Showing posts with label Colorado. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Colorado. Show all posts
Deaf News: Deaf cosmetologist student teaching lessons on accessibility at the Colorado community college.
CORTEZ, CO -- Scottsbluff Star Herald: Going back to school as a single parent with two kids is challenging for many.
For Amanda Schuster getting certified as a cosmetologist has had an additional layer of complexity because she is completely Deaf.
To get the most from her classes, she taught her instructor and others at the Southwest Colorado Community College how to accommodate her, helping to pave the way for other students that might follow her.
"I've never allowed my deafness to stop me," she said, through her interpreter Dawn Kern-Anderson.
Styling hair has always been one of Schuster's passions, but when she decided to go back to school to get certified it required some coordination with the college.
The college didn't have an interpreter on staff, so she got in touch with Kern-Anderson, her interpreter from high school to translate her classes. It's a service that the college pays for.
While Schuster can read lips, Kern-Anderson makes it much easier for her to keep up with her peers.
"It makes me feel like a normal person in the classroom," she said.
Schuster is Brenda Knapp's first Deaf student and the experience has taught her to slow down and avoid tangents in her lectures that might be hard to translate.
"You have to be very structured," Knapp said.
While Schuster appreciates help from Kern-Anderson, she has been in the hearing world her whole life and she doesn't need an interpreter all the time.
Her parents always pushed her to communicate in both English and American Sign Language after she lost her hearing at 14 months to spinal meningitis.
She attended Project Talk in California, which specializes in helping Deaf children learn to talk, and speech therapy through the San Juan Board of Cooperative Educational Services.
Growing up she also excelled in sports including tennis, cheer leading, volleyball and sharp-shooting. After high school, she attended two years college in California and majored in photography.
"I never let anything stop me, although people do try," she said.
Her long-term goal after she finishes classes in cosmetology and aesthetics is to open a salon and photography business.
But before she can take her state test to get certified, she has to complete 1,800 hours in class.
During all her time in school, she has noticed several ways the school can be more accessible and safe for Deaf students.
For example, after the school held an assembly on school safety following a college shooting in Oregon, she suggested the school install TVs and more lights as part of the alarm system. These could help make Deaf students aware of an emergency.
In addition, none of the other students are able to bring their phones into class. But Schuster can't be reached through a regular telephone during personal emergencies, so Knapp made an exception for her.
But rather than being given special treatment, Schuster would be prefer the school have video phones available so she could communicate not only with her family, but with school administrators on different campuses.
"I'm trying to improve the systems, not just for me but for everyone," she said.
SOURCE
CORTEZ, CO -- Scottsbluff Star Herald: Going back to school as a single parent with two kids is challenging for many.For Amanda Schuster getting certified as a cosmetologist has had an additional layer of complexity because she is completely Deaf.
To get the most from her classes, she taught her instructor and others at the Southwest Colorado Community College how to accommodate her, helping to pave the way for other students that might follow her.
"I've never allowed my deafness to stop me," she said, through her interpreter Dawn Kern-Anderson.
Styling hair has always been one of Schuster's passions, but when she decided to go back to school to get certified it required some coordination with the college.
The college didn't have an interpreter on staff, so she got in touch with Kern-Anderson, her interpreter from high school to translate her classes. It's a service that the college pays for.
While Schuster can read lips, Kern-Anderson makes it much easier for her to keep up with her peers.
"It makes me feel like a normal person in the classroom," she said.
Schuster is Brenda Knapp's first Deaf student and the experience has taught her to slow down and avoid tangents in her lectures that might be hard to translate.
"You have to be very structured," Knapp said.
While Schuster appreciates help from Kern-Anderson, she has been in the hearing world her whole life and she doesn't need an interpreter all the time.
Her parents always pushed her to communicate in both English and American Sign Language after she lost her hearing at 14 months to spinal meningitis.
She attended Project Talk in California, which specializes in helping Deaf children learn to talk, and speech therapy through the San Juan Board of Cooperative Educational Services.
Growing up she also excelled in sports including tennis, cheer leading, volleyball and sharp-shooting. After high school, she attended two years college in California and majored in photography.
"I never let anything stop me, although people do try," she said.
Her long-term goal after she finishes classes in cosmetology and aesthetics is to open a salon and photography business.
