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Family Network for Deaf Children and our deaf program SPRING Deaf Youth Today Deaf Youth Today Spring (Apr 2017) FNDC values sharing information to deaf children, families, professionals and the communities that support them. These events, advertisements and/or articles do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of FNDC or offer an endorsement Spring is in the air and summer is just around the corner. The countdown is on until the end of the school year. Watch for our Deaf Youth Today Summer Program brochure coming soon in May! Spring is a time of new beginnings, but I thought I would write an article about a topic that is generally not often talked about: Death and background knowledge for deaf children. If this is an emotional topic for you – just skip this front page and move into the happy section of our newsletter. If you have followed any of my writings over the years, you will know that I am passionate about immersing deaf children’s minds with tons of language; pre-teaching or filling them up with background knowledge to enrich life experiences and maximize learning. For hearing children, access to background information that we take for granted is readily accessible everywhere: listening to family members’ conversations (including the whispers we think are private) television, radio, overhead announcements, YouTube etc. stranger’s conversations (eg. dr.’s offices, movie theatre lineups, airport waiting areas) For deaf children, they may only have some access or often no access until it is explicitly interpreted or taught to them. Sadly, they miss out on background knowledge and language learning. This can lead to significant holes in background information that become even more evident in the teenage years. As parents of deaf and hard of hearing children and youth, we have a responsibility to ensure our kids have a growing first (and second) language. Giving them access to all the necessary background information allows them to be confident, well informed individuals who feel empowered and included. Ultimately, it’s our responsibility as parents and yes, it is a lot of work, but if we don’t do it, who will? The topic of background knowledge and death is a subject that I am sensitive to. I was almost 5 years old when my dad passed away. At the time, my mom was in shock and deep grief so I was never really told anything. Thankfully, I overheard conversations, had some basic knowledge and was able to put together enough puzzle pieces to understand what was happening. The whole experience was quite overwhelming but I often think: “what if I didn’t have that background knowledge?” As a mom, I wanted all my children, including my deaf child to be included in family events and emotions. Death is one of those topics. We don’t want to talk about it, but it is part of the circle of life. Death really is a topic that needs a lot of discussion and pre-teaching. When a deaf child is faced with the emotions of loss, having background knowledge helps them deal with the emotions; they don’t become overwhelmed with not understanding the concept or get stuck on the millions of logistical questions while others around them are grieving. So many questions: How do you know someone is dead? How does it happen? What is a funeral v. memorial? Cremation? Burial? Grieving? Emotions? What to say to loved ones after someone has died? The list is endless. We have a large extended family, so attending funerals of distant relatives was part of our family experience. Having our kids attend a memorial service was a time for them to experience loss and ask questions without it being an overly emotional experience for them. Years later, with the very painful loss of their grandparents, our kids were prepared to focus on grief and healing and not get lost in the confusion of basic questions. It seemed that our deaf child had many more questions again reminding us of the need to keep her informed with background knowledge that her siblings had through incidental learning and overhearing conversations. We had some humorous moments too! When Mari was about 8 years old we attended my Uncle George’s Memorial service. First off, Mari had affectionately given him a sign name (from the movie, George of the Jungle.) So his sign name was: “BEAT THE CHEST”. Well, we arrived at the memorial service and at the front of the church was a photo of Uncle George and two urns for ashes: one for him and one for his wife (who had passed away a few years earlier). Mari spotted the cremation urns, and jumped up out of the pew, pointing and emphatically signing with a lot of facial expression: “Look! Look! – “Uncle George was so fat they couldn’t fit him into one urn.” Even if you didn’t know sign language – it was very evident what she just said. Twitter: @FNDCandDYT Facebook: www.facebook.com/fndc.ca A few tips: Don’t be afraid to talk about death and answer questions. Begin with insects, birds, pets and work your way up to people (depending on the maturity level of your child). Don’t leave this to TV and movies to do your work for you as this can lead to misconceptions, lack of emotion and fear. For families in rural areas, opportunities are all around, but for kids living in urban areas, you may need to go out of your way to see a dead bird or have a funeral for your pet hamster? Our family stopped at the side of road to see a dead beaver. I know. I know. It sounds macabre but it does help with new language, questions, discussion and a bonding time between parents and kids to talk about facts and emotions. that our youth group tour a funeral home to see the process a family may go through from selecting a casket (yes we walked through a room with many sample caskets in it), seeing the size of a box of cremated remains, the costs (yes, still shocking!). I was 14 years old and with my friends, so we were able to nervously laugh together. It helped diffuse some of the fear and mystery. We experienced the process without any emotion attached. Sounds weird, but I chalk that up as one of the best learning experiences of my life. Talk about your family values, traditions, your culture in respect to death. If you have a faith experience, make sure to share that with your child too. For some families, death is a finality and for some the afterlife will also be a topic of discussion. Hire an interpreter for access and inclusion. When close family members passed away, we hired an interpreter, who stood at the front of the Church. For distant relatives, we hired an interpreter and sat off to the side, where the interpreter could sign discreetly. Also, don’t forget about an interpreter for family gathering time in the home. Often this is when memories are shared, crying, laughing and family bonding takes place. Talk about the pragmatics of the funeral experience. When I was a teenager, I had the unique experience of having a pastor who worked with families during grief. He felt that it was important Share emotions. Share your journey of family or friends that have passed away. How did you feel? It’s ok to cry, and crying can be an important way for your child to see and feel your emotions. Well, that was a somewhat heavy topic. My apologies, but I encourage you to fill your children with lots of language and background knowledge and no topic is too tough to avoid. Cecelia FNDC 2 Spring • 2017 More detailed Job descriptions and requirements are posted on our website. Apply today at WWW.FNDC.CA/EMPLOYMENT FNDC 3 Spring • 2017 DEAF YOUTH TODAY DYT Summer Camp 2017 DATE Theme Ages D/HH/Sibs/Coda DYT KIDS’ DEAF CAMP AT HORNBY ISLAND Ages: 8-15 & 16-18 (CIT) Deaf/HH THEME: TBA Ages: 5-9 & 9-12 Deaf/HH/Sibs/Coda SUMMER IMMERSION WITH PDHHS Ages: 5-8 & 9-12 D/HH/Sibs JUL 31ST – AUG 3RD THEME: TBA Ages: 5-8 & 9-12 Deaf/HH ONE DAY EVENT TEEN EVENT: TBA Ages: 13-18 D/HH/Sibs/Coda AUGUST 8TH – 10TH THEME: TBA Ages: 5-8 & 9-14 D/HH TEEN DRIVER’S PREP WITH PDHHS Ages: 15-18 D/HH AUGUST 14TH – 17TH THEME: TBA Ages: 5-8 & 9-12 D/HH ONE DAY EVENT TEEN EVENT: TBA Ages: 13 - 18 D/HH/Sibs/Coda TH TH JULY 9 – 13 JULY 17TH – 20TH TH JULY 24 – 27 TH TH AUGUST 8 – 11 REGISTRATION WILL BE OPEN IN MAY 2017 www.fndc.ca/summerprogram2017 FNDC 4 Spring • 2017 FUNDING SUPPORT FOR SUMMER 2017 FNDC is seeking sponsorship to provide personal support workers for deaf and hard of hearing children with additional special needs. The approximate cost per week is $500 per child, to provide the necessary one-toone support. Last summer, we needed almost $25,000.00 to provide one-one-one workers for deaf and hard of hearing children with additional special/unique needs. We are hoping you would consider fully or partially supporting a child for one week. Our BC Society Registration Number is S-33351. We have been a registered Charity since: April 1, 1998 and our Federal Registered Charity No. is 88622 5655 RR001. Tax receipts will be issued for donations over $20.00. We rely on donations and grants to make our summer accessible and inclusive for all the deaf and hard of hearing children we serve. You may donate online at www.fndc.ca or contact us by email at: [email protected] We have donations letters available for you to share with friends, family and places of employment that may want to donate. FNDC 5 Spring • 2017 FNDC 6 Spring • 2017 FAMILY DEAF CAMP 2017 FUNDING Does your family need funding for Family Deaf Camp 2017? FNDC has limited funding is available for families to assist with the costs of your Family Deaf Camp Registration Fees. The Criteria for the funding is: • Your family resides in British Columbia • Your family has a deaf or hard of hearing child (school age: K to 12) • The cost of Family Deaf Camp is more than your budget can handle The amount available per family is up to $275.00 (registration fees for a family of four). The funding has been made available from private donations specifically for this purpose. There is only a limited amount of funding and therefore will only be available on a first come, first served basis. Due to limited funding, priority, will be given to families who are planning to attend Deaf Camp 2016 for the first time. In respect to our donors, we ask that only those in true financial need apply. If your family qualifies using the criteria above, please send an email to: [email protected] ALL requests will be kept confidential FNDC 7 Spring • 2017 What Role did DYT play in my life? From the perspective of young deaf adults “IgrewupinahearingfamilyintheOkanagan.MymomregisteredmeforDYT programswhenIwasyoung.Now,lookingback,Iamveryfortunatetohavebeen partoftheDYTprogram,HornbyandtheCITprogramaswell.Thisprogramhas taughtmesomuchincludingthedevelopmentofmyidentity,confidence,language, socialskills,anddeafculture.EverytimeIreturnedhomefromHornbyIalways wantedtogobackbecauseIhadsomuchfunwithmydeafpeers.Manyofthepeople ImetthroughDYTprogramsandHornbyaremybestfriendstoday.Ifitwasnotfor thisprogram,notonlywouldInothavemetthem,myparentswouldnothavemetotherparentsofdeafchildren,which wasareallyimportantsupportsystemforthem.TheDYTstaffwereallwonderfulrolemodelsandmotivatedallofusto gotocollegeandachieveourgoals.ThankstoDYT,Hornby,andCIT,Iamingraduateschooltodaywithafewofmy friendsfromHornby,andIamchasingmydreams.” -Bree,youngdeafadult,SocialWorkGraduateStudent “WhenIwasacamperandcounsellorintraining,DYTshapedmylife.DYTtaughtmewhoIamasa deafpersonandtounderstandmyselfasIbeganlearninghowtobealeaderfromtherolemodels thatsurroundedmeatDYT.DYTshapedmeandinspiredmetorecognizemyvalueinthe community,andnowIhavebecomearolemodeltotheyoungerchildren.I’mnowgivingback.” -Amar,youngdeafadult “ItisimpossibletobepartofDeafYouthToday(DYT)andleavethesameperson.If someoneweretoaskmetodescribemyself,IwouldhavetomentionDYT.Itinspiredmetobe more"DYT"inmyeverydaylife;toembraceeveryzanyidea,tobemorecompassionate,andto livefully.DeafYouthTodayis"lifeconcentrated".HornbyIslandiswherewebuiltfriendship bondsandtrustwithallthedeafcampersanddeafrolemodels(staff).Thecounsellorintraining programprovidedmesomuchtrainingandexperiencesoIcouldworkforDYTandcontinuemy educationandcareergoals.ItallstartsatHornbyIslandwithDYTstaffandcontinuesthroughout thesummer.”Scott,youngdeafadult,nowDYTSummerCoordinator IhavebeenaDYTcamperandDYTstaffand thoseexperiencestaughtmealotabout teamwork,leadership,andempowerment.In othercampsI’vebeento,Ialwaysfeltlonely asItendedtonottohavefriendsdueto communication.TheonlypersonIcouldchat withwasmyinterpreter.DYTgavemethe chancetobewithotherkidslikemeandfinallyIfeltincluded!Thischangedmylifeandmyunderstandingofwhat belongingreallymeans.AllDYT’sstaffknowsignlanguagesoIalwayshadfullandclearcommunicationevenwhenI wasayoungandtheycaughtmedoingsomethingsneaky!DYTgavemeadreamthatIcouldbeastaffmemberoneday andbealeaderinthecommunityandIdid.IamsoverythankfulforDYT.