Howard College Honors Two Deaf Persons

28 01 2010

All..

Once a while I digress completely to different issue.  This is one.

HC Names Two Buildings to Deaf Persons

Quotable:

"The Howard College Board of Trustees gave special recognition to Dr. Douglas and Beatrice Burke by naming buildings on the SouthWest Collegiate Institute for the Deaf (SWCID) campus in their honor.."

Dr. Douglas had passed away, and Beatrice Burke still lives. By the way, Beatrice and my wife, Lisa, are good friends.  

Dr. Douglas really was the one who spearheaded project that eventually launched SWCID.  Beatrice spend many years teaching/working at SWCID.  That’s why the naming buildings to these two deaf individuals.  SWCID is located in Big Springs out in far west Texas.    

Congratulations Beatrice – who lives in Temple and Dr. Douglas – somewhere upstairs.  

eyes open & thumbs up,

Ed B

Long Link:
http://www.howardcollege.edu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=727:burke&catid=60:story&Itemid=639

Comments : 2 Comments »
Categories : Alerts, Digress to Other Issues

MMTC Ex-Parte – shades of similarity

26 01 2010

All..

An ex-parte letter from Minority Media and Telecommunications Council expressing concerns not unlike we deaf/hoh have. 

Minority Ex Parte

Quotable quotes:

"The Commission should ensure that net neutrality rules are neither written nor applied in a manner that adversely affects the participation of minorities online and in society."

"..ensure that even if the rules are truly neutral in their text and application, that they do not, in their very “neutrality,” lock into place and perpetuate into the future the vast current racial disparities in broadband access, adoption, and informed use."

"Permanent digital second-class citizenship is unacceptable on every level. The Commission must avoid the enormous social and moral costs that would attend the creation of a permanent digital underclass and consider the impact of its race-neutral policies on minorities."

So we’re not alone, and we have to fight to get our inherent rights.

eyes open & thumbs up,

Ed

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Categories : Alerts, Digress to Other Issues, Musing

Enhanced 911 System via Cell Phones

14 12 2009

All..

Wish all of states from USA would adopt that…

Enhanced Cell Phones

"..the next phase of the enhanced 911 system, residents will be able to text their 911 with their emergency"

Keep in mind that emergency procedures are mostly controlled and financed by county, not by state or federeal.   Texas, for example has a state emergency agency, but its authority is very limited. 

Also, it would be super-cool if states can set up an emergency center that have a few video interpreters where all the laptops, netbooks, and eventually pagers with video conference capacity can call into and report emergency.    

eyes open & thumbs up,

Ed

PS: Full link:  http://www.wapt.com/news/21922547/detail.html

Comments : 2 Comments »
Categories : Alerts, Digress to Other Issues

Jim Marsters

3 08 2009

All..

Below is an email from James Marsters’ daughter, Jean Marster. James Marster was one of the three deaf persons who helped push and paved the future for deaf/hoh by inventing TTY way back in 1964.

We all know how TTY revolutionized the world of deaf. Now the telephone access is not limited to hearing persons. We owe a great deal of debt to these three deaf men. Other two deaf men: Harry G. Lang and Robert H. Weitbrecht

Quote:

Picture of Jim MarstersDear Friends, With great sadness I write you that my father, James C. Marsters, passed away in he bed on Tuesday. He had not been ill for long, which is the way he would have wanted it.

The day before he died, he spent the afternoon and early evening with Jim Jr., with me and with his granddaughter, Anna. He was full of plans for restaurants he wanted to try, for the next monthly Deaf Lunch Bunch and of how much he’d enjoyed his most recent set of e-mails. He was in no discomfort. That time with him was a precious gift.

He was a wonderful man, and we loved him dearly.

We thank you for your friendship, your e-mails, your visits and your love which helped sustain him over the years.

Please feel free to share this e-mail with anyone who you think would want to know.

There will be a memorial service in Oakland the weekend of October 24-25th.

Yours,

Jean Marsters

Unquote

James C. Marsters, DDS — 4/5/24-7/28/09

Really, the ongoing pursuit for equality; that is, functional equivalence, is a life long battle and slow in getting what deaf/hoh deserves. Telephone access helped break through this seemingly insurmountable barrier. After TTY, relay service with TTY was soon created, and then VRS followed through. Even though I’m considered Father of VRS, I bow my heads to these guys. They made it technology possible. So let us all pause a moment and pay respects.

Folks, if you have stories to share about James Marsters, please feel free to comment. I know many of you elderly folks have had events with him.

eyes open & thumbs up,

Ed

Comments : 22 Comments »
Categories : Alerts, Digress to Other Issues, History

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