Jacksonville.com: School for Deaf and Blind seeks about $10 million for upgrades.
TALLAHASSEE - Repairing buildings and making construction upgrades makes up the meat of a funding request being pitched by the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind in St. Augustine.
The school is asking for $9.7 million in construction money, a steep increase over the $1.4 million in Gov. Rick Scott’s proposed budget and the $1.6 million it got last year. The $1.4 million is the same amount requested by the Florida Board of Governors, which oversees the school’s budget.
“With that amount we would barley be able to touch projects needed to ensure safety-related repairs,” said Jeanne Prickett, the school’s president.
With the money, the school wants to fund preventive maintenance, repair projects and remain compliant with the American with Disabilities Act.
“That means we would be able to continue to keep up-to-date buildings and renovate obsolete areas,” Prickett told the House Appropriations Subcommittee during a Tuesday hearing.
Since 2008, the school’s construction funding has dropped by $11.8 million. The funding comes from the same shrinking pot of money used for higher education and k-12 projects. Lawmakers are working to overhaul the system, which is funded by taxes on certain communications and telecommunications.
NAIROBI - As the preparation for the first ever presidential debate in Kenya gathers momentum, Kenyans' excitement and eagerness for this historic debate is very evident.
Logan, Utah - A personal look at accessibility in higher education in captioned. This video highlights the experiences of students and faculty with disabilities in higher education.
The National Center on Disability and Access to Education (NCDAE) monitors and promotes electronically-mediated distance education policies and practices that enhance the lives of people with disabilities and their families.
The NCDAE is working to further the national agenda necessary to increase opportunities for participation of people with disabilities and addresses: (a) delivery of electronically-mediated content, (b) testing and assessment, and (c) administrative procedures such as registration for educational offerings. Visit for more information: http://ncdae.org/goals/.
LONDON - Stolen Futures petition. As this e-petition has received more than 10,000 signatures, the relevant Government department have provided the following response.
As the National Deaf Children’s Society acknowledge in its ‘Stolen Futures’ report, the Department for Education has already taken action to protect the resources available for special educational needs (SEN) provision, including support for Deaf Children. We have ensured that the Dedicated Schools Grant is, overall, at the same cash level per pupil as in 2010-11. We have also announced that we will not seek to recover SEN funding from local authorities where schools have converted to Academy status. This should help protect services on the ground at a time of transition and emphasises our commitment to improving the system of support for disabled children and those with SEN.
Government, at both national and local level, is having to make tough choices given the current financial environment. Those decisions, however, must also be based on a good assessment of local need and well thought through and transparent. Most importantly, families should have clear, accessible information about their rights and the support available to them. This petition has been initiated by the National Deaf Children’s Society.
LONDON (The Guardian) - Communication barriers in sex education put Deaf people at risk.
A lack of resources in sex education for young, Deaf people is leaving many without the knowledge or skills to keep safe and recognise healthy sexual relationships.
There is a telling moment in a documentary called Snapshot: Dicing with Sex when a group of young Deaf people are shown cards with different words on them. They all instantly recognise the words Facebook, Wii and YouTube, but the words syphilis, genital warts and hepatitis ABC are met with blank expressions.
Broadcast in sign language on digital TV in 2010, the documentary revealed a remarkably uninformed attitude to sex, with several young Deaf people saying they preferred not to use condoms, despite experiencing sexually transmitted infection (STIs) or pregnancy.
The charity Deafax says Deaf people's lives are being put at "extreme risk" when it comes to sex education because their communication needs are not being addressed.
NEW YORK CITY (ABC News) - Here's the videos with closed captions of Hurricane Sandy aftermath. Inside the eerily still metropolis the day after Frankenstorm.
It blasted the ocean itself over dunes, seawalls and berms and into downtowns, tunnels and subways. It killed dozens of people, destroyed famed landmarks and amusement parks, pushed houses off their foundations and toppled trees. It virtually shut down New York City, the nation's largest city, with major airports, highways, and bridges and tunnels in and out of Manhattan shut down, just as they were after 9/11.
For millions of people in New York City and elsewhere, the lights remain out, communications remain down and floodwaters, downed trees and power lines still make roads impassable.
Superstorm Sandy: Death Toll Up to 50, but Some Steps Toward Recovery.
However, some of the hardest-hit areas on the East Coast were beginning to take the first steps towards recovery. For instance, some New York bridges, tunnels, highways and airports reopened or were slated to be reopened by Wednesday morning.
WASHINGTON - Hurricane Sandy Preparedness Press Conference - US President Barack Obama: 'This is a Serious and Big Storm'.
Much of the mid-Atlantic and northeastern United States is braced for the onslaught of wind, rain, high tides and even snow Hurricane Sandy is forecast to deliver on Monday and Tuesday.
