Latest news with #Deaf
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Deaf Americans sue Trump over loss of ASL translators at briefings
The lawsuit says Trump stopped using sign language interpreters upon taking office a second time, violating the 2020 ruling by Judge James Boasberg, who at the time said providing closed captioning or written transcripts is insufficient. Boasberg is the chief judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and has been repeatedly criticized by Trump over unrelated immigration rulings. "Federal law unequivocally prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities and requires them to have meaningful access to the federal government's programs and services," the lawsuit alleges. "Failing to provide ASL interpreters deprives deaf people of meaningful access to the White House's press briefings." The lawsuit includes two Deaf people - Derrick Ford and Matthew Bonn - as plaintiffs, and notes that hundreds of thousands of deaf Americans speak only ASL, and may not communicate at all in English. Trump in March declared English to be the official language of the United States, and rescinded a 2000 executive order that encouraged the executive branch to make services available to people of limited English proficiency, including ASL speakers. The NAD asked the White House to reinstate ASL translation but received no response, the group said in its lawsuit. Members of the Deaf community have long worried about lack of access to ASL interpreters, especially during times of crisis. The 2020 lawsuit from the NAD specifically cited the ongoing pandemic as a reason for having real-time translations instead of providing closed captioning or transcripts. ASL translators have also become an increasingly common sight at concerts, with Taylor Swift, among others, using them to bring lyrics to life for deaf people.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- USA Today
Deaf Americans sue Trump over lack of sign language interpreters for White House events
Deaf Americans sue Trump over lack of sign language interpreters for White House events A 2020 court ruling mandated the White House provide real-time translations via American Sign Language. President Trump halted their use in January. Show Caption Hide Caption What is 'TACO trade,' a new phrase angering President Trump? 'TACO trade' is a jab at President Donald Trump's propensity to impose or threaten tariffs and later back off. WASHINGTON - A group of Deaf Americans who previously forced the White House to provide American Sign Language interpreters during press briefings is asking a federal judge to again intervene after President Donald Trump halted their use in January. In a lawsuit filed May 28, the National Association of the Deaf argued that the Trump White House's removal of ASL interpreters at press conferences and briefings violates federal law. The same group previously forced the White House to provide interpreters for COVID-19 briefings during Trump's first presidency, and former President Joe Biden expanded their use when he took office. The lawsuit says Trump stopped using sign language interpreters upon taking office a second time, violating the 2020 ruling by Judge James Boasberg, who at the time said providing closed captioning or written transcripts is insufficient. Boasberg is the chief judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and has been repeatedly criticized by Trump over unrelated immigration rulings. "Federal law unequivocally prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities and requires them to have meaningful access to the federal government's programs and services," the lawsuit alleges. "Failing to provide ASL interpreters deprives deaf people of meaningful access to the White House's press briefings." The lawsuit includes two Deaf people − Derrick Ford and Matthew Bonn − as plaintiffs, and notes that hundreds of thousands of deaf Americans speak only ASL, and may not communicate at all in English. Trump in March declared English to be the official language of the United States, and rescinded a 2000 executive order that encouraged the executive branch to make services available to people of limited English proficiency, including ASL speakers. The NAD asked the White House to reinstate ASL translation but received no response, the group said in its lawsuit. Members of the Deaf community have long worried about lack of access to ASL interpreters, especially during times of crisis. The 2020 lawsuit from the NAD specifically cited the ongoing pandemic as a reason for having real-time translations instead of providing closed captioning or transcripts. ASL translators have also become an increasingly common sight at concerts, with Taylor Swift, among others, using them to bring lyrics to life for deaf people.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Company takes control of former deaf school campus in Scranton, Dunmore
