Georgia Center of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

GCDHH thanks all interpreters for providing access! #InterpreterAppreciationDay

Find out everything that's happening at GCDHH in our latest newsletter! https://conta.cc/3h06yOd

Did you know that May is Better Hearing & Speech Month? This year's theme is "Building Connections." For more information be sure to visit www.asha.org.

Did you know this short film that stars a Deaf-Blind actor, Robert Tarango is up for an Academy Awards nomination? It's 18 minutes long and worth every minute! Captions are available. Watch it here.

Want to help make a difference while you shop in the Amazon app, at no extra cost to you? Simply follow the instructions below to select "Georgia Center of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing" as your charity and activate AmazonSmile in the app. They'll donate a portion of your eligible mobile app purchases to us. How it works: 1. Open the Amazon app on your phone 2. Select the main menu (=) & tap on "AmazonSmile" within Programs & Features ... 3. Select "Georgia Center of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing" as your charity 4. Follow the on-screen instructions to activate AmazonSmile in the mobile app See more

Be in the know on all the COVID-19 updates and recommended guidelines. Brought to you in ASL. Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch

DeafBlind MUST have free access to videophones! Title IV; which is part of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, required the FCC to establish telecommunication services for individuals who are Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing and Deaf Blind. During that time, each state established a Telecommunication Relay Service. To this day, it still exists due to ongoing usages of TTYs. However, technology has improved for those who signs American Sign Language (ASL). This awesome adv...ent of the videophone creates a new and effective way for individuals who primarily uses ASL during their phone calls. Video Relay Services offers interpreting services to enable ASL users to converse via phone. Their only qualifications are these two following: proof of hearing loss and communicate using ASL. Videophones has steadily become not only popular but effective communication access for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing. Another Videophone technology known as myMMXdb has been developed for individuals who are DeafBlind allows them to communicate in ASL and receive responses using text that can be adjusted with their font size and colors' background thru either their computer or their Braille devices. It is supposedly to break down barriers for DeafBlind people yet it is rather costly. It isn’t free like those videophones for sighted people. We can apply to the National DeafBlind Equipment Distribution Program (NDBEDP) to obtain the software, but there are stringent requirements which may prevent us from getting it. The other choice is to purchase this software ourselves and the cost can be prohibitive. It becomes infeasible for Deaf Blind folks to have similar free access to equipment as sighted folks. The purpose of this petition is to demand that Videophones for individuals who are DeafBlind become available at no charge. If you support this above statement, please sign this petition below. We intend to share your support with Congress and FCC. Please only sign this petition using one email address for one time only. Thank you so much! CLICK HERE to sign the DeafBlind Petition: https://docs.google.com//1pVpkU7JCRhJ-i-ieU7bO65/viewform

It's time to start getting excited for ASL DAY at Zoo Atlanta! Bring this flyer for a discounted rate! #aslday #zooatlanta

A brilliant inventor, but sadly a strong audist. Did you know that Alexander Graham Bell was the force behind the eugenic belief that Deaf people should not marry one another? They feared Deaf people would produce more Deaf offspring.

Reminder, there's one more day to sign up for our SATURDAY ASL I, II, or III classes! Sign up now, here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-american-sign-language

Deaf History Month is a celebration of the contributions of the Hard of Hearing and Deaf communities to society. One of the greatest contributors to Deaf History is Andrew Foster. Read all about him, here: https://www.entandaudiologynews.com//andrew-foster-and-dea

We've opened up a few more ASL classes due to high demand! Sign up for ASL I and II on Tuesday nights, now! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-american-sign-language

Check out this great article from The Guardian that discusses why ASL Interpreters (including our local interpreter David Cowan) have become more important than ever during the pandemic, while also helping to expose more people to ASL.

Discover what's happening at GCDHH this month in our latest newsletter! https://conta.cc/3hyWzhi

The latest season of The Bachelor features the first Deaf contestant, Abigail Heringer, to ever appear on the show. Learn all about it, here:

We're wishing you a Happy New Year, from all of us at GCDHH! #happynewyear

A Georgia rapper and educator is using his life experience to spread ASL and help hearing people understand the Deaf Community. Learn all about his story, here:

Our Literacy Friday is coming a little early this month. Here is The Night Before Christmas as signed by Lara and Angelo!

GCDHH's own Signing Santa made it on the local news. Watch how this pandemic didn't stop our jolly red man from spreading the Christmas Cheer this season!

