Office of the Deaf & Hard of Hearing Community Review Washington State Department of Social and Health Services SUMMER 2006 Volume 3, Number 2 Message from the Director The ODHH Strategic Plan 2007-2011 is now available to download from the website! The five year strategic plan is not just a document, it is a valuable tool. We use it to set up goals, to establish ways for ODHH to reach them and to measure our results. It also ensures proper use of limited resources. This process helps ODHH focus on the unmet needs of the deaf, hard of hearing and deafblind communities so that we can close the gaps in service. Drafting of the strategic plan was guided by input from the staff, community members and advisory committee members. Everyone had an opportunity to take ownership of the ODHH Vision and Mission. They were asked to give feedback on what the goals should be. It started last year with the ODHH Advisory Committee meeting twice to review the old plan. A two-day retreat in September 2005 gave staff an opportunity to discuss the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges facing ODHH and how ODHH will reach its goals. ODHH hosted town hall forums in Seattle (for deafblind), Tacoma and Spokane. We tried a new approach with the Tacoma and Spokane town hall forums by having “breakout” workgroups focusing on four main topics. The program managers led the workgroups which focused on: * hard of hearing issues, * social and human services, * telecommunications, and * interpreting The meetings were a success. While Tacoma had a smaller turnout, Spokane had more than 60 people from the both the deaf and hard of hearing communities. To the surprise of ODHH staff, two local news stations showed up and there were video clips of the event on the evening news. Colleen Rozmaryn and I led two meetings in Seattle to give full attention to the deafblind community. Many deafblind people were there. The topics discussed were: * Support Service Providers, * DeafBlind Interpreters, * Assistive Technology, and * Orientation and Mobility. ODHH would like to thank the following organizations for providing much appreciated support in making these town hall events happen: * Lighthouse for the Blind, * Tacoma Community College, * Eastern Washington Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, * SCADHH * SHHH-Spokane. Welcome Jennifer Chowning I have lived in Washington State my whole life, and grew up in Kitsap County. I enjoy music, art, and classic cars. I graduated from Olympic Community College in Bremerton with an Associate of Arts and Sciences transfer degree. I hope to attend the Evergreen State College. I’ve been fortunate to experience a bit of European culture while studying literature and poetry in Wales. I was offered the unique opportunity to work for ODHH as an office assistant and customer service representative in February 2006. As the ODHH front desk representative, I am the first point-of-contact with clients. I forward callers to the appropriate staff member or assist them directly, answering questions and mailing information. I also work with ODHH staff to ensure goals and tasks are completed and devote much of my time to fiscal and administrative operations. Since starting with ODHH, I’ve moved to Olympia to build a career with the state, while pursuing other interests and goals. 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, SHS Program Manager Kelly Robison, TED Program Manager Colleen Rozmaryn, ACT Program Manager Jenifer Baker, Program Support Jennifer Chowning, Customer Service Representative Advisory Committee on Deafness Bryan Branson, Spokane Blbranson1@msn.com Annette Buckley-Fink, Fife annjan@msn.com George Cooper, College Place Sargeo@bmi.net William C. Danielson Jr., Grandview wcdjr@tmail.com Mary Steinmeyer, Sumner N22Mary@worldnet.att.net Bob Swan, Kennewick Rcjc.swan@verizon.net Susan Tarbet, Spokane Sktsusan46@aol.com Ex-officio Penny Allen, HLA-WA pallen@hearingloss-wa.org Jean Healy, WSDBC jhirish@earthlink.net Joey Graff, WSRID Joey@connectedNW.com Char Parsely, WSAD cpar123100@aol.com Find services and help through single phone number: 211 We’re all familiar with the emergency 911 telephone number. So what is this 211 number people are talking about? In Washington, it’s the Washington Information Network (WIN 211). The objective is to have one phone number -- 211 -- that a person can call to connect with community health and human services organizations. 911 is the number to call during an emergency; 211 is to connect to health and human services after one occurs, to deal with personal and family services, according to Pam Toal, executive director of United Way of Thurston County. Within DSHS, the Government & Community Relations, Land and Buildings Division and the Information System Services Division are participating in the WIN 211 project. The complete project is a collaboration of more than 30 organizations that include specialized information and referral services, United Ways throughout Washington, key state agencies, local community action programs, and private individuals. WIN 211 members come from rural and urban areas throughout the state. The 211 telephone number was assigned by the Federal Communication Commission for the purpose of providing quick and easy access to information about health and human services. Professional Information and Referral specialists work with callers to assess their needs, determine their options and a best course of action, then direct them to appropriate programs/services, provide culturally appropriate support, intervene in crisis situations, and advocate for the caller as needed. Pam Toal noted, “Think back to when Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast. In Louisiana, 211 supported emergency services by connecting callers with information about food and shelter. In Texas, more than 250,000 people called 211 for information about housing and jobs.” In February, 13 counties began operating the 211 programs, connecting callers to services, often through existing Crisis Clinics. The counties include: Clark, Lewis, King, Island, Kittitas, Mason, Pacific, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, Thurston, Whatcom, and Yakima. The project’s goal is for all Washington residents to have access to 211 by the end of the year, plus be connected with 32 other states with 211, providing over 135 million Americans with this service. For more information check out the WIN 211 Web site - http://www.win211.org/home.htm Source: Inside DSHS, May 25, 2006 edition NEW Sorenson VideoPhone numbers at ODHH ODHH is pleased to announce that we now have a Sorenson videophone! Now our community members have the ability to call us through either the Sorenson or D-Link videophone IP. We are available to receive videophone calls Monday through Friday between 8 am and 5 pm. You can call ODHH by either D-Link or Sorenson videophone by dialing 360-902-8000 or use the following IP addresses: Sorenson IP address - 209.181.93.251 D-Link IP address - 209.181.93.249 We look forward to SEEING you on videophone soon! DSHS clients can buy fresh food with electronic benefits cards at farmers’ markets In Washington State, DSHS clients in Basic Food program can use their electronic benefits transfer cards (EBT) to buy fresh food at farmers’ markets. That means more options for DSHS clients to buy fresh food from farmers’ markets, supermarkets, or other retail stores. DSHS clients receive cash grants and food assistance through EBT cards. An EBT card works like a bank debit card. When you buy fresh food from the farmers’ markets, the total price is automatically deducted from your EBT card. There are now 19 farmers’ markets in Washington State that are certified to accept EBT cards. DSHS clients need to look for any vendors that accept EBT cards. Not all vendors accept EBT cards. There will be more farmers’ markets that will accept EBT cards in future so please check with your local farmers’ market about this. Here is a list of 19 farmers markets that accept EBT cards: • Lake City Farmers’ Market • Broadway Farmers’ Market • Ballard Farmers’ Market • Pike Place Market PDA • Marilyn’s Produce • Capitol Hill Farmers’ Market • Port Orchard Farmers’ Market • The Golden Pear • Mount Vernon Farmers’ Market #1 and #2 • Crossroads Farmers’ Market • Community Farmers’ Market • Yakima Farmers’ Market • University District Farmers’ Market • Olympia Farmers’ Market • West Seattle Farmers’ Market • Columbia City Farmers’ Market • Tacoma Farmers’ Market • Methow Valley Farmers’ Market Information about Parks Pass Program for Washington Residents with Disabilities Summer is here now! Most of you enjoy camping and boating at Washington State Parks and national parks. There are two different pass programs for people with disabilities. The first program is Washington State Parks pass for Washington State residents only.The second program is Gold Access Passport for individuals with disabilities to access national sites. There is information on passes for camping, moorage and watercraft launching at Washington