Deaf and blind bicyclists help each other enjoy ride

When John Lee Clark is not busy publishing poetry, studying as a full-time student at the University of Minnesota or raising three sons, he spins on long-distance treks.

A man with a wicked sense of humor, Clark, 28, of St. Paul, Minn., has loved cycling since he was a kid and especially likes socializing with other cyclists. Being deaf and blind doesn't make a difference.

"I want to show people that there is nothing special about being deaf-blind. We are ordinary people, too," he said.

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Vibrating Watch for Deaf/Blind

A little pocket watch for deaf blind users that indicates time by vibrating. There is no visual readout. All setting functions can be performed using the vibrotactile cues.

1.vibrates in patterns to represent AM/PM, hours and minutes
2.measures 2.75 x 1.85 inches
3.made by the National Royal Institute for the Blind in England
4.includes 1 CR1220 3 volt battery for the clock and 1 AAA battery for the vibrating motor


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Deaf Tidbits As Always

What’s New With DeafNation? This is cool. DeafNation is now open for anyone to register and post their own videos on its servers, just like youtube.com. The benefits of you having an account with DeafNation is attractive, to say the least. Check this out! Not only that, the registration is free.

Deaf Judge In Texas: Before people could say, “See? RT was wrong! There is Deaf judge out there!” Actually, I was right. He was hearing before he got in an accident which rendered him as deaf. Prior to his accident, he already built and secured his reputation. The article said that he is learning ASL and he is using the CART system. Good for him.

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Dublin Noticeboard

HEARING: Drop into the National Association for Deaf People Tallaght Resource Centre (Exchange Hall) and have your questions answered about hearing loss, deafness, tinnitus and other hearing related issues. Get information regarding entitlements, aids and appliances, family support service, support groups and upcoming activities. Sign language and hearing help classes start this month. Further information from Pauline Scott at Unit G/H, Exchange Hall, Belgard Square, Tallaght, Dublin 24. Phone 4620377 or email tallaght@nadp.ie

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For Your Information

Party time: The Windy City Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf ( WCRAD ) will celebrate the opening of its Center on Halsted office with a party at Hydrate, 3458 N. Halsted, on Sat., Aug. 18, 8-11 p.m. General admission is $15, and cover for WCRAD members and Center staff is $12. E-mail chris@livingtolaugh.org .

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Stylish hearing aids make going deaf cool again

With portable music players with headphones being all the rage these days, it's no wonder people are losing their hearing at younger and younger ages. I blame rock music! It's the tool of the devil, I tells ya. But if you don't want to listen to reason, you can at least continue to hear my ranting and raving even after you've lost most of your natural hearing.

These slick hearing aids are almost invisible they're so small, so you won't look like an out-of-touch old timer when you wear them. Made by the Phonak Group in Switzerland, they're equal parts style and science, providing you with top-notch hearing help while looking cool. Of course, for $1,500 to $3,500 a pair, I'd expect that kind of quality. — Adam Frucci

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Local athlete not fazed by handicap

Dale was born on June 29, 1991. In his early toddler years, his hearing was normal. But when he turned two and a half, something changed. During a three-month period, his ability to hear was drastically reduced.

Doctors told the McCords that the official diagnosis was a "fluke of nature," meaning they had no idea what the exact cause for the hearing loss was. Five years later in 1999, Rod and his wife Audrey brought their son to an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist, who re-examined Dale's CT scan. The real reason for his hearing loss, said the doctor, was a phenomenon called Enlarged Vestibular Aqueduct (EVA).
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Kevin McHale Instrumental in Forming the 'Help Me Hear Foundation'

SAINT PAUL, Minn., Aug. 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Kevin McHale is one of five board members to start the Help Me Hear Foundation("HMH"),a non-profit organization incorporated in Saint Paul,Minnesota.McHale will also act as the spokesperson.HMH was created to gift cochlear implants to impoverished deaf children who would otherwise never be able to obtain one. Dr.William House,the "true" inventor of the cochlear implant,also sits on the Board of Directors.

While the burden of deafness on an individual of any age is substantial,the burden on infants and developing children is debilitating.The first three years of life are considered the "critical period" of normal speech development. Children who cannot hear sounds during this critical period experience deficits in speech development and academic achievement.
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We owe a duty to persons with disability (II)

Even though, Helen Keller was blind, deaf and mute from childhood, she became an enviable prolific writer and educationalist. Franklin Roosevelt D, the president of United States of America between 1933 and 1945, was severely handicapped by polio. Although he was totally deaf, Ludwig Van Beethoven composed musical masterpieces. Inestimable physically challenged persons out there participate and emerge triumphantly in weight lifting, horse race, marathon race in wheel chairs and other challenging sports. Indeed, PWDs do not lack the ability to think, learn, create and perform. We therefore owe a sense of duty to PWDs since they are co-actors in our development.

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Japan Pulls Funding For Nude Channel For Deaf

The Japanese government has dropped subsidies for an X-rated show for the hearing impaired.

