DEAF WORKERS OF ORANGE COUNTY PROJECT -- DEAF WORKERS WEEKLY BULLETIN -- JANUARY 8, 2000 Greetings, Greetings and Deaf Workers Weekly Bulletin debuts its presence in the new millennium with this issue. We hope you had a safe and pleasant holidays in the past 2 months while we were up to our eyes in activities. Demand for support services at our deaf center continues to rise and rise and we are working on new projects and establishing specialized businesses to help us handle the increasing demand for advocacy, support, and services. This rising demand has taken up much of our time to assemble and distribute all of our free email newsletters. This weekend, we are testing out the Long Beach waters for a possible expansion. We had a good turnout at our fundraiser sale yesterday at Broadway and Cerritos area which continues through Sunday. We are studying the possibility of putting up a small thrift store in the Long Beach area to help us generate the funds for advocacy and support programs. So far we have discovered that there is another deaf owned thrift store nearby in the area and we will study further to determine the impact of a second deaf owned thrift store in the area. We have no interest or desire to hurt other deaf owned businesses in the Long Beach area. Richard Roehm ---- JOB SEEKERS ASK EMPLOYERS TO CONSIDER CAPABILITY NOT DISABILITY BY SANDRA MARQUEZ GARCIA Emelia Anne Simmon remembers the day in 1985 when she tried to apply for a job at Jackson Memorial Hospital but was turned away, she said, because she has cerebral palsy. On Tuesday, Simmon, 38, and her friend, Josue Villa, 30, a television and radio technician who also has cerebral palsy, met with a professional job counselor to help them get in the door with potential employers. The Spinal Cord Living Assistance Development, 240 E. First Ave., Suite 122 in Hialeah, has an established track record for helping the disabled live independent lives. In March 1998, the organization's president Pedro Rodriguez unveiled an affordable apartment complex in downtown Hialeah built with special features for people who rely on wheelchairs. Now that he has overcome that challenge, Rodriguez, a civil engineer born in Cuba and raised in Puerto Rico, wants to help people with disabilities find employment. NEED IS GREAT Nationwide, people with disabilities face a 75 percent unemployment rate, compared with 4.6 percent for the general population, federal labor statistics show. Using federal funds, Rodriguez converted his Hialeah office space into a career center serving the needs of the disabled. There, job-seekers receive personalized attention from a rehabilitation counselor who helps them identify their employment interests. In some cases, an aptitude test is given and funding sources are located for training. Tips on how to get -- and keep -- a job also are provided. The center uses a video camera to tape job-seekers during mock interviews. Counselors advise applicants on how to maintain good relations with bosses and co-workers. "We are not looking for pity. We are not looking for charity," said Alvin Ventura, the center's rehabilitation counselor. "We are asking employers to give people a chance to do what they can do." SUCCESS STORIES The effort seems to be working. Since SCLAD began offering job placement services two months ago, it has had some success stories, including that of a paraplegic man who was hired at Miami International Airport checking baggage tags of arriving passengers for American Airlines. A deaf woman with a degree in business got an administrative job with Burdines. Rodriguez, who raised $3.2 million in local, state and federal funding to build the 34 one- and two-bedroom apartments at Park Place, 250 E. Second Ave., for the disabled, said he knows first-hand the impact of his efforts. In 1979, as he walked home from a boxing match, Rodriguez was struck by a car and was paralyzed. The experience has made him realize what a difference a job can make. A FEELING OF WORTH "When you start working and you start getting a real paycheck, that gives you a lot of options," Rodriguez said. "Just the feeling of earning a salary makes you feel that you are worth something." SCLAD employees said they hope Simmon and Villa will be their next placement success stories. Simmon, who was born in Jamaica, is studying computer programming. Villa, a native of Cuba, has graduated from Miami-Dade Community College, has worked at local radio stations and has completed an internship at Univision. "I think employers should look at our capabilities, not our disabilities," Simmon said. Copyright 1999 Miami Herald ---- DON'T MISTREAT DISABLED, PAROLE BOARD TOLD: U.S. JUDGE ORDERS END TO SHOCKING ABUSE By Claire Cooper Sacramento Bee Legal Affairs Writer (Published Dec. 23, 1999) A federal judge on Wednesday found "shocking" disregard by California parole authorities for the needs of inmates with disabilities and ordered the state's parole board to make sweeping changes. The Board of Prison Terms, as the parole board is formally known, must identify all prisoners and parolees with disabilities and then provide accessible hearing rooms, sign language interpreters or whatever else they're entitled to