Applause For ASL Interpreters Amid Pandemic

Sign Language interpreters have become an essential part of keeping Deaf/HoH informed during daily briefings about the COVID-19 pandemic.

OTTAWA -- Amid the daily Coronavirus (COVID-19) briefings by multiple levels of government across Canada, a new public service figure is stepping into the spotlight - the American Sign Language Interpreter.

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Kenneth Searson has watched the profession grow across the country for years now. The Ottawa retiree, who is Deaf, recalled being left out of certain meetings because of a lack of interpreters during his 36 years working for the government.

Today, the 83-year-old feels proud to see so many interpreters conveying vital information daily - including his daughter Brenda Jenkins, regularly seen translating Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's coronavirus briefings into American Sign Language (ASL).

The Accessible Canada Act,, new legislation enacted in 2019, states that "all persons must have barrier-free access to full and equal participation in society." It also recognizes that ASL, Quebec Sign Language and Indigenous Sign Languages are primary languages of communication for Deaf Communities.

Thanks to the act, passed last June, "we are now seeing the presence of more and more sign language interpreters throughout Canada," said Jenkins, who was raised with sign language.

"I am a Child of Deaf Adults. This is my community. So I'm thrilled to see that there is finally parity and access for our community."

With so many Canadians tuning in to every COVID-19 press conference, the sign language interpreters alongside municipal, provincial and federal officials have become familiar faces in many households... Read The Full Story on CBC News.

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Deaf Canadians Left Out When Disasters Hit

When natural disasters hit, Canada's Deaf are left out.

TORONTO, Ontario -- When natural disasters hit in Canada, it can be difficult for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing to get potentially life-saving information.

CBC's Kas Roussy looks at why signing during disasters can be so critical; to help tell the story she's joined by sign language interpreter Jennifer Hawkings.

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The National is CBC Television's flagship news program. Airing six days a week, the show delivers news, feature documentaries and analysis from some of Canada's leading journalists.

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SOURCE - CBCNews

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ASL Terp Experience As A Jehovah Witness

A former Jehovah's Witnesses' American Sign Language interpreter shared experience as a Jehovah Witness.

The American Sign Language (ASL) video of a former Jehovah's Witness and sign-language translator for Jehovah's Witnesses, exposes organisation as a religion that 'destroys lives' goes viral on social media and the ASL/Deaf community in the United States, Europe and Canada.

Is Jehovah's Witness the false prophets???...

Answer is yes... describing it as a cult that "tries to control emotions, thought, information and behavior of a person".

The woman, shared her experience growing up as one of Jehovah's Witnesses and how she came to be disfellowshipped/disassociated. Also, the psychological effect that the cult's shunning doctrine had on her. That prompted us to dig deeper and deeper, until we convinced ourselves that this could not be the true religion with all its lies. Jehovah's Witnesses is the false prophets.

WATCH IN ASL: Jehovah Witnesses Tell LIES!

A former Jehovah Witness, who is a Child of Deaf Adult (CODA) brief story and explain why Jehovah’s Witnesses recruiting the Deaf in ASL on YouTube.

Here's an explanation: Why Jehovah’s Witnesses Recruiting The Deaf?

The Deaf woman, Sherri shared her experience growing up as one of Jehovah's Witnesses and how she came to be disfellowshipped/disassociated, also, the psychological effect that the cult's shunning doctrine had on her. That prompted us to dig deeper and deeper, until we convinced ourselves that this could not be the true religion with all its lies. The Jehovah's Witnesses is the false prophets.

Everyone should be aware and educated about the JW org:

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The Jehovah's Witnesses familiar within the Law of Moses and the Islamic holy book, the Quran/Koran, as well as various thereon. It is so sadistic quotes Jehovah's Witnesses bible - they really are fearful for the future of humanity when Jehovah's Witnesses allow such old Barbaric practices to continue. Beware the cult-like control and abuse of Jehovah's Witnesses.

This is group specific that JWs targeting Deaf people, please fill out this google survey: Survey of Your Experience with Jehovah Witnesses.

Share this blog to your loved ones and friends to aware about Jehovah Witnesses.

