AVLI-NB Journey

Schedule of events

2010-12-11T04:07:00.000-08:00

Hi all!

Here is what's happening for the next little while:

Dec. 11 - 1 pm - Board meeting in Fredericton
Dec. 11 - 5 pm - Deaf Darts Christmas Party (Fredericton)

Dec. 15 - 1 - 3 pm - SEDHHS Christmas Open House - at the Lewisville Lion's Club, Moncton

Dec. 17 - 11 am - 2 pm SJDHHS Christmas Open House - Saint John

Dec. 18 - Becky and Carly interpret at the Playhouse (Fredericton)

Jan. 8 - 10 am - 3 pm Committee meetings and Board Gov. Training (Moncton)
Jan. 8 - 7 pm - SJAD Dingo
Jan. 8 - 6:30 pm - Fredericton Darts - Legion on Queen Street

Jan. 15 - Fredericton Works - workshop TBA

Jan. 22 - SJDHHS - workshop TBA
Jan. 22 - 6:30 pm - Fredericton Darts

Jan. 29 - 10 am - SEDHHS - workshop TBA

Feb. 5 - 10 am - AVLI-NB board meeting - SEDHHS
Feb. 5 - 2 - 4 pm - SJAD Bowling - Bowlarama, Saint John
Feb. 5 - 6:30 pm - Fredericton Darts
Feb. 5 - 7 pm - SJAD Dingo

Feb. 12 - Fredericton Works - workshop TBA

Feb. 19 - SJDHHS - workshop TBA
Feb. 19 - 2 - 4 pm - SJAD Bowling
Feb. 19 - 7 pm - SJAD Dingo

Feb. 26 - 10 am - SEDHHS - workshop TBA

Mar. 5 - 10 am - 3 pm - AVLI-NB Committee meetings and PD (SEDHHS)
Mar. 5 - 2 - 4 pm - SJAD Bowling
Mar. 5 - 6:30 pm - Fredericton Darts
Mar. 5 - 7 pm - SJAD Dingo

Mar. 12 - Fredericton Works - workshop TBA
Mar. 12 - 7 pm - AVLI-NB and FAD Skip-Bo (Marshall D'Avery Hall, UNB F'ton)

Mar. 19 - SJDHHS - workshop TBA
Mar. 19 - 2 - 4 pm - SJAD Bowling
Mar. 19 - 6:30 pm - Fredericton Darts

Mar. 26 - SEDHHS - workshop TBA

For those of you we don't see until January - Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Four Deaf Yorkshiremen

2010-08-18T08:48:00.000-07:00

Sarah MacKenzie, at SEDHHS just showed me the most awesome video!

I couldn't get the link to work, but if you go to youtube, search for "Four Deaf Yorkshiremen".

And then sit back and enjoy!

PD Opportunity - Vancouver

2010-08-09T07:53:00.000-07:00

Members,

We are thrilled to be able to offer the Interpretation of Interactive Interviews Workshop this coming November!

This is the second of the two available CES workshops. Upon completion of both workshops you are eligible to take the TOI. Even if you don't feel ready to take the TOI anytime soon, both of these workshops provide fantastic professional development. It's a great opportunity to assess your current skill level and establish goals for the future. To register for this workshop you must...

1) be an Active AVLIC member
2) have successfully completed the WTK
3) have already completed the Interpretation of Narratives Workshop
4) have maintained your membership since entering the CES process

Dates: Saturday, November 6 & Sunday, November 7, 2010
Location: Douglas College, New Westminster, BC
Facilitator: Deloris Piper
Cost: $200
Registration Deadline: Monday, August 23, 2010

This intense, theory based workshop takes place over two days. There are seven required readings that are provided through the AVLIC website (password protected). All workshop participants are required to provide a sample of their interpretation of specific materials. These materials are provided by AVLIC via web-streaming. After submission two sets of AVLIC Feedback Specialists, one Deaf and one certified (COI) interpreter, will evaluate the sample interpretations. These samples will be returned by the facilitator at the workshop and participants may keep them. WAVLI Professional Development can assist with taping locations if a member is unable to locate the necessary taping equipment on their own.

Samples must be received at the AVLIC Office by Friday, September 24, 2010.

The registration from is available at www.avlic.ca under the Services tab, in the Canadian Evaluations System section. Sign in using your name and password, and once on the CES page just scroll down to "Phase Two Registration Form" and click on "Online Form". Registration and payment must be received at the AVLIC office by Monday, August 23, 2010.

