Hello,

My name is Cora; I am a mother of a deaf 4-year-old son and serve on
the board for IMPACT in California.

IMPACT is currently recruiting volunteers from each county throughout
California to serve as a Key Parent Link Volunteer. It takes a
special leader to handle their own beliefs objectively and while
respecting the diversity of the families you would be working with.

· A Key Parent Link Volunteer keeps an open mind and does more
listening than talking.
· Is someone who has worked out your own problems, is over many
of the emotional crisis we faced as a new parent and has developed a
means for handling your own problems.
· Key Parent Link Volunteers understands that even though we
have gone through a similar experience, we do have different feelings
and reactions to those same experiences.
· Key Parent Link Volunteer respects confidentiality and is
someone who is willing to accept ownership of your opinions and
biases and presents them to other parents in that fashion.
· A Key Parent Link Volunteer is willing to listen, respects
family decisions and does not act like a "I know best" advocate

If you would like more information, please do contact
parentlinks@... for more information and the
application form. Training will begin in February so apply soon if
you would like to be apart of this wonderful opportunity.

Professionals, if you are willing to fwd the information to all of
your families, please contact me as well. We need to get the word out
to as many families as possible to ensure all California families
have the opportunity to contact a local parent if needed. Thank you
for your support.

Free sign language tools such as a sign dictionary, signed videos and
sign enhanced games for deaf learners are available at
www.cats.gatech.edu.

March 7 – 9 2008

2008 CAL-ED Conference. Ripples of American Sign Language; Infinite
Possibilities for Deaf Children.
Location: San Ramon Marriott Hotel, 2600 Bishop Drive in San Ramon
CA, 94583. (Bay Area)
Conference Flyer http://www.conference2008.cal-ed.org/earlyflyer.pdf
(Including Hotel information)
*Early Bird Registration online now available until February 15, 2008
To register or to find out more about the conference please visit
http://cal-ed.org/2008/2008.html
For more information please email caled2008@...


April 26 2008

IMPACT Spring Symposium; Roadmap for Success.
Sierra Heath Foundation Conference Center. 1321 Garden HWY
Sacramento, CA 95833
Program and Registration information can be found and downloaded at
Spanish English
*Register by April 14th 2008 to avoid late fees.
For additional information about the symposium or registration
information call 1-877-322-7299 or email
us at spring08@....

You are invited to join the
"technology_for_deaf_children" group. This group is
for sharing information and resources about technology
for deaf learners, especially children. The group is
moderated by the Center for Accessible Technology in
Sign (CATS) which is a joint effort between the
Georgia institute of Technology and the Atlanta Area
School for the Deaf.
To join and for online sign language tools go to the
CATS site
www-static.cc.gatech.edu/program/cats
After you joun the "technology_for_deaf_children"
group you can post questions or requests for
technology. Georgia Tech has numerous resources to
make your idea real.


      
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____
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know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile.  Try it now. 
http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ

The sign language tools provided by the Center for
Accessible Technology in Sign (CATS) such as
MySignLink
have moved to Georgia Tech
check them out at

www-static.cc.gatech.edu/program/cats

Enjoy


      
________________________________________________________________________________\
____
Be a better friend, newshound, and
know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile.  Try it now. 
http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ

----- Original Message -----

From: Rachel Lindstrom

To: asdc_deafchildren@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Wednesday, October 10, 2007 10:42 AM

Subject: [asdc_deafchildren] Re: learning signs via cell phone - writing you off list

Hi. I am the hearing parent of a 17-year-old deaf student.

What population is your service going to address? Is your service really
more for emergency-type situations like when a non-signing police
officer needs to communicate with a deaf person?

If your service is more appropriate for "dog command" signs (like
cookie, stop, yes, no, and simple things), then I personally wouldn't
need it, because after 17 years, I already know those. (The trouble I
have is trying to explain to my deaf son complex abstractions, like, for
instance, why polite or loving behavior just works better than hollering
at people. I can't do it so well in my current sign vocabulary.)

Anyway, I would also LOVE to have a service that say, police officers or
doctors who don't sign could use when confronting a deaf person. I have
been trying to get parents of deaf kids here to write to the police
department insisting that officers be given some kind of deaf awareness
training before someone who can't hear is...well, let's just say a
preventable tragedy happens.

