Medical Research: Parents of children with severe epilepsy are turning to medical marijuana in a desperate attempt to find relief and a life for their kids. Meanwhile, the medical community grapples with how to deal with the growing popularity of an unproven cure.



An article from Today's Parent: The day before Mandy McKnight gave her then six-year-old son Liam cannabis oil for the first time, he had 70 serious tonic-clonic (formerly known as grand mal) seizures. A few times an hour, around the clock, he would lose consciousness while his whole body stiffened and convulsed for about three minutes. On top of the seizures and the exhaustion and disorientation that followed, Liam was knocked out by the side effects of the cocktail of anticonvulsant drugs he was taking several times a day. “Most of the time he would just lie on the couch drooling, basically catatonic,” says McKnight. “It was a nightmare.”



Liam, now eight, has Dravet syndrome, a severe form of epilepsy caused by a rare genetic mutation. He was diagnosed when he started having seizures at nine months old. Before then, he had been a healthy, happy baby. Over the next five years, Liam was placed on 10 different medications and a special diet, but nothing worked: his seizures were becoming more intense and more frequent. Prolonged and repeated seizures (ones that last longer than five minutes and don’t allow for recovery between them) can be life-threatening, and by 2013, McKnight says she and her husband needed to act. “We felt like Liam was going to die if we didn’t do something.” They had heard success stories from other parents of kids with Dravet syndrome who were experimenting with cannabis oil-edible oil infused with strains of medical marijuana with high levels of cannabidiol (CBD), a chemical that may reduce the frequency of seizures. They decided to give it a try. Liam’s paediatric neurologist was skeptical and refused to write a prescription for an unproven treatment, but they were hopeful, excited even. “We felt like it could be life changing for our family,” says McKnight, who has two older daughters.



They were so anxious they travelled from their home in Ottawa to meet with a paediatrician in Edmonton, recommended by friends in their community, who was willing to write a prescription for medical marijuana. Reassured, the McKnights mail-ordered dried marijuana from their assigned licensed producer, and then worked with a Montreal-based medical marijuana dispensary to learn how to turn it into edible cannabis oil. In June 2014, after his inaugural dose of high-CBD cannabis oil, Liam had his first seizure-free day in two years-and then he went 10 more days without seizing. He started walking around, talking and feeding himself. “All of a sudden, he was looking us in the eye for the first time,” remembers McKnight. “I was finally really meeting my kid, who had been living in a fog of medication and seizures.”



McKnight is part of a growing network of parents whose children have rare, difficult-to-treat forms of epilepsy who have exhausted traditional options and are turning to medical marijuana. These parents swap cannabis oil recipes on Facebook, share contacts for neurologists who are willing to write referrals to medical marijuana clinics and spend thousands of dollars a year on specialized plant strains (none of which are covered by drug plans).



The idea of using CBD on kids went mainstream in 2013, after a documentary by Sanjay Gupta, a US neurosurgeon and medical reporter, featured the story of a six-year-old Colorado girl with Dravet syndrome who had experienced a dramatic decrease in seizures while on a daily CBD oil regimen. High-CBD cannabis oil is used commonly, and with great anecdotal success, for kids with severe epilepsy, but there are also reports of parents using it to treat their children’s autism, ADHD and anxiety. So far, most of what parents have to go on are reports from other families, though initial clinical studies of CBD are beginning to build evidence to support what parents using it already know. But with research very much in its infancy and no long-term studies or standardized product they can prescribe, most paediatric neurologists are reluctant to recommend cannabis for kids. In fact, the Canadian Paediatric Society recently released a statement saying that while research is ongoing, cannabis should only be considered as a possible treatment in “exceptional cases.” In the meantime, some desperate parents are forging ahead, accessing cannabis through Canada’s legal medical marijuana program and figuring out on their own how to dose their kids.



