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