WPSD Newsmakers Program | Richard McGann

VIDEO [CC] - Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf Newsmakers Program with Mr. Richard McGann.



PITTSBURGH - This new edition of the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf (WPSD) Newsmaker Program! We were pleased to have the opportunity to visit with Mr. Richard McGann.



Mr. McGann shares his life experiences, his work to improve the lives of Deaf and Blind people, new technologies available for the Deaf and Blind, and his thoughts about the positive impacts of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Mr. Richard McGann, who is Deaf-Blind, He shared his story with the students and demonstrated some of the accommodations and technology that help him every day. The students were captivated! We are #wpsdproud.



Subscribe WPSD channel, https://youtube.com/channel/wpsd.



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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

British School For The Deaf In Sex Abuse Scandal

VIDEO [CC] - Exclusive: Woodford School for the Deaf in decades-long sex abuse scandal - BBC Newsnight documentary film.

LONDON - Newsnight and See Hear can for the first time name the perpetrator of horrific abuse carried out at a London (Woodford) school for the Deaf children over three decades.



The abuser was allowed to prey on the school's pupils even after he was convicted of indecently assaulting two of them, and barred by the Department for Education from being a proprietor of the school. His victims, who fought and failed to win justice, tell their story to Erika Jones.

When Deaf children are abused, they can have extra difficulties in letting people know what has happened. One incidence of abuse from an east London school for Deaf children has demonstrated the problem in a See Hear and Newsnight investigation which has named the perpetrator for the first time.



With limited vocabulary and lack of awareness, many children at Woodford School for Deaf Children tried to tell people they were being sexually abused by the husband of the headmistress, without success.



"There was a busy road with a playground and there'd be people walking past but we had no communication because we couldn't speak, we couldn't sign and they couldn't understand our voices," says James, not his real name, a pupil at the school in the early 1960s. "We'd try and write notes but our vocabulary was limited. The only word we knew was 'rude'."



It is difficult for a child to tell an adult that they have been touched inappropriately, sexually assaulted or raped. If that child is Deaf and can't speak well, or if they use sign language, then communicating even the simplest things can be a challenge... Read More: http://www.bbc.com/news/disability



NOTE: Woodford school for the Deaf' social media is shutting down include a web-site as well. What a shame, hearing Brits!



Follow Newsnight and See Hear:

Subscribe - https://youtube.com/bbcnewsnight

Facebook - https://facebook.com/bbcseehear

Blog - http://bbc.co.uk/blogs/seehear

Official Site - http://bbc.co.uk/programmes



Related Sex Abuse Post - #Sexual Abuse

Student Uses Hearing Loss To Motivate Others

VIDEO [CC] - A Scott County college student who was born Deaf is achieving things others thought were impossible.



WATE KNOXVILLE - After two surgeries that allowed her to hear and speak, for the first time she is hoping all of her accomplishments will show people hearing loss doesn’t have to hold anyone back.



WATE 6 On Your Side spoke with the student and her mom about the hearing implants that changed her life.



Before she had implant surgery, she tried to use hearing aids because if we could get benefit from that then would’ve been wonderful but unfortunately the hearing aids just didn’t work for her,” said Melissa Roberts Cheyenne’s Mother.

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18-year-old Cheyenne Roberts received her first cochlear implant from Advance Bionics at just 15-months-old, and her second when she was 12. Afterwards, she had to learn how to hear and speak for the very first time.



“I was a cheerleader and I was able to hear everybody else cheer and hear what was going on at the game so cochlear implants just really helped me,” said Cheyenne Roberts... Read more: http://wate.com/2015/09/13/college-student-uses-hearing-loss-to-motivate-others/

Petition | Illinois School For The Deaf From Audism

VIDEO: Campaign: Kids for ASL - Task Force Team: Free Illinois School for the Deaf from Audism.



JACKSONVILLE, IL - Change.org: A letter was sent to Illinois Secretary of Education Beth Purvis, with copies to Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner, Department of Human Services Director Kris Smith, Illinois School for the Deaf Advisory Council (ISDAC), Illinois School for the Deaf Alumni Association (ISDAA), Illinois Association of the Deaf (IADD), and several legislators about Illinois School for the Deaf (ISD) issues.



Your support in signing the petition will send a strong message to ISD to stop Cued Speech and Audism make important changes and to listen to Deaf children and parents. Sign up petition HERE.

Alumni of Illinois School for the Deaf, along with the Deaf community in the State of Illinois, would like to express our concerns with Illinois School for the Deaf (ISD) administrators and hearing faculties’ oppression towards Deaf Educators and other employees at ISD. Deaf employees of ISD experienced tremendous Discrimination and Oppression by hearing administrators and faculty over the years.



