Deaf Centre Manitoba (DCM), Inc. is a non-profit Charitable organization which recognizes the value of Deaf Culture and American Sign Language. The purpose of the organization is to coordinate and/or provide resources, and programs that enhance the development of the Deaf community.
Friday, December 23, 2016
Thursday, December 22, 2016
Season Greetings message from Deaf Centre Manitoba Inc (DCM Inc)
Hello,
Please see this special link to see my special message: http://www.123greetings.com/send/view/12322816908335624386
Deaf Resource Centre (DRC) will be closed on Friday December 23rd at 1:30 pm till Monday, January 2nd, 2017. The office will re-open on Tuesday, January 3rd at 9:30 am.
Thanks,
Sheila Montney
Executive Director
Deaf Centre Manitoba Inc
Please see this special link to see my special message: http://www.123greetings.com/send/view/12322816908335624386
Deaf Resource Centre (DRC) will be closed on Friday December 23rd at 1:30 pm till Monday, January 2nd, 2017. The office will re-open on Tuesday, January 3rd at 9:30 am.
Thanks,
Sheila Montney
Executive Director
Deaf Centre Manitoba Inc
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
A Night out to support of the Me's Deaf Team for Saturday January 14th at Essence (Canad Inn on McPhillip)
Canada
Deaf Curling Trials will be held in Edmonton, Alberta on January 19-21,
2017.
Our
own Manitoba Men's Deaf Curling Team (Joseph Comte, John Gessner, Shawn
Demianyk, Kayle Miller / Ross LaVallee) will be competing to secure a Canadian
spot at the Worlds Deaf Curling Championships in Sochi, Russia - March 2017
Funds
raised from this event will help cover the expenses to the trip.
Hope
to see you all there!!!
Contact
for tickets:
Joe
Comte
John
Gessner
Shawn
Demianyk
Kayle
Miller
Ross
LaVallee
Monday, December 19, 2016
The FCC Just Approved a Landmark New Way For Deaf People to Communicate
The FCC Just Approved a Landmark New Way For Deaf People to Communicate
The Federal Communications Commission last week approved one of
the most important advances in communications technology for deaf and hard of
hearing people in decades, in one of the agency’s final acts under the
leadership of outgoing FCC Chairman Tom
Wheeler.
In
a move that’s being hailed by accessibility advocates and leaders in the deaf
and hard of hearing community as a historic step forward, the five-member FCC unanimously adopted rules to facilitate the transition from
outdated, analog teletype (TTY) devices to a new, internet-based, real-time
text messaging standard (RTT) compatible with the latest smartphones.
As
a result of the FCC’s action, the nation’s wireless carriers and device
manufacturers will be required to support RTT functionality, which allows real-time
text messaging—without the need to hit “send”—in which the recipient can
instantly see letters, characters and words as they are being typed.
“We
now have the opportunity—as we design our new communications system that is
based on internet-protocol—to finally make our nation’s communications systems
accessible to everyone,” FCC Chairman Wheeler said at the agency’s monthly meetinglast
Thursday.
This
innovation will facilitate more natural, conversation-friendly communication
for deaf and hard of hearing people—without the need for separate, specialized
hardware. It will also allow 911 operators to receive incomplete messages
during an emergency, potentially saving lives. RTT technology is expected to be
interoperable across wireless networks and devices, creating the potential for
unprecedented ease of communication between deaf and hearing people.
“This
is a way for deaf and hard of hearing consumers to communicate in ways that
haven’t been available before.”
For decades, tens of thousands of deaf, hard
of hearing, speech-impaired, and deaf-blind people have relied on TTY devices, which are rudimentary keyboards connected to the
traditional PSTN telephone network that facilitate non-verbal,
text-based communication. (For deaf-blind people, these machines can be
connected to devices that
produce a Braille display.)
