Switched at Birth star Ryan Lane and his hearing assistance dog, Zero, were grand marshals at yesterday's
22nd Annual Dog Walk in Jacksonville, Oregon. It raised money for Southern Oregon's Dogs for the Deaf. KOBI-TV has this video report.
ASL classes are coming to Oregon State University this fall for the first time. A deaf instructor will provide instruction both online and on campus. Amy Lazzaretti will be coming to the school after having taught ASL for two decades at universities in New Jersey and California.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the National Hearing Conservation Association is giving its Safe-in-Sound Innovation in Hearing Loss Prevention Award to the hearing loss program at the University of Northern Colorado. UNC’s Dangerous Decibels program is a collaborative effort with Portland State University, Oregon Health and Science University, and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. The goal is teaching young people how to protect their hearing, which is often damaged through loud music played through ear buds, loud concerts or by noise at sporting events. Dangerous Decibels encourages youth to do three things to protect themselves from loud noise: walk away, turn it down and cover up. The program has students researching way people can protect their hearing.
A deaf professor won't get his job back at the University of Oregon. Peter Quint taught ASL at the school until making a reference in front of a class to shooting students- even though several of the students who had heard his remark characterized it as harmless and provoked. But a federal judge has dismissed the case, dismissing Quint's claim that his remark was protected free speech, he ruled that Quint had no grounds to file the suit in the first place because, the judge said, there wasn't enough evidence that the students who had disrupted his class did so because of his disability. Quint could appeal. You can read the details of what happened here in a post we made back in July 2011.
Dr. William House, who championed the cause of cochlear implants, has died at 89 in Aurora, Oregon. He led the House Research Institute in Los Angeles, famously developing a surgery for an ear disease that had prevented astronaut Alan Shepard from returning to space after being grounded by vertigo. But he was most known for advocating implants at a time when the medical establishment did not share his enthusiasm. He was criticized in 1961 for his published work on his experiments on the device. The FDA eventually approved his implant for use in adults in 1984 - a quarter of a century after he performed his first implant surgery.
More than a year ago we told you about the ASL professor who was fired because of classroom comments (you can read that story here). Peter Quint told his class about a time in Pakistan when a gun was pointed at his head by a tribesman. The deaf professor said he was able to deal with the dangerous situation by his method of communicating with the man. The story was a way to explain to the students why he requires them to use ASL in the class to ensure everyone is included in the conversation. Later, during the same class, after several students repeatedly ignored his request to not use spoken English, Quint grew frustrated and told one of the students, "Do you want me to take a gun out and shoot you in the head so you understand what I am talking about? I had to practice being respectful in Pakistan otherwise I would have been shot. Can you practice the same respect here?" Other students in the class at the time later told the school newspaper that they understood Quint was not saying he was "actually going to shoot anyone.” His comment was clearly a reference to the story he had just told. Quint even apologized to the class. And a video tape of the class backs up Quint's story. But that didn't stop a student from filing a complaint, which led to Quint's dismissal. Now, a judge is considering a motion to dismiss the discrimination lawsuit Quint filed against the University of Oregon. Quint says the disruptive students took advantage of his inability to hear the remarks, creating a hostile work environment and then violated his free speech rights by firing him. The school's attorneys say it doesn't matter if Quint was mistreated because they school administrators can't be sued because they are state employees and you can't sue the government. The judge in the case hasn't said when he will rule on the move to dismiss.
A deaf man is suing the Portland police dept. for violating his ADA rights. Philip Wolfe says there's no system in place for how officers are supposed to deal with deaf people even though the Justice Department has created a list of recommendations for law enforcement agencies. Wolfe points to what happened to him during the Spring of this year. He left his apartment to get away from an abusive partner and had a friend call 911. His friend told police that Wolfe would need an interpreter. When officers arrived with no interpreter, Wolfe asked for one. They did not honor his request and then misunderstood his desire to report domestic abuse for wanting to get into his apartment. His partner broke in the apartment that evening and attacked him. Again, Wolfe asked his friend to call 911. Again, his friend asked for an interpreter. Police arrived without an interpreter. Once again, Wolfe asked for an interpreter. Instead of calling for an interpreter, another officer was sent to the scene who knew some ASL. But she was only a beginner and was unable adequately interpret for him. Police eventually arrested his partner, but the charges were dropped when the partner committed suicide. Wolfe's suit asks for $5000.
Marlee Matlin and hearing dog trainers visit NBC's The Doctors in this video report from
Oregon's KOBI-TV. Watch the video posted on DeafNewsToday.com or read the story here.
The Oregon School for the Deaf has fielded a football team every year since the end of World War Two - until now. The Portland school did not have enough interest in eight-man football this season to put a team on the field. It was one man short. Only seven students came out to play - and that included a female student from the volleyball team. Only about 60 students attend the school.
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Switched at Birth star Ryan Lane and his hearing assistance dog, Zero, were grand marshals at yesterday's
22nd Annual Dog Walk in Jacksonville, Oregon. It raised money for Southern Oregon's Dogs for the Deaf. KOBI-TV has this video report.
Dr. William House, who championed the cause of cochlear implants, has died at 89 in Aurora, Oregon. He led the House Research Institute in Los Angeles, famously developing a surgery for an ear disease that had prevented astronaut Alan Shepard from returning to space after being grounded by vertigo. But he was most known for advocating implants at a time when the medical establishment did not share his enthusiasm. He was criticized in 1961 for his published work on his experiments on the device. The FDA eventually approved his implant for use in adults in 1984 - a quarter of a century after he performed his first implant surgery. 