Almost everybody working from home has used Zoom at some point during the pandemic. But the company is currently keeping captions behind a paywall, which doesn't give the Deaf community equal access. Read on to learn more about the implications here:

GCDHH wishes everyone a Happy Holiday and Happy New Year 2021! The office is closed from Dec 24th to Jan 4th.

Twitter, TikTok, and YouTube have been in the spotlight lately for new features, but many Deaf users are still getting left behind. Find out why, and what these tech companies have done to make their platforms more accessible to the Deaf community.

You probably know that The Walking Dead has a Deaf actress, but did you know there's another Hard of Hearing actress on the show? Read all about her experience on the set here.

Have you ever wanted to learn American Sign Language (ASL) or continue where you left off? Sign up for our affordable virtual classes HERE! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-american-sign-language

Did you know about the story of Erastus "Deaf" Smith? He got his name due to his hearing loss in childhood, then went on to have quite a storied career during the Texas Revolution in the 1800s. Let us know if you've heard about him in the comments! #didyouknow

Amazon's Sound of Metal is a big hit, showcasing the story of a drummer in a punk metal band that loses his hearing. One of the stars, Paul Raci, recently discussed Deaf representation and the oppression of Deaf People. Be sure to check it out, HERE:

Deafness in the workplace can lead to communication barriers and struggles. Read on to learn about the issues Deaf people face in the workplace, and how these barriers can be removed, HERE:

Our GCDHH location is closed until further notice. Our staff is working remotely starting Monday, December 7th. We are available for phone and virtual meetings.

Be sure to check out our latest newsletter, where you can learn about everything going on at GCDHH, along with a guide of how to be more inclusive for your Deaf and Hard of Hearing family members over the holidays. https://conta.cc/3lp0FZm

We're wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, from all of us at GCDHH.

GCDHH has a Black Friday special for you! Save 10% on 2021 ASL Online Classes when you use code 10PERCENTOFFBLACKFRIDAY between November 27-29. #blackfriday #aslclasses https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-american-sign-language

Just a reminder, GCDHH will be closed on Thursday and Friday for the Thanksgiving holiday.

GCDHH was featured on Fox 5 Atlanta News where we discussed the struggle of Deaf and Hard of Hearing in the time of pandemic. Check it out!

There's still one more day to sign up for our upcoming Camp Juliena Journey event - Making Origami with Ms. Mel! This event is for Deaf/Hard of Hearing children ONLY. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-make-origami-with-ms-me

The Deaf community has recently been debating the sign for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Read up about it here and let us know what you think in the comments.

Amazon Studios invites you to attend a virtual advance screening of SOUND OF METAL, an awards-worthy drama about a musician that begins to experience hearing loss. Instructions on how to register for the screening, as well as film information and trailer link, can be found below. The screening will be open captioned. We hope you will join us for this special virtual event! SOUND OF METAL VIRTUAL ADVANCE SCREENING INVITATION Georgia Center of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing T...uesday, November 17 at 7:00 PM ET Link to register: http://amazonscreenings.com/GCDHHsoundofmetal CODE: GCDHHsoundofmetal Please Note: The virtual screening lobby capacity is limited and first-come, first-serve. If you register, you will be sent a link via email one hour before the screening start time which will allow you access to the screening lobby. You are encouraged to click that link ASAP once you receive it, as that will reserve your spot in the lobby. The lobby can fill up if you wait too close to the start time to accept your access link. Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFOrGkAvjAE Sound of Metal will be released in select theaters on November 20th, 2020, and available on Prime Video on December 4th, 2020. Directed by Darius Marder Written by Darius Marder, Abraham Marder Starring Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, Paul Raci, Lauren Ridloff, Shaheem Sanchez, Chelsea Lee, Jeremy Stone and Mathieu Amalric During a series of adrenaline-fueled one-night gigs, itinerant punk-metal drummer Ruben (Riz Ahmed) begins to experience intermittent hearing loss. When a specialist tells him his condition will rapidly worsen, he thinks his music career and with it his life is over. His bandmate and girlfriend Lou (Olivia Cooke) checks the recovering heroin addict into a secluded sober house for the deaf in hopes it will prevent a relapse and help him learn to adapt to his new situation. But after being welcomed into a community that accepts him just as he is, Ruben has to choose between his equilibrium and the drive to reclaim the life he once knew. Utilizing startling, innovative sound design techniques, director Darius Marder takes audiences inside Ruben’s experience to vividly recreate his journey into a rarely examined world. 120 Minutes | Rated R SOUND OF METAL INFO Rated: R Release: Nov. 20 in select theaters, Prime Video Release Dec. 4 Director: Darius Marder Starring: Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, Paul Raci Run Time: 2 hours Genre: Drama

