Hurricane and Fire Crisis Counseling: Deaf Counseling Center is offering a limited number of pro bono (free) counseling slots to Deaf people without insurance coverage who were impacted by the recent hurricanes and wildfires. These slots are also available to Deaf people whose insurance plans will not cover our services. For those who do have insurance coverage, we have counselors …
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A US District judge recently ruled in favor of a Deaf inmate, William Pierce, who sued the District of Columbia Department of Corrections for failing to provide appropriate accommodations during his 60-day sentence. Pierce was not provided a qualified sign language interpreter for medical appointments and classes and was only allowed limited access to an outdated device (TTY/TDD) that allowed …
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Held in Prison Wrongly: Here we go again with another alarming report of a Deaf person being held in prison wrongly (see full article). This time it is a U.S. citizen originally from Ethiopia, with a very basic command of written English, who was held in an Arlington, VA, county jail for 6 weeks, with no American Sign Language (ASL) …
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The Department of Justice is pleased to announce that, as of today, individuals wishing to file ADA complaints with the Department will be able to fill out the form and submit it completely electronically. Filers will also immediately receive a “reference number” that can be used whenever contacting the Department about that complaint. Please visit http://www.ada.gov/complaint/ to view the new …
Read MoreASC is featured in the August 2011 issue of SIGNews. Check out the interview by Sara Collins here and learn more about the only Deaf-owned and operated counseling practice in the country: Alternative Solutions Center’s Crusade in Addressing the Gaps in Mental Health Care for the Deaf
Read MoreSuing for Equity in Services: Early last month in Florida, Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Inc., together with the National Association of the Deaf, filed a lawsuit seeking accessible medical services for Deaf citizens in the state. The lawsuit charges Humana Insurance and the Florida Department of Financial Services with violating the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the …
Read MoreVlog Summary: Struck by a Norwegian professional’s use of the description “bordering on child abuse” to describe denying children access to electronic media, Sharon Duchesneau asks why the term “child abuse” is not widely used when referring to communication injustices that many Deaf children face. Something is wrong with the picture when the seriousness of these situations is downplayed. Here …
Read MoreTrial-and-Error: Finding the best medication to treat someone with depression has often required a trial-and-error approach. Ten people can respond in completely different ways to the same medication; just because Paxil worked miracles for your best friend doesn’t mean it will do the same for you. Some people test four or five different medications before they know which one really …
Read MoreColor Psychology: Do you think colors affect emotions, appetites, or energy levels? Plenty of people seem to think so, as evident from all the advice out there on what wall color will best induce relaxation in your bedroom, what color can stimulate learning in schools, and even what color might reduce aggression among prisoners. Although psychologists have been researching color …
Read MoreFor Every Step Forward: So far this month, we’ve seen Deaf artist Matt Daigle’s wonderfully designed breastfeeding logo win a national contest (that’s the logo in blue and white). We’ve learned of new research touting the mental health benefits of breastfeeding for children. But then, for all the progress and enlightenment we’ve supposedly achieved in our so-called advanced society of …
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