DEAF WORKERS OF ORANGE COUNTY PROJECT -- DEAF WORKERS WEEKLY BULLETIN -- FEBRUARY 5, 2000 Greetings, Sorry this bulletin is late, I've been up to my chin on new responsibilities and have to some time off from advocacy work to replenish a number of things including my own energy and resources. Finally we're seeing some action with regards to movie theaters! I've seen countless different email petitions spinning around the net. Even though they do good in awareness of the problem, that's the only thing it accomplishes. We need better action and that's what 8 people from Oregon decided to do. There was a group of Washington D.C. folks possibly waiting for NAD's approval to go ahead with a lawsuit and were beaten by the deaf Oregonians. With ADA under attack, we must renew our pledge to support the law and tell our local disability agencies to file amicus briefs in support of Title II because many people with hearing disabilities will be affected by the decision at the Supreme Court. Richard Roehm ---- DEAF PEOPLE ARE WORLD'S BEST DRIVERS Deaf people make better drivers than people with normal hearing--and they could be the world's safest motorists, a fascinating new study shows. That's because they compensate for their disability by concentrating on watching the road, the research showed. "They've got it all over us hearing people when it comes to driving," said a spokesman for the National Association of Driver Educatiors for the Disabled. "They've always taken in everything with their eyes and as a result they tend to see everything when they've at the wheel." And not being able to hear ambulance and other emergency sirens doesn't make deaf drivers unsafe at all. The study found that deaf drives check their rear view mirrirs frequently and can tell immediately if they should pull to the side of the road. WEEKLY WORLD NEWS, LANATANA, FL. APRIL 25,1995 ---- DEAF MAGICIAN DISQUALIFIED FOR HEARING By HUGH DAVIES in London Johnny Fantastica, the reigning World Champion Deaf Magician, thought he was well on the way to retaining his title when judges in Nagpur, India, disqualified him for hearing too much. The sleight of hand shown by John Gapp, 65, from Stroud, England, had been flawless as he turned ribbons into roses and made a lighted cigarette vanish. But the judges stepped in when he produced a feather boa from a hat in perfect rhythm to Ennio Morricone's music from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Mr Gapp said: "I was told I was being disqualified because I could hear, and that was not allowed." Mr Gapp, deaf since he contracted meningitis at seven, said that he tried to explain that he was wearing a hearing aid which enabled him to "just about make out rhythm from the bass notes". Loud noises were audible, "but I have to depend 100 per cent on lip reading". He produced his hearing test certificate as proof that he was deaf. "But they just wouldn't listen. I am most upset." The panel insisted he was a cheat and gave first prize to Bhupatlal Pandi, an Indian. Mr Gapp, who won his title two years ago in London, has appealed to the World Federation of Deaf Magicians in Rochester, New York, which has said it will investigate his complaint. The Daily Telegraph ---- DEAF GROUP SUES MOVIE THEATERS PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Eight people with hearing impairments are suing to force movie theaters to install devices that would allow deaf people to see closed-captioned films. The lawsuit, which cites the American with Disabilities Act, names three large national movie theater chains: Regal Cinemas, which is Oregon's biggest; Century Theatres; and Carmike Cinemas. The nation's largest chain, Cinemark, is likely to to be added to the suit soon, attorney Dennis Steinman said. ``Not to be able to go to movies is socially isolating for deaf people,'' said Steinman, who filed the federal class-action lawsuit Thursday. ``Not only are they kept from that aspect of culture and society, they miss out on social interaction; they can't go out to dinner and a movie with their hearing friends.'' The lawsuit seeks to force movie theaters to install a technology called rear-window captioning, in which a transparent adjustable reflector fits into a seat's cupholder and picks up captions from a screen at the back of the theater. The person in the seat can read the captions, but the rest of the audience doesn't see them. Calls seeking comment from Regal, based in Knoxville, Tenn.; Century, in San Rafael, Calif.; and Carmike, in Columbus, Ga., were not returned. Combined, the three chains operate more than 7,700 movie screens across the country. Rear-window captioning is part of a technology called MoPix, already in use in several theaters, that also provides blind customers with a headset through which they can hear descriptions of a film's characters and scenes. Steinman estimated it would cost about $15,000 per screen to install MoPix and he would be open to a plan that would let theaters gradually add the service. ---- JEFFREY MAJORS COMES TO LOS ANGELES Philip J. Wolfe, and Paulette Caswell, in conjunction with the AMICUS, Inc. Community Lecture Series, have a treat for you! We are bringing Jeffrey Majors to Los Angeles from Austin, Texas, to answer ALL of your questions! Are you curious about the new cochlear implant (CI) technology for severely and profoundly deaf individuals? Have you heard about Cued English (Cued Speech), but you're not sure what it is? Jeff Majors was born prelingually profoundly deaf. Jeff had almost NO language skills until he was around 7 years old. Then, his parents began using Cued English with him, and Jeff soon attained a phenomenally high level of English literacy. Since that time, he has also learned both American Signed English (ASE), and American Sign Language (ASL). Jeff is also a highly intelligent computer and technology professional, who has had experience using regular hearing aids, and when the new