WEBVTT
Kind: captions
Language: en-CA

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[Anselmo]: Hello! This is
DeafDots, 12 August 2022.

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Bringing alerts & news reports at
intervals for all Deaf Canadians.

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Don't forget to subscribe, like,
and follow DeafDots

00:00:25.592 --> 00:00:29.329
to get new video updates!

00:00:37.170 --> 00:00:43.143
[Anselmo]: Tom Willard, an American
in New York, planned on going

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to Montréal's Just For Laughs festival.

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It's the world's largest comedy festival.

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He bought tickets and booked a hotel.

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He requested live captioning
three months before the event

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which was rejected.

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Tom was forced to cancel.

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Just For Laughs said logistical
and technical issues are to blame,

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but Tom said the technology
is readily available.

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Just For Laughs offered a sign language
interpreter and Tom declined.

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He said it's really hard to understand
stand-up comedy through

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an interpreter and prefers to read
what is being said on stage.

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Tom said requesting accessibility
was like going to war.

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He has filed a complaint with
the Québec government.

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[Anselmo]: Just For Laughs apologised
and sent out a statement saying,

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"unlike many other live events,
our shows are unscripted

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which makes the programming of
captioning more challenging."

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They agreed to refund the cost of
his tickets and will also refund

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his hotel accommodation.

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Heidy Wager, the executive director
of Hear Entendre Québec,

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an English non-profit organisation that
helps Deaf and hard of hearing people

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in Montreal, said Just For Laughs'
statement was incorrect

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and that remote live captioning can
be done with automatic technology

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or a person who types it out.

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Arrangements need to be made in
advance but event organisers can

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offer this service.

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Entendre Québec is working to
address the lack of accessibility

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in performing arts.

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[Anselmo]: Dan Scarfe, a Toronto-based
entrepreneur, invented a new technology

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where Deaf people can see
conversations on their eyeglasses

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by turning audio into subtitles.

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Dan came up with the idea after
watching his 97-year-old grandfather

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struggle to follow conversations
at Christmas last year

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and decided to find a solution so
his grandfather could participate

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in conversations in real-time.

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Dan said, "he watches TV
all the time with subtitles.

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Why can't we subtitle the world?"

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Six months later, he partnered with
Augmented Reality glasses manufacturer

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and unveiled XRAI Glasses.

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The AR glasses are connected
to a mobile phone which handles

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the processing and graphics generation;
the software sends audio feed

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from the microphone on the glasses
to the phone and turns it into subtitles.

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XRAI Glass is currently in beta
testing in the United Kingdom

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and Dan hopes the technology
will be available by September.

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[Anselmo]: In New Brunswick, Blaine Higgs,
the Progressive Conservative

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premier's government posted
a $35.2 million budget surplus.

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Kelsi Evans, a deaf recent graduate
of the University of New Brunswick,

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is complaining that the surplus is not
being used to reach people in need.

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Current disability policy does not
offer a path for people who just

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became disabled.

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Last year, Kelsi woke up with
a bursting tinnitus in her left ear

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and it took the province of
New Brunswick three months

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to provide proper care.

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She said if she had received immediate
attention, a greater portion of

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her hearing could have been saved.

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Kelsi was denied assistance from the
federal and provincial governments

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to accommodate her at university.

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The entire school year,
she was mostly deaf.

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She said her hearing aids cost her nearly
$3,000 out of pocket; she got only

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$200 from private insurance.

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She tried to apply for disability funding
and it hasn't been approved.

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[Anselmo]: New Brunswickers with
disabilities continue to receive inadequate

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social assistance.

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In 2020, according to the Maytree
Foundation, the average annual income of

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a single disabled person in New
Brunswick was equal to $10,411.

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This means their monthly income is about
$867.58 and a two-bedroom apartment

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in New Brunswick costs an
average of $891 per month.

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Single people with disabilities
in New Brunswick are not able

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to meet all their basic needs.

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Premiere Higgs' government announced
it will give a one-time payment

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to its low-income residents to help
them handle increased costs of

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gasoline and grocery bills.

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The Emergency Fuel and Food Benefit
will see low-income individuals receive

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$225 and low-income families,
including seniors, receive $450.

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The New Brunswick government's news
release does not mention people

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on disability benefits being
eligible for the program.

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[Anselmo]: After social distancing for
two years due to the pandemic,

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Deaf people are finally
able to get together.

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Jordan has a report.

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[Jordan]: As the number of COVID-19 cases
in Canada continues to slow down,

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more places are beginning to reopen.

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 In June, faculty members, staff,
and students from the ASL

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and Deaf Studies program at
Vancouver Community College, VCC

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 hosted Deaf Deaf World 2022.

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The theme of this year's event was
Deafopoly, which featured games

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and door prizes with the
same rules as Monopoly.

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There was also an art gallery wall
showing works from local artists, crafts,

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face painting, a photo booth,
and ASL Story time.

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[Jordan]: On 27 July, Calgary Association
of the Deaf, CAD held its annual

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Stampede Breakfast in the parking lot.

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They served pancakes, pork sausage,
and halal chicken sausages.

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After postpointing the Stampede Breakfast
in 2020 and 2021, many people were

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thrilled to get together in person
again to enjoy the food and talk

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with each other.

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[Anselmo]: All that delicious
food is making me hungry!

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Thank you for watching DeafDots.

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Please send your news
suggestions through our website

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www.DeafDots.ca
or email to news@deafdots.ca.

00:14:24.597 --> 00:14:29.301
Don't forget to subscribe, like,
and follow DeafDots

00:14:29.301 --> 00:14:33.973
to get new video updates!