Using marijuana to treat children can seem radical-as a recreational drug, it’s still illegal, and some research on heavy-pot-smoking teens suggests it can damage developing brains. Even for parents who now give it to their kids, the idea took some getting used to. “I was never a recreational user,” McKnight says. “If you had told me five years ago I’d be doing this, I would have said, ‘You’re crazy! I’m not giving my kid cannabis!’” Vancouver mom Sherri Brown has given CBD oil to her six-year-old son Quinn, who was diagnosed with epilepsy and autism. She’s become accustomed to fielding questions and criticisms from parents on social media. “Somebody jumped on me in an autism Facebook group and commented, ‘That’s irresponsible,’” Brown says. “The stigma around it being a dangerous illegal drug is going to persist for awhile.”



Medical marijuana advocates are quick to explain that not all cannabis products are the same. Parents of kids with drug-resistant epilepsy choose CBD oil because it’s made from strains of the cannabis sativa plant that are bred to be both high in CBD and very low in tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the chemical responsible for the stereotypical “stoner” high. It’s important to note that kids dosed with high-CBD, low-THC oil are not getting high-in fact, McKnight and some other parents say that, compared with their kids’ lethargic, stoned behaviour on traditional anticonvulsant pharmaceuticals, when they’re on CBD, they appear brighter, more active and more engaged in the world... Read More The Full Story.

Deaf News: Deaf teen leaves rural community for fresh start in Regina school due to sign language boost socialization in the capital of Saskatchewan.



CBC REGINA, SK -- For those in remote and rural Sask., a hearing impairment can present major challenges. Seventeen-year-old Shayla Tanner, who is Deaf, has faced challenges academically and socially in her home community but has seen tremendous growth in the past three years.



She recalls that with few in her community of Cowessess First Nation knowing sign language, she fell behind in school and socializing. 'I just felt horrible'



"With my work I really felt like I just wanted to give up with it," she said through her interpreter as she signed. "I couldn't communicate with my friends and I felt like I was just having a breakdown.





"With reading, when I used my voice while at my old school there were four kids and they said they couldn't understand me, and I just felt horrible about that."



Tanner says she would try to read lips and write notes to speak to others in her community.



"They would talk slow to me, but I still didn't understand. They would talk and I just didn't really get it."



Making friends was more difficult than it is now.



New beginning at Regina high school. It was her special education teacher who suggested she go to school at Thom Collegiate in Regina, Saskatchewan.



Thom teacher Joanne Weber, who is Deaf herself, runs a class that has been highly praised for the way it focuses on visual learning and sign language.



Art could be the next big breakthrough in Deaf education.



And so, three years ago, Tanner left Cowessess and moved in with her brother in Regina so that she could join the program.



It's was a challenge, she says. She learned a more in-depth version of American Sign Language and gained a better grasp of English grammar... Read More.

Deaf News: Dozens of local Deaf and students and their service providers are dreading a recent announcement Deaf Schools into closures in Ontario.





BELLEVILLE, ON -- Intelligencer: Dozens of local Deaf and learning disabled students and their service providers are dreading a recent announcement of the need for efficiency at five specialized institutions across the province will translate into school closures.



Union representatives held a meeting in Belleville Friday to rally students, staff and parent support in their bid to stave off what they say will be imminent school closures unless action is taken to demonstrate a strong case for why local public schools aren’t properly equipped to provide the specialized services delivered by institution like Sir James Whitney and Sagonaska Demonstration Secondary School.



“Closure are going to happen if we don’t do something,” said Daryl O’Grady, local president for the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU). “We’re getting a campaign together to fight.”



He said the Education Ministry is linking planned reductions to declining Deaf student enrollment.



“They sat back and watched these programs get to where they are now so they can come and say we don’t have the numbers,” O’Grady said. “As a union we will be calling them out on that. This is a good turnout and it shows that people are concerned here,” he said, of the meeting held at the Travelodge Hotel on Friday.



