Office of the Deaf & Hard of Hearing Community Review FALL 2006 Volume 3, Number 3 Washington State Department of Social and Health Services Office of the Governor Christine Gregoire DSHS Secretary Robin Arnold-Williams Deputy Secretary Blake Chard ODHH Eric Raff, Director Robert Lichtenberg, Assistant Director Ryan Bondroff, IRA Program Manager Brian Clark, IT Manager Lucas Doelman, Office Assistant Emily Hill, SLIM Program Manager Lien Ngo-Tran, Fiscal Officer Rena Patch, Executive Assistant Steve Peck, TRS Program Manager Kelly Robison, TED Program Manager Claudia Foy, SHS Program Manager Colleen Rozmaryn, CAN Program Manager Ausha V. Potts, Program Support Jennifer Chowning, Customer Service Representative Advisory Committee on Deafness Bryan Branson, Spokane Blbranson1@msn.com Annette Buckley-Fink, Fife annjanbf@msn.com George Cooper, College Place Sargeo@bmi.net William C. Danielson Jr., Selah wcdjr@elltel.com Mary Steinmeyer, Fife N22Mary@comcast.net Susan Tarbet, Spokane Sktsusan46@aol.com Jerry Cardoso, Mercer Island Jercar2o@hotmail.com Robert Roberts, Veradale 2bob2@comcast.net Gary Stafford, Spokane gstafford@comcast.net Ex-officio Penny Allen, Hearing Loss Assoc. of WA pallen@hearingloss-wa.org Jean Healy, WSDBC jhirish@earthlink.net Kathleen Morris, WSRID kbuckmo@aol.com Char Parsely, WSAD cpar123100@aol.com Message from the Director Guiding principles identified in the ODHH strategic plan show our values and philosophy including empowerment and partnerships with our stakeholders. Of these principles, two come to mind: • Empower clients to achieve independence • Encourage collaborative partnerships The communities we serve are important to us. We rely on them to identify inaccessibility issues and advocate for progress toward accessible equality. The role of ODHH is to inform and empower the communities and encourage partnerships. Progress toward accessible equality is a slow struggle. Progress is much easier with empowered communities to take an active voice to improve accessible programs and services through policy. Policy can be influenced through board and committee meetings. ODHH really needs your support in our advocacy efforts. We rely on the communities we serve to get involved and support the mission of various boards overseeing organizations providing services to people with disabilities. By getting involved, this ensures that the voice representing perspectives of people with hearing loss or speech disabilities is heard. Learning about disabilities brings an awareness and sensitivity to the needs of others. At the same time, we educate others about the needs of deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind and speech disabled. Partnership opportunities serve to strengthen disability rights and promote equal access. There are many ways to get involved, depending on your interests, availability and commitment. You can get involved on a statewide level such as the Governor-appointed boards, DSHS-related boards including the ODHH Advisory Committee and statewide nonprofit organizations. Or you can get involved on a local level such as local government and nonprofit boards. In this newsletter, you will find some resources to join various boards including the Governor-appointed Boards & Commissions, ODHH and Regional Service Centers. It is my sincere hope that you will find the time, commitment and vested interest to join a board or two for our progress toward accessible equality. Resources Governor-appointed boards For more information about governor-appointed boards, go to this website: http://www.governor.wa.gov/actions/appointments/boards/ The website includes information such as: • number of appointments by Governor • opening in year • Length of term in years • Qualifications to join the board • A listing of current members on website Some boards with the authorizing source have been identified that you may want to be aware of or join. Deaf, State School for the; Board of Trustees RCW 72.42.021 Serves educational needs of hearing-impaired students from throughout the state. Develops comprehensive curriculum to maximize and develop students’ skills to live, work and be capable, contributing, independent citizens. Disability Issues and Employment, Governor’s Committee on Executive Order 87-08 Advises Governor and Legislature on disability issues; generates local action; initiates projects to address specific issues; provides training and assistance to individuals and organizations statewide; conducts workshops and conferences; and publishes