD, one of which specifically focuses on advancement of human rights for deaf people through sign languages. They advocate for the acquisition, learning, and use of ASL by everyone, and recognize ASL as the heart of the American deaf community.
Use of sign language by deaf people is a fundamental human right as many deaf people rely on sign language for communication. When authority attempts to take away sign language from deaf people in several parts of the world, it is taking away the deaf people right to communicate and live freely.
There are those who criticized or downplayed the use of ASL by deaf people across the country.
Why focus on the negative features of using ASL, where there are many positive features to point out to everyone? ASL is a true and beautiful language recognized by linguists across the world.
“Celebrate ASL!” Day is the day that deaf people across America can proudly show the public that ASL is a wonderful language to learn and use.
Kansas School for the Deaf will be celebrating ASL with students making posters of different color of sign languages, map of different countries with international “I Love You” symbols. Students will be wearing a black t-shirt or dress shirt to school.
There will be “Celebrate ASL!” events in Kansas City and Wichita.
In 1913, George Veditz, NAD President said, “As long as we have deaf people on earth, we will have signs, the noblest gift God has given to deaf people.”
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column on the deaf community and can be reached at Legalnetwk@aol.com.)
“Celebrate ASL!” Day in America
By Leonard Hall
Deaf schools, communities and organizations across America will be hosting “Celebrate ASL!” Day on Friday, September 28th, 2007. ASL is American Sign Language that is the primary language used by many deaf Americans.
The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) designated “Celebrate ASL!” Day on Friday, September 28th as part of the Deaf Awareness Week events and in observance of the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) International Day of Sign Languages.
At the July 2007 World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf, delegates overwhelmingly supported the creation of an International Day of Sign Languages. It is a celebratory event to be observed annually throughout the entire world during the last full week of September.
NAD was founded in 1880 when ASL in deaf schools and deaf communities across the country was under attack. NAD, state associations and deaf communities across the country have worked together to turn the tide.
ASL is reported to be the third most widely used language in America after English and Spanish. Many states recognized ASL as an official language and taught in public schools and universities across the country.
NAD and state associations, including Kansas Association of the Deaf, support the global objective of WFD, one of which specifically focuses on advancement of human rights for deaf people through sign languages. They advocate for the acquisition, learning, and use of ASL by everyone, and recognize ASL as the heart of the American deaf community.
Use of sign language by deaf people is a fundamental human right as many deaf people rely on sign language for communication. When authority attempts to take away sign language from deaf people in several parts of the world, it is taking away the deaf people right to communicate and live freely.
There are those who criticized or downplayed the use of ASL by deaf people across the country.
Why focus on the negative features of using ASL, where there are many positive features to point out to everyone? ASL is a true and beautiful language recognized by linguists across the world.
“Celebrate ASL!” Day is the day that deaf people across America can proudly show the public that ASL is a wonderful language to learn and use.
Kansas School for the Deaf will be celebrating ASL with students making posters of different color of sign languages, map of different countries with international “I Love You” symbols. Students will be wearing a black t-shirt or dress shirt to school.
There will be “Celebrate ASL!” events in Kansas City and Wichita.
In 1913, George Veditz, NAD President said, “As long as we have deaf people on earth, we will have signs, the noblest gift God has given to deaf people.”
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column on the deaf community and can be reached at Legalnetwk@aol.com.)
Deaf College Football Player
Printed in the Olathe News in September 2007
Deaf College Football Player
By Leonard Hall
Every year, there seems to be one outstanding college football player playing for a major university in NCAA, who is either deaf or a child of deaf parents (CODA). Often, deaf people will search the football games on cable television to watch this player plays college football.
Last year, it was Jamal Anderson, hearing son of Dr. Glenn Anderson, who is an outstanding deaf administrator at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Anderson played for University of Arkansas in several televised college football game.
Anderson was often the leading tackler for Arkansas and involved in many key plays that helped Arkansas to a winning record. Anderson has been drafted to play in the National Football League.
This year, the top deaf college football player is Oklahoma State University cornerback Martel Van Zant. Several years ago, Van Zant was one of the best high school cornerbacks in Texas, when he decided to go to OSU.
During his sophomore year at OSU, he became a starter at cornerback. Last year as a junior, Van Zant started all of OSU football games at cornerback.
Van Zant was fourth on the OSU team with 67 tackles and had two interceptions. The important fact for any cornerback is that he deflected eight passes.
With several Big 12 football league football games being shown every Saturday, there is a good chance that deaf fans will be able to watch Van Zant, with his jersey number 7, plays cornerback for OSU.
With several Big 12 football teams, including Kansas University, Missouri University, and Texas Tech, passing the football a lot, Van Zant will be seen on television covering wide receivers.
OSU football coaches said that Van Zant is very competitive and is very aware of what’s going around him in playing college football games.
OSU defensive football coach said that Van Zant has the best vision and a seventh sense for playing football. Van Zant does not lose his concentration and can focus on the football and wide receiver.
Van Zant has an interpreter who accompanies him to all team meetings, practices and games.
Van Zant is also a good speech reader and can read body language very well.
In many ways, Van Zant is a lot like Kenny Walker, who played linebacker for University of Nebraska four years and the professional Denver Bronco team in the National Football League for several years in the early 1990s.
One time, I met former Denver Head Coach Reeve and asked him about Kenny Walker. Reeve said that Walker was a competitive football player with outstanding vision and concentration. Reeve said that Walker was one of the few football players he enjoyed coaching.
When Coach Reeve left Denver Bronco football team to come the head coach for the New York Giants football team, the Denver new football coach released Walker from the football team.
Later, Walker served in several deaf community projects in Missouri and Nebraska, including the independent living center in St Joseph, Missouri for several years.
Hopefully, Van Zant will follow in Walker footsteps, play in the NFL, and become a good role model for deaf children across the Midwest.
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column on the deaf community and can be reached at Legalnetwk@aol.com.)
Deaf College Football Player
By Leonard Hall
Every year, there seems to be one outstanding college football player playing for a major university in NCAA, who is either deaf or a child of deaf parents (CODA). Often, deaf people will search the football games on cable television to watch this player plays college football.
Last year, it was Jamal Anderson, hearing son of Dr. Glenn Anderson, who is an outstanding deaf administrator at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Anderson played for University of Arkansas in several televised college football game.
Anderson was often the leading tackler for Arkansas and involved in many key plays that helped Arkansas to a winning record. Anderson has been drafted to play in the National Football League.
This year, the top deaf college football player is Oklahoma State University cornerback Martel Van Zant. Several years ago, Van Zant was one of the best high school cornerbacks in Texas, when he decided to go to OSU.
During his sophomore year at OSU, he became a starter at cornerback. Last year as a junior, Van Zant started all of OSU football games at cornerback.
Van Zant was fourth on the OSU team with 67 tackles and had two interceptions. The important fact for any cornerback is that he deflected eight passes.
With several Big 12 football league football games being shown every Saturday, there is a good chance that deaf fans will be able to watch Van Zant, with his jersey number 7, plays cornerback for OSU.
With several Big 12 football teams, including Kansas University, Missouri University, and Texas Tech, passing the football a lot, Van Zant will be seen on television covering wide receivers.
OSU football coaches said that Van Zant is very competitive and is very aware of what’s going around him in playing college football games.
OSU defensive football coach said that Van Zant has the best vision and a seventh sense for playing football. Van Zant does not lose his concentration and can focus on the football and wide receiver.
Van Zant has an interpreter who accompanies him to all team meetings, practices and games.
Van Zant is also a good speech reader and can read body language very well.
In many ways, Van Zant is a lot like Kenny Walker, who played linebacker for University of Nebraska four years and the professional Denver Bronco team in the National Football League for several years in the early 1990s.
One time, I met former Denver Head Coach Reeve and asked him about Kenny Walker. Reeve said that Walker was a competitive football player with outstanding vision and concentration. Reeve said that Walker was one of the few football players he enjoyed coaching.
When Coach Reeve left Denver Bronco football team to come the head coach for the New York Giants football team, the Denver new football coach released Walker from the football team.
Later, Walker served in several deaf community projects in Missouri and Nebraska, including the independent living center in St Joseph, Missouri for several years.
Hopefully, Van Zant will follow in Walker footsteps, play in the NFL, and become a good role model for deaf children across the Midwest.
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column on the deaf community and can be reached at Legalnetwk@aol.com.)
Deaf Town in America and Israel
Printed in the Olathe News in September, 2007
Deaf Town in America and Israel
By Leonard Hall
During my two week vacation trip to Yellowstone, I stopped at a farmland tract where a deaf town was proposed next to I-90 near Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
The name of the deaf town was Laurent. Several deaf people have been working for years in advocating and preparing plans for the deaf town.
The site is a beautiful tract of approximately 160 acres with a real estate sign that had been painted over.
Like Kansas, many towns in South Dakota have lost almost all of their population and became ghost towns. It was a rare event for anyone to propose a new town.
The grand plan for the deaf town attracted a lot of attention. Over 150 deaf individuals signed a list expressing their desire to buy or rent property in the new deaf town.
Nearby was the county seat town of Salem where numerous public hearings were held before the planning and county boards about the proposed plan for the deaf town.
The public hearings raised a number of questions about whether the deaf town can be built and what kind of public services are needed.
There is a large deaf population in the general area as Communication Services for the Deaf (CSD) grew in Sioux Falls from a small operation to an outstanding nationwide service organization with many hundreds of employees.
Over the past several years due to the changing regulatory environment and competition, CSD lost a significant number of employees, so the deaf population has gotten smaller.
Like the painted-over real estate sign on the farmland, there had been no news about the proposed deaf town over the past year. The dream may be fading.
In the desert of Negev in Israel, there is a community called Al-Sayyid, where 3,500 Bedouin from an Arab nomadic tribe live. At least 150 residents are deaf.
Apparently through large families and genetic probabilities, a high number of deaf children were born in Al-Sayyid. Nearly all of the village’s residents, including hearing and deaf people, are fluent in sign language.
It may be the only place in the entire world that can be referred to as a deaf town where everyone can communicate in sign language.
The last true deaf town in America was Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts in the 1800s, which had many deaf residents due to marriages among cousins and large families. This deaf community has disappeared.
The dream of living in a deaf town will continue among the many deaf people living in America.
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column for the Olathe News. He can be reached at Legalnetwk@aol.com.)
Deaf Town in America and Israel
By Leonard Hall
During my two week vacation trip to Yellowstone, I stopped at a farmland tract where a deaf town was proposed next to I-90 near Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
The name of the deaf town was Laurent. Several deaf people have been working for years in advocating and preparing plans for the deaf town.
The site is a beautiful tract of approximately 160 acres with a real estate sign that had been painted over.
Like Kansas, many towns in South Dakota have lost almost all of their population and became ghost towns. It was a rare event for anyone to propose a new town.
The grand plan for the deaf town attracted a lot of attention. Over 150 deaf individuals signed a list expressing their desire to buy or rent property in the new deaf town.
Nearby was the county seat town of Salem where numerous public hearings were held before the planning and county boards about the proposed plan for the deaf town.
The public hearings raised a number of questions about whether the deaf town can be built and what kind of public services are needed.
There is a large deaf population in the general area as Communication Services for the Deaf (CSD) grew in Sioux Falls from a small operation to an outstanding nationwide service organization with many hundreds of employees.
Over the past several years due to the changing regulatory environment and competition, CSD lost a significant number of employees, so the deaf population has gotten smaller.
Like the painted-over real estate sign on the farmland, there had been no news about the proposed deaf town over the past year. The dream may be fading.
In the desert of Negev in Israel, there is a community called Al-Sayyid, where 3,500 Bedouin from an Arab nomadic tribe live. At least 150 residents are deaf.
Apparently through large families and genetic probabilities, a high number of deaf children were born in Al-Sayyid. Nearly all of the village’s residents, including hearing and deaf people, are fluent in sign language.
It may be the only place in the entire world that can be referred to as a deaf town where everyone can communicate in sign language.
The last true deaf town in America was Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts in the 1800s, which had many deaf residents due to marriages among cousins and large families. This deaf community has disappeared.
The dream of living in a deaf town will continue among the many deaf people living in America.
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column for the Olathe News. He can be reached at Legalnetwk@aol.com.)
The Vacation of a Lifetime
Printed in the Olathe News in August, 2007
The Vacation of A Lifetime
By Leonard Hall
After visiting Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, Yellowstone National Park was the jewel of the two-week family vacation. The Yellowstone attractions of geysers, hot springs, mud volcanoes, water falls, forests, and wildlife are among the magnificent sites to see in the world.
Old Faithful geyser, Mammoth Hot Springs, and dozen of sites were active as Yellowstone sits on one of the world’s most active volcano caldera.
Many programs and tours are offered by a private vendor operating the park. You can spend an entire week in Yellowstone, but only see half of the attractions and programs.
But unless you make reservations several weeks in advance, it is impossible to secure an interpreter at Yellowstone.
Upon arriving in Yellowstone, reservations were made for a boat tour and a one-day bus tour for the “Circle of Fire” in the south loop of the park. I requested an interpreter, but was simply told that it would be difficult to secure one upon short notice.
The problem with this arrangement is most tourists have no idea of what they want to see and do until they arrive in Yellowstone. There are many programs to choose from.
Reservations for hotels and camp grounds needed to be made at least several months in advance as all sleeping facilities are full during the months of July and August at Yellowstone. Picking a place to sleep is easy, but choosing among the programs and tours several months in advance is hard for any tourist.
During the tours, it was difficult to understand the tour guide’s stories. The spectacular sites with boardwalk trails and display exhibits were helpful and self-explanatory.
We camped out in a tent for 5 nights and attended the evening Park Ranger programs at the camp site. It was a wonderful and cool week to spend at Yellowstone.
The 1988 Yellowstone fire burned 40% of the park, so the rebirth of new trees with most being 8 to 10’ tall changed the heavily forest area to diversity of forest areas.
Our last part of the vacation ended up in the Black Hills area near Rapid City, South Dakota, the location of Mount Rushmore. The Mount Rushmore night program was the highlight.
There are several tourist towns, such as Deadwood, Lead, Keystone, and Hill City, where every hotel and bar have a casino. We left just before the week-long Sturgis, South Dakota Bike Rally, where 400,000 bikers attend the rally.
In the pre-bike rally week, there were many thousands of bikers with their heavy motorcycles in the Rapid City area. Most gas stations, tourist attractions, restaurants, and hotels had hundreds of bikers.
My advice is to go to Yellowstone and Black Hills in June or September and avoid the peak season crowds. It was a vacation of a life-time.
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column for the Olathe News. He can be reached at Legalnetwk@aol.com.)
The Vacation of A Lifetime
By Leonard Hall
After visiting Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, Yellowstone National Park was the jewel of the two-week family vacation. The Yellowstone attractions of geysers, hot springs, mud volcanoes, water falls, forests, and wildlife are among the magnificent sites to see in the world.
Old Faithful geyser, Mammoth Hot Springs, and dozen of sites were active as Yellowstone sits on one of the world’s most active volcano caldera.
Many programs and tours are offered by a private vendor operating the park. You can spend an entire week in Yellowstone, but only see half of the attractions and programs.
But unless you make reservations several weeks in advance, it is impossible to secure an interpreter at Yellowstone.
Upon arriving in Yellowstone, reservations were made for a boat tour and a one-day bus tour for the “Circle of Fire” in the south loop of the park. I requested an interpreter, but was simply told that it would be difficult to secure one upon short notice.
The problem with this arrangement is most tourists have no idea of what they want to see and do until they arrive in Yellowstone. There are many programs to choose from.
Reservations for hotels and camp grounds needed to be made at least several months in advance as all sleeping facilities are full during the months of July and August at Yellowstone. Picking a place to sleep is easy, but choosing among the programs and tours several months in advance is hard for any tourist.
During the tours, it was difficult to understand the tour guide’s stories. The spectacular sites with boardwalk trails and display exhibits were helpful and self-explanatory.
We camped out in a tent for 5 nights and attended the evening Park Ranger programs at the camp site. It was a wonderful and cool week to spend at Yellowstone.
The 1988 Yellowstone fire burned 40% of the park, so the rebirth of new trees with most being 8 to 10’ tall changed the heavily forest area to diversity of forest areas.
Our last part of the vacation ended up in the Black Hills area near Rapid City, South Dakota, the location of Mount Rushmore. The Mount Rushmore night program was the highlight.
There are several tourist towns, such as Deadwood, Lead, Keystone, and Hill City, where every hotel and bar have a casino. We left just before the week-long Sturgis, South Dakota Bike Rally, where 400,000 bikers attend the rally.
In the pre-bike rally week, there were many thousands of bikers with their heavy motorcycles in the Rapid City area. Most gas stations, tourist attractions, restaurants, and hotels had hundreds of bikers.
My advice is to go to Yellowstone and Black Hills in June or September and avoid the peak season crowds. It was a vacation of a life-time.
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column for the Olathe News. He can be reached at Legalnetwk@aol.com.)
Summer Family Vacation a Must
Printed in the Olathe News on August 9, 2007
Summer Family Vacation A Must
by Leonard Hall
The two-week summer vacation is becoming an infrequent event for most families according to recent surveys. Some Olathe families have children who play summer sports and spend their vacation at week-long sports tournaments.
My family went on a real 2-week family vacation. The trip went from St Louis to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, and Black Hills (home of Mount Rushmore) in South Dakota.
The trip is one of those once-in-a-lifetime vacations which every Olathe family should take.
In St Louis, Olathe Club of the Deaf (OCD) men’s and women’s softball teams played in the regional Midwest Athletic Association of the Deaf (MAAD) tournament.
The OCD men’s team took 3rd place and will advance to the National Softball Association of the Deaf tournament next week. The OCD women’s team took 5th place.
The MAAD regional tournament consists of teams from 10 neighboring states, where the best teams qualified to play in a national softball tournament.
We saw many groups of vehicles with girls softball players traveling to national softball tournaments in St Louis, Denver, and Sioux Falls. Other national softball tournaments include those in Lawrence, Kansas and Burlington, Iowa.
A daughter of my deaf friend played in a girl national softball tournament in Tulsa last week. Her team had a losing record in league but maintain to qualify for the 64-team national tournament, which was really a regional tournament.
After going to St Louis, we went onto the beautiful Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. The grandeur views of the mountains are wonderful.
Unfortunately, the Pine Bark Beetles are destroying forests in Colorado.
The infestation is rapidly killing most of the tall fir, pine and spruce trees in the forests. Last year, about 5% of the trees were dying. This year, nearly 95% of the trees had turned brown and will die in some areas.
Because of global warming causing a warmer climate in Colorado, specific species of the beetles live longer and multiply faster eating mostly through the vital parts of mature trees.
One forest ranger said it is a matter of time when most of the forests in the Colorado mountains will be bare. Fortunately, the beetle infestation has not spread to Wyoming or South Dakota because of higher elevation and cooler climate.
The ranger said that forest fire is one way to battle the beetle infestation, but the policy has been to prevent forest fires to protect buildings and homes.
The 1988 Yellowstone National Park forest fires wiped out 40% of the park. It turned out to be a blessing as it acted as a barrier to future beetle infestation.
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column for the Olathe News. He can be reached at Legalnetwk@aol.com.)
Summer Family Vacation A Must
by Leonard Hall
The two-week summer vacation is becoming an infrequent event for most families according to recent surveys. Some Olathe families have children who play summer sports and spend their vacation at week-long sports tournaments.
My family went on a real 2-week family vacation. The trip went from St Louis to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, and Black Hills (home of Mount Rushmore) in South Dakota.
The trip is one of those once-in-a-lifetime vacations which every Olathe family should take.
In St Louis, Olathe Club of the Deaf (OCD) men’s and women’s softball teams played in the regional Midwest Athletic Association of the Deaf (MAAD) tournament.
The OCD men’s team took 3rd place and will advance to the National Softball Association of the Deaf tournament next week. The OCD women’s team took 5th place.
The MAAD regional tournament consists of teams from 10 neighboring states, where the best teams qualified to play in a national softball tournament.
We saw many groups of vehicles with girls softball players traveling to national softball tournaments in St Louis, Denver, and Sioux Falls. Other national softball tournaments include those in Lawrence, Kansas and Burlington, Iowa.
A daughter of my deaf friend played in a girl national softball tournament in Tulsa last week. Her team had a losing record in league but maintain to qualify for the 64-team national tournament, which was really a regional tournament.
After going to St Louis, we went onto the beautiful Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. The grandeur views of the mountains are wonderful.
Unfortunately, the Pine Bark Beetles are destroying forests in Colorado.
The infestation is rapidly killing most of the tall fir, pine and spruce trees in the forests. Last year, about 5% of the trees were dying. This year, nearly 95% of the trees had turned brown and will die in some areas.
Because of global warming causing a warmer climate in Colorado, specific species of the beetles live longer and multiply faster eating mostly through the vital parts of mature trees.
One forest ranger said it is a matter of time when most of the forests in the Colorado mountains will be bare. Fortunately, the beetle infestation has not spread to Wyoming or South Dakota because of higher elevation and cooler climate.
The ranger said that forest fire is one way to battle the beetle infestation, but the policy has been to prevent forest fires to protect buildings and homes.
The 1988 Yellowstone National Park forest fires wiped out 40% of the park. It turned out to be a blessing as it acted as a barrier to future beetle infestation.
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column for the Olathe News. He can be reached at Legalnetwk@aol.com.)
Activation of a Cochlear Implant
Printed in the Olathe News on July 12, 2007
Activation of a Cochlear Implant
By Leonard Hall
After cochlear implant surgery last month, my implant in the right deaf ear was activated. It is the beginning of a long process of learning to hear in my right ear, which I never heard out of.
The activation has stimulated my brain to learn new sounds through the implant.
Everyone getting a cochlear implant will remember the date of the surgery and the date it was activated.
The implant is the size of a quarter with an electrode wire that is inserted through the cochlear of the inner ear. The external device is a processor that looks like a behind-the-ear hearing aid and magnetically connects with the internal device.
With the growing popularity of Bluetooth devices worn around the ear, no-one noticed my device is part of an implant.
After Lasik eye surgery years ago, I experienced 20/20 vision or better after 3 days of recovery. The key, though, is it’s easier to re-accustom with better eyesight when glasses or contacts provided vision correction before the procedure.
The implant was inserted in my right ear, where I had not worn a hearing aid or heard anything since I was born.
I have 10 to 20 percent speech discrimination in my left ear when I use a hearing aid. However, with the cochlear implant, speech discrimination in my right ear should be better.
Some deaf people who have heard nothing in their lives likely won’t have speech discrimination with their implants. There is a risk that my right ear may not have speech discrimination using an implant.
Upon activation of the implant, I heard only loud high pitched “thingy” sounds. My audiologist remarked that we have a lot of work to do.
My brain became very active in fine-tuning the nerves to learn the sounds coming through the implant. Each time, I visited the audiologist; it was a 3-step process to increase the sensitivity of the sounds to allow my brain to learn new sounds.
On the second day after more adjustments, the sounds became high pitch garbled sounds. A week later, I could distinguish the sounds, but they were unrecognizable, such as trains, cars, trucks, voices, and other environmental sounds.
The voices sound like Minnie Mouse talking; everyone is speaking Japanese or Chinese.
It is a long road to hearing better.
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column about the deaf community. He can be reached at legalnetwk@aol.com.)
Activation of a Cochlear Implant
By Leonard Hall
After cochlear implant surgery last month, my implant in the right deaf ear was activated. It is the beginning of a long process of learning to hear in my right ear, which I never heard out of.
The activation has stimulated my brain to learn new sounds through the implant.
Everyone getting a cochlear implant will remember the date of the surgery and the date it was activated.
The implant is the size of a quarter with an electrode wire that is inserted through the cochlear of the inner ear. The external device is a processor that looks like a behind-the-ear hearing aid and magnetically connects with the internal device.
With the growing popularity of Bluetooth devices worn around the ear, no-one noticed my device is part of an implant.
After Lasik eye surgery years ago, I experienced 20/20 vision or better after 3 days of recovery. The key, though, is it’s easier to re-accustom with better eyesight when glasses or contacts provided vision correction before the procedure.
The implant was inserted in my right ear, where I had not worn a hearing aid or heard anything since I was born.
I have 10 to 20 percent speech discrimination in my left ear when I use a hearing aid. However, with the cochlear implant, speech discrimination in my right ear should be better.
Some deaf people who have heard nothing in their lives likely won’t have speech discrimination with their implants. There is a risk that my right ear may not have speech discrimination using an implant.
Upon activation of the implant, I heard only loud high pitched “thingy” sounds. My audiologist remarked that we have a lot of work to do.
My brain became very active in fine-tuning the nerves to learn the sounds coming through the implant. Each time, I visited the audiologist; it was a 3-step process to increase the sensitivity of the sounds to allow my brain to learn new sounds.
On the second day after more adjustments, the sounds became high pitch garbled sounds. A week later, I could distinguish the sounds, but they were unrecognizable, such as trains, cars, trucks, voices, and other environmental sounds.
The voices sound like Minnie Mouse talking; everyone is speaking Japanese or Chinese.
It is a long road to hearing better.
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column about the deaf community. He can be reached at legalnetwk@aol.com.)
Getting a Cochlear Implant
Printed in the Olathe News on June 20, 2007
Getting A Cochlear Implant
By Leonard Hall
Last week, I took the big step of having cochlear implant surgery. It was a big decision as the cochlear implant will have a major impact on my life.
Cochlear implant is a quarter size device installed on the skull under the skin with a wire inserted through the inner ear. With the use of a behind-the-ear computer processor, the sounds can be transmitted through the implant to the brain.
For many years, I had 20% to 25% hearing and speech discrimination meaning that I can hear and understand approximately 25% of verbal communication without lip-reading.
Ten years ago, while wearing analogy hearing aids, my speech discrimination dropped from 25% range to 10% range. Due to technology advance, my digital computer-type hearing aid restored my speech discrimination back to the 25% range.
Over the past year, I was struggling with a steady loss to almost 5% remaining hearing and 5% speech discrimination.
Hearing test showed that I can understand 5% of speech with my hearing aid in quiet environment, but understand approximately 50% to 60% of verbal communication when lip-reading.
If I know the persons and subject matters which are common in my work and personal life, I can understand most of the verbal communication. I am a good lip-reader.
In lip-reading those people with moderate to heavy foreign accent, mostly Hispanic people, it is frustrating as I cannot understand them. At some fast food restaurants in Olathe, my food orders may not be what I ordered.
With the worsening hearing loss, it is either obtain a cochlear implant or rely upon lip-reading as my sole mean of communication with hearing people.
I am still wearing a hearing aid in my left ear because it still recognizes sounds. My cochlear implant is in the right ear, which could not tolerate the use of a hearing aid.
With the cochlear implant, many hard of hearing adults with the use of the cochlear implant reported speech discrimination in the range of 80% to 90%. However, many of these people like me had enough hearing with or without the hearing aid to understand verbal communication in the past.
It is a different story for deaf adults who never had hearing in the past and had not understood verbal communication before. Some have reported very low percentage of speech discrimination with the use of the implant.
Hopefully, with the use of a cochlear implant, I am looking forward to 60% to 80% hearing and speech discrimination.
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column for the deaf community and can be reached at Legalnetwk@aol.com.)
Getting A Cochlear Implant
By Leonard Hall
Last week, I took the big step of having cochlear implant surgery. It was a big decision as the cochlear implant will have a major impact on my life.
Cochlear implant is a quarter size device installed on the skull under the skin with a wire inserted through the inner ear. With the use of a behind-the-ear computer processor, the sounds can be transmitted through the implant to the brain.
For many years, I had 20% to 25% hearing and speech discrimination meaning that I can hear and understand approximately 25% of verbal communication without lip-reading.
Ten years ago, while wearing analogy hearing aids, my speech discrimination dropped from 25% range to 10% range. Due to technology advance, my digital computer-type hearing aid restored my speech discrimination back to the 25% range.
Over the past year, I was struggling with a steady loss to almost 5% remaining hearing and 5% speech discrimination.
Hearing test showed that I can understand 5% of speech with my hearing aid in quiet environment, but understand approximately 50% to 60% of verbal communication when lip-reading.
If I know the persons and subject matters which are common in my work and personal life, I can understand most of the verbal communication. I am a good lip-reader.
In lip-reading those people with moderate to heavy foreign accent, mostly Hispanic people, it is frustrating as I cannot understand them. At some fast food restaurants in Olathe, my food orders may not be what I ordered.
With the worsening hearing loss, it is either obtain a cochlear implant or rely upon lip-reading as my sole mean of communication with hearing people.
I am still wearing a hearing aid in my left ear because it still recognizes sounds. My cochlear implant is in the right ear, which could not tolerate the use of a hearing aid.
With the cochlear implant, many hard of hearing adults with the use of the cochlear implant reported speech discrimination in the range of 80% to 90%. However, many of these people like me had enough hearing with or without the hearing aid to understand verbal communication in the past.
It is a different story for deaf adults who never had hearing in the past and had not understood verbal communication before. Some have reported very low percentage of speech discrimination with the use of the implant.
Hopefully, with the use of a cochlear implant, I am looking forward to 60% to 80% hearing and speech discrimination.
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column for the deaf community and can be reached at Legalnetwk@aol.com.)
