HUH?? I didn't know this..

I got this via email.. This was in DeafDigest Blue - July 2, 2006 - To credit DeafDigest for use of this information on my blog..

MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF THE DEAF Service agencies serving the deaf all try to make differences in the lives of their deaf clients - be it
counseling, referrals, employment placements, etc. The approach by the
Knoxville Center of the Deaf in (KCD) Knoxville, Tennessee, headed up by
Executive Director Bob Rittenhouse, is interesting. Many homeowners are
always in need of handymen to fix up things - new shelving, laying down
carpet, fixing the leaky toilet, etc. Anyway at KCD, there is the Deaf
HandyMan Project. A cadre of deaf handymen would volunteer four hours of free
labor per project for deserving deaf homeowners. The KCD chips in by purchasing
supplies whenever appropriate. DeafDigest editor wishes there is such a
project in the Washington, DC area.

HUH?!?!? I live in Oak Ridge, which is about 30 miles from Knoxville and I'm not aware of this project.. I will check around locally to find out more information about this.. Mmmm.. Interesting..

Here's another article in the same email regarding shortage of interpreters.. Knoxville has several interpreter agencies as there is LINK by Beth Foreman, Marty Marine (has deaf parents, Ronnie and Jean Marine) has his own interpreter services business but I can't remember the name of the business, Snapp Interpreting services by Dale Snapp (Former employee of KCD), U.T. has interpreters that people tend to use their services as well as T.S.D. having some employees that do interpreting assignments.. I don't think it's the shortage of interpreter but just a competition between those business along with KCD trying to be able to provide interpreters.. Deaf people has their preferences of which agency they choose to use.. In past, I tend to use KCD for everything but not lately, I try to avoid using KCD especially after what happened in past with Dr Bob Rittenhouse..

SHORTAGE OF INTERPRETERS The newsletter distributed by Knoxville
Center of the Deaf (KCD) pointed out two things re the acute shortage of
interpreters.- 60 percent of interpreter requests are turned down due to
shortage of interpreters- a majority of these interpreter requests fall within
that narrow 9 am - 12 am time slot Possibly if we requested an interpreter
outside of that three-hour time slot, we may get one.