Ann Carr, a former counsellor at the local schools, warned that inaction will be costly once the school year ends and changes are implemented in the fall.



“These children need people qualified to be with them,” Carr said. “When these children go into the regular system they’re just going to have someone who took a regular sign language course. If I were you guys I would go to the local public board and find out what they’re going to do for your kids before the cuts come.



“You are in danger,” Carr said. “These kids have a right.”



She urged students and staff to lobby the mayor and other levels of government to back their campaign to protect jobs and specialized student education here.



“If you don’t do it now, at the end of June you guys are going to have nothing,” said Carr. “At the end of June they’re going to say goodbye. This is for real, you have to start moving today.”



Sarah Colbeck is not only a social worker providing services at both aforementioned schools, but she’s also speaks from the unique perspective of being a mother with four children taught at the Dundas Street West site.



“Deaf children get full access to certain services for free,” Colbeck said of the current system, which if changed will force parents to either send students to schools farther away or foot the bill to find services and American Sign Language tutors.



“Once you close that school it’s going to be a disaster,” Colbeck said. “It’s going to have a big impact on the hearing schools (public schools) as well because they’re not prepared to cater to each student’s needs. Many professionals in these schools have no idea how to approach a Deaf child and their needs.”



The other option is send children to public schools with limited resources to tailor to each student’s individual needs.



“The community and parents have to work together and fight,” Colbeck said. “We have to spread more awareness that the schools actually benefit the children.” The prospect of job losses also hangs over her head.



In her current role, Colbeck is employed .5 at Sir James Whitney and .5 at Sagonaska, so “if Sagonaska closes I would lose .5 of my job this fall and how am I supposed to support my family,” she said through an interpreter. Source



Related Post: #Deaf Canadians - #Deaf Schools

VIDEO [CC] - Deaf News: Deaf-Blind housing project will be first of its kind in Manitoba, Canada.



CBC WINNIPEG -- 10 suites at Gas Station Arts Centre redevelopment will be designed for Deaf-Blind people. Winnipeg will soon be one of the first cities in Canada to have specialized housing designed for people who are both Deaf and Blind.



Bonnie Heath, executive director of the Resource Centre for Manitobans who are Deaf-Blind, has put down payments on 10 suites in the residential portion of the new Gas Station Arts Centre, which is slated for the corner of River Avenue and Osborne Street.





"We're very excited," Heath said, adding that the need for this kind of housing is great.



"The Deaf-Blind individuals that I'm in contact with in their own homes right now feel isolated and unsafe."



She added, "You have a combination of you can't see and you can't hear; you don't know who's coming into your place. You don't know, for example, one of my Deaf-Blind friends said she wouldn't even know the toilet was running over until the water was at her ankles in the dining room."



Heath works with dozens of Manitobans who are Deaf-Blind - people with a combination of no vision or low vision and hearing that rely on interpreters to communicate.



The apartments will not only bring members of the Deaf-Blind community under one roof, the apartments will be designed with them and for them for safer and easier living, said Heath.



"Sharp edges, you know, things that we take for granted when we can see, getting around corners - those types of things will be avoided."



Winnipeg-based architect Steve Cohlmeyer, whose resume includes The Forks, will tackle the project, which he acknowledges will be a first for him.



"At the level of problem-solving, I think it's really exciting - and exciting because there's a whole service aspect and a kind of integration of a whole group I was unaware of when I first got the call," he said.



Some of the features Cohlmeyer is considering is a tactile approach to design - for example, surfaces that will distinguish between rooms.



"For people who have no sight and zero hearing, we'll certainly want to explore the kinds of things you can help feel your way through a space," he said, adding that for people with partial sight, high-contrast spaces may be important.



"Exaggerated colour difference or dark and light contrast will be a helpful thing to have," he said. "So you can see where a door cabinet is against a light floor as opposed to all-white cabinets and all-white floors."



