New Sheboygan bank will cater to the deaf

Lake Shore Wisconsin Corp. in Sheboygan is raising $15 million to $25 million and forming an executive team to open the Lake Shore Bank, a “one-of-a-kind” bank that will provide special services to the deaf.

The new bank will be located in the former Prairie States Building at 615 Pennsylvania Ave. in downtown Sheboygan.

The bank is being founded by James Meisser, who is chairman and president, and his wife, Jeanene Messer, who is chief operating officer and controller.

The Meissers moved to Kohler, Wis., from Chicago in June 2006 when James retired after 25 years of service at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) and Jeanene resigned from The PrivateBank and Trust Co.

“Jim and I had discussed starting a bank over a period of many years and there was only one location and name that we wanted. The state of Wisconsin for the location and Lake Shore Bank for the name,” Jeanene told SBT.

James, who was born deaf, most recently was the supervisory financial analyst in charge of the FDIC’s Division of Supervision Chicago regional information management group. He has served as an analyst, examiner and manager. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Lakeshore Bank believes he will become the first deaf person to lead a Wisconsin bank.

“As a result of my inability to hear, I have spent my entire life finding new and creative ways to communicate. Today there are many new and exciting technologies that can help, including many that will be used in the bank,” James stated in a filing for the bank’s state charter. “However, for most of my life, I have had to rely on my ability to form personal, one-on-one relationships. While others can pick up the phone to conduct business, I have to rely on the face-to-face interaction.  It is this unique blend of technology and intense, personalized relationships that will be the core of Lake Shore Bank.”

The bank will feature special architectural designs and technologies to assist people who have trouble hearing.
“Jim is the eternal optimist. People have underestimated him all of his life but when he is focused on a task, he will always see it through to a successful completion and won’t stop until he is on top. Being profoundly deaf, Jim has never heard a sound, so he tells potential investors that he has never heard the word ‘no,’ which is a true statement,” Jeanene said.

The company is offering private shares to accredited investors.

“With several weeks to go, the response to the offering has been overwhelming, and we have more than 400 investor packets in circulation,” Jeanene said.

This week, Lakeshore Bank added Thomas Schueller to its executive team. Schueller has been named chief credit officer and managing director. He has 37 years in the financial services industry, most recently serviing as president of Community Bank & Trust.

Schueller will oversee commercial and retail lending and credit administration at Lake Shore Bank.

“We’re thrilled to add someone of Tom’s caliber to the team,” James Meisser said. “He will be a real asset for our clients.”

The Meissers hope to open Lake Shore Bank’s doors for business by the end of the year. For additional details about Lake Shore Bank, visit www.lswisc.com.

THE LITTLE GIRL GIANT, REMARKABLE WORK OF ART

Seeing things like this makes you realize that our kind is also capable of wonderful things. Is that the price for also being capable of the worst? This is one good way to use our over-sized brain.

A remarkable work of Art

his remarkable work of Art is made

from the faces of 670 soldiers who died in

the Iraq War.

NAD Launches Celebrate ASL! Nationwide

Click on Video

Greetings! Recently at the July 2007 World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) in Madrid, Spain, delegates overwhelmingly supported the creation of International Day of Sign Languages, a celebratory event to be observed annually during the last full week of September, during Deaf Awareness Week.

Because this is a very recent WFD action, full-blown observance of this annual celebration of Sign Languages will be more evident starting next year.

The NAD will have its observance of WFD International Day of Sign Languages (“Celebrate ASL!”) on Friday afternoon September 28th from 2 to 4 pm at Gallaudet University, to celebrate the historic stance of the NAD on ASL as the natural language of the American deaf community (this event is open to the campus community as well as the public).

The NAD encourages its affiliates and local communities to join in this celebration of International Day of Sign Languages during the last full week of September, or the weekend of September 28-30. The NAD website will feature a listing of celebrations across the nation.

The NAD Board is also hard at work on developing an ASL position statement to reaffirm the historic stance of the NAD on ASL. This ties in beautifully with the global objectives of WFD, one of which specifically focuses on advancement of human rights through sign languages.

Remarks by Yerker J. Andersson, NAD Board Region I Representative

As former president of WFD from 1983 to 1995 and now as a WFD expert on human rights, I have had an opportunity to witness many dramatic changes in the human rights of deaf people worldwide. Recognition of sign languages has become a first step toward the increase of human rights for deaf people in every country.