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No ASL Interpreters at Inauguration Controversy

Fake News: No ASL interpreters at the Trump's Inauguration Day controversy on social media in Deaf community.

WASHINGTON DC -- Donald J. Trump had no American Sign Language interpreters at his Inauguration Day, according to this Liberal.

Saw a video from a Deaf man on Facebook saying there were no official ASL interpreters at the Inauguration. Nobody wasn’t there, but heard this from Deaf friends who were there. Anybody know if this is true?

The Deaf community wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t have interpreters, or maybe there's something fishy going on, is it a rigged or not, you decide.

Hillary Clinton's campaign were disappointment from the Republican swept to victory over Hillary in the ultimate triumph for a campaign that repeatedly shattered the conventions of politics a remarkable upset, that's mainly reasons. They are probably pissed off because, they got their asses whipped by Republicans. What a butthurt for the Liberal Democracy these today in America.

No ASL Terps Parody:
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Police Pays $25K Settlement With Deaf Man

Woonsocket Police Department reaches civil rights settlement with Deaf man who was arrested in Rhode Island.

PROVIDENCE, RI -- The Providence Journal: The City of Woonsocket has reached a settlement with a Deaf man police arrested and held overnight without providing him with a sign language interpreter or other communications assistance.

The Rhode Island affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union and the Rhode Island Disability Law Center filed suit against the city and its police department on behalf of David Alves, a 25-year-old North Smithfield man who is profoundly Deaf. He accused the city of violating his rights by arresting him for allegedly making an obscene hand gesture.

In reaching the terms, the city did not admit fault but agreed to pay Alves $25,000 in damages and legal fees. In addition, it struck down a city ordinance that allowed police to charge an individual with disorderly conduct for using abusive or obscene language or making obscene hand gestures.

The city, too, agrees to put in place a policy and train staff to offer communications devices to people who are hearing impaired. Alves relies on American Sign Language to communicate.

According to the lawsuit, Alves was celebrating a friend's birthday in July 2015 at the City Side Club when a confrontation with a bouncer ensued. Two officers arrived and directed Alves to leave the club. The bouncer laughed as Alves started to leave, to which Alves responded by giving him the sign language version of "bull[expletive]." The sign entailed holding up his hand with his index and pinky fingers out and the middle two fingers held down with his thumb - a sign police mistook as giving them the finger.

Police officers David B. Wahl and other officers grabbed Alves, placed him in handcuffs and took him to the police station. He was charged with disorderly conduct for allegedly making an obscene gesture. He requested a sign language interpreter, which the police did not provide.

When a friend went to check on his status, an officer wrote a note back saying, "These things happen, he just needs to take it as a learning experience."

The next morning they released him and issued a summons to appear in Municipal Court. His father requested an interpreter at the hearing. Court employees refused to provide such services until being called by the Disability Law Center. The court dismissed the charge.

Plaintiff David Alves said in a statement: "This settlement will help send a very clear message to all law enforcement in the State of Rhode Island that they cannot violate anyone's civil rights. I hope this settlement will encourage other police departments across the state to also adopt effective communication policies for all who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing."

"I am pleased we were able to settle this case and vindicate the important principle that individuals have the power to challenge police practices that undermine basic constitutional rights," V. Edward Formisano, representing the ACLU, said.

SOURCE - The Providence Journal

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Finland School Fined In Deaf Discrimination Case

Deaf News: Helsinki Design School fined in Deaf discrimination case.

HELSINKI -- The Helsinki District Court has slapped a fine 1,200-euro on the head of a private Helsinki Design School for retracting its offer of a place to a Deaf applicant. The court found the institution and its principal guilty of discrimination but the defendants say they are considering an appeal.

Back in 2014, privately-run Helsinki Design School turned away design student Oskari Salomaa, citing insufficient resources to provide interpreter services. The institution had previously accepted Salomaa for the year-long program, but retracted the place when it learned of his special needs.

On Monday, the Helsinki District Court ruled that the school had violated non-discrimination laws in refusing Salomaa the opportunity to study.

