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J Convention of Deaf Opens The 41st biennial convention of the Ontario Association of the Deaf opened Thursday at Ontario School for the Deaf with Mayor Robin Jeffrey bringing greetings from the city. Superintendent Dr. J. G. Demeza, left, gave a lesson in fingerspelling to the mayor (third from left), watched by Maureen BaskerviHe, chairman for the convention and Robert Reid, president of OAS. The convention continues until Sunday. Deaf Association Elects Woman as Chairman For the first time in its long history, the G".1 ario Association of the DPI! has a woman chairman fO" its biennial comvenifcion. Maureen Baskervii;.? an OSD graduate, will preside over toe convention that started at Ontario St'ics. for the Deaf here Thursday and wiill continue (.trough Sunday. The association, e^xjii-ned in 1889, has met severa> times at OSD for its CO" van tin. A m o· n g tue resola1 ions delegates will debate is one calling tor the mir s',"y of education to revise i's communication poacy a ->_hool for the deaf. At present the emphasis is on oral communication and fingeis'jcikng and the deaf want sign l a n g u a g e included. Most communication at '<Lv. convention is by signing, 'vitfa members of OSD ^taff on hand as interpreter: for hearing people. Dr. J.G. Derueza, many changes at the school told delegates they would see many clwges at the school one of them the introduction of fingerspelMng this year. In September for ;h» first time, the provincial government will permit deaf adults without basic teaching certificates, to enrol in the teacher training prog^m at OSD. Former gov< n: merit policy of permitting oniy holders of a basic tethers certificate to enrol had limited deaf teachers *", U.ose trained in British C.,!u-- ibna and the United States "We had one deaf person in teacher training l\ : year, but she had a basic certificate; said D-r. Denxxs Each of the three siMuols for the deaf, in Belleville, Milton and London, are recruiting deaf adults to train as teachers. Belleville has already selected one, and Dr. D e m e z a has hopes of recruiting another. The school will start a new p r o g r a m for emotionally disturbed deaf children in the fall. One of the houses on the grounds will become a small g r o u p borne for these children. The superintendent noted that most OSD students now go home every weekend, under an arrangement by which their Local school boards pay the transportation costs. Those from the far north are able to return for long holiday weekends. Teachers' professional development : days at OSD are held on ; Mondays so that northern f children can have a long weekend. Those from the most remote areas are flown home and the rest go by bus. In commom with its two companion school's OSD now has a superintendent's advisory council comprised of deaf adults, the president of tfce students' council, parents and. others who work with the deaf. Its purpose is to keep the superintendent aware of the needs and desires of the deaf. The convention continues with a keynote speech by Rev. Dr. Robert Rumball, ofj the Mission of the Deaf i n j Toronto Friday afternoon, and s a cultural evening later. A field day and banquet and ball at the Four Seasons Hotel i are scheduled for Saturday and an ecumenical church service Sunday morning will conclude the events.