disability-related materials. Human Rights Commission RCW 49.60.050 Works to eliminate and prevent discrimination in employment and business practices based on race, creed, color, national origin, sex, age or mental or physical handicap. Independent Living Council Executive Order 04-05 Develop, sign and submit the State Plan for Independent Living jointly with DSHS and Health Services Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and the Dept of Services for the Blind. Monitor, review and evaluate the implementation of the State Plan. Coordinate activities with the State Rehabilitation Council, the State Rehabilitation Council for the Blind, and other councils that address the needs of disability population. Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities and Their Families, State Interagency Coordinating Council for Executive Order 01-04 Advises and assists the Department of Social and Health Services and participating state agencies to coordinate, develop and implement policies dealing with early-intervention services. Rehabilitation Council, State Executive Order 04-04 To review, analyze, and advise the general vocational rehabilitation program of responsibilities under the Rehabilitation Act. In partnership with the general vocational rehabilitation program, develop, agree to, and review the preparation of the state plan, the strategic plan, reports, needs assessments, and evaluations. To conduct a review and analysis of consumer satisfaction as outlined in the Rehabilitation Act. To prepare and submit an annual report to the Governor, the public, and appropriate state and federal interested parties. Coordinate with other councils as specified by the Rehabilitation Act. Advise and provide coordination between the general vocational rehabilitation program and the State Independent Living Council and independent living centers. Deaf, Hard of Hearing and DeafBlind Nonprofit Organizations Washington State Association of the Deaf (WSAD) 3427 W. 7th Avenue Spokane, WA 99224 Hearing Loss Association of Washington (HLA of WA) P.O. Box 4025 Kent, WA 98089-0525 Washington State Deaf-Blind Citizens (WSDBC) P.O. Box 2322 Seattle, WA 98111-2322 Deaf-Blind Service Center (DBSC) 1620 18th Avenue Suite 200 Seattle, WA 98122 Helen Keller National Center – Northwest Region (NKNC-NW) 1620 18th Avenue Suite 201 Seattle, WA 98122 Abused Deaf Women Advocacy Services (ADWAS) 8623 Roosevelt Way NE Seattle, WA 98115 Regional Service Centers on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (Centers) See Centers listing on the following page. Resources On Emergency Preparedness ODHH has been working with DSHS agencies to be sure DSHS can continue to provide services to DSHS clients after any man-made or natural disaster affecting DSHS programs by providing information to DSHS programs about the communications needs of deaf, deaf-blind and hard of hearing employees and clients affected by the event. ODHH will be releasing more information for future ODHH Newsletters on the topic. The information provided below is a start. An organization called the Corporation for National and Community Service has compiled a list of resources that pertain to disaster preparedness, response, management, and recovery. Please be aware that not all of the information is in text form. Movies from the lending library likely NOT captioned. The selected information was forwarded through a list-serv by Tom Hulscher, Washington State Program Director, Corp. for National & Community Service Washington State Office 915 Second Avenue, Suite 3190 Seattle, WA 98174 Ph: 206-220-7737 e-mail: thulsche@cns.gov From The Resource Center’s lending library: Disaster Recovery Planning for Nonprofits (R3158) Offers advice to help nonprofits plan for natural disasters, equipment failures, terrorist attacks, thefts, scandals, and other emergencies. Explains components of a disaster plan and lays the framework for plan development. Intended to be used as a starting point in the creating and implementing process. Includes appendices with disaster recovery planning resources and a bibliography. http://nationalserviceresources.org/nsrclibrary/?action=detail&item=R3158 First 72 Hours: A Community Approach to Disaster Preparedness (R3164) An anthology that includes the perspectives of doctors, business managers, firefighters, American Red Cross volunteers, and members of the media to name a few, who all came together after September 11, 2001 to design more disaster-resilient communities. Offers updated strategies to improve disaster