The court imposed a fine of 1,280 euros on the school CEO and also called on the institution and its chief executive to compensate Salomaa to the tune of 8,000 euros. The defendants are also required to settle Salomaa’s legal expenses, which amounted to nearly 8,500 euros.

Salomaa said that he was pleased with the outcome.

"This means that sign language users have a right to be part of Finnish society. I won’t appeal the decision," Salomaa said after the ruling.

Lawyer for the defendants, Jaana Juutilainen said that she was disappointed with the court’s decision.

"It’s very likely that we will see fit to take the case to the Court of Appeal," Juutilainen remarked. Read The Full Story

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ASL Terp Shares About 'Hearing Privilege'

This video is a talk about how hearing people can truly make changes.

Amber Galloway Gallego shares educational video with closed captioning - Video Description: Split screen; on the left screen is white woman interpreting in American Sign Language with grey shirt, slightly hanging earrings shaped as triangle with pearls inside, dark brown hair with bright neon pink hair across forehead, wearing glasses. On right screen, same woman speaking in English with red V-Neck shirt sitting down.

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McDonald's Charged In Discrimination Deaf Job

Deaf News: McDonald's charged by EEOC after canceling interview for Deaf job-seeker in the state of Missouri.

KANSAS CITY -- McDonald’s Corporation has been charged with disability discrimination by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for refusing to provide a sign language interpreter for a Deaf employee candidate.

Ricky Washington, who is Deaf, applied online for a job at a McDonald’s restaurant in Belton, Missouri, in June 2012. When the Belton restaurant manager learned Mr. Washington needed a sign language interpreter for his job interview, she canceled the interview and never rescheduled it, despite Mr. Washington’s sister volunteering to act as the interpreter, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said in a statement issued Monday.

Mr. Washington indicated on his application that he attended Kansas School for the Deaf and that he also had previous job experience working as a cook and clean-up team member at a McDonald's restaurant in Louisiana in 2009.

Restaurant management continued to interview and hire new workers after Mr. Washington made several attempts to schedule an interview, according to the agency.

After first attempting to reach a prelitigation settlement through its conciliation process, the EEOC charged Oak Brook, Illinois-based McDonald’s Corporation. and McDonald’s Restaurants of Missouri Inc. in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Missouri, with violating the Americans with Disabilities Act by refusing to accommodate and hire a Deaf applicant.

“Removing obstacles in the hiring process for people with disabilities is a national priority for EEOC,” said James R. Neely Jr., EEOC’s St. Louis district director. “All employers, but especially large ones, should join with the agency to make sure everyone has equal access to the employment process.”

The Belton restaurant where Mr. Washington applied for work is owned and operated by McDonald’s Corp., the statement said.

SOURCE

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Deaf Woman Sues NYPD For Denying Interpreter

WATCH [CC] - Deaf woman sues NYPD for denying sign language interpreter for nearly 24 hours after she was arrested, locked up.

NEW YORK CITY -- A Deaf woman who is also speech-impaired has sued the New York City Police Department for denying her a sign language interpreter for nearly 24 hours after she was arrested and locked up overnight, according to papers filed in Manhattan Federal Court.

Opal Gordon was arrested Sept. 21 as she left Manhattan Family Court for allegedly violating an order of protection. She was at court for a custody case about her daughter.

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Gordon, of Manhattan, who is “profoundly Deaf and speech-impaired,” said cops didn’t tell her why she had been arrested nor did they provide her with an interpreter. They also didn’t read her Miranda rights, she said.

Police brought Gordon, 53, to the 45th Precinct stationhouse in the Bronx and held her there for two hours, she said. “The boss who runs the precinct signed to me and asked if I am Deaf. I said ‘Yes,’” she told the Daily News. But none of the officers called for a sign language interpreter or gave her anything that would help her communicate with them, she said.

“Not even a piece of paper,” Gordon added.

The officers brought her to a holding cell in Bronx Central Booking and she was held overnight, according to her lawsuit. Gordon claims she repeatedly tried to communicate her need for a sign language interpreter but was ignored.

“No one would listen to me,” she said.

It took the NYPD 21 hours to get a sign language interpreter to help Gordon, her lawsuit said.

