Middlesex University researcher Catherine Carlton wants to contact members of the Deaf community n a project looking at the importance of BSL to Deaf identity. The research aims to highlight the importance of British Sign Language to the Deaf community and explore Deaf Identities.
if you would like to help by completing the questionnaire, the link is HERE
There is a £100 prize draw for all those who answer the survey.
Message from Simeon Klein - if you can assist, please email him at simeonklein87@ yahoo.co. uk
Hi my name is Simeon Klein I am a current 3rd year student at Portsmouth University. Both my parents are deaf, you may know my Dad, Herbert Klein? He recommended this group for my research into the quality of working life and quality of communication for deaf people in employment. I’d like to discuss with the group admin if this is possible. My research consists of questionnaires which will be translated into BSL friendly English by my Dads work in the NHS, the questionnaire will be in a email sent to people.
My research is new because, it is the first to question how conditions are of deaf people in terms of their emotions and feelings, using this information a full data analysis will be conducted to view any trends or patterns developing. As this is done through my University participants details are highly confidential, and there are very strict guidelines on ethics. I hope you feel my questionnaire would not be using deaf people for scientific benefit but it is more a research into the wellbeing of deaf employees. I would be more than happy to send you a detailed analysis for the group to read and I would be more than happy to include discussion that the research brings up into my report. Finally you would be fully acknowledged in my report of your involvement.
Thank you very much for your time
Regards
Simeon Klein
Cathy Heffernan at The Guardian has written an article about the TAG campaign, following See Hear’s report yesterday. You can catch See Hear’s report for another 6 days here (UK only).
Here’s a request for information - please contact Oliver if you can help.
Dear funnyoldlife, I am making a documentary, funded by Westminster Arts, about deaf raves - clubbing events run specifically for the deaf and hard of hearing - in order to raise awareness of this phenomenon and let both the hearing and deaf community involved. I was wondering whether you had any stories or experiences to share about this subject, or if you know of any deaf people who go clubbing - to hearing or deaf events, or both? I am looking for someone to make this documentary about and would really appreciate any insight or help of any kind. If you could contact me at ollyriley@hotmail.com, that would be great.
Thank you, and I look forward to hearing from you,
Oliver Riley-Smith
Palpitation Productions
We bought tickets six months ago to see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, captioned by Stagetext. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was really looking forward to it as I had watched Lee Mead win the TV show, Any Dream Will Do. This was a full-blown musical with wall to wall songs. The singing was good and the costumes colourful enough to put your eyes out. It was a great musical for the whole family and we all enjoyed it. The captioning, as usual, was spot on.
My friend Jeanette made an interesting comment. She has seen this show twice previously, with a sign language interpreter. She said she got so much more out of the captioned show, as she’d had to keep looking at the interpreter who was too far from the stage, making her miss bits of the show every time she looked at the interpreter. With captions, she didn’t miss as much and got much more enjoyment out of it.
On November 4, 2008, millions of people with disabilities across the United States and around the world joined our non-disabled peers in watching the United States election results. Obama supporters cheered or wept to learn that the next US president would be Obama. Then we cheered or wept again when Obama mentioned people with disabilities in his acceptance speech. History was made–not only for America, not only for Black people, not only for Kenya and all of Africa, not only for Indigenous peoples, but also for people with disabilities.
But we cannot afford to allow the moment to end here. Whether we supported Obama, McCain, or another candidate, we all know there is far too much work ahead before we can say, “Yes, we have made real change for people with disabilities.”
It is time for people with disabilities, our loved ones, our neighbors, and colleagues to join together, across ideological divides, to reach out to Obama. We should all send an email to Kareem Dale, Obama’s National Disability Vote Director (at kdale@barackobama.com), WITH COPIES TO Anne Hayes, a volunteer on the Obama Disability Policy Committee (at ahayesku@hotmail.com).