Cheers,
Rachel, Glendale AZ

> Harley Hamilton said: I work at Georgia Tech and we are developing a
> service for people to learn signs over their cell phones. You will be
> able to say the word or phrase you want and then see video of the
> signs for the word or phrase.

Sherry,
Brian did work with us last year. He was very skilled
and helped me with a project for developing a spelling
tool for deaf kids. He mainly worked with the
director, Thad Starner, on the game where kids can
sign to the computer to control  the hero. That
project is moving along and we should be testing it
soon.
For the cell phone project,"iSign" ,  eventually it
should work on any phone that can play video. We are
shooting for this to be web-based so anyone can get to
it anytime for free. The user will be able to say the
word(s) they want signs for into the phone and then
see the sign(s). That way they can use it to
communicate immediately with the child by simply
copying what they see. Other devices with other
languages have shown this is a good way to learn also.
It can also be used just to call up signs for learning
instead of looking them up in a book.
The service will also include MMS (multimedia
messages) that will ahave information about events in
the deaf community, deaf culture, sign language...
and a social networking function so parents can
contact other parents and deaf adults via text
messages, voice, or video chat.
We have a prototype developed and will continue to
develop it until we have a useful, useable device and
service.
We'd love feed back from parents. If you can help in
that area we'd be enormously grateful
Thanks so much
hjh
--- Sherry Williams <sherryw@...> wrote:

> Harley,
>
>
>
> I wonder if you were with the same research group
> that our son, Brian
> Williams, was involved with?  Developing a way for
> deaf children to play
> virtual games with players who sign - at least I
> think that's what they were
> working on.
>
>
>
> I am sure some families would like to explore this
> cell phone idea further.
> Which phones will it work on?  I would be happy to
> submit an article for our
> ADSC newsletter if you can give me more details
> about this.
>
>
>
> Thanks,
>
> Sherry Williams
>
>
>
> From: asdc_deafchildren@yahoogroups.com
> [mailto:asdc_deafchildren@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf
> Of hjh13
> Sent: Wednesday, October 10, 2007 9:48 AM
> To: asdc_deafchildren@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [asdc_deafchildren] learning signs via cell
> phone
>
>
>
> Hello to all,
>
> I work at Georgia Tech and we are developing a
> service
> for people to learn signs over their cell phones.
> You
> will be able to say the word or phrase you want and
> then see video of the signs for the word or phrase.
> You can use the phone to learn signs or to see signs
> and them use them for immediate communication with a
> deaf person/family member.
> Any comments /suggestions/questions you have a very
> welcome. We want to make a device that will be easy
> to
> use and meet the needs of people, particularly
> families, learning sign. What do you think?
> Harley Hamilton
> Contextual Computing Group
> Georgia Institute of Technology
>
>
>
>




________________________________________________________________________________\
____
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Yahoo! Answers - Check it out.
http://answers.yahoo.com/dir/?link=list&sid=396545469

Thanks for your interest. The service will allow the
user to ask for any signs they want. Your idea about
the police is one we never thought of and will be very
important to investigate. I'll keep you jupdated as
the project develops.
--- Rachel Lindstrom <baubo@...> wrote:

> Hi. I am the hearing parent of a 17-year-old deaf
> student.
>
> What population is your service going to address? Is
> your service really
> more for emergency-type situations like when a
> non-signing police
> officer needs to communicate with a deaf person?
>
> If your service is more appropriate for  "dog
> command" signs (like
> cookie, stop, yes, no, and simple things), then I
> personally wouldn't
> need it, because after 17 years, I already know
> those. (The trouble I
> have is trying to explain to my deaf son complex
> abstractions, like, for
> instance, why polite or loving behavior just works
> better than hollering
> at people.  I can't do it so well in my current sign
> vocabulary.)
>
> Anyway, I would also LOVE to have a service that
> say, police officers or
> doctors who don't sign could use when confronting a
> deaf person.  I have
> been trying to get parents of deaf kids here to
> write to the police
> department insisting that officers be given some
> kind of deaf awareness
> training before someone who can't hear is...well,
> let's just say a
> preventable tragedy happens.
>
> Cheers,
> Rachel, Glendale AZ
>
> > Harley Hamilton said:   I work at Georgia Tech and
> we are developing a
> > service for people to learn signs over their cell
> phones. You will be
> > able to say the word or phrase you want and then
> see video of the
> > signs for the word or phrase.
>
>



      
________________________________________________________________________________\
____
Check out the hottest 2008 models today at Yahoo! Autos.
http://autos.yahoo.com/new_cars.html

sorry, I decided to write to Harley Hamilton ON list but forgot to
change my subject line

mea culpa for any confusion I've caused.