In the coming months, Cohlmeyer will visit Deaf-Blind clients to "watch how they live" to source his design solutions. He said he is also travelling to Toronto and the United States to visit existing Deaf-Blind housing to learn what works well and what doesn't.



"Even when you're well-acquainted with an environment you can still bump into things, so we want to be watching and learning as much as we can about how we facilitate movement and operation of equipment within the unit itself and how they can move again between the unit and even elevators and an outdoor terrace." Source



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Deaf 'Peg Faced 'Disrespect' During Traffic Stops

Study on Sarcasm and American Sign Language

Deaf Canadian's Gallaudet Dream

Manitoba Deaf Athletes To Get More Sign Language Help

Manitoba Swimmer At Deaflympics

Deaf Homeless Man In Compassionate Gesture

Deaf Canadian Curling Champion Dies

Winnipeg Most Racist City In Canada: Maclean's

VIDEO [CC] - Canadian Hearing Society: Modern fire safety for people who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.



TORONTO -- Bellman & Symfon “Visit” Package The Visit smoke alarm/transmitter and alarm clock with bedshaker. This alarm detects smoke and smoldering fire immediately and the transmitter sends the signal to the alarm clock receiver to alert you. Smoke alarms are essential to help you feel safe and protected in your home.





For more information, contact us at Phone: 1.800.465.4327 TTY: 1.877.215.9530 or visit our website www.chs.ca/bellman.



Note: None of Deaf Talent to hire for advertising for the Deaf Canadians community? Canadian Hearing Society is focusing on oral and hear without sign language nor Deaf culture. Canadian Hearing Society is NOT recommended to the Deaf association, organization and community in Canada.



Related Post: #Canadian Hearing Society

Deaf News - Deaf students abused by priests at Clercs de St. Viateur win record $30-million settlement in Quebec, Canada.





MONTREAL, PQ -- For the 150 victims, Deaf and severely traumatized, it took decades to come forward with their accounts of sexual abuse at the hands of the Clercs de Saint-Viateur.



But they finally named the 33 priests and religious staff and five lay people who they say abused them at the Montreal Institute for the Deaf, a boarding-school for young boys run by the Clercs, and on Wednesday they were awarded $30 million – by far the largest settlement for sexual assault in Quebec history.



At the top of the list is Father Anthime Paiement, accused of sexual assault by 24 young boys at the Institute. Most of the boys were around 10 or 11 years old at the time; some were as young as seven. Paiement’s obituary in 1998, at the age of 91, said he devoted his entire life to the Deaf, as a teacher and chaplain at the Institute, among other places.



Then came Brother Philippe Paquette, who 10 victims said repeatedly assaulted them, in the dormitory or the classrooms or priests’ quarters, where he lived from 1949 to 1984.



According to his obituary, his tasks included teaching the “little ones,” surveillance, cinema, and discipline. He died in 2009 at the age of 82.



Brother Gérard Barrette, meanwhile, was accused by seven plaintiffs in the class action suit of anal rape, among other things. Perhaps he is still alive.



The abuse spanned from 1940 to 1982. Some of the victims were abused over the Christmas holidays. Some were abused throughout their first year at the school on St-Laurent Blvd. in Villeray in 1962. Others were assaulted on a regular basis, over their entire stay – up to seven years’ time.



The list of abusers also includes the director of the institute, the nurse, the dormitory supervisor, and the priest at the confessional. According to one victim, the boys soon stopped going to confession. Another said he was abused by a priest, and when he sought help at the infirmary, he was assaulted there too.



For Robert Kugler, who has represented the victims since the class action lawsuit was launched in 2010, the amount of the award reflects the extent of the abuse and the vulnerability of the victims.



“All the victims were handicapped – they were Deaf and had difficulty communicating. They were stuck,” said Kugler, of the firm Kugler Kandestin. “It’s simply tragic.”



While no amount of money can replace what the victims lost in their lives, Kugler continued, it can help them move forward, get therapy and improve the rest of their lives.



