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Summer Fun Are Here!

Amazon Is The First Major

Tech Company To Hire

Full-Time ASL Interpreters Online Report from Forbes – April 28, 2019

Michael Nesmith is a creative guru at

Amazon – his official title being an art

director. If you can’t tell by the sleeve at

tattoos he has on both of his arms, then you

can definitely tell by the myriad of

graphics he has designed to advertise

Amazon’s products, such as Alexa and the

Fire TV Stick.

However, Nesmith

isn’t your average guy.

He is deaf, which he

describes as being both

his “superpower” and

“kryptonite.” He has

been unable to hear

since he was a child

and was raised by deaf

parents.

Unlike any other job he had before

joining Amazon, Nesmith has access to a

full-time, consistent American Sign

Language (ASL) interpreter. Early in 2018,

Amazon incorporated as ASL program that

entails hiring interpreters as full-time

employees, and each interpreter works with

the same group of people. Amazon is

known to be the only major tech company

to provide this service at such a large scale

for its deaf employees.

“In our [deaf] culture, we don’t really

see deafness as a disability. We see it as a

unique culture with a language and with an

education system that is different from the

mainstream,” Nesmith explains. “What’s

important is to have access to language. So

that’s the only thing that really makes,

from the outside perspective, my disability

unique.” (Jeff Williamson was Nesmith’s

interpreter during this interview with

Forbes.)

See AMAZON on page 4.

Father’s Day

Sunday, June 16, 2019

Extra Front Page News on page 3.

2019

Northwest Arkansas Deaf Newsletter – June 2019 – Page 2

Memoriam... “Children of A Lesser God” Writer

Passed Away at Age 79.

Mark Madoff was born

March 19, 1940 at Mount

Carmel, Illinois to his

parents Thelma Irene Butt (a

psychologist) and Lawrence

R. Madoff (a physician). In

April 2019, he entered

hospice care after battling

cancer in his later years and

suffering a fall. He died on

April 23, 2019 from complications at age 79. He

married Stephanie Thorma, who survives, and also

survived by 3 children.

Madoff was raised in Miami Beach in 1967, while

working as an instructor at the Capitol Radio

Engineering Institute in Washington, D.C., he wrote

his first play The Wager. His first play to be staged in

New York City was When You Come Back, Red

Ryder?, which won him the 1974 Drama Desk and

Obie Awards for Outstanding New Playwright.

Madoff received his Bachelor of Arts degree from

the University of Miami and his Master’s from

Stanford University. Madoff also received an honorary

degree in 1981 from Gallaudet University.

Madoff’s big breakthrough and most famous work

was 1979’s Children of A Lesser God, which won

him the Tony, Drama Desk, and Laurence Olivier

Awards for Best Play.

In addition, Phyllis Frelich won a Tony in 1980 for

her Broadway portrayed of Sarah Norman, the deaf

woman at the heart of the play, which ran for almost

900 performances. Children of A Lesser God was

later made into a movie, which won an Academy

Award for the best actress, Marlee Matlin, opposite

William Hurt.

More News Coming Up Next Month!

“The Voice” winner Maelyn Jarmon

2 New Stories of I-49 Intersections

Flyer of NWA Deaf Expo 2019 and Many More!

Newsletter will hand out at NWAAD Picnic July 13th.

Northwest Arkansas Deaf Newsletter is operated and owned by

Northwest Arkansas Association of the Deaf, Inc. and is

publishing 12 times per year to hand out at the social events.

2019 NWAAD Officers

President James Bryan

Vice-President Buzz Scanlan

Secretary Saundra Smith

Treasurer Priscilla Scanlan

Member-At-Large

David Giles

Public Relations

NeCol Whitehead

NWA Deaf Senior Citizens Chair

NWA Deaf Newsletter Editor

Paul Smith

Northwest Arkansas Association of the Deaf, Inc. (NWAAD)

established 1975, became incorporated in 2003 and is a 501I(3)

non-profit organization supporting by its members and others

who interested in furthering NWAAD goals.

Please Support NWAAD

Provides ASL Classes for FREE!

Summer ASL Beginner Course

Every Wednesday @ 11:00 am

Fall ASL Classes will start Sept. 12, 2019.

