This week on i711.com:
EMPLOYMENT MATTERS by Kevin McLeod
(NEW) Deaf mentors, teachers and volunteers are helping hearing parents of deaf children build great family communication.
Visit: http://www.i711.com/my711.php?tab=2&article=210
CHANNEL i VLOG THIS WEEK: The Deaf Baby Boom
(NEW) The first Baby Boomers just applied for Social Security. Some of them may benefit from learning ASL.
Visit: http://www.i711.com/vlogs/logs.php?id=287

Thanks for supporting i711.com.
The i711.com Team

~~~
i711.com offers the best relay toolbar available? Sure, it lets you make relay calls like any good relay toolbar should. But ONLY the i711.com Toolbar includes ClickRelay, an "on/off switch" that lets you dial *any* phone number on *any* web page in just one click. Get the i711.com Toolbar with ClickRelay today and make your web pages accessible (and your all your relay calls) in just one click. It's free! http://www.i711.com/toolbarOverview.php.

The Shared Reading Project:
Keys to Success

Please visit the web page.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Glenn Lockhart
Viable Inc.
Fax: 301.230.2442
contact@viable.net
www.viable.net

• Email: Messages can be sent to support@viable.net
• Web-based contact form: Available at http://www.viable.net/support/request
* Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): The webpage http://www.viable.net/support/faq features a wide repository of answers to common questions and serves as a knowledge base for customers of all experience levels

“Any ViableVRS customer who experiences difficulties with their videophone or VRS service will have access to immediate help from our support staff,” said Anthony Mowl, who oversees Customer Support.

Customer Support is open Mondays through Fridays, from 9AM-9PM.

There is a company in Branson, Missouri, that is making the attractions, shows, restaurants, etc..deaf and hard of hearing friendly. The name of the company is Signed Entertainment Enterprises. They are pretty new, but have already caught the attention of most of the city. Thier goal at first was to make the shows deaf friendly, but now have focused their attention on the whole city. This is a pretty kool concept. They have established a standard by which to certify each business as "S.E.E. Certified". They will then post those that are certified for the general public to view. You will be able to go to their web site and actually plan your vacation at your own convenience. I think everyone needs to check out what they are doing. www.see-entertainment.com They are also opening up the very first "Deaf Welcome Center" in Branson. They are talking to everyone, from real estate, to banks, to the brand new Air Port, to the shows, Hotels, etc. The Hotel Grand Victorian was the first hotel to sign on, and the White House Theater was the first show to sign on. I think this is going to be very good news for the deaf community.

PRESS RELEASE-

Website of the WRAD Cruise:
http://wradcruise.googlepages.com/

By Bruce Gross, WRAD CEO/ Founder
Email- Brucegross@aol.com
Videophone- 661-943-8879
Text cellphone- 6612366159
AIM- brucegross
www.wrad.org

The World Recreation Association of the Deaf, Inc. ( WRAD, Inc) , a nonprofit organization promoting cultural, educational, and recreational opportunities and interests for the deaf and hard of hearing community, is happy to present an exciting deaf and hard of hearing 8-day Halloween cruise to Mexico on the Mexican Riviera visiting Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallerta leaving Los Angeles on Sunday October 26, 2008 and return on the following Sunday November 2, 2008. A total of 150 cabins have been reserved for up to 300 people in our group. Friends of the deaf and families are also very welcome.

The name of the ship is the VISION OF THE SEAS BY ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL.

Here is the itinerary-

Day - Ports of call - Arrive - Depart

1 - Los Angeles, CA - # - 5:00pm

2 - Cruising

3 - Cabo San Lucas, Mexico - 10:30am - 6:00pm

4 - Mazatlan, Mexico - 8:00am - 5:30pm

5 - Puerto Vallerta, Mexico - 8:00am - 8:00pm

6 - Cruising ( Halloween Costume Ball onboard)

7 - Cruising

8 - Los Angeles, CA - 7:00am

Sign Language interpreters/ CART service providers onboard and for Tours in Mexico. Entertainment with Deaf and Hard of Hearing Performers including the famous Halloween Costume Ball by GINO and Bruce Gross.

Royal Caribbean is providing portable room kits that include a visual/tactile alert system. The system provide alerts for door knocking, smoke detector and alarm clock. TV sets will be closed captioning for the deaf and hard of hearing. We will have entertainment with interpreters and CART service providers.

The 2,400-guest Vision of the Seas will offer the cruise to the WRAD group. Listed below are some of the details and descriptions of the ship-

TWO swimming pools ( One outdoor and one indoor)
State-of-the-art fitness center, with aerobics classes and machines or all types of workouts
An Egyptian-themed Solarium spa and pool, covered by retractable glass
Card room/ Library/ Video Arcade/ Beauty Salon/ Boutiques/ Children's program
Dramatic two-story dining room surrounded by windows and breathtaking views
Theatre/ 7 Bars and Lounges / 4 Jacuzzis

Prices start at $380 per person ( double occupancy) plus taxes and port fees and tips.

JOIN US ON THIS EXCITING TRIP!!!!

CALL NOW!!!! to make a cabin reservation.....1-800-419-0460 ( Voice only) For deaf people call through the Relay or
Email- wradcruise@gmail.com
Call Bruce Gross for more information at VP 661-943-8879 or brucegross@aol.com MSN messenger: chivchik@hotmail.com
AIM- wradcruise

Our website of the cruise is http://wradcruise.googlepages.com

Prices are subject to availability and can change anytime. The space is limited and is selling fast. To secure your cabin deposit of $50 per person AS SOON AS POSSIBLE is required at the time of booking.

The staff at Sprint Relay Store invites you to look at our selection of pagers.

Whether it is the Blackberry 8703e or 8830, HTC Mogul 6800,
Treo 700wx or 755p or even the amazing Palm Centro, we have them in stock.

Visit us at: www.sprintrelay.com/store

Happy Holidays!

This week on i711.com:
CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES by Trudy Suggs
(NEW) Trudy considers T-Mobile's commitment to the Deaf community in light of service outages and other frustrations.
Visit: http://www.i711.com/my711.php?tab=2&article=209

CROSSING BORDERS by Karina Chupina
(NEW) Last in a series, this week’s article looks deaf education and advocacy within Sicily’s deaf community.
Visit: http://www.i711.com/my711.php?tab=2&article=208

CHANNEL i VLOG THIS WEEK: Deaf Authors Abound
(NEW) Deaf authors have helped define Deaf culture and explain what it means to both hearing and deaf readers.
Visit: http://www.i711.com/vlogs/logs.php?id=286

Thanks for supporting i711.com.
The i711.com Team