The massive storm 'Frankenstorm' effects already were being felt Sunday night along the Atlantic beaches in North Carolina and Virginia, and rain bands extended far inland. As I write this, it is raining in the nation’s capital and the winds have picked up.
Here is a White House transcript of their remarks:
THE PRESIDENT: Well, good afternoon, everybody. Obviously, all of us across the country are concerned about the potential impact of Hurricane Sandy. This is a serious and big storm. And my first message is to all the people across the Eastern seaboard, Mid-Atlantic, going north, that you need to take this very seriously and follow the instructions of your state and local officials, because they are going to be providing you with the best advice in terms of how to deal with this storm over the coming days.
We just had an excellent meeting with the FEMA team here, the various agencies that are in charge, including the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy and others that are going to need to respond very quickly.
Under Craig Fugate’s leadership here at FEMA we’ve had a chance to talk to the regional officials as well. And I just had a phone call with the governors of the potentially impacted states, as well as some of the major cities in the region.
At this stage, everybody is confident that the staging process, the prepositioning of resources, commodities, equipment that are going to be needed to respond to this storm are in place. But as Craig has emphasized, this hasn’t hit landfall yet, so we don’t yet know where it’s going to hit, where we’re going to see the biggest impacts. And that’s exactly why it’s so important for us to respond big and respond fast as local information starts coming in.
I want to thank all the members of the team for the outstanding work that they’re doing. But the other thing that makes this storm unique is we anticipate that it is going to be slow moving. That means that it may take a long time not only to clear, but also to get, for example, the power companies back in to clear trees and to put things back in place so that folks can start moving back home.
So my main message to everybody involved is that we have to take this seriously. The federal government is working effectively with the state and local governments. It’s going to be very important that populations in all the impacted states take this seriously, listen to your state and local elected officials.
My message to the governors, as well as to the mayors, is anything they need, we will be there. And we’re going to cut through red tape. We’re not going to get bogged down with a lot of rules. We want to make sure that we are anticipating and leaning forward into making sure that we’ve got the best possible response to what is going to be a big and messy system.
So again, thank you, everybody. Craig, would you like add to something?
MR. FUGATE: Again, as the President says, it’s going to really come down to the public heeding those evacuation orders, taking protective measures. If they haven’t gotten ready, they can go to Ready.gov. Get information on how to protect them and their families, but also check on your neighbors. This is going to be a big storm. We need to be there for each other.
THE PRESIDENT: Okay. Let me emphasize that again Ready.gov for the general public. If you need to know how to respond, that’s where you can get centralized information.
But I think Craig’s point is exactly right. In times like this, one of the things that Americans do is we pull together and we help out one another. And so, there may be elderly populations in your area. Check on your neighbor, check on your friend. Make sure that they are prepared. If we do, then we’re going to get through this storm just fine. But we’re going to have to make sure that we are vigilant, and vigilant for a couple of days. Don’t anticipate that just because the immediate storm has passed that we’re not going to have some potential problems in a lot of these communities going forward through the week.
Complete information on Hurricanes and Tropical Storms, including all advisories, watches and warnings. Recent hurricanes and tropical storms: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
NEW YORK CITY - Hurricane 'Frankenstorm' Sandy - The mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg ordered the mandatory evacuation of hundreds of thousands of residents as Hurricane Sandy roars towards the east coast of the United States and parts of Canada, bringing punishing winds, heavy rainfall and storm surges.
At a press conference Sunday, Michael Bloomberg said some 375,000 people in a number of coastal areas including Coney Island, Lower Manhattan and parts of the Queens neighbourhood would need to leave their homes. He said those affected would have to stay with family and friends outside of the evacuation area or at one of the 72 shelters the city has set up.
Officials in New York have also ordered the closure of its public transportation system, beginning at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, causing problems for those trying to leave the affected area on buses and subways... Read more http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2012/10/28/hurricane-sandy.html
New York City announced the closings of it mass transit and school systems, both the nation's largest, and ordered residents to leave some low-lying areas Sunday ahead of the massive storm approaching the eastern third of the U.S. Video by AssociatedPress
Hurricane Sandy: 'Don't Be Stupid, Get Out And Go To Higher, Safer Ground,' Officials Said.
ABC NEWS - Tens of thousands of people in coastal areas have been ordered to evacuate their homes before Hurricane Sandy pounds the eastern third of the United States with life-threatening storm surges, forceful winds and rainfall that could cripple transportation and leave millions without power.
"Don't be stupid. Get out and go to higher, safer ground," New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said today. "Let's get to work on this. We know how to do this. We've been through this before."
States of emergency were declared from North Carolina to Connecticut. Coastal communities in Delaware were ordered to evacuate by 8 p.m. tonight.
As of 5 p.m. EST today, Sandy was moving toward the northeast at nearly 15mph, slightly faster than it was measured earlier today. It is expected to take a turn to the north and then northwest, bringing the center of the nearly 900-mile storm to be near the mid-Atlantic coast Monday night.
