Justina Miles performs for Philadelphia 76ers and is shown on PIP; Troy Kotsur on cast of “Foundation”
Alex Abenchuchan, Daily Moth Reporter: Here are two Deaf News briefs.
On Thursday night, the Philadelphia 76ers hosted a Deaf Awareness Night during a game against the New York Knicks.
Fox 29 reported that more than 200 fans in attendance were students of the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf.
Justina Miles, the ASL Halftime performer during last year’s Super Bowl, performed the national anthem during pregame ceremonies.
A Deaf person in the area, Mark Drolsbaugh, was at home watching the game on TV. When he saw that the ASL performance was on a PIP screen, he was happy. He recorded it and posted it. See this clip.
[Video clip showing Justina performing a portion of the National Anthem in a PIP screen on a broadcast by NBC Sports Philadelphia. Miles is shown all the way, either in a PIP or full-screen next to the voice singer.] Credit: FB/Mark Drolsbaugh
I reached out to Mark and he said in a message that he was watching the game and jumped out of his seat when they showed Justina. He said he took a video and posted it immediately because he’s spent three decades yelling at the TV every Super Bowl Sunday. He said he was so excited to see NBC Sports Philadelphia get it right and he hopes this sets an example for the NFL. Check out his post on X.
[X/@DrolzUncensored:] “Thank you @NBCSPhilly for providing both PIP and full screen access to ASL performer Justina Miles. The deaf community is raving about your coverage. You succeeded where the @NFL and @CBS failed. Hopefully they and others will follow your example. Again, thank you!]
Thanks Mark for sharing.
Justina gave some remarks to Fox 29.
[Video clip from Fox 29]
Justina Miles: I want people to learn that Deaf people exist. The culture exists as well. It’s really prominent. A lot of people are trying to “cure” deafness but deafness is beautiful.
Alex: Nice message she shared, and her remark about “curing deafness” may reach the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, who recently conducted gene therapy trials on deaf children.
Melissa Dragnac-Hawk, the former NAD President, was at the game because she is the Head of School at PSD. She made remarks to Fox 29.
[Video clip from Fox 29]
Melissa Dragnac-Hawk: Closed captioning is great but it’s not really 100% accessible for many Deaf people. Sign language is full accessibility. It’s what we use daily.
Alex: The Deaf Awareness Night was made possible with the work and coordination by PSD employee Joshua Beckman. Nice event!
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988 Helpline (Description)
Exciting News! The 988 Lifeline launched new American Sign Language services for callers who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. It’s a new resource for people to access help when they need it. Visit 988lifeline.org and select “ASL Now.”
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Troy Kotsur on cast of “Foundation”
An article in The Hollywood Reporter said Deaf and Oscar-winning actor Troy Kotsur will join the cast of Apple TV+’s “Foundation” for their third season. It is a sci-fi series.
Kotsur will have the role of Preem Palver, a leader of a planet of psychics.
The first two seasons of “Foundation” are available on Apple TV+. There has been no date announced for the release of season three.
Justina Miles: https://www.fox29.com/news/deaf-students-attend-sixers-game-bringing-visibility-and-awareness-for-those-with-communication-needs
Mark Drolsbaugh: https://www.facebook.com/mark.drolsbaugh/videos/1559610588106737
Troy Kotsur: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/troy-kotsur-foundation-season-3-appletv-1235833279/