The city’s Administration for Children’s Services visited Gordon’s home in October as part of its Manhattan Family Court case. Even though ACS knew Gordon was Deaf, the agency didn’t bring an interpreter upsetting Gordon because the visit, part of a court-ordered investigation, could affect her custody case.

“This is nothing new for the city,” said Gordon’s lawyers Eric Baum and Andrew Rozynski, who represent many Deaf clients.

Deaf Woman Sues NYPD For Wrongly Arrested

Their law firm said the NYPD has a 2009 consent decree with the Justice Department to improve its treatment of the Deaf community. But the city and the NYPD continue to violate the civil rights of Deaf people, according to the lawyers.

The city Law Department didn’t comment on the pending litigation. “We will review the suit and respond accordingly once we are served,” a spokesman said. SOURCE - NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

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NAD and Deaf Parents Sues Tennessee Hospital

WATCH [CC] - Lawsuit: The National Association of the Deaf suing Tennessee hospital didn't meet Deaf parents' needs.

JOHNSON CITY, TN -- ABC NEWS: A Deaf couple says a Tennessee hospital discriminated against them by failing to provide a qualified sign language interpreter while their 21-year-old daughter was dying of cancer.

Chris and Donna Cantrell's federal lawsuit against Mountain States Health Alliance in Johnson City was filed Wednesday by Disability Rights Tennessee and the National Association of the Deaf.

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The organizations say the Johnson City Medical Center refused to provide qualified sign language interpreters to allow the couple from Wise, Virginia, to participate in their daughter's care during the six months before Sydnei Cantrell died on May 19.

"(The couple) watched their daughter suffer from serious health conditions ... without ever receiving a full explanation of what was happening to their daughter," the lawsuit said. "(Donna) Cantrell saw her daughter burst into tears but had no idea why she was crying. Because her daughter was too upset to explain, (she) did not learn that her daughter was dying until much later."

The hospital provided a person to facilitate communications on fewer than five occasions, but the person was not qualified to act as an interpreter and didn't sign clearly enough, the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit asks a judge to order Mountain States to develop a nondiscrimination policy requiring the provision of qualified sign language interpreters, and to train medical staff on compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The lawsuit also asks for unspecified compensatory damages and attorneys' fees.

Mountain States spokeswoman Teresa Hicks declined to comment, citing patient confidentiality requirements.

SOURCE - ABC News

Deaf Wrestler Sues Over Interpreter Rules

WATCH [CC] - A high school wrestler who is Deaf is suing MHSAA to have an interpreter with him on the mat.

DETROIT -- A Royal Oak High School wrestler who is Deaf has filed a lawsuit against the Michigan High School Athletic Association.

The senior at Royal Oak High School says he is Deaf, and that shouldn’t be a problem. It has become one during meets because the MHSAA is restricting his use of sign language interpreters.

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“It is not fair,” said Ellis Kempf, of the rule.

Kemp says at meets sponsored by his school his sign language interpreter is allowed to move around the outside of the wrestling mat. At MHSAA sponsored meets that is not allowed. The MHSAA says the interpreter must be in Kempf’s coach’s designated corner. “That’s not going to work. I can’t see,” said Kempf.

“They are saying Ellis can have an interpreter he can’t see. He can have an interpreter if the interpreter stands behind his back. That does Ellis no good,” said Attorney Jason Turkish.

So why does the MHSAA have this rule?

The MHSAA says it is for the safety of interpreters. At tournaments there are often several wrestling mats lined up next to each other. While it is rare for wrestlers to go outside the boundaries and collide with each other as an official can stop the action, the MHSAA says an interpreter circling the mat likely would not see competitors from another mat coming toward her or him.

"The MHSAA allows and always has allowed interpreters for the Deaf in wrestling,” said Geoff Kimmerly, an MHSAA spokesperson. "This student has been competing in high school wrestling with the aid of an interpreter for three seasons. There are some limitations on where interpreters can move during competition, especially at large tournaments with multiple mats in close proximity, so the interpreter does not get in the way of coaches, officials and competitors. This is a safety concern. These accommodations have been used for other Deaf wrestlers without problems in the past."