under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken ruled in Oakland. The board must also stop its practice of denying parole on grounds that prisoners haven't participated in programs that they can't handle because of their disabilities, the judge said. Wilken's injunction also ordered the board to hire at least one full-time ADA coordinator for at least a year. The decision recounted abuses Wilken heard about during a monthlong trial last spring, including forcing inmates who couldn't walk to crawl up stairs to parole hearings, shackling the arms of inmates who could communicate at hearings only by using sign language and requiring "mentally retarded" prisoners to sign documents they couldn't read. She ordered a halt to those and other abuses. Calling the evidence "overwhelming" and "uncontradicted," she said she was "shocked to find that these things occurred with such frequency." "More shocking," she said, "was the level of indifference to the basic rights of prisoners with these disabilities that the Board of Prison Terms defendants exhibited." The class-action lawsuit was filed by the nonprofit Prison Law Office, the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund and a team of private lawyers, naming the state Department of Corrections as well as the parole board among the original defendants. The Department of Corrections settled its part of the case earlier by agreeing to make changes, but the parole board insisted on going to trial. "The Board of Prison Terms has steadfastly refused to recognize that they even have a problem, and the judge here is calling them on that," Sara Norman, one of the prisoners' lawyers, said Wednesday. A spokesman for the state Department of Justice said the defense hadn't had a chance to review the decision, which Wilken posted on the Internet Wednesday evening. ---- IMMIGRATION OFFICE TURNING ITS BACK ON HEARING IMPAIRED, GROUP ALLEGES By Teresa Puente Tribune Staff Writer The Chicago office of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, which has endured recent criticism for providing poor customer service, is facing allegations of mistreatment from another group, one representing deaf and hard of hearing immigrants. On Thursday, a local disability rights group plans to file an administrative complaint against the local office of the INS alleging the agency discriminates against deaf and hard of hearing immigrants. The group, Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago, is alleging that the local INS office fails to provide sign language interpreters, telecommunications devices for the deaf (TDD) and other services and as a result immigrants fail citizenship exams and fail to get timely information from the agency. They also said that the local offices are not safe because there is no visual alarm system for the deaf in the event of an emergency. "We have advocated on behalf of deaf immigrants for the past three years that the INS provide accessibility, but they have failed," said Rene David Luna from Access Living and also a coordinator of the Immigrants with Disabilities Rights Project, a coalition of advocacy groups. They plan to mail in a discrimination complaint to the Office of Civil Rights at the U.S. Justice Department in Washington, Luna said. Luna said that most government agencies comply with the federal standards and the INS is the exception. He said they have had several meetings with INS officials and were able to resolve some individual cases, but the larger problems still exist. The complaint charges that the INS has given out a phone number designated for TDD users, but that the number does not work. The complaint also charges that there is no way for a deaf immigrant to understand announcements when their name is called and this often results in missed appointments. But local INS officials said they have addressed the concerns raised by the advocacy groups. About 35 staff members took sign-language training last year, but INS officials said it may be difficult to find an interpreter on the spot. They suggested that those who need sign-language interpreters let the INS know in advance. "The INS is definitely sensitive to the needs of the hearing-impaired and the disabled," said Marilu Cabrera, an INS spokeswoman. Cabrera said this year the local office purchased new TDD machines, but it is aware that the TDD line is regularly busy. "We're trying to correct that. But it's not just the lines for the hearing-impaired that are busy. It's every single line," Cabrera said. The agency does not have a visual alarm system, but it does have a plan in place to help customers in case of an emergency. But the advocacy groups have heard from at least 10 deaf immigrants who have encountered an array of problems at the INS offices, Luna said. Part of the problem is that many deaf immigrants may not be aware that they can request a sign-language interpreter, said Maureen Philbin, executive director of Deaf Adults Education Access Program, which holds citizenship classes for the deaf. Fred Tsao, with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, said: "It is often difficult for immigrants to receive services because of language barriers and other issues. But it is especially difficult if there are