~~~
i711.com offers the best relay toolbar available? Sure, it lets you make relay calls like any good relay toolbar should. But ONLY the i711.com Toolbar includes ClickRelay, an "on/off switch" that lets you dial *any* phone number on *any* web page in just one click. Get the i711.com Toolbar with ClickRelay today and make your web pages accessible (and your all your relay calls) in just one click. It's free! http://www.i711.com/toolbarOverview.php.

Three of the Clerc Center's Most popular literacy manual and video sets are now on DVD!

Please visit the web page.

Please publish, post or pass along...

Please join DEAF Media at the 2nd Annual Special Appearance of Ty Giordano, performing the ASL narration of ODC's "Velveteen Rabbit," Saturday, December 1 at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, SF. (more info below)

Ana Fermin
Staff writer

(November 5, 2007) — To whom do you primarily target your services?

Interpretek provides services to anyone who needs equal access to communication through the use of American Sign Language. This includes deaf, hard of hearing and hearing individuals. We also provide volume services to large organizations such as universities, corporations and nonprofit organizations that are committed to ongoing equal access to their constituents.

How has your business grown and how did you expand into Orlando and Omaha?

Our expansion to other cities has been aided by our dynamic relationships with interpreters and interpreter agencies in those cities. In Omaha, we worked with individual interpreters in the area to establish a Video Relay Service center. In Orlando, we worked with an existing interpreter agency to create a new entity under the auspices of Interpretek. Through this strategic partnership, Interpretek was able to increase its Orlando business by a factor of five.