AVLIC
110 - 39012 Discovery Way
Squamish BC
V8B 0E5

This workshop requires a minimum of six eligible members to register and it is restricted to a maximum of eight. If the minimum number of registrations is not received, the workshop will be postponed or cancelled.

Please contact wavli.pd@gmail.com or ces@avlic.ca if you have any questions.

Brianne Braun & Nicole Pedneault
WAVLI-Professional Development

NFSD Closed

2010-08-09T07:44:00.000-07:00

Thanks, Chrissy, for this article. This is, indeed, sad news.

http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2010/08/02/nl-deaf-school-closing-802.html?ref=rss

Educational Interpreting Issues letters

2010-08-09T07:42:00.001-07:00

Dear Members,

The Educational Interpreting Issues Committee has developed two letters for member use which are now posted on the AVLIC website under the Members Only tab or by following this link: http://www.avlic.ca/member.php?eiic. One letter is for members to send to their local unions; the other is for local school districts. Members who work in the Kindergarten to Grade 12 setting may download these letters and use them to lobby for change or to educate unions and school district administration as needed. Each Affiliate Chapter also has a copy of these letters via e-copy.

Ministers of Education and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) across the country will soon be receiving a similar letter with a copy of the MAVLI DVD, Best Practices in Educational Settings Making an Informed Choice: Educational Interpreters vs Signing EAs. The DVD, as most are aware, is an educational tool developed by MAVLI that demonstrates the difference between an interpreter and a signer.

Several years ago the EIIC conducted a survey of Affiliate Chapters. An area of need identified at that time was educating both unions and school districts about the role and responsibility of an interpreter. We hope that these resources assist interpreters in the K-12 setting in these areas.

Sincerely,

Colleen Friel
AVLIC President
president@avlic.ca
www.avlic.ca

2010-08-09T07:34:00.000-07:00

Minister Cannon Invites Disability Stakeholders to Witness

Ratification of UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Convention Advances Disability Rights as Human Rights

New York, March 11, 2010 - Today the Government of Canada has ratified the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Canada is now the 82nd country to make this international commitment to protecting and advancing the human rights of persons with disabilities.

Traci Walters, National Advisor to Independent Living Canada, was in attendance at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City to witness this historic moment. “Today’s ratification marks the culmination of years of work by the Government of Canada and the organizations that represent Canadians with disabilities,” she said. “It demonstrates to Canadians with disabilities that our Government is thoroughly committed to the promotion and protection of the human rights of all Canadians citizens.”

“The importance of ratification of the CRPD for Canadians with disabilities cannot be overstated,” said Kelly Nadeau, National Chairperson of Independent Living Canada. “Ratification enshrines the rights of Canadians with disabilities to be fully included in all spheres of Canadian life and is a formal and international acknowledgement of the contributions that people with disabilities make to Canadian society.”

By tabling the CRPD in the House last December 3, 2009, on the UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the Government of Canada promised to consider disability issues as matters of national importance. Today the Government has followed through with that promise.

“This is truly an historic day for persons with disabilities in Canada and it was an honour to be invited to participate in the final step of this process,” said Walters. “Today Canadians with disabilities are enormously grateful to all Members of Parliament and to all Parties for their support in developing and ratifying the CRPD, as well as to the groups and organizations such as the Council of Canadians with Disabilities and the Canadian Association for Community Living which played an integral role in representing Canadians with disabilities at home and on the international stage.”

For More Information Contact:
Traci Walters, National Advisor to Independent Living Canada
613.563.2581 x 13

402-214 ch. Montréal Road, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1L 8L8
Tel./Tél. (613) 563-2581 Fax/Téléc. (613) 563-3861 TTY/ATS (613) 563-4215
info@ilc-vac.ca
www.ilcanada.ca - www.vacanada.ca

2010-08-09T07:26:00.000-07:00

DEAF SCHOOLS STILL UNDER ATTACK
DESPITE NEW INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT

Ottawa (ON) -- It has been a week of great joy and angry grief for Deaf Canadians at opposite ends of the country.

On July 19th in Vancouver, an agreement was signed that repudiated 130-year-old resolutions that have caused incalculable damages to Deaf people all around the world.

Exactly one week later, the Newfoundland and Labrador government pushed Deaf education backwards again by announcing the closure of the Deaf school in St. John’s.

