The Clients

Hellen Keller

Helen Keller, an activist and a popular author who was both deaf and blind, beat the odds at the time by being able to learn to read, write, and speak through her dedicated teacher Anne Sullivan. If you haven’t seen The Miracle Worker, an ongoing play as well as a movie based on their incredible journey of communication, it is an entertaining and informative recommendation. In 1984, President Regan made the last week of June into Helen Keller Deaf-Blind Awareness Week in order to commemorate her birthday (June 27, 1880). The purpose of this week is to enhance the awareness of the deaf-blind population and their need for recognition within society.

Along with the Helen Keller National Center for the Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults (HKNC), volunteer organizations, nationally-recognized agencies, and local support groups will be making important information available during the week of June 21 through June 27.

Deaf-blind people are those individuals living with a combination of hearing and vision loss. The Helen Keller Deaf-Blind Awareness Week of 2009 is not to remind people that Helen Keller was the prominent figure for the deaf-blind community, but that she was not the only one living with both of these disabilities. By putting on events during this week and letting their voice be heard, the people of HKNC are here to change the assumptions behind deaf-blindness. Hoping to change the way the world sees deaf-blindness, HKNC’s theme is “Deaf-Blindness Didn’t Stop With Helen Keller.”

Because most people only associate the affliction of deaf-blindness with Helen Keller, they are unaware that people living all around them could be dealing with the loss of vision and hearing and because deaf-blindness can affect anyone regardless of age, race, and gender; no one is exempt from the possibility of losing their senses. The phrase “deaf-blind” is not exclusive to only those who are completely blind and deaf, but also those who are hearing impaired or partially blind, and the number of people with relative problems in these areas is growing each year.

Even though Helen Keller famously had Anne Sullivan to help her communicate with the world, most of the today’s citizens living with deaf-blindness are independent. Some live, work, and travel on their own, and this awareness week is a great way to let the rest of America know that they deserve to be recognized within the community.

Although Helen Keller died in 1968, deaf-blindness didn’t die with her and since 1969 the HKNC has been in place to spread awareness of that as well as provide guidance and support to those individuals and their families (over the age of 16) who are coping with any form of deaf-blindness. As the only exclusive agency that provides vocational and independent services and training for people overcoming these disabilities in order to lead healthy and happy lives, HKNC would love for you to be involved or at least informed of their efforts this last week of June. For more information about Helen Keller Deaf-Blind Awareness Week, visit the HKNC website www.hknc.org for access to press releases, pamphlets, posters, and recommended activities in order to promote deaf-blind awareness or find a location near you in one of ten locations across the United States.

Source: http://www.healthnews.com/family-health/helen-keller-deaf-blind-awareness-week-3331.html

Miranda Kerr

SHE is dating one of the world's hottest Hollywood stars, but Aussie model Miranda Kerr has a new man in her life: David Jones.

In a deal worth a rumoured six-figure sum, the Gunnedah girl-made-good has secretly signed on as an ambassador for the department store chain.

The 23-year-old's youth and beauty, which has propelled her meteoric rise on the international fashion scene, is believed to have impressed DJ executives scouting for generational change.

The retailer's long-time "face" Megan Gale was allowed a graceful exit from catwalk duties in February after Victoria's Secret lingerie babe Kerr had negotiated the finer points of her contract in December while on holidays in NSW.

As rumours of the deal swept the fashion industry, DJs staffers offered only denials, desperate to keep the focus on Gale and details of the younger Kerr's signing under wraps.

While Gale will continue an association with DJs, Kerr will be paraded more prominently as the new look for the department store.

The younger model is seen by industry experts as more of a match for Myer's Jennifer Hawkins.

Kerr has already been introduced to customers, appearing alongside Gale in DJs' recent catalogue.

Her deal will include appearing on the runway for the retailer, with an Australian Fashion Week appearance later this month considered likely.

But all eyes will also be on her entourage, with talk Kerr's new boyfriend, actor Orlando Bloom, could be by her side when she is on duty for DJs.

Doubling the celeb factor, that's what you call a publicity gift with purchase.

Source: http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/fashion/david-jones-is-kerrs-new-darling/story-e6frfn7i-1111115970776

Angela Merkel

Angela Merkel in her budget speech Wednesday laid out the euro-zone divisions that
bother Berlin the most. The message will play best at home, where draconian budget cuts,
timing of tax cuts and a gaffe-prone junior coalition partner has whittled away her
majority in opinion polls.

If it plays well in Pforzheim, it isn’t what other governments looking for consensusin the discordant policy mess that is early post-recession Europe want to hear.

Greece, which has seen Germany as the chief opponent to imminent financial bailout package, came away badly. Overly-hasty financial bailout would be “rash” and likely weaken the euro in the longer term, Merkel determined. Greek’s salvation is in its own hands. And, yes, she agrees with her finance minister that a remodeled euro-zone infrastructure whould allow any country (like Greece) habitually violating the rules to be ejected from the euro club.

France was next. Ms. Merkel rounded on French Finance Minster Christine Lagarde and her assertion that Germany was selfishly promoting its export industry at the expense of its euro-zone neighbors. Any proposal to shift around demand sourcing in Germany was “the wrong answer” to Europe’s frail economic recovery.

Gordon Brown’s protection of the London financial industry from new Franco-German initiatives to crack down on hedge funds and and credit derivatives was equally deplored. Merkel said of Brown:

“His onetime tax on bonuses made half as much sense as it would if Great Britain would agree to the hedge-fund regulations.”

It’s been a tough six months for the German chancellor since reshuffling her cabinet after the October election, breaking with the center-left Social Democrats to form a new majority with the more business-friendly Free Democtrats. Germany is now the only euro zone country to have written new debt caps into law, forcing harsh spending cuts even as Merkel has to borrow a postwar record EUR80 billion to keep the government running.

Given the political stakes at home, Merkel isn’t shying from putting Greece in the balance, presumably to placate resentful voters in her own country who have their own bills to pay. Popular calls for a crack down on financial markets and protecting German export jobs fall easily into line.

Source: http://blogs.wsj.com/source/2010/03/17/merkel-takes-on-europe/