–Mari,youngdeafadult,ASLTeacher “DYTwascreatedtoprovideaprogramforthedeafandhardofhearingchildren/youthwhere theycanmeetold/newfriendsandlearnmoreabouttheiridentity,culture,andlanguage.Turns outthattherearemanyOTHERbenefitsthatcomeoutofthisprogramandoneofthesewasto provideCITopportunitiesandjobsforDeafandhardofhearingyouth.DYThasreallychanged my life big time. I was able to grow as an individual and build the confidence that I can be a leader too. Having the experience in leadership training, my perspectives changed and I felt greataboutmyselfalotmore.Morepeoplehaverecognizedmypassioninworkingwithchildren and families. My experiences from DYT enabled me to apply what I have learned at university now.IamverygratefulfortheDYTprogram.” –Julia,youngdeafadult,EarlyChildhoodEducationStudent FNDC 8 Spring • 2017 How did DYT shape the life of my deaf child? A parent’s perspective WhenwemovedtoBCin2010IwasoverwhelmedbytheDeafYouthToday(DYT) program.Ourdaughterwasbornprofoundlydeafandhad,untilthatpoint,spenther summerprogramswithhearingchildrenwithlittlevaluableandmeaningful communication.DYThasofferedourdaughteraninclusivesummerprogrameachyear, andwhenshewas10shewasabletoattendtheSummerCamponHornbyIsland.We areascoutingfamilythatvaluestheoutdoorsandwerethrilledtofindthisopportunity forourdeafdaughter.Sheisabletotakepartinoutdooractivitieswithpeers,staffand counsellorsthatareDeaf,whichisimportantasshehasasharedlanguagewiththemall, asherfirstlanguageisAmericanSignLanguage(ASL).Theteambuildingopportunities andthefriendshipsthatarebuiltduringtheHornbyIslandcamparelastingbeyondthe summer,andcanbewitnessedinmydaughter’sconfidenceandfriendshipseachday. Ourdaughter’sleadershipskillshavebeendevelopedduetotheexceptionalDeafstaff thatareemployedascampcounsellorsandhavebecomewonderfulrolemodels. LastyearourdaughterwasabletovolunteerasaCounsellorintraining(CIT)wheresheworkedalongDYTstafffor4 weeks.DuringthistimeshewaslearningtheroleofcampleadershipandworkingwithchildrenwhoareDeaf,hardof hearingorhaveadditionalneeds,undertheadvisementofexperiencedstaff.Thisexperienceledtoemploymentasa babysitterandamom’shelperwiththedeafchildrenduringthislastyear,andsheisexcitedtoapplytoworkattheDYT programthissummer.DYToffersourdaughterthesamelifeexperiencesandlessonsasherhearingpeers,withoutthe barrieroflanguage.Ourdaughterhasgrowninconfidence,leadershipandthroughtheCITtraininglastyearsheis readytoworkwithyoungdeafchildrenandiscurrentlyconsideringthisasacareer. TheDYTexperienceasacamper,andthenasaCIT,hasbeenlifechangingforourdaughter.Withoutthefundingthat subsidizesDYTHornbyKidsDeafCampIknowthatourdaughterwouldnothavebeenabletoattendeachyearaswe have2otherchildrenandcouldnothaveaffordedtosendhereachyear.IhopethattheHornbyIslandkidscampcan continuefortheyoungerchildrenwhoIamsurewillkeepcomingbackeachyearuntiltheyareintheCITprogramand thenlaterstaff.–Karen,parentofadeafhighschoolstudent “Itwouldbehardtoimaginewhatmyson’slifewouldhavebeen likewithouthisDYTexperiences.Iwouldevenventuretosaythat hewouldnotbewhereheistodaywithoutit.HebeganasaDYT camper,thengraduatedtoaCITandfinallyreachedhisgoalof becomingaDYTleader.ThroughallofhisyearsatDYThehas gainedconfidence,encouragement,agreaterdepthof understandingofASL,andvaluablejobskills.Thegreatestgiftthat DYThasgivenhimisthelifelongfriendshipsthatfoundtheir beginningsittingaroundthecampfireonHornbyIsland.Thebest waythatIcandescribehisDYTexperienceisbyusingagastank analogy.ParticularlywhenJCwasinamainstreamedsettingin highschool,hefeltisolated,differentanddisconnectedfromdeep friendship.BythetimeJunerolledaround,his“tank”wouldbe empty.Heneededtoconnectwithfriends.Heneededfull communicationaccesstotypicalyouthactivities.Heneededtimewithdeafrolemodels.Essentially,heneededto reaffirmhisvalueasadeafperson.ThesummerDYTprograms,especiallytheDYTHornbyKidsDeafCamp,would“refill” histank.WhenIwouldseehimoffattheferrytoheadtocamphewouldberunningonempty.Attheendofhisweek, whenIwouldjoinhimforfamilycamponHornby,histankonceagainfull.Hewasadifferentkid.Shearhappiness emanatedfromhim.DYTgothimthroughallofthetoughtimesinschoolthatmanydeafchildrenface.Ashegotolder ithelpedtodevelophisworkethicandskills.Ibelievethatitgavehimtheconfidencetoworkhardsothathecouldgo toGallaudetUniversity.Herecentlygraduatedwithabusinessdegree,alongsidehisthreeofhisfellowgraduateswhom hehadmetmanyyearsagoatDYT.-Nicki,parentofyoungdeafadult. FNDC 9 Spring • 2017 BCDSF Drop in SPORTS BCSD South Gym 5455 Rumble St, Burnaby, BC Thursdays May 4-June 15, 2017 6:30 PM-8:00 PM Free for Members More info: email BCDSF at [email protected] FNDC 10 Spring • 2017 Burnaby Public Library, in partnership with Family and Community Services and Provincial Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services at the Ministry of Children and Family Development FAMILY STORYTIME IN SIGN LANGUAGE AND ENGLISH Join a Deaf storyteller and a children’s librarian for stories, songs, rhymes and crafts presented in both American Sign Language and English. Interpreters will be present. Free drop-in for children of all ages and abilities, together with a parent or caregiver. THREE SATURDAYS, 3:00 – 4:00 pm March 25 April 22 May 27 TOMMY DOUGLAS LIBRARY | 7311 KINGSWAY | 604.522.3971 Tommy Douglas Library is on the north side of Kingsway, just west of Edmonds Street. Take the Millennium or Expo line to Edmonds station, or take the 106, 112, or 129 bus. Free parking underground: enter off Arcola Street, which is off Walker Avenue. For more information, e-mail Randi at the library ([email protected]) or Roger Chan at Family and Community Services ([email protected]). Follow us: Burnaby Public Library www.bpl.bc.ca/kids facebook.com/burnabypubliclibrary @burnabypl FNDC 11 Spring • 2017 Inclusive Outdoor Games for Deaf Children FNDC editor’s note: This article is from Britain. Some of the suggestions are aimed at auditory/verbal children but can easily be adapted for signing deaf children Posted at: www.pentagonplay.co.uk/news-and-info/inclusive-outdoor-games-for-deaf-children Deaf children have the potential to attain and achieve the same as any other child, given the right level of support. Most teaching and learning, all the way through the stages from EYFS, KS1 to KS2, takes place through the main senses of sight and sound. This presents deaf children with particular challenges. Just as no two children are the same, there is a considerable variation in the levels and types of childhood deafness. Children who are deaf may have a permanent mild, moderate, severe or profound hearing loss in one or both ears, or a temporary loss of hearing such as glue ear. They have a diverse range of needs, including the amount and type of learning support that they need, an understanding of the ways in which they prefer to communicate, and the type of hearing technology they use, if any. Whatever the level of deafness, it is essential that deaf children have access to and opportunities for outdoor play and activities for the same reasons that children with full hearing need to get moving outside. Regular physical activity and physical fitness are especially important in maintaining the health and well-being of children of all ages and all abilities. Several studies have shown that deaf children are more likely to have difficulties with balance than their peers who have full hearing. There can be several causes to balance disorders and a balance disorder isn’t always associated with hearing loss. However, some balance problems occur when the balance system in the inner ear does not work properly (vestibular hypofunction). Examples include balance disorders caused by glue ear, congenital sensorineural hearing loss, or an enlarged vestibular aqueduct (the tiny bony canal that extends from the inner ear towards the brain). With vestibular hypofunction, the development of a child’s balance function may be delayed so that a baby or young child can take longer to reach developmental milestones such as sitting unsupported or walking. An older child may find some activities such as learning to ride a bike or scooter more difficult. A balance disorder will usually have an effect on motor performance, especially in dynamic and sporting situations. However, because physical activities are so important for a child’s development, good health and well-being, a balance problem cannot be allowed to stop a child from getting involved with and being allowed to take part in physical outdoor activities. On the contrary, there are many great outdoor activities that can help a child to improve balance and motor skills, focusing on learning balancing techniques and improving strength and body awareness. FNDC 12 Spring • 2017 When teaching deaf children outdoor games and activities, good communication is absolutely key. A child’s safety and ability to learn and participate properly will depend on their understanding of the information and instructions given to them. Effective communication is at the heart of all learning, and is essential for the proper social and emotional as well as physical development of all children. Even a mild hearing loss can result in significant communication difficulties and misunderstandings. Here are some ways in which you can make sure that deaf children can participate fully in outdoor games in your school, and some activities to help them improve their balance: Before you run outside, here’s how to communicate clearly and effectively during outdoor activities... Deaf children are usually already effective at meeting their own communication needs. Some children may have some hearing which is supplemented by hearing aids. Others may have no functional hearing and may rely entirely on signing, such as Makaton, or lip reading, or a combination of the two. Before your outdoor activities begin, explain to other children in your class group that a deaf child is present and able to communicate. Show the group what to do to communicate with each other, encourage them to work together as a group and make sure everyone in the group understands. Teaching can sometimes be tricky outdoors as in general children will be running around having fun and not aware that they need to be paying attention to instructions! Here are some things that you can do to ensure proper communication where there are deaf children in the group: • Make sure that you have the full attention of all of the children before you start talking and giving instructions. Then speak clearly and at your normal pace. If you speak