Briefly: Across the Nation

Morgan County, Illinois — Deaf Students Improve Prison

Two students, Krista Brown, 11, and Amanda Aillon, 12, suggested a bright idea to the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department which the Department has adopted. The idea consists of installing a small light that flashes on the electronic door lock to alert deaf prisoners that the door has unlocked, as opposed to having to hear the loud, mechanical clanking sound as the bolt was being unlocked. Both students each wrote a letter to Sheriff James Robson after their teacher asked all students to write a letter thanking the Department for the tour, and both mentioned that they could not hear whether the door has unlocked or not. “I’m happy with what they have done with our idea,” Aillon said. Both received a $100 savings bond in appreciation for their efforts.

— Condensed from the Journal-Courier, written by Edward Glad.

Walt Disney World, Florida — Interpreters Now Available

Angela Roth, president and owner of American Sign Language Services based in Kissimmee, Florida, announces that Walt Disney World Resorts now has interpreters available at their theme parks. “At the ‘park of that day’ (such as MGM, EPCOT, Magic Kingdom, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom), we have certain shows that are interpreted at set times,” explained Angela Roth. “A guest should call Guest Services and request to get ALL the information including: park schedule (since it is subject to change), show time schedules, what other special events are possible to have signed, captioning remote (rented, deposit returned), captioned shows, etc.” Requests for interpreters for unscheduled events can be made two weeks in advance by calling Guest Services at Walt Disney World.

San Francisco, California — DCARA Selects Executive Director

The Board of Directors of the Deaf Counseling, Advocacy, and Referral Agency (DCARA) announced the selection of Robert I. Roth as its new Executive Director. The news release states, “Mr. Roth will bring a wealth of experience to his new assignment. For the past four years, he has served as the Executive Director of the Community Service Center for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing in Seattle. He was also the director of an arts camp for deaf and hard-of-hearing children, and served as manager of a vocational counseling and placement program for deaf adults.” Mr. Roth holds a Master’s Degree in Art Education from California State University at Northridge and a Bachelor’s Degree in Visual Communications from the Institute of Design at the Illinois Institute of Technology. His community involvement has included service on several commissions, boards, and committees in Seattle including the United Way of King County, the Pride Foundation, the Mayor’s Committee on Review of Human Rights, the AIDS Project of the Deaf, the Washington State Association of the Deaf, and the Abused Deaf Women’s Advocacy Services. Mr. Roth is expected to spend the next month relocating to the Bay Area and will begin his duties at DCARA on September 16. DCARA is a non-profit, social service agency which provides comprehensive services to deaf and hard-of-hearing people throughout the Bay Area.