digital, programmable hearing aids became available, he used those, as well. Jeff received his own CI in July, 1999, after doing extensive research on every possible assistive device and medical approach to improving the lives of profoundly deaf individuals. Jeff has had PERSONAL experience with ALL forms of assistance for profoundly deaf people. He has used ASL interpreters, ASE transliterators, Cued English transliterators, regular hearing aids, digital-programmable hearing aids, and now he has had the CI surgery, and experience with his Clarion CI since July, 1999. COME AND JOIN US FOR THIS MOST UNUSUAL EVENT, AND MEET JEFF MAJORS! He is one of the very rare prelingually profoundly deaf individuals who has had the broadest range of life experience to answer all of your questions, and give you TRUTHFUL and ACCURATE information on all of his experiences, that you will not get anywhere else, all in one place, and all at one time, from one person! Philip Wolfe will be there as a host, and he will also share his life experiences, and his recent personal CI evaluation, surgery and CI activation at House Ear Clinic in Los Angeles. Philip has a LOT of valuable information to share with everyone! SAVE THIS DATE ON YOUR CALENDAR, AND PLAN TO ATTEND! SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12TH, 2000 STARTING AT 2:00 PM (We will begin with introductions and hors d'oeuvres at 2:00 pm, which we will provide to everyone who attends. The formal presentation by Jeff Majors will begin at 3:30 pm.) CAFFE LUNA RESTAURANT (REAR PATIO AREA) 7463 MELROSE AVENUE LOS ANGELES, CA 90036 [Caffe Luna Restaurant is located on Melrose Avenue, between La Brea Avenue and Fairfax Avenue, just a bit South of West Hollywood. The food and drink prices at Caffe Luna are very reasonable.] PLEASE CONTACT PHILIP WOLFE TO RSVP AT LEAST 3 DAYS BEFORE THIS EVENT... (323) 951-0018 TDD. SEE YOU AT CAFFE LUNA!! [You may also invite other OPEN-MINDED, logical, and reasonable friends to this event. This meeting is going to be conducted at a professional level, focusing on facts, not "emotionalism." If your friends wish to attend, please ask them to RSVP to Philip Wolfe. Thank you!] ---- OSCAR WINNERS MARLEE MATLIN AND KARL MALDEN PAY A VISIT TO NBC'S 'THE WEST WING' AS GUEST-STARS IN FEBRUARY EPISODE Oscar winners Marlee Matlin and Karl Malden will guest-star on NBC's hit drama "The West Wing" (Wednesdays, 9-10 p.m. ET) as a hearing-challenged, combative campaign manager (Matlin) and as a respected priest (Malden) called on by President Bartlet (series star Martin Sheen) to provide guidance on whether or not to spare a condemned man's life. The episode, "Take This Sabbath Day," will be broadcast Wednesday, February 9 (9-10 p.m. ET) on NBC. In the story, a feisty campaign manager (Matlin) begs for an audience with the President when her Democratic congressional candidate has purposely been underfunded by his party before the upcoming election to unseat an incumbent. Meanwhile, the President consults his sagacious priest (Malden) when he is deep in thought over a desperate plea to stay the execution of a multiple murderer, convicted by a Federal court, who is set to die in less than 48 hours. Matlin first attained notice in 1987 for her Oscar-winning performance as a hearing impaired women in the feature film "Children of a Lesser God" -- at 21, the youngest woman ever to win Best Actress. She also received a Golden Globe Award that year for the same role. Her other films include "The Player," "The Man in the Golden Mask" and "Hear No Evil." She also starred in NBC's "Reasonable Doubts" and in the television movies "Against Her Will: The Carrie Buck Story," "Bridge to Silence," "Where the Truth Lies" and the upcoming "Isabel Crawford of Saddle Mountain." Malden makes a rare guest-starring appearance after a film career that spans seven decades. He won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for "A Streetcar Named Desire" and was nominated for another for "On the Waterfront." He received an Emmy Award for the NBC miniseries "Fatal Vision" and starred opposite Michael Douglas in "The Streets of San Francisco" during the mid-1970s. His other films include "Baby Doll," "The Birdman of Alcatraz," "How the West Was Won," "Cheyenne Autumn," "Patton" and "The Sting 2." "The West Wing" is from John Wells Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television. Aaron Sorkin is the series creator/executive producer. Thomas Schlamme and John Wells are executive producers. Members of the media can get more information about NBC and its programming on the NBC Media Village Web site at www.nbcmv.com. ---- H.U.M.A.N. INGTRODUCES FACE SIGN LANGUAGE Paul Cannaday, President of H.U.M.A.N has created a sign language for people that cannot move their hands or arms. This is a community that is growing. The community includes people with paraplegia, quadriplegia, Spinal Cord Injury, epilepsy, amputee and many more that also cannot hear. The new language can be found at: http://members.aol.com/disablen3/Faces/FaceLang.html This language looks odd when you communicate with it because you only use your head and face. But when American Sign Language was first used it probably looked odd too. ---- ACTOR'S 'CURE' FOOLS PARALYZED VIEWERS By JIM FITZGERALD The Associated Press NEW YORK -- Paralyzed people fooled by a computer image of Christopher Reeve walking have been calling an advocacy group to find out how he was cured, the group's leader said Tuesday. "Since Sunday, we've received a number of phone calls from persons who are paralyzed, or their parents or relatives, saying, 'What research institute did Mr. Reeve go to in order to receive his cure?' " said Thomas Countee Jr., executive director of the National Spinal Cord Injury Association. Other advocates and researchers said they found the image thrilling but also worrisome because it could raise false hopes about a quick cure. In an ad for Nuveen