TEXT MESSAGING WHILE DRIVING IN VIRGINIA
On March 30, Virginia became the ninth state to ban TWD when Gov. Tim Kaine (D) signed into law House Bill 1876
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?ses=091&typ=bil&val=HB1876+
The law, effective July 1, prohibits drivers from using wireless communication devices to send text messages, except in cases of emergency. The bill passed Feb. 24 in the state Senate and in the House on Feb. 26. A violation of the new law is a traffic infraction punishable by a $20 fine for a first offense, and a $50 fine for a second or subsequent offense.
Deaf and Blind Clown Focuses on Ability – to Bring Out Smiles
By Scott Williams, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, 4/26/09
Anyone who has ever worn a red nose and zany wig will tell you that to a performing clown, a smile is worth a thousand words.
Never has that been truer than for Kenneth Ray, a West Allis man who has spent his life working to overcome deafness and blindness.
Now, he is trying something new: He has enrolled in clown school.
With a purple wig on his head and his face covered in makeup, Ray, 59, knows that he can entertain people without exhibiting any sign of his disabilities.
He can communicate with people in a way that was never possible before.
“I’m accepting of the fact that God made me deaf and blind,” he said through an interpreter. “I don’t think it matters – I can still be a clown. And it’s great to make people happy.”
Clown instructor Maryann Ingbretson said she has never before encountered a student with such significant disabilities. But she hopes to nurture Ray’s instincts to perform.
Ingbretson noted that famed hobo clown Emmett Kelly achieved worldwide stardom without ever uttering a sound.
“There are possibilities for him,” she said of Ray. “I’m anxious for him to achieve his goals – as far as he can go.”
Born in 1949, Ray was afflicted with unknown birth defects that caused his deafness at birth and left him legally blind by age 2.
With partial vision in one eye, he wears thick glasses and uses sign language. An electronic implant in one ear allows him to hear some sounds. And speech therapy has helped him develop limited verbal skills.
He lives with his parents, Carl and Emma Ray, in the same West Allis home where he grew up with four younger siblings, none of whom was born with a disability.
Family members have marveled at Ray’s past achievements: He graduated from the Wisconsin School for the Deaf. He worked as a grocery store bagger. He learned to operate a personal computer and to play a conga drum.
Judy Hawkins, a sister who lives in Mukwonago, said performing as a clown allows her brother to step into the spotlight in a world where disabilities no longer exist.
“Clowns just act. And he can act,” she said. “They’re all normal. And he just blends right in with them.”
After developing an interest in clowning a few years ago, Ray bought his first outfit and entertained at his church. He named his clown character “Tippie,” after a small family dog that was euthanized many years ago because it bit some people.
In the six-week class being offered at the University of Wisconsin-Waukesha, he hopes to perfect his routine by learning new magic tricks or other gags. He dreams of someday performing for children in schools, hospitals and possibly in parades.
“It makes me feel really happy,” he said.
Ruth Stuhr recalled the day Ray asked her to drive him to a secondhand clothing store so he could pick out some clothes for “Tippie.”
Stuhr, a staffer at the Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in West Allis, said the purple wig and polka-dot suit were no surprise, considering that Ray already was known for wearing colorful socks and making jokes. He later told officials at the center that he had enrolled in a clown class at UW-Waukesha.
“He likes to get people to laugh – that’s part of his personality,” Stuhr said. “He really wants to be connected.”
- Thanks to bhNEWS and NVRC, Fairfax
Swine Flu Video – Closed Captioned
There’s a very good video about swine flu which has closed captions. It features Joseph Bresee, M.D., Chief of the Epidemiology & Prevention Branch in the Center for Disease Control’s Influenza Division. The video runs approximately 5 ½ minutes. To start the captions, find the box at the far right on the bottom of the screen which has an arrow icon. It will give you a “CC” symbol to click on.