preparedness, particularly in light of the threat of terrorism. Intended for professionals and private citizens who want to know what kinds of questions must be asked and answered to better prepare their communities to survive future disasters. http://nationalserviceresources.org/nsrclibrary/?action=detail&item=R3164 Condition Red: Prepared for Disaster (V3163) Contains valuable information for individuals, families, law enforcement officials, and emergency aid centers on what it takes to be prepared for disasters. Covers different types of disasters, how certain disasters could hinder government and emergency services from giving immediate help to everyone in need, the importance of having a plan specifically for the disasters most likely to occur in your area, and what to include in a disaster kit. Stresses the importance of preparation and empowerment in regards to knowing how to take care of yourself instead of relying solely on the government and emergency services. http://nationalserviceresources.org/nsrclibrary/?action=detail&item=V3163 Disasters: Wrath of Disasters (V3167) Includes five movies that focus on disaster recovery for earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, and tornados. Shows footage of each disaster to demonstrate what can happen to those who are unprepared and to emphasize the need for planning. The final movie is a before-and-after lesson, giving coverage of an earthquake and then continuing up to one year after the disaster, allowing a view of the recovery process. http://nationalserviceresources.org/nsrclibrary/?action=detail&item=V3167 Principles of Emergency Planning and Management (R2804) Comprehensive practical guide enabling planners and managers to design and implement effective disaster preparation and initial recovery plans. An all-hazards approach is considered, with specific references to actual plans and management problems. Emphasizes the creation of an evolving plan that remains functional through continued testing and revision. Can be integrated with emergency preparedness training courses. http://nationalserviceresources.org/nsrclibrary/?action=detail&item=R2804 Introduction to Emergency Management (R2805) Reference book containing case studies of disaster response planning and disaster mitigation. Outlines historic and current organization of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Response Plan (FRP). Describes the roles, responsibilities, and interrelationships between FEMA, FRP, and state and local emergency management systems. Includes glossary, list of emergency management websites, and directory of emergency management agencies in the United States. http://nationalserviceresources.org/nsrclibrary/?action=detail&item=R2805 From The Resource Center’s Effective Practices collection: Conducting a hurricane response exercise http://www.nationalserviceresources.org/epicenter/practices/index.php?ep_action=view&ep_id=1073 Developing hurricane awareness with a science exercise for students http://www.nationalserviceresources.org/epicenter/practices/index.php?ep_action=view&ep_id=1072 Preparing people with disabilities for evacuation, shelter, and recovery during national emergencies http://www.nationalserviceresources.org/epicenter/practices/index.php?ep_act ion=view&ep_id=1144 Providing advocacy and support to disaster victims http://www.nationalserviceresources.org/epicenter/practices/index.php?ep_action=view&ep_id=1070 Understanding how victims respond during a disaster http://www.nationalserviceresources.org/epicenter/practices/index.php?ep_action=view&ep_id=1065 Responding to environmental needs after a flood http://www.nationalserviceresources.org/epicenter/practices/index.php?ep_action=view&ep_id=738 Preparing for a national security emergency http://www.nationalserviceresources.org/epicenter/practices/index.php?ep_action=view&ep_id=904 Understanding the role of staff during disaster employment and recovery http://www.nationalserviceresources.org/epicenter/practices/index.php?ep_action=view&ep_id=1039 Please feel free to contact the person named below for any material requests or questions. Erica Marsh - Resource Center Specialist, The Resource Center (800) 860-2684, ext. 260 rc-library@etr.org OR http://www.nationalservice.gov/resources New Staff Member, Claudia Foy The Office of the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing welcomes Claudia Foy as the new Manager of the Social and Human Services Program. Herself Deaf, she has twenty years of experience in providing and managing social and human services as well as telecommunications relay services. She was previously employed in one of the Regional Centers in North Carolina and by the Arizona Commission for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing before coming to ODHH. She also taught American Sign Language at two local community colleges in the Phoenix, Arizona area. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the Arizona State University and a Master of Arts in Rehabilitation Counseling: Deafness from the University of Arizona. Claudia is an active member of the National Association of the Deaf Technology Committee While passionate about her work, Claudia also enjoys spending quality time with family and friends. Other than being a nifty knitter, she enjoys water sports and hopes to learn to kayak. “I enjoy providing management and leadership that enhances accessibility of the deaf, hard of hearing and deaf-blind consumers to an improved quality of life,” she said. “I can truthfully say I see myself in the same position for years to come.” New Program Support Specialist for ODHH Hello, my name is Ausha V. Potts and I am the new Program Support Specialist with the Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. I started in October 2006. In this position I will be providing support services to the Social and Human Services (SHS), Sign Language Interpreter Management (SLIM), and Information, Referral and Advocacy (IRA) Program Managers. I have worked with Deaf and HOH advocates, interpreters and community members within Pierce, Thurston, Kitsap, Mason and Grays Harbor counties for over 11 years in my previous employment with a local community services agency in Tacoma. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my 2 boys, ages 5 and 9. We enjoy motor sports, boxing, and swimming. We also enjoy vacationing together. I believe in the goals and the mission here at ODHH. I’m excited to be apart of this team in making positive things happen for the community! I’m looking forward to meeting and working with all of you! New Logo for Washington Relay Washington Relay now has a brand new logo! The looped “W” design has replaced the glacier-topped mountain and evergreen tree logo design that has been the Washington Relay logo the past several years. The artist of the original logo concept/design is Matt Daigle, who is deaf. He is a freelance graphic artist/cartoonist, and resides in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. “As a deaf individual and a consumer of relay services, it is a great honor to have my design symbolize communication access for the state of Washington,” said Daigle. “The story behind this logo would serve as a good ice breaker, when giving public presentations on the relay service,” added Dan Brubaker, Account Manager with Sprint Relay. The new logo is “picture-concept” of how the relay service works. The arms or ends of the “W” are two users of the relay service... and their conversations go through a relay operator, as represented inside the box. The dots between the arms or ends of the “W” represent an actual conversation between people. The relay operator would keep both parties “in the loop” which also would become the tag line for Washington Relay: “Keeping deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind and speech-disabled in the loop.” Sprint, the provider of Washington Relay, coordinated the logo contest with the assistance of Bob Lichtenberg, ODHH Assistant Director/Relay Program Manager. They selected 7 members from the deaf, hard of hearing and deaf-blind communities to serve as the judging panel. For nearly 5 hours, the judging panel went through 78 logo submissions from 39 individuals. The final selected logo was further developed through revisions recommended by an advertising agency in Salt Lake City, Utah. Eric Raff, ODHH Director, noted “This was an exciting contest where people from Washington had an opportunity to choose a new logo. The winning logo truly symbolizes access to telecommunications for deaf, hard of hearing and deafblind people. ODHH will be proud to use the logo in our efforts to educate the public about relay services throughout Washington State.” The new Washington Relay logo is owned by the Office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing (under the auspices of the Department of Social and Health Services), which is the administrator of Washington Relay. Back Issues of ODHH Community Review Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing has back issues available for anyone who is interested in receiving