The Clercs de Saint-Viateur du Canada will pay $20 million, while the Institut Raymond-Dewar – the new name for the Montreal Institute for the Deaf, as of 1984 – will pay $10 million.



If divided equally among the 150 victims, the $30 million would amount to $200,000 each.



But Kugler expects more victims will likely come forward, now that they have reason to believe it will lead to compensation. And an adjudicator, former Court of Appeals Judge André Forget, will be tasked with interviewing the plaintiffs, in private, to determine whether they deserve the base amount of compensation, 25 per cent more, or 50 per cent more, depending on the gravity of the abuse, and the gravity of the consequences of the abuse.



In 2011, the Congrégation de Sainte-Croix accepted to pay $18 million to former students who were sexually abused between 1950 and 1991 by members of the order in various schools, including Notre-Dame College in Montreal. Read The Full Story.



Related:

Montreal Institute For The Deaf Ex-Students Allege Horrific Abuses

Sexual Abuses Children At Montreal School For The Deaf

Mea Maxima Culpa Silence In House Of God



Related Post: #Deaf Canadians

VIDEO [CC] - Longhand (2015) - A short film in sign language about Deaf love in the military.





Toronto International Deaf Film & Arts Festival -- Amanda is hard of hearing. She dreams of being in the military as her father did before her. When she applies, she meets Ben, who works at the recruitment office. Ben has recently lost his hearing while serving a tour of duty with the military in the Middle East. They begin a relationship. Longhand is a story about balancing the physical, emotional challenges in life and fight for their aspirational dreams.





Starring Amanda Richer and Jesse LaVercombe.

Directed by John Marcucci.



IMDb Info - Full Cast & Crew



Like on Facebook - https://facebook.com/longhand



Related Post: @Deaf Film

Deaf News: Canadian schools for the Deaf facing lawsuit alleging abuse.





CBC HALIFAX -- A Halifax law firm says it has filed a statement of claim in Nova Scotia Supreme Court alleging systemic sexual, physical, and mental abuse against Deaf children who attended two segregated residential schools in the province.



Lawyer Ray Wagner says Wednesday's move is an important step in a proposed class action lawsuit that still needs to be certified by a judge before proceeding to trial.



The schools named in the claim are the School for the Deaf in Halifax and the Interprovincial School for the Education of the Deaf in Amherst.



The Nova Scotia government has also been named as a defendant in allegations that have not been proven in court.



The claim alleges the province, which was responsible for the operation and oversight of the institutions, chose not to properly investigate or stop the abuse and mistreatment of the children, and that its actions constitute negligence and breach of fiduciary duty.



The law firm says that to date it has been contacted by over 150 former students of the two schools. Source



Another class action was proposed in 2010 by Merchant Law group of Saskatchewan. Two other men were named as lead plaintiffs in that action. But there's no indication it has proceeded beyond the initial filing.



60 people signed up.



There have also been criminal allegations against staff at the schools over the years.



Wagner said a lot of people have already expressed interest in joining this proposed class action.



"We held a town hall meeting at the Halifax library where there were approximately 80 people had attended to listen to what we were saying and proposing with a class action," Wagner told CBC News.



"And already at this early stage we have 60 people that have signed up."



Wagner's firm also a multi-million dollar settlement in the Home for Coloured Children case.



"We're hearing the same stories, the same narrative," Wagner said. "It is a very common experience, both by people in the school for the Deaf and the Nova Scotia Home for Coloured children."



Wagner said people wanting to join the lawsuit over the schools for the Deaf will have to be patient. He said the suit must wait two months before the next step is taken, and he predicts any litigation is still many months away. Source



Class action lawsuit alleges abuse at Ontario schools for the Deaf.

Four provincial schools for the Deaf named in $325-million lawsuit.



TORONTO -- A Toronto man alleges he was abused for years at Ontario schools for the Deaf and has launched a class action lawsuit on behalf of other former students against the provincial government.



