March 2009 1

Volume 2 Issue 5

March 2009

Discovering: Shuktara Trailer Now Online!

www.discoveringdeafworlds.com

What is DDW?

Discovering Deaf Worlds is dedicated to empowering and advocating for Deaf and Hard of Hearing communities around the world. We believe everyone deserves acces-sibility to language, education, and com-munity.

For more information, photos and stories, visit www.discoveringdeafworlds.com.

View the trailer online at www.discoveringdeafworlds.com!

After six months and countless hours of editing, captioning, and over a dozen rough cuts, Discovering: Shuktara is finished at last. High five! Thanks to all of you who have been cheering us on throughout this process. As emerging filmmakers, we could not have completed this project without your support and we are grateful!

We’re also proud to announce that Discovering: Shuktara has been accepted into the 2009 Deaf Roch-ester Film Festival (www.deafrochesterfilmfestival.org) and the 2009 New Zealand Deaf Short Film

Festival (www.deaffilmfest.co.nz). More film festival submission updates are coming soon.

Now that the grunt work of Discovering: Shuk-tara has been completed, we are supplementing this 33-minute documentary with special features for DVD distribution. Estimated completion and on-line availability is this June. For those of you who have previously contributed at the donation level of $100 or more, a limited edition copy of the film will be mailed to you as soon as it’s available. Thanks for your support!

We are also seeking out various grants that will award DDW the opportunity to return to Kolkata, India. There, we will initiate our first international program in collaboration with Shuktara. Discover-ing: Shuktara will raise awareness and display the Shuktara organization as a model for other programs working with deaf people in developing countries. Grants have already been submitted to The Sundance Institute and National Geographic. If you know of a grant that DDW may qualify for, please contact us at info@discoveringdeafworlds.com.

Watch the trailer of Discovering: Shuktara at www.discoveringdeafworlds.com/DiscoveringShuktara.html – and let us know what you think!

Discovering: Shuktara is DDW’s first documentary film.

2 Discovering Deaf Worlds

First Accessible Performing Arts

Building Breaks Ground in Cambodia!Epic Arts, an organization that empowers disabled

individuals through the performing arts, is opening a new, fully accessible arts building this April in Cam-bodia. This building, the Angus Lawson Arts Centre, is the first accessible performing arts building in all of the country.

In a country where an estimated 1 out of 250 peo-ple have a disability, Epic Arts is making a difference! DDW first learned about the amazing work of Epic Arts during our 2008 world tour. Epic Arts is one of several outstanding organizations that DDW plans to collaborate with in the near future. Learn more about Epic Arts at www.epicarts.org.uk/cambodia.

The Angus Lawson Arts Centre undergoing construction in Cambodia

Call for Volunteers at DDW Fundraiser!DDW will host a fundraiser at The Little Theater in Roches-

ter, N.Y., this July. All proceeds for this event will go towards the remaining post-production costs for Discovering: Shuktara and DDW’s language development program with Shuktara (anticipat-ed to begin in the winter of 2010).

We are currently putting together a fundraising committee to help make this event successful. If you would like to join our fund-raising committee or are interested in volunteering on the day of the event, please contact us at info@discoveringdeafworlds.com.

Julia Cameron’sIntegrative Massage

303 243 2240 voice/textcam_damon@tmail.com

Experience the work of the listening hands of a certified deaf massage

therapist. Swedish Integrative ~ Lomi Lomi ~

Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy

Will Travel: corporate, parties, individuals, gift certificates, out-call

and in office.

Donate to DDW at www.discoveringdeafworlds.com

March 2009 3

Reaching Out to the Local Community

Rochester Deaf Rotary Club President John Haynes with DDW’s Davin, DJ and Christy A visit to Webster Thomas High School ’s ASL class

Part of DDW’s mission involves community outreach, both home and abroad. In our hometown of Roch-ester, N.Y., we recently presented at the Deaf Rochester Rotary Club and visited American Sign Language (ASL) students at four different schools within the Monroe BOCES #1 school district.

We explained how knowing a visual language while traveling abroad helped overcome communication bar-riers when spoken languages often could not. For example, while travelers to Japan or China may not be able to rely on spoken or written languages, the communication gap can often be bridged through visual language and gesturing. By learning a visual language, ASL students are developing a valuable communication skill they can carry with them around the world. DDW is spreading awareness, one classroom at a time. Check out our schedule below to see where else we’ll be in the upcoming months.

