DeafDigest Mid-Week edition, February 15, 2012
— Deafness was a secret with a famous TV actress
Charlene Tilton, who played the role of Lucy Ewing
in the famous TV series – Dallas, during the early
eighties, was deaf. It was a secret with everyone.
Her TV producer and director knew nothing about it.
Her hearing aids were hidden in her hair. Why a
secret? She was afraid she would not be hired if
TV people knew of her deafness!
– An important deaf man in the Japanese court system
The courts in Japan operate differently from USA.
In Japan, lay judges handle non-jury court trials.
They have no law degrees, but investigate the cases,
study the evidence and decide if the defendants are
guilty or not guilty. One lay judge, Tomaru Takayuki,
is deaf and uses sign language. He has interpreters
in the court room. He is Japanese’s first deaf lay judge.
— New Zealand Parliament fights deaf legislator
New Zealand Parliament won’t pay for electronic
notetaking needs for Mojo Mathers, the first
deaf member of Parliament. Her party will pay but
may seek legal action to get money back from the
Parliament. She gave a speech, saying that Parliament
speaker’s attitude is wrong. New Zealand’s “ADA”
gives rights to the deaf. When Gary Malkowski
was in Ontario’s parliament, they paid for his
interpreters. It is different in New Zealand.
Already the New Zealand papers said the Speaker
spends money on trips, art, parties, but not
a penny on deaf devices!
— A comedy about audism in a theatrical play
Playwright Nina Raine, not deaf, wrote a play,
“Tribes” going on now in an Australian theater.
While the phrase – audism – is not mentioned
in the play, it is so obvious. The play is
about a deaf boy that struggles with his
hearing father that wants “perfect” speech,
“perfect” lipreading, “perfect” acceptance
into hearing world. The deaf boy rebels and
joins the Deaf Community. The father is upset.
The deaf character in the comedy is deaf
himself. The audience is mostly hearing and
they laugh at the comedy.
— Why was Super Bowl ASL Sing Signer ignored on TV?
The list below shows ASL Sing Signers that were shown
on TV in the past Super Bowls:
1993 – Marlee Matlin
1995 – Heather Whitestone
2007 – Marlee Matlin, again
all others were ignored on TV
It is obvious. If the signer is famous, she will be
televised. If she is not famous, the TV will ignore her.
Shame on these TV people for their attitude!