The origins of TTY devices date back to the
1960s, when Dr. James Marsters, a deaf orthodontist, worked with two colleagues
to develop a groundbreaking system that used an acoustic coupler—what we now
call a modem—to send audio tones over the phone network that were then
converted into readable messages. In their earliest form, TTY devices were bulky, slow-operating machines that weighed as much as 200 pounds, and
printed messages between the sender and recipient on paper.
n later years, Marsters would help advance
the development of Telecommunications
Relay Services (TRS), which improved phone communication between deaf and hearingpeople with the assistance of a third-party
person, known as a “communications assistant” (CA), who translated TTY text
messages from the sender into speech for the hearing recipient.
The advent of video-calling in the late 1990s
and early 2000s led to the development of Video Relay Services (VRS), in which deaf people use American Sign Language
to communicate by video with a CA, who then translates the sign language into
speech
A Successful Translation From Research to Reality
During
a wide-ranging interview with Motherboard using VRS along with Skype messaging
and email, Dr.
Christian Vogler, who is Director of Gallaudet University’s Technology Access Program,
described the importance of the transition for the deaf and hard of hearing
community.
Vogler, a computer scientist who has been deaf since birth, was a
driving force behind the transition and was specifically cited by both FCC Chairman Wheeler and FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai for his contributions to the process.
(Gallaudet University is a world-renowned
liberal arts university based
in Washington, DC, where all of the programs and services are designed for deaf
and hard of hearing students.)
“Being
at the FCC meeting was very emotional for me for two reasons,” Vogler said.
“First, because consumers are getting more access to telecommunications
services. Second, because this is a successful translation from research into
practice that has taken 15 years. I have been working so hardto push this
through and get it passed by the FCC.”
Vogler, 43, became interested in engineering and computer
science at an early age. “I got my first computer at the age of 12, the
venerable C64,” he told Motherboard. “From
there one thing led to another. I became interested in what made computers
tick, got into self-taught programming, and eventually figured out that this
was what I wanted to do for a living.”
By
the time Vogler earned his PhD in computer
science from the
University of Pennsylvania in 2003, he had already stopped using TTY devices in
the late-1990s in favor of VRS, for several reasons, he said.
First, the TTY devices of that era couldn’t distinguish between
uppercase and lowercase letters, nor could they produce important characters
like the “@” symbol—a major drawback for an internet-savvy computer scientist.
Second, the devices were too time-consuming. They could only transmit 60 words
per minute, and only one party to a TTY conversation could send messages at a
time, slowing discussions to a crawl.
But
VRS, while faster and more efficient than TTY, had drawbacks as well, Vogler said.
First, he had given up the ability to have direct conversations with businesses,
colleagues, friends, and family members who also had TTY devices. With VRS there
is always a human intermediary. Second, Vogler had lost the ability to have a directconnection to 911
services, which is something that most hearing people take for granted, but
could lead to a life-or-death situation for deaf or hard of hearing people
during an emergency.
“In dropping TTY we gave up direct communication access with the
mainstream phone world, and direct effective emergency calling,” Vogler said.
“RTT offers us the opportunity to get both back.”
Wireless Providers and
Device Makers Will Take The Lead
The
FCC’s vote establishes a technological standard for RTT services that was spearheaded
by a team of developers and advocates for the deaf and hard of hearing
community, in conjunction with the nation’s leading telecom providers,
including AT&T, which took a leading role in the process, as part of the
industry-wide Internet Protocol (IP) transition from traditional telephony to
internet-based communication.
Over the coming months and years, wireless
companies like AT&T and device manufacturers like Samsung are expected to
introduce RTT apps for consumers, with the ultimate goal being “native” functionality
baked into, and interoperable with, all smartphones and text-messaging apps.
Ultimately, RTT technology could prove so popular among all consumers, not just deaf and hard of hearing people, that it
could become a new standard for text-messaging services.
For FCC Chairman Wheeler, who announced last
week that he is stepping down in January, the successful vote advancing the
TTY to RTT transition amounts to a poignant and deeply symbolic conclusion to a
three-year tenure during which he made communications accessibility a key
priority for the nation’s top telecom regulatory agency. In his comments at
last Thursday’s meeting, Wheeler used American Sign Language to praise and
thank the assembled deaf and hard of hearing advocates
who have worked tirelessly to encourage FCC action on this issue.
