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Week recognizes deaf community | Inland News | PE.com | Southern California News | News for Inland Southern California
Deaf people can do everything but hear.
That's what Gerald "Bummy" Burstein hopes people learn from Riverside's Deaf Awareness Week, part of National Deaf Awareness Month.
The week of events kicks off today with a picnic at Fairmount Park and ends with a softball game Saturday pitting the Riverside Police Department against the deaf community.
Other activities include an open house at California School for the Deaf Riverside, American Sign Language storytelling at the Arlington Library and a performance by Wild Zappers, an all-deaf male dance company.
"We have to do more and more to expose people to the deaf community," said Burstein, chairman of the city's Model Deaf Community, which works to build quality of life for the deaf and hard of hearing. "Deaf people can be invisible because you can't tell we are deaf."
This is Riverside's ninth annual Deaf Awareness Week. The Model Deaf Community organizes the week.
Riverside has a relatively high percentage of deaf people, anchored by California School for the Deaf Riverside, one of two public schools for the deaf in California. About 17 percent of the population in Riverside is deaf, according to the city's Web site. Nationally, about 10 percent of the population is deaf.
Burstein said Riverside is ahead of the curve in becoming a deaf-friendly community but there is still work to do. He would like to see more people participate in Deaf Awareness Week, increased job opportunities for the hearing impaired and public service classes teaching basic sign language skills.
"We have to do more and more," said Burnstein, who is deaf.
The Model Deaf Community has worked to get open caption movies at local theatres, annual job fairs for the deaf community and job training opportunities among other accomplishments.
"This is an important week to recognize the members of the deaf community," said Mayor Ron Loveridge. "This is connecting the deaf community to the hearing public."
Monday: Monday Night Football, 5 p.m. to closing at the Mission Tobacco Lounge, 3630 University Ave.
Tuesday: Disaster preparedness presentation, 7-9 p.m. at California School for the Deaf Riverside Social Hall, 3044 Horace St.
Wednesday: California School for the Deaf open house, 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.; open house at City Hall about city services, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., and a Model Deaf Community ceremony at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall's Grier Pavilion, 3900 Main St.
Thursday: American Sign Language storytelling, 3 to 5 p.m. at the Arlington Library, 9556 Magnolia Ave.; the Deaf Bilingual Coalition meets at California School for the Deaf Riverside Social Hall at 6:30 p.m., followed by a Wi-Fi class at 8 p.m. at the same location.
Friday: Entertainment and awards, 6 p.m., Riverside Plaza, 3545 Central Ave.
Saturday: Emergency preparedness presentation at 9 a.m. at California School for the Deaf; Hands on Video Relay Service open house at the Corona Communication Center, noon to 5 p.m.,4160 Temescal Canyon Road, Corona, and a softball game with the deaf community against the Riverside Police Department, 7 to 9 p.m. at Orange Terrace Park, 20010 Orange Terrace Parkway
Information: 951-826-5986
Deaf people can do everything but hear.
That's what Gerald "Bummy" Burstein hopes people learn from Riverside's Deaf Awareness Week, part of National Deaf Awareness Month.
The week of events kicks off today with a picnic at Fairmount Park and ends with a softball game Saturday pitting the Riverside Police Department against the deaf community.
Other activities include an open house at California School for the Deaf Riverside, American Sign Language storytelling at the Arlington Library and a performance by Wild Zappers, an all-deaf male dance company.
"We have to do more and more to expose people to the deaf community," said Burstein, chairman of the city's Model Deaf Community, which works to build quality of life for the deaf and hard of hearing. "Deaf people can be invisible because you can't tell we are deaf."
This is Riverside's ninth annual Deaf Awareness Week. The Model Deaf Community organizes the week.
Riverside has a relatively high percentage of deaf people, anchored by California School for the Deaf Riverside, one of two public schools for the deaf in California. About 17 percent of the population in Riverside is deaf, according to the city's Web site. Nationally, about 10 percent of the population is deaf.
Burstein said Riverside is ahead of the curve in becoming a deaf-friendly community but there is still work to do. He would like to see more people participate in Deaf Awareness Week, increased job opportunities for the hearing impaired and public service classes teaching basic sign language skills.
"We have to do more and more," said Burnstein, who is deaf.
The Model Deaf Community has worked to get open caption movies at local theatres, annual job fairs for the deaf community and job training opportunities among other accomplishments.
"This is an important week to recognize the members of the deaf community," said Mayor Ron Loveridge. "This is connecting the deaf community to the hearing public."
Monday: Monday Night Football, 5 p.m. to closing at the Mission Tobacco Lounge, 3630 University Ave.
Tuesday: Disaster preparedness presentation, 7-9 p.m. at California School for the Deaf Riverside Social Hall, 3044 Horace St.
Wednesday: California School for the Deaf open house, 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.; open house at City Hall about city services, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., and a Model Deaf Community ceremony at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall's Grier Pavilion, 3900 Main St.
Thursday: American Sign Language storytelling, 3 to 5 p.m. at the Arlington Library, 9556 Magnolia Ave.; the Deaf Bilingual Coalition meets at California School for the Deaf Riverside Social Hall at 6:30 p.m., followed by a Wi-Fi class at 8 p.m. at the same location.
Friday: Entertainment and awards, 6 p.m., Riverside Plaza, 3545 Central Ave.
Saturday: Emergency preparedness presentation at 9 a.m. at California School for the Deaf; Hands on Video Relay Service open house at the Corona Communication Center, noon to 5 p.m.,4160 Temescal Canyon Road, Corona, and a softball game with the deaf community against the Riverside Police Department, 7 to 9 p.m. at Orange Terrace Park, 20010 Orange Terrace Parkway
Information: 951-826-5986