Every Thursday @ 4:30 pm

Sign Up Today!

For additional information,

Contact NeCol Whitehead: 479-802-3903

E-mail: nwhitehead@arsources.org

Northwest Arkansas Deaf Newsletter – June 2019 – page 3

EXTRA FRONT PAGE NEWS

Target Corp. Sued for Refusing to

Interview Deaf Man in Antioch Reported by Bay City News – September 25, 2019

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity

Commission has filed a lawsuit against Target Corp.

on behalf of a man who says the company refused to

interview him because he is deaf.

John Hayes applied

online for entry-level

front clerk position at

Target’s Antioch store in

September 2014.

When Target’s human

resources representatives

called him, they reached a Video Relay Service, which

allows him to communicate with hearing people

through a sign language interpreter.

Target representatives called twice and hung up

without leaving a message, which is unusual during

their hiring process, according to the EEOC.

“Target’s deviation from its standard operating

procedures is strong evidence of discrimination,”

Roberta Steele, an EEOC regional attorney, said in a

statement.

Hayes said he returned each call and spoke to an

HR representative who told him they would call back

to schedule an interview. Target never called back and

instead hired seven non-disabled applicants to fill the

vacancies in the Antioch location.

EEOC officials said Hayes previously worked with

a major medical provider for 17 years before retiring, a

job he says made him more than qualified for an entry-

level position at the national retailer.

This is the second lawsuit the EEOC has filed this

month of behalf of a qualified deaf applicant denied

the opportunity to interview. The commission recently

announced an $88,000 settlement and a job for another

qualified deaf applicant.

“These are candidates with valuable skills and

experience, and it is wrong to shut them out of the

workplace based on fears and stereotypes about being

deaf,” trial attorney Debra Smith said.

Target officials weren’t immediately available for

comment on the lawsuit.

Dayton P.D. Begins Citizens

Academy For The Deaf Reported by Staff of WDTN.com (TV2 News)

Dayton, Ohio – March 19, 2019

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) – Tuesday night, Dayton

Police kicked off their 12 week Citizens Academy for

the Deaf.

It allowed members of the deaf community to learn

from officers about their day-to-day procedures, and

also helped officers learn from the students about how

to interact with someone with hearing issues while

responding to a scene.

“I think typically, deaf people, we learn a lot of

different things visually. But sometimes, there are

things we’re a little uncertain of as to why it happens,

and so we need to have an extra explanation and we

don’t want there to be any misunderstandings,” says

Daron Emmons, CEO of the Deaf Community

Resource Center.

There are an estimated one million people in the

United States who are deaf and 8 million who are hard

of hearing.

Flag Day – Friday, June 14, 2019

Northwest Arkansas Deaf Newsletter – June 2019 – page 4

AMAZON

Continued from front page.

Nesmith says that the method he uses to

communicate with the world has parallels to the nature

of his career. “What’s even more interesting, I think,

from my perspective, is that my language [ASL] is in a

very different medium than any mainstream language

that is spoken. So it is very different, because all

spoken languages are transmitted through sounds, but

the medium that we [the deaf community] use is

visual. And I work in a visual field and creative visual

field. I worked with visual things, and so I think that

my disability actually comes in handy and help me do

the work that I do. I think it’s actually a perfect fit for

me.”

Jennifer Mathern, one of Amazon’s ASL

interpreters, explains how the program works.

“[Amazon] provides interpreters from the minute a

person becomes a candidate. So, if a deaf person

applies and they get through to a point where their

résumé’s being passed on, the recruiter connects with

the interpreting program. From that point on, we take

on the responsibility of connecting the deaf person

with an interpreter so that there is a pre-interview

meeting that happens where the interpreter and the

deaf person can interact, they can see each other’s

signing styles, share a work history, résumé

information, vocabulary, any work-related language

and acronyms that are going to come up during the

interview.”

Mathern further explains how this system can

alleviate the stress of an interview for a deaf candidate.

It is tremendously reassuring for the candidate and

ASL interpreter to become accustomed to each other

before going into a job interview. This way, the

candidate can just focus on the interview with the

peace of mind that the interpreter will relay the

responses to the employers in the most representative

and accurate way possible.

