Deaf News Today

Nyle DiMarco on OK shooting
Deaf News Today Nyle DiMarco, the first deaf winner of America’s Next Top Model and a Dancing with the Stars alum, is speaking out about the police shooting that killed a deaf man in Oklahoma City. He says, “I have no words at all. The neighbors SCREAMED to tell the police that he is Deaf. Police still shoots. And the Deaf guy was innocent." Read More at DeafNewsToday.com
Sun, Sep 24 2017

Deaf stepdad gets emotional over heartfelt surprise
Deaf News Today A devoted deaf stepdad is reduced to tears when his step kids surprise him with adoption requests. Read More at DeafNewsToday.com
Sun, Sep 24 2017

More on the Deaf man shot by police this Week
Deaf News Today Earlier this week we told you about a deaf man who was shot and killed by police in Oklahoma City. Now there is surveillance video of the car crash that led to the confrontation. You can see the video below. Apparently there is home video of the shooting but the police have possession of it and have not made it public. Read more about what happened in the Daily Mail. ...
Sat, Sep 23 2017

Flirting in ASL
Deaf News Today CUT offers a video showing how to flirt. Read More at DeafNewsToday.com
Sat, Sep 23 2017

Meet Chance the Rapper's Interpreter
Deaf News Today image from DEAFinitely Dope YouTube page "Matt Maxey—who, along with his company, DEAFinitely Dope, is translating the magic of Chance shows for deaf concertgoers, writes Ashley Fetters."Maxey's ASL interpretation is an explosive, code-switching mishmash of textbook American Sign Language, pantomime, and makeshift signs he's cobbled together for slang words native ...
Fri, Sep 22 2017

Confrontation over Service Dog in Restaurant
Deaf News Today A woman in Delaware gave a profanity-laced lecture to a veteran about his service dog when he brought the animal into a restaurant. The three minute tyrade was caught on video at Kathy’s Crab House & Family Restaurant in Delaware City. The video is posted below but there are no captions. You can read more about what happened here. Read More at DeafNewsToday.com
Thu, Sep 21 2017

Deaf Man Killed by OK Police
Deaf News Today Oklahoma City Police shot and killed a deaf man holding a metal pipe last night. The officers told him to drop the pipe while witnesses say they yelled that the man was deaf. Here is a news conference about the shooting (no captions). NewsOK has a written story here and interviewed some of the neighbors on the scene and you can see that video below. Read More at D...
Wed, Sep 20 2017

Why many Deaf Prisoners can’t Phone Home
Deaf News Today If deaf inmates are trying to reach their deaf friends and family, the person receiving the call must also have a TTY to answer. But most deaf individuals have switched to video relay in the last several years, leaving prisoners no way to call, according to a Wired article. The magazine quotes Mary Ann McBride as saying, “I have deaf brothers and some deaf friends a...
Wed, Sep 20 2017

History's Deaf Astronomer
Deaf News Today On this date (Sept 17) in 1764, John Goodricke was born in the Netherlands, though he lived most of his life in England. Goodricke only survived to the age of 21, but the deaf astronomer made a major impact on his field. Working with Edward Pigott, Goodricke learned to measure the variation of light coming from stars. This would eventually lead astronomers to figure o...
Sun, Sep 17 2017

On this day in History.. Miss America
Deaf News Today On this date (Sept. 17) in 1994, Heather Whitestone of Alabama became the first deaf Miss America. Read More at DeafNewsToday.com
Sun, Sep 17 2017

This Day in History: The 1st deaf player in the NFL
Deaf News Today Bonnie Sloan in the NFL On this day (Sept. 16) in 1973, the first deaf player ran onto the field for the St. Louis Cardinals against the Philadelphia Eagles. Bonnie Sloan played in four games at defensive tackle and only lasted one season, because of knee injuries, but he had made his mark at the age of 25. The 6-foot-5, 260-pounder was a 10th-round draft pick out of...
Sat, Sep 16 2017

Boy Gets Implant: Parents get Matching Tattoos
Deaf News Today Two Kentucky parents got matching tattoos inked on their heads to look like their two-year-old son’s new cochlear implant. They say they didn't want him to feel different. WAVE-TV has a video report.wave3.com-Louisville News, Weather & Sports Read More at DeafNewsToday.com
Fri, Sep 15 2017

The Man in Yellow
Deaf News Today image from video of Sept. 8 Manatee County news conference A viral video shows a news conference in Manatee County, Florida as Hurricane Irma approached. What makes the video of interest is the fact that the sign language "interpreter" didn't know how to sign. Tampa's WFLA-TV reports the man, Marshall Greene, is a lifeguard who works in the county's marine rescue un...
Fri, Sep 15 2017