SCRANTON — A company recently took control of the former Scranton State School for the Deaf campus in Green Ridge after completing a lengthy foreclosure. The firm, 1801 Jefferson LLC, last week began fixing leaky roofs on several of the old, architecturally distinctive stone buildings on the 8.56-acre property straddling Dunmore and Scranton, according to company and borough officials. The company also cleared trees from the rear of the former school campus and is removing debris from buildings. 'We're just cleaning it out and maintaining the property so it (deterioration) doesn't get any worse,' Bob Burke of 1801 Jefferson LLC said Wednesday. As for future plans for the campus, Burke said, 'I would assume apartments, but we're not there yet. Right now, we're just trying to protect our investment up here.' The foreclosure and renewed activity are the latest developments involving the campus that for more than a century had deaf students living and learning there. A Pennsylvania state historical marker along North Washington Avenue in front of the campus commemorates the Rev. Jacob M. Koehler (1860-1932), founder in 1882 of the institute that would become the Scranton State School for the Deaf. 'An ordained minister who was deaf, he was concerned for this state's uneducated deaf children and was a leading advocate of compulsory education of the deaf,' according to the historical marker. The state ceased operation of the Scranton State School for the Deaf in 2009. Marywood University acquired the property from the state in 2010-11 and called it Marywood South. But the university never used the campus and started trying to sell it in 2015. From 2018-20, proposals for the property included Los Angeles developer Lance Robbins' plan to convert the campus into an artists' apartment complex; and a separate plan for an art school and retreat center by the Elysian Sanctuary. Neither panned out. In 2021, Marywood sold the property to the nonprofit Jarett Yoder Foundation, a Berks County-based nonprofit veterans assistance organization. The Yoder Foundation's goal was to use the campus as the Patriot Resource Center at Marywood, a facility to assist veterans and community first responders in need. To buy the site, the foundation borrowed from Marywood and the university held the mortgage. But the arrangement soon unraveled and resulted in a default. In 2022, Marywood assigned the mortgage to 1801 Jefferson LLC, which took Marywood out of the picture. In 2023, 1801 Jefferson LLC began taking legal steps in Lackawanna County Court to foreclose. During those proceedings, the property was headed several times for sheriff's sales but postponed repeatedly under continuing negotiations. The foreclosure was recently completed and deed transfers should follow shortly, Burke said. The Jarett Yoder Foundation also is now no longer involved with the campus, he said. The campus has eight old and architecturally distinctive stone buildings on 6.66 acres in Dunmore and one newer brick building at 1800 N. Washington Ave. on 1.9 acres in Scranton. The building in Scranton was largely move-in ready when the foundation acquired the property, while the older buildings were in various states of decay. The 1801 Jefferson LLC firm got permits from Dunmore last week for roofing work on the stone buildings, said Dunmore Zoning and Planning Coordinator Michael Brazil. The zoning of the buildings was changed in 2023 under the collaborative Scranton-Abingtons Planning Association from institutional to a city/neighborhood mixed use, he said. Whether the firm would need zoning approval for future uses of the buildings would depend on what might get proposed, Brazil said, noting the company has not filed any zoning applications in Dunmore. Even if future uses comport with what's allowed under zoning, the firm would still need permits for interior renovations, he said. The company also has not filed any zoning application in Scranton regarding the building situated in the city, said city Planner Don King. Residents have taken notice of recent activity at the formerly stagnant site and wonder what its future holds, said Green Ridge Neighborhood Association members Laura Agostini and Roberta Jadick. They view the work to prevent deterioration as a positive step. 'Now they're actually doing work on it, so that's a good thing,' said Agostini, who is association president. * A Pennsylvania state historical marker, shown here in 2018, commemorates the Rev. Jacob M. Koehler, founder of what would become the Scranton State School for the Deaf. The 8.56-acre campus straddles Scranton and Dunmore in Green Ridge. (JIM LOCKWOOD / STAFF PHOTO) * Roofs get repairs at the campus of the former Scranton State School for the deaf in Green Ridge on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. (JIM LOCKWOOD / STAFF PHOTO) * Roofs get repairs at the campus of the former Scranton State School for the deaf in Green Ridge on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. (JIM LOCKWOOD / STAFF PHOTO) * Roofs get repairs at the campus of the former Scranton State School for the deaf in Green Ridge on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. (JIM LOCKWOOD / STAFF PHOTO) * Roofs get repairs at the campus of the former Scranton State School for the deaf in Green Ridge on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. (JIM LOCKWOOD / STAFF PHOTO) * Roofs get repairs at the campus of the former Scranton State School for the deaf in Green Ridge