Canadian 'Deaf Superintendent Now' Petition

Deaf News - Exclusive: Canadian protesters say Deaf students’ new superintendent who can hear must go - but not everyone agrees.

TORONTO STAR - A loud campaign advocating for a Deaf Superintendent circulated online and around the world, then didn’t get what it was fighting for.



The Provincial Schools Branch (PSB), which oversees the provinces four schools for the Deaf, announced last week it hired a hearing superintendent, Jeanne Leonard.



The announcement also said the branch hired Heather Gibson, who is Deaf, in a new position called “assistant to the superintendents.” Though that brings a Deaf person to an administrative level previously dominated by hearing people, some in the Deaf community say that’s not what they were asking for.



“It totally doesn’t make sense - there are qualified Deaf candidates,” Rose Etheridge, said through an interpreter at a protest Monday in front of the Ernest C. Drury School for the Deaf in Milton. “They’re trying to pacify us,” added Etheridge, whose Oct. 22 video calling for a Deaf Superintendent has hit 20,000 views. (The hashtag #PSBsuperintendent2015 followed the video and generated hundreds of posts from across the continent.)



However, two of the community’s most outspoken advocates - Barbara Dodd and Zak Smith, who was arrested last year for staging a protest over concerns about learning conditions in Ontario’s Schools for the Deaf - say they are satisfied with the appointments as a first step toward more Deaf leadership ... Read More: http://thestar.com/yourtoronto/education/2015/11/09/protesters-say-school-appointment-is-tone-deaf.html



Petitioning Deaf Superintendent Now:

We are protesting against PSB's decision to appoint a hearing person to superintendent position because we are a cultural and linguistic minority group who should be led by our own. We are also protesting for changes in their superintendent selection process, to ensure that it will be transparent, fair and inclusive. Sign up petition HERE.



You can find out more on www.psbprotest.ca, on facebook pages; PSBProtest, Deaf Ontario and Deaf Education Coalition, and follow both hashtags; #PSBsuperintendent2015 and #PSBProtest.



Follow #‎DeafSuperintendent2015

Twitter - https://twitter.com/hashtag/psbsuperintendent2015

Facebook - https://facebook.com/hashtag/psbsuperintendent2015

More Details on OAD Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/OntarioDeaf



Related Post: Canadian 'Deaf Superintendent Now' Movement



You might also like to see the post: #Deaf Canadians

Deaf Canadians Petitioning Closed Caption Act Bill

VIDEO [CC] - Deaf News: Petitioning Closed Caption Accessibility Act Bill to Canada and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

TORONTO - Can you hear me? I cannot hear you. I am Deaf. Hearing is the only thing we can’t do… We can do anything else - and not hearing doesn't make us any less Canadian that everyone else! We love our beautiful country as much as you do. We love the quality of life here that is afforded to every Canadians, both citizens and newcomers.



Unfortunately, life for Deaf people in Canada is without many of the things you take for granted. We face much hardship, discrimination, inequality in employment, and poverty. We are not even able to enjoy our internet or technologies or facilities or events or anything you see and use in daily life. Sign up petition HERE.

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

Canada has not enacted a law similar to the US “21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act” which would provide an entitlement for Deaf citizens to access media online with mandated closed captioning. Without captioning, online content remains mostly inaccessible for us. In Canada, we are left out, falling behind the times in terms of modern accessibility; Technology changed and the rules didn’t. We have no clue what politician may say on videos or ads online. We are unable to watch any video online even ESPN, HBO, Netflix, MTV or our national new sites (CTV.ca or CBC.ca) because they choose not to provide closed captioning for some or all of its contents and are not required to do so.



Even more importantly, on the employment side, with all of the technological advancements available, communication barriers have been broken down. Today’s technology has revolutionized the workplace in terms of communications. With such a wealth of technology, incorporating the Deaf into a workplace environment should be fairly easy to do. You'd be thinking that it should have solved some of the unemployment issues, so did we!



In federal election 2015 that Justin Trudeau of the Liberal Party won the majority, we the Deaf note that none of the parties have addressed the issues of accessibility; none have developed any remedies for the issues facing the Deaf communities across this great country with exception of promising Accessibility Act but falling short of mentioning anything on our issues.



We are demanding that you develop an Accessibility Act that addresses the need to improve employment supports and opportunities for those with disabilities... Read More: https://change.org/p/to-stephen-harper-deaf-canadians-matter



You might also like to see: Canadian 'Deaf Superintendent Now' Movement



Related Posts: #Deaf Canadians

Deaf Hockey Documentary 'Ice and Quiet'

VIDEO: Campaign: Canadian Film 'Ice & Quiet' A Deaf Hockey Documentary.

TORONTO - Imagine living without hearing. You'd miss the sounds of the world - music, laughter, traffic noises as you try to cross the road, a friend shouting out in the street behind you, the roar of a crowd at a hockey game.



Even the whistle of the referee or call of your teammates as you tried to play. Would you even try to play?



But what if there was a way you could despite this? What if Deaf hockey was a thing?... Oh wait, it is. And it's got an exciting story we want to share with the world.