Ellis says the only person getting hurt is him. He points to the fact his record shows he is more likely to win wrestling tournaments that allow sign language interpreters.

“There have been times I lost first place because I didn’t know what was going on,” said Ellis.

SOURCE - WXYZ

Being Deaf Person Is Weirder Than You Thought

Society has traditionally treated Deaf people like garbage, 1 of the top 5 reasons life as a Deaf person is weirder than you thought.

There are over 500,000 Deaf people in the United States, but the only time we hear about Deaf Culture is when someone is making up sign language at presidential funerals, rioting, or teaching kids on Sesame Street.

As a result, the average person has no idea what being Deaf involves, and therefore life can get downright weird for anyone who can't hear like the rest of you. Well, I'm a sign language interpreter and an American Sign Language (ASL) graduate, and I'll try to give you a glimpse of how strange things can get...

#1. Society Has Traditionally Treated Deaf People Like Garbage.

For much of our history, society just didn't know what to do with Deaf people. In the B.C. era, the law of the Talmud denied Deaf people the right to own land, while St. Augustine in the early A.D.s made deafness a straight-up sin. It wasn't until the 1960s that interpreting for Deaf people was even a profession.

Before then, Deaf people relied on the help of family, teachers of Deaf people (like Helen Keller's Deaf-Blind teacher Anne Sullivan), and the occasional clergyman that learned some signs. If you didn't live in an area with a thriving Deaf community, you might as well be cut off from the world entirely.

Educators didn't have a problem with Deaf people until the 1880 Conference of Milan. A bunch of hearing people and one token Deaf guy got together in Italy to figure out just how Deaf people ought to be educated. You can sum up their conclusion as "Fuck sign language, just try real hard to speak." Even today, many Deaf people remember having their hands tied and wrists slapped to stop them from trying to sign.

This, as you can imagine, made life a lot more difficult for Deaf people and their families. From many (god-awful) parents' standpoint, it was easier to ship them off to a different country or just put them in an institution. To make matters worse, around the same time, Alexander Graham Bell was running amok.

The same guy who invented the telephone was actually an inventor/douchebag on par with Thomas Edison. And, like the douchiest bags of his day, Bell was really into the eugenics movement (Hitler found his work inspirational).

He spent his life pushing legislation that would force Deaf people to undergo surgery to make sure they couldn't have children together and make a "Deaf Race." Fearing this day, Bell pushed for the abolition of sign language because it brought Deaf people together. (Oddly enough, Bell's own mother and wife were Deaf. So yeah, probably some awkward holidays for that family.)

This should help explain why Deaf people are wary of anyone who claims to be able to "fix" them. Big-D Deaf people often oppose cochlear implants, and it isn't because they're anti-technology.

It's because they have a distinct culture that people have tried to wipe out. It's not easy feeling like you're doing a pretty damned good job of getting by in life, only to hear a whole group of people look at you and scream, "We have to stop any more unspeakable horrors like this from existing!"... Read More: 5 Reasons Life as a Deaf Person Is Weirder Than You Thought.

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Deaf Victims Sues NYPD For Wrongly Arrested

WATCH [CC] - Deaf News: Interviews: Deaf woman arrested by NYPD settles case against city for $750,000.

NEW YORK CITY -- A Deaf woman who said she was wrongly arrested by cops who ignored her disability settled her case for $750,000 Tuesday, a figure her attorneys say is the largest of its kind.

Diana Williams charged in her suit filed in Manhattan Federal Court that the New York City Police Department officers who slapped her in cuffs ignored police guidelines requiring them to request a sign language interpreter when interacting with Deaf people.

“Deaf individuals have rights, and they do not have to tolerate discrimination and injustices of any kind,” her attorneys Andrew Rozynski and Eric Baum said in a statement.

“Ms. Williams hopes that the settlement will send a message to all law enforcement agencies across the country that they should adopt proper policies and procedures to ensure full communication access for Deaf individuals.”

Two New Yorkers who can't hear or speak and communicate only by sign language claim they were wrongly arrested by NYPD officers in two separate incidents.

Williams’ ordeal began Sept. 11, 2011, when she called 911 for assistance evicting a difficult tenant from her Staten Island home.