I think more coffee is in order,

Cheers,
Rachel

Hi. I am the hearing parent of a 17-year-old deaf student.

What population is your service going to address? Is your service really
more for emergency-type situations like when a non-signing police
officer needs to communicate with a deaf person?

If your service is more appropriate for  "dog command" signs (like
cookie, stop, yes, no, and simple things), then I personally wouldn't
need it, because after 17 years, I already know those. (The trouble I
have is trying to explain to my deaf son complex abstractions, like, for
instance, why polite or loving behavior just works better than hollering
at people.  I can't do it so well in my current sign vocabulary.)

Anyway, I would also LOVE to have a service that say, police officers or
doctors who don't sign could use when confronting a deaf person.  I have
been trying to get parents of deaf kids here to write to the police
department insisting that officers be given some kind of deaf awareness
training before someone who can't hear is...well, let's just say a
preventable tragedy happens.

Cheers,
Rachel, Glendale AZ

> Harley Hamilton said:   I work at Georgia Tech and we are developing a
> service for people to learn signs over their cell phones. You will be
> able to say the word or phrase you want and then see video of the
> signs for the word or phrase.

Hello to all,

I work at Georgia Tech and we are developing a service
for people to learn signs over their cell phones. You
will be able to say the word or phrase you want and
then  see video of the signs for the word or phrase.
You can use the phone to learn signs or to see signs
and them use them for immediate communication with a
deaf person/family member.
Any comments /suggestions/questions you have a very
welcome. We want to make a device that will be easy to
use and meet the needs of people, particularly
families, learning sign. What do you think?
Harley Hamilton
Contextual Computing Group
Georgia Institute of Technology

Hello to all,
I work at Georgia Tech and we are developing a service
for people to learn signs over their cell phones. You
will be able to say the word or phrase you want and
then  see video of the signs for the word or phrase.
You can use the phone to learn signs or to see signs
and them use them for immediate communication with a
deaf person/family mamber.
Any comments /suggestions/questions you have a very
welcome. We want to make a device that will be easy to
use and meet the needs of people, particularly
families, learning sign. What do you think?
Harley Hamilton
Contextual Computing Group
Georgia Institute of Technology



________________________________________________________________________________\
____
Looking for a deal? Find great prices on flights and hotels with Yahoo!
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Oops. I forgot the link. Here is the link to the forum:
www.talkingfingers.freeforums.org


  Felciia Johnson
  www.homeschoolblogger.com/talkingfingers
  www.homesteadblogger.com/felipsha

I wanted to share with everyone that I have started a new forum just
for discussing raising and educating our deaf kids! I am reall excited
about this and hope everyone will take advantage of this free resource.

Felciia Johnson
www.homeschoolblogger.com/talkingfingers
www.homesteadblogger.com/felipsha

We are having a Bootcamp:ASL in Gauley Bridge, WV on August 13 and 14.
It is a 2 day immersion workshop focusing on teaming, feedback,
classifiers and non-manual markers. If anyone is interested, you can e-
mail me privately and I will send you more information.
Maria Harrah
mariaharrah@...

California Families we invite you to join us on the journey to
explore, dream and discover
ways to bring successful deaf education to our deaf and hard of
hearing children!

The 2007 CAL-ED/IMPACT Conference
April 20 - 22, 2007
In Burbank California at the
Burbank Airport MARRIOTT HOTEL & Convention Center
Call 1-800-736-9712 & use group code CAECAEA to get your discounted
rate. (Discount Rate Ends 3-19-2007)

Top 10 Reasons to attend the CAL-ED / IMPACT Conference….
10. Friday Pre Conference Session "Reading to Deaf Children:
Learning from Deaf Adults"
9. Friday Night Keynote "Every Deaf Child a Star" Carl J.
Kirchner
8. Saturday Lunch Keynote "Supporting Families without Bias"
Leanne Seaver & Janet DesGeorges
7. Saturday Night Big Event "The JM Leno Show" John Maucere
6. Fabulous Children's Program (Field trips, swimming
w/lifeguards, movies, crafts, games and more)
5. Children's Art Contest (artwork due by March 28th)
4. Special Teen Workshop "Be your own video producer"
3. Chance of Winning a Weekend Stay at Burbank Marriott FREE
(details at deafkids.org or cal-ed.org)
2. See old friends, Make new friends.
1. Explore, Dream and Discover ways to bring Successful deaf
education to all of our kids! (20+Work shops)

Register By March 1st to Save $$$
Members save even more!!!