Join the Georgia Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing's last Virtual DHH Community Townhall Meeting tonight. Monday, Nov 16 Access to 911 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-dhh-community-townhall

Join the Georgia Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing's Virtual DHH Community Townhall Meeting tonight. Friday, Nov 13 Access to Internet https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-dhh-community-townhall

Our latest Literacy Friday features Lara Whitfield signing 10 Fat Turkeys, by Tony Johnston. Be sure to watch! #literacyfriday

Are you ready to learn how to make Origami with Ms. Mel? There's still time to join the Camp Juliena Journey on November 21st, HERE: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-make-origami-with-ms-me

Join the Virtual DHH Community Townhall Meeting provided by the Georgia Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing tonight at 6 PM. Wednesday, Nov 11 Communication Access during COVID https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-dhh-community-townhall

This Veterans Day, we thank you for your service, from all of us at GCDHH.

Reminder: Our office will be closed on Wednesday, November 11th for Veterans Day. We will open again on Thursday, November 12th.

Thank you for joining our virtual DHH Community townhall meeting last night. Please join our other town hall meeting tonight. Tuesday, Nov 10 Access to Medical Care https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-dhh-community-townhall

Did you know that the longest reoccurring Deaf role was on Sesame Street? Linda Bove originally appeared on Sesame Street as a librarian and introduced many hearing and Deaf children to American Sign Language and the Deaf community. She stayed in this role from 1971-2002. #DidYouKnow

ASL version: https://youtu.be/WOETZKBjFiM Below are the Eventbrite links for each session. (see the flyer below) Monday, Nov 9 Public Transportation... https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-dhh-community-townhall Tuesday, Nov 10 Access to Medical Care https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-dhh-community-townhall Wednesday, Nov 11 Communication Access during COVID https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-dhh-community-townhall Thursday, Nov 12 Food & Housing https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-dhh-community-townhall Friday, Nov 13 Access to Internet https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-dhh-community-townhall Monday, Nov 16 Access to 911 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-dhh-community-townhall

Be sure to sign up for our upcoming Camp Juliena Journey event - Making Origami with Ms. Mel! This event is for Deaf/Hard of Hearing children ONLY. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-make-origami-with-ms-me

Discover everything going on at GCDHH in the month of November in our latest newsletter: https://conta.cc/2HPXLPg

We're wishing everybody a Happy Halloween, from all of us at Georgia Center of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing! #happyhalloween

Our physical office is closed today due to Tropical Storm Zeta.

Here's our latest "Who's Who," Dr. Glenn B. Anderson! Dr. Glenn B. Anderson grew up in Chicago and began college as the only deaf student on a campus of 12,000 students at Northern Illinois University. However, he encountered bias and discrimination there due to his deafness and race. The following semester, he transferred to Gallaudet, and upon transferring said "my eyes were opened wide" because he saw Deaf people with advanced degrees working in professional positions. H...e has many achievements that have benefited Deaf and hard of hearing. He was the first African American Alumnus of Gallaudet to earn a doctorate (New York University), the first African American deaf person to be appointed as Gallaudet trustee, and the first deaf person hired by Michigan Rehabilitation Services to work as a Vocational Rehabilitation counselor. He later established a continuing education program to benefit deaf adults interested in returning to school and/or obtaining degrees at LaGuardia Community College. In addition, he was director of training at the University of Arkansas' Rehabilitation Research and Training Center for Persons Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. See more

Election Day is approaching, and now is the time to get out the vote! Here are three ways on how to vote from GCDHH Executive Director, Jimmy Peterson.

For those who missed it, here is a little glimpse of Lexy Battybones from Saturday's Camp Juliena Journey!

Interested in learning ASL (American Sign Language)? Come meet one of our ASL instructors -- Angelo!

Have you heard of White Cane Awareness Day? The National Federation of the Blind celebrates it every year on October 15. Learn more about it, HERE: https://www.nfb.org//meet-blind-m/white-cane-awareness-day

REMINDER: There's still time to sign up for THIS SATURDAY's Camp Juliena Journey: Halloween Crafts with Lexy Battybones the Deaf Witch. Sign up now, HERE: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/halloween-crafts-with-lexy-bat

You can make a difference while you shop Amazon Prime Day deals on October 13 & 14. Simply shop at smile.amazon.com/ch/58-1758254 or with AmazonSmile ON in the Amazon Shopping app and AmazonSmile donates to Georgia Center of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

Just a reminder: GCDHH is closed on Monday, October 12th for Columbus Day. See you on Tuesday!