on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. (JIM LOCKWOOD / STAFF PHOTO) * Roofs get repairs at the campus of the former Scranton State School for the deaf in Green Ridge on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. (JIM LOCKWOOD / STAFF PHOTO) * Roofs get repairs at the campus of the former Scranton State School for the deaf in Green Ridge on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. (JIM LOCKWOOD / STAFF PHOTO) * Roofs get repairs at the campus of the former Scranton State School for the deaf in Green Ridge on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. (JIM LOCKWOOD / STAFF PHOTO) Show Caption 1 of 9 A Pennsylvania state historical marker, shown here in 2018, commemorates the Rev. Jacob M. Koehler, founder of what would become the Scranton State School for the Deaf. The 8.56-acre campus straddles Scranton and Dunmore in Green Ridge. (JIM LOCKWOOD / STAFF PHOTO) Expand
Business Wire
3 days ago
- Politics
- Business Wire
Striking Back for Striking Workers: Hundreds of CUPE Ontario Members to Rally Thursday for Fellow Workers
TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CUPE Ontario members and allies from across the province will march to the Ministry of Labour tomorrow to offer their support and solidarity to fellow members from three separate CUPE locals that are currently on strike. Marit Stiles, leader of the Ontario New Democrats, and Laura Walton, president of the Ontario Federation of Labour, will also attend the rally to demand a fair deal for the workers. The striking workers are all employees of vastly different employers, but all find themselves facing similar battles with hostile, short-sighted, and ill-intentioned employers who have forced workers into strike action by refusing to bargain meaningfully with their union. CUPE 2073: More than 200 members at Canadian Hearing Services (CHS) have been on strike since April 28, fighting back against low wages that impact the quality and depth of services that Deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Ontarians receive. Meanwhile, the salary of CHS president and CEO Julia Dumanian topped $340,000 last year. CUPE 1750: In the first-ever strike in their local's history, some 3600 workers at the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) are demanding their employer take steps to reduce the dangerously high workloads that are driving up rates of depression and anxiety among them. WSIB has given rebates of $4 billion to employers this year but won't invest any of the remaining billions of dollars of surplus to improve working conditions for staff. CUPE 5525: A local of 25 personal care assistants at Villa Colombo Homes for the Aged are the most recent to take strike action. This small but dedicated group of twenty-five workers has been fighting for a first collective agreement since 2022. Rather than bargain a fair deal, Villa Colombo has put continuity of care for elderly residents at risk by paying scab labour more than it pays its existing staff.
Cision Canada
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Cision Canada
Dark Fork Launches First-Ever Sign Language Dining Experience on Ottawa Patio
A Feast for the Senses – and a Celebration of Connection OTTAWA, ON, May 28, 2025 /CNW/ - Ottawa's most unique dining destination is about to get even more unforgettable. This summer, Dark Fork —famous for its "dining in the dark" experience—is stepping into the sunlight with a powerful new concept: a patio where guests "sign for their supper." What if you had to use your hands—literally—to order dinner? Starting in June, visitors will be invited to enjoy gourmet meals on the restaurant's stunning heritage stone patio in the Byward Market—while placing their orders entirely in Sign Language. Staffed by Deaf and hard-of-hearing servers, the new outdoor space offers a one-of-a-kind opportunity to engage with Deaf culture in a welcoming, hands-on way. For those new to Sign Language, there's no need to worry— easy-to-follow visual guides on each table will show diners how to sign essentials like "please," "thank you," and "check," along with clear illustrations for each menu item. Whether you're fluent or just learning, you'll be part of an unforgettable dining experience rooted in curiosity, communication, and fun. " This initiative is a collaboration with the Tourism Workplace Accessibility Clinic and is about more than food—it's about connection, inclusion, and being part of someone else's world for a little while," says Moe Alameddine, founder of Dark Fork. Dark Fork, which opened in fall 2024, is already renowned for its immersive "blind dining" experience—where visually impaired servers guide guests through a completely dark meal inside the restaurant. With the launch of its sign-language patio, Dark Fork becomes the only restaurant in the world where both blind and deaf staff work side-by-side, sharing the kitchen, the bar, and the heart of the hospitality experience. The "Sign for Your Supper" patio experience will run from June 4th through the end of summer, offering a mouthwatering seasonal menu featuring steak, chicken, fish, and vegetarian options. No reservations required. Just come hungry—and curious.