The statement of claim, filed Monday in Ontario Superior Court of Justice, alleges sexual, physical and mental abuse at four provincially run schools for the Deaf over the course of decades.



None of the allegations have been proven in court.



Christopher Welsh, in his statment of claim, accuses the province of negligence in the establishment, funding, operation, management and supervision of schools in Ottawa, London, Belleville and Milton.



"Students have suffered sexual, physical and emotional abuse at the hands of teachers, residence counsellors, other students and employees of the schools," reads the statement of claim.



A spokesman for the province's Ministry of Education would not comment on the case as it is before the courts, but said the current government believes every child deserves high-quality education and a supportive learning environment.



"Over the years, we have been committed to ensuring students in our schools have access to the supports and resources they need to succeed," said Gary Wheeler. "This includes our most vulnerable students."



Welsh went to two of the schools named in the class-action suit -- Ernest C. Drury School for the Deaf in Milton, Ont., where he lived from the time he was five years old in 1964, followed by Robarts School for the Deaf in London, Ont., according to the claim.



He said he was forced to wear hearing aids and was repeatedly struck across his ears, leaving him bloodied and in pain.



'Form of punishment'



Welsh's claim also alleges he was hit with rolled up magazines across his hands and beaten with a stick and belt by teachers as "a form of punishment" for using sign language instead of speech when conversing with other students.



He alleges teachers and counsellors often snuck up behind him, taking advantage of his hearing problems, and would grab him at the urinal and slam him into a wall or rip the chair out from under him as he was sat doing homework.



Later, when he attended the Robarts School for the Deaf, the abuse continued, according to the claim.



A counsellor at Robarts, wearing leather boots with pointed toes, repeatedly ambushed Welsh and kicked him in the buttocks, leaving him bruised and in pain when sitting. The counsellor did the same thing to other students, the claim alleges.



Teachers and staff often called him "Deaf and Dumb."



The statement of claim suggests Welsh was not alone.



"Hundreds, if not thousands" of students may have been affected, said Welsh's lawyer, Robert Gain, with the firm Koskie Minsky.



Teachers hit students in the mouth to teach them how to talk, the claim charges.



If students didn't use speech to communicate, teachers would "forcefully hold students' arms and restrain them" so they couldn't use sign language.



The statement of claim alleges counsellors took advantage of the students' hearing problems by sneaking up, often under their beds, to grab their feet and pull them down. Other students would have to lie face down on their beds as counsellors spanked them repeatedly, causing injuries in many cases, according to the claim.



Gain said he has spoken with other survivors who shared similar stories of alleged abuse. Two other schools, Belleville's Sir James Whitney School for the Deaf and Ottawa's Centre Jules-Leger in Ottawa have also been named in the lawsuit.



Gain said Welsh "wanted to bring this case forward and shine a light on the problem so that others would have access to justice and could have their stories heard and the province held responsible and accountable for the misconduct."



"The province certainly had a duty to have proper procedures and oversight and they failed to live up to their obligations to these vulnerable students," he said, adding he believes there may be more former students who want to share their stories.



Gain said the next step is to seek certification -- the court's permission -- to continue the case. The lawsuit is seeking $325 million in damages. Source



Related: @Deaf Schools

Related Deaf Canadians: @Deaf Canadians

VIDEO [CC] New restaurant staffed largely by Deaf people opens at Yonge and Wellesley on July 16th, 2014.





TORONTO, CANADA -- Imagine ordering your next meal out without even saying a word. That's the concept behind a new Toronto restaurant, ‘Signs’ where almost every server is Deaf or Hard of Hearing and customers are encouraged to order in sign language, the Toronto Star reports.





The restaurant is the brainchild of Anjan Manikumar. A former manager at a Markham, Ont. Boston Pizza, Manikumar noticed one of his regular guests, who was Deaf, couldn't communicate with staff. Manikumar then chose to learn American Sign Language. His education led to the development of Signs. Described as a restaurant where "noise meets silence," Signs will provide diners with "cheat sheets" to order their meals, BlogTO writes.