Deaf and Hard of Hearing communities have been disappointed about how inclusive the recent debates have been. Find out why they are feeling ignored and what advocacy organizations are doing about it, HERE:

"Dinner Table Syndrome" is often a problem for Deaf people at family gatherings and over the holidays, but remote work has made the problem even worse. Learn why it has become worse and what you, your family, or your company can do to help mitigate it HERE https://www.bbc.com//20200922-why-dinner-table-syndrome-is

Ready for our next Camp Juliena journey? Join Lexy Battybones for Halloween Crafts on October 17th at 11AM! Register HERE: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/halloween-crafts-with-lexy-bat

Want to see what GCDHH has been up to lately? Read all about it in our OCTOBER newsletter HERE: https://conta.cc/36AoZnI

Executive Director Jimmy Peterson and GCDHH were recently featured on Georgia's Public Broadcasting (NPR/PBS). Check it out!

We were recently featured on @Sign1News in their video "Clear Mask Giveaway Used to Empower Deaf Community. To check it out, Download the app and type in "clear mask" here!: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/app-name/id1385042277

Are you registered to vote? Check out this message from Jimmy Peterson, Executive Director of GCDHH about voting!

Human rights are a set of interlinked and inalienable rights inherent to every human being, whatever their nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, disability, religion, culture or language. All human beings have the right to exercise their human rights without discrimination. Those rights are indivisible and interdependent. Meaning, it is not possible to isolate only a few rights among the entire set of human rights. The improvement of one right im...proves the other rights. Likewise, the deprivation of one right adversely affects the others. How can we apply that to Deaf people and their right to their national sign languages? Sign languages are the only languages Deaf people can use effortlessly and they are the only way for the Deaf people to participate and be fully included in their communities. The right to sign language and to belong to a Deaf Community is a cultural human right. The right to sign language is also linked to their social and economical right to receive quality education in their national sign language and to work in an inclusive environment. The provision of qualified and accredited sign language interpretation is the only way to ensure the equality and non-discrimination of Deaf people in their right to access all spheres of society. Recognizing the right of Deaf people to use their national sign language is to ensure the fulfillment of these interlinked human rights. This can be achieved via the promotion of national sign languages as a part of national societies. Deaf people should be able to access direct services in all areas of life in their national sign languages or, when direct language access is not possible, via government-funded qualified and accredited sign language interpretation services. Equality and non-discrimination are fundamental principles in Deaf people’s access to society. #IWDeaf

The motto of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) is Nothing about us without us. It means that any initiative undertaken in favor of Deaf people must be done in close consultation with them through their representative organizations at every stage. Knowledge empowers Deaf people and allows them to be agents of change in their societies. Deaf people know better than anyone what we need and how to achieve our goals. Deaf people have organized ...and advocated for our rights for over two centuries, and Deaf Communities throughout the world are part of an expansive interlocking network of local, regional, national and global organizations which seek to promote human rights through sign languages. The WFD is the world’s largest international uni-disability association with 125 member countries, consisting of representative national associations of Deaf people. This network of Deaf-led organizations across the globe shows the importance of Deaf organizations leading the way for equal access for all. It is important to provide sufficient funding, capacity building, and empowerment to Deaf organizations to ensure they are able to exercise their leadership and advisory roles. These organizations must promote inclusive and intersectional values, ensuring the views of all members of our diverse Deaf communities are part of our advocacy work. Yet, to be able to receive adequate and meaningful funding in accordance with the reality of the situation faced by Deaf people, it is necessary to provide quality, harmonized and reliable data on Deaf people disaggregated by gender, age, education, sign language proficiency, disability and employment. It is only through sign languages that Deaf people are able to stand firm and achieve their human rights. #IWDeaf

Happy Birthday to our staff Andrea Kemp!