communication barriers." Copyright: Chicago Tribune ---- WEATHER CHANNEL TO INCREASE CLOSED CAPTIONING PROGRAMMING Starting January 1, The Weather Channel will caption five hours of programming: the 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. time period and the 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. prime viewing time. In June, the amount of closed captioning on TWC will double with expanded hours of captioning from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Next January, The Weather Channel will establish a regular schedule of closed captioning for 20 hours of its programming day. ---- NAD ACTION ALERT! YOUR RIGHT TO CAPTIONED PROGRAMS IS IN DANGER! On September 30th, 2001, the amount of captioning available to deaf and hard of hearing people may be significantly decreased because the Department of Education is developing new criteria for programs eligible to receive funds for captioning. The Federal Communication Commission has mandated that 100% (with some limited exceptions) of programs shown on TV be captioned by the year 2006. That is a 5-year gap between 2001 and 2006. Your action is needed NOW to protect your rights to captioning! DEADLINE IS JANUARY 18th! 2001: THE REAL Y2K FOR THE DEAF COMMUNITY Some captioned programs will be lost in 2001. BUT THERE IS ONE THING YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW TO REDUCE THAT LOSS -- WRITE A LETTER OR SEND AN EMAIL! It does not matter if you are a good writer or not. Just express your feelings and write now. The Department of Education WANTS to hear from you. They want to hear your ideas and recommendations. You can read the formal announcement from the department at http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg/grantann/q499/121799d.txt And the NAD's response at www.nad.org/captionloss.html (to be posted Friday, 1/7/2000). The NAD will provide comments to the Department emphasizing that: ***Any and all televisions, videos, and materials are educational or informational and should be captioned at all times*** We believe that virtually EVERYTHING on television and video is educational. Without captioning, access to the critical common knowledge of the world community will be lost. To a large extent, this common knowledge and collective memory allows people to communicate, to work together, and to live together. But any TV program defined as "entertainment" will no longer receive any government support for captioning! -- The term "educational, news, and informational" should be read and defined as broadly possible. Any and all television and videos have the potential to be educational or informational. We have come up with the following definitions: -- EDUCATIONAL: any material that transmits to or evokes from the viewer the physical, emotional or mental experience of another construct. -- NEWS: a report of recent events, whether local, state, national, foreign or international. -- INFORMATIONAL: any material that imparts knowledge or intelligence including those that represent the physical, emotional or mental experience of another construct. -- The National Education Goals (Goals 2000) state that "every adult will be literate and will possess the knowledge and skills necessary to compete in a global economy." Those same goals also expect that all children in America "will start school ready to learn." Literate adults must be able to gather and understand information on a variety of subjects through a number of different modes. But without full captioning access, deaf and hard of hearing individuals will be at a serious disadvantage! DEADLINE IS JANUARY 18! ACT NOW! Yes, this is an access issue, BUT the government is not asking for a response about civil rights. They are asking for a response defining "educational, news, and informational" materials. This battle can be won if a broad definition of "educational" materials is adopted by the government. Government funding for captioning of movies and other "entertainment" materials may then be continued. HERE'S HOW TO GIVE YOUR OPINION: (Yes, you can use NAD's definitions listed above.) 1. BY JANUARY 18, written comments concerning the definition of "educational, news and informational" media must be RECEIVED by the government at the following address: Debra Sturdivant, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 3527, Switzer Building, Washington, DC 20202-2641, FAX: 202-205-8105, Telephone: 202-205-8038 (V). 2. If you prefer to send your comments through email, use the following address: comments@ed.gov. You MUST include the phrase "educational media activities'' in the subject line of your electronic message. PLEASE SEND COPIES OF YOUR COMMENTS TO THE NAD. IF USING EMAIL, SEND TO NADNEWS@NAD.ORG; IF USING MAIL, SEND TO NAD, 814 THAYER AVE, SILVER SPRING, MD 20910-4500. IF USING FAX, SEND TO THE NAD AT 301-587-1791. If you have questions: 1. Email or fax Kelby Nathan Brick at the NAD: brick@nad.org, 301-587-1791 FAX. 2. Or, contact the U. S. Department of Education: Debra Sturdivant 202-205-8038 (V) or Jo Ann McCann 202-205-8475 (V). NOTE: If you use a TTY, you may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339. ---- 2 DEAF MEN WIN SUIT AGAINST WAL-MART Associated Press TUCSON - Two job applicants who claim Wal-Mart discriminated against them because they are deaf have won a settlement against the national retail giant in federal court. Wal-Mart will pay at least $66,250 apiece and offer jobs to Jeremy Fass of Phoenix and William Darnell of Tucson under the agreement. The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Arizona Center for Disability Law filed suit in June 1997 after Darnell and Fass were turned down for night jobs at a Wal-Mart store in Tucson. Both men said they were refused jobs in the stocking and unloading area because they are deaf. Copyright 2000, Arizona Central ---- OCDAC WEBSTORE SUPPORTS THE DEAF COMMUNITY OCDAC WebStore is packed with items for use by people with hearing disabilities and a few extras. OCDAC WebStore can be found at: Http://www.deafadvocacy.com/product.htm ---- HEARING LOSS STATISTICS RELEASED BY NATIONAL ACADEMY ON AN AGING SOCIETY USA Snapshots You heard it here About 8% of the population has impaired hearing - ranging from mild loss of sensitivity to total hearing loss. Impaired hearing by age groups: 0-17 5% 18-44 23% 45-64 29% 65+ 43% Source: National Academy on an Aging Society ---- KIDABILITY New Children's Disability Awareness Video Educates and Entertains According to The Gallup Youth Survey, conducted by The George H. Gallup International Institute, only 46% of youths say that schoolmates with disabilities feel only "somewhat welcome" and another 17% say they "don't feel too welcome." KidAbility, a newly released video, was created to provide a great opportunity to understand and improve the lives and conditions of individuals with disabilities. Produced by Edit Point of Central New York, Inc., KidAbility is designed to introduce children to other children with disabilities and equip them to feel more comfortable. It is crafted to foster sensitivity and acceptance towards people with disabilities. Children host this video and educate the viewer, as well as themselves, about the 54 million Americans with disabilities. The hosts learn that people with disabilities do have limitations but that people are more alike than different. Profiles throughout the video include adults and children who talk candidly about their disabilities including Cerebral Palsy, blindness, spinal cord injury and deafness. Viewers see how they deal with obstacles in everyday life - from using a telephone to participating in sporting activities. Various assistive technology devices are highlighted as well as specific and helpful ways to communicate with individuals with disabilities. Mark Flemming, producer of KidAbility and president of Edit Point of Central New York, Inc. - a video production company located in Syracuse, New York - says, "What makes this video really unique are it's special digital effects and fast paced music tracks. The visual pacing of the video is so upbeat and exciting, it will keep the attention of anyone at any age." KidAbility was made for general audiences, however, it is being marketed specifically to teachers, parents, and professionals in the disability field. Its' design is geared to keep children's attention grades K-12, although older age groups can also benefit from its' disability guidelines . This upbeat, fast-paced disability sensitivity and awareness children's program was released in November of 1999 and is now available for purchase on VHS video cassette. KidAbility can be purchased for $89.00 (plus $6.75 for shipping and handling) from Program Development Associates. The 26-minute video, on VHS cassette, includes public performance licensing. Call 1-800-543-2119 or write PDA at: P.O. Box 2038, Syracuse, New York 13220. For a complete listing of disability related resources, visit Program Development Associates on the web at: www.pdassoc.com. ---- DEAF WORKERS LEARN NEW SKILLS IN PROGRAM Drywall firm hires disabled workers with assistance from state By Scott Smith The Pueblo Chieftain PUEBLO — Outside, the big, yellow bulldozers rumble and growl. Inside, the buzzing whine of a power saw cleaves the air like a revved-up jumbo jet, obliterating the nearby whack-whack-whack of hammer on nails. It's loud. Really loud, even by construction-site standards. Loud enough to halt a conversation in mid-syllable. But Gil Trevino and Jeremia Kendall just keep on talking. They're excited and animated as they discuss their new jobs. The words flow, the smiles grow — and the young men's hands and fingers remain in perpetual motion. They are conversing via sign language, which comes in pretty handy on a clamorous day like this. Trevino and Kendall are deaf. They also happen to be pioneers of sorts, full-time employees with Stout Drywall Inc., thanks to a new program created five months ago by the Pueblo branch of the state's Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. "This job helps our self-esteem," says Trevino, a stocky 25-year-old who has partial hearing and is an expert lip-reader. "Sometimes, you feel like people look at you like, 'This guy can't do anything.' Sometimes, you get frustrated so bad, it drives you crazy." Trevino and Kendall are two of five deaf drywall workers trained and hired by Stout, which employs more than 90 workers. It's a company that wasn't