“[The candidate and interpreter] have already met

beforehand, they’re already familiar with each other,

language-wise, and [the candidate] can just be their

best successful self. [Previously], deaf people had to

pay out of pocket for interpreters for interviews. Other

times, they’ve shown up to interviews with no

interpreter because agencies and companies aren’t

providing access. And so, Amazon’s completely

changing that story,” Mathern adds.

Before being assigned a full-time interpreter,

Nesmith says, he would spend a significant part of his

day hiring interpreters, bringing them up to speed

before each meeting and getting acquainted with each

new interpreter he’s get. However, the Amazon ASL

Interpreter Program eliminated the stress of

continually needing to train new interpreters and has

allowed him to entirely focus on the creative process

of his work.

Nesmith really appreciates the interpersonal

relationships he can develop with his interpreters.

“The interpreter knows me very well and knows when

I’m being funny and can actually transit my jokes,

whether they fail or not, to my team. And that’s been

just a huge benefit.”

Each interpreter works with a team of two to three

deaf employees, and they are also considered as full-

time employees of Amazon who receive all the

benefits the company gives to other employees. This

allows the interpreters to stay up-to-date with new

terminologies that emerge at Amazon and keep up

with the ever-evolving world of technology.

“The most rewarding part of [my job],” Mathern

says, “is working with a company like Amazon that’s

so forward-thinking in their approach to changing

what’s happening out in the world. People who are

deaf can now look at Amazon as a real place of

employment, where before

companies like this felt

impossible like you could

never break through. So it’s

really rewarding to be at a

place and at a time where

Amazon is letting everyone sit

at the table, getting everyone a

chance to be a player, letting

people shine the brightest light

on their work and to help grow

this program.”

Since the launch of the ASL Interpreter Program,

more deaf and hard-of-hearing people have been

seeking employment at Amazon, and more of them are

finding placement at the company.

Nesmith explains, “I really hope that other

companies do in fact look at this [ASL Interpreter

Program] model and emulate it. I think that disability

is a social construct and Amazon has seen through

that, and it has done everything that they can to level

the playing field and to remove any obstacles.”

Northwest Arkansas Deaf Newsletter – June 2019 – page 5

JUNE’S EVENTS INFORMATION

East of Rogers, Ark. ~ Off from Hwy 12 to Beaver Lake

Full Combo is now $125.00 without Gala and T-shirt.

A Message From Outdoor Advertisement

Northwest Arkansas Deaf Newsletter – June 2019– page 6

Northwest Arkansas Area Social Events

Coming Soon in 2020 – NWAAD 45TH

Anniversary Special Events

NWA Deaf Senior Citizens Social Dinner

Friday, June 7, 2019 at 10:00am

Meet at Rolling Pin Café 2565 E. Huntsville Road (Hwy 16)

Fayetteville, Arkansas

Friday, July 5, 2019 at 10:00am

Meet at Jimmy’s Egg 2589 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd

Fayetteville, Arkansas

Admission: Cost of your choice on Meals and/or Drinks. Donation will be honored.

NWAAD Annual Picnic Saturday, July 13, 2019 ~ 6:00pm to 9:00pm

Hamburger ~ Hot Dog ~ Chips ~ Desserts

Rain or Shine ~ Please Come One and All!

Meet at the Shelter Gulley Park ~ 1850 E. Township ~ Fayetteville, Arkansas

Admission at Gate ~ Members: $3.00 ~ Non-members: $5.00

(First time visiting: FREE)

Tentative – Subjects to Change

5TH Annual NWA Deaf Expo Saturday, September 21, 2019 ~ 9:00am to 5:00pm

Meet at Center For Nonprofit @ St. Mary’s

1200 W. Walnut St. (US Hwy 71B) ~ Rogers, Arkansas 72756

More details coming soon!

Northwest Arkansas Deaf Newsletter – June 2019 – page 7

OTHER EVENTS INFORMATION

DEAF SENIORS OF AMERICA 15TH Biennial Conference

September 2-8, 2019 Seattle, Washington

Registration (now to June 30, 2019): Check or Money Order: $370 per person

Credit Card: add $10 service charge

For more information: Website: dsa2019seattle.org

Northwest Arkansas Deaf Newsletter – June 2019 – page 8

Congratulations!