But before she can take her state test to get certified, she has to complete 1,800 hours in class.
During all her time in school, she has noticed several ways the school can be more accessible and safe for Deaf students.
For example, after the school held an assembly on school safety following a college shooting in Oregon, she suggested the school install TVs and more lights as part of the alarm system. These could help make Deaf students aware of an emergency.
In addition, none of the other students are able to bring their phones into class. But Schuster can't be reached through a regular telephone during personal emergencies, so Knapp made an exception for her.
But rather than being given special treatment, Schuster would be prefer the school have video phones available so she could communicate not only with her family, but with school administrators on different campuses.
"I'm trying to improve the systems, not just for me but for everyone," she said.
SOURCE
VIDEO [CC] - Movie highlights Deaf sports camp with NBA star
DENVER, CO. - Colorado film, 'Spirit of Love,' highlights Deaf community and life of NBA star, Mike Glenn. 'Spirit of Love: The Mike "Stinger" Glenn Story' takes basketball legend's story to big screen. The film will be presented with sign-language and captioning for all audiences. Anne Trujillo reports.
The recreation center in the heart of Denver's Swansea-Eylria neighborhood is busy for the fourth day of filming.
"Action! Rolling camera A," yells a young woman wearing headphones.
There are teens everywhere. Some are operating cameras and computers. Some are making their film debuts as young actors. There's even a retired NBA player in the mix.
All are under the careful direction of Colorado film producer Darla Rae.
"Make sure you keep your energy up. I need to feel the excitement in your voices," said Rae to the group of boys practicing their lines standing next to retired NBA player, Mike "Stinger" Glenn.
For nearly two weeks various locations in Denver have been transformed into scenes to replicate rural Georgia and locations where Glenn grew up.
"It's a feature film based on the story of how I established the nation's first basketball camp for the Deaf and hard of hearing," said Glenn.
Rae argues it's that and so much more. She says the film is named "Spirit of Love" after an award with the same name that Glenn received from the NBA Players Association honoring him for the positive impact he's had on Deaf communities across the country... Read more: http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/colorado-film-spirit-of-love-highlights-deaf-community-and-life-of-nba-star-mike-glenn-
DENVER, CO. - Colorado film, 'Spirit of Love,' highlights Deaf community and life of NBA star, Mike Glenn. 'Spirit of Love: The Mike "Stinger" Glenn Story' takes basketball legend's story to big screen. The film will be presented with sign-language and captioning for all audiences. Anne Trujillo reports.
The recreation center in the heart of Denver's Swansea-Eylria neighborhood is busy for the fourth day of filming.
"Action! Rolling camera A," yells a young woman wearing headphones.
There are teens everywhere. Some are operating cameras and computers. Some are making their film debuts as young actors. There's even a retired NBA player in the mix.
All are under the careful direction of Colorado film producer Darla Rae.
"Make sure you keep your energy up. I need to feel the excitement in your voices," said Rae to the group of boys practicing their lines standing next to retired NBA player, Mike "Stinger" Glenn.
For nearly two weeks various locations in Denver have been transformed into scenes to replicate rural Georgia and locations where Glenn grew up.
"It's a feature film based on the story of how I established the nation's first basketball camp for the Deaf and hard of hearing," said Glenn.
Rae argues it's that and so much more. She says the film is named "Spirit of Love" after an award with the same name that Glenn received from the NBA Players Association honoring him for the positive impact he's had on Deaf communities across the country... Read more: http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/colorado-film-spirit-of-love-highlights-deaf-community-and-life-of-nba-star-mike-glenn-
VIDEO [ASL/CC] - Support RMDS! Learn more about Rocky Mountain Deaf School needs your support to secure a location for an appropriate building design that would help to meet the educational and safety needs of RMDS students.
The "2090 Coalition (Save Our Park)" is a group of local residents in Lakewood who are petitioning for an election over the building of a new school at 2090 South Wright Street for Rocky Mountain Deaf School (RMDS), a Jeffco Charter School. RMDS wants to move from a strip mall in Golden to this property owned by Jefferson County School District.
RMDS can build a 46,000 square-foot new school with an appropriate building design that would help to meet the educational and safety needs of maximum 100 RMDS students.