slowly or exaggerate your mouth movements, it will be harder for a deaf child who is used to lip reading to understand you. Shouting and whispering will also make mouth patterns harder to follow. • Always make sure that a deaf child can see your face and lips when speaking. Never put something in front of your face, or talk with your back to the group, as a child who is lip reading will lose their communication with you as if you had just stopped talking. This is easily done when teachers need to turn away to pick up a piece of equipment. If you have to do this, pause and only continue speaking when you are back in the line of sight of the deaf child. • Do not stand with your back to a light source while you are communicating, as a glaring light or a shadow cast across your face can obstruct a deaf child’s view. • Outdoors it is important to remember the range at which a child with partial hearing or hearing technology can hear you effectively, and to try to stay within those boundaries where it is practical to do so. You can prepare a deaf child for what is expected of them in terms of following instructions and show them visual signs as you explain instructions. • You can set up a “stop/look” strategy which combines visual and audible signals. This could be something like waving a coloured flag and calling out an instruction to “freeze!” Give all the children a chance to practice this so that it becomes an instinctive reaction for them to stop, stand still and look at you when the flag goes up. • In a similar way to the “stop/look” strategy, establish an emergency signal such as a specific coloured flag, which you can wave to signal that the group needs to stop and assemble at a designated place when you need to deal with an emergency situation such as an injury. FNDC 13 Spring • 2017 • Sometimes it can work to pair a deaf child with a “hearing buddy” who the deaf child can watch to see when an instruction has changed, and who can be responsible for helping a deaf child to notice a new instruction. This can be beneficial for both children as the buddy learns new ways of communicating and social and emotional responsibility. • Establish a predictable pattern of activity when you take your children outside, so that they all become used to the routine of an outdoor games session, for example where to gather at the start and end, some warm up exercises, where to gather for a drink of water etc. This saves a deaf child having to follow varied routines all the time and gives them freedom to anticipate activities themselves. • Involve a deaf child’s hearing peers and have a go at teaching the whole class some key Makaton signs (or similar signs that the deaf child is used to using) relevant to outdoor games. This will allow them to work better as a group, be more inclusive, and teach them some important and relevant communication skills. Encourage hearing children in the class to follow the same principles that you are using yourself to communicate with a deaf child. • Install a Mark Making Panel such as a Chalkboard on a playground wall so that you or the children can easily and quickly write down words or symbols that might help explain what you or they are trying to communicate. • Consider some adaptations to improve the listening environment, for example, by reducing background noise. Background noise can be very distracting and make it harder for a child with partial hearing or hearing technology to hear, particularly if background noise is louder than the speaker (and this is often the case when teaching energetic children outside!) Where feasible, try to hold your outdoor activity sessions away from areas where there is noise from traffic. Consider softer playground surfaces that absorb sound rather than bounce sound as an alternative to tarmac. Playbond is a great playground surface that is more sound and impact absorbing, and better at protecting children with balance problems, who are more likely to fall, from accidents and injuries. Have a look at some of our Playground Surfacing for ideas. In the Balance - great outdoor activities to help deaf children work on their balance Balance is an important skill to help all children progress with their gross motor skills, physical fitness and general activities of everyday life. Good balance allows a child to participate in outdoor games and physical activities with greater success. With better balance and coordination there is a smaller chance that a child will stumble and suffer injury, as he or she will have better postural responses when they are needed, such avoiding a trip or putting their hands out to protect themselves from a fall. If a child can develop better and more controlled body movement which reduces the amount of energy required to perform a task, they will be less likely to suffer from fatigue. Deaf children who have simultaneous balance problems need extra encouragement and support to help them improve their balance where they can, and/or improve their strength and body awareness. There are some brilliant outdoor activities for children that can achieve just this. Here are some ideas to work on both static and dynamic balance, just remember good communication! Be aware of a deaf child’s specific needs and level of support required. As with any child, if they need it, hold their hand for any or all of these activities until they feel confident enough to try it alone. FNDC 14 Spring • 2017 Jumping along a Hopscotch or similar Playground Markings requires a child to change movement patterns quickly. Sitting, kneeling or standing on a platform swing or suspended ladder requires varying degrees of balance. When swinging equipment moves in unexpected ways it forces the body’s trunk to do more work and improves core strength. Moving over unstable surfaces such as moving bridges, or just simply beanbags on the floor, mean the trunk has to do more work to keep upright. Walking over balance beams, rubber tyres, and stepping stones or logs with big jumps will really challenge a child’s balance as well as allowing them to have a lot of fun travelling across the playground in new ways! If this is too adventurous, start off by marking a line across the ground with chalk to make a pretend balance beam that is flush with the ground. This will help to reduce the fear or risk of falling until the child is ready to progress onto a balance beam. Group games such as football, netball, cricket and rounders work well for everyone and particularly for deaf children as they have clearly defined rules. Staying in position to catch, hit, kick or throw a ball all requires balance. Grab a bat and a ball and have some fun! Riding a bike, trike or scooter and navigating across a playground require a child to make frequent changes to their posture to maintain balance. Stand on top of a bosu ball, balance board or a stool on one leg. This is challenge in itself but can you jump and down? Before attempting this, try standing with one foot on the ground while the other foot is resting on the stool, ball or balance board in front. You can then progress to standing on one leg or up on a higher level. If this becomes too easy, try catching and throwing a ball to friends at the same time! Have some fun on a trampoline! Jumping up and down without falling will work on balance and body strength and it’s a great aerobic activity too! Try standing on just one leg. To make it even harder, ask someone else to jump on the trampoline while trying to keep balanced! Trampolines are brilliant because if you do take a tumble, it’s a gentle landing. Once you have mastered doing all of the above, have a go with your eyes closed! Balancing with your eyes closed is much harder than with them open. You can be creative and change the level of difficulty of all of these activities as your children progress and learn to use their muscles properly to adapt to changes in movement and environment. Ensuring that children are well supervised and supported throughout all of these activities is very important to reduce the risk of injury. Use mats or safety surfacing where there is a risk of falling. As children gradually build their confidence they will be able to carry out the activities with greater ease. We have some great playground products to help children work on their balance. FNDC 15 Spring • 2017 FNDC 16 Spring • 2017 The Greater Vancouver Association of the Deaf T9-1-1 Service for the Deaf T9-1-1 provides 9-1-1 call centres and/or emergency services with the ability to communicate with a Deaf person during an emergency, using wireless text messaging (SMS). A deaf person who wants to use the service must register for it with their wireless service provider. A compatible handset is required for this service. This can be verified with the Deaf person’s wireless service provider. When the Deaf persons requires 9-1-1 services, they dial 9-1-1 on their cell phone. There is no need for them to use voice, as the 9-1-1 call taker will receive an indicator that tells them to communicate with the caller via text messaging. The 9-1-1 call taker then initiates text messaging with the caller to address the emergency. Generally, a voice plan is NOT required to call 9-1-1. However, you will need to have a valid text messaging plan in order to use the T91-1 service. Please consult your service provider’s Web site for information about their wireless service plans. For more info, see this link: http://textwith911.ca/how-to-make-a-t9-1-1-call/ You may also be interested in two NEW “How to Make a 9-1-1 Call” videos that were just uploaded recently: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6LSvPc8jLM (2:09 min.) And the ASL version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bLXcbS_mHw (ASL, 4:02 min.) If you are interested in registering for the T9-1-1 service, you can register online at http://textwith911.ca/registration/. For assistance, please contact us by emailing at [email protected]. Hope this helps. FNDC 17 Spring • 2017 New Online Storytelling Program First of its kind in Canada! a s l ASL RAPP rogram Parents P Reading And E N I L N O ks for Families A learning resource to help increase opportunities for family communication and family connection, strengthening the bond between parents and children. Designed to support ASL/English language development in children aged 1 to 10 who are Deaf, hard of hearing, or non-verbal. Pac Online RAPP Packs include: • Online ASL Storybook Video • Reading and Language Tips for Parents • Arts and Crafts Printable Template BROUGHT TO YOU BY: FNDC 18 Spring • 2017 Initial Release of 10 Titles! Subscribe and receive a new ASL RAPP Pack every month! www.aslrapp.org What are people saying about ASL RAPP? We are the parents of a hard of hearing 6 year old girl who relies on American Sign Language to communicate…We are very pleased to express our strong support for the ASL RAPP program – an invaluable resource for those with Deaf and hard of hearing children. The RAPP program provides structured ASL learning and guidance from ASL experts. This combined with the high quality (tip sheets), provides an excellent opportunity to connect with our daughter through her mother tongue and allows us to enhance our ASL skills on an ongoing basis. This ultimately creates opportunities for us to learn how to better understand and communicate with our child. Erin and Derek Meester, 2015 I have a 4 year old Deaf granddaughter and 7 hearing grandchildren. The RAPP program has helped me become more comfortable signing and has given me a fun way to share a reading experience that includes both Deaf and hearing grandchildren. This program is giving