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People with disabilities encounter many hidden barriers

Let's face it, because of weather-related delays, long security lines and crowded planes, traveling during the holidays is a hectic time. Offering designated security lanes for families is an improvement. As a person who has baby-sat, I know that a stroller or a car seat are necessary objects to have for babies and for young children; when accompanying children on a trip, there is no such thing as traveling light.

The needs of other passengers who routinely need help have often been overlooked. Shouldn't there be security lines for all physically disabled passengers as well? People needing wheelchairs are routinely accommodated, but other disabilities are not acknowledged at airports and train stations. Other than braille signs at elevators, I am not aware of accommodations for blind and deaf passengers.

Dogs for the Deaf expands its scope to include autism

They unexpectedly shared the limelight November 17 in the Rogue Valley Mall, where Dogs for the Deaf inaugurated its newest program. He's not quite six; she's almost four. He's Kiefer Morris; she's known simply as Ginger.

Sporting a specially-equipped purple vest, black Lab mix Ginger, proudly becomes DFD's Autism Assistance program's first graduate.

DFD President and CEO Robin Dickson greeted three Trail residents who arrived first. Little Butte School student Kiefer accompanied his parents, Shannon and Scott Morris, who'd read of the presentation in a previous issue of the Upper Rogue Independent.

Japanese foundation honors former NTID dean

While most people back in the Rochester area were tucked into bed last Monday night, professor James DeCaro of Pittsford was 9,500 miles away in Japan, where it was Tuesday morning.

Decaro was one of 50 people — and the only one from the United States — who were in the Far East to receive awards from Japan’s Foundation for Encouragement of Social Contribution for contributions in areas such as social welfare and education.

DeCaro, director of Postsecondary Education Network-International (PEN) at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at Rochester Institute of Technology, was honored for his contributions to the education of deaf and hard-of-hearing people around the world. He is one of only five non-Japanese recipients.

Deaf to get help at Secretary of State branches

The Michigan Secretary of State’s Office is testing out technology to help deaf and hard of hearing people when they visit branch offices.

The Web-based technology uses a video camera and audio equipment to connect deaf and hearing-impaired customers to a remote person who can read and translate sign language to branch office workers.

Special weather alert system for deaf sought

A weather bureau official yesterday urged disaster managers and radio and television station owners in the country to establish a system that would help provide timely, critical warnings of life threatening events to the deaf and those with difficulty in hearing.

Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) weather branch chief Nathaniel Cruz issued the call in line with the celebration of National Deaf Awareness Week.

Navy rescues 4 deaf hikers near LeoPalace Resort

The Navy rescued four hikers lost in the vicinity of LeoPalace Resort on Sunday, according to Navy spokesman Lt. Donnell Evans.

The hearing-impaired hikers requested help by texting Guam Fire and Rescue from their cell phones. They had been stranded for two to four hours in the hills west of LeoPalace, Evans said.

The Navy's Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 25 found the hikers and airlifted them to the Naval Hospital Guam for observation before they were released.

Cash crisis forces deaf users to hang up on phone service

Imagine arriving at work to find that your phone has been taken away while your colleagues still have theirs. And one year on, you're still without a phone.

That's what happened to Simon Pearse and Alan Goldsmith last November. Pearse, an actuary who is hard of hearing, started using a technology called captioned telephony (CapTel) to make calls after his company switched to a digital phone system on which he found it difficult to hear clearly. In captioned telephony calls, an operator turns the voice of the hearing caller into captions on the phone of the deaf caller using voice recognition software. Put simply, it is a phone with subtitles.

Anita Buel Helps Deaf Cancer Patients Overcome Odds

As a deaf person, Anita Buel is well acquainted with the language, comprehension and communication barriers experienced by many in the same position when seeking medical care. Members of the deaf community are often excluded from the national health agenda and are rarely mentioned when talking about people for whom spoken English is a second language.

No contest plea in killing

JoAnne McCann had mixed emotions Friday after the woman accused of killing her brother more than three years ago pleaded no contest to second-degree murder.

"I would have preferred life in prison. She took my brother's life," said McCann, 56, as she started to cry. But she added: "I'm glad (the case) is coming to an end."

Mary Ann McBride, who is deaf and cannot speak, will be sentenced Jan. 14 before Macomb Circuit Judge Peter Maceroni in connection with the stabbing death of Robert Adelsburg, her live-in boyfriend, on April 22, 2005. Adelsburg was also deaf.

Shane Van Boening Holds Pool School for TSD

In two separate “Challenge the Pro” fundraisers for the Texas School for the Deaf (TSD), former U.S. Open champion Shane Van Boening raised over $500 for the school, including a personal donation. School administrator Keena Miller expressed to Shane how touched she was by a thoughtful note that was sent to the school, along with a donation from Shane’s grandfather, a former senior Billiard Congress of America champion. After these fundraisers, TSD invited Van Boening to the school to meet the students.

Deaf instructor named Teacher of the Year

Susan Elliott became the first hearing impaired person to win the title of Colorado Teacher of the Year on Tuesday night.

Elliott is an English and social studies teacher for the deaf and hard of hearing at Highlands Ranch High School.

Her father was also a teacher and she says it was her parents who taught her the delicate relationship between self-esteem and academic achievement.

Deaf-hearing relations activists visit College

Members of the local deaf community joined students to attend a presentation given by the two founding members of Discovering Deaf World (DDW), a recently developed national association that encourages the development of deaf organizations across the globe.

The Nov. 5 presentation, which was co-sponsored by the Deaf Hearing Connection and Kappa Delta Pi education honor society, was given by DDW founders Christy Smith and Dave Justice.

Rosseau man linked to deaf camp thefts

A Rosseau man appeared in a Bracebridge court last week after police found two stolen ATVs, a stolen snowmobile and a stolen outboard motor on his property.

Assistant Crown attorney Mike Newell explained that on May 1, 2007, Ontario Provincial Police officers executed a search warrant on the property of Terry Deschamps, 40, because they believed him to be connected with a number of thefts throughout the Muskoka area.

MSD graduate crowned Miss Deaf America

It was love at first sight for Michelle Lapides.

"I was in the first grade when Miss Deaf America 1995-1996 came to my class. When my eyes first saw her crown, I fell in love with the concept of being Miss Deaf America," she said in an e-mail interview.

It's not all glitz and glam for Lapides, though. "I also loved the purpose of the (National Association of the Deaf) Miss Deaf America program," she said.