Court: No Website Accessibility an ADA violation
Deaf News Today A Florida ruling says Winn-Dixie violated the Americans with Disabilities Act "because its website was inaccessible to a visually-impaired customer." Stephen Stern writes, "the court’s decision is significant because it joined the courts that have found websites can be places of public accommodation that require accessibility for individuals with disabilities" and "...
Wed, Sep 13 2017

Horrible and embarrassing
Deaf News Today The interpreter at an emergency-warning press conference in a Florida County was “horrible and embarrassing” says one certified interpreter. The Bradenton Herald reports here on what happened at the Manatee County Emergency Operations Center updates. Below is a video of his signing. Read More at DeafNewsToday.com
Mon, Sep 11 2017

Journalism & "Inspiration Porn"
Deaf News Today "For decades, the media has tended to portray people with disabilities (or those around them) as inspirations or heroes—a genre of reporting known as 'inspiration porn.'” writes Wendy Lu in the Columbia Journalism Review. She says, "This emotion-driven journalism is the hallmark of inspiration porn" which was "popularized in a TED talk that the late Australian act...
Sun, Sep 10 2017

Annoying Questions
Deaf News Today Cut.com asked a group of BSL users to share some of the annoying questions they get from hearing people. Among the questions: “Can you drive?” and “Can you read and write?” Read More at DeafNewsToday.com
Wed, Aug 30 2017

Deaf Music Fans Are Finally Starting To Be Heard
Deaf News Today Buzzfeed takes a look at how ASL and deaf music fans have found a place at festivals and concerts in recent years in an article here. Read More at DeafNewsToday.com
Tue, Aug 29 2017

Starbucks sign language aprons
Deaf News Today picture of Katie Giles from Starbucks.com Starbucks is giving its deaf employees special green aprons with Starbucks spelled out in American Sign Language. It's the idea of barista Katie Giles who works at the coffee shop in Frederick, Maryland. Starbucks says, "The aprons, recommended by Giles, serve as both a visual cue for customers and a point of Deaf cultural p...
Tue, Aug 29 2017

Deaf singer makes it to ‘America’s Got Talent’...
Deaf News Today A Colorado singer moved into the semifinals of “America’s Got Talent” after performing a song she wrote called Mara's Song. The judges stood and gave Mandy Harvey a standing ovation when she finished. Mandy Harvey lost her hearing as as teen. Here's a video of that performance. Read More at DeafNewsToday.com
Fri, Aug 25 2017

Witnesses question use of police force on deaf man
Deaf News Today Witnesses say San Diego Police used excessive force on a deaf man. One told KGTV,"It ends up with three men on top of him. This poor man on the ground can't even communicate, but they are forcing him down on the ground over a parking ticket." Here's a video report from the TV station. Read More at DeafNewsToday.com
Tue, Aug 22 2017

Deaf Man Refused Service at Restaurant
Deaf News Today A London restaurant threw a deaf man out this past weekend because he had his service dog with him. The Gourmet Burger Kitchen franchise is now apoligizing. Read the story in The Mirror here. Read More at DeafNewsToday.com
Tue, Aug 22 2017

Name Change for SC School Foundation
Deaf News Today The fundraising arm of the South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind is changing its name. The Walker Foundation will now be known as the SCSDB Foundation. Foundation board chair Lynne Burton says, “We have a new name but the same important mission. The school has strong support throughout the state, and our foundation needed a name that individuals could imm...
Thu, Aug 17 2017

App Maker: Apple Earbuds can work as low-tech Amplifiers
Deaf News Today A free app called Fennex can turn Apple’s AirPods wireless earbuds into audio amplifiers, according to the Switzerland-based company behind the app. It says the app "functions like a 'cheap hearing aid'" which "tests your hearing in each ear and uses those results to act as a personalized, adjustable amplifier." And while a traditional hearing aid will differentiate...
Tue, Aug 15 2017

The Hero of a new Video Game will use ASL
Deaf News Today A video game coming this winter to PlayStation VR features a mouse who uses sign language to give players hints. The game is called Moss where players help a mouse named Quill "as she embarks on a heroic adventure." Read more about Moss in Kotaku. Below is an interview with the art director of the game. Read More at DeafNewsToday.com
Mon, Aug 14 2017