In 1984, the WFD was able to convince a UNESCO commission of experts on deaf education to recommend the recognition of sign languages, the addition of deaf persons to school boards and the school use of successful deaf adults as models for deaf children. Besides, the WFD was not satisfied with the UN World Programme of Action Concerning Disabled Persons, published in 1983, because it failed to include the recognition of sign language.

Thanks to the persistent efforts of the WFD, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has now been signed by over 100 world countries to date. The UN Convention supports the use of sign language in deaf education and for accessibility reasons. This is a historic step in the right direction.

As of today, the governments or parliaments in about 40 countries have issued laws or declarations recognizing the linguistic status of sign languages in these countries. American Sign Language has already been acknowledged in the Americans with Disabilities Act, known as the ADA. For the American deaf community, the ADA is one of our most important civil rights milestones.

The WFD encourages all its member affiliate countries to achieve formal recognition of their sign languages so deaf people will gain much more human rights. This solidarity will – no doubt – preserve and promote not only their beautiful sign languages but also their rich cultural heritage.

Closing remarks by NAD President Bobbie Beth Scoggins

Thank you, Yerker. As you can see, the NAD as the USA affiliate to the WFD continues its fight on behalf of deaf Americans and ASL as our natural language, to be cherished, recognized, and respected.

Please join us to “Celebrate ASL!” and WFD International Day of Sign Languages in your home communities this month!

See also www.nad.org/CelebrateASL

sign language

NEGARAKUKU by NameWee

 NegarakuNegarakukuNegaraku
NegarakukuNegarakuNegarakuku

我爱我的国家 有国才有家
Aku cinta Negara aku ada Negara baru ada keluarga
有家才有我 站在这边跟你
Ada keluarga baru ada aku berdiri disini
大声唱歌 你麦惊
Nyanyi dengan engkau engkau jangan takut
虽然我每次骂粗话
Walaupun aku selalu cakap kasar
我的歌 就像榴莲一样
Lagu aku sama macam durian
硬硬尖尖 只是
Keras dan tajam tetapi
看你敢不敢打开 看看里面的真相
Tengok engkau berani buka ke tidak tengok apa yang ada di dalam
它可以很臭 也可以很香
Dia boleh dikatakan busuk dia juga boleh dikatakan wangi
只是看你又怎样的鼻抗
cuma tengok engkau ada macam mana punya hidung

我们的警察 叫做MATA
Polis kita panggil ‘mata’ (dlm bhs hokkien)
因为他们的眼睛很亮
Ini kerana mata mereka sangat tajam
新年一到 他们就很努力
Apabila raya mereka akan jadi rajin
拿住笔可是很会少跟你开单
Pen di tangan tetapi jarang bagi saman
因为他们口很渴 需要喝茶
Ini keran mereka dahaga mereka mahu minum teh
还有KOPI O 要不要加糖
Ataupun kopi O nak tambah gula ke tidak
如果加糖 他嘴巴会甜甜跟你微笑
Kalau tambah gula mulut mereka akan senyum dengan engkau
你要离开的时候
Apabila engkau nak pergi
他还会跟你TATA
Dia akan ucap TATA (maksudnye bye)

NegarakuTanah tumpahnya darahkuRakyat hidupBersatu dan maju

这种现象 不需要改善
Gejala ini tidak perlu memperbaikikan
也不用加强 警民合作
Juga tidak perlu memperkuatkan , kerjasama antara pihak polis dan rakyat
一杯咖啡感情不会淡
Secawan kopi hubungan boleh kekal
我西北suka
Aku memang suka
至少不会回家收到三万
Sekurang-kurangnya balik rumah tidak akan dapat saman
我爸爸一定赌懒
Ayah mesti geram
我一定欠干 没有车给我驾
Aku mesti kena marah tidak ada kereta untuk aku
怎么办 这次西北够力
Macam mana kali ini memang teruk
没有车 我要怎样出去玩
Tak de kereta macam mana aku nak keluar main
没有车 我要怎样打野战
Tak de kereta macam mana aku nak XXX
没有车 我要怎样看阿瓜
Tak de kereta macam mana aku nak tengok ah kua
这个国家 我很喜欢
Negara ini aku memang suka
早上五点pukul 5 pagi
还有morning call会叫我起床
Ada morning call akan suruh aku bangun
有时几间一起唱
Kadang-kadang beberapa ‘buah’ nyanyi sama-sama
听起来好像情歌对唱
macam tengah duet lagu cinta
声音坳来坳去像唱R&B一样
Suara tinggi rendah macam tengah nyanyi R&B
虽然他们有时唱到走声
Walaupun kadang kala sebahagian daripada mereka out of tune
虽然他们有时还会唱到破声
Walaupun kadang kala sebahagian daripada mereka pecah suara
有些声音像公鸡 可是比公鸡早起床
Ada juga suara yang macam kokokan ayam tetapi dia bangun lagi awal dari ayam
这样我们才会知道准备上课上班
Macam ini baru kite tahu mase untuk bersiap ke sekolah dan kerja