“Chairman Tom Wheeler has, in his few years
at the FCC, boldly and efficiently removed barriers that have long frustrated
deaf and hard of hearing people with respect to making telephone calls,
watching videos, and using the internet,” Howard A. Rosenblum, CEO of the
National Association of the Deaf, said in a
statement. “The NAD thanks him for his dedicated efforts to make the
world more accessible for everyone, and wishes him well on his future
endeavors.”
Wednesday, December 7, 2016
MacLean Magazine- Sign Language possible third official language!
Sign language being considered as third official language: documents
If enacted legislation would require federal information and services to be provided in English, French and sign language
OTTAWA – The Liberal government has been quietly looking at the possibility of adding a third official language: Sign language.
Raising signing to the level of official language would be a major recognition, given that the use of sign language in Canada was “widely discouraged and even forbidden in classrooms” in the not-too-distant past, federal officials wrote in a briefing note to Disabilities Minister Carla Qualtrough.
Earlier this year, officials in Employment and Social Development Canada looked over sign language legislation in New Zealand, Scotland, Finland and Sweden as part of research about how the government could enact a similar federal law here.
The details are part of a briefing note The Canadian Press obtained under the Access to Information Act.
Such legislation, if enacted, would require federal information and services to be provided in English, French and sign language. In Canada, there are two types of sign language used by people who are medically deaf, hard of hearing, or prefer to sign: American Sign Language and la Langue des Signes Quebecoise.
“We know that Canadians with communication barriers and Canadians who are deaf and hard of hearing face these additional hurdles to being included in our society and our workplaces and our communities,” Qualtrough said in response to questions Thursday.
“I’m very keen to make sure that culture, that language is protected in some way.”
Canada ratified a UN convention on the rights of persons with disabilities in 2010. The declaration includes a call for countries to ensure that services can be delivered in sign language and enshrine it in law as an official language.
The Liberals are currently consulting on proposals for a wider accessibility law, with the goal of having legislation in place by the end of next year, or early 2018.
Qualtrough suggested Thursday that the government is looking to give public officials the ability to proactively crack down on future violators in the public and private sector, crafting a law that would have some teeth.
The change would be a shift away from the current Canadian human rights model, which prevents federal officials from getting involved until someone complains.
Qualtrough said the current process is onerous, cumbersome and expensive for those who go through it.
A proactive law would mirror the model used in the United States. In separate briefing notes to Qualtrough obtained by The Canadian Press, officials wrote that Canada could consider aspects of the American model, including a centralized complaints process, a decentralized enforcement system and a range of enforcement tools, from educational outreach to fines.
“What we want to do with our accessibility legislation is proactively address barriers to inclusion faced by Canadians with disabilities and functional limitations,” Qualtrough said.
“We have heard loud and clear from people across the country that there has to be some kind of teeth to this, that there has to be some kind of enforcement mechanism. It has to be aspirational for sure, but it also has to set some kind of expectation whether it be in the form of standards or guidelines.”
Qualtrough announced Thursday the government was starting the process to enact an optional part of the UN declaration that would allow Canadians with disabilities to file a human rights complaint with the United Nations and let the international body launch investigations into systemic issues in Canada.
Joey Landreth The Whiskey Tour-Thursday March 9th, 2017!
Hello,
Please see the link-https://www.facebook.com/events/668104496700283/ as Joey Landreth The Whiskey Tour will be at the West End Cultural Centre for Thursday, March 9th, 2017 from 7-10pm. Interested? See this link for more information and costs.
Thanks,
Sheila Montney
Executive Director
Deaf Centre Manitoba Inc
Please see the link-https://www.facebook.com/events/668104496700283/ as Joey Landreth The Whiskey Tour will be at the West End Cultural Centre for Thursday, March 9th, 2017 from 7-10pm. Interested? See this link for more information and costs.
Thanks,
Sheila Montney
Executive Director
Deaf Centre Manitoba Inc
FREE WEBINAR- What is an accessible Canada to you? Thursday, Dec 15th!!