More than five families with multiple Deaf children left ISD because their parents were concerned about the well-being of their children and their success in education. The environment on ISD campus is not healthy nor is it a positive experience for Deaf students due to obvious discrimination and oppression of Deaf employees. Reaf more: https://www.change.org/p/kids-for-asl-task-force-team-free-illinois-school-for-the-deaf-from-audism



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Deaf School Fire: Perished Pupils Laid To Rest

VIDEO: Perished learners of N West School for the Deaf laid to rest.

Three Deaf students, who died in a fire at the Northwest School for Deaf in Leeudoringstad, will be buried at their respective home towns on Saturday and Sunday.



They died when their school hostel was gutted with fire on Monday morning. Over 50 others were injured.



The funerals for the three students preceded by a highly emotional memorial service that was held on Friday at Leeudoringstad.

Sixteen year old Katlego Diseko, will be buried at Ikopeleng village in Ramatlabama just outside Mahikeng.



Another learner, 18 year old Bulelwa Koni will be buried in Klerksdorp, while 22-year-old Emily Oageng will be laid to rest at Kuruman in the Northern Cape on Sunday.



Provincial Departmental officials from education, including MEC Wendy Matsemela are expected to attend the funerals. Source



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Deaf School Fire: 3 Dead, Dozen Injured

Deaf School Fire: 3 Dead, Dozen Injured

VIDEO [CC] Exclusive - Three pupils were killed in a fire in a Northwest School for Deaf hostel in Leeudoringstad, South Africa.

JOHANNESBURG - Deaf pupils had to jump from the first floor of the Northwest School for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children hostel in Leeudoringstad in the North West, after it became engulfed by fire.



Three pupils died and 23 were injured were injured and at least 40 beds destroyed in the early morning blaze.



North West police spokesperson Major Pelonomi Makau told eNCA: “Twenty three learners are being treated for smoke inhalation and minor injuries caused by jumping from the first floor to the ground floor to escape the fire.

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“They were rushed to Nic Bodenstein Hospital in Wolmaranstad where they are currently receiving treatment,” she added.



In a statement, North West Premier Supra Mahumapelo said: “Damages at the school include one hostel which hosts 40 beds, an administration block, a computer laboratory and two teachers’ flats.



Mahumapelo, who extended his condolences to the families of the dead pupils, said a technical committee had been set up to intervene at the school... Read more: http://enca.com/south-africa/three-dead-and-least-13-injured-school-deaf-fire



Deaf School Was Warned of Imminent Fire - The Northwest School for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children hostel was warned that it did not comply with the needs of the learners.



According to the Deaf Federation of South Africa , the warning was by US based Rochester Institute of Technology when they visited the school.



"Rochester Institute of Technology identified that the school does not comply to needs for Deaf Learners if there should be a fire, this report was handed to the Department of Education in the North West and nothing was done to ensure that Deaf learner’s safety needs are addressed," DeafSA said in a statement... Read more: http://enca.com/south-africa/deaf-school-was-warned-imminent-fire

Deaf Fremont School Football Team Interviews

VIDEO - California School for the Deaf - High School Media Day.



MaxPreps is America's source for high school sports, shares the video in American Sign Language. The Football USA High School Media Day: Exclusive interview with the California School for the Deaf Football Team - Fremont, CA.

Subscribe MaxPreps Channel - https://youtube.com/maxprepssports

Deaf Riverside School Sex Club - Rape Victim

EXCLUSIVE: Deaf student allegedly raped as part of Riverside school sex club.

KABC WEST LOS ANGELES - Phobias, nightmares and acting out. That's how baffled parents described the behavior of their once joyful 13-year-old boy. He is Deaf and could not explain. Then came the call from his school.



"My son was raped. He was forced to participate in oral sex," his mother Geneva White-Sosanya said.



She and her husband Tunde Sosanya have filed a lawsuit claiming negligence. Watch CC Video - KABC EXCLUSIVE NEWS



They had enrolled their son at the California School for the Deaf in Riverside, an institution that brings special-needs students from across the state to live on campus. Supervisors used computerized surveillance to help monitor students, especially at night.



"My son was bullied. He was forced. He was drug from his bed at night and this happened while the randomized computer checks were in place," said the distraught mother.



The parents were especially disturbed by how long the school waited to notify them of the attack. They were contacted three months after it happened and had not been present to comfort him when he was questioned by investigators. The school told the parents that seven other students were also involved.



"Gut wrenching," the boy's father Tunde Sosanya said. "I was with my wife when we got that news. My wife broke down crying."



Because the state operates the school, the California Highway Patrol and Child Protective Services were called to conduct a criminal investigation into what the Sosanya's attorney says was a sex club... Read more: http://abc7.com/news/exclusive-deaf-student-allegedly-raped-as-part-of-riverside-school-sex-club/