First, we should thank Obama — and also Kareem Dale — for mentioning people with disabilities in Obama’s acceptance speech on November 4. Ensure that they understand how much it matters simply for us to be included. How did you feel when Obama mentioned us? Share your story.
Second, we should tell Obama and Kareem Dale that we are aware of Obama’s disability platform. He promised to increase educational opportunities; end discrimination; increase employment opportunities; and support independent, community-based living for Americans with disabilities. And he promised to sign the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the first international, legally-binding human rights treaty for people with disabilities. Tell Obama and Kareem Dale that we are ready to call Obama to account if he fails us. But more importantly, we are ready to work with him for change for people with disabilities.
It is important to send your disability-related emails to BOTH Kareem Dale AND Anne Hayes (kdale@barackobama.com AND ahayesku@hotmail.com) between now and inauguration day. Kareem Dale’s email address may change between now and January 20, 2009. Anne Hayes can help ensure that emails sent to Kareem Dale are not lost during this time of transition.
Both Kareem Dale and others who have worked on disability issues within the Obama campaign are ready to receive YOUR emails on disability-related issues for US President-elect Obama. Emails are welcome from across the United States and around the world. If you are a US citizen, then please say so in your email.
Learn more about Obama’s plan for people with disabilities
Yes, the video is captioned. And if you scroll down to the bottom of the page, you can download Obama’s Full Plan for people with disabilities in PDF format (62 Kb).
Read Obama’s acceptance speech
Want to read a letter to Obama before you write your own? Click here.
If you wish to contact Obama’s staff on some topic other than disability, then you can send an email via his web page.
Please circulate this email freely, or post this at your own blog or web site.
This text was first posted here. The most updated version will be here, so please consult before cross-posting.
“It is the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, DISABLED and not disabled — Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.”
–President-Elect Barack Obama
Acceptance speech, November 4, 2008; emphasis added
Join us in sending as many letters as we can to Obama and his staff to ensure they know that people with disabilities around the world are looking to him to stand by us during his tenure as US president.
Film London would like to invite you to a ‘Cinema Disability Access Forum’ on Thursday 13th November at the BFI Southbank (NFT3), Belvedere Road, London SE1, from 9:00am 1:00pm.
The session will be primarily focused around Exhibitors’ Disability Access. This is an opportunity to share cinema access news, opportunities and best practice. The session will be followed by refreshments and networking opportunities.
Space is limited. Participation will be based on a first come, first served basis. Please RSVP to subtitles@yourlocalcinema.com stating your name, organisation and job title if applicable, so that Film London can cater accordingly.
Address: Belvedere Road, South Bank, London. SE1 8XT
Map
Train/Underground: Waterloo (South Bank exit); Embankment and Charing Cross (cross Hungerford Bridge to South Bank)
Buses: Routes 1, 4, 26, 68, 76, 77, 139, 168, 171, 172, 176, 188, 211, 243, 341, 381, 507, 521, RV1
‘Film London‘ is the capital’s film and media agency. They sustain, promote and develop London as a major international film-making and film cultural capital. This includes all the screen industries based in London - film, television, video, commercials and new interactive media.
‘Your Local Cinema .com‘ is a non-profit group sponsored by the UK film industry. They exist to create awareness of - and increase audience figures for - subtitled & audio described cinema releases and shows. Better access to cinema via subtitles and audio description is something that we all may appreciate, eventually. The fact is that as we age, loss of some hearing or sight is inevitable - we may all need ‘access features’ one day. Click here to read the latest articles on cinema access.
Some exciting news for our USA counterparts that is going to make our UK friends and colleagues cringe!
Three weeks ago, Sprint, one of the two US CapTel Relay Providers announced WebCapTel on the Go. Meaning it works with Windows Mobile 6 handsets! Yes, Mobile WebCapTel. Its free as usual! You need two mobilephones, one of which is a smartphone with Internet.
Last week, Hamilton, the second of the two US CapTel Relay Providers announced their WebCapTel on the Go using Apple IPhone! VERY nice for them! (I’m going green here!)