State Deaf Conference in Hutchinson
Printed in the Olathe News on June, 2007
State Deaf Conference in Hutchinson
By Leonard Hall, KAD President
Last weekend, Kansas Association of the Deaf (KAD) hosted its Biennial state conference in Hutchinson, Kansas. Over 150 deaf people attended the conference.
KAD held its conference Friday at the world famous Cosmosphere and Space Center that allowed the deaf people to tour the space museum. The museum has the renovated Apollo 13 capsule, Liberty bell, and many duplicate of space crafts used by NASA many years ago.
It was a fantastic place to have a day of the conference. The theme of the conference was “Future of Deaf in Space – 100 Years Later.”
KAD held workshops in many areas, including “Deaf Work”, “Domestic Violence”, “A Day in the Life of an Educational Sign Language Interpreter”, and several other workshops.
The highlight of the KAD conference was the Miss Deaf Kansas Pageant. Miss Tanna Jo Kolb from Wichita was crowned Miss Deaf Kansas from 2007 to 2009. First runner up was Sarah Elizabeth Goodwin from Wichita.
The past Miss Deaf Kansas, Pamela Seibert, finished her successful two year reign that includes finishing among the top 6 contestants at the Miss Deaf America Pageant last year.
KAD finished the conference Saturday night with a banquet program at the hotel about NAD and the Gallaudet University President Protest and another program on “Past and Future Space Exploration of Space, Moon, and Mars.”
KAD elected a new President, Ann Cooper from Gardner, and other officers, from throughout the state. I have become the “Past President Emeritus” after serving as President for 4 years.
Serving as President of a statewide non profit organization was a great pleasure but a lot of work. There were a number of meetings across the state and in Topeka, including those with the legislators and committees writing regulations on sign language interpreters and deaf students’ bill of rights in education.
KAD gave out several awards honoring individuals and organizations for their work serving deaf and hard of hearing people in Kansas, including:
* Distinguished Service Award is given to Western Kansas Deaf and Hard of Hearing Referral Service in Hays, Kansas for hosting Deaf Day at the State Capitol in 2006 and 2007.
* Meritorious Award is given to Mary Hughes from Johnson County for her special service to the KAD and its members.
* President’s Award is given to Sandi Kelly from Olathe and D.E.A.F. Sunday at KSD for volunteer services to serve the deaf community and KSD.
* Special Recognition Awards are given to Pamela Siebert and I.B.M. Corporation for providing exceptional service to the deaf and hard of hearing people.
KAD conference was a great conference for deaf people in Kansas.
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column for the deaf community and can be reached at Legalnetwk@aol.com.)
State Deaf Conference in Hutchinson
By Leonard Hall, KAD President
Last weekend, Kansas Association of the Deaf (KAD) hosted its Biennial state conference in Hutchinson, Kansas. Over 150 deaf people attended the conference.
KAD held its conference Friday at the world famous Cosmosphere and Space Center that allowed the deaf people to tour the space museum. The museum has the renovated Apollo 13 capsule, Liberty bell, and many duplicate of space crafts used by NASA many years ago.
It was a fantastic place to have a day of the conference. The theme of the conference was “Future of Deaf in Space – 100 Years Later.”
KAD held workshops in many areas, including “Deaf Work”, “Domestic Violence”, “A Day in the Life of an Educational Sign Language Interpreter”, and several other workshops.
The highlight of the KAD conference was the Miss Deaf Kansas Pageant. Miss Tanna Jo Kolb from Wichita was crowned Miss Deaf Kansas from 2007 to 2009. First runner up was Sarah Elizabeth Goodwin from Wichita.
The past Miss Deaf Kansas, Pamela Seibert, finished her successful two year reign that includes finishing among the top 6 contestants at the Miss Deaf America Pageant last year.
KAD finished the conference Saturday night with a banquet program at the hotel about NAD and the Gallaudet University President Protest and another program on “Past and Future Space Exploration of Space, Moon, and Mars.”
KAD elected a new President, Ann Cooper from Gardner, and other officers, from throughout the state. I have become the “Past President Emeritus” after serving as President for 4 years.
Serving as President of a statewide non profit organization was a great pleasure but a lot of work. There were a number of meetings across the state and in Topeka, including those with the legislators and committees writing regulations on sign language interpreters and deaf students’ bill of rights in education.
KAD gave out several awards honoring individuals and organizations for their work serving deaf and hard of hearing people in Kansas, including:
* Distinguished Service Award is given to Western Kansas Deaf and Hard of Hearing Referral Service in Hays, Kansas for hosting Deaf Day at the State Capitol in 2006 and 2007.
* Meritorious Award is given to Mary Hughes from Johnson County for her special service to the KAD and its members.
* President’s Award is given to Sandi Kelly from Olathe and D.E.A.F. Sunday at KSD for volunteer services to serve the deaf community and KSD.
* Special Recognition Awards are given to Pamela Siebert and I.B.M. Corporation for providing exceptional service to the deaf and hard of hearing people.
KAD conference was a great conference for deaf people in Kansas.
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column for the deaf community and can be reached at Legalnetwk@aol.com.)
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Video Relay Services and F.C.C.
By Leonard Hall
Several years ago, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in Washington D.C. approved funding for a new source of telecommunication for deaf and hard of hearing people to use – Video Relay Service (VRS).
Deaf people can call a VRS provider on a web-cam device through Internet, and an interpreter (communication assistant) will appear on screen for the deaf people to sign in his native sign language to make a phone call to a third party.
Instead of using the TTY to type messages to the relay operator through the TTY relay service, the deaf people will communicate by sign language through the interpreter to provide voice communication with a third party on the telephone.
Many deaf people in personal and employment situations use the VRS as a critical communication tool in making phone calls to hearing people.
Due to VRS, many thousands of deaf people have switched from using TTY relay services to VRS causing a major increase in demand for VRS.
One difference between using the TTY on the relay service and interpreter on the VRS is that using VRS is much faster than in typing on the TTY though the relay service. Some deaf people do not have good English or typing skills to communicate well on the TTY.
The higher cost of using a qualified interpreter in the top tier of Level 4 and 5 that can easily run $30 per hour or more for VRS as compared to $12 per hour for a regular operator for TTY relay service.
When FCC approved funding for VRS, VRS providers immediately set up VRS centers across the country causing a major problem with the supply of qualified interpreters. In Kansas City area, two VRS providers set up call center employing a total of 40 to 60 qualified level 4 & 5 interpreters during the week.
There were only 90 or more qualified level 4 & 5 interpreters in the Kansas City area. The hospitals, police departments, local government, and other organizations in the area are having a hard time finding qualified interpreters upon short notice of one or two days for deaf people.
The waiting list for interpreters has grown to one week or several weeks. I went to an Olathe Medical Center walk-in clinic for a ringing ear problem on a Saturday afternoon and was referred to the Olathe Medical Center emergency room because the only available interpreter working was at the hospital.
There is a major need for interpreter training programs to make up for the significant interpreter shortages caused by VRS call centers. FCC is now reviewing proposed reduction in funding for VRS.
VRS providers need more fund to invest in training and development of more qualified interpreters. Deaf people are encouraged to send their comments to Chairman Kevin Martin at the FCC.
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column for the deaf community and can be reached at Legalnetwk@aol.com.)
By Leonard Hall
Several years ago, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in Washington D.C. approved funding for a new source of telecommunication for deaf and hard of hearing people to use – Video Relay Service (VRS).