Registration forms, Membership applications & detailed conference
information found at
deafkids.org (IMPACT) and cal-ed.org (CAL-ED)
\\
Registration forms also available in Spanish for information contact
   Antonina Cardinalli 559-255-9662 or apc15@...

(Email Rabianay@... if you would like a attachment of this
flyer)

Lynsey

I wanted to make sure you got my email at your personal email.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/impactdiscussiongroup/  Here is the
link for joining IMPACT Yahoo group.

I hope that you and Apryl can get together soon. Since your two girls
are the same age.

~ Cora

--- In asdc_deafchildren@yahoogroups.com, Lynsey Millan
<lynseymillan@...> wrote:
>
> Cora,
>   Thankyou.  How do I join the yahoo IMPACT group?  Do I have to
wait until my membership fee is received?  Thanks for your
information.  I am  looking forward to meeting other parents more
local and for Brooklyn to meet new friends.
>   Lynsey
>
> Cora <rabianay@...> wrote:
>           Hello Lynsey
>
> I am happy to get a email from you. I will do the best I can to
> answer your questions right now and if I dont answer them all, or
if
> you think of anything else, feel free to email me anytime.
>
> IMPACT is a great organization that I recently joined when my son
was
> born 2.5 years ago. I became a board member however just this past
> April.
>
> You do not necessarily need to stay at the hotel to attend the
> conference although I think it is fun to stay there :) You can
always
> room with someone to save on costs, that is what I always do. If
you
> get a suite then each person has their own room. You can post on
the
> IMPACT Yahoo Group for anyone looking for a roommate if you wish.
> Another reason I would recommend it is because Saturday night, if I
> am correct, the conference will not finish till 11pm. It might be
> late to drive home and then come back :) Just a thought.
>
> If I understand your question regarding the fee. No, if only one
> adult is attending, then you would pay only for an individual. We
do
> try to keep the children's fee down so that parents are able to
bring
> their children. It is great for the children to have a annual get
> together. My daughter has only gone 2 times but she looks forward
to
> it each year and keeps in touch with many of her friends throughout
> the year. This years children's program is going to be very
exciting.
>
> Per how many people usually attend. We always have a great turn
out,
> usually have around 500 people attend. I would say that maybe more
> professionals attend than parents but having said that Many parents
> attend and we have a large turn out. This year the conference is
> being set up to be hands on as much as possible. We wanted parents
> and professionals to walk away with something they can take home
and
> do with their children.
>
> Please feel free to contact me if you have any more questions.
>
> Thanks~
> Cora
>
> \
> --- In asdc_deafchildren@yahoogroups.com, Lynsey Millan
> <lynseymillan@> wrote:
> >
> > Hi Cora,
> > I have heard of IMPACT before and have been meaning to check it
> out. Thanks for the e-mail. I have a question, do you need to stay
> in the hotel to go to the conference? I live about 45 minutes away
> and am thinking of going and commuting back and forth. Also, on the
> registration fee, do I include my daughter, age 6 (deaf) as a
second
> member of the family if her and I go? And then pay for the
children's
> program in addition? I was just curious because the fee for the
> children's program is lower than what I would have thought. One
more
> question, about how many people have attended in the past and are
> they mostly families or educators? Thanks for the information.
> > Lynsey Millan
> >
>

Hello Lynsey

I am happy to get a email from you. I will do the best I can to
answer your questions right now and if I dont answer them all, or if
you think of anything else, feel free to email me anytime.

IMPACT is a great organization that I recently joined when my son was
born 2.5 years ago. I became a board member however just this past
April.

You do not necessarily need to stay at the hotel to attend the
conference although I think it is fun to stay there :) You can always
room with someone to save on costs, that is what I always do. If you
get a suite then each person has their own room. You can post on the
IMPACT Yahoo Group for anyone looking for a roommate if you wish.
Another reason I would recommend it is because Saturday night, if I
am correct, the conference will not finish till 11pm. It might be
late to drive home and then come back :) Just a thought.