不要怪 政府只会照顾土族
Jangan salahkan kerajaan hanya akan jaga rakyat tertentu
不要怪 我们没有受到公平照顾
Jangan salahkan kami tidak dapat jagaan yang adil
这样才能证明我们华人不怕吃苦
Macam ini baru boleh menunjukkan yang orang cina tidak takut menderita
这样才能训练我们逆境寻找出路
Macam ini baru boleh melatih kita mencari jalan keluar apabila menghadapi kesusahan
不要邹德他们的标准 很奇怪
Jangan mengatakan standard ini sangat pelik
因为这样反而表现我们 很厉害
Kerana dengan ini baru menunjukkan kami sangat teror
没有被宠坏的小孩 才不会依赖
Anak-anak yang tidak dimanja baru akan menjadi tabah
不然你看有人到现在 还没有断奶
ada orang sampai sekarang masih belum berhenti minum susu

Rahmat bahagiaTuhan kurniakanRaja kitaSelamat bertakhtaRahmat bahagiaTuhan kurniakanRaja kitaSelamat bertakhta

躲在政府部门里面的人更厉害
Pekerja dalam kerajaan lagi teror
他们做什么事情都可以慢慢来
Apa yang mereka buat boleh slow slow
就算排队的人等到要骂 臭lelai
Walaupun orang yang beratur marah
他们心情还是一样自由自在
Mood mereka tetap rase bebas dan seronok
有时kuih都拿出来
Kadang-kalag kuih pun mereka ambil keluar
他吃他的娘惹kuih
Dia makan nyonya kuih dia
你的队继续排
Dan engkau sambung beratur
就算你真的骂臭lelai也不要紧
Walaupun engkau nak marah pun tak pe
因为旁边的guard他在做梦
Kerana guard kat tepi pun tengah bermimpi
他不会鸟你的啦
Dia takkan layan engkau
他们把头包起来 慢慢走慢慢过马路
Mereka yang memakai tudung perlahan-lahan melintas jalan
你驾车经过还要小小让路
Engkau yang memandu kenalah berhati-hati
最终要活得开心 最重要活得舒服
Asalkan hidup dengan gembira asalkan hidup dengan selesa
不要学华人一样
Jangan macam orang cina
整天忙忙碌碌 西北辛苦
Tiap-tiap hari sibuk sangat susah
这个精神我们真的不能不佩服
Semangat ini mesti kita kena kagumi
因为这个就是他们生活的态度
Kerana ini adalah sikap hidup mereka
（态度 态度）
Sikap sikap

这首歌我都在讲好话
Aku bercakap baik-baik dalam lagu ini
相信你们赌懒我的人现在一定很喜欢
Aku percaya orang yang tak suka dengan aku mesti sangat suka
世界很和平 很有希望
Dunia aman baru ada harapan
没有人受伤 也没有很乱
Tidak ada orang cedera dan tidak tak tersusun
你很高贵 你很高雅
Engkau suci engkau sopan
大便很香 不会骂粗话
Najis wangi tak tahu cakap kasar
你们最high class 每天耍浪漫
Engkau sangat high class tiap-tiap hari main romantic
听光良品冠
Dengar guang liang pin kuan (penyanyi malaysia)
可是人家都已经跑去了台湾
Tetapi mereka sudah pergi taiwan
独中生毕业了
Pelajar Sekolah Cina
要进local大学西北难
Nak masuk local U sangat susah
其实这件事情我们更不需要赌懒
Dalam kes ini, kita tidak patut geram
这个其实是政府的一个伟大的计划
Ini cuma satu rancangan yang mulia dari kerajaan
他要我们到处跑 出国自己找希望
Dia nak kami pergi merata-rata tempat pergi oversea mencari impian
然后学习东西回来报答国家
Lepas itu balik negara membalas jasa
这个计划真的是 好到没有话讲
Rancangan ini memang bagus memang bagus
世界各地都会看到malaysia的囝仔
Di seluruh dunia mesti nampak malaysia punya rakyat
好像逃难一样 西北爽
Macam melarikan dari bencana memang best
2007 马来西亚搞观光
2007 ialah tahun pelancongan malaysia
华人文化统统拿出来宣传
Budaya cina semua mengambil keluar untuk publisiti
独中生政府根本不相管
Pelajar sekolah cina Memang tak dilayan oleh kerajaan
文凭丢去longkang 像我一样
Sijil boleh buang ke longkang macam saya
中华毕业去了台湾
Lepas tamat persekolahan terus pergi Taiwan
学了东西 准备回去报答国家
Belajar di sana bersedia balik negara untuk membalas jasa
我站在台北路边拿住guitar
Aku berdiri di tepi Taipei memain guitar
可是我的嘴巴 还是一样唱
Tetapi Mulut aku tetap menyanyi