Complete information on Hurricanes and Tropical Storms, including all advisories, watches and warnings. Recent hurricanes and tropical storms: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
Video with Captions - Hurricane Sandy Preparedness Press Conference - Interpreted by Deaf Interpreter - 10/26/2012.
BOSTON - Friday, October 26, 2012 Governor Deval Patrick today met with Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray and his cabinet secretaries to discuss preparations for the potential impact of Hurricane Sandy on Massachusetts and announced several steps the state has already taken in anticipation of the storm. Video by MassGovernor
Complete information on Hurricanes and Tropical Storms, including all advisories, watches and warnings. Recent hurricanes and tropical storms: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
OAXACA, MX. – Deaf police officers fight crime in Oaxaca. The officers, known as ‘Angels of Silence,’ contribute to keeping the city safe with their heightened vision and ability to read lips.
The 230 surveillance cameras that monitor the streets of the historic downtown area of Oaxaca – a southeastern city that was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 – are watched by Deaf police officers who maintain a close eye.
The Oaxaca Police’s Command and Communication Control Center (C4) was reopened in May after chronic maintenance problems had kept it closed for six years. But since the surveillance cameras do not have microphones, the authorities had been unable to determine what was being said by suspected criminals.
So officials turned to State Association for the Deaf to provide personnel with a keen sense of sight and ability to read lips, said Ignacio Villalobos Carranza, deputy secretary for Information and Institutional Development at the Public Safety Secretariat of Oaxaca.
The move has enabled the C4’s Deaf police officers to help prevent crime and assist officers on the streets to apprehend suspects, making the downtown area – a major tourism attraction – safer.
Also consider forwarding this to your friends, family, co-workers and anyone who wants to support the Deaf community in this petition. Why not post it on your Facebook, Twitter or other social media sites to get the word out too?
Canadian Association of the Deaf (CAD) is poorly on social media, which there is no video channel or set up the account on YouTube as well. Canadian Deaf politicans running their efforts poorly on VRS issue within the social media. Shame on CAD!!!
OLATHE, KS (KSHB NBC) - Kansas budget cuts could mean bad news for the Kansas State School for the Deaf.
A mandate to cut the budgets for Kansas state agencies could be bad news for a school in Olathe, Kan., that's been helping children since 1861.
In the kindergarten classroom at the Kansas School for the Deaf , kids are learning to communicate using their hands instead of their voices. They are immersed in American Sign Language.
Like the 140 other students at the school, they will be immersed in deaf culture during their years here, learning to cope in a hearing world.
Mary Grove is a KSD senior. She's been a student here since she was 4 years old.
"This is my second home, you know, and the people here are my family,’' she said.
KSD doesn't just serve the kids on campus -- its outreach program supports 255 students and 87 teachers in 108 districts across the state....
Lack of effective communication. ADA effective communication systems tool in the ongoing battle against disability discrimination. In a recent in-depth article assessing the impact of the ADA in Hawaii. http://dredf.org/international/paper_y-g.html
Legal Resources - Disability Rights: The ADA (Americans With Disabilities Act): Questions and Answers, visit http://www.davislevin.com/facts_adaqa2.html for more information.
OAXACA, MEXICO (BBC) - The Oaxaca government has invested 56 million pesos ($4.4 million) to place at least about 230 security video cameras in the downtown historic city of Oaxaca and the suburbs that are monitored by deaf and speech impaired police. The camcorders are 15 meters (49 feet) high and can reach various points simultaneously with an infrared camera. Ignacio Villalobos Carranza, Deputy Secretary for the Ministry of Public Security of Oaxaca, said most of the monitoring of the 230 cameras is done by law enforcement officials that are hearing or speech impaired. He noted these police officers have a very strong deaf and visual sense and can better detect what is happening in different places where the cameras are located; they can often remotely read the conversations of people, to the benefit of this security system that operates 24 hours a day. Spanish-language video from BBC Mundo
Deaf police to monitor security cameras in Mexico - The ability to lip read conversations is a fantastic advantage, but the project raises the question of whether deaf people would actually be better at security monitoring in general. As far as I know, there are no studies comparing hearing and deaf people on specific monitoring tasks but there is evidence that deaf people have certain advantages in visual attention. This isn’t vision in general, such as having sharper visual acuity – where there seems to be no difference, but there is goodevidence that deaf people are better at noticing things in the periphery of vision and detecting movement. This potentially makes them perfect for the job and likely better than their hearing colleagues. So the project turns out to be a targeted way not of recruiting ‘disabled people’ into the workforce, but of recruiting the ‘superable’. In fact, turning the whole idea of disability on its head. Source: http://mazmessenger.com/2012/05/26/quick-news/deaf-police-monitor-security-cameras/
National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS), the leading charity dedicated to creating a world without barriers for Deaf children and young people. Visit http://www.ndcs.org.uk/ for more information.