Deaf people can call a VRS provider on a web-cam device through Internet, and an interpreter (communication assistant) will appear on screen for the deaf people to sign in his native sign language to make a phone call to a third party.
Instead of using the TTY to type messages to the relay operator through the TTY relay service, the deaf people will communicate by sign language through the interpreter to provide voice communication with a third party on the telephone.
Many deaf people in personal and employment situations use the VRS as a critical communication tool in making phone calls to hearing people.
Due to VRS, many thousands of deaf people have switched from using TTY relay services to VRS causing a major increase in demand for VRS.
One difference between using the TTY on the relay service and interpreter on the VRS is that using VRS is much faster than in typing on the TTY though the relay service. Some deaf people do not have good English or typing skills to communicate well on the TTY.
The higher cost of using a qualified interpreter in the top tier of Level 4 and 5 that can easily run $30 per hour or more for VRS as compared to $12 per hour for a regular operator for TTY relay service.
When FCC approved funding for VRS, VRS providers immediately set up VRS centers across the country causing a major problem with the supply of qualified interpreters. In Kansas City area, two VRS providers set up call center employing a total of 40 to 60 qualified level 4 & 5 interpreters during the week.
There were only 90 or more qualified level 4 & 5 interpreters in the Kansas City area. The hospitals, police departments, local government, and other organizations in the area are having a hard time finding qualified interpreters upon short notice of one or two days for deaf people.
The waiting list for interpreters has grown to one week or several weeks. I went to an Olathe Medical Center walk-in clinic for a ringing ear problem on a Saturday afternoon and was referred to the Olathe Medical Center emergency room because the only available interpreter working was at the hospital.
There is a major need for interpreter training programs to make up for the significant interpreter shortages caused by VRS call centers. FCC is now reviewing proposed reduction in funding for VRS.
VRS providers need more fund to invest in training and development of more qualified interpreters. Deaf people are encouraged to send their comments to Chairman Kevin Martin at the FCC.
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column for the deaf community and can be reached at Legalnetwk@aol.com.)
Video Relay Services and F.C.C.
By Leonard Hall
Several years ago, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in Washington D.C. approved funding for a new source of telecommunication for deaf and hard of hearing people to use – Video Relay Service (VRS).
Deaf people can call a VRS provider on a web-cam device through Internet, and an interpreter (communication assistant) will appear on screen for the deaf people to sign in his native sign language to make a phone call to a third party.
Instead of using the TTY to type messages to the relay operator through the TTY relay service, the deaf people will communicate by sign language through the interpreter to provide voice communication with a third party on the telephone.
Many deaf people in personal and employment situations use the VRS as a critical communication tool in making phone calls to hearing people.
Due to VRS, many thousands of deaf people have switched from using TTY relay services to VRS causing a major increase in demand for VRS.
One difference between using the TTY on the relay service and interpreter on the VRS is that using VRS is much faster than in typing on the TTY though the relay service. Some deaf people do not have good English or typing skills to communicate well on the TTY.
The higher cost of using a qualified interpreter in the top tier of Level 4 and 5 that can easily run $30 per hour or more for VRS as compared to $12 per hour for a regular operator for TTY relay service.
When FCC approved funding for VRS, VRS providers immediately set up VRS centers across the country causing a major problem with the supply of qualified interpreters. In Kansas City area, two VRS providers set up call center employing a total of 40 to 60 qualified level 4 & 5 interpreters during the week.
There were only 90 or more qualified level 4 & 5 interpreters in the Kansas City area. The hospitals, police departments, local government, and other organizations in the area are having a hard time finding qualified interpreters upon short notice of one or two days for deaf people.
The waiting list for interpreters has grown to one week or several weeks. I went to an Olathe Medical Center walk-in clinic for a ringing ear problem on a Saturday afternoon and was referred to the Olathe Medical Center emergency room because the only available interpreter working was at the hospital.
There is a major need for interpreter training programs to make up for the significant interpreter shortages caused by VRS call centers. FCC is now reviewing proposed reduction in funding for VRS.
VRS providers need more fund to invest in training and development of more qualified interpreters. Deaf people are encouraged to send their comments to Chairman Kevin Martin at the FCC.
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column for the deaf community and can be reached at Legalnetwk@aol.com.)
By Leonard Hall
Several years ago, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in Washington D.C. approved funding for a new source of telecommunication for deaf and hard of hearing people to use – Video Relay Service (VRS).
Deaf people can call a VRS provider on a web-cam device through Internet, and an interpreter (communication assistant) will appear on screen for the deaf people to sign in his native sign language to make a phone call to a third party.
Instead of using the TTY to type messages to the relay operator through the TTY relay service, the deaf people will communicate by sign language through the interpreter to provide voice communication with a third party on the telephone.
Many deaf people in personal and employment situations use the VRS as a critical communication tool in making phone calls to hearing people.
Due to VRS, many thousands of deaf people have switched from using TTY relay services to VRS causing a major increase in demand for VRS.
One difference between using the TTY on the relay service and interpreter on the VRS is that using VRS is much faster than in typing on the TTY though the relay service. Some deaf people do not have good English or typing skills to communicate well on the TTY.
The higher cost of using a qualified interpreter in the top tier of Level 4 and 5 that can easily run $30 per hour or more for VRS as compared to $12 per hour for a regular operator for TTY relay service.
When FCC approved funding for VRS, VRS providers immediately set up VRS centers across the country causing a major problem with the supply of qualified interpreters. In Kansas City area, two VRS providers set up call center employing a total of 40 to 60 qualified level 4 & 5 interpreters during the week.
There were only 90 or more qualified level 4 & 5 interpreters in the Kansas City area. The hospitals, police departments, local government, and other organizations in the area are having a hard time finding qualified interpreters upon short notice of one or two days for deaf people.
The waiting list for interpreters has grown to one week or several weeks. I went to an Olathe Medical Center walk-in clinic for a ringing ear problem on a Saturday afternoon and was referred to the Olathe Medical Center emergency room because the only available interpreter working was at the hospital.
There is a major need for interpreter training programs to make up for the significant interpreter shortages caused by VRS call centers. FCC is now reviewing proposed reduction in funding for VRS.
VRS providers need more fund to invest in training and development of more qualified interpreters. Deaf people are encouraged to send their comments to Chairman Kevin Martin at the FCC.
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column for the deaf community and can be reached at Legalnetwk@aol.com.)
Gallaudet President Should Change Education
Printed in the Olathe News in May 12, 2007.
Gallaudet President Should Change Education
By Leonard Hall
Gallaudet University, a liberal arts university for deaf and hard of hearing students in Washington D.C., officially installed interim President Dr. Robert Davila as its Ninth President in its nearly 145 years history.
The installation of Davila as President in the open ceremony last week was calm in contrast to the students’ siege of Gallaudet campus, hunger strikes, massive arrests, and national media attention several months ago.
Last year appointment of the previous Gallaudet Provost Jane Fernandes as the university president caused a major rebellion among the students and deaf community across the country. The Gallaudet Board of Trustees withdrew the appointment of Fernandes and appointed Davila as interim President.
The students protest raised a major issue that drew attention of the deaf community, federal agencies, U.S. Congress, and the accreditation agency called Middle States Commission on Higher Education – persistently fewer than 50% of undergraduates graduated.
Davila is a 74-year old veteran in higher deaf education. When the commission announced that Gallaudet did not comply with a number of standards to maintain its accreditation in higher education, its accreditation was at risk.
Davila needs to step outside of the higher education traditional method of teaching and looks for radical ways to improve.