Join the UK campaign to get this modern phone technology for deaf people adopted in the UK. We want it too!
TELEPHONE CAMPAIGN :
Campaign updates are posted on Funny Old Life’s blog
Campaign updates are also posted on the Facebook group Campaign : deaf people want greater access to modern phone technology
Contact us if you think you can help us with the campaign!
Watch out for See Hear’s programme on Wednesday 12 November, when the TAG campaign will be screened, so you can see this for yourself! Episode 18 of the programme investigates what the Government could do to improve access to telecommunications for the deaf. Link is HERE.
Are you unemployed or looking for a new job? Do you realise it can take a minimum of 6 weeks to book a sign language interpreter or palantypist? Factor that into your job hunt … you won’t get very far.
We all know that being deaf means life is not as easy as it should be. We have to fight harder for a job and harder still for a fulfilling one. Being deaf and looking for work is basically a bowl of toenail clippings. It’s just unnnhhhhhhhhhh. Especially when it comes to employment agencies. *spits*
Dering is an employment agency with a difference. They actually care whether you can communicate and benefit appropriately from its services. Dering Employment Services was established in May 2006 and has gone from strength to strength. They help people to return to work by providing training and employment opportunities.
Dering are different in that they train deaf people to become employment advisors, job coaches and tutors. In turn, these deaf people become a positive role model for other deaf people. The director, Stephen Dering, has been deaf since birth and Dering is deaf-accessible, with services and training provided in British Sign Language. 86% of the staff are deaf so YEAH ! they totally GET the issues and barriers that we face in accessing work. Yay. Rock on!
Their programme includes the following (click on the links for further information);
Coachability in Northern Ireland and South East England
Deaf Active
Deaf Employment Service
Deaf Stepping Stones
Sports Apprenticeships
Train to Gain
Their latest news -
Last week, they hosted an official visit by Jonathan Shaw MP, the new Disability Minister, to their Croydon offices so that he could see for himself how they work with deaf people to get jobs. He was very impressed with the set up – photographs are on the Facebook group ‘Dering‘.
They are delivering Access to Work assessments for deaf, hard of hearing and deaf/blind people who live in the North West, West Midlands or East of England regions. Assessments are to enable people to identify what support they need in their job such as Interpreter Online or doorbell systems. From November 2008, they will cover Manchester, Salford and Trafford areas.
If you are interested in developing your skills and live in the London boroughs of Lambeth, Southwark or Wandsworth, Dering have an ASDAN employment training course coming up.
Their Coachability programmes in South East England and Northern Ireland are filling up quickly – ideal for anyone who wants to become a qualified sports coach.
Drop them an email at info @ dering. biz if you are interested in any of the above.
Go, Dering, go!
We hit a new place, Benito’s Hat. I was fully expecting to be asked to leave as I had my Hearing Dog with me.
But oh no. They welcomed us with open arms and huge grins. The place was fresh, simple and pleasing on the eye. So was the food. It turned out to be great. They gave me different salsas on tortilla chips so I could ‘try before I buy’. All the food was laid out buffet style, and they made up your order for you in front of you. We had our order within five minutes of sitting down.
I had a huge burrito filled with all sorts of good stuff - chicken, rice, beans, salad, salsa and cheese wrapped in a warm soft flour tortilla. The fresh squeezed limeade with ice was to die for. I hadn’t eaten all day and this filled me up nicely.
Mmmmm mmmm mmmmm mmmm mmmmmm mmmm mmm mmmmmm mmmmm!
I will DEFINITELY be back! Besos Benito!
FOL’s verdict : 
Benito’s Hat, 56 Goodge Street, London W1T 4NB.
Mon-Wed 11.30am - 10pm. Thur-Sat 11.30-11pm.
Margarita Mondays : students get 2 for 1 on margaritas with a food order.
Benito’s also do takeaways.
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