Rahmat bahagiaTuhan kurniakanRaja kitaSelamat bertakhta

Technique links words to signing

Technology that translates spoken or written words into British Sign Language (BSL) has been developed by researchers at IBM.

The system, called SiSi (Say It Sign It) was created by a group of students in the UK.

SiSi will enable deaf people to have simultaneous sign language interpretations of meetings and presentations.

It uses speech recognition to animate a digital character or avatar.

IBM says its technology will allow for interpretation in situations where a human interpreter is not available.

It could also be used to provide automatic signing for television, radio and telephone calls.

‘Disenfranchised citizens’

The concept has already gained the approval of the Royal National Institute for Deaf people (RNID).

“RNID welcomes any development that would make the information society a more equal place for deaf and hard of hearing people,” said the charity’s director of new technologies, Guido Gybels.

“Sign language users are among the most disenfranchised citizens as a result of services and products not being designed with their needs in mind.”

But Mr Gybels says there is still a long way to go before such prototypes are in everyday use.

IBM runs a yearly initiative called Extreme Blue which invites technically-minded and business students to collaborate for 12 weeks.

“We had a profoundly deaf mentor, so he kept a close eye on what was being done and checking whether our translation corresponded to real BSL,” said Maria Vihljajeva, the student who developed the business plan for SiSi.

The students used two signing avatars developed by the University of East Anglia.

One of them signs in BSL and the other uses Sign Supported English – a more direct translation using conventional syntax and grammar.

Converting SiSi to use other languages should also be straightforward, according to Tom Klapiscak, another student who had technical input into the project.

“We designed the SiSi architecture in such a way that new translation modules can easily be plugged into the system,” he said.

“Obviously this would involve the work of creating the translation module itself – which is no small task.”

Mr Gybels of the RNID says he is “very impressed” with what the students were able to achieve in just twelve weeks.

“Creating a system that can actually bridge the gap between hearing people who speak English and deaf people who use BSL is very important.”

sign language

Fred had to hide to avoid being sent to deaf school

Sunderland-15 September 2007-A deaf-mute man whose parents hid him so the authorities couldn’t send him away is celebrating his 90th birthday.

When Fred was young, education bosses decided the best place for him was a boarding school 200 miles from home.

But his parents, James and Elizabeth, were adamant no one was going to send their little boy away, and regularly hid him in the backyard when the police came round to search for him.

At the weekend, Fred celebrated his 90th birthday with a party for family and friends.

A huge Sunderland AFC fan, Fred was given a team shirt bearing his name and age by staff at Springfield Lodge Nursing Home, in West Rainton.

Deborah Atkinson, manager at the home said: “It is quite an achievement what he has done in his life. He does really well, even now, and manages to communicate in his own way.

“I have known him so long that I just instinctively know what he is trying to say.

“Fred’s nephew organised a party in The Greyhound pub near us and Fred has been so excited about his birthday. Every day he has been counting the days down.”

Fred was born deaf and mute in 1917, an era when deaf children were routinely sent away to special boarding schools, often for months on end, at the age of just five or six.

However, his parents were adamant they wanted him to remain at home in Milburn Street, Millfield, Sunderland, and taught him to lip read and communicate with words and gestures.

The couple even fought two moves through the courts to send the youngster away to a boarding school for the deaf.

Fred said: “My mother and father loved me and I was happy with them. We were all happy together. I came from a very loving home with six older sisters and I didn’t want to go away.”

Such was Elizabeth’s determination to ensure Fred received a good education, however, that she was instrumental in setting up Sunderland’s first school for the deaf, in Tatham Street, where Fred started at the age of eight.

After leaving school at 17, Fred went to work at the Blind Institute in Sunderland and stayed there until his retirement aged 62.

His leisure time was spent playing darts, dominoes and cards at Park Lane Club and he was also a season ticket holder at Roker Park, travelling to the 1973 FA Cup Final.