In 1880 in Milan, Italy, the International Congress of Educators of the Deaf (ICED) passed a motion that effectively banned Sign language from Deaf schools and prevented Deaf people from becoming teachers. More than a century of plummeting literacy and employment resulted in Deaf communities everywhere.

That 1880 motion was formally rejected last week when the “New Era” agreement was signed by ICED Chairperson Claire Anderson, World Federation of the Deaf President Markku Jokinen, Canadian Association of the Deaf President Doug Momotiuk, and B.C. Community leader Wayne Sinclair.

“We did it to try to erase the worldwide ignorance and misconceptions about the deaf,” said Sinclair, who spearheaded the negotiations. “The Milan decision was a disaster for all of us. It resulted in two-third of Deaf people being functionally illiterate, and only one-third of us are fully employed.”

Responding to the closing of the Newfoundland School for the Deaf, Jim Roots, Executive Director of the Canadian Association of the Deaf (CAD), caustically observed, “It seems the Newfoundland government is no longer half an hour ahead of everybody else. Instead, they are now 130 years behind!”

The government justified the school closing by saying all 199 Deaf students in the province are enrolled in regular schools, but Roots questioned whether there were sufficient support services in place to meet the needs of 199 students.

“Newfoundland has no more than a handful of qualified Sign language interpreters, and they are all overwhelmed with community demands. The province certainly doesn’t have 199 fully-qualified interpreters to serve these students.

“So the government is basically telling these students to either drop out of school or else move to Ontario and try to enroll in the Deaf schools there.”

Doug Momotiuk, President of the CAD, pointed out that the Newfoundland decision not only goes completely against the “New Era” document, it also violates the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

“The Convention explicitly protects our right to be educated in Sign language in Deaf schools,” he explained.

A coalition is building among Deaf organizations such as the Canadian Association of the Deaf, Deaf Bilingual Coalition - Canada, service agencies including the Canadian Hearing Society, and community groups.

“We’re going to work together to address these issues in every province,” promised Chris Kenopic, newly-appointed President and CEO of the Canadian Hearing Society. “The New Era document and the United Nations Convention are not just pieces of paper. They represent a whole new attitude about the right of Deaf children to an education that includes Sign language.”

For further information:
(1) Wayne Sinclair, independent Vancouver Deaf activist; email to deafwanderer@hotmail.com or text to 778 899 5975.
(2) Roger Carver, Executive Director, Saskatchewan Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services; email to rcarver@sdhhs.com.
(3) Doug Momotiuk, President, Canadian Association of the Deaf; email to DMomotiuk@smd.mb.ca

Introducing...

2010-08-09T07:16:00.000-07:00

(So this is a little late, but here is the introduction to Carly Jones, living in Fredericton.)

Carly is originally from Brampton, Ontario, and began studying Sign Language at George Brown College, Toronto. In 2007 she moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia to attend NSCC's ASL/English Interpreter Program. Upon completing the program Carly moved to Fredericton, New Brunswick to begin her interpreting career at the Post-Secondary level. In addition, she interprets part-time in the Community, where she has the opportunity to be mentored by some of our more seasoned Interpreters. Carly is an active member of AVLIC and AVLI-NB.

Deaf Ninja Sequel: Deaf Ninja vs. Transformers

2010-02-07T19:57:00.000-08:00

For any of you who have watched Austin Andrews do his brief story on Youtube of the Deaf ninja fighting a gang of thugs with his martial arts skills and old-style hearing aid whip action, you must find time in your busy schedules to watch the sequel: Deaf Ninja vs. Transformers! He is an amazing storyteller, setting scene and surroundings subtly and poetically. His use of classifiers is beyond skilled with an awe-inspiring facility of changing viewpoints frequently amidst all the action. The size and shape classifiers that he uses are incredibly detailed and creative, speeding by so quickly that although it would be almost impossible to transcribe, the image he creates appears instantly in the movie screen of your mind. If you have ever wondered how you could show the transformation of a Transformer, this is the video to watch.

I was particularly interested in the way he used his point of reference hand as a means of showing speed and movement as things sped through the air (ex: a jet plane careening down as the backdrop blurs by). I recommend not only that everyone watch this 4-minute video, but also that you pay attention to specific grammatical elements that he’s using, such as: the movement of the point of reference hand, the size and shape classifiers (SASS), the pronominal classifiers (note how he modifies the ILY handshape of the plane to one that shows the shape of a jet plane), the quick characterization amidst all the classifier action, the non-manual grammar (especially on his face) and the slowing down of sign articulation to replicate slow motion drama. I considered suggesting that we all practice shadowing the video, except that I honestly think it would be impossible for someone who is not a native signer to shadow this guy’s work; he is a Master! Enjoy and prepare to be amazed.