afraid to hire employees with disabilities, even though it meant an unprecedented commitment of time and resources. Stout agreed to create and administer an intense training program for five deaf individuals: Michelle Casados, George Baca, Joseph Fernandez, Trevino and Kendall. Over five weeks, project manager Gene Gutierrez and fellow trainer Mike Nadeler, aided by an interpreter provided by the state, taught the inexperienced quintet the intricacies of drywalling. At the completion of the classes, Stout hired all five as full-time drywall finishers. They were assigned to work crews, and now, four months later, all remain happily ensconced in what they view as a genuine career opportunity. And the program, viewed as a gamble by some, seems to be headed for success. "It makes me so proud of those five people — they really deserve all of the credit," says Earl Poteet, employment and marketing specialist for the DVR's Pueblo office. "They're working, and they're happy, and that makes it a success from the agency's point of view. "It's the first program of its kind statewide, that we know of — and it's definitely unique to the construction community. People all over the state are looking at it and saying, 'Wow, how can we start one here?'" Mark Stout, co-owner of Stout, said he gave the program a try even though the idea of hiring five deaf individuals to work on a construction site was "a scary proposition." His fears have been allayed. The deaf workers have been enthusiastic, hard-working, punctual employees. "They've been more than willing, more than able — I'm thrilled to death with them," Stout says. "But I need to make it clear that when we first got into the program, we weren't interested in being guinea pigs or some social experiment. If we're going to bring in disabled employees to work, they need to be profitable employees. We want this thing to be permanent, workable and doable for the businesses, as well as the individuals." In addition to providing an interpreter during the training classes and the first couple of weeks of on-site work, the state also pays some of the employees' salaries and workers' compensation costs during the first three months. But for many employers, those incentives aren't enough to overcome the fears that accompany the idea of hiring the disabled. "Although the overall unemployment rate is at an all-time low, it's still very high for people with disabilities — nationwide, that number is about 64 percent," Poteet says. "That's what we want to change." Trevino and Kendall want to change that, too. "It's hard to learn, and it takes time," Trevino says. "But each time you do a job, you get better, You think, 'If I can do this job, then I can do a bigger one — and then you're ready for a bigger challenge.' This gives us more confidence and motivation. Maybe we can even start our own business someday." Kendall, a 22-year-old who has been totally deaf since birth, stresses that the experience has been nothing but positive. "We didn't know what to expect at first, but our teachers have been wonderful," Kendall says, his signs interpreted by Trevino. "We're proof that some deaf people are willing to work hard." Gutierrez, one of the instructors, says deaf workers also bring a valuable perspective to the art of finishing drywall. "Since they can't hear, they use their eyes more than we do — they're more aware of things around them," Gutierrez says. "That helps in the trade. They see things — details — that we normally don't see." The education has worked both ways. The communication gap has been nearly nonexistent, thanks to pencils, pads and the fact that the deaf workers have taught their hearing buddies some basic sign-language vocabulary — including a few words that can't be printed in a family newspaper. "Some of the basics are bad words," Trevino says with a sheepish smile. "But if you work on a construction site, or anywhere with other guys, you talk manly. You call each other names and play around — it's a good way to break the ice." Copyright 1999 The Daily Camera ---- DEAF WOMAN SUES TO LIVE ON HER OWN By STEVEN CHURCH Staff reporter A deaf woman institutionalized at the Delaware Psychiatric Center has sued state health officials, claiming they have not done enough to help her leave, even though doctors there say the 21-year-old is ready to live on her own. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Wilmington this week by the Community Legal Aid Society on behalf of a woman identified in court papers as Jane Doe. The woman asked her attorneys not to use her name in the complaint. She was committed to the center in August 1998 because she has a personality disorder, said Marybeth Putnick, who helped put the lawsuit together for the Legal Aid Society. According to the lawsuit, the woman and hospital officials agree that she is ready to move to the Horizon House, a state-contracted, community living center for the mentally ill. The woman has been waiting to make the move since May, Putnick said. A move to the house would give her greater freedom in her daily life. Horizon House has a room reserved for her, the lawsuit says, but the woman cannot move in because hospital officials have not installed equipment a deaf person