What's most novel about the restaurant, though, is that it will employ those who have faced obstacles in attaining steady work in Canada: A 1998 survey found 37 per cent of Deaf Canadians were unemployed.



According to Toronto Life, Signs will serve a blend of Canadian and international foods with a focus on game meat, so get your signs for rabbit and bison down pat before you visit. It is not yet known when the restaurant will officially open, a note on their Facebook page posted on June 15 simply stated that the grand opening would be delayed. Source



Follow Signs Restaurant - www.facebook.com/SignsRestaurant



Related:

Deaf-Owner Mozzeria, Chron's Onto Bouche

Deaf Owned 'Mozzeria' Small Business Story

Deaf Restaurant ‘Signs’ Opening In Toronto

DeaFined - Canada's New Deaf Restaurant

Kentucky Fried Chicken Operated By Deaf People

Indonesian Fingertalk Cafe Employs Deaf People

Restaurant Run & Staffed By Gaza Deaf People

More Deaf Entrepreneurs Show Signs of Success

VIDEO [CC] - Deaf homeless man touched by Winnipeggers' generosity.



CBC WINNIPEG - A Deaf, homeless man working hard to find a job in Winnipeg has been moved by the generosity of Winnipeggers.



Kevin Adams, 38, was randomly handing out his resume in a McPhillips Street parking lot last week, hoping someone could help him find a job.



That's when he met Jennifer Martens and her husband. The couple took his resume and posted it on Facebook to spread the word. In just hours, it prompted dozens of comments and thousands of shares.



"I am so proud to be a Winnipegger, knowing that people have openly embraced this man and want to help him get back on his feet. It just warms my heart," Jennifer Martens said.





While the Facebook posting resulted in a few job offers, it turns out that Adams' own efforts paid off. He found a job as a painter and starts Tuesday.



Now Adams is composing a letter to thank Winnipeggers for reaching out to him. ... Read more http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/deaf-homeless-man-touched-by-winnipeggers-generosity-1.2670527



Related Deaf Winnipeggers:

Deaf 'Peg Faced 'Disrespect' During Traffic Stops

Deaf-Blind Housing Project In Winnipeg, Canada

Study on Sarcasm and American Sign Language

Deaf Canadian's Gallaudet Dream

Manitoba Deaf Athletes To Get More Sign Language Help

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VIDEO [ASL/CC] - Canadian Association of the Deaf (CAD) has launched online VRS petition.



Here's the link to sign the online petition launched by the CAD to demand a permanent Video Relay Service (VRS) in Canada.





Join us to sign the petition to demand that the House of Commons, Government of Canada, Ministers of the Crown and Members of Parliament to support a permanent national Video Relay Services (VRS) in Canada by this fall 2012 with official spoken languages (English and French) and signed languages (American Sign Language (ASL) and Langue des Signes Québécoise (LSQ)). Read more: http://www.cad.ca/news_events_en.php?newsID=114



Also consider forwarding this to your friends, family, co-workers and anyone who wants to support the Deaf community in this petition. Why not post it on your Facebook, Twitter or other social media sites to get the word out too?



Petition Link URL:

www.change.org/petitions/petition-to-the-house-of-commons-ptition-la-chambre-des-communes-demand-permanent-vrs-now-demande-srv-permanent-maintenant

VIDEO: International Deaf Awareness Week 2012 at Toronto, Canada.



September 18-24th 2011 is the International Deaf Awareness Week. So many events to enjoy!





Need for more information?

Join us on Facebook IDAW2012



or Email us at idaw2012@gmail.com

Subscribe: IDAW2012



"What is it like to be Deaf?"

The most popular the quotes in Deaf community, many people have asked me.