me more confidence as I am still a novice signer. I love this program and my grandchildren all enjoy the stories and learning experience. Dawn Adams, 2015 We help build your connection. There is a critical shortage of resources in ASL for families that wish to develop their ASL skills and improve communication and engagement in their homes. The ASL RAPP project showcases renowned Deaf ASL storytellers and introduces families to Deaf adults, ASL, ASL literature and child/parent activities. We are excited about ALSO upscaling the ASL RAPP project and reaching out to families and programs across Ontario, and we congratulate the Ontario Trillium Foundation for its support of this project. Kelly MacKenzie, Executive Director Silent Voice Canada Inc., 2015 The ASL RAPP project is highly beneficial to our community as it contributes to family literacy, supporting school readiness for the child, and language/literacy development for the family as a whole. It also serves to enhance the parent-child relationship, something parents of children who are Deaf or hard of hearing especially long for, as often communication is a challenge. Belinda Lanning, Interim Board Chair of Ontario Hands & Voices, 2014 www.aslrapp.org Heartwood House 404 McArthur Ave Ottawa, ON K1K 1G8 Phone: 613-233-8660 Email: [email protected] Web: www.also-ottawa.org FNDC 19 Spring • 2017 ASL Learning Resource Available beginning October 25, 2016! asl ASL RAPP Reading And Parents Program Every child loves a story. ASL RAPP Packs L/English Designed to support AS in children language development af, hard of aged 3 to 10 who are De layed. hearing, or language de increase A learning resource to unication opportunities for comm gthening the and connections, stren d children. bond between adults an ains: Each ASL RAPP Pack cont • Storybook • ASL Storybook DVD ge Tip Sheet • Reading and Langua • Craft Instructions 30 www.aslrapp.org FNDC 20 Spring • 2017 om! titles to choose fr dividually Order ASL RAPP Packs in ndles! bu or SAVE by ordering in What are other organizations saying about ASL RAPP? I have been encouraging several of the families I work with to attend the ASL RAPP sessions at ALSO. Over this past year, I have also had the pleasure of participating in many of the RAPP sessions. During the ASL storytelling, I have observed parents learning new ASL signs and becoming more confident in signing stories to their children. The parents have been able to use the RAPP packs to practise signing the stories at home, using the DVDs for reference. They have also been able to use the crafts and tip sheets to extend the literacy experiences through creative activities with their children. So far the RAPP sessions have been accessible to mainly families in the Ottawa area, but there are Deaf and hard of hearing children and their families throughout Ontario who would benefit from having access to this wonderful literacy resource. It is exciting that ALSO is able to upscale the ASL RAPP project thus reaching these families. I will definitely be recommending the ASL packs and web portal to my colleagues in the Provincial Schools Branch. We at the Bob Rumball Centre for the Deaf fully support ALSO’s ASL RAPP program. We are confident that this program will complement the services we offer and would be very interested in purchasing the ASL RAPP packs, participating in information sessions, and providing information to our families about membership on the web portal. Cathy McKibbin, Director of Educational Services, The Bob Rumball Centre for the Deaf, 2015 Deaf-Durham Services is a nonprofit organization that offers services and educational programs to promote self-reliance within the Deaf, deafened and hard of hearing community. Our aim is to promote integration of the two communities - Deaf and hearing, and prevent feelings of separation and isolation. I feel the ASL RAPP program would benefit the families involved with our Family Communication Program and be a great resource to use. Yvonne Brown, Executive Director Deaf Durham Services, 2015 Janet Naismith, Preschool Home Visiting Teacher Sir James Whitney School for the Deaf, 2015 As a parent of a child who is Deaf and as the Interim Board Chair of Ontario Hands & Voices, I view the ASL RAPP project as a wonderful resource for parents and children. Our daughter and I attended the ASL RAPP pilot project. I found it to be valuable in many ways: the development of the children’s literacy skills in both English and American Sign Language (ASL), an opportunity to socialize and network with other parents and children, the chance to create and expand on what we’ve read and learned via crafts & games at each session, the opportunity to review via take-home materials and activities. The ASL RAPP project is highly beneficial to our community as it contributes to family literacy, supporting school readiness for the child, and language/literacy development for the family as a whole. It also serves to enhance the parentchild relationship, something parents of children who are Deaf or hard of hearing especially long for, as often communication is a challenge. Belinda Lanning, Interim Board Chair of Ontario Hands & Voices, 2014 ALSO is a safe and caring community learning centre serving adults and families. ALSO has been providing free adult and family literacy services in downtown Ottawa for over 30 years. Working with both English stream and Deaf stream learners, we offer literacy skill upgrading to assist students reach their goals of obtaining work, training, and further education. We are a registered charity and proud to provide guidance and support enabling learners to strengthen literacy, numeracy, and employability skills. www.aslrapp.org Heartwood House 404 McArthur Ave Ottawa, ON K1K 1G8 Phone: 613-233-8660 Email: [email protected] Web: www.also-ottawa.org FNDC 21 Spring • 2017 How Being Deaf Made the Difference in Space Research From the Smithsonian Museum of Air and Space At: https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/how-being-deaf-made-difference-space-research In the late 1950s, researchers faced many unknowns about the effects of space travel on the human body. How would motion sickness impact the ability of astronauts to function and survive? To better understand and manage potential dangers, they looked to the Deaf community. The U.S. Naval School of Aviation Medicine and the newly formed National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recruited deaf people for weightlessness, balance, and motion sickness experiments. Researchers selected test subjects that met specific criteria. All but one of the selected test subjects became deaf from spinal meningitis, which impacted their inner ear physiology. This meant they could endure motion and gravitational forces that make most people nauseous. The ability to withstand intense movement turned the so-called “labyrinthine defect” into a valuable research asset—no matter the test of equilibrium, the deaf participants simply never got sick. In the late 1950s, the U.S. Naval School of Aviation Medicine and the newly formed National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recruited deaf people for weightlessness, balance, and motion sickness experiments. FNDC 22 Spring • 2017 From 1958 to 1968, 11 deaf men joined the research effort led by Dr. Ashton Graybiel from the U.S. Navy. Other deaf people, including one woman, briefly joined the study. The core group was known as the “Gallaudet Eleven” because they came from Gallaudet University in Washington, DC—a university dedicated the education of students who are deaf. The group participated when called upon and remained involved in the research for many years. On April 11, 2017, Gallaudet University will open Deaf Difference + Space Survival, an exhibition that shares their story. The exhibition is a collaboration between Gallaudet University’s students and staff; the University’s museum; and five of the original Gallaudet Eleven participants. The Gallaudet Eleven provided an opportunity for researchers to observe how the human body and mind functions in extreme conditions. Experiments included whirling in water-filled tubs, spinning in centrifuges while bolted into body casts, and tipping in contraptions that held their heads steady while cameras snapped ocular photographs. Weightlessness flights, each with multiple zerogravity episodes, tested body orientation and gravitational cues. Counter-rolling of the eyes, or lack thereof, was documented during several aerial maneuvers to record individual responses to weightlessness. Researchers measured test responses in every conceivable way. Blood and urine tests, along with blood pressure recordings and heart monitors measured physical reaction to motion and gravitational force. Photographs tracked eye movements. Leveling devices, set and reset during rolling and tipping, showed the perceived horizon. Deaf participants also documented their sensations and shared perspectives with the research team. For 12 days, four of the test subjects lived in a circular room rotating at 10 revolutions per minute. They performed hours of physical and cognitive tests per day and at night slept with their heads to the center of the circular room like spokes on a wheel. The rotation room, 6 meters (20 feet) in diameter, had a full complement of test equipment and the necessities for living—a sink, refrigerator, stove, shower, and toilet. The room stopped its revolutions only for delivery of supplies and for Navy researchers to enter in the morning and exit in the evening. Tests measured the men’s ability to retain and record sequences of numbers, as well as perform dexterity and balance exercises while spinning. FNDC 23 Spring • 2017 A few of the Gallaudet Eleven performed even more surprising tasks. One, for instance, rode the Empire State Building express elevator up and down continuously for hours to see how it might affect balance. Another had to draw his own blood while spinning in a centrifuge pod. A third wrote his signature over and over as air was removed from the sealed testing room; he received oxygen when his scribbles became illegible. Several rode through a violent storm with 40 knot winds on the icy North Atlantic. It was a tumultuous voyage and, ironically, experiments on board had to be cancelled because the research staff became motion sick. The deaf men were unaffected and played cards. Enjoying the heave and sway of the ship, they watched a porthole as stars outside appeared to jump up and down, left and right in the night sky. “We were different in a way they needed.” Harry Larson, one of the research participants, explained, “We were different in a way they needed.” Indeed, their difference made it possible for researchers to explore human reactions to weightless environments and extreme motion and to better understand the complexity of entangled human sensory systems. With a spirit of adventure and sense of patriotic duty, the Gallaudet Eleven endured physically, cognitively, and psychologically challenging tests that most people could not. Their participation has been a source of great personal pride, a unique contribution they could make because of, not in spite of, a physical trait. Now, the public can share in their story of dedication and difference. The Gallaudet Eleven Harold Domich Robert Greenmun Barron Gulak Raymond Harper Jerald Jordan Harry Larson David Myers Donald Peterson Raymond Piper Alvin Steele John Zakutney Other deaf people known to have participated for brief studies: Pauline Register Hicks James Bischer All images courtesy of Gallaudet University Archives, collections of