For example, Gallaudet should provide for a 17-week semester instead of the traditional 15-week semester. For the average 3-hour college course, add one hour per week for an overall review of the week courses to ensure that the students understand the lessons taught during the week.
Gallaudet and NTID also should offer courses and requirements for standardized state tests to obtain the necessary certificate or license to work in certain fields. The burden now falls upon the graduates to study for, take, and pass the tests in order to obtain the necessary certificates and licenses.
Some graduates fail to do so.
The list goes on, but Davila needs to make radical changes in education to ensure that more students graduate and obtain the certificate and license needed for successful employment.
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column for the deaf community and can be reached at Legalnetwk@aol.com.)
Gallaudet President Should Change Education
By Leonard Hall
Gallaudet University, a liberal arts university for deaf and hard of hearing students in Washington D.C., officially installed interim President Dr. Robert Davila as its Ninth President in its nearly 145 years history.
The installation of Davila as President in the open ceremony last week was calm in contrast to the students’ siege of Gallaudet campus, hunger strikes, massive arrests, and national media attention several months ago.
Last year appointment of the previous Gallaudet Provost Jane Fernandes as the university president caused a major rebellion among the students and deaf community across the country. The Gallaudet Board of Trustees withdrew the appointment of Fernandes and appointed Davila as interim President.
The students protest raised a major issue that drew attention of the deaf community, federal agencies, U.S. Congress, and the accreditation agency called Middle States Commission on Higher Education – persistently fewer than 50% of undergraduates graduated.
Davila is a 74-year old veteran in higher deaf education. When the commission announced that Gallaudet did not comply with a number of standards to maintain its accreditation in higher education, its accreditation was at risk.
Davila needs to step outside of the higher education traditional method of teaching and looks for radical ways to improve.
For example, Gallaudet should provide for a 17-week semester instead of the traditional 15-week semester. For the average 3-hour college course, add one hour per week for an overall review of the week courses to ensure that the students understand the lessons taught during the week.
Gallaudet and NTID also should offer courses and requirements for standardized state tests to obtain the necessary certificate or license to work in certain fields. The burden now falls upon the graduates to study for, take, and pass the tests in order to obtain the necessary certificates and licenses.
Some graduates fail to do so.
The list goes on, but Davila needs to make radical changes in education to ensure that more students graduate and obtain the certificate and license needed for successful employment.
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column for the deaf community and can be reached at Legalnetwk@aol.com.)
Luther Taylor Day at the K - Kansas Deaf News May 2007
Please find the newspaper article printed on Thursday, May 17th, 2007.
Leonard Hall
Luther Taylor Day at the K
By Leonard Hall
Saturday, June 30th will be a big day in Olathe for the deaf community and Kansas School for the Deaf (KSD). Kansas City Royals and the Deaf Cultural Center (DCC) will honor Luther “Dummy” Taylor at the Kauffman Stadium before the Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals baseball game.
Taylor is a famous alumnus of KSD who played baseball for the New York Giants in the early 1900s. As one of the first deaf baseball players in the major league, he was instrumental in the development of sign language that is currently being used in baseball.
Baseball fans would recognize the popular sign used by umpires in signing “out”, “safe”, “strike”, “ball” and even “you are out of the ball game”.
Taylor became famous when the New York Giants played in the World Series in 1905 and sign language was being used in the World Series. Taylor later returned to KSD as athletic director leading KSD football and basketball teams to many wins.
As part of the Luther Taylor day at the Kaufman stadium, commemorative baseball cards highlighting Taylor will be given to the first 10,000 families entering the gates.
The pre-game ceremony and celebration will begin at 6:10 p.m. at the stadium. The first pitch in honor of Luther Taylor will be thrown at 7:10 p.m.
Tickets for the view level infield are $14 and can be purchased through Chuck Theel at KSD at CTheel@ksd.state.ks.us or Bette Prentice-Rogers at kefdcc0@sbcglobal.net.
Tickets for a special dinner and game seat in the Stadium Club inside the K are being sold for $125. Season box ticket holders have exclusive seating in the Stadium Club and 80 dinner and game seats were provided for DCC.
Only 25 dinner and seat tickets are left. Visit Bette at DCC, 455 E. Park, Street, weekdays or send her an email.
As part of this celebration, Luther Taylor Expo will be held at DCC from noon to 5 p.m. A Barbeque cookout, exhibit booths, children activities, Luther Taylor’s memorabilia/slide show, raffle on 1909 Taylor baseball card, and other activities will be held in the big white tent.
Holiday Inn of Olathe, Allstate Insurance (Protection Solutions, LLC), Olathe Chamber of Commerce Sports Commission, and Kansas City Sports & Fitness sport paper are among the chief sponsors of this event.
All events proceeds will benefit DCC.
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column for the deaf community and can be reached at Legalnetwk@aol.com.)
Leonard Hall
Luther Taylor Day at the K
By Leonard Hall
Saturday, June 30th will be a big day in Olathe for the deaf community and Kansas School for the Deaf (KSD). Kansas City Royals and the Deaf Cultural Center (DCC) will honor Luther “Dummy” Taylor at the Kauffman Stadium before the Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals baseball game.
Taylor is a famous alumnus of KSD who played baseball for the New York Giants in the early 1900s. As one of the first deaf baseball players in the major league, he was instrumental in the development of sign language that is currently being used in baseball.
Baseball fans would recognize the popular sign used by umpires in signing “out”, “safe”, “strike”, “ball” and even “you are out of the ball game”.
Taylor became famous when the New York Giants played in the World Series in 1905 and sign language was being used in the World Series. Taylor later returned to KSD as athletic director leading KSD football and basketball teams to many wins.
As part of the Luther Taylor day at the Kaufman stadium, commemorative baseball cards highlighting Taylor will be given to the first 10,000 families entering the gates.
The pre-game ceremony and celebration will begin at 6:10 p.m. at the stadium. The first pitch in honor of Luther Taylor will be thrown at 7:10 p.m.
Tickets for the view level infield are $14 and can be purchased through Chuck Theel at KSD at CTheel@ksd.state.ks.us or Bette Prentice-Rogers at kefdcc0@sbcglobal.net.
Tickets for a special dinner and game seat in the Stadium Club inside the K are being sold for $125. Season box ticket holders have exclusive seating in the Stadium Club and 80 dinner and game seats were provided for DCC.
Only 25 dinner and seat tickets are left. Visit Bette at DCC, 455 E. Park, Street, weekdays or send her an email.
As part of this celebration, Luther Taylor Expo will be held at DCC from noon to 5 p.m. A Barbeque cookout, exhibit booths, children activities, Luther Taylor’s memorabilia/slide show, raffle on 1909 Taylor baseball card, and other activities will be held in the big white tent.
Holiday Inn of Olathe, Allstate Insurance (Protection Solutions, LLC), Olathe Chamber of Commerce Sports Commission, and Kansas City Sports & Fitness sport paper are among the chief sponsors of this event.
All events proceeds will benefit DCC.
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column for the deaf community and can be reached at Legalnetwk@aol.com.)
Kansas Welcome New Relay Service for the Deaf - KS Deaf News April, 2007
Please find enclosed the newspaper story printed in the Olathe News on May 3rd, 2007.
Leonard
Kansas Welcomes New Relay Service for Deaf
By Leonard Hall
The new Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) provider for Kansas is Hamilton Relay, Inc. out of Aurora, Nebraska. Hamilton Relay will replace AT&T, formerly Southwestern Bell Company, who operated the TRS in Kansas for almost 20 years.