To find this video, go to www.youtube.com and search for ‘Deaf Ninja: DN vs. TF’.
Or, copy and paste the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6GmJ3ZvjQE

Calendar of Events

2010-02-07T08:04:00.000-08:00

Sign Language Teacher Shares Understanding

2010-02-06T03:46:00.000-08:00

Recently Tobie Martin was chosen as one of United Way's "Community Heroes of Greater Moncton."

Here is a link to the article:

http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/search/article/896645

It's really interesting information about Tobie, and about baby sign.

Enjoy!

Deaf Md. entrepreneur John Yeh charged in fraud probe

2010-02-06T03:41:00.000-08:00

The Washington Post - January 6, 2010
---------
By Maria Glod and Carrie Johnson
Washington Post Staff Writer

John T.C. Yeh was a hero and an inspiration. He was named 2008 Deaf Person of the Year by Deaf Life magazine. And Gallaudet University, his alma mater, once honored him as Entrepreneur of the Year.

Now federal prosecutors call Yeh something else: thief.

Yeh founded Rockville-based Viable Communications, a company that enables deaf people to make telephone calls to relatives, friends, repair companies or even pizza delivery joints. Yeh used that business, prosecutors say, to participate in a years-long scheme that stole millions of federal dollars intended to help the deaf.

To many in the deaf community, it is a betrayal.

"I personally felt a bit of pain when I learned about Yeh's involvement in this," said Jamie Berke, a longtime acquaintance of Yeh's and a contributing expert on deafness to About.com, an online reference site. "For years, the deaf community has looked to him as an example of a successful deaf entrepreneur. We need our role models in the deaf and hard-of-hearing community, so it hurts when something like this happens to one of our role models."

Yeh, 62, of Potomac, is one of 26 people, including his brother Joseph, who are charged in federal court in New Jersey with gaming the Americans With Disabilities Act. Among other things, the law mandates that deaf people be given the tools they need to make phone calls. Companies that provide that service -- known as the Telecommunications Relay Service -- are reimbursed by the government.

It works in various ways. In traditional text-to-voice mode, for instance, the relay center acts as a go-between for a deaf person using a special text telephone and a hearing person using a standard voice phone. Or a deaf person can contact a company such as Viable by video phone. A sign language interpreter places the call and translates a conversation between the deaf caller and a hearing person on the other end.

Federal authorities say an extensive FBI investigation that spanned 10 states showed that Viable and six other businesses nationwide, five of which are independently owned call centers that did contract work for Viable, bilked the government by ginning up bogus calls. Officials did not say precisely how much they think was stolen, but they said it is in the "tens of millions."
Viable took legitimate calls. But Yeh also paid friends to use his company to link to recordings of radio programs, even podcasts of someone reading a novel, prosecutors allege. Some calls were quick; others dragged on. Often, no one interpreted, authorities say.

"That people would prey upon the program for their own greed is absolutely inexcusable," said Lanny A. Breuer, chief of the Justice Department's criminal division.

Yeh, who has pleaded not guilty, declined through his daughter to be interviewed for this article and did not respond to a message left at his home.

Paul Kemp, an attorney for Yeh, said the defense is still gathering information related to the case. "John has served the deaf community for many years in a huge and innovative way," Kemp said. "We hope to be able to explain any billing problems, and if there are irregularities, John will take responsibility for whatever the evidence shows."

Robert Mason, a deaf blogger who met Yeh through Gallaudet, is among those who said the charges seem out of character. Yeh has supported the university, Mason said, even inviting students to his home. "I personally found John Yeh to be a person of integrity and compassion and sincerity," he said. "Yeh always had been an ardent supporter of deaf people to be successful in their own right."

The road to success

Yeh's journey from disabled immigrant to successful businessman has become a familiar story in the deaf community. One of six children, he was born in Taiwan in 1947, a time when disabled children were shunned. His parents moved to Brazil, hoping opportunities would open up for Yeh and his deaf sister. In search of still better schooling, the family came to the United States.