Can you tell us about Video Relay Services and Video Remote Interpreting?

Video Relay Services is part of a federal mandate under Title IV of the American Disabilities Act to provide equal access to the telecommunications network. Our partner, Snap!VRS, is licensed to provide the technology and network for this service. They are then reimbursed through an association of telephone providers.

Interpretek, in turn, provides the interpreters to relay these calls for consumers. This allows deaf and hard of hearing consumers access to the telephone network 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year through their video phones. These video phones work through standard broadband Internet access.

Video Remote Interpreting provides interpreting services through video phones when all of the consumers are in the same room. This is not reimbursed as a VRS call because this is not considered a telecommunications event and is normally billed to the organization paying for the service. This is an ideal set up for remote locations that do not have access to a pool of interpreters or for emergency situations that require instant access to interpreting services, such as emergency rooms in hospitals. This generally requires the use of video phone technology and high broadband Internet access in the end locations.

What impact is this technology having in how the deaf community engages in the workplace and other life activities?

This has had a tremendous impact on the way the community does business. Now it is possible for deaf people to communicate in their own language, ASL, through the use of video phones to just about anyone. It also has had a positive impact on their ability to interact with their family members over the phone. We hear stories of how people have finally started talking with their family members over the phone since this technology was rolled out.

What practical accommodations can companies implement to help employees who are deaf meet their job descriptions?

The first accommodation is to ask the employee what they need to do their job effectively. Then, find out what resources are available to provide this specific accommodation that they need. There are many fine resources in the Rochester area that can help provide these accommodations, including Interpretek and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at Rochester Institute of Technology.

What sorts of things influence how you do business?

First, provide the best possible interpreters for the assignment. The consumer deserves at least that much. Secondly, pay the interpreters on time. For a long time, the interpreting industry was replete with stories of agencies not paying interpreters in a timely manner. Staying with these two very basic tenets has allowed us to retain a strong consumer base as well as cultivate a loyal group of interpreters who provide quality interpreting services through Interpretek.

What would help you do better business in the Rochester area?

What would be helpful is really something good for our community. Rochester has the highest per capita deaf population of any city in America. If Rochester could embrace and celebrate this unique cultural treasure, everybody would benefit. There are thousands of highly talented workers ready to contribute to Rochester's growth who happen to be deaf. For a business looking for talent to fill positions, hiring deaf Rochesterians is not as challenging as it is sometimes made out to be.

This is your first year as a Rochester Top 100 company. What has gotten you to this point?

Dedication from all of our colleagues on the Interpretek team has gotten us to this level. As a team, we have gone through some challenges that may have broken similar companies; however, we have pressed on and rose to the challenge. It all starts with having the right people in the right seats on the team. When you have that, you can go anywhere.

Is there anything the community should be on the lookout for from you in the next year?

Continued growth in the VRS sector, possibly in other locations and increased collaborative opportunities with community organizations for quality access in communication.

© 2007, The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

The Gallaudet University Theatre Arts Department presents

GOYA - en la Quinta del Sordo (in the house of the deaf man)

at Gilbert C. Eastman Studio Theatre, Elstad Annex

on Gallaudet University campus, Washington, DC

Written and directed by Theatre Arts professor Willy Conley and Iosif Schneiderman, a renowned Russian deaf actor, mime and clown, and directed by Willy Conley, this visually-oriented drama uses gestures, masks, mime, dance and movement to explore Goya's satirical humor and views of life

November 8-11 & November 15-18

- performances on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings: at 8:00 pm

- performances on Saturday and Sunday afternoons: at 2:00 pm

- go to http://www.deafdigest.com/GOYA.doc to get times and box office hours

tickets:
- full time Gallaudet students/one free with ID
- non-Gallaudet students with ID and groups of 10 or more, $8
- adults, $10

Evelyn

Silent Sunday is the largest fundraiser for the School for the Deaf and is one of the most anticipated fall events in central Arkansas.