needs, such as a special telephone and a smoke detector and doorbell that flash lights instead of making sounds. The lawsuit also accuses the hospital of cutting back the amount of time it provides a sign-language interpreter for the woman. When the woman visits her psychologist for therapy sessions, she has problems trying to communicate, the lawsuit says. "That's one of the more outrageous facts of her case," said Jennifer Mathis with the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law in Washington D.C., which is also working on the lawsuit. The suit claims the Delaware Psychiatric Center is violating the Americans With Disabilities Act by not providing enough translator time and by not preparing the Horizon House apartment. The woman is not demanding money; she wants a court order to force statehealth officials to help her move out on her own. The suit names Gregg Sylvester, secretary of the Delaware Department of Health and Human Services; Renata Henry, director of the Division of Alcoholism, Drug Abuse and Mental Health; and Jiro Shimono, director of the Delaware Psychiatric Center. State officials had not yet received the lawsuit and would not comment for that reason, said Cindy Collier, Health and Human Services spokeswoman. Last month, mental health advocates told state budget officials the hospital is seriously overcrowded and could face legal and accreditation problems unless it gets more staff and space. State health officials acknowledge the troubles and have asked lawmakers for more money. Copyright ® 1999, The News Journal ---- MAINE'S STATE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION SIDE WITH DEAF MAN Commissioners Side With Deaf Man - (AUGUSTA) -- The state's Human Rights Commission has come down on the side of a deaf man arrested in Lewiston last January. George Crocker complained that he was NOT offered an interpreter to assist him during his booking and later release from the Androscoggin County Jail. The director of civil rights for the Maine Center on Deafness is now helping Crocker work out a settlement with the Lewiston Police Department, guards at the jail, and the bail commissioner. ---- NEW MTBA POLICE OFFICERS HAVE SIGN LANGUAGE TRAINING By Erica Noonan, Associated Press BOSTON (AP) The child of two deaf parents, Matthew Haney has been able to use sign language since he was a little boy. He has also known since childhood that he wanted to be a police officer. On Wednesday, Haney was inducted into the MBTA police force one of the first on the ''T'' to be fluent in sign language. ''I want to be out there for all deaf people,'' Haney, a 23-year-old Haverhill resident, said after the ceremony at Faneuil Hall. ''I've known sign language my whole life and I think it's great to provide this kind of access for deaf people.'' Haney, who can hear, is one of seven new Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority officers with sign language abilities. The seven officers were recruited as part of an effort by the transit agency to better service disabled riders, said MBTA General Manager Robert Prince. ''Diversity is for everyone,'' said Prince, who said the signing officers will be patrolling the subway stations and trains by New Year's Eve. ''We're coming up on First Night, a time when we want to be giving directions to the public and communicating change,'' he said. Prince estimated that several thousand of the 1 million people who use the MBTA every day have a hearing impairment. While the sign-language literate officers won't be wearing special tags on their uniforms, Prince said the agency would draw on them to better communicate directions and emergency instructions to deaf riders, as well as translate at public meetings between ''T'' officials and community groups. Currently, the agency has to hire sign-language interpreters for public forums, Prince said. One deaf MBTA patron said she was delighted sign-language literate officers would be available. ''I don't want to have to rely on other people (to help understand what the conductor is saying),'' said Karen Glickman, a sign language teacher from Beverly who attended the ceremony. ''I pay taxes ... This way I get good services like everyone else,'' she said through a translator. MBTA Deputy Chief Bill Fleming said officers with sign language knowledge will better assist hearing-impaired passengers who need to report a crime or injury. Sign language is also necessary to properly read a deaf suspect his rights after arrest, he said. Haney said it didn't matter to him where along the MBTA's 78-community-wide route he was posted. ''I'd just like to be where my services are needed the most,'' he said. © Copyright 1999 Boston Globe ============================================================== DEAF WORKERS OF ORANGE COUNTY Orange County, California Richard Roehm President Internet : Deaf@activist.com Deaf_Workers_OC@usa.net Website Nesmuth@worldnet.att.net Http://www.i-sphere.com/eyedeaf/dwoc.htm =============================================================== Feel free to redistribute this newsletter in it's entirety and if you are planning to add a mailing list as a subscriber then let me know for my records. 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