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Want a free National Park Pass? See the link to apply it!!
Want a free National Park Pass... You need to go to the link to apply for free pass. Be advised that the link is very busy so keep trying till you get through to apply it.
Canada's National Parks are free in 2017,
Apply for
your pass here:
International Human Rights Day - December 10th!
December 10th is International Human Rights Day. The Canadian
Museum of Human Rights has free admission and is celebrating the 10th
anniversary of the landmark United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons
with Disabilities. CMHR has planned a schedule of programs that highlight
people with disabilities featuring performances by 100 Decibels Deaf mime troupe and the
All Abilities Dance troupe.
See
the link below for more information:
Monday, December 5, 2016
The Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities (MLPD)- Accessibility Program Manager Position available!
The Manitoba
League of Persons with Disabilities (MLPD) is inviting applications for the
Accessibility Program Manager position.
About the
MLPD Accessibility Consulting Services Pilot Program
MLPD is a
seasoned, cross-disabilities organization that promotes equal access to
opportunities.
The MLPD
Accessibility Consulting Services Pilot Program will help organizations develop
and implement their accessibility plans and policies as required by the new
regulation: Accessibility for Manitobans
Act (AMA).
This program
has a social enterprise approach including fee-for-service activities in
support of promoting accessibility for persons living with disabilities and
generating revenue for MLPD.
Reporting to
the MLPD Provincial Coordinator, the Program Manager will be responsible for
all aspects of the MLPD Accessibility Consulting Services Program, including
the following:
Develop
accessibility plans with clients
Facilitate
and act as a resource to the MLPD Community Advisory Committee (MCAC)
Facilitate
on-site testing and schedule/coordinate testers
Plan and
manage public forums and/or workshops on accessibility and the requirements as
per the AMA
Prepare
reports to funders
Market the
Program resources and services and source potential clients
As this is a
new program she/he will work in collaboration with our Program Coach to develop
program resources and processes.
QUALIFICATIONS
Must Haves:
Demonstrated
knowledge or expertise in the area of Accessibility
Demonstrated
program management experience
Excellent
planning and organization skills including process improvement, information
analysis, and program evaluation
Strong
interpersonal skills
Strong oral
and written communication skills
Self-motivated
and self-directed, but work as part of the MLPD team
Good to
haves:
Lived
experience facing barriers
Experience
advising organizations about Accessibility and barrier removal
Experience
working in the charity sector with a volunteer board structure
Understanding
of the Accessibility for Manitobans Act (AMA), Manitoba Human Rights Code, or
history of the disability rights movement in Manitoba
MLPD office
hours: Monday thru Thursday, 9 am – 5 pm
This is a
one year, full-time, term position (January 2, 2017 - December 31, 2017) which
may be renewed dependent on funding. Some off-site, evening and weekend work
should be expected.
Salary range
is $33,000 - $36,000 per year.
Application
deadline is December 16, 2016.
To apply,
send a copy of your resume and custom cover letter by email or snail mail to:
contact at
mlpd.mb.ca or
909-294
Portage Avenue
Winnipeg,
MB R3C0B9
Holiday Message ASL Video from Joint (ECCOE, MALVI & MDA )- Saturday December 3rd
Hello,
I would like to say THANK YOU to Gordon Wiebe
(ECCOE/MALVI), Tania MacNeil ( ECCOE/MALVI), Brenda Rutherford (ECCOE/MALVI) , Janine Gunn (1st Year AEIP Student), Jordan Sangalang (MDA Vice President) and especially Doug Momotiuk (MDA Treasurer/Draw Chairperson) for their help with Christmas Draw last Saturday, Dec 3rd!
Please see this special link from MDA Board-http://www.123greetings.com/send/view/12205816309627958136
Sheila Montney
President
Manitoba Deaf Association
Saturday, December 3, 2016
Joint(ECCOE, MALVI & MDA) Christmas Draw - Saturday, December 3rd
Total of Christmas prizes- 72!!
