Advocacy – Page 67 – Delaware Association of the Deaf (DAD)

May 31, 2022

Open captioning coming to Delaware movie theaters

Coming soon to a movie theater near you – open captioning. And it is not just for the hard-of-hearing.

Delaware movie theaters will increase access for deaf and hard-of-hearing moviegoers by offering regular showing of first-run movies using open captions on the screen.

Hawaii is the only state in the U.S. that currently has a law requiring a certain number of showtimes to have open captioning. But before introducing legislation here, State Rep. Ed Osienski (D-Newark) is launching a statewide pilot-program in partnership with advocates and movie theaters to offer open captions.

“Imagine being in the middle of a movie, and having your device stop, they don’t stop the movie for you,” Osienski said. “You have to get up and find somebody, get the service, get a new device, get back, and you’ve missed a bunch of the movie.”

Daphne Werner teaches at the Delaware School for the Deaf, and brought the issue to Osienski’s attention. They and others gathered at the Penn Cinema on the Riverfront Monday for an open captioning demonstration.

“Open captions benefit everyone, not just the deaf and hard-of hearing,” she said. “Whether it’s deaf or hard-of-hearing residents, children, individuals with learning disabilities, English language learners, or there are people who just enjoy captions to better understand the dialogue.”

Read on at https://www.delawarepublic.org/delaware-headlines/2022-05-23/open-captioning-coming-to-delaware-movie-theaters.

DAD’s Entertainment Guide – https://www.delawaredeaf.org/links/movie-theater-and-entertainment-options.

Other news articles (similar to this one):

May 9, 2022

DDSC thankful for support

As president of Deaf Delaware Senior Citizens (DDSC), I am delighted to report that our raffle fundraiser held in conjunction with showings of the movie “CODA” at the Clayton Theatre in Dagsboro generated just over $6,000 from the hundreds of viewers who supported this effort. This money will be used by the World Federation of the Deaf to assist deaf Ukrainians impacted by the Russian invasion.

I thank the DDSC members who donated and solicited items for the gift baskets, attended the 11 showings of the movie along with volunteer sign language interpreters, and arranged for the delivery of the baskets to the winners. I am extremely grateful to Joanne Howe, who hosted the fundraiser at the Clayton Theatre and donated a percentage of the admission receipts.

The generosity of donors who helped make the gift baskets so special is greatly appreciated. These donors include Su Casa Furniture, Cripple Creek Golf & Country Club, Bear Trap Dunes, Lord’s Landscaping, Inland Bays Garden Center, Patti’s Hallmark Shop, Banks Wine & Spirits, Porto Pizza and Grill, Jayne’s Reliable, author Michelle Meadows and Realtor Rich Meadows, Good Earth Market and DiFebo’s Market.

Allen Talbert, President
Deaf Delaware Senior Citizens

Source: https://www.coastalpoint.com/opinion/letters/ddsc-thankful-for-support/article_a9bb1574-cc9c-11ec-8aba-1b7a7e79abec.html

April 26, 2022

Bringing American Sign Language to local weather alerts

One morning in June 2000, Tara Burglund was driving through a thunderstorm on her way to work just north of Sioux City, Iowa. She could see the dark clouds looming overhead and feel the 74 mph winds trying to roll her car as she pressed on the brakes. But she couldn’t hear the cracks of thunder or the urgency of the severe weather alerts.

Burglund is deaf.

While she followed her instincts to pull over into a parking lot, she didn’t know what was going on. Moments later, a giant tree fell nearby, she said. If she had stayed on the road, she realized, she would have been risking her life.

Severe weather is one of the main reasons people tune in to local news stations. Broadcast meteorologists are able to share minute-to-minute details such as location, timing and storm tracks. Yet Burglund — and nearly 1 million other people in the United States — don’t get the same weather information most people rely on their local broadcast meteorologists to provide.

“I rely on my family to interpret when there is bad weather, and when they are not home I can barely tell what is going on,” said Burglund. “Having access to the same safety as others would help so much.”

The National Weather Service has made efforts in recent years to better reach those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Weather radios are available with strobe lights or vibrating alert features for emergencies. Many cities offer storm spotter classes in American Sign Language (ASL). And national catchphrases such as “when thunder roars, go indoors” have been adapted to “see a flash, dash inside.” Weather Service meteorologist Trevor Boucher says this phrasing and imagery can benefit the hearing and deaf community alike.

But there is still a critical gap when it comes to the “nowcasting” provided on local television. ASL is the primary language for more than 500,000 Americans, and unfortunately, it’s not a language that many broadcast meteorologists are familiar with, although there are some examples. Brek Bolton, a meteorologist at Fox 13 in Salt Lake City, has been using ASL on social media for years. In the 2010s, meteorologist Robert Gauthreaux III delivered ASL forecasts for the Baton Rouge area.

Read the rest of the story at https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2022/04/15/asl-weather-sign-language-severe.