Deaf Man Prevented from Serving on Grand Jury
Deaf News Today A Minnesota man wasn't allowed to serve on a grand jury because he is deaf. Mark Valimont is now suing the state. He wants the court staffed to be better trained and compensatory damages “in excess of $50,000.” Read more at the Star-Tribune here. Read More at DeafNewsToday.com
Fri, Aug 11 2017

Lawsuit against St. Paul Police
Deaf News Today A deaf woman says she was mistreated by the St. Paul police department. Catrina Hooper says she felt "hurt and afraid" after her encounter with officers. KSTP-TV has a video report. Read More at DeafNewsToday.com
Fri, Aug 11 2017

Details on Apple's Cochlear Implant iPhone Accessory
Deaf News Today Last month, we told you about Apple's plan to partner with Austrailian company Cochlear to launch the first Made For iPhone Cochlear implant. The device will be able to stream audio from an iOS device directly to a surgically embedded sound processor. Now, Wired magazine has more details on the technology here. Read More at DeafNewsToday.com
Wed, Aug 09 2017

NTID gets $2.6 million Grant
Deaf News Today image of Matthew Dyefrom ntid.rit.edu A federal grant of $2.6 million will be used by the National Technical Institute for the Deaf to study the results of cochlear implants. The researcher leading the study, Matthew Dye, says sometimes the results are positive but sometimes "cochlear implant recipients never develop usable speech and oral-language skills." This rese...
Tue, Aug 08 2017

1st Deaf School Super Welcomes Students
Deaf News Today The Tennessee School for the Deaf has its first deaf superintendent and she is welcoming students back for the new school year.  WVLT-TV has a video and written report on what NancyLynn Ward is doing in her first year here. Read More at DeafNewsToday.com
Tue, Aug 08 2017

A deaf man’s death leads to a change in NC law
Deaf News Today Adam DeVenny was shot and killed by a North Carolina state trooper after a high-speed chase. Now, a new law will go into effect in January as a result laset year. House Bill 84 allows deaf drivers to have a symbol included on their driver’s licenses. That way, when a police officer stops someone and checks their license number, this information will come up. Read mo...
Fri, Aug 04 2017

ASL interpreters visualize noise for deaf fans at...
Deaf News Today Amber Galloway-Gallego has choosen not to use a traditional style of interpreting: Instead of avoiding movement that might distract from music performances or trying to represent the musical instruments, she and some other ASL interpreters hope to bring their work to life with a full-immersion style of communicating. Read the story here. Read More at DeafNewsToday.com
Wed, Aug 02 2017

The Deaf and the Civil War
Deaf News Today A new book tells what deaf people did during the Civil War. Written by Harry Lang, who teaches at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, the book is called Fighting in the Shadows: The Untold Story of Deaf People in the Civil War. Lang says the book is about "how they put aside the oppression and discrimination they faced in order to join the greater conflict ...
Tue, Aug 01 2017

Happy Birthday Bob Hiltermann!
Deaf News Today Deaf since the age of 4, Bob Hiltermann was born on this day (August 1, 1952) in Germany, the tenth of eleven children born. A bout with meningitis left him deaf but he wasn't diagnosed until the age of ten. Hiltermann learned ASL while attending Gallaudet University in Washington, DC and later formed MuSign (a Signing/Mime company). He acted with Marlee Matlin in Chi...
Tue, Aug 01 2017

Familiy "very angry" about accident
Deaf News Today A Gallaudet student walking in a crosswalk was seriously hurt when a dump truck hit her in Washington, DC. Bianca Butler and her family now have questions about the driver who fled the scene. He was involved in a similar accident just a couple of years ago. DC's News4 has a video report. Read the story here. "" Read More at DeafNewsToday.com
Mon, Jul 31 2017

the first Cochlear Implant made for the iPhone
Deaf News Today Apple and hearing implant company Cochlear are partnering to first made for iPhone Cochlear implant. The "Made for iPhone" implant will be able stream audio from iPhones and iPads. It includes   controls and monitoring options for parents. ZDnet has details here. Read More at DeafNewsToday.com
Wed, Jul 26 2017

On this day.. the ADA was signed into law
Deaf News Today It was on this day (July 25, 1990) that President George H.W. Bush signed the American Disablity Act into law. Senator Tom Harkin says the ADA law was inspired by his deaf brother. The Iowa Democrat says watching his brother, Frank, struggle against social barriers motivated him to push the ADA bill through the U.S. Congress. The law prohibits private employers, state...
Tue, Jul 25 2017

