Deaf photographer's works exhibited in Kanagawa Prefecture

A photograph exhibition titled "Looking For the wild birds: my second life" was the first one for a deaf man, Yuichi Ogiwara (71). It is open to the public during July 14-19 in Chigasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture.

Ogiwara started taking a picture in full scale at time when he retired from the electric appliances manufacturer in Kamakura City in 1998. His 55 works in these ten years are currently displayed.

Subject is wild birds after which he has traveled around the country. He was moved with a wild bird's beauty as his wife Michiko (65) was in the wild birds watch group.

Ogiwara says, "The pleasure when the photograph of the bird that I aimed was able to be taken is special. A wild bird's movement is too quick to be taken a picture, you know".

He has made the best use of his computer skills cultivated in the company to produce the calendar of the wild bird every year, which are also displayed.

He earnestly says, "The photograph is something to live for. I want to go out in nature and to meet more birds even if I am deaf".


Source in Japanese:
http://www.kanaloco.jp/localnews/entry/entryivjul0907305/

Japanese Federation of the Deaf offers JSL students service via cellular phone

"The Japanese sign language can be checked anytime and anywhere".

The Japanese Federation of the Deaf started service from which vocabularies and examples of sentences in the sign language are seen in animation on a special site of the cellular phone, on July 3, 2009.

With the cooperation of Hitachi Ltd., software was developed to be used for learning the the sign language. They consider to offer the service on regular basis after the trial ends in June next year.

It will be possible to use the service free of charge for one year (packet communication fees are separately necessary).

When you get the special site on the cellular phone, the signed expression of the key word and the index that you want to know can be retrieved. The words and the sentence examples of 8,000 or more are put together such as "He has a lot of spunk", "Make a campaign speech", etc.

The feature is the movement of the sign language that can be seen three-dimensionally in animation. The animation viewed from the front and right and left diagonal is delivered.

A JFD spokesperson says, "Even if you don't carry a thick JSL dictionary around, you can learn easily online". （http://shuwamobile.jp/i/）


Source in Japanese:
http://www.asahi.com/national/update/0704/TKY200907040147.html

Seminar tells all people including the Deaf to get related of each other in normal circumstances for disaster prevention

About 15 years have passed since the earthquake of a large scale, named the "Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake", occurred in Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture in 1995.

The "Disaster Prevention Seminar" took place at the prefecture hall in Kobe City on June 10, 2009.

The groups concerned on the disaster prevention reported on study results.

About 200 persons participated, pondering about the importance of "precautions against the disaster".

Jun Tanaka, a researcher and University of Tokyo graduate school professor, gave a presentation, titled "The Lesson of Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake and Vulnerable People's Problems in the Revival Process".

According to him, the mortality rate of the vulnerable including persons with disabilities was 0.6%-1.3% which was high.

The following factors were stated as example immediately after struck:

-They were not able to immediately learn something wrong and escape from the danger.

-Those who were buried under the broken buildings were unable to call for help.

-The wheelchair, the white walking-stick, and the hearing aid were lost in the broken buildings.

Tanaka also pointed out on severe life after the disaster: The rest room and the bath were not available at all even in the shelter; neither the medicine nor the commodities were obtained.

These condition forced the people to live a hard life, being left from the revival process.

The administration's measure for the disaster protection of those vulnerable improved after the earthquake. However, there are too many needy people to cover all.

Tanaka concluded, "It is a society that produces the vulnerable people against the disaster. It is important to make the society that all people are related of each other easily in normal circumstances".

Moreover, the approach of the communication regarding disaster information for Deaf people and the visually disabled by using the cell phone text message and the fax, etc. in Hyogo prefecture and other city was introduced.


Source in Japanese:
http://mainichi.jp/area/hyogo/news/20090611ddlk28040357000c.html

Deaf photograph exhibition held in Kyoto City

Deaf photograph exhibition in Kyoto City

(photo: http://www.kyoto-np.co.jp)

The photograph exhibition is held on June 12-21, 2009 in a center, called the Community Sagano, in Kyoto City. All the photographs were taken by the Deaf.

The visitors gaze ardently to the photographs filled with the rich feeling.

To make persons with disabilities live for something worth, the Kyoto City Association of the Deaf and the Kyoto Tachibana Lions Club have been holding the photography contest for four years. This time, it opened for the first time so that more people might see.

There are 62 photographs selected for the exhibition in the hall. A scene of New York in rain, a view of Arashiyama in the autumn tint, a serious expression on a prayer's face. All these works show visual power of
the Deaf persons.


Source in Japanese:
http://www.kyoto-np.co.jp/article.php?mid=P2009061200162&genre=K1&area=K00

Police training school students learn sign language and Deaf life

In order to understand feelings of Deaf persons, and to attempt communications, the sign language course was held in the Police Training School in Kai city, Yamanashi Prefecture, and 74 students and regional policemen participated.

Kayoko Nishina, a member of the Yamanashi Prefecture Association of the Deaf, who became deaf at the age of 2, explained a daily life of the Deaf, etc. with the slides based on the real experience.

The students were listening ardently. In the practice, they were learning words such as "koban (police stand box)" and "police station" besides the method of the self introduction by sign language.


Source in Japanese:
http://sankei.jp.msn.com/region/chubu/yamanashi/090614/ymn0906140239001-n1.htm