Fred said: “I’ve always had a happy life. I don’t regret anything.

“If I could ask for anything in the world, it wouldn’t be to be able to hear, it would be to have my parents and sisters back again.”

Last Updated: 15 September 2007 10:35 AM

Deaf Awareness Week begins

CICERO, N.Y. — The only organization in Central New York that serves deaf and hearing impaired children year-round kicked off Deaf Awareness Week with a dinner Saturday night.

The organization is called Whole Me and the theme of the week is “bringing worlds together.”

They say the hearing population has little understanding of the deaf and hope to bridge that gap. The evening’s keynote speaker had a message for the children in attendance.

“They can be anything and everything they want to be. They’re going to have to work twice as hard as the hearing person, simply because they’re deaf. The hearing world does not understand, so they don’t readily accept a deaf person,” said Sue Thomas.

Thomas has worked as an FBI Agent, was a championship figure skater and has been deaf since she was a year old.

Updated: 9/15/2007 9:18 PM
By: Evan Axelbank

Bringing flavors to a soundless world

ILOILO CITY,Ph 15 September, 2005 – If he cannot fully communicate with signs, gestures and smiles, he might as well convey the words and meanings through flavors and aromas.Philippines

With that, Angel Layagan, 26 and deaf, decided to learn how to cook by enrolling at the West Visayas State University (WVSU) nonformal education class with 30 other students.

While he shares some plans of his classmates who enrolled because they want to work abroad and open a catering or restaurant business, Angel’s goal, first and foremost, is to break the barrier in the soundless world.

“I wish to open a business, a restaurant for deaf in two years,” he wrote in a piece of paper during the interview.

Angel said some of his deaf friends would want to join him run a restaurant or a café, probably the first to be put up by the deaf who want to go mainstream, beyond the reassuring care of local handicap associations.

A high school graduate of the Special Education Integrated School for Exceptional Children (Sped-Isec), Angel would have wanted to go to college and become a licensed teacher. He applied, but the local universities were not ready to take him in because they lack teachers adept in sign language.

Neither could he afford to hire an interpreter to bring to class, Angel said. He was asked to enroll instead in the nonformal education class.

Angel said he was happy in the cooking class run by Hermigilda Tupas. Students are taught the basics of home cooking and cooking for business. The recipes have ingredients one can add or leave out, depending on the purpose. Among the dishes are “rellenong bangus” (stuffed milkfish), “chorizo” (sausage) and other cured meat products, beef steak, “embutido” (meat loaf) and desserts.

“The recipes are easy,” said Angel when asked if he learned quickly. “I can cook them when I have my restaurant someday.”

His favorite is beef steak served with caramelized onion rings. But during the interview, he was cooking embutido, and he learned how to mix ground lean pork with extenders, roll them into mini-logs and steam them for an hour.

He thinks the best menus are vegetables, hearty soups and stir-fry, because they are easy to cook.

Angel said he wanted to learn more international cookery, food with flavors from lands unknown to him. But he has no intention of working abroad, even if his two sisters are in The Netherlands. “I love the Philippines,” he wrote.

Improvised sign language

In his cooking class, Angel gets along well with others even if they do not know sign language. But he can easily communicate with them by using his hands, face and body. For example, his classmate motioned by holding a colander, making circles and pointing to meat slices. That means Angel will wash the meat.

According to Tupas, Angel is cheerful and friendly. He makes an effort to communicate with hearing persons and does not feel inferior to them. He also makes full use of his mobile phone by sending text messages when hand signals are lost in translation.

Angel’s parents died when he was 15 and he was left to the care of his older siblings. Today, he earns his keep by working in a canteen at the WVSU, washing plates and making sandwiches and hamburgers. He also earns P100 every time he teaches sign language to the deaf and nondeaf for an hour or two. He also speaks in seminars on deaf culture.

He plans to master the sign language, its many variants and inflections, because he wants to be an interpreter for the deaf who are victims of crimes and sexual abuse, like rape.

Analyn Porras of the Association of Disabled Persons in Iloilo said more and more deaf in Iloilo had become confident in facing the hurdles in the hearing world.

Some were able to acquire technical skills; others were trained in computer programming. Some worked as servers, gas attendants, grocery clerks and teachers.

The discrimination remains, according to Porras, but there is more openness these days, thanks to the deaf and volunteers who advocate for deaf rights. “We have started to listen to them,” she said.

sign language

Deaf Gay Men and the Marriage

Gary Brooks explains about his ex-boyfriend broke his heart and married to woman…