Looking Back.. 14 years ago
Deaf News Today On this date (July 23) in 2003, a revival of Big River opened on Broadway with a cast of hearing and deaf actors. Roger Miller's 1985 musical about Huck Finn was the first Broadway show to do so since the 1980's Children of a Lesser God. The show was a co-production of the Roundabout Theater Company and West Hollywood's Deaf West Theater. Read More at DeafNewsToday.co...
Sun, Jul 23 2017

Deaf Man Attacked In Robbery
Deaf News Today Hector Reyna was walking out of a fast-food restaurant in Santa Ana, California Wednesday when he was attacked and robbed by a man with a knife. The man also attacked a responding officer. CBS-LA has a video report. Read More at DeafNewsToday.com
Fri, Jul 21 2017

The Shape of Water
Deaf News Today A new movie hits theaters in December in which ASL plays a major role. The Shape of Water tells the story of a lonely woman who works in a high-security government laboratory. There, she discovers a secret classified experiment. Read More at DeafNewsToday.com
Fri, Jul 21 2017

Fierce Debate Over Sign Language
Deaf News Today Last month, we told you about a controversial new study that concluded that using sign language when a child has a cochlear implant holds children back from language development. Education Week has a report on some of responses here. Read More at DeafNewsToday.com
Wed, Jul 19 2017

Deaf Comedian in Hit Film
Deaf News Today image from Sony Deaf comedian CJ Jones has a part in the hit movie Baby Driver. He plays Joseph, the foster father to the main character. Yahoo Movies says, "In a film full of such bold-face names as Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, and Jon Hamm, it’s the authentic, nuanced work of Jones and the touching relationship between Baby and Joseph that drive so many of the movie...
Tue, Jul 18 2017

$1 Million Grant
Deaf News Today A million dollar federal grant will be used to develop a Scientists-In-Training program for deaf and hard of hearing undergraduates at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. Read more here. Read More at DeafNewsToday.com
Sun, Jul 16 2017

Teen allegedly killed deaf mom
Deaf News Today A teenager in Illinois faces charges she killed her deaf mom and attempted to cover it up the death by setting the home on fire. Police say the 15-year-old waited for her mom to come home from work and told her mom to place a towel over her face before shooting her mom in the forehead. Read more details from Sauk Valley Media here. WQAD-TV spoke withe the girl's sist...
Fri, Jul 14 2017

NTID's 1st Diversity Director
Deaf News Today image from RIT.edu The Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf has its first director of diversity and inclusion. Stephanie Smith Albert has worked at several deaf schools, the latest being the Ohio School for the Deaf. Read more about her here. Read More at DeafNewsToday.com
Fri, Jul 14 2017

Marlee Matlin joins Battle of the Network Stars
Deaf News Today Image from marleematlin.net Oscar-Winner Marlee Matlin will join other celebrities tonight for the reboot of The Battle of the Network Stars. A team of actors who played TV lawyers will face cast members who were on shows about the White House. The show orginally ran on ABC from 1976-1988. You can watch Battle of the Network Stars Thursday at 9pm, Eastern on ABC. ...
Thu, Jul 13 2017

More than $1 million for State School
Deaf News Today The New York State School for the Deaf more than a million dollars for building improvements from the state goverment. The school's roof, windows, electrical, heating and ventilation systems will be improved with the funds.School Superintendent David Hubman, “The funding provided will allow us to renovate and prevent the building from further deterioration. This bui...
Thu, Jul 13 2017

Deaf Woman attacked at bus stop
Deaf News Today A stranger sucker punched a deaf woman in Dallas. KDFW-TV has a video report about what happened to Cindy Tarkington. Read More at DeafNewsToday.com
Wed, Jul 12 2017

On this Day.. Ed Dundon was born
Deaf News Today Ed "Dummy" Dundon was the first deaf player to play baseball professionally. He was born on this day (July 10) in 1859. After attending the Ohio State School for the Deaf, Dundon went on to play several years of professional baseball. He had two seasons with the Columbus Buckeyes before retiring and becoming an umpire. During his hitch with the Buckeyes in 1883 a...
Mon, Jul 10 2017

On this Date... Sentenced to Life in Prison
Deaf News Today It was on this date (July 10) in 2002 that a District of Columbia judge sentenced Joseph Mesa, Jr. to six life terms without the possibility of parole for the murders of two Gallaudet classmates. The 22-year-old from Guam was convicted of first beating Eric Plunkett to death in September of 2000 and then stabbing Benjamin Varner to death in February of 2001. Both atta...
Mon, Jul 10 2017