DDW’s 2009 Schedule

March 26: Presentation at Ball State University, Munice, IN

March 29: Screening of Discovering: Shuktara, Deaf Rochester Film Festival, Rochester, NY 11:50 a.m.–12:20 p.m. (as part of a series of short cultural films shown from 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.) at Robert F. Panara Theatre, NTID/RIT*NOTE: correction from February DDW newsletter

April 17-18: Presentation at Michigan State University, Lansing, MI

May 7-9: Screening of Discovering: Shuktara, NZ Deaf Short Film Festival, Wellington, New Zealand

May 21: Presentation at St. Mary’s School for the Deaf, Buffalo, NY

4 Discovering Deaf Worlds

Expanding our Team:

Establishing DDW's Board of DirectorsFor the past two and half years, many of you have

become involved with DDW by spreading aware-ness about our organization, connecting us with deaf schools and associations abroad, hosting presentations, and/or donating to our projects. As one of over 2,100 newsletter members, you are the foundation that keeps DDW alive and running. Now, for the first time, there is an opportunity for you to get involved with our or-ganization on a much deeper level.

As mentioned in the last issue, DDW is currently in the process of becoming an incorporated non-profit 501(c)(3) organization under the guidance of global

law firm, Nixon Peabody. The time has come for us to establish our board of directors. We are looking for motivated and dedicated individuals to join us in advo-cating for deaf and hard of hearing people worldwide. Over the next several months, we will interview and host networking events to recruit potential members for DDW’s board of directors. Some of you may be directly recruited by us because we recognize your level of commitment to DDW’s mission.

If you are interested, or know of another potential candidate to join DDW’s board of directors, let us know by e-mailing info@discoveringdeafworlds.com

Deaf History Month is celebrated March 13 - April 15. Why is half of the month in March and the other half in April? This period of time covers several important dates in Deaf history:

March 13, 1988• : The Deaf President Now move-ment is a success. Dr. I. King Jordan becomes the first deaf president of Gallaudet University as a result of student-led protests – a monumental oc-casion in civil rights history.April 8, 1864• : U.S. President Abraham Lincoln signs the charter founding what is now Gallaudet University, the first and most prestigious liberal arts college for the deaf in the world.April 15, 1817• : American School for the Deaf, the first public school for deaf students in the U.S., opens its doors in Hartford, CT. The school celebrated its 190th anniversary in 2007.

Deaf History Month was initiated on March 13, 1997, when the D.C. Public Library had a Deaf His-tory Month event, complete with deaf speakers and authors. Celebrate by visiting your local library for a book about Deaf culture, or by going to a local deaf event in your community.

Happy Deaf History Month!

Did You Know...

Bill Keenan…You always keep us moving forward! Thank you for connecting us— with Nixon Peabody, Sundance, National Geographic, and so on. We are lucky to have your support.

Christine Kretchmer and Site Brand Builder…Thank you for all your hard work and persistence moving our website into Builder 3. We did it, and it looks fantastic!

Nancy Carr...Great job coordinating all our visits through Monroe BOCES #1. Thank you for being a constant supporter and spreading awareness about DDW!

Shout-Outs!Shout-Outs!Shout-Outs!

The more I traveled, the more I realized that fear makes strangers of people who should be friends.

- Shirley MacLaine

March 2009 5

A Thank You to Our Sponsors

The Next Generation of WebSitesTake charge of your site

Your website is your brand. It’s you,Your company, appearing in the landscape…

Take charge today!www.sitebrandbuilder.com

Ralph P. DeStephano

Add your

logo or

banner to

the DDW

website!

Contact info@discoveringdeafworlds.com for more information, options, and pricing.

Over 26,000 cumulative

hits from 115 countries!

Newsletter services provided byT.S. Writing Services, LLC

www.tswriting.comA Deaf-Owned Company

Always By Y our Side

Small DogElectronics

As a premier Apple Specialist, Small Dog Electronics carries over 3000 products, includ-ing both new and refurbished Apple products and a wide array of computer and iPod peripher-als. We’re known for our extraordinary customer service, great prices, tax free shopping outside VT and now FREE Shipping on all orders over $200. Come visit us at www.smalldog.com or call (800) 511-MACS.