How are you Deaf? Deaf?... Oh, hmm... how do I explain that? Simple: I can't hear. No, wait... it is much more than that. It is similar to a goldfish in a bowl, always observing things going on. People talking at all times. It is like a man on his own island Among foreigners.



Isolation is no stranger to me. Relatives say hi and bye, but I sit for 5 hours among them. Taking great pleasure at amusing babies, or being amused by TV. Reading books, resting, helping out with food. Natural curiosity perks up. Upon seeing great laughter, crying, anger.



Inquiring only to meet with a "Never mind", "Nothing" or "Oh, it's not important". Getting a summarized statement of the whole day. I'm supposed to smile to show my happiness. Little do they know how truly miserable I am. People are in control of language usage, I am at loss and really uncomfortable there.



Always feeling like an outsider among the hearing people, even though it was not their intention. They are always assuming that I am part of them by my physical presence, not understanding the importance of communication. Facing the choice between Deaf Event weekend or a family reunion. Facing the choice between the family commitment and Deaf friends.



I must make the choices constantly, any wonder why I choose Deaf friends??? I get such great pleasure at the Deaf clubs, before I realize it, it is already 2:00 am, Whereas I anxiously look at the clock every few minutes at the Family Reunion.



With Deaf people, I feel so normal, our communication flows back and forth. Catch up with little trivials, our daily life, our frustration in the bigger world, Seeking the mutual understanding, contented smiles and laughter are musical. So magical to me, so attuned to each other's feelings. True happiness is so important. I feel more at home with Deaf people of various color, religion, short or tall. Than I do among my own hearing relatives and you wonder why? Our language is common.



We understand each other. Being at loss of control Of the environment that is communication, People panic and retreat to avoid Deaf people like the plague. But Deaf people are still human beings with dreams, desires, and needs To belong, just like everyone else. That's how I am DEAF."



It's TRUE!!!

VIDEO [ASL] - Gary Malkowski from Canada on UN CRPD and oralist agenda.



To contact US Senators to have them join the other nations of the world in ratifying the CRPD go to: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm





For a sample letter go to Audism Free America blog and scroll down http://audismfreeamerica.blogspot.com/2012/07/urge-ur-us-senators-to-ratify-un-crpd.html



National Association of the Deaf blog and scroll down http://www.nad.org/news/2012/7/crpd-passes-committee-vote-next-stop-senate-floor

VIDEO: A Movie Trailer: 'Billy Was A Deaf Kid' - The classic, I hate your guts, no wait, I like you, my brother is DEAF, let's ride a couch down the street, love story.



Billy is Archie's brother. Archie loves Billy. Billy is Deaf. Archie finds a toy microphone to cure Billy's deafness. Sophie thinks it's stupid. Sophie is Archie's girlfriend. Archie loves Sophie. Sophie isn't quite sure about Archie. Archie, Billy and Sophie find that the world is much more complicated than simple sentences.





Can relationships rely solely on riding couches through automatic carwashes? Is a toy microphone the cure to deafness? And which is worse, getting slapped or getting spit on? These turn out to be very important questions in the lives of Archie, Sophie and Billy. And finding the answers come at a high price.



If all else fails, duct tape a toy microphone to your head. Billy Was a Deaf Kid has played at a handful of great festivals.



Four Star Review from Film Threat: http://www.filmthreat.com/reviews/11604/



They are: Cinequest, Indie Memphis, Cucalorus, Calgary Underground, Mar del Plata, Norrkoping, Rappahannock.

VIDEO [CC] - Deaf TV: OMNI Television Sign Language Series for the Deaf Canadians Community.



Sample from "Deaf TV" a pilot for a news and current affairs series produced entirely in American Sign Language for OMNI Television. Like the documentary" Deaf Pride", this was also a Canadian first.





For the Record Productions (FTRP) is an award winning, full-service video production company in Toronto with over twenty-five years experience creating engaging content for corporate, non-profit and government clients. Visit us for more info: www.fortherecordproductions.com