Jerald Jordan, Barron Gulak, David Myers, Harry Larson. This guest post comes from Jean Lindquist Bergey, associate director of the Drs. John S. & Betty J. Schuchman Deaf Documentary Center and curatorial advisor for the exhibition Deaf Difference + Space Survival at Gallaudet University. FNDC 24 Spring • 2017 FNDC 25 Spring • 2017 The Sounds of Silence Those without sound respond to vibrations, the motion of lips, and the dance of expressive hands. from Harvard Medical School at: https://hms.harvard.edu/news/harvard-medicine/sounds-silence by Sanjay Gulati. Abouttheauthor:SanjayGulati,MDisachildpsychiatristwhoworksatCambridgehospitalandBostonChildren's Hospitals.Thesonoftwophysicians,hegrewupinamedicalenvironmentwherecureofmedicaldiseasewastheonly goal.Experienceinthedisabilitycommunity,however,offersanalternatewaytolookatpathology.Deafness,forexample, canbeexperiencedasamodeofhumanexistencejustasvalidasbeing"hearing. Dr.Gulati'sresearchinterestisinonetypeofdeafnesswhichunquestionablyisexperiencedasdisability;deafpeoplewho wereneverexposedtoadequatelanguage,signedorspoken,todevelopfluency.Theneedsofthispopulationarerarely recognized.Alltoooften,infactmedicalandeducationalpractisesworsentheir"languagedeprivation"ratherthan amelioratingit. Beforebecomingdeafhimself,Dr.Gulatiintendedtobeaphysicist.Theexperienceofhearinglosspushedhimtolook inwardsatthesubjectiveworld,leadinghimtoaninterestinpsychiatry.HeattendedmedicalschoolinVirginia,residency inNewYork,andchildpsychiatryfellowshipatCambridgehospital,wherehefoundedtheDeafServicein1994.Thisclinic hassinceprovided20,000communicationandculturallyaccessiblepatientvisits.Since1993hehasalsobeenamemberof themultidisciplinaryteamatBostonChildren'sHospital'sdeafandhardofhearingprogram,inthedepartmentof Otolaryngologyandcommunicationenhancement,whichprovideseducationalplacementofvaluationsfordeafchildren. Modern neurobiology suggests that the human senses are more numerous than the five Aristotle identified. They are also less distinct; they overlap and intertwine. Lip readers like me, for example, experience seeing as hearing. My mind creates a voice for everyone I meet. I once “heard” the high, melodic voice of a woman until I realized that she was actually male, and the voice I had imagined dropped an octave. On another occasion, I finally caught the word “London” on the lips of a young scientist with whom I had been struggling to converse. The word triggered a mental filtering; when I reassigned him a British accent and diction, he was instantly audible. I came to lip reading relatively late. I began losing my hearing in late childhood; by early adulthood, I was deaf. And although my musical training has stayed with me—I can play a symphony in my head or a fugue on the piano—my perception of physical, linguistic, and social space has changed remarkably. Perception of body language, for example, has replaced perception of intonation. And an acute awareness of vibrations has replaced hearing through walls. We all respond to the feel of sound. Deaf people sometimes hold balloons while dancing at parties, as the light vibrations of the balloons transmit the music’s bass line and beat. Physical vibrations, in fact, can often be heard. Aspirated consonants produce an audible puff of air; the p in spot, for example, as compared with that in stop. Remarkably, a puff of air felt on the back of the hand can make listeners perceive an unaspirated consonant as aspirated. At the same time, what I see can change what I think I hear. I learned American Sign Language as an adult, so my mind still gives lip reading priority over signing. I can be blind to perfectly clear sign language when I see a different word on a speaker’s lips. The more readily I can predict a speaker’s words, of course, the better I will hear them. “Paper or plastic?” is easy to catch at the cash register. The frustrating corollary is that the most interesting information is always the most difficult to hear—I’ll hear a joke but miss its punch line. Despite these new perceptions, I still compose a soundtrack for life, imagining footfalls, a teakettle’s whistle, even road noises while driving. FNDC 26 Spring • 2017 Listening to Reason Real hearing exists on a continuum, from the supernormal hearing of many children and musicians, through the many degrees of hearing impairment and deafness, to the rare cases in which hearing is entirely absent. While a deaf person’s broken ears can seem tragic to hearing people, a nonsigning person’s inexpressive hands can seem just as lamentable to signers. For hearing people, the acquisition of language is effortless and its ongoing use largely unconscious. As a result, a dividing line seems to fall somewhere at the level of being able to use the telephone and to make dinner-table conversation; those with hearing above that line are often unkind to those with hearing below. That attitude can sometimes soften. I serve as a consultant psychiatrist to the American School for the Deaf. In its surrounding community of West Hartford, Connecticut, the culture has shifted toward inclusivity. Instead of floundering in discomfort, local restaurant and store employees communicate flexibly with deaf customers, writing on tablecloths, engaging in rudimentary sign language, and accepting some awkwardness. There, the deaf person feels invited to belong to society. Disability does not inhere within the body, after all; it is created equally by physical status and societal response. Marginalization within society is a potential loss for people without hearing, yet some deaf people experience a deficit even more profound. The most disturbing symptom among the deaf patients in my psychiatric practice, and the focus of my research, is language dysfluency caused by language deprivation. Children learn sign languages early, as they do spoken ones, with a nearly complete comprehension of grammar by age three. Those not exposed to usable language by the age of four will never learn any language fluently. And a child with no exposure by seven or eight will acquire a form of mental retardation. Sound is not language. We know little about how our innate capacity for language allows us to transform into linguistic beings. Even when hearing aids or cochlear implants provide some sound, children may fail to master a language. They can be deprived of language when early intervention services are skimpy, when educational methods fail, or when grieving parents cannot bring themselves to learn sign language. Whatever the reason, the result is heartbreaking. A young deaf man who had not been exposed to sign language until age nine once signed to me, “That in a you know people me deaf same want want that you know stay family love lost communication fail.” Straining, my interpreter and I guessed that he was saying that, for ease of communication, he would rather live in a group home with other deaf people than with his family, whom he loved. Nonsigning observers might mistakenly believe that he was signing fluently. Psychiatrists unfamiliar with language deprivation might misdiagnose him as psychotic or cognitively impaired. His lack of language had shattered his life. In less severe cases, language deprivation results in diminished fluency. Deaf adolescents may sign like children, and their achievements as adults may be vastly compromised. Language deprivation also correlates dramatically with aggression and self-injury. Deprived children may lash out when they can neither communicate their feelings in words nor manage those feelings internally through language. Lending an Ear I had loved music and spoken language so much while growing up that I could never have predicted how I would feel about deafness. But my experience confirms what linguists have found—that sign languages, often the most natural forms of communication for deaf people, are the equals of spoken. My experience also confirms what disability advocates contend: that “health” and happiness are not the same. The hard-of-hearing me cranked my hearing aids to full volume, trained my eyes on the speaker’s mouth, and gamely guessed at the words. The deaf me has shed hearing devices, experiences an expanded peripheral vision, and reads the light and joyous dance of signing hands. There are many ways to hear. One can hear a singer’s voice, pure and soaring in an auditorium. One can hear a speaker’s animated mouth. Or one can hear a signer’s blessedly evocative hands. Metaphorically, hearing is about attending to and understanding one another. Those with sound still have much to learn about listening to the deaf. Sanjay Gulati, MD, is an HMS instructor in psychiatry. He serves as a child psychiatrist for both the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Service at the Cambridge Health Alliance and the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program at Children’s Hospital Boston. FNDC 27 Spring • 2017 Dr. Deborah Chen Pichler from Gallaudet University is looking for FAMILIES and ASL teachers to participate in a study Hello! We are sign language researchers studying how hearing people learn ASL as a second language. We know that exposure to ASL in the home by signing parents dramatically enhances deaf children’s chances of developing linguistic and cognitive skills on time, so this is the major motivation behind our project. Many early intervention programs recognize that typical college ASL curricula are not necessarily appropriate for what parents of young children need to learn, yet there is no standard “family ASL curriculum” currently available. There is also very little research documenting the many creative ways early intervention groups use for teaching ASL to hearing parents, or the success of these methods. As a first step to addressing these gaps, we are interviewing hearing parents with deaf children and ASL instructors who work with these families. Interviews are informal, with a flexible structure focusing on your personal experiences and observations, including questions like the following: (for parents): What made you decide to learn ASL? What aspects of the language have you found the most intuitive, or the most difficult, to learn? How do you use ASL at home? (for ASL instructors): What type of ASL materials do you use to teach ASL to hearing parents of deaf children, and what works best? In what way are hearing parents different from “typical” college aged hearing ASL learners? Interviews can be by video chat or in person, depending on your location, and will be filmed if you give permission. Each participating family or ASL instructor will receive $20 as compensation for your time. After the interview, you will be invited to optionally participate in additional activities related to this project, to be scheduled and compensated separately. If you are interested or would like to ask us more about this project, please contact Dr. Deborah Chen Pichler at: [email protected] . We look forward to hearing from you! FNDC 28 Spring • 2017 25celebswithhearingdisabilities Postedonlineat:http://www.mid-day.com/articles/world-hearing-day-25-celebshearing-disabilities-halle-berry-william-shatner-rob-lowe-news/18044164 Note: This article was edited by FNDC to only include the celebrity status and hearing loss info. Here's a list of 25 famous people who have not only coped with hearing loss in their lives, but excelled in their fields. Hopefully, these people will inspire you teach you that hearing loss or any other impairment should not hold you back! 1. Helen Keller Helen Adams Keller was an American author, political activist, and lecturer. She was the first deaf-blind person to earn a bachelor of arts degree. Helen proved to the world that deaf people could all learn to communicate and that they could survive in the hearing world. She also taught that deaf people are capable of doing things that hearing people can do. She is one of the most famous deaf people in history and she is an idol to many deaf people in the world. 