If I understand your question regarding the fee. No, if only one
adult is attending, then you would pay only for an individual. We do
try to keep the children's fee down so that parents are able to bring
their children. It is great for the children to have a annual get
together. My daughter has only gone 2 times but she looks forward to
it each year and keeps in touch with many of her friends throughout
the year. This years children's program is going to be very exciting.

Per how many people usually attend. We always have a great turn out,
usually have around 500 people attend. I would say that maybe more
professionals attend than parents but having said that Many parents
attend and we have a large turn out. This year the conference is
being set up to be hands on as much as possible. We wanted parents
and professionals to walk away with something they can take home and
do with their children.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any more questions.

Thanks~
Cora

\
--- In asdc_deafchildren@yahoogroups.com, Lynsey Millan
<lynseymillan@...> wrote:
>
> Hi Cora,
> I have heard of IMPACT before and have been meaning to check it
out. Thanks for the e-mail. I have a question, do you need to stay
in the hotel to go to the conference? I live about 45 minutes away
and am thinking of going and commuting back and forth. Also, on the
registration fee, do I include my daughter, age 6 (deaf) as a second
member of the family if her and I go? And then pay for the children's
program in addition? I was just curious because the fee for the
children's program is lower than what I would have thought. One more
question, about how many people have attended in the past and are
they mostly families or educators? Thanks for the information.
> Lynsey Millan
>

Hello Lynsey

I am happy to get a email from you. I will do the best I can to
answer your questions right now and if I dont answer them all, or if
you think of anything else, feel free to email me anytime.

IMPACT is a great organization that I recently joined when my son was
born 2.5 years ago. I became a board member however just this past
April.

You do not necessarily need to stay at the hotel to attend the
conference although I think it is fun to stay there :) You can always
room with someone to save on costs, that is what I always do. If you
get a suite then each person has their own room. You can post on the
IMPACT Yahoo Group for anyone looking for a roommate if you wish.
Another reason I would recommend it is because Saturday night, if I
am correct, the conference will not finish till 11pm. It might be
late to drive home and then come back :) Just a thought.

If I understand your question regarding the fee. No, if only one
adult is attending, then you would pay only for an individual. We do
try to keep the children's fee down so that parents are able to bring
their children. It is great for the children to have a annual get
together. My daughter has only gone 2 times but she looks forward to
it each year and keeps in touch with many of her friends throughout
the year. This years children's program is going to be very exciting.

Per how many people usually attend. We always have a great turn out,
usually have around 500 people attend. I would say that maybe more
professionals attend than parents but having said that Many parents
attend and we have a large turn out. This year the conference is
being set up to be hands on as much as possible. We wanted parents
and professionals to walk away with something they can take home and
do with their children.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any more questions.

Thanks~
Cora

\
--- In asdc_deafchildren@yahoogroups.com, Lynsey Millan
<lynseymillan@...> wrote:
>
> Hi Cora,
>   I have heard of IMPACT before and have been meaning to check it
out.  Thanks for the e-mail.  I have a question, do you need to stay
in the hotel to go to the conference?  I live about 45 minutes away
and am thinking of going and commuting back and forth.  Also, on the
registration fee, do I include my daughter, age 6 (deaf) as a second
member of the family if her and I go? And then pay for the children's
program in addition?  I was just curious because the fee for the
children's program is lower than what I would have thought.  One more
question, about how many people have attended in the past and are
they mostly families or educators?  Thanks for the information.
>   Lynsey Millan
>

Lynsey and Roger,
It would be wonderful for Danielle to have some others with her at
Disneyworld.  Danielle was adopted from China about 4 1/2 years and she is
VERY outgoing.

We have a Disney cruise planned for July 5-8 and I have requested an
interpreter for Danielle and myself. I told the Cruise planner that there
may be other families on the cruise as well. We are planning to drive down
to Orlando July 2 and be at Disney World July 2-4.  We wil come back to
DisneyWorld on the 8th and leave for Kansas City July 12th.  (I have already
booked a lot of things as it as been cheaper to do so).

I am very excited to meet more people and to have Danielle have friends from
all over the country.

We plan to go to Disney World after the conference!  My parents took
the family on a Disney cruise this summer and our boys have been
begging to go to Disney World since.  We were very impressed with the
ease of securing excellent interpreters for our cruise.  How does it
work to get interpreters at a theme park, though?  Does an
interpreter walk around the park with you or do you need to request
specific shows and times to have interpreted?

See you in June:-)
MaryBeth Moore