Yeh was 15 when he enrolled at Kendall School for the Deaf in the District. He started in classes with students who were five or six years younger, and he has described how he felt out of place, even embarrassed. Determined to make quick progress, he carried around a Chinese-English dictionary and studied it every chance he got.

Yeh went on to receive a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Gallaudet University, where he met his wife, Mary, with whom he has three grown children. Dreams of becoming a math teacher faded after he couldn't get a job. He enrolled at the University of Maryland and became the only deaf student in the computer science master's program. He received his degree in 1973, the same year he became a U.S. citizen.

In a business world where many deaf people describe a struggle for acceptance, Yeh forged his own path. Along with his brothers, James, Jeffry and Joseph, he founded the computer company Integrated Microcomputer Systems in 1979. The company, which prided itself on hiring deaf employees, thrived.

"I was deeply touched by his story," said Matthew S. Moore, publisher of Deaf Life. "Mr. Yeh is not only deaf, but Asian American, and so he has had to deal with both audism and racism. I felt that he triumphed over this double-whammy of prejudice by succeeding in a technology-based enterprise, it appeared, spectacularly."

Yeh explained it this way in a 1989 Washington Post article: "It is a great joy for me to be able to turn the negative energy of my early frustrations into this positive contribution."

In 1996, the brothers sold Integrated Microcomputer Systems to Arlington County-based CACI International. In 2005, Viable Communications was launched. The company's Web site says, "Our Philosophy: We believe in giving back."

Diane Plassey Gutierrez, who met Yeh at Gallaudet in the early 1970s, was thrilled. She had gotten to know him during captioned-movie nights she hosted at her apartment. Over the years, Yeh gave her advice on a small business she started. She had watched him become a respected businessman.

"We all cheered for him," Gutierrez recalled. "If anyone could do it, he could, we said, because he is deaf and knows our needs better than hearing people who started earlier relay systems."

Allegations of conspiracy

For a deaf person who wants to call a friend, a relative, her child's school or even a plumber, the Telecommunications Relay Service provides an invaluable link.

In 1993, the first year the federal government reimbursed translation centers such as Viable, the Federal Communications Commission set aside $30.8 million. As the number of providers grew, so did the funding, rising to $64 million in 2002. Then it really took off, increasing to $440 million in 2007. The skyrocketing costs began to raise questions.

Viable and other service providers were reimbursed $6.73 per minute -- $403.80 per hour -- for the first 50,000 minutes a month, then slightly less after that.

The fraud at Viable started around summer 2006, court papers allege. John and Joseph Yeh paid friends and acquaintances to make bogus calls.

The scam grew as Viable contracted with call centers in New York, Florida, Nevada, Arizona and Texas and encouraged owners to drum up more phony calls, court papers say. Yeh and his brother even offered tips on how to make the calls appear legitimate: The length of calls should vary, and phone numbers shouldn't be repeated too often.

In a July 2007 e-mail, Yeh gave an accomplice who co-owned a Viable call center in Arizona advice on how to conceal the scheme from federal regulators, according to court papers. "Your calls should look good -- not too perfect and too long hours. Important not raise 'red flag' for FCC to see it. Understand me?" he allegedly wrote.

Gutierrez said she thinks Yeh should be punished if he intended to cheat the system. But she wonders whether the alleged phony calls at first seemed an innocent "loophole" to boost business. "We see, all the time, hearing people become very successful and wealthy, but we never do, even when we give it all effort and follow the same rules. Over time, we get the impression that hearing people know all the loopholes," she said.

Moore said many deaf people are concerned that if widespread fraud is proved, support for the Telecommunications Relay Service will wane. The service, he said, "is as important to us as access to telephones and cellphones are to hearing people."

Investigators conducted 80 interviews in 10 states and so far have served three search warrants and 26 arrest warrants, the FBI said. Because many of the witnesses and defendants are deaf, at least two sign language interpreters were present for each interview, to guard against fatigue and to ensure accurate translation. The probe is continuing.

Yeh, his brother and two other Viable executives are charged with conspiracy to defraud the federal government and to submit false claims, submitting false claims, conspiracy to commit mail fraud, and mail fraud. The case is pending in federal court in New Jersey, where the nonprofit association that administers the Telecommunications Relay Service fund is based.

"This is definitely bad news for the deaf community, considering that several of the accused are deaf and that Viable is alleged to be the chief player in the scandal, but I prefer to reserve judgment until . . . the judicial system reaches a verdict," Moore said. "It's a terrible situation."