In a version of the Canadian show Naked News, a Japanese anchorwoman strips off while reading tabloid news in sign language.

But the raunchy program has angered Japan's communications ministry which said last week it would halt funding for the cable show, which was part of its budget to support programming for the hearing impaired.

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India Deaf Expo in Coimbatore

It is to inform you all that India Deaf Expo 2007, an international conference on Innovative Technology and Education of the Deaf / Hard of Hearing was held from 5th to 7th January 2007 at Coimbatore, India. It was organised by DEAF LEADERS, Coimbatore.The Objective of the Conference is to provide the platform where educators, researchers, social workers, speech therapists, audiologists, linguists and deaf persons can share their knowledge and experiences together and finding good solutions.

Vadodara Deaf Association got an award for Best Organisation. Many other deaf persons including Dr.Madan Vasishta, Mr.Alok Kejriwal, Mr.Sujit, Mr. Aqil Chinoy, Mr.Rajesh Ketkar got awards. Shri K.Murali also presented to AnantadevJI a picture of Lord Krishna as a memento. read more

Newspaper Interview with Anantadev

He is perhaps the only one in the world to teach the Bhagavad Gita through sign language.

As a special leader and social worker for the deaf, Das who was in Coimbatore for the three-day India Deaf Expo last week, had visited the US and given a lecture for deaf children in a university there.

Currently teaching the deaf the meaning of life through sign language in Bangalore, Das said he wanted people with normal hearing capability to involve themselves more in helping the deaf.

Das has also plans to buy some land and construct a temple for Krishna, possibly in Karnataka. read more

A visit to a school possibility...

We went and visited the Metro Deaf School in St. Paul yesterday. We were VERY impressed with the technology they used and overall very impressed with the school. Most of the instructors are deaf themselves and hold very high teaching degrees. The class sizes are very small which should help a little deaf Chinese girl feel more comfortable. We were put to ease knowing there are options out there to help her learn besides just us. It can be more than a little overwhelming to think we need to do it all alone. The Metro Deaf School has been around since 1992 and was the second charter school in the nation to open it's doors. It's still the only deaf charter school in Minnesota. Families with deaf children have moved to Minnesota just to bring their kids there. It goes up to 8th grade, so maybe we can start homeschooling her then or there are other deaf school options at that point for high school.
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Deaf judge makes impression

CIBOLO — As unhappy-looking defendants fill the municipal court here and prepare to plead their cases, most don’t know that Judge Marion T. Carson won’t hear a word they say. He may be the only totally deaf presiding judge in the state, although the State Bar of Texas said it doesn’t track judges with disabilities.

At SAC’s American Sign Language and Interpreter Training Program, “the professors were great and taught me how to sign (use sign language) and read lips and use my other senses more. It took me about four years to get pretty good at lip reading and using sign language,” Carson said.

As a hearing person for the first 63 years of his life, Carson found the adjustment a challenge. But he said his training at St. Mary’s Law School and a long trial career helped him adapt to a world of silence.

“My deafness is a blessing in one way because it has taught me to look at people when I talk to them,” Carson said. “I have to look at them to read their lips but I read a lot more in their face.

“You would be surprised at the feelings and depth of a person you can see when you really look at them and their gestures while talking to them. When I speak to hearing people, I suggest they try just one hour really looking at people when they talking to them so they can really see things. It is amazing.” read more

Cinemas aid deaf and blind

Ten arts centres in Wales will make it easier for deaf and blind people to enjoy the cinema from September.

Subtitles for hearing-impaired viewers and audio description for visually-impaired people are now available with almost every popular cinema release.

Aberystwyth Arts Centre and Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff are among those taking part in the scheme. read more

Elliott Yamin

Yamin's parents divorced, and thus began a period of some personal difficulty for the singer. Already close to 90 percent deaf in his right ear, Yamin was also diagnosed at 16 with type 1 diabetes. In his sophomore year of high school he dropped out and began working at a Footlocker and later as a clerk at a pharmacy. Though Yamin ultimately earned his GED, his focus had already shifted full-time to pursuing a singing career, and he found various performance opportunities including work with a jazz band on a local radio station under the moniker E-Dub.

In 2006, Yamin quit his job at the pharmacy to audition for American Idol in Boston, MA. Singing Leon Russell's "A Song for You" -- made famous by Yamin's personal idol, soul singer Donny Hathaway -- Yamin made it through the first round of auditions and moved on to the second and all-important Hollywood round. A likable performer with a knack for romantic soul ballads and a laid-back stage presence, Yamin was a fan favorite from the start and ultimately made it to the final-three round along with eventual runner-up Katharine McPhee and eventual winner Taylor Hicks. In December of 2006, Yamin announced he had signed a publishing deal with Sony, and he released a cover of Donny Hathaway's "This Christmas" on iTunes. In 2007, Yamin released his self-titled solo album. read more