Most of the people in the house were Deaf, but cops allegedly ignored training requiring them to request an interpreter.

Without being able to explain to Williams what was happening, Officer Christian Romano arrested her and the tenant for allegedly getting in a fight, and for the next 24 hours police ignored her attempts to communicate, the suit said.

Williams was so panicked she even wrote the letters “HOSP” on the window of a police cruiser in an effort to tell them she needed to go to the hospital, the suit says.

Romano checked the “No” box on the arrest report asking if an interpreter was needed, according to documents. He later checked “No” on different paperwork asking if Williams had a disability.

Williams’ attorneys, who run the Eisenberg and Baum Law Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing, said they believe their client has received the largest payout ever to an individual alleging Deaf discrimination by a public agency. A Deaf advocate at the firm, Sheryl Eisenberg-Michalowski, also worked on the case.

“Settling was in the best interest of the city,” a Law Department spokesman said.

SOURCE - New York Daily News

Starbucks Sued For Discrimination Deaf Employee

Starbucks sued for allegedly discriminating against Deaf staff.

PHOENIX, AZ -- The American Genius: Having a product that is in demand is vital, but maintaining quality help is the very bedrock of successful companies. A business, even the most reputable one, cannot make an impact without respectable, pleasant and reliable employees.

Regulars get used to seeing helpful, friendly faces and before you know it, instead of merely stopping by a coffee shop to grab your favorite cup of joe, a connection is made. Patrons become invested in the success of the company because they’re invested in the relationships they’ve fostered with the staff.
And so the cycle begins.

This is the type of emotional correlation that breeds success, but these connections can only occur when employees are valued and supplied the proper modifications at work. With that being said, shame on you, Starbucks.

Obviously, most of the adult world couldn’t function without their java, but that doesn’t give companies like Starbucks a pass on providing disabled employees proper accommodations.

Laura Roberts, a Starbucks employee for seven years, has filed a lawsuit against Starbucks. She claims that the store fired her in retaliation after she repeatedly asked for American Sign Language (ASL) accommodates.

Roberts, who has been Deaf since infancy, requested interpreters during staff and training meetings on various occasions.

She can read, and during her employment relied on a printed schedule for her hours. She also utilized her ability to lip-read in order to serve customers.

After a managerial transition, she was denied a printed schedule, and required to read her schedule from a posted list. Thus, limiting her ability to understand the hours she was required to work... Read The Full Story.

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ABC's 'What Would You Do?' With Nyle DiMarco
Stop Doing That! With Nyle DiMarco

Related Posts:
#DeafNews - #DeafCustomers - #Discrimination - #Drive-Thru

DCW50 Interviews Deaf Top Model Nyle DiMarco

WATCH: DCW50's Paul Wharton interview with 'America's Next Top Model' contestant Nyle DiMarco.

WASHINGTON DC -- DCW50's Paul Wharton is a popular television personality, lifestyle trendsetter - meet the America's Next Top Model’s first ever Deaf contestant Nyle DiMarco, 26, is one of three models representing the District of Columbia area in this season of America’s Next Top Model.

DiMarco is also the first Deaf model to take part in the show. Check out our exclusive interview with him and find out why he thinks being Deaf gives him a strong advantage in the world of modeling.

About America’s Next Top Model - Cycle 22 of America’s Next Top Model, hosted by Tyra Banks, will feature the third “Guys and Girls” edition. Selected men and women living under one roof will battle it out to earn the prestigious title of America’s Next Top Model.

Connect with America’s Next Top Model Online:
Facebook - https://facebook.com/antm
Instagram - https://instagram.com/cw_antm
Twitter - https://twitter.com/cw_antm
Pinterest - https://pinterest.com/thecw/americas-next-top-model
America’s Next Top Model Website - http://on.cwtv.com/topmodel

Follow @NyleDiMarco:
Subscribe - https://youtube.com/nyle222
Facebook - https://facebook.com/nyledimarco
Twitter - https://twitter.com/nyledimarco
Instagram - https://instagram.com/nyledimarco
Model Mayhem - http://modelmayhem.com/nyledimarco
Linkedin - https://linkedin.com/in/nyledimarco
Tumblr - http://nyledimarco.tumblr.com
Website - http://nyledimarco.com

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A Deaf Perspective: ASL Signs and Slang

WATCH [CC] - A Deaf Perspective: ASL Signs and Slang - ft. Ren Putz.