Staff researcher Meg Smith contributed to this report.

Thanks to Chrissy for contributing this.

Did you know...

2010-02-06T03:40:00.000-08:00

The current AVLIC Board has representation from coast to coast: 1 member from Nova Scotia, 1 from Quebec, 3 from Ontario, two from Alberta and two from BC. When considering nominations for our upcoming elections please think of your colleagues locally who would contribute nationally and represent our diverse membership.

This message brought to you by the Association of Visual Language Interpreters of Canada

Meet our new interpreter in Moncton

2010-02-06T03:31:00.000-08:00

AVLI-NB would like to welcome Beth Lachance to the Moncton area.

Beth is from the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia and is a recent graduate of the ASL/Interpretation Program in Dartmouth NS.
She is currently working for APSEA as an Educational Interpreter in the public school system in the Moncton area.
Beth is an active member of AVLI-NB and AVLIC.
In the past she has worked overseas in Africa and Latin America facilitating educational youth exchanges.
She also has spent many years working as a professional actor. Eventually. she hopes to do theatre with Deaf people.

Next meeting

2010-02-03T12:35:00.000-08:00

The next AVLI-NB meeting will be held on Saturday, Feb. 6 at the SEDHHS building in Moncton.

Committee meetings will be from 10 - 11:30 am, and the Board of Directors meeting will be from 1:30 to 3:30 pm.

Dingo in Saint John will be that night, for anyone who is interested.

See you on Saturday!

DRP workshop in Moncton

2010-02-03T12:07:00.001-08:00

Thanks to everyone who participated in the DRP workshop in Moncton on January 30. I think this gave the Moncton Deaf community a better understanding of the procedure and the role of the IRPs, and it opens up the opportunity to have more workshops on the Code of Ethics, and professionalism for interpreters.

Also, thanks to Kathern for taking the pictures below.

Capital Ideas: AVLIC 2010

2009-11-06T05:00:00.000-08:00

The Ottawa Marriot Hotel was the site of the very first official AVLIC conference in 1980 where the name AVLIC for our organization was chosen. SLINC is very proud that they will be hosting the conference at the same hotel where history was made 30 years before.

The AVLIC 2010 Conference 'Small Steps Big Difference' runs July 6-10, 2010. Visit www.avlic2010.ca

Baby Blues

2009-11-06T04:56:00.000-08:00

Deaf medical student won't let disability get in way

2009-11-06T04:45:00.000-08:00

This is a great article Pam sent me about a Deaf Medical student at the University of Manitoba. I think it speaks volumes about what Deaf people can do when the people around them believe they can do anything.

http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/front/article/829676

Thanks, Pam.

Did you know...

2009-08-31T13:07:00.000-07:00

The last time Sign Language Interpreters of the National Capital (SLINC) hosted the AVLIC conference was in 1996. SLINC is hosting AVLIC’s 18th Biennial Conference "Small Steps Big Difference” July 6-10, 2010 in Ottawa. Check out the website at www.avlic2010.ca <http://www.avlic2010.ca/>

VRS Update

2009-08-31T12:56:00.001-07:00

Here is a link to the latest news on the VRS in Canada.

http://www.cad.ca/en/news/details.asp?newsID=53

Thanks, Chrissy.

Did you know...

2009-08-31T12:54:00.001-07:00

It is the 30th anniversary this year of AVLIC's founding meeting.

In the fall of 1979 several interpreters met in Winnipeg to establish an organization whose purpose it was to represent the profession of interpreting at the national level, to promote networking among existing interpreter organizations and to nurture the development of the vibrant interpreting profession.

Disabled Workers Feel Sting of Recession

2009-08-31T12:49:00.000-07:00

Pam and Joel sent this link -

It's a report from Maureen Brosnahan from CBC Toronto on how the deaf and hard-of-hearing are the convenient and unfortunate casualties of this recession.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/08/06/f-disabilities-jobs-recession.html

Thanks Pam and Joel.

ASL Resources Online

2009-06-28T11:42:00.000-07:00

I have compiled a list of websites containing ASL vocabulary in various formats (lexicons, dictionaries, full ASL videos). I'm assuming most interpreters know of at least a few of these… but if there is even one resource here that is beneficial to you, then this list is worth it! I have arranged them in order my most to least favourites (although they are all very good!).