Marcella Della Rosa, superintendant at the School for the Deaf says the money is raised for technology for the classrooms, such as Smart boards and Elmo projectors, “We want to help the students learn the technology, but also give them the best education with the help of new technology.”

It was sponsored by the Central Arkansas Independent Restaurant Operators.

As many as 46 restaurants participated in an all-you-can-eat buffet for participants.

Lindsey Clark, Online Producer

© 2000 - 2007 KTHV

By Morton Saulo

It is in the dead of the night and the streets of Nairobi are alive with all manner of businesses both legal and illegal. Entertainment lovers of all shades and sizes, and night hawkers take over the brightly lit streets.

Men and women gyrate to the rhythm of the loud deafening sounds from the many entertainment joints as scantily dressed twilight girls shove one another for a prospective client’s attention. If only to wile the night away.

In a drunken stupor, the young and the young at heart stream out of the joints, some are heading home while others are just changing entertainment spots in search of the elusive ultimate pleasure.

In the midst of all this and in a world of their own are the deaf and dumb hawkers of Nairobi fighting for a surviving chance. They are strategically positioned in all the city’s main streets, where they display their wares hoping to catch the eyes of the night clientele.

Among them is Mr Daniel Gikunyi, 21. Deaf and dumb, he has perfect eyesight that he uses to read the lips of the person he is communicating with. He understands simple mathematics and knows what sells best no matter what time of the night.

Call it determination coupled with business acumen, desire, or maybe perseverance but it is the usual routine that most Kenyans living below the poverty line have to go through, day in and day out.

Meeting him for the first time one can easily mistake his silence for rudeness. Yet with a little patience and understanding the silence is replaced with animated gestures and smiles.

Dressed in a tough heavy jean trouser, a sweater and a heavy jacket, he endures the cold that is characteristic of Nairobi at this time of the year. His inability to compete effectively during daytime with the other hawkers, forced him to shift his operations to the less competitive hours of the night.

Gikunyi, who hails from Gatundu South in Central Province, now lives in Satellite Estate with his friends. Born in a poor family of five he is no stranger to hardship.

As many others are dead asleep, with stomachs full and well tucked in their cosy beds and others enjoy loud music and alcohol from entertainment joints along Moi Avenue, he braves the chilly night waiting to serve them.

In readiness he puts up his small make shift stall. Made of tattered flattened boxes and old paint tins that serve as a buttress to his goods, he readies himself for business, all the while hoping and praying that this night will be different from the others, in a positive way.

In his small ‘shop’ he deals in telephone calling cards from the two major mobile telephone providers, condoms, cigarettes, sweets, chewing gum and other items. The only difference between him and the daytime hawkers is that his wares are slightly higher priced and his stall is always well stocked.

He also acts as a guide for those too drunk to get to their cars for a moderate fee.

"It a tough and competitive world but we have to make ends meet," he quips through an interpreter.

Interact with all kinds of people

Polite and jolly, the Form Three dropout who communicates in sign language and lip reading effectively, handles customers from all walks of life. Says he: "I interact with drunkards, muggers, prostitutes, school children, the lost and policemen in the course of my duty and I have to serve them well since its them that I make my money from."

He says poverty back home brought him to the city.

On arrival life became unbearable. He terms the first days in Nairobi as tough. "I struggled to get myself some sort of income," he says adding that those who could speak segregated him because of his disability. But he was determined to have a business of his own.

Gikunyi is not the only disabled hawker this night.

Stationed less than 15m apart are his four friends. Each one of them has positioned himself at the entrance of a major entertainment spot. Over time, they have become hardened to the nightlife and guard their turf jealously. No hawker can venture into the area near Kenya Cinema, for it is their zone of operation.

On weekdays, when business is slow, they move on to different streets. In case one does not have a commodity that a customer requires, he will always guide you to his colleague.

"We assist one another for it is the only way to make it here," he says adding that they make between Sh500 to Sh1,200 depending on the day of the week.

"Weekends are the best days as sales are very high," he says with a smile.

Over time, customers have accepted Gikunyi and his friends. Mr Martin Thuo, a customer and a friend, says he has known them for over two years and sometimes helps them to sell. "I assist them sell their wares or protect them against unscrupulous customers," he says.