The Ontario Deaf Hockey Association was founded in 2011 to bring Deaf and Hearing individuals and athletes together and provide pathways in sport and hockey for Deaf athletes in the province. As our athletes prepare for the Deaflympics (yeah, that's also a thing), we're putting together a documentary about Deaf hockey to help build awareness of the sport and garner support for the love of the game.



And also just because it a fascinating topic, right?



As part of the documentary, we've partnered with many different organizations including the Hockey Hall of Fame, Glide, Karbon Sports, CrossIceHockey, Epic Toronto and Kobe Sportswear.



It's going to be an intriguing and arousing short documentary with game footage along with some fan interviews. But before we can put it all together, we need your help Raising CA$3,000 to cover things like equipment, location and interpreter costs. The remaining amount will be put back into the Ontario Deaf Hockey Association to ensure that the program's success to help athletes accomplish their dreams of playing hockey and representing their province and later, Team Canada at the Deaflympics. Sign up to donate HERE.



So if you love hockey, are curious about a different version of the game or just want to be involved in an exciting documentary that will score goals at film festivals, here's your chance to get involved. We've got some great perks for all your generous support and because we're still in production there's even opportunity to be interviewed on screen... Read More: https://indiegogo.com/projects/ice-quiet-a-hockey-documentary#/



You might also like to see: Canadian 'Deaf Superintendent Now' Movement



Related Posts: #Deaf Canadians

Canadian 'Deaf Superintendent Now' Movement

VIDEO [CC] Deaf News: #PSBSuperintendent2015 - Canadian Deaf President Now Movement - Superintendent Search: Elite Deaf Schools.

TORONTO - This special discusses the movement for a Deaf Superintendent in Ontario, Canada - George Postlethwait, our Board President, made several comments on the latest community concerns related to the Provincial Schools Branch - Superintendent selection process - #PSBsuperintendent2015.

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

George Postlethwait is the President of the Ontario Association of the Deaf. This issue is regarding the hiring of the new Superintendent of the Provincial Schools Branch, although at this point in time we are unsure of where they are in the interview process.



Postlethwait want to share with you that the Ontario Association of the Deaf is in full support of Rose Etheridge's advocacy efforts for the next incumbent of the Superintendent to be a Deaf individual. Rose is the mother of two Deaf children. We fully endorse the work she has done to engage the community thus far.

Both Donald Prong and Rose Etheridge have had separate meetings with Dr. June Rogers. OAD was left with the impression after these meetings that Dr. Rogers was student centered and whether or not this was her first time engaging with Deaf students, she seemed to have a genuine interest in listening to their issues and concerns... Read More: https://facebook.com/ontariodeaf/videos/



Led by Rose Etheridge, a Deaf mother of Deaf children. She's saying now is the time for a #‎Deaf president. She's saying there has been no #‎DeafSuperintendent in Canada for the entire country's history.

[Clarification: PSB = Provincial School Branch, not Board.]



One by one, Canadians are mobilizing to demand a Deaf president and end audism for once and for all. There is no alternative. And we have much to learn from their fight against oppression.



Rose Etheridge on twitter: "Thank YOU to Deaf teachers and Canadian communities for supporting #‎DeafSuperintendent" ... she tweeted.

@rcetheridge @OntarioEDU @CTVNews @CBC @TorontoStar @Kathleen_Wynne @JustinTrudeau @Ont_Ombudsman #Psbsuperintendent2015

— Rose Etheridge (@rcetheridge) October 28, 2015

Follow Rose Etheridge - https://twitter.com/rcetheridge



Follow #‎DeafSuperintendent2015

Twitter - https://twitter.com/hashtag/psbsuperintendent2015

Facebook - https://facebook.com/hashtag/psbsuperintendent2015

More Details on OAD Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/OntarioDeaf



Related Post: Canadian 'Deaf Superintendent Now' Petition



You might also like to see the post: #Deaf Canadians

Deaf Jam - Documentary Interpreted - Canada

VIDEO [CC] - Willow Yamauchi, who's Deaf in one ear, explores this in her documentary, “Deaf Jam.”

CBC VANCOUVER - Willow Yamauchi brings us the stories of people who are Deaf and have pursued unlikely careers in music. Her documentary is called "Deaf Jam".



Willow Yamauchi is a freelance broadcaster and author from Vancouver, Canada. As a child, Willow and her hippie parents lived "off grid" in a remote float house in Desolation Sound, BC. Her only connection to the outside world-often for months at a time-was the CBC radio.

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

Willow used to dream of telling stories on the CBC and can't believe this dream has actually come true! Deaf Jam was inspired by her own struggles with deafness and wanting to be a musician. Source



Note: Willow Yamauchi's "Deaf Jam" is a copycat from the original by Aneta Brodski, a Deaf teen living in New York City, discovers the power of American Sign Language poetry.



Related Post:

Deaf Jam Official Trailer

Deaf Jam At The Nine Community Cinema

The Totally Biased Deaf Jam