ASLPro: http://www.aslpro.com/

This is a great website containing a full dictionary of English words/phrases translated into signs/phrases, it also has a religious signs dictionary, a dictionary of English conversational phrases translated into ASL and a list of ASL idioms (listed within the Conversational Phrases). This is my favourite website to refer people to when you get the "Oh, I've always wanted to learn sign language!" (along with the referral to the local Deaf and hard of hearing agency ASL courses of course).

ASL Library: http://www.needsoutreach.org/Pages/sl.html

If you haven't found this website yet, you're in for a treat :p This is geared towards people working in educational settings, so the signs are categorized by subject (i.e. Biology, Government, Auto Mechanics, Math - Elementary).

RIT Math/Science Lexicon: http://www.rit.edu/ntid/msse/pages/lexicon

Another great website for educational interpreters which focuses on Science and Math vocabulary. Every sign is signed twice and there is a rating system below the sign for feedback from ASL users.

DeafMD: http://www.deafmd.org/

This is an amazing website created for the Deaf community but of course will be a great resource for interpreters as well. This is not in a lexicon form, instead you can search for diseases and illnesses in alphabetical order, then you get the option of watching a brief video explaining what the ailment is in ASL and you can pick from a side menu for more information on symptoms, diagnosis, care & prevention, to name a few. An added bonus: there is an English translation below each video.

Deaf Missions: http://www.deafmissions.com/ (click on Tools & Resources)

This website is great for religious work as it contains not only a dictionary of religious signs (using animated illustrations) but also videos of Deaf preachers signing an ASL Sermon series, daily devotions in ASL and the New Testament in ASL (searchable by verse)!

ASL Dictionary (Lifeprint): http://www.lifeprint.com/

This dictionary shows signs using photos in sequence. The nice thing about it is that the signs are typed in an ASL format (full caps for English glossed words, # for fingerspelled signs) and there is a brief description of the sign usage and any additional information to clarify the articulation of the sign.

By Bonita Squires

Too true

2009-06-26T17:46:00.000-07:00

Because we all love puns...

2009-06-26T17:31:00.000-07:00

The roundest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference.
He acquired his size from too much pi.

I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island,
but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian.

She was only a whiskey maker, but he loved her still.

A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class
because it was weapon of math disruption.

The butcher backed into the meat grinder
and got a little behind in his work.

No matter how much you push the envelope,
it'll still be stationery.

A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.

A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart.

Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.

Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it.

Atheism is a non-prophet organization.

Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway.
One hat said to the other, 'You stay here; I'll go on a head.'

I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.

A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said: 'Keep off the Grass.'

A small boy swallowed some coins and was taken to a hospital.
When his grandmother telephoned to ask how he was, a nurse said, 'No change yet.'

A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.

The short fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.

The man who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.

A backward poet writes inverse.

In democracy it's your vote that counts. In feudalism it's your count that votes.

When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.

Don't join dangerous cults: Practice safe sects.

Congratulations to SJDHHS

2009-06-26T17:27:00.000-07:00

for completing the renovations to their new building.

It looks like everyone pitched in...even though it got a little dusty.
It was a lot of work, but the results are FABULOUS!

The Mayonnaise Jar

2009-06-26T17:08:00.000-07:00

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle,
When 24 hours in a day is not enough,
Remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class
And had some items in front of him.
When the class began, wordlessly,
He picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar
And proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured
Them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.
The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again
If the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand
And poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded
With an unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table
And poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively
Filling the empty space between the sand.
The students laughed.

'Now,' said the professor, As the laughter subsided,
'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.
The golf balls are the important things - God, family,
Children, health, friends, and favorite passions –
Things that if everything else was lost
And only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter
Like your job, house, and car.

The sand is everything else --
The small stuff.'

'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued,
'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.
The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff,
You will never have room for the things that are
Important to you.

So...

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Play with your children.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your partner out to dinner.

There will always be time
To clean the house and fix the disposal.

Take care of the golf balls first --
The things that really matter.
Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'

One of the students raised her hand
And inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled.
'I'm glad you asked.

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem,
There's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.'

Thanks to Becky for this one.

Did you know...

2009-06-26T17:06:00.000-07:00

Some employers of interpreters across Canada are supporting their employees by sponsoring AVLIC’s Canadian Evaluation System, Phase 2 Narrative and Interactive workshops. If your employer does not currently offer these professional development opportunities, please direct them to http://www.avlic.ca/ and/or have them contact AVLIC for further details at ces@avlic.ca.