Night world and its tribulations

But the night world has its own tribulations. Hawkers face much harassment from some clients and City Council askaris. "They harass us and confiscate our goods ordering us to vacate the streets," he says adding that some even ask for bribes before allowing them to operate.

Gikunyi says some revellers are very crafty, with some trying to con them because of their disability. He recalls how a drunkard claimed he had handed him a Sh500 note yet it was Sh100. "I will never forget that day. If it were not for my friends and other revellers, the drunkard could have conned me," he says.

"Many people think we do not know simple mathematics but I have proved them wrong," he says with a chuckle.

With plans by the City Council being at an advanced stage to build more markets in Nairobi, they too are demanding for a special place to be reserved for them.

"Due to our inability to hear and speak, we appeal to the Government to allocate us a special area in markets," he says.

He says they cannot compete for stalls effectively with other hawkers because of discrimination. "I have been sent packing from different locations owing to my disability. I have been manhandled and my goods even confiscated," he says.

Gikunyi and his friends are not the only ones fighting for fair treatment by society. Recently, disabled hawkers camped outside one media house demanding to be allocated space within the city centre.

Disabled persons were allocated space at Ngara open-air market but they declined, saying it is inaccessible to most of their customers.

Gikunyi and his friends hope that one day they will be successful businessmen to the chagrin of those who frustrate their efforts.

© MMVI . The Standard Group

By Claire Lomax

When the Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor Robin Owens, came to choose the charities he would support during his year in office he thought of his fellow Harden resident, Chris Raine.

Mr Raine, an ear, nose and throat consultant at Bradford Royal Infirmary and founder of the Ear Trust, had embarked on the tough challenge of raising enough money to build a new centre at BRI to house the Yorkshire Cochlear Implant Service (YCIS) - a total of £2.5million.

Back in February, 1990, Mr Raine brought cochlear implants to the city and since then he and his expanding team have helped restore the hearing - and change the lives - of around 400 patients from across Yorkshire and beyond.

But the service has become a victim of its own success, with an increasing number of referrals.

A new home is needed for all the elements of the service to be housed under one roof with adequate space for staff and patients and their families.

Mr Raine and the Ear Trust, a registered charity set up to support the work of the YCIS, have so far raised £1million towards the new centre and Coun Owens chose to support the Ear Trust, recognising the "hard road ahead".

The Tele-graph & Argus Listening for Life Appeal has also been launched to help raise the remaining £1.5million needed for the centre.

"I was originally looking for Bradford-based and Bradford-inspired charities to support and I wanted to provide something that might not otherwise happen," said Coun Owens, who is also supporting the Bradford Cancer Support Daisy Appeal.

"I know Chris Raine and I said by supporting the Ear Trust it would not just be about money but it would also raise the whole profile of the cause."

When Coun Owens launched his charities the event was attended by Chris Raine, who brought with him a patient - a grandfather who had benefited from cochlear implants.

The gentleman had gone totally deaf, and as a consequence had lost contact with his family, particularly his grandchildren. When the cochlear implants restored his hearing they also restored these precious relationships.

"It is a communication thing," said Coun Owens. "Without hearing it is so difficult for people to communicate, and you lose out on so much."

Coun Owens has experienced hearing problems himself, having been left deaf in his right ear after a string of ear infections as a child.

"I have massive sympathy with people who have lost any of their senses," he said.

"I applaud anything that helps raise the profile of this cause."

©2007 Bradford Telegraph Argus

He's bungee jumped in New Zealand, skydived in Oz and travelled 320,000km (200,000) miles to every continent in the world.

Action man Tony Giles gets around a bit – even though he's blind and partially deaf.

The fearless solo backpacker, 28, has visited 32 countries since 2000 and says he experiences the stunning settings through the local people and his sense of touch and smell.

The masters student from Weston-super-Mare said: 'It can be scary when you can't see your backpack on a bus. But it can be funny too. I walked into a row of surfboards on a beach in Hawaii. They just fell like a set of dominoes.'

© 2007 Metro