Joint (ECCOE, MALVI & MDA)
Christmas
Draw
December
3rd, 2016
1)
Kimberley Drummond- Turkey
2)
Bronwyn Jones- Christmas dish towel
3)
S. Smith Family- small Christmas tree
4)
G. Drummond- shortbread assortment
cookies
5)
Rita Bomak- Toberlone chocolate
6)
Lisa Dessens -Liquor Mart $25.00 gift
card
7)
Grant Thiessen- two pieces stocking
holders
8)
Daniel Mabe- Christmas candle
9)
T. Bond- Chicken
10)
Marjorie Chaikowski- HBC $25.00 gift
card
11)
Liette Gervais-Welcome Snowman Decor
12)
Liette Gervais-Pot of Gold chocolate
13)
Bruce Koskie- Turkey
14)
Craig Mostowy- Marshall $25.00 gift card
15)
Shawn Deminanyk- Christmas Projection
light
16)
Ian Braunlich- Ham
17)
Sarah De Guzman -Merry Christmas Sign
18)
Montie Brown-Ultimate Dining Card
$25.00 gift card
19)
Warren Johnson- Merlot Red wine
20)
Frank Funk-Ham
21)
Jon Miller- Planters peanuts
22)
Bonnie Heath- Turkey
23)
Montie Brown- Christmas Bath towels
24)
Marjorie Chaikowski-Trinento Red wine
25)
Bob Zimmer- cookie asssortment
26)
Len Mitchell- Liquor filled chocolate
27)
Gordon Gray- Mark $25.00 Gift Card
28)
Heather Brown- Chicken
29)
Montie Brown- Christmas cookie jar
30)
Sheri Mackenzie-Christmas crackers
31)
Heather Bell- Turkey
32)
Jaclyn Demianyk- Ham
33)
Jaclyn Deminayk-Bentley's Black Tea
34)
Christie Dans- shot glasses
35)
Hubert Demers- Ultimate Dining $25.00
Gift Card
36)
Meghan Perreault- Chicken
37)
Liette Gervais- Shortbread cookies
38)
Candice Sharpe- Chocolate biscuits
39)
Candice Sharpe-Turkey
40)
Heather Bell-Liquor Mart $25.00 Gift
Card
41)
Joanne Ruiz-Gallo Blush wine
42)
Deidre Hase-Icy Squares chocolate
43)
Carol Mackenzie-Chicken
44)
Heather Bell-Christmas mug
45)
Shawn Demianyk- Planters peanuts
46)
Jon Miller-All Gold cookies
47)
Mark Bosko- Liquor Mart $25.00 Gift
card
48)
Kristi Kilpatrick-- Ham
49)
Linda Strowbridge- Woodbridge White
wine
50)
Candice Sharpe-Cheese cutter
51)
Grant Thiessen- Ham
52)
Jeff F( from DC Cafe)- Belgain cookies
53)
Christie Dans- Christmas light
54)
Liette Gervais-Homesense $25,00 Gift
card
55)
Danny Klus- Pecan Caramel chocolate
56)
Marjorie Chaikowski- Silver/Gold
Christmas ornaments
57)
Sheila Montney-Chicken
58)
Eric Koskie- Hot Chocolate boxes
59)
Deidre Hase- Citra White Wine
60)
Joan Coupland- Shortbread cookies
61)
Christie Dans-Winner $25.00 Gift Card
62)
Sherry Clark- Garlic Sausage with
Christmas bag
63)
Marjorie Chaikowski-$35.00
64)
Bonnie Heath-$35.00
65)
Rita Ruiz-$30.00
66)
Heather Brown-$30.00
67)
Rob Ward-$25.00
68)
Marjorie Chaikowski-$25.00
69)
Ian Braunlich-$25.00
70)
James Andrabado-$20.00
71)
Sue Tebow-$15.00
72)
Betty Casault-$10.00
Holiday message video will be posted soon.
For winners- please go to Deaf Resource Centre office on Monday between 9:30-4 pm & approx 5 -7 pm. After hours, please contact Doug Momotiuk (dougmomotuik at yahoo.com) or Sheila Montney (mdapresident72 at gmail.com) for an arrangement.
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