This message brought to you by the Association of Visual Language Interpreters of Canada

From the AGM in Halifax

2009-06-19T13:23:00.000-07:00

New Business Motions:

Motion HA09G-06:

I move that article 2.01 of the AVLIC bylaws be changed to read as follows: 2.01 Active voting membership shall be open to interpreters who currently provide visual language interpreting services and whose application has been approved by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors will approve applications for Active membership from interpreters who are graduates of an interpreter education program or who meet the defined criteria. Active Voting Members shall have one (1) vote. Dual membership in both the Corporation and an Affiliate Chapter of the Corporation is mandatory for Active Voting Members living in provinces or territories with Affiliate Chapters. Eligible Active members who live in a province or territory in Canada where there is no Affiliate Chapter may become Active Voting Members under the terms of the In-Lieu-of-Affiliate Chapter Membership Policy.
Martin Koob (Sheila Johnston) CARRIED

Motion HA09G-07:

I move that article 2.02 of the AVLIC bylaws be changed to read as follows: 2.02 Student membership is open to individuals who are currently enrolled in an interpreter education program. Student Members must uphold the objectives of the Association. Dual membership is mandatory in both the Corporation and an Affiliate Chapter for Students living in provinces or territories with Affiliate Chapters. Eligible Student members who live in a province or territory in Canada where there is no Affiliate Chapter may become Student Members under the terms of the In-Lieu-of-Affiliate Chapter Membership Policy.
Martin Koob (Sheila Johnston) CARRIED

Motion HA09G-08:

I move to rescind the 2006 policy motion TO06G-36 which states: “Applications for Active Membership received from French/LSQ interpreters from Quebec which do not meet the Dual Membership requirement will be reviewed by the Board. The Board may waive the Dual Membership requirement in order to ensure that all interpreters from Quebec have an opportunity to join their national professional association. The Board in considering applications will ensure that there is no affiliate chapter that is able to appropriately represent the interpreter that she or he could join, in order to protect the integrity of the dual membership system.”
Martin Koob (Sheila Johnston) CARRIED

Motion HA09G-09:

I move that the additional fee charged to those members utilizing the In-Lieu-of-Affiliate Chapter membership policy equal 50% of the lowest national Affiliate Chapter membership rate.
Jody Morrison (Marnie Quinlan) CARRIED

Motion HA09G-10:

I move AVLIC develop a strategic plan for the association that will recommend a staffing model that will improve the delivery and operation of AVLIC’s programs and activities in order to ensure that AVLIC’s objectives are being carried out and that its mission statement is being upheld. This strategic plan should include the following elements listed in the rationale.
Jocelyn Mark Blanchet (Christie Reaume) CARRIED

Motion HA09G-11:

I move that AVLIC dedicates the resources both human and financial towards developing a national four-year strategic plan. The financial commitment to this project is not to exceed $25,000.
Jocelyn Mark Blanchet (Christie Reaume) CARRIED

Motion HA09G-12:

I move that AVLIC hire the consulting firm of Nathan Garber & Associates to assist AVLIC in creating a national strategic plan.
Jocelyn Mark Blanchet (Christie Reaume) CARRIED

Motion HA09G-13:

I move that as of September 1, 2010 the Written Test of Knowledge no longer be incorporated as a phase in the Canadian Evaluation System.
Leona Parr Hamel (Marna Arnell) DEFEATED 2 abstentions

Motion HA09G-14:

I move that an AVLIC Ad-hoc committee is established to investigate Canadian interpreters obtaining RID certification and its impact in Canada, and that the committee presents its findings to the membership at AVLIC 2010, in Ottawa. Adele Routliff (Laura Henry) DEFEATED Motion HA09G-16: I move to remove the phrase “Documentation of eligibility to work for an employer by passing the employer’s screening of interpreting skill” from the membership criteria.
Sheila Keats (Barb Mykle-Hotzon) CARRIED

Betty and Ginger

2009-06-14T17:51:00.000-07:00

Entering the 21st century!

2009-06-14T12:33:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the brand new AVLI-NB Journey Blog!

The idea of blogging is a new one for us (thanks Susi Bolender, from WAVLI for the idea!), but since it's 2009 it's probably about time for us to get with the times and start using the technology that's available to us.

Right?

So this site will be primarily for posting information on events, meetings, and news for our members and subscribers. We will probably be testing and tweaking it for a while, so any feedback is welcome!