2. Rush Limbaugh Rush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American entertainer, radio talk show host, writer, and conservative political commentator. In late 2001, he acknowledged that he had gone almost completely deaf, although he continued his show. He was able to regain much of his hearing with the help of a cochlear implant in 2001. 3. Marlee Matlin Marlee Beth Matlin is an American actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for Children of a Lesser God (1986) and is the only deaf performer to win the award. Her work in film and television has resulted in a Golden Globe award, with two additional nominations, and four Emmy nominations. Deaf since she was 18 months old, due to illness and high fevers, she is also a prominent member of the National Association of the Deaf. 4. Bill Clinton William Jefferson 'Bill' Clinton was the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. In October 1997, he announced he was getting hearing aids, due to hearing loss attributed to his age, and his time spent as a musician in his youth. 5. Lou Ferrigno Lou Ferrigno with Sahil Khan Louis Jude 'Lou' Ferrigno is an American actor, fitness trainer, and retired professional bodybuilder. As an actor, he is best known for his title role in the television series 'The Incredible Hulk'. Soon after he was born, Ferrigno says he believes he suffered a series of ear infections and lost 75 to 80% of his hearing, though his condition was not diagnosed until he was three years old. Hearing loss caused Ferrigno to be bullied by peers during his childhood. 6.HollyHunter HollyHunterisanAmericanactressandproducer.ForherperformanceasAdaMcGrathinthe1993filmThePiano,she wontheAcademyAwardforBestActress.Shesufferedfrommumpsasachild,andlosthearinginherleftear.Butshe hasn'tletbeingdeafholdherback.Infact,inaninterviewsheattributedsomeofhersuccessasanactortoher impairment. FNDC 29 Spring • 2017 7. Rob Lowe Robert Hepler 'Rob' Lowe is an American actor. The actor has been completely deaf in his right ear due to an undiagnosed case of the mumps when he was an infant. 8.LudwigvanBeethoven LudwigvanBeethovenwasaGermancomposerandpianist.Byhislate20shishearingbegantodeteriorate,andbythe lastdecadeofhislifehewasalmostcompletelydeaf.In1811hegaveupconductingandperforminginpublicbut continuedtocompose;manyofhismostadmiredworkscomefromtheselast15yearsofhislife. 9. Danny Elfman Daniel Robert "Danny" Elfman is an American composer, singer, songwriter, and record producer. In an interview, Elfman had stated that he had significant and irreversible hearing damage as a result of his continuous exposure to the high noise levels involved in performing in a rock band. 10. Pete Townshend Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend (born 19 May 1945) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, and multiinstrumentalist, best known as the lead guitarist, backing vocalist, and main songwriter, for the rock band The Who. Townshend has hearing loss and tinnitus in both ears, believed to be because of the loud noise exposure from performing at concerts and wearing earphones in the music studio while recording. 11. William Shatner William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy as Captain James T Kirk and Mr. Spock respectively from 'Star Trek'. Pic/YouTube William Shatner is a Canadian actor, author, producer, and director. In his seven decades of television. Shatner suffers from tinnitus, which he has speculated might be the result of a pyrotechnical accident on set while shooting the Star Trek episode "Arena". 12. Halle Berry Halle Maria Berry is an American actress, film producer, and former fashion model. The actress has an 80% hearing loss in her left ear, caused by being hit in the head by her boyfriend. 13. Thomas Edison Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman, who has been described as America's greatest inventor. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and the long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. Edison developed hearing problems at an early age. The cause of his deafness has been attributed to a bout of scarlet fever during childhood and recurring untreated middle-ear infections. Around the middle of his career, Edison attributed the hearing impairment to being struck on the ears by a train conductor when his chemical laboratory in a boxcar caught fire and he was thrown off the train in Smiths Creek, Michigan, along with his apparatus and chemicals. In his later years, he modified the story to say the injury occurred when the conductor, in helping him onto a moving train, lifted him by the ears. 14. Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. The musician developed hearing loss and tinnitus in both ears as a result of years of performing at concerts. 15. Leslie Nielsen Leslie William Nielsen was a Canadian actor, comedian, and producer. Nielsen was legally deaf and wore hearing aids for most of his life. FNDC 30 Spring • 2017 16. Jane Lynch Jane Marie Lynch is an American actress, singer, and comedian. She is best known as Sue Sylvester on Glee. The Glee star is deaf in her right ear. While her impairment was most probably the result of a high fever as a baby, she realised she's deaf in one ear only when she was seven years old. 17. will.i.am William James Adams (born March 15, 1975), known professionally as will.i.am (pronounced "will-eye-am"), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, entrepreneur, actor, musician, DJ, record producer and philanthropist. He is best known as a founding member of the hip hop group The Black Eyed Peas. will.i.am suffers from tinnitus, which is a permanent ringing in his ear that can be caused by loud noise. 18. Stephen Colbert Stephen Tyrone Colbert is an American comedian, television host, and author. Colbert has hosted The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, a late-night television talk show. Colbert underwent an operation as a child to repair a severely perforated eardrum, but the surgery was a failure and left him deaf in his right ear. 19. Jodie Foster Alicia Christian 'Jodie' Foster is an American actress and filmmaker who has worked in films and on television. Foster has spoken about her hearing loss, and been photographed wearing a hearing aid. 20. Whoopi Goldberg Whoopi Goldberg (born Caryn Elaine Johnson) is an American actress, comedian, author and television host. Goldberg wears hearing aids in both ears and believes her hearing loss is due to consistently listening to very loud music in the past. 21. Robert Redford Charles Robert Redford Jr. is an American actor, director, producer, businessman, environmentalist, and philanthropist. Redford suffered from a severe ear infection that led to 60% hearing loss in one ear in 2013 when he insisted on performing his own water stunts in All Is Lost. 22. Gerard Butler Gerard James Butler is a Scottish actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television. Butler developed a 50% hearing loss in his right ear after surgery due to a childhood ear infection. He also attributed his crooked smile to that surgery, which left his right ear physically deformed. 23. Arnold Palmer Arnold Daniel Palmer was an American professional golfer who is generally regarded as one of the greatest players in the sport's history. Palmer struggled with hearing loss for years after discovering it at the age of 40. He wears a hearing aid. 24. Chris Martin Christopher Anthony John 'Chris' Martin is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist. He is the co-founder and lead singer of the British alternative rock band Coldplay. Martin had in an interview revealed that he had been suffering tinnitus for many years. The musician blamed the painful ear condition on listening to loud music as a teenager. 25. Phil Collins Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins is an English singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, record producer and actor. (note: article didn’t talk about his hearing loss). FNDC 31 Spring • 2017 HOSTED BY ADMISSION COST ASL and Deaf Studies Program $5/person $10 for families of 3 or more Travel throughout the Deaf Deaf World, and join us in... Deaftopia Join us for a fun-filled event to learn about Deaf Culture, American Sign Language, and much more! Wheelchair accessible WHEN June 3rd, 2017 FNDC 32 Spring • 2017 WHERE Vancouver Community College Broadway Campus: Building B 1155 East Broadway Vancouver, BC V5T 4V5 TIME 11:00AM 3:00PM HalifaxExplosiondocumentarytotelluntoldsurvivalstoryofdeafstudents School'ssurvivalstoryneverdocumentedbeforethroughfilmorbook Posted:www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/halifax-explosion-documentary-deaf-1.3780525?platform=hootsuite TheHalifaxSchoolfortheDeafwasaboardingschool,attendedbyabout90studentsfromallovertheregion.Itwas locatedonGottingenStreetwheretheGeorgeDixoncommunitycentrestandstoday.(Facebook) TwonovicedocumentaryfilmmakersarehopingtospreadthewordabouttheHalifaxSchoolfortheDeafand itsstudentswhomiraculouslyallsurvivedtheHalifaxExplosiononDec.6,1917. LindaCampbellandJimMcDermott,whoarebothprofessorsinHalifaxandarebothdeaf,saythestoryofthe schoolduringthattimeiswell-knowninthedeafcommunitybuthasnotbeensharedmorebroadly. "Manydeafindividuals,especiallyolderdeafindividuals,whohavebeenpassingawayhavetoldmethese stories,"saidMcDermott."There'snobookthat'sbeenwrittenonthat—nomovies,nodocumentationat all." Noneofthesurvivorsoftheschoolatthetimeoftheexplosionarealivetoday. Hundredsdead,thousandsinjured TwentyminutesaftershipsMontBlancandImocollidedinHalifaxharbourin1917,theMont-Blanc—which wasloadedwithexplosives—blewup,killingabout1,500peopleimmediately.Hundredsmorelaterdiedof theirinjuries.Morethan9,000wereinjured.Itwasthelargestman-madeexplosiontheworldhadeverseen. PatriciaKruegerpreparessomegorymakeupwithbrokenglassonthearmofoneoftheactorsinthe documentary.Flyingglassduringtheexplosioninjuredmanyin1917.(Facebook) McDermottandCampbellareintheprocessoffilmingtheirdocumentary,whichwillbe releasedintimeforthe100thanniversarynextyear. TheHalifaxSchoolfortheDeafwasaboardingschool,attendedbyabout90studentsfrom allovertheregion.ItwaslocatedonGottingenStreetwheretheGeorgeDixonCentrestands today.Itwasaboutonekilometrefromtheblastsite. FNDC 33 Spring • 2017 CampbellteachesenvironmentalscienceatSaintMary'sUniversity.In2013,sheandMcDermott,whoteaches inthedeafstudiesdepartmentattheNovaScotiaCommunityCollege,attendedaworkshopofferedbythe TorontoInternationalDeafFilmandArtsFestival.That'swheretheideaforthefilmwasborn. 'Beforepeoplehadtheconceptofexplosions' Campbellexplainsthatallthestudentswereintheassemblyhallfortheirmorningprayersatthetimeofthe explosion—oneofthesafestroomsinthebuilding."Therewerewindows,unfortunately,sotheydidget hurtwhenthewindowswereblownoutanddoorsflewofffromtheimpactoftheexplosion,"saidCampbell. "Butmanyofthechildrenweresituatedawayfromthebuildingsandthewindows." Confusionensuedandtheprincipaltookchargeofthesituationimmediately,addsCampbell. "ItwasbeforeHollywoodmovies.Itwasbeforepeoplehadtheconceptofexplosions.Theyhadnoideawhat hadevenoccurred.Alotofpeoplewerehurtorinjuredintheschool.Theywerecutbytheglassandbleeding. Therewasshockandpanicandstress." Everyonewasusheredtothebasement.Becauseit wasaboardingschool,theyhadallthesuppliesthey needed,includinganurse.Theywereabletoweather thewinterstormthatblanketedthecitythenextday. "Theyhadtheresourcesthereattheirdisposaland theywereabletobringthemin.Theyhadthe communitytohelpeachother,"saidCampbell. TheNorwegiansteamshipImoisshownbeachedonthe Dartmouthshoreafterthe1917Halifaxexplosion.Itscollision withthemunitionsshipMont-Blancsparkedthefirethatsetoff theexplosion.