News Flash! CDI-Training Workshop Opportunity!!!

Certified Deaf Interpreter Prep Course
University of Vermont in Burlington, VT
Summer 2009: June 22nd through June 26th

This course is designed to familiarize deaf students in the field of interpreting as a deaf interpreter with role-play and open-dialogue discussion of case scenarios in practices such as when a deaf interpreter can be used and decisions involved with financial responsibilities like tax deductions and setting your market value.

Contents of the course will fulfill the 8 hours of interpreting practices (the role and function of a Deaf Interpreter as worded under eligibility requirements on RID) and the 8 hours of RID Code of Ethics training required prior to taking the CDI written exam.
Details in preparing for the CDI written and performance exams will be covered throughout the week.

The course will be taught by Regan Thibodeau, a CDI since 2001 and Keri Ogrizovich, a CDI since 2007. Regan is a graduate of the University of Southern Maine's Interpreting Program and Keri is a
graduate of the University of Vermont's Interdisciplinary Studies.

Credits: 2 (or you can register as a non-credit student)
Please Note: Credits earned at UVM are transferable at the discretion of the receiving institution.

Classes will begin on: Monday, June 22 and end: Friday, June 26. Each day the class will meet from 9 am to 4 pm with lunch breaks from 12pm to 1pm.

Tuition: $738 for in-state students and out-of-state non-credit students. However, if you are an out-of-state student AND want to earn credit towards a college degree, the cost will increase.

Housing prices have not been determined yet but to give you a general idea, last year's prices were:
Single Room: $35.75 a day
Double Room: $29.00 a day

Check with Vocational Rehabilitation or place of employment to see if they can provide tuition assistance. Past students have received VR support for this course due to the fact that this course will create employment opportunities.

Registration and housing information will be added by the end of February.

Questions? E-mail the ASL Program Coordinator, Keri Ogrizovich: kogrizov@uvm.edu



(with thanks to RID Deaf Caucus's chairperson, Juliann Wasisco, for posting this information on the mailing list!)
On a personal note: I haven't attended this workshop, which was offered two years ago, but have heard from a friend who gave it an amazing review and highly recommended it. And because I do trust and relay on this friend's opinions, I decided to post this on my blog to give you a wonderful opportunity to get that enriched and enlightened education to prepare yourself to enter the field of interpreting as a Deaf interpreter. Psst, this is also a great opportunity to network as well, to get familiar with your peers!!!

A Follow-up on "An Open Letter for President Obama"

I never said that I decided the name sign. I have seen this name sign used by many. Even an ASL logo created by Brian Milburn, Randy Jackson and Sheena Stuart wasn't made by me. Here are vlogs with the name sign for President Obama that preceded my video assignment:


"Cry for Peace" - December 01, 2008
SignName for Obama? - November 08, 2008
You neutral? - November 02, 200
Obama Rally - February 05, 2008

(if you have more vlogs of various name signs for Obama, feel free to add it by posting a comment.)

Tell me-- how could I invent a name sign that was ALREADY invented by the Deaf communities that I frequent?

All controversial issues aside-- why don't YOU make an open letter to President Obama and TELL him who you represent and what does that group decide. Don't let me stop you-- go ahead and make your own open-letter in ASL.

After all, he is OUR president.

WhiteHouse(DOT)gov is a good place to start. If you wish to mail your video, the address is:
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

An Open Letter to President Obama

An open letter in ASL to notify President Barack Obama of his name sign which was given by the Deaf community in USA.

Disclaimer: This is a final project for a course I took last Fall. Also I acknowledge that there are several name signs suggested for Obama and encourage you to look at other vlogs discussing name signs for you to determine which you prefer. For this video, I chose just one name sign that I felt comfortable and at ease to sign specifically for this video project.

In time for the inauguration, I decided to share my final project with the public and in hope that President Obama, being tech-savvy, will view this video and learn how to introduce himself with his newly-given name sign at the inauguration this Tuesday!



American Sign Language Only



American Sign Language and Subtitled in English

Pharmacy

"5 bucks."

I took out my wallet- but I stopped myself... wrong body language.
She handed back my RX note. No pills.
Hmm...
A replay-
maroon lipsticked lips opening wide...
"fiiiffffttteeennnn ....bbb" no. I must misread. Fifteen? Bucks? Cannot be it!
...loop the replay....
Oh!
FIFTEEN MINUTES. That was what she said.
Feeling a fool with my wallet out, I smiled and acted smooth-- I took out my wallet to put in my RX note in.
What? Serious? I sure look like an idiot. Stuffing a giant RX note in my tiny wallet.

Whatever,
I walked back to the lounge, placed my foolish butt down in the chair, fumbled around-- wallet, RX, purse.

Rolling eyes at myself, how could I misread her?
Five bucks, fifteen minutes? Huge difference here!

Plotting who to blame for my idiotic actions, think think.
Aha!
Assumption is at fault here.
I blame it on the fact that I know that certain RX costs me 5 bucks, so my predictions of an usual routine has caused me to be overconfident.

Silly me, I darted my eyes around to figure out the time-- does she mean exactly 15 minutes or your typical 15 minutes which really means an hour?
Longtime dependent on the electronic billboard where your name will pop up in green led lights, indicating that your RX is ready to be picked up, I assure myself when I spot such a billboard--
Wait
No,
It is not working! This wonderful device is broken. It is black. No led lights perking up for your name. No light at end of the tunnel...

I am at a loss. How do I know when my RX is ready??? Will they yell out my name?

Oh no.

Eyes alert now, dependent on body language now. Eyes glancing over my neighbors- there were only three of them. Note to self: if their head turn around to both sides, it means a name was shouted over and over -- and that name must be mine. Yes, that poor Deaf woman doesn't know her own name.

Roll my eyes.

Waiting for that body movement--
head tilting, circling around...
circle...
circle...
Nothing yet... why?

WAIT!

Frozen, a pharmacist waved for my attention.
But!
Not in a humiliating way-- waving big and shouting at same time that many ignorant hearing people seem to adopt. Not this one. He waits until I glance up and then he waves as if saying: "you, come."

Wait, they remember I am deaf? Wow, nice of them.

Flabbergasted, I found myself walking up to the booth.

"Five dollars." This time, I read right.