TRS is a free, 24-hour service that enables telephone communication between deaf and hard of hearing people using TTY. An operator answers the call and places another call to the other person who the TTY user wishes to reach.
The operator translates and relays conversations confidentially by converting voice information to typed communication and reading aloud types messages to the hearing person.
Hamilton Relay provides TRS in 15 states and Virgin Islands. It is a division of Hamilton Telecommunications, which has grown to provide local telephone services, Internet service, call center services, long distance, and cable television in addition to relay services.
Hamilton is a family-owned company. The relay services comprise half of Hamilton business.
Hamilton will provide other telecommunication services in Kansas.
CapTel will allow people to view word-for-word captions of their telephone conversation, and that is ideal for individuals who have good speech but cannot hear well over the phone.
Video Relay Service (VRS) allows people who use ASL to make use of video equipment, high speed internet access and interpreters to communicate with standard telephone users. It can be accessed through a computer with a webcam or through a videophone.
Hamilton also provides Internet Relay and Relay Wireless service.
AT&T and Southwestern Bell did a great job of providing TRS for deaf people in Kansas for many years.
The deaf community will miss David Rosenthal at AT&T and his outstanding services.
Rosenthal recently was selected as president of the Kansas Telecommunications Industry Association (KTIA) and is the first deaf president of the association.
The deaf community will be looking forward to see what Hamilton will offer.
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column for the deaf community and can be reached at Legalnetwk@aol.com.)
Leonard
Kansas Welcomes New Relay Service for Deaf
By Leonard Hall
The new Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) provider for Kansas is Hamilton Relay, Inc. out of Aurora, Nebraska. Hamilton Relay will replace AT&T, formerly Southwestern Bell Company, who operated the TRS in Kansas for almost 20 years.
TRS is a free, 24-hour service that enables telephone communication between deaf and hard of hearing people using TTY. An operator answers the call and places another call to the other person who the TTY user wishes to reach.
The operator translates and relays conversations confidentially by converting voice information to typed communication and reading aloud types messages to the hearing person.
Hamilton Relay provides TRS in 15 states and Virgin Islands. It is a division of Hamilton Telecommunications, which has grown to provide local telephone services, Internet service, call center services, long distance, and cable television in addition to relay services.
Hamilton is a family-owned company. The relay services comprise half of Hamilton business.
Hamilton will provide other telecommunication services in Kansas.
CapTel will allow people to view word-for-word captions of their telephone conversation, and that is ideal for individuals who have good speech but cannot hear well over the phone.
Video Relay Service (VRS) allows people who use ASL to make use of video equipment, high speed internet access and interpreters to communicate with standard telephone users. It can be accessed through a computer with a webcam or through a videophone.
Hamilton also provides Internet Relay and Relay Wireless service.
AT&T and Southwestern Bell did a great job of providing TRS for deaf people in Kansas for many years.
The deaf community will miss David Rosenthal at AT&T and his outstanding services.
Rosenthal recently was selected as president of the Kansas Telecommunications Industry Association (KTIA) and is the first deaf president of the association.
The deaf community will be looking forward to see what Hamilton will offer.
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column for the deaf community and can be reached at Legalnetwk@aol.com.)
No Child Left Behind - Kansas Deaf News
The following newspaper article was printed in the Olathe News on Thursday, April 19th, 2007.
Leonard
No Child Left Behind Works Well
By Leonard Hall
Congressman Dennis Moore has been touring the area school districts and having town hall meetings on the No Child Left Behind law that took effect 5 years ago. Critics of the law were out in force claiming a number of things were wrong with the law.
Since 2002, the No Child Left Behind law has worked well and forced substantial changes in public education across the country, including Olathe schools and Kansas School for the Deaf (KSD).
In the 1980s, candidates running for Olathe School Board twice and for JCCC Board of Trustees campaigned on reports about academic and graduation level in Olathe schools. These reports were based upon tests given by the school district itself.
Private and Catholic schools were playing the public relation game showing how wonderful their students were doing academically. KSD had reports showing how well deaf graduates were doing in college.
Employers were claiming that many hearing and deaf graduates simply did not have the necessary English, math, reading, and writing skills to do well in employment.
At JCCC in the 1980s, the information about the academic skills of the average high school students was shocking. Nearly 20% to 40% of high school graduates from public and private schools had poor academic skills in certain areas and took remedial English, math, reading, or writing courses. There was a high dropout rate in college.
With the state standardized tests required by the No Child Left Behind law, the weakness in public education was exposed. The test results in 2002 revealed that generally 5% of deaf, disabled and minority students were proficient in reading and math. A high percentage of all students test scores were listed as being unsatisfactory in most areas.
The top half of students at the public and private schools did well in these state tests. It is the bottom half who had have major problems in education.
A major transformation in public education occurred over the past 5 years. KSD enacted a number of creative education programs to improve the academic skills of deaf students.
KSD has its accelerated reading program where all students read a total of 22,206,000 words last year! There were math improvement and intervention plans.
The most recent state test results show generally 60% of deaf students (up from 5% in 2002) are now proficient in reading, math, social science, and other areas. Test scores have soared for most students.
Olathe schools made major revisions in their education programs, including revamping their entire math program in elementary and junior high schools.
The No Child Left Behind law works brilliantly for public education and particularly for deaf education.
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column. He can be reached at Legalnetwk@aol.com.)
Leonard
No Child Left Behind Works Well
By Leonard Hall
Congressman Dennis Moore has been touring the area school districts and having town hall meetings on the No Child Left Behind law that took effect 5 years ago. Critics of the law were out in force claiming a number of things were wrong with the law.
Since 2002, the No Child Left Behind law has worked well and forced substantial changes in public education across the country, including Olathe schools and Kansas School for the Deaf (KSD).
In the 1980s, candidates running for Olathe School Board twice and for JCCC Board of Trustees campaigned on reports about academic and graduation level in Olathe schools. These reports were based upon tests given by the school district itself.
Private and Catholic schools were playing the public relation game showing how wonderful their students were doing academically. KSD had reports showing how well deaf graduates were doing in college.
Employers were claiming that many hearing and deaf graduates simply did not have the necessary English, math, reading, and writing skills to do well in employment.
At JCCC in the 1980s, the information about the academic skills of the average high school students was shocking. Nearly 20% to 40% of high school graduates from public and private schools had poor academic skills in certain areas and took remedial English, math, reading, or writing courses. There was a high dropout rate in college.
With the state standardized tests required by the No Child Left Behind law, the weakness in public education was exposed. The test results in 2002 revealed that generally 5% of deaf, disabled and minority students were proficient in reading and math. A high percentage of all students test scores were listed as being unsatisfactory in most areas.
The top half of students at the public and private schools did well in these state tests. It is the bottom half who had have major problems in education.
A major transformation in public education occurred over the past 5 years. KSD enacted a number of creative education programs to improve the academic skills of deaf students.
KSD has its accelerated reading program where all students read a total of 22,206,000 words last year! There were math improvement and intervention plans.
The most recent state test results show generally 60% of deaf students (up from 5% in 2002) are now proficient in reading, math, social science, and other areas. Test scores have soared for most students.
Olathe schools made major revisions in their education programs, including revamping their entire math program in elementary and junior high schools.
The No Child Left Behind law works brilliantly for public education and particularly for deaf education.
(Leonard Hall writes a weekly column. He can be reached at Legalnetwk@aol.com.)
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