Kerry Deaf Resource Centre Update 17.02.14

ITT SIGN LANGUAGE SOCIETY.
The Institute of Technology Tralee is establishing a Sign Language Society
again this semester. This follows on from a very successful society in 2013.
Sign language classes are being organised at present, and will be hosted by
John Patrick Doherty and Patrick Doody. To date 65 students have registered
with the society.

If you are a student of the ITT and would like to join the classes, contact
the ITT Student Society for more information.

SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETERS MUNSTER (SLIM) TRAINING.
The next get-together of SLIM interpreters will take place on the 22nd of
March in Mallow. SLIM is a network of Deaf & hearing CDS (Centre for Deaf
Studies) trained and/or accredited sign language interpreters who are based
in, or who work regularly in Munster.

Noel O’Connell will deliver a presentation on the subject of power relations
in the interaction between Deaf and hearing people.  Noel will chair a
discussion on audism within a framework of gender relations. It will be
seminar based rather than a lecture format. The session will begin with an
introduction to the topic followed by a facilitated group discussion. It is
hoped that everyone will have a participatory role in the session.

This will be followed by a chaired session with our own Willie White. The
session will look at what we can do as interpreters if and when we make
mistakes or struggle with an interpretation during an interpreting job. How
do we rectify the errors? What techniques should we use? What role should
our co-interpreter take? What happens if we do not recognise our mistakes
and an off duty interpreter or a Deaf attendee identifies issues, can we
benefit from their support? If so how should this happen?

Details of venue and times will be posted via email to interpreters in due
course.

SIGNS OF A DIVA REMINDER.
Caroline Parker is bringing her stage show, Signs of a Diva, on tour around
Ireland this month. Caroline was born deaf into a hearing family and didn’t
start to sign until she was 19 years of age. “I came into the deaf signing
community and saw a deaf performer Colin Thompson do his act signing to
recorded songs such as Black Lace’s ‘Billy Don’t Be A Hero’. This was my
inspiration,” she remembered.

She went on to train in mime and dance, and teamed these with acquired sign
language to develop her own unique way of representing well-known songs.
When Caroline sings, she signs: as a Deaf performer, she brings life to the
words of popular songs by powerful divas using her face, hands and body.

The show “is about a woman who faces a dilemma and the audience gets to see
her story unfold through spoken word and signed song”, explained Parker, who
has been a performer for over 30 years and was awarded an MBE in her
homeland of the UK.

Last year, Caroline performed at the Paralympics, signing the song ‘I Am
What I Am’ by Beverly Knight. When she performs a song, Caroline says it’s
not just about mouthing the words – she expresses what is felt in the
lyrics, and feels the vibrations of the music in her body. Caroline says the
show is about breaking boundaries and what life is like as a deaf performer.
For more information, go to
http://www.thejournal.ie/caroline-parker-signs-of-a-diva-1315796-Feb2014/

DONATE TO TRIP TO ETHIOPIA.

Noleen Cunningham & Denise Dowling in Ethiopia 2013In July, Veronica White & Willie White from Kerry will travel to Ethiopia
along with a group of Irish & American CODA’s (Children of Deaf Adults).
Susan O’Callaghan from Cork who travelled on a previous trip three years ago
will also be travelling.

While the group are in Ethiopia, they will provide training and workshops to
the Ambo Deaf community- this will include team building, self esteem,
self-confidence and empowerment building. It will also give the team the
opportunity to visit the Ambo Lazarist Deaf School which we support and
which celebrated its first birthday in December 2013. The team will meet and
talk with the local community about their dreams and visions for the
proposed training centre and Deaf centre. As part of the trip, they also
hope to visit the Centre for Deaf Studies, Deaf schools and services in
Addis Ababa.

If you would like to support Willie & Veronica, you can donate online at
http://www.gofundme.com/ethiopiadeafproject

KDRC provides services to Deaf and hard of hearing people at county level
and contributes to national issues of equality, access and rights.

OUR CONTACT DETAILS:
www.kerrydeaf.com
www.facebook.com/kerrydeaf

www.gofundme.com/ethiopiadeafproject

Kerry Deaf Resource Centre
4 Gas Tce, Tralee

Mobile (text): 087 633 4687
E-mail: [email protected]
Fax: 066 712 0386
Tel: 066 712 0399