Ten days to go… and counting :)

You see, Deaf people in their daily interactions are only partially reached by movements and discourses that colour the hearing world… Spaces and places, essentialism and anti-essentialism, phalocentrism, feminism, nationalism… all of these theories that are built based on hearing world events, discourses and discussions… on the way that the hearing world works.

Instead, because Deaf people primarily live and move in a world of knowledge mediated by sign language and by visual information (not the same as writing… but that’s another question too)… they naturally respond to human and social behaviours to come up with entirely different shaped concepts. Porous and inclusive nationalism… holistic and necessary essentialism… person-based spaces… ‘placeless’ spaces… read more

10 Sleep Facts

9. Do deaf people hear in their dreams?
Discovery Online posts that deaf people can establish an auditory inner voice because of the brain’s ability to develop phonological representations, though these “sounds” may be different than what noises actually sound like. When asked about their dreams, deaf undergrad students at Gallaudet University responded that sometimes they sign and sometimes they speak, although their speech seems to be transmitted mentally rather than through actual speech. read more

Deaf Alarm Clock

B h designs environmental aids for the deaf and hard of hearing specialising in and inductive loop systems for the hearing afflicted. Provide and fit induction loop systems for the deaf and hard of audience. Here are alarm clocks that get you out of bed in a very annoying way. When the alarm goes off you can touch up and spot it to activate the forty winks role causation it retract towards the ceiling.

Other features include an rj jack so the clock can be used as a ring alerting device cord included. Unit has a shiny park time display snooze alarm and barrage back up for clock retention. But dissimilar standard alarm pin clover they alarum you to the alarm by vibratory or producing a flashing idle. Many have a sound alarm as well which feature can be useful if your collaborator is listening. We furnish loudvibrating alarm alfileria and radiocommunication visual alert products todeaf and auditory sense impaired individuals at an lowpriced toll.

The sonic boom alarm clock can evenalert you while you are dormancy all of our signalers and receivers plugdiretly into the existing electrical outlets you already have in your home. Most students are used to starting the morn with the incessant ringing of an alarm clock. But hu part of the small but growing universe of deaf students at the university had his special clock installed by the university. Uk your safe choice in a difficult world to help customers to select the alarm clock that best suits them we have recorded the sounds of the ones we sell. Note the alarm healthy is only at the cant over that you choose. You put the hockey puck nether your rest and it vibrates you arouse as even decibels is not sledding to wake a deaf soul. Then when the alarm goes off the lamp blinks on and off. read more

Growing Up Deaf - Summer Camp

Thus, I learned the hard way that some deaf kids could treat other deaf kids the same way hearing kids treated deaf kids - by leaving them out, by making fun of them, and by playing cruel jokes on them. In fact, one thing that the deaf kids did to me at Camp Kirby was just as cruel as anything any hearing kid ever did. I was on the toilet and did not know that a group of girls had locked the door. When I finished my business, I found I could not get out of the toilet stall! For about an hour, I was locked in, pounding on the door for help. Of course no one heard me. Finally, one girl let me out.

I blocked that experience out of my memory for years. It came back to me many years later in college when I met another deaf girl. One of the first things that girl said to me was, "I remember you! I freed you from that locked bathroom stall at Camp Kirby!" The shock of the memory coming back was so painful I ran out of the dorm room because I didn't want her to see me cry - an ex-boyfriend was in the room too and I didn't want him to see me cry either.

Unless a deaf kid who signs can talk and an oral deaf kid can sign, how can there be communication between the two groups? There is an entire pool of oral deaf and hard of hearing kids around here, yet my son can not play with them just as I was unable to communicate with the kids at Camp Kirby. One time, we arranged a play date for him with a hard of hearing kid, and they were unable to communicate with each other. Needless to say, they never played together again. read more

'Being deaf does not have to hold you back'

A HEARING practice has made a real difference to a deaf man's life by helping him to hold down a job in the city.

Lee Stickings works in a busy finance office even though he is severely deaf and has been since birth. He says his career is thanks to the help of the Harpenden Healthcare Practice (HHP), coupled with his skills in lip-reading.

The St Albans and Harpenden Review has teamed up HHP to raise awareness of the problems deaf people face in everyday life.

Like many deaf people, his biggest fear was that friends or colleagues would think he was stupid when he failed to respond appropriately to their questions.

His girlfriend has helped him accept his disability, and overcome the resentment and bitterness that deaf people often feel. read more

For Your Information

United Hearing & Deaf Services: Agency providing social services for deaf and hard of hearing needs assistance in the After-School Kids Program. Sign language ability is a requirement. Volunteers must be 25 years old. Amy Schwartzberg at 954-731-7200.

Items contributed must be received at least two weeks in advance at Calendar Desk, The Miami Herald, 1 Herald Plaza, Fifth Floor Newsroom, Miami, FL 33132-1693. Or e-mail your items to newscalendar@MiamiHerald.com. No faxes, please. For questions or corrections, call 954-764-7026, ext. 3355. For complete listings of events throughout South Florida, go to MiamiHerald.com and click on Calendar on the left side of the screen. read more

Who is where and why did they go, today: RNID appoints Jackie Ballard as new chief executive

Commenting on her appointment, James Strachan, Chairman of RNID, said: “We are delighted to have been able to recruit someone with the exceptional ability and experience of Jackie Ballard to lead RNID through its next stage of development.

“As well as being an accomplished leader in the voluntary sector, Jackie brings her huge experience of political affairs and a public service background to the cause of changing the world for deaf and hard of hearing people.

“Jackie is joining an award-winning organisation which was recently acknowledged as one of the leading lobbies in the world for deaf and hard of hearing people. I am confident that she will build on that success.” read more

Deaf seniors may get high-tech digs

A housing community for deaf and hard-of-hearing seniors is being planned for Tempe, and the $25 million project would be among the largest of its kind in the country.

The project would provide 75 apartments and 50 owner-occupied condominiums for people age 55 and older.

But Apache ASL Trails, which still must be voted on by the Tempe City Council, is intended to be more than just housing. Support services would be woven in, positioning the site to become a statewide epicenter for the deaf senior community.

Safely housing and serving deaf seniors takes creativity. The main form of communication inside Apache ASL Trails would be American Sign Language, augmented by design and technology. read more

Good things happening

Community Services for the Deaf is seeking nominations to honor those who have given exceptional services to the hearing-impaired. Nominations are being accepted for categories:

Corporate Partnership Award: Business or agency that recruits and keeps deaf and hard-of-hearing employees and make sure the employees have equal access to communication.

Excellence in Accessibility Award: A deaf-friendly place to visit with friends and family.

Outstanding Volunteerism and Advocacy Award: Someone who stands up for their own rights or the rights of other deaf people.

Outstanding Deaf Teen Award: A deaf teenager who shows qualities and leadership skills over and above expectations. read more