them. Please contact ODHH at (800) 422-7930 V/TTY or email ODHH@dshs.wa.gov to let us know which newsletter and how many copies you need. We’ll be happy to send you those newsletters. List of Back Issues: 1. Fall 2004, Volume 1, Number 2 2. Fall 2005, Volume 2, Number 3 – Regular and Large Print available 3. Summer 2004, Volume 1, Number 1 4. Summer 2005, Volume 2, Number 2 5. Summer 2006, Volume 3, Number 2 6. Winter 2005, Volume 2, Number 1 ODHH Introduces a New Service Provider Covering Grays Harbor, Kitsap, Mason, Pierce & Thurston Counties Deaf, hard of hearing, and deaf-blind community members living in the Tacoma region can visit the new HSDC-Tacoma regional service center to receive advocacy and information and referral services. The Hearing, Speech, and Deafness Center (HSDC) has hired two qualified community advocates to provide the same types of services previously performed through a contract with ODHH by the Tacoma Area Coalition of Individuals with Disabilities (TACID). HSDC-Tacoma’s new advocates are Christine Seymour and Barbara Hathaway. They both have hearing loss and come with a wealth of experience in serving clients and members of the community through previous positions with similar community services agencies in California and Arizona. ODHH encourages people to contact Christine or Barbara if they need advocacy services or other assistance. The new center is located at 3516 South 47th Street, Suite 200, Tacoma, WA 98409. Contact information to reach Christine and/or Barbara is listed below: Christine Seymour Email: cseymour@hsdc.org VP100: 253-474-1750 D-Link VP: 253-474-1750 TTY: 253-474-1748 Barbara Hathaway Email: bhathaway@hsdc.org VP100: 253-474-1749 D-Link VP: 253-474-1749 TTY: 253-474-1748 What is CART? Colleen Rozmaryn Assistive Communications Technology Program Manager For a person who experiences a mild to moderate hearing loss Assistive Listening Systems (ALDs) can provide a great benefit in many communication situations. Still, there are persons for whom the ALS does not give enough amplification. Often speech comprehension remains difficult. For those individuals, there is a third alternative: Communication Assistance Real-time Translation, called “CART”. Some call it “captioning”. CART is an assistive accommodation for communication access under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Who Can Do CART/Captioning? The professionals who provide CART services are Certified Court Reporters – the same people who sit at the front of the courtroom and use a stenographic machine to document the court proceedings. Using the same skills and additional technology like laptop computers and projectors, Court Reporters can produce a captioned (text) version of the court proceedings for you to read. If you have a hearing loss you can request CART so you can participate in a trial, or be part of a jury. Is CART Only for Courtrooms? No, absolutely not! CART is a tool for making communication smoother for anyone with hearing loss in many situations. You can request CART/captioning for a doctor appointment. A Court Reporter will type what the doctor is saying and you read the words on the screen of a laptop computer. Classrooms are using CART to make their classes more accessible. They are especially useful for high school and college courses. Meetings of local, state and federal offices can be captioned. In those cases the Court Reporter will use a projector and movie screen. People attending the meeting can read the words of presenters and be active participants themselves. It is a good idea to call the office sponsoring the meeting and request that CART services be provided for you. Then call the week before to confirm that you are going, and make sure they have schedule CART services. ODHH is in the process of building a list of Certified Court Reporters. For now, the information is available through our office (See contact information for Colleen Rozmaryn in this issue.) Later we will have CART information available on our website. Special Announcement Deaf-Blind Telecommunications Device Update By Colleen Rozmaryn, ACT Program Manager ODHH is proud and delighted to announce a great new milestone in deaf-blind telecommunications technology. On December 7, 2006 ODHH signed a contract with HumanWare, Ltd. of New Zealand to build a new, better braille telecommunication device. HumanWare has been developing and manufacturing braille equipment for blind people for over twenty years. They are an experienced international business, and they’re excited about