On Wednesday, May 22, 2019, Manager Lacy

gave him early a 5 Years Anniversary Award

without sharing other Associates know. His

normal job anniversary should be on May 27th.

Announcement

IS ANY DEAF-OWNED

BUSINESS AVAILABLE IN

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS?

PLEASE LET US KNOW!

WE WILL ADD INFO HERE.

Business Ads

Kristin’s Crafts Shop Kristin Bradford – Crafts and Jewelry Maker

Phone: 479-439-8518

For Sale

Jewelry Fundraiser for NWAAD

Check it on the website online below,

http://kittingirl1989.wixsite.com/jewelry

Donation Ads

Boats for Millie A young boy named Maddox understands how

important it is to get his deaf sister, Millie to

Boston and also understands the great financial

cost that comes with the treatment Millie needs.

Now, on his own, Maddox has started making

paper boats to sell so he can help get his baby

deaf sister to Boston. He has a lot of paper and

a really big heart. Boats are $1.00 a piece and

can be personalized by Maddox.

For more information and to make a donation

to help Millie on this website:

www.boatsformillie.com

Fourth of July – Thurdsay, July 4, 2019

Is anyone interesting to put your

business ads in this newsletter?

Let us know!

Do you have your Deaf Community News? We want to hear from you!

Northwest Arkansas Deaf Newsletter – June 2019 – page 9

June 2019 S M T W T F S

1

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

30

Birthdays

3 – David Giles

11 – Darwin Giles

13 – James Bryan

16 – Regina Wood

18 – Sean Hager

24 – Jessica Bryan

Anniversaries

18 – Buzz and Priscilla Scanlan

Holidays and Others

14 – Flag Day

16 – Father’s Day

Social Events

1 – NWAAD Mom & Dad Party

7 – NWA Deaf Seniors @ Rolling Pin Café

July 2019 S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

28 29 30 32

Birthdays

26 – Kristin Bradford

Anniversaries

(none)

Holidays and Others

4 – Independence Day

Social Events

5 – NWA Deaf Seniors @ Jimmy’s Egg

13 – NWAAD Annual Picnic @ Gulley Park

Did we miss someone’s birthday or wedding

anniversary on any month of the year?

OR see something wrong?

Please let us know!

We will do better next time. Thank you!

Funny Picture Interesting Information

Address:

600 Museum Way

Bentonville, AR 72712

American Sign Language interpretation is

provided for all Distinguished Speaker programs

and for Collection Highlights tours on the third

Saturday of each month from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Contact us for preferred seating for ASL users at

our Distinguished Speaker programs.

Sign Language interpretation for all other

programs and tours is available upon request with

advanced notice based on availability. Contact us

to schedule.

Access Contact Information:

Website: CrystalBridges.org/Access

Email: Access@CrystalBridges.org

Phone: 479-657-2335, Relay or voice calls are

welcome.

Any New Events Ahead?

Please let us know!

Northwest Arkansas Deaf Newsletter – June 2019 – page 10

June 3

David Giles

June 11

Darwin Giles

June 13

James Bryan

June 16

Regina Woods

June 18

Sean Hager

June 24

Jessica Bryan

Happy Anniversary! June 18 – Buzz and Priscilla Scanlan

See more whose birthdays and

anniversaries on page 9.

Next Event at NWAAD

Sat., July 13, 2019 6:00pm to 9:00pm

NWAAD Annual Picnic

At Gulley Park 1850 E. Township St. Fayetteville, Arkansas

Admission at Door: Members: $3.00 per person

Non-members: $5.00 per person (We accept cash or credit/debit card)

For More Information: www.nwaad.com Or see NWAAD in Facebook

JOIN OUR NWAAD

MEMBERSHIP TODAY?

Just 10.00 per year! Renewal or Join Today!

See one of our NWAAD Officers

We need your support!

NOW AVAILABLE MEMBERSHIP

PAYMENT ONLINE www.nwaad.com

DONATION TO NWAAD

Now Available Online

Thank you for your support!

BETHEL DEAF

FELLOWSHIP

Schedule of Services:

Sunday 2:00 pm – Worship Service

Wednesday 7:00 pm – Bible Study

For more information,

See online: www.bethldeaffellowship.com