Kerry Deaf Resource Centre Update 22.07.13
TRIBUTE TO LAURA MERRIGAN.
We would like to extend our sincere sympathies to the family, and friends of Laura Merrigan who passed away suddenly this weekend. Laura was an active supporter of our service and was well known to our staff, supporters and clients. Her aunt Therese Gallant who has worked with our service for many years originally introduced Laura to our service.
While Laura had no background in sign language or the Deaf community, this did not stop her from being very proactive in our organisation. As a teenager back in 2007, Laura organised a Smoothie Morning fundraiser with students from the Youthreach Project in the KDYS Tralee with proceeds going to our service. Over the years, Laura became very active in our Street and Church Collections. Regardless of the weather, Laura, PJ and friends of Laura would turn up at locations throughout Kerry and work tirelessly to raise funds for Centre.
After a number of years, Laura began working with our service on a voluntary basis as part of her training with the National Learning Network. A few weeks placement extended to months and Laura became an integral part of the service. She was awarded a Supporter of the Year Award in our annual Christmas Awards. This was in recognition of her extended work experience with our service. It also recognised her for the work she did with our clients including literacy support, computer tuition and arts & crafts.
Laura had a fantastic personality and was well liked by everyone. She was a great worker and an asset to our service, clients and staff. We appreciate and thank Laura most sincerely for the work and effort she put into supporting our service.
On behalf of our service, we would like to offer our sympathies to her mother, her aunt Therese, her extended family, friends and PJ. She will not be forgotten by all of us here in Kerry Deaf Resource Centre. She will be missed by all of us who had the pleasure of working with her.
GOOD LUCK TO THE IRISH PARTICIPANTS IN THE DEAFLYMICS.
We would like to extend our best wishes to all the Irish Deaf participants who are heading to Sofia, Bulgaria to participate in the 2013 Deaflympics.
The 22nd Summer Deaflympics is an international multi-sport event that will run from July 26 to August 4. This is the biggest sports event for Deaf athletes in the world. The Bulgarian capital hosted the 1993 Summer Deaflympics, thus becoming only the second city, together with Copenhagen, to host two Summer Deaflympics.
On the 30th of June, with just under four weeks remaining to the Sofia 2013 Deaflympics, the Deaflympics flame was lit in Paris’s Stade Pershing, site of the first Games of Silence in 1924. Sports leaders paid tribute to Eugene Rubens-Alcais, the French founder of the Deaflympics.
Before heading towards Switzerland, deaf cyclists stopped at the Bistrot de la Porte Doree. It was in this cafe, some 90 years ago, that Rubens-Alcais and colleagues had the idea for the first international multi-sport competition for deaf people.
French deaf cyclists took five days to carry the flame through France before arriving in Geneva on 5 July, where it was handed to the Swiss team in a ceremony before the United Nations headquarters. Along the way, the cyclists visited deaf schools and centres, to inspire the next generation of deaf athletes. If you want to keep up with the action and the medal totals, go to http://www.sofia2013.com/
PRESIDENT OBAMA APPOINTS DEAF LAWYER.
Keeping with international news, the Deaf community internationally was thrilled to hear that President Obama recently appointed a Deaf Lawyer.
U.S. President Barack Obama appointed Claudia Gordon, a black deaf individual, to take over as an Associate Director in the White House Office of Public Engagement. Recently, she was with the Department of Labor where she primarily dealt with discrimination issues at the federal level with mainly contractors. Gordon will be working as a liaison between the Obama Administration and the disability community.
The NAD (US) and National Council of Disability (US) applauded the decision by the Obama Administration.
“The NAD sees this as a great window of opportunity to have one of our own in the White House. With her amazing background and steadfast dedication to changing policies for the better, we will definitely achieve significant progress,” praised by President Chris Wagner. (NAD Press Release)
“Her vast experience and the relationships she brings to the table bolsters the President and his Administration’s continued and ongoing commitment to issues important to the disability community – whether they are global, like the UN Convention, national as in regulation enforcement or personal, as in the issues that touch our lives on a daily basis such as employment, education and immigration. We look forward to working closely with her,” said National Council of Disability President Jeff Rosen. (NCD Press Release)
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Kerry Deaf Resource Centre (KDRC)
4 Gas Tce, Tralee, Co. Kerry, IRELAND
KDRC provides services to Deaf and hard of hearing at county level and contributes to national issues of equality, access and rights.
Mobile (text) 087 633 4687
E-mail: [email protected]
Fax: 066 712 0386
Tel: 066 712 0399
www.kerrydeaf.com
www.facebook.com/kerrydeaf
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