Recently, many people in the signing community have pushed hard for more captioning on internet video — from Netflix to YouTube, Amazon to Hulu; and I want to share with you a success story! When a friend tipped me off to a Kickstarter campaign for a web series of shows about a fantastical arcade where video games are discussed, reviewed, and occasionally poked fun at, I immediately went to the campaign [...]

Effects of professors’ language choice at Gallaudet When the professor asked her to stay after class, Melissa felt her pulse quicken. She had always been uncomfortable with some of this professor’s behavior. She knew she should speak up and ask him to stop, but for a student to confront a professor was risky, especially before grades were posted. It did not seem to be a wise decision as she considered [...]

  I am back with another dialogue about the phrase “the elephant in the room.”   I am positive that most have heard this phrase before.  The problem is that there are so many different interpretations that my friends and I decided to dissect it. The conversation started because there has been an election.  The National Association for the Deaf (NAD) presidential election.  Shortly after the election, conversations from both sides—those [...]

  Deaf Youth USA- Bay Area chapter released a public letter and petition to the California School for the Deaf, Fremont and wider Bay Area Deaf communities following an announcement about three new brands that CSD superintendent, Sean Virnig developed in collaboration with Convo Relay.  The three brands were modeled after a statue that is placed at the front of the school’s campus, “The Bear Hunt,” created by Douglas Tilden, [...]

  It was a sunny and beautiful Saturday afternoon. We were gathered to celebrate the graduation of several African and African American men. For us, it was a milestone of great accomplishments. After fixing a plate of fried plantains, Jolly of Rice and chicken stew, and mixed vegetables, an excellent impromptu conversation began. This time, the conversation was about the acronyms TUGs (Traditionally Underrepresented Groups) and thugs (here is another [...]

  Deaf Echo is joining #captionTHIS in its bold, amazing effort to get more internet news providers to caption online video content! Watch the video below to learn more about what is happening. Deaf Echo’s share of the fight will be to take the issue to the Washington Post! If you wish to join our efforts to do this, stay tuned! Otherwise, consider forming your own group and confronting your -possibly- favorite [...]

  Seattle, WA- GET YOUR TICKETS FOR THE SEATTLE DEAF FILM FESTIVAL!     Eleven different, exciting, and inspiring programs, including five feature-length films, will be shown at the Seattle Deaf Film Festival, beginning Friday, March 30th, and ending Sunday, April 1st, 2012, at Kane Hall 120 on the University of Washington campus. It is the first film festival of its kind in the Pacific Northwest. Films are accessible to [...]

I was born in a small town.  And I live in a small town.  Oh those small communities.* Okay, so my town may not be Mayberry; we do actually have modern conveniences like electricity and cable TV.  But how do you find the best resources when the nearest deaf “person” is your neighbor’s 15-year-old dog? For my family, living in a rural area is great—lots of grass, plenty of cows, [...]

  Not too long ago I was backpacking in Central America, exploring the nomad’s life through three different countries. Having said this, I recall meeting a deaf dude at a cafe in Costa Rica. He expounded to me about a leadership program in Denmark infused with leaders. He said the leadership program consisted of an international group that would visit Ghana, Africa and would learn global deaf politics and so [...]

  Life is created by you only. People, objects, events, and education come into your life and they leave with some kind of mark, but only you as a human being remain. So it’s important to live your life the way you want to. If you find purpose in your life, then you have found peace. I’m writing this letter that I hope hundreds, maybe thousands of people will read, [...]