working with Deaf-Blind people. I learned one interesting thing from the contract negotiations: public-private projects are difficult. Working with the different rules between Washington and HumanWare’s private company was awkward. We are all relieved that the contract is finished. What Happens Next? In January the real work begins! Engineers from New Zealand will fly to Seattle to meet Deaf individuals who are either fully blind or have low vision. Those Deaf-Blind people will be our “Focus Group,” giving input to the engineers. Our first business will be educating each other. Engineers will take a class on the interpreting process, taking turns and the right way to communicate with a Deaf-Blind person. The Focus Group will learn what to expect of the technical development process. If engineers and Deaf-Blind people are going to be working together, they need to know how to communicate with each other. The goal for this braille telecommunication device is to empower Deaf-Blind people to take care of their own business, be able to communicate while they are traveling and be independent. The New Year is going to be an exciting time for this new project to start! Regional Service Centers for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Office of the Deaf & Hard of Hearing (ODHH) Eric Raff, Director P.O. Box 45300 Olympia, WA 98504-5300 Voice/TTY: 360-902-8000 TTY: 360-753-0699 Fax: 360-902-0855 Voice/TTY Toll-free: 800-422-7930 D-Link IP: 209.181.93.249 D-Link VP #: 360-902-8000 VP100 IP address: 209.181.93.251 VP100 #: 360-902-8000 Email: rafferic@dshs.wa.gov Website: http://odhh.dshs.wa.gov HSDC-Seattle Service Center Artz Communication Center 1625 19th Avenue Seattle, WA 98122 Voice: 206-323-5770 TTY: 206-388-1275 Fax: 206-328-6871 Toll-free: 800-761-2821 V/TTY D-Link #: 206-388-1275 D-Link IP: 207.218.101.229 VP100 #: 206-388-1275 VP100 IP: frontdesk.hsdc.org Email: Seattle@hsdc.org Website: www.hsdc.org HSDC-Bellingham Service Center 114 West Magnolia Street, Suite 316 Bellingham, WA 98225 Voice: 360-647-0910 TTY: 360-647-8508 FAX: 360-647-0923 Toll-free: 866-647-0910 D-Link #: 360-647-8508 D-Link IP: 216.57.220.22 VP100 #: 360-647-8508 VP100 IP: bham.hsdc.org Email: Bellingham@hsdc.org Website: www.hsdc.org South Eastern WA Service Center of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing - SEWSCDHH 124 North 5th Avenue Pasco, WA 99301 Voice: 509-543-9644 TTY: 509-543-9649 Fax: 509-543-3329 Toll-free: 888-543-6598 D-Link #: 509-543-9644 D-Link IP: 65.160.146.138 VP100 #: 509-543-9644 VP100 IP: 65.160.146.138 Email: info@sewscdhh.org Website: www.sewscdhh.org SEWSCDHH – Yakima Service Center 505 North 4th Street, Unit #5 Yakima, WA 98901 Voice: 509-469-1845 TTY: 509-469-1847 FAX: 509-469-3965 Toll-Free: N/A D-Link #: 509-469-1845 D-Link IP: 68.185.62.82 VP100/200 #: 509-469-1845 VP100/200 IP: 68.185.62.82 Website: www.sewscdhh.org Eastern Washington Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing - EWCDHH N. 1206 Howard Street Spokane, WA 99201 V/TTY: 509-328-9220 Fax: 509-327-4622 Toll-free: 800-214-3323 V/TTY D-Link IP: ewcdhh.dyndns.tv D-Link IP: 71.32.217.81 D-Link VP #: 509-328-9222 VP100 #: 509-328-9222 VP100 IP: ewcdhh.dyndns.tv Email: ewcdhh@ewcdhh.org Website: www.ewcdhh.org Southwest WA Center of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing - SWCDHH 3015 East Evergreen Boulevard Vancouver, WA 98661 Voice: 360-695-3364 TTY: 360-695-9720 Fax: 360-695-2706 Toll-free: 866-695-6777 D-Link VP #: N/A D-Link IP: 66.92.192.105 VP100 #: 360-695-9700 VP100 IP: 66.92.192.105 Email: frontdesk@swcdhh.org Website: www.swcdhh.org HSDC-Tacoma Service Center 3516 S. 47th Street, Suite 200 Tacoma, WA 98409 Voice: 253-475-0782 TTY: 253-474-1748 Fax: 253-475-1188 Toll-free: 866-698-1748 V/TTY D-Link IP: tac-frontdesk.hsdc.org VP100/200 #: 253-474-1748 V100 IP: tac-frontdesk.hsdc.org Email: Tacoma@hsdc.org Website: www.hsdc.org Office of the Deaf & Hard of Hearing Toll Free: 1 (800) 422-7930 V/TTY (360) 902-8000 Direct Web site: http://odhh.dshs.wa.gov Contact ODHH by Video at: VP IP Address: 209.181.93.249 VP#: (360) 902-8000 Eric Raff, Director rafferic@dshs.wa.gov Robert Lichtenberg, Assistant Director lichtrw@dshs.wa.gov Ryan Bondroff, IRA Program Manager bondroffryan@dshs.wa.gov Emily Hill, SLIM Program Manager hillemily@dshs.wa.gov Steve Peck, TRS Program Manager pecksc@dshs.wa.gov Kelly Robison, TED Program Manager robiskd@dshs.wa.gov Colleen Rozmaryn, ACT Program Manager rozmaic@dshs.wa.gov Claudia Foy, SHS Program Manager………………….foyclam@dshs.wa.gov