(NovaScotiaArchives&Record Management/CanadianPress) Thefilmisbasedonstoriesthathavebeensharedinthedeafcommunitythroughtheyearsbyfamiliesof survivors.CampbellandMcDermottalsoresearchedoriginaldocuments. "TheNovaScotiaArchiveshasanexcellentdeafcollection.Therearepicturesthere,reportsandsoforth.So wewentthroughthosearchives,"saidCampbell. Theyevenfoundahandwrittenlogbookbythechairoftheboard,describingtheeventsoftheexplosion. ThefilmwillbenarratedbyMcDermottthroughsignlanguageanditwillincludeEnglishsubtitles.The filmmakersreceived$25,000throughvariousgrants,including$10,000throughtheHalifaxExplosion100th AnniversaryCommemorativeFund. FNDC 34 Spring • 2017 How to interview Deaf job candidates using ASL interpreters From:https://medium.com/@bgramer/how-to-interview-deaf-job-candidates-using-asl-interpreters-80da6e7c6c51 Today’sworldisbecomingmoreinclusiveeveryday.Researchhasshownthatcompaniesbenefitgreatlyfromadiverse approachtohiringandcultivatinganinclusivecultureofmanytypesincludingtheDeafcommunity.Ifyouwanttolearn moreabouttheDeafculture,therearemanybooksbutinthiscontext,DeafGainstandsoutasagreatexamplebecause itsharesinmoredetailhowsocietyandcompanieshavebenefittedfromtheircontributions.Tosumitup,it’sagreat ideatohireDeafpeople! WhentheopportunityarrivesthatajobcandidatehasselfidentifiedasDeafandappliesforaroleatyourcompany, carefulconsiderationmustbegiventoremovepotentialbarriersthatmayhinderasuccessfulinterviewingexperience. Thebestwaytostartistoaskhowcanyourcompanyhelpaccommodatethejobcandidate’scommunicationneeds duringtheinterviewprocess. Youwillgetdifferentanswersfromdifferentfolks,butifonewantstousesignlanguageinterpreters,thentheguidelines belowwillhelpcreateapositiveexperienceforeveryoneinvolved. 1. Letyourjobcandidatechoosetheirinterpreterfortheinterviewandmakethearrangementsforthem Itisimportantforthejobcandidatetofeelincontrolofthebackandforthdialogue,orattheveryleast,be equivalenttotheinterviewers.Theinterpretersaretheretohelpthecandidatecommunicateasmuchastheyare thereforyou.Theyhelpfacilitatetheflowofconversationbackandforth.Ifthecandidatehasapreferred interpreter,contactsomeonewithinyourcompanywho’sresponsibleforcoordinatingaccommodationstomake paymentarrangementsand/orarrangeaninterpreterforthesewhodon’thaveapreferredlist.Letthemknowthe Date/Time/Locationoftheinterviewandanyotherpertinentinformationtheywillneedtocompletetherequestfor aninterpreter.Ittakesatleast2–3days,sopleaseplanthisearlyifnotfurtherout,toallowasmoothexperience.If youdon’tknowwhoarrangesforaccommodations,asksomeoneinyourHRdepartment.Ifyourcompanyhasnever requestedinterpretersbefore,thisisgoodpracticefordoingitagainwheneveraDeafemployeebecomesan employeeatyourcompany. 2. Youareinterviewingthecandidate,nottheinterpreter.Ifunsure,thenasktoclarify Pleaseconsiderthatinterpretersmaynotbefamiliarwithindustrytermsorjargonsoifwhatevertheyspeakbackto yousoundsincorrect,definitelyaskforclarification — itmaybethatitistheinterpreterwhodoesn’tunderstandthe content,notthejobcandidate,andthatsomethinggotlostintranslationbetweenASL-to-voice.Ihavebeen frustratedbeforebecauseIworkinProductDesignandweusetechnicaljargon.Sometimessignlanguageisn’tas preciseasthespokenword,sothatneedstobeconsidered.Whenpossible,trytosendthebookedinterpreteracopy ofthejobdescription,alistofthegeneraljargonandterms(visitNickBeese’spostforagreatexample,)thatwillbe usedattheinterview(Ifthecandidateisbringinghis/herowninterpreterthenthismightnotbenecessary)aheadof time.Thiswillallowtheinterpretertofamiliarizethemselvesbeforetheinterviewandtranslatestufftheyactually understand,whichmakesabigdifferenceinsmootheningouttheflowofconversationbetweentwolanguages(ASL andEnglish). FNDC 35 Spring • 2017 3. Everythingisshared,evenwhenyousecretlywhisper Interpretersaretrained,ethically,tospeakorsignexactlywhatissharedincludingwhispersandbackgroundtalking. Soifsomeonewhispersandtheinterpreterhearsit,theyprobablywillsignittothecandidate.Don’tthinkthatifyou sneakinacommentorwhisperthatitwon’tgetnoticedorshared.Awkward!Yes,seriously. 4. Planaheadandallowtimeforsetup ThishashappenedtomewhenIuseinterpretersatAmazon,andwillbetrueforyourcompanyifithasalarge presencecoveringseveralbuildings.Makesuretheinterpretersknowwheretheyneedtobeatforyouorthe recruitertopickthemup.Itmaytakeafewminutestogetsettledin,soencouragetheinterpreterstobeearlyto allowforpickuptimeandroomsetup.Agoodtrickistohaveyourreservedroom’sdurationstart30minutesearlier soyoudon’thavetowaitforthepreviousattendeestoleavetheroomonthedotbeforehavingtoplanoutthe seatingarrangements. 5. Focusonthejobcandidate,andnottheinterpreter Ifyou’redoingagroupinterviewsessionsuchasaportfolioreview,it’simportantthateveryoneunderstandshowthe communicationflowwouldwork — focusonthejobcandidateandignoretheirdivertedgazewhichwillfocusonthe interpreter.Itdoesn’tmeancandidateisdozingoffornotpayingattention,oreschewingthem.Theinterviewers shouldn’tfeelweirdorslightedandknowthatitisanormalpartoftheconversation. 6. Freshenuponawarenessofyourownunconsciousbias Itisencouragedforyouand/orthecompanyrecruiterinchargeoftheinterviewlooptocommunicateupfrontwith yourinterviewersaboutthearrangedaccommodationsandhowithelpswiththeflowofcommunication.Itisupto youtodecideiftheyneedtoberemindedabouttheirpotentialunconsciousbiasandtellthemtoputthataside.It preventsthatdistractionfromdeterminingwhetherthecandidateisqualifiedandagoodfitfortherole.Sometimes peopleareunawareandjustneedthingstobeexplainedtothemto“getit.”Ifinterviewingcandidatesusing interpretershavebeennormalizedaspartofyourprocessyoumaynothavetodoit.Gowithyourgut. 7. Cantheysucceedatyourcompany?Willyourcompanycommittohavingaculturethatletsthembesuccessful? Interviewersatyourcompanyshouldn’tworryabout“how”toworkwiththecandidatewhenmakingadecision aboutwhethertheyarehireable.It’sreallyaboutthequalityoftheirwork,theirqualifications,andtheircapabilityto beagoodfitforyourcompany’sjobrequirements.Ifacandidateisqualifiedthenthebiggerquestionaboutwhether yourcompanyissetuptohelpthembecomesuccessfulshouldbeaddressed.DoNOTletyourcompany’slimitations preventthehiringofaqualifiedjobcandidate.Rather,treatthisasanopportunitytomakethecompanymore diverse.Haveaconversationwiththecandidateaboutwhichaccommodationswouldhelpthemsucceedintheirrole. Lookforwaystoincorporatetheinclusivenessofthatjobcandidate’sneedsintotheDNAofyourcompany’sculture.I willgointomoredetailaboutthisareainanotherpostsoon. 8. InspirationPorn Interviewersshouldbecarefulnottobepatronizingorcommunicatethattheyareinspiredbythecandidate,known as“inspirationporn”whichisdislikedwithintheDeafcommunity.Example:MyDeafwiferanforaDistrictDirector positioninthe2015SeattleSchoolBoardelection.Whenshewasgoingfromdistricttodistrictseeking endorsements,peopleoftenapproachedhertosaytheywere“inspired”thatadeafpersonwouldrunforaschool boardposition,andthattheydidn’tknowdeafpeoplecoulddothattoo.Everyoneatyourcompanyshouldtreatthe jobcandidatewithrespectasiftheywereequivalent,notasin“OMGyoucandoittoo!” Ihopetheaboveguidelineshelpyourcompanynavigateitsway throughasuccessfulinterviewloopwithaDeafjobcandidate. FNDC 36 Spring • 2017 This is a wonderful opportunity to earn tax free income to help cover the cost of living in the Lower Mainland Hello! I am Patrick and I am looking for a family/household to share their home with me. I currently live with my parents but I feel it is time for the next stage of my life. I am Deaf and my first language is American Sign Language (ASL). I also use basic English text when needed to communicate and I am comfortable using Facebook and iPhone messenger. I am very social, outgoing, love children & pets, enjoy sports and all of the recreational opportunities Vancouver has to offer. I love to be around people! I work part time in Vancouver, volunteer at a community day care, and am active in Burnaby Special Olympics. I have a supportive family and a growing personal support network through Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network (PLAN). Ideally, my new home share will: ◦ know ASL or be willing to learn. ◦ have easy access to SkyTrain and buses. ◦ include me as a contributing member of an active household. ◦ provide support to ensure safety, security and wellbeing. ◦ help organize my daily schedule & activities. For more information about Patrick contact [email protected]. For contract details and responsibilities contact [email protected]. This is a Community Living B.C. (CLBC) home share contract. FNDC 37 Spring • 2017 Job Readiness Program Preparing Deaf and hard of hearing adults for the workforce Learn job search skills; resume, cover letter, and reference writing; interview skills; personal management; problem solving; and communication skills. This 10-month, full-time program helps Deaf and hard of hearing participants explore a variety of work placements, career choices, job skills and training. Courses are presented through lecture, small group discussion, assigned readings, projects, lab activities, field experience, tours/presentations, self-study, and two six-week work experiences. Financial services may be available. For more information contact Job Readiness instructor, Marcia Tanaka. 604.871.7000, ext. 7076 (voice) | [email protected] FNDC 38 Spring • 2017 Speechreading (Lip-Reading) Advantages and limitations of speechreading How to combine what you see with what you hear Contact Us DHH is the only program in B.C. to offer direct instruction in sign language and/or speech to Deaf and hard of hearing adults. How to identify factors that affect your ability to communicate • You must be Deaf or hard of hearing and 18 years or older. How to use a variety of strategies to communicate more effectively • An interview with the department head is required. How to behave assertively in difficult situations Tips for stress reduction and relaxation VCC’s Speechreading courses for hard of hearing adults run for 12 sessions on Monday evenings or Tuesday afternoons. Students must have good spoken and written English. Family and friends are also encouraged to enroll. • Financial services may be available. Vancouver Community College Program for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Adults Programs & Courses for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Adults English Upgrading ASL (American Sign Language) Job Readiness Program Speechreading Room 2502B 1155 East Broadway Vancouver, B.C. TTY 604.871.7341 Voice 604.871.7000, ext. 7342 [email protected] • vcc.ca/dhh Full-Time / Part-Time Speechreading contact: 604.871.7348 • [email protected] Canadian ASL DHH ASL videos available vcc.ca/dhh English Upgrading Job Readiness Program Gesture Reading Job search ASL vocabulary Writing Resume writing ASL grammar Vocabulary Interview skills ASL structure Grammar Keeping a job Fingerspelling Basic computer use Problem solving / decision making Deaf culture and community *Communication skills Work / life balance (American Sign Language) *Communication skills 2 six-week work experiences *Communication skills VCC’s English Upgrading for Deaf and hard of hearing adults provides students with the basic English skills to further their education or improve their ability to find employment. *Communication Skills DHH students have the opportunity to work on personal communication skills in a one-to-one setting. VCC’s Job Readiness