KERRY DEAF RESOURCE CENTRE UPDATE 06.04.10
RNID LAUNCHES iPHONE APP.
The Royal National Institute has launched a new innovative iPhone
application that allows people to check their hearing anywhere in the world
for the Deaf.
The app is the latest version of RNID’s popular Hearing Check that has seen
over half a million people check their hearing so far. The Hearing Check app
for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch will allow users to check their hearing
at the touch of a button for free. It is hoped that this scientifically
verified check will encourage the 40 million iPhone users worldwide to check
their hearing.
RNID’s Chief Executive, Jackie Ballard, said: “This is a fantastic new way
to encourage people to value their hearing and check it regularly. The
Hearing Check application offers quick results and confidential advice from
anywhere with a decent phone signal!”
RNID’s Hearing Check application measures a person’s ability to hear someone
speaking when there is background noise, similar to being in a crowded room.
The app is free to download and is a convenient way for people to check
their hearing is within the normal range.
The application is available from iTunes website at
http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/hearing-check/id362792472, and in the App
store on your iPhone. It is also available on www.rnid.org.uk/check
DEAFWEEKLY- INTERNATIONAL DEAF NEWS BY E-MAIL
Deafweekly is an independent news report for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing
community that is mailed to subscribers on Wednesdays and available to read
at www.deafweekly.com. The reports are the actual headlines and portions of
recent deaf-related news articles, with links to the full story. Minor
editing is done when necessary.
You can SIGN UP for a free subscription at the following weblink
http://www.deafweekly.com/subscribe.htm. Be sure to open the confirmation
email and click on the link to activate your subscription. It is required by
law and prevents others from signing you up without your permission.
DEAF REALITY TV SHOW ON YOUTUBE
Marlee Matlin had an idea for a reality show that she hoped would bring some
insight into the lives and struggles of Deaf people and how they cope. But
while reality TV has brought us wife swappers, party girls, aging rock stars
and dieting divas, apparently no one was ready for something that real.
So instead, the actress who won an Academy Award as lead actress for her
role in “Children of a Lesser God,” took her show “My Deaf Family” to
Google’s YouTube.
“Deaf and hard of hearing people make up one of the largest minority
groups,” she said in an interview “and yet there has never been a show, a
reality documentary series that features what life is like for them.” Matlin
financed the show, which tells the story of a family in Fremont, Calif. All
the family members are Deaf, except for the oldest son, Jared, and the
youngest, Elijah. It is narrated by Jared.
Matlin shopped her pilot to network executives, who purported to “love it.”
But none would take the plunge. “They didn’t quite know if they could pull
it off, or even how,” Matlin said. Refusing to give up, Matlin turned to the
Internet, more specifically to YouTube, the world’s default broadcaster of
Web video.
“I didn’t want to wait for the networks to warm up to the idea of whether
the show would be a hit or not with audiences,” she said. “So I decided to
put it out there on my own terns. YouTube is akin to having my own [TV]
network.” There’s another reason Matlin chose YouTube. The Google subsidiary
in November introduced an automatic captioning system for its videos. The
system is a mash-up of Google’s speech-to-text voice recognition technology
used in Google Voice and captioning software that syncs the text with the
video. To view the show, go to the following website
http://www.youtube.com/mydeaffamily
NOW I CAN SIGN PROGRAMME (NICSP) YEARLY MEMBERSHIP
Simply Signing now offers you the opportunity to join their national “Now I
Can Sign Programme”.
Membership benefits include:
Simply Signing product and training discounts at 25%.
NICSP “Start Signing” package.
Website listing of your facility/school/ individuals with Simply Signing.
Opportunities to participate in special promotions throughout the year.
Access to NICSP pintables and whiteboard activities.
It’s easy to become part of this programme which focuses on the development
of communication and literacy with young children also supporting early
intervention for children with hearing impairment, Autism and Special Needs
using the third language of Ireland – Irish Sign Language. NICSP directly
follows the Aistear: Early Childhood Curriculum Framework and the theme on
Communicating.
Signing in an Education/Home setting covers:
Signing in an education setting helps to reduce noise levels in the class
room. Signing supports children’s development. Signing can help support
children who are second language learners. Supports school children’s
literacy and maths concepts. Signing can help children become competent
communicators. Builds positive self esteem. Signing adds fun to daily
activities, circle time and music activities. Signing helps support deaf and
hard of hearing children as part of early intervention. Offering inclusion
and supporting diversity. Supporting family literacy.
The programme was designed and developed for childcare facilities, schools,
teachers, ISL teachers, child minders and parents who recognise the
significant benefits gained by incorporating Irish Sign Language (ISL) into
their regular curriculum and activities supporting children’s literacy and
social inclusion. NICSP membership gives you the resources, tools and
support to facilitate a quality ISL signing programme utilizing the
resources and services brought to you by Simply Signing.
You can register online at www.simplysigning.ie or you can e-mail
[email protected]
OUR CONTACT DETAILS
Kerry Deaf Resource Centre
4 Gas Tce, Tralee, Co. Kerry. IRELAND
Website: www.kerrydeaf.com
E-mail: [email protected]
Tel: 066 712 0399/ Fax: 066 712 0386
Mobile: 087 633 4687