This school would be nationally recognized and the first in the US to be built and designed by the Deaf, for the Deaf. RMDS must begin building on this property before November or risk losing a $13 million dollar grant from the BEST (Building Excellent Schools Today) program through the Colorado Department of Education. The BEST grant does not use taxpayer dollars - the funding comes primarily from lottery funds.
On June 25, 2012 the city of Lakewood approval the RMDS rezoning request of 2090 South Wright Street so RMDS can purchase the land and build a K-12 school. This land is currently owned by Jefferson County Schools and is zoned for a K-12 school for 300-400 students.
The 2090 Coalition supporters must collect over 3000 Lakewood registered voter signatures by Aug 10. If they succeed, the petition would force the Lakewood city council to revisit the decision. If the council refuses to overturn the rezoning, the issue would go to the voters this fall. The 2090 Coalition is jeopardizing the possibility of a new school for RMDS by delaying the process to the BEST grant deadline.
2090 Coalition petitioners have been seen in several locations spreading incorrect information to gain signatures on the petition which will interfere with the rezoning process of the 2090 South Wright Street property. Their platform is "Save Our Park" and they are telling residents whom they approach that they are "preserving open space". This land had never been open space nor has it ever belonged to the city of Lakewood (something the city's own attorney attests to). The developers zoned it for a school in 1973 and the fortunate residents have been enjoying these 10 acres since then. The proposed school would still benefit the residents and they would still be able to enjoy the adjoining 40 acres that are zoned as open space. Please - we need your support! Help to share the truth about this land and support Rocky Mountain Deaf School.
Citizens Group Wants Voters to Decide on Building Deaf School.
Get the facts on this site: http://www.2090coalitionfacts.com/ for more information.
To share your support for RMDS: http://www.facebook.com/FamiliesForRockyMountainDeafSchool
More details at Deaf Echo: http://deafecho.com/2012/07/not-in-my-backyard-the-truth-about-the-fight-for-a-deaf-schools-future/
The "2090 Coalition (Save Our Park)" is a group of local residents in Lakewood who are petitioning for an election over the building of a new school at 2090 South Wright Street for Rocky Mountain Deaf School (RMDS), a Jeffco Charter School. RMDS wants to move from a strip mall in Golden to this property owned by Jefferson County School District.
RMDS can build a 46,000 square-foot new school with an appropriate building design that would help to meet the educational and safety needs of maximum 100 RMDS students.
This school would be nationally recognized and the first in the US to be built and designed by the Deaf, for the Deaf. RMDS must begin building on this property before November or risk losing a $13 million dollar grant from the BEST (Building Excellent Schools Today) program through the Colorado Department of Education. The BEST grant does not use taxpayer dollars - the funding comes primarily from lottery funds.
On June 25, 2012 the city of Lakewood approval the RMDS rezoning request of 2090 South Wright Street so RMDS can purchase the land and build a K-12 school. This land is currently owned by Jefferson County Schools and is zoned for a K-12 school for 300-400 students.
The 2090 Coalition supporters must collect over 3000 Lakewood registered voter signatures by Aug 10. If they succeed, the petition would force the Lakewood city council to revisit the decision. If the council refuses to overturn the rezoning, the issue would go to the voters this fall. The 2090 Coalition is jeopardizing the possibility of a new school for RMDS by delaying the process to the BEST grant deadline.
2090 Coalition petitioners have been seen in several locations spreading incorrect information to gain signatures on the petition which will interfere with the rezoning process of the 2090 South Wright Street property. Their platform is "Save Our Park" and they are telling residents whom they approach that they are "preserving open space". This land had never been open space nor has it ever belonged to the city of Lakewood (something the city's own attorney attests to). The developers zoned it for a school in 1973 and the fortunate residents have been enjoying these 10 acres since then. The proposed school would still benefit the residents and they would still be able to enjoy the adjoining 40 acres that are zoned as open space. Please - we need your support! Help to share the truth about this land and support Rocky Mountain Deaf School.
Citizens Group Wants Voters to Decide on Building Deaf School.
Get the facts on this site: http://www.2090coalitionfacts.com/ for more information.
To share your support for RMDS: http://www.facebook.com/FamiliesForRockyMountainDeafSchool
More details at Deaf Echo: http://deafecho.com/2012/07/not-in-my-backyard-the-truth-about-the-fight-for-a-deaf-schools-future/