Rogan Shannon shares the educational video in ASL. Ren and Rogan talk about different American Sign Language signs that have no English equivalent, and some slang. Any time we use an ASL sign, they will be bracketed with [ ].

To activate this feature, press the "CC" button.

This is the second collab I did forever ago in May, and many thanks to Ren for being patient with me!

Follow @RoganShannon:
Subscribe - https://youtube.com/user/flamemaverice
Facebook - https://facebook.com/rmtshannon
Twitter - https://twitter.com/shan_no_nosays
Linkedin - https://linkedin.com/in/roganshannon
Website - http://rogans13.wix.com/roganshannon

Deaf Pregnant Woman Sues Florida Hospital

WATCH: Deaf woman suing hospital for no interpeter in delivery room.

BOYNTON BEACH -- Margaret Weiss is due to have her second child in less than a month. The Boynton Beach mother is Deaf and wants a real life interpreter in the delivery room with her, but she says her hospital is refusing to provide that.

"They're discriminating against me," explained Weiss, with the help of a certified sign language interpreter. She explained the fear she has about going into the delivery room at Bethesda Hospital. "It's really serious. What if there was something life-threatening that happened during the delivery?" said Weiss.

Weiss has filed a lawsuit against Bethesda for denying her request for a live interpreter to be in the room with her. The hospital provides the hearing impaired with VRIs or Video Remote Interpreting.

Weiss says this is not effective communication for a woman giving birth and ultimately a violation of the Americans Disabilities Act.

"No one can sit there in labor and just watch a fixed screen," said Weiss. "You can't do that. It's much better to have a live interpreter that's mobile and can move around. It's a lot more comfortable. They can lean over. They can get in a different spot." Weiss says on top that, in her experience, the VRIs do not work all the time.

Weiss said she had to go to Boca Raton to deliver her first daughter in order to have a live interpreter... Read The Full Story

ASL Terp: Stop Calling Sign Language 'Cool'

Let’s talk or sign! about the Deaf, not hearing interpreters.

As is consistent with the written and culturally accepted standard, “Deaf” is used to refer to a community, while “Deaf” is used to refer to a physiological state of being.

A few days ago, a good friend and fellow linguaphile posted a video on my Facebook wall of Shelby Mitchusson, a hearing American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter translating Eminem’s anthemic “Lose Yourself,” signing with dramatic facial expression and full body motion as she attempts to convey the essence of Slim Shady. The video now has more than 3 million views.

In the fall of 2013, Amber Galloway Gallego became a YouTube sensation after video of her signing a Kendrick Lamar concert also garnered millions of views. Countless articles (here, here, here, and here, to cite a few) lauded Gallego's signing as “epic” and called her “a true inspiration.” Of course, what she’s doing is a service to the Deaf community. Music is something that all people, regardless of their hearing status, should be able to appreciate and understand, and to convey the rhythm and spirit of Kendrick Lamar into a form of expression the Deaf and Hard of Hearing can process is inherently valuable. Mitchusson and Gallego went viral because their videos are not simply a detached interpretation. They're excitingly interpretive.

But what are we really doing when we label ASL with words like "epic" or "cool"? We are exoticizing and trivializing it. ASL (and all sign languages--remember, there isn’t just one!) is a language every bit as much as English, with its own rules of grammar, its own syntax, morphology, phonology, and semantics. It is not “cool” or “interesting” or “awesome," but rather a practical and evolving way of communicating that deserves as much respect as any spoken language. To share a video of someone signing with the caption “look how cool this is!” perpetuates the misconception that sign languages are somehow different, a kind of sideshow novelty at which to marvel... Read More.

Subscribe Amber Galloway Gallego Channel - https://youtube.com/1stopforasl

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The ASL Terp Fiasco of Amber Galloway Gallego

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