Investments that aired during the Super Bowl, Reeve, the "Superman" actor who was paralyzed in a fall from a horse in 1995, appears to be among those gathering in an auditorium of the future to present an award for research that supposedly cured spinal cord injury. He gets up from a chair, then walks stiffly to the stage and stands with other beneficiaries of the research. "When you go out with an advertisement like that, you tread a very, very narrow line between trying to be creative . . . and being misleading," Countee said from association headquarters in Silver Spring, Md. "I think it could be interpreted as misleading and raising false hopes. But on the other hand, the controversy brings more attention to the issue of spinal cord injury." Though no date is given for the gathering in the commercial, it is sometime after 2006. An announcer says breakthroughs have been made against cancer and AIDS. The New York skyline has some new skyscrapers, but Reeve hasn't aged. "It might be too dramatic," said James Peters, executive director of the Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association. "The idea that Reeves is bringing home -- that there is hope for a cure to spinal paralysis and reason to be enthusiastic -- is certainly a welcome attitude. Reeve, 47, has been vowing almost since the day of his accident to walk again. He acknowledged Monday that he has been criticized for his unceasing optimism. ---- 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 OCDAC now has a few treasures on Ebay auctioning system. Http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/ocdac/ ---- JOB ANNOUNCEMENT Webmaster United States Senator Barbara Boxer Los Angeles, California February 3, 2000 U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer has an immediate opening for a Webmaster in her Los Angeles office. Senator Boxer recently redesigned and relaunched her official Senate website ( and is strongly committed to updating and improving her online office in the future. The Webmaster is principally responsible for designing and programming new feature pages, making technical improvements, posting new material to the site on a daily basis, and performing other duties as needed. A positive attititude, the ability work in a fast-paced environment, and a strong technical background are required. Experience with HTML and Javascript programming is strongly preferred. The Boxer web page was designed using Macromedia Dreamweaver. Salary to the low 30s, plus excellent benefits. Applications must be received by February 14. If interested, please send a resume and cover letter (preferably by fax) to: Matthew Kagan Southern California Director U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer 312 N. Spring Street Suite 1748 Los Angeles, CA 90012 213/894-5012 (fax) Matt_Kagan@boxer.senate.gov Senator Barbara Boxer is an equal opportunity employer ---- HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN HRC is looking for twenty diverse participants age 18-24 who will take part in a unique program that trains young people in political skills and places them on campaigns across the country. The program includes: - An intensive weeklong training in campaign skills led by political professionals. - A full-time paid position on a Congressional or statewide campaign. - A follow-up retreat for career guidance and counseling to focus on your future. Campaign Training An intensive weeklong training academy will take place in August 2000 in Washington, D.C. All expenses are paid by the Human Rights Campaign. Nationally recognized political professionals will lead workshops on many aspects of campaigning: planning a winning campaign, handling the news media, getting out the vote, developing a strong message, and fundraising for the campaign. Participants will write their own campaign plans and execute a mock campaign, filling all the roles from candidate to campaign manager to political reporter. The results will be judged by a panel of experts and evaluated by the group. Campaign Experience After the training, participants will be placed in full-time paid positions on political campaigns across the country. Campaign placements take place in the fall and typically last about three months, from August to November. Housing is provided by the campaign and a stipend is paid by HRC. Campaigns view Youth College participants as valuable members of their staffs. Youth College graduates have worked in every aspect of campaigns, including media relations, fundraising and field operations. Participants have worked on campaigns across the country. Job Opportunities When the campaigns are over, Youth College graduates gather one more time in Washington for a follow-up retreat to learn from their experiences. At the retreat, they focus on their future, learning how to put their new skills to work on the job or in further education. Youth College graduates have gone on to work for elected officials and advocacy organizations in Washington, D.C., and around the country. Qualifications Youth College applicants should have - an interest in electoral politics and a commitment to gay and lesbian civil rights - experience in community organizing or involvement in campus or local politics - the ability to work full-time for approximately three months in fall 2000 on a political campaign Deadline All application materials must be postmarked by May 1, 2000. Finalists will be notified by May 20 and interviewed by telephone. Participants and alternates will be notified by June 1. For more information or an application, please go to our website, http://www.hrc.org/camp2000/ycollege.html Or, you can contact us at: HRC Attn: Youth College 919 18th St., NW, Ste. 800 Washington, DC 20006 (202)628-4160 youthcollege@hrc.org ============================================================== 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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