Video with Captions - President Obama Engages with Youth with Disabilities.
Must-see a video clip of deaf student James Crane speak out and a seat at the table with the U.S. President Barrack Obama at White House in Washington.
WASINGTON DC - As President Obama has so often said, change in America happens from the bottom up. It happens when people organize, speak out, and have a seat at the table. Recently, President Obama met with some youth with disabilities. He wanted to hear their thoughts about the future of disability policy. So, he sat down with participants from the American Association of People with Disabilities internship program. These young people are passionate and strong representatives for millions of people with disabilities across the country. They represent a brighter future for America. President Obama is ready to stand with them each and every day.
Video with english subtitles - The Deaf Holocaust - Deaf People and Nazi Germany.
This documentary covers the treatment of Deaf people in Nazi Germany during World War Two. 17,000 Deaf people were forcibly sterilised by the Nazis to stop them from having children and many others were killed simply because they were Deaf - in a bid to improve the German gene pool.
Deaf Holocaust survivor, Charlotte Friedman, talks about how she successfully escaped war-torn Europe and the many experiences she had on the way, including meeting Ann Frank and her family in Holland.
An Interview with Charlotte Friedman in American Sign Language (ASL) with Rachel Soudakoff. Includes english subtitles for hearing impaired.
Video with Captions - Is Deaf 100% Independent in India ?
President & Vice-President of India Deaf Expo 2012 shared their views on the difficulties that Deaf faced in Independent India and recommended that India must Change for the benefit of Deaf people living in India. Subscribe: IndiaDeafExpo
NewsX: Ban on bulk SMS hits Deaf people hard of the nation India.
NEW DELHI - The Government of India's blanket ban orders on limiting the number of SMSes may have been rational in terms of its bid to stop miscreants from sending bulk sms that spread panic. But there's a whole new segment that finds the clock stops as soon as the smses stop.
The most inconvenienced by this order are the 1.8 million hearing & speech impaired citizens of the nation. It began as a move to stem the exodus of North Eastern citizens... arising out of rumours being spread by certain vested interest groups.
The government in an effort to stop these messages initiated a ban on more than 5 sms from any pre-paid number for 15 days. Amidst criticism and growing public outcry the govt increased the limit to 20 sms a day. A Deaf person would require to send anywhere between 100 to 250 sms' per day to carry on with their basic activities... Read more: http://www.newsx.com/videos/ban-bulk-sms-hits-speech-impaired-hard?
2090 Coalition: Support Rocky Mountain Deaf School.
Support RMDS! Learn more about Rocky Mountain Deaf School needs your support to secure a location for an appropriate building design that would help to meet the educational and safety needs of RMDS students.
The "2090 Coalition (Save Our Park)" is a group of local residents in Lakewood who are petitioning for an election over the building of a new school at 2090 South Wright Street for Rocky Mountain Deaf School (RMDS), a Jeffco Charter School. RMDS wants to move from a strip mall in Golden to this property owned by Jefferson County School District. RMDS can build a 46,000 square-foot new school with an appropriate building design that would help to meet the educational and safety needs of maximum 100 RMDS students. This school would be nationally recognized and the first in the US to be built and designed by the deaf, for the deaf. RMDS must begin building on this property before November or risk losing a $13 million dollar grant from the BEST (Building Excellent Schools Today) program through the Colorado Department of Education. The BEST grant does not use taxpayer dollars - the funding comes primarily from lottery funds.
On June 25, 2012 the city of Lakewood approval the RMDS rezoning request of 2090 South Wright Street so RMDS can purchase the land and build a K-12 school. This land is currently owned by Jefferson County Schools and is zoned for a K-12 school for 300-400 students.
The 2090 Coalition supporters must collect over 3000 Lakewood registered voter signatures by Aug 10. If they succeed, the petition would force the Lakewood city council to revisit the decision. If the council refuses to overturn the rezoning, the issue would go to the voters this fall. The 2090 Coalition is jeopardizing the possibility of a new school for RMDS by delaying the process to the BEST grant deadline.
2090 Coalition petitioners have been seen in several locations spreading incorrect information to gain signatures on the petition which will interfere with the rezoning process of the 2090 South Wright Street property. Their platform is "Save Our Park" and they are telling residents whom they approach that they are "preserving open space". This land had never been open space nor has it ever belonged to the city of Lakewood (something the city's own attorney attests to). The developers zoned it for a school in 1973 and the fortunate residents have been enjoying these 10 acres since then. The proposed school would still benefit the residents and they would still be able to enjoy the adjoining 40 acres that are zoned as open space. Please - we need your support! Help to share the truth about this land and support Rocky Mountain Deaf School.