This inclusion and participation in society is underpinned by government-funded qualified and accredited sign languages interpreters, as well as multilingual workplaces which use national sign languages. Therefore, sign language training programs need to be established and developed with the leadership of Deaf people through their representative organizations. Equal opportunities for all Deaf people means for all underrepresented groups of Deaf people as well, including Deaf... women. Deaf women and girls are under-represented and are at risk of facing intersectional discrimination due to their gender, disability and linguistic minority status. Therefore, everyone - including representative organizations of Deaf people - must pay attention to the specific situation of Deaf women and implement precise measures to safeguard gender equality, diversity and equal participation in all decision-making processes in their society and within their organizations. This year’s COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the dire lack of access of Deaf people to life-saving public health information in their national sign languages. Furthermore, sexual and reproductive health care, as well as health prevention programs including psychiatric care and psychotherapy must be accessible to deaf people in their national sign languages. Access to health services is not only about Deaf Communities. This access ensures the health of all communities. #IWDeaf

Uganda was the first country in the world to legally recognize its national sign language in 1995. Since then, only approximately 50 countries have formally granted their national sign languages an equal status to their national spoken language(s). This is less than 25% of the United Nations 193 Member States. National sign language recognition campaigns have been the core advocacy work of numerous National Associations of the Deaf. Those associations have worked in partne...rship with deaf activists and the academic community with the common goal of reaching the legal recognition of their national sign languages! National sign languages are fully-fledged languages with the same linguistic properties as spoken languages. They deserve full recognition through legislation as minority languages of their country of origin with an equal status to the spoken languages used in that country. Why is it important to grant legal recognition to national sign language(s)? The legal recognition of national sign languages is the first step in the path toward achieving human rights for Deaf people. This recognition can give instrumental rights to Deaf people and compel obligations from national governments. Through sign language legislation, Deaf people can be entitled to claim access to all areas of life in their national sign language and benefit from equal opportunities. Therefore, governments have the legal obligation to ensure recognition as the first step to the inclusion of Deaf people and sign languages into their societies. #IWDeaf

Did you know that today is the International Day of Sign Languages? Here is a great article where you can read up on the beautiful sign languages from around the world. https://theconversation.com/understanding-the-amazing-compl #IDSignLanguages #SignLanguagesForEveryone #IWDeaf

This inclusion starts at an early age with bilingual education for deaf learners in national sign languages and national written languages with deaf peers, following a curriculum that maximises the full learning potential of Deaf children taught by teachers fluent in the national sign language. Quality and inclusive education is crucial to empower and enable Deaf people to become active contributors in their societies and communities. This inclusion through sign language mus...t take place not only in schools but also in the family home. Therefore, it is of paramount importance that governments provide families of Deaf children with free instruction in their national sign languages throughout the child’s schooling. The acquisition of a sign language from an early age is crucial to develop the literacy and cognitive capacities of deaf children. For Deaf people to be able to realize their self-determination in accessible societies, it is crucial that a wide range of services are available directly in national sign languages. These include, among others, health services, social services, media, workforce, education services, and government services.

This week is the International Week of the Deaf and we'll be sharing daily! This year's theme is "Reaffirming Deaf People’s Human Rights." With more than 200 different sign languages used around the globe, national sign languages are the native languages of more than 70 million deaf people worldwide. They are also the native languages of children from deaf-parented families and are also used by millions of others around the world who are part of vibrant national sign language... communities. National sign languages are fully-fledged languages with the same linguistic properties as spoken languages. National sign languages connect deaf people to Deaf Communities. Through the use of national sign languages, deaf people share a common culture and identity. For this International Week of the Deaf, let’s highlight the richness of sign languages and their equal status with spoken languages. The promotion of national sign languages and deaf culture strengthens multilingualism and is a means of encouraging, protecting and preserving the diversity of languages and cultures globally. Deaf Communities are diverse and intersectional, with deaf people are found among all cultural, linguistic, and ethnic minorities. At the same time, let’s recognize the discrimination still faced by deaf people around the world regarding their access to and use of their preferred languages, their national sign languages. And deaf people from traditionally marginalized populations face intersectional obstacles to their use of sign languages. Let’s work together to ensure the right to use sign languages is extended to all peoples around the world. What does equality for sign languages mean? Read the Charter on Sign Language Rights for All, endorse and come back tomorrow to learn more. http://wfdeaf.org/charter/ #IWDeaf

Don't forget, our next Camp Juliena Journey, "How to Care for Your Pets with Savannah LeFors" is this Saturday! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-care-for-your-pets-with

Mandatory face masks are now common in most parts of the world. But what's not being talked about much are the problems that covering mouths is having on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing population. Clear masks are starting to change that though, both in the USA and abroad. Read on to learn more about this issue and where to purchase clear masks HERE:

Our FREE Clearmask Distribution event was featured on Sign1News!

Thank you to everybody that came to our FREE Clear Mask Distribution Event. It was a great turnout!