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Charities

All the money raised through the sale of raffle tickets and the auction on Saturday night will be donated to charities related to the Deaf community in Ontario, in the name of the Cast and Crew of Sue Thomas F.B.Eye.

Lions Foundation of Canada - Dog Guides

Since 1983, the lives of over 1200 men, women and children from the age of 8 to 84, have been enriched by the services of specially trained Dog Guides from Lions Foundation of Canada.

These Dog Guide "handlers" from as far east as St John's, Newfoundland, and as far west as Victoria, B.C., have experienced the enrichment of their lives through newfound freedom and independence with the companionship and assistance of a devoted Dog Guide partner.

From the Lions Foundation of Canada - Dog Guides

In Sue Thomas F.B.Eye, Sue has a faithful companion - Levi. Hearing Ear Dogs (HED) will alert their owner to important sounds by making physical contact with them and leading them to the source of the sound. These dogs can be trained to respond to various sounds like the doorbell, baby's cries, voice calls or a smoke detector. When trained appropriately, they can also respond to certain signs.

Not all HED are as big as Levi. Usually, small to medium-sized breeds can be trained to become HED, as long as the animal is friendly and willing to work. After a six-month training, the animals will undertake another two-week intensive program to bond with their new partner - the handler.

HED will give their handlers a new feeling of security and independence, not only outside, but also in their own home. One of Sue Thomas's dogs came from the Lions Foundation of Canada, and some images from the pilot episode of Sue Thomas F.B.Eye were filmed at their kennels. For all these reasons, and for many others, we have decided to support this organization as one of our charities during the Convention. Please visit their website for more information about their programs.

Deaf Culture Centre - The ASL Dictionary for Children

The Deaf Culture Centre (DCC) is a symbol of the Deaf community celebrating Deaf life. The Centre opened in May 2006 as a project of the Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf and it features a museum, an art gallery, a gift shop, a library and so much more. It is a great place for both hearing and Deaf people to immerse themselves creatively within the Deaf culture. This unique place is open to all.

Deaf people form a cohesive group with their own language, values and ethics. The DCC is committed to offer a space dedicated to the preservation of their rich heritage.

For many Deaf children born to hearing parents, the transmission of the Deaf culture is achieved through the contact with other Deaf people in the community.

The DCC generates knowledge and appreciation of the achievements of the Deaf world through its diverse programming.

Deaf culture has struggled to express itself freely through its own culture, and the DCC preserves language and history while continually exploring new technologies and ideas.

The DCC is the perfect occasion to see the Deaf culture in action within a contemporary context. The Centre is receptive and open to all. It is complex, interesting, inspiring, fresh and fun - experience it!

Adapted from the Deaf Culture Centre documentation

The ASL Dictionary for Children is an innovative and unique animated dictionary that will allow Deaf children to learn the English counterpart to an ASL sign using their native language, movement, place and orientation. They could then discover its meaning and the English word associated with it.

In an English dictionary, to find a word, someone would look up for the first letter, and then the second, the third, etc. until the whole word is found. With the ASL Dictionary for Children, the child would first look up for the handshape, using images, and then the position of the hand and other characteristics until the correct sign is found.

This dictionary will be both a novel and necessary approach for the development of Deaf children's literacy, and we believe some adults will also benefit from this great educational tool. For these reasons and many others, we will also be supporting this organisation with the fundraising activities during the Convention. Please visit their website for more information.

http://www.deafculturecentre.ca/

Photo credit: Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf