Mother Kills Her Best Known Deaf Son then Herself

By Bug

Shawn Hutchenson in Colorado

 

Now Police believe the mother shot her son Shawn Hutchenson then burned the house before killing herself. Investigators are trying to figure what may have driven a mother to kill her own child, and then herself at their home in Achworth, Georgia. Shawn was 42 and moved back with his mother from Colorado. He was handy with computers and enjoyed his hobbies such as photography, website design, etc. He loved Starbucks. He was passionate photographer and specialize in weddings, engagements, portraits and scenery. 

To read more about this incident: http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/local_news/Acworth-Mother-Kills-Son,-Self-20110207-am-sd  and https://fookembug.wordpress.com/2011/02/07/best-known-deaf-man-and-his-mother-killed-inside-burned-house/

Best Known Deaf Man and His Mother Killed Inside Burned House

Shawn Hutcheson in Colorado

By Bug

Shawn Hutcheson the Professional Photographer

Shawn Hutcheson as “MM” (Mountain Man) was an owner of DeafSeek and DeafMeek website.Shawn and his mother Dianne apparently died from gunshot wounds. They found dead after a house fire in Acworth, Georgia.

Someone in the area called 911 after hearing loud sounds. The police officers were sent after 12:30 a.m.  They arrived at the house and saw the glow of fire coming from the house.

Police believes the death results were murder-suicide. To read more about this incident: http://www.wsbtv.com/news/26766084/detail.html  and

http://www.ajc.com/news/cobb/2-dead-in-acworth-829354.html

Shawn’s facebook profile can be found at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8023276835#!/pages/Shawn-T-Hutcheson-Photography/126880752467?v=wall

UPDATE:https://fookembug.wordpress.com/2011/02/07/mother-kills-her-best-known-deaf-son-then-herself/

Colleges See 16% Increase in Study of Sign Language

Did you know that USA Today newspaper write the article about sign language that sign language is number 4, most studied foreign language? While the number of college students studying Spanish, French and German increased only modestly from 2006 to 2009, enrollment in American Sign Language — the fourth most-popular language — surged more than 16 percent, according to a new report from the Modern Language Association.

After long debate about whether American Sign Language is a real language — and whether it qualifies as a foreign language — a few universities now offer a major or minor in it, and many more accept sign language for their foreign-language requirement.

More than 90,000 students enrolled in sign-language classes last year, compared with only 4,304 in 1995.

Many colleges have long waiting lists of students trying to get into introductory A.S.L. classes, a substantial share of them turning to sign language because of their previous difficulties learning European languages.

Here is the graphic chart from Modern Language Association.

Is American Sign Language considering as a foreign language? Hmm. you decide…

For more information about the article, you can read the USA Today newspaper website.

Signmark Raps Lyrics Through Sign Language

Signmark was born deaf into a world where music is for the hearing. He pursued his childhood dream and became the first deaf in the world to get a record deal. Signmark (a.k.a. Marko Vuoriheimo) started spreading his message over strong beats where hard, low frequencies and bass are playing a crucial part in his performance. These elements help him adapt to the rhythm as he proves; music is more than what you can hear!

Also hip-hop culture has the tradition of stretching boundaries of art, culture, politics, and society. Rap goes beyond music, lyrics, culture and languages and helped the signing community to find their own voice.

With the help from his friends and a large group of volunteers, Signmark released the world’s first sign language hip-hop DVD in 2006. The album “Signmark” takes a stand for equality and aims to bring people together. The debut broke prejudices and awakened people.

Signmark was introduced to the mainstream audience and media when he was asked to join the national Eurovision Song Contest. The Finnish people gave their massive support to Signmark who came second in the contest. Due to his success, a record deal with Warner Music followed. He is the world’s first deaf ever to be signed to international major label.

A hip-hop artist Brandon who is his voice for the hearing audience supports Signmark’s albums, videos and performances. The live shows are always bilingual. The songs are performed with American Sign Language and spoken English. Signmark has gained international interest by touring in several countries, including Japan, U.S.A., Iceland, Spain, Ethiopia and Namibia. Signmark’s unique and original work has not been unnoticed; several contemporary cultural organizations have praised him and e.g. he won The Outstanding Young Person of the World 2009 prize.

With his music and positive approach Signmark wants to change attitudes towards the Deaf. Signmark feels that the society should not treat the Deaf as handicapped people, but as a linguistic minority with their own culture, community, history and heritage.

In September 2009, Signmark released his first single and video “Smells Like Victory” from his upcoming second album, which will be released in early 2010. The record will include signed videos for each song on the album.

Signmark’s career as an artist started with translating Christmas carols to sign language so the whole family could sing together. He wanted to bring his hearing grand parents and deaf parents together through music. Signmark says him self about the upcoming album: ” There’s still a lot of people that need to come together like my family did.”

In 2009, Signmark became the first deaf rapper ever to land a record contract. Even though Signmark can’t hear the music, he literally feels the beat; his fans can feel it too. [Read more from CBS Evening News with Katie Couric]

You can download the music through iTunes. http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/breaking-the-rules/id366399433

Deaf Va. inmates to get novel videophone system

Richmond, Va. — Lawyers representing deaf inmates say a recent legal settlement will make the Powhatan Correctional Center the first major prison in the U.S. to have a videophone enabling deaf inmates to communicate with family and friends on the outside.

The settlement, announced today by the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs and the law firm of Winston & Strawn LLP, involved a suit filed earlier this year for a group of deaf and hard of hearing inmates at Powhatan.

The settlement also provides deaf inmates with American Sign Language interpreters two full days a week, as well as sign language interpretation of rules and orientation, disciplinary and release proceedings, medical appointments, and educational and vocational instruction.

The settlement makes Video Remote Interpreting available 24 hours a day for emergency communications, and provides visual notifications about meals and events, said E. Elaine Gardner, the disability rights project director for the Washington Lawyers’ Committee.

“We applaud the Virginia Department of Corrections for its foresight and sincere interest in ensuring equality for deaf inmates,” Gardener said. “Provision of effective communication is critical to successful rehabilitation of deaf individuals who are incarcerated.”

Brian Gottstein, spokesman for the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, said, “we believe the settlement agreement in which the [department] joined strikes a very fair balance between the peculiar needs of deaf prisoners and the requirement that the agency maintain maximum flexibility to operate its facilities.”

“The agreement is comprehensive, covering deaf prisoner concerns from their entry into the [Department of Corrections] through their eventual discharge and post-release supervision. The agency is taking advantage of modern technology to facilitate deaf prisoner communications, at a modest cost to the state,” he said.

Larry Traylor, spokesman for the Virginia Department of Corrections declined to comment.

Among other things, the suit complained that deaf inmates did not have adequate access to sign-language interpreters, visual notifications of safety announcements and devices that would allow them to communicate with family and friends outside of the prison.

It alleged the violation of the inmates’ constitutional rights, rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act — a federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability — and other federal and state laws that protect the rights of disabled people.

Deaf inmates are held at Powhatan Correctional Center, a medium-security facility west of Richmond. As a result, deaf inmates cannot transfer to lower-security prisons if they are qualified to do so.

Gardener said the settlement significantly improves many of the long-standing conditions of the prison. Prior to the settlement, Powhatan provided an interpreter only once a week for six hours to serve all the communication needs of at least 15 to 20 deaf individuals at the facility, she said.

Because the interpreter was unable to assist all of the deaf individuals at one time and only visited once a week, deaf individuals were unable to participate in educational programs, communicate with prison staff and understand medical personnel, Gardner said. [Richmond Times Dispatch]