The video tells you what swine flu is, where it comes from, what the symptoms and treatments are and how long people with swine flu can be contagious. Dr. Breese gives information on what steps to take to avoid catching the virus, what to do if you think you have become infected, and warning signs that should lead you to seek emergency medical care.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5t1r7yG7rM&feature=featured
- Thanks to Joe G and NVRC, Fairfax
Obituary: Gary Roberts (Mountain City, TN)
Gary W. Roberts
Gary W. Roberts, age 60, of Mountain City, Tennessee, went to be with his heavenly Father on Saturday, April 25, 2009 in Johnson City Medical Center.
Gary was born February 8, 1949 in Norton, Virginia to the late Herman and Violet Huff Roberts. He was also preceded in death by a daughter, Elizabeth Roberts and a sister, Janice Roberts.
He was a graduate of the University of Maryland and Gallaudet College of Washington, DC. Gary was a retired counselor and an advocate in Vocational Rehabilitation, where he worked for 22 years. Gary was a loving husband and father. He loved his friends and spending time with all of them. Gary was a member of First Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife of 35 years, Judy A. Roberts; daughters: Brittany Roberts and significant other Andy Natusch of Blowing Rock, NC and Catherine Roberts of the home; son, Ethan Roberts and fiancé Annie Russell of Greensboro, NC; sister, Sharon Johnson and husband Jimmy of Wise, VA; brothers: Douglas Roberts and wife Rochelle of Wise, VA and Desmond Roberts and wife Diana of Mount Airy, Maryland and six nieces.
It was Gary’s request to be cremated and that no formal visitation or service be held.
In lieu of flowers, please send memorial contributions to the National Association of the Deaf, 8630 Fenton Street, Suite 820, Silver Springs, Maryland 20910.
The family will receive friends at the home, 1373 Stouts Branch Rd., Mountain City, TN 37683.
Condolences may be made online at www.mountaincityfuneralhome.com.
The family of Gary W. Roberts has entrusted his services to Mountain City Funeral Home, 224 S. Church St., Mountain City, TN 37683.
Hawaii Senate Passes Resolution Promoting Closed Captioning for Children
Here’s the text of a resolution passed by Hawaii’s Senate passed on March 18, 2009:
URGING PUBLIC AND PRIVATE AGENCIES TO ENCOURAGE THEIR PARENT CLIENTS TO TURN ON CLOSED CAPTIONING WHEN THEIR CHILDREN WATCH TELEVISION.
WHEREAS, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, two- thirds of infants, toddlers, and children under the age of six watch an average of two hours of television while kids and teens from seven to eighteen years old spend nearly four hours a day in front of a television screen; and
WHEREAS, television has replaced the time children spend reading books, causing agencies such as the National Education Association to take action; and
WHEREAS, in 1998 the National Education Association started the “Read Across America” program in an effort to motivate children to read instead of watching television or playing video games; and
WHEREAS, while television opens up new worlds of entertainment and information to children with pictures and sound capturing their attention, the absence of a reading component restricts this medium as a learning tool; and
WHEREAS, while originally developed for the deaf and hard of hearing, closed captioning also has the capability of helping anyone learn by bringing reading to television; and
WHEREAS, in 1986, researchers Koskinen, Wilson, and Jensema noted:
“Captions are reading material. They can turn television into a moving story book, a steady stream of written language presented with both video and audio reinforcement. Viewers can see words on the screen, hear them spoken, and see them put into visual context. One of the most exciting
potential applications of closed captioning is its use as an educational tool.”
WHEREAS, research has shown that closed captioning has the ability to enhance vocabulary, reading speed, word association, and spelling and
WHEREAS, closed captioning is a free service provided by the television industry, and most televisions purchased after 1993 already have the capability to display closed captioning now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2009, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Legislature urges all public and private agencies to encourage their parent clients to turn on closed captioning while their children watch television and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Superintendent of Education, Director of Health, Director of Human Services, Chairperson of Child and Family Service, Chairperson of Catholic Charities Hawaii, Chairperson of the Partners in Development Foundation, Chairperson of Parents and Children Together, President of Hawaii Literacy, and the Executive Director of the American Association of Retired Persons.
- Thanks to Bill Stark, head of the Described and Captioned Media Program, and NVRC, Fairfax
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