Program for Deaf and hard of hearing adults is a 10-month, full-time certificate program beginning in September. Coma_PR_SiLa_0006 VCC’s ASL for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Adults gives Canadians and newcomers to Canada the basic Canadian/American Sign Language (ASL) skills for communicating with other people. Students learn skills to handle school, workplace, and social situations. FNDC 39 Spring • 2017 Hear Your Way to Success – A Career Panel for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Youth Hear Your Way to Success – A Career Panel for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Youth Do you want to know what the process is like in seeking employment? Are you unsure when to disclose your hearing loss? Do you want to meet other hard of hearing people who currently have successful careers? If your answer is yes to all of the above, come to the session on Friday, April 28th 9:30am – 11:30am at Burnaby Central Secondary (6011 Deer Lake Parkway, Burnaby BC). There will be 4 hard of hearing young adults from education, health, and performance arts field to share their stories! You will also know what your rights are in requesting workplace accommodations. To register, email [email protected] FNDC 40 Spring • 2017 FNDC 41 Spring • 2017 Broadway Across Canada presents THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA July 23 - Sign Language Interpreted Performance Cameron Mackintosh’s spectacular new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA will come to Vancouver as part of a brand new North American Tour. Hailed by critics as “bigger and better than ever before,” this production boasts many exciting special effects including the show’s legendary chandelier, new scenic and lighting designs, new staging and choreography. The beloved story will be performed by a cast and orchestra of 52, making this PHANTOM one of the largest productions now on tour. Broadway Across Canada is pleased to provide Vancouver’s deaf and hard of hearing community with the opportunity to enjoy this Broadway spectacle. On July 23rd at 2:00pm, a limited number of discount tickets will be available for deaf and hard of hearing audience members in a designated seating area with a professional American Sign Language-English interpreting translator from Preferred Interpreting Services. To reserve your seats at a discounted price, visit this link: http://vancouver.broadway.com/preferredinterpreters/ Derrick Davis and Katie Travis. Photo by Matthew Murphy Offer expires June 30th, 2017 If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Michael Albert by emailing [email protected] or calling toll-free: 1-877-841-5296 ext 241. FNDC 42 Spring • 2017 Spring Swimming Lessons in Surrey with an ASL Interpreter REGISTRATION OPENS SUNDAY, APRIL 9! "Parent & Tot" (Age 4-36 months) 10 spaces 9:15-9:45 Saturdays May 6 to June 24 (No lesson May 20) Red Cross Preschool 1-3: Starfish/Duck/Sea Turtle, $28.75 Register for #4542199 "Preschool" (Age 3-5, independent lessons, not parent participation) 4 spaces 9:45-10:15 Saturdays May 6 to June 24 (No lesson May 20) Red Cross Preschool 4: Sea Otter, $58.75 Register for #4542200 Registration opens Sunday, April 9 and is first come, first serve, so register as soon as possible to guarantee your space. You may register over the phone, or in person. Online registration is not available at this time. *If the course is already full, please ask to have your name put down on the waitlist. This shows the high demand for accessible programming and could lead to increased options in the future. Thank you! By Phone Call Recreation Surrey, 8:30-4:30, Monday-Friday, at 604.501.5100 In Person Guildford Recreation Centre-Aquatics 15105 105 Avenue, Surrey (604.502.6360) http://www.surrey.ca/culture-recreation/12672.aspx If you have any questions, or would like assistance with the registration process, please contact [email protected] FNDC 43 Spring • 2017 April 11, 2017 PRINCIPAL – BC SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF The BC School for the Deaf provides a broad range of educational opportunities for deaf and hard of hearing students from K–12. This inclusive educational environment offers deaf and hard of hearing students the experience to learn with their hearing peers or in a signing environment while enjoying the traditional values of language, culture and Deaf heritage. As a province-wide program, it will be your responsibility to build and nurture relationships of trust with all our stakeholders enhanced by your successful experience working with the deaf and hard of hearing community. Your deep understanding of the unique needs of the deaf and hard of hearing community and collaborative communication style will be crucial in this role. Leading a collaborative team, you will support and strengthen our passion for developing the full learning potential and positive self-identity of each of our students. Leveraging the full spectrum of research-based learning strategies – personalized learning, technology in education and language development, you will provide exemplary instructional leadership and the ability to model evidence-based practices in teaching. Leading teams at both BCSD Burnaby South Secondary and BCSD South Slope Elementary, you will be supported by a Vice-Principal who will work alongside Principals of mainstream schools. You hold a Master’s of Education in Deaf Education, are ASL fluent, and have training in educational leadership, supervision of instruction or program and curriculum development. Additionally, you are eligible for membership in the Ministry of Education Teacher Regulation Branch. Preferably, you are also eligible for CAEDHH (Canadian Association of Educators of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing) certification and bring a broad spectrum of deaf education experience, demonstrated leadership ability, administrative experience and the ability to work effectively with a leadership team. You are research-focused and a strong curriculum leader with a background in language development and special education, including working with students who display challenging behaviors. Please forward a detailed resume including professional credentials, statement of educational philosophy and a minimum of three current letters of professional reference by 4:00 pm Friday, June 2, 2017, to Human Resources at the address below. Human Resources Burnaby School District 5325 Kincaid Street Burnaby, B.C. V5G 1W2 EMAIL: [email protected] FNDC 44 Spring • 2017 Family Network for Deaf Children DONATIONS NAME Tax receipt name (if different from above) COMPANY NAME (if corporate donation) EMAIL * TELEPHONE # (optional) * please provide your email so we can email you your tax receipt ADDRESS CITY/PROVINCE POSTAL CODE Please accept my donation of: ☐ $25 ☐ ☐ $50 $100 ☐ $200 ☐Other: Please designate my donation to: ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ FNDC (wherever needed) DYT program (ie. personal support worker, Hornby Kids Camp, day camps) Family Deaf Camp (sponsor a family) In-Memory of a loved one Other Donation payment method ☐ Cheque *☐ Charge card # ☐ ☐ Visa ☐ MasterCard EXPIRY DATE (MM/DD/YY) Yes. Please print my name in the FNDC newsletter acknowledging my donation. (amount not printed) No. Please do not publish my name. Can we add you to our email list for our our community updates and newsletter? ☐Yes ☐ No, thank you. * Please make your donation payable to Family Network for Deaf Children and mail to: Family Network for Deaf Children PO Box 50075, South Slope RPO Burnaby, BC V5J 5G3 w Official Charitable Registration No. 88622 5655 RR0001 w B.C. Non-Profit Society #S-33351 w Please allow 2-3 weeks for a tax receipt. w Tax receipts are issued for donations of $10 or more. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! FNDC 45 Spring • 2017 FNDC is a non-profit society (S-33351) that was founded in March, 1995 to bring together families of deaf children in British Columbia who share common concerns. Federal Registered Charity Number: 88622 5655 RR0001. Deaf Youth Today (DYT) is a program administered by FNDC. D Y T What is FNDC all about? Family Network for Deaf Children (FNDC) is a parent run, non-profit, charitable organization supporting families with deaf and hard of hearing children that use sign language or are interested in learning sign language. Even though technology and methodology have changed over the years, we seek the wisdom of parents, professionals and Deaf/HH adults so that common themes of “access, equity and a sense of belonging” continue to be highlighted in areas such as: social/recreation, leadership, education, employment, general services and community involvement. What is Deaf Youth Today? Deaf Youth Today (DYT), is FNDC’s summer social/recreational program and is committed to providing recreational experience and leadership opportunities for deaf and hard of hearing youth in British Columbia that use sign language for all or part of their communication or who are interested in learning sign language. FNDC Board of Directors Hester Hussey....................................................Mentor, Advisor Colleen Peterson........................................................... President April Cowley...................................................................Director Nicki Horton...................................................................Director Karen Jackson.................................................................Director Charlie Coyle..................................................................Director Joy Santos.......................................................................Director Gwen Wong.....................................................................Director Laura Batista...................................................................Director Leigh Chan......................................................................Director The Board of Directors are parents of deaf children. FNDC Staff Cecelia Klassen........................................... Executive Director | [email protected] Bella Poato.......................................... Executive Assistant | [email protected] Jason Berube......................... Website Designer/Developer | [email protected] FNDC...................................................................General Inquiry | [email protected] DYT Staff Deaf Youth Today Scott Jeffery..................................................... DYT Coordinator | [email protected] Terry Maloney.......................... DYT Hornby Island Coordinator | [email protected] Andrea Maloney.......................................... DYT Registrations | [email protected] Alayna Finley................DYT Summer Immersion Coordinator | [email protected] Deaf Youth Today..................................................General Inquiry | [email protected] Membership (Paid) Membership is open to those who support the goals of our Organization. * Our membership is open to individuals, schools, and organizations. Parents/guardians of deaf and hard of hearing children are eligible to vote. Join Our E-Mail List (for free) Join our email list (for free) and receive: * Our newsletter (which is published four times a year) * Email Updates regarding upcoming workshops and courses, children & youth programs as well as community updates Contact Us Contact us below and be added to our email list or to request a membership form: Family Network for Deaf Children P.O. Box 50075 South Slope RPO Burnaby, BC V5J 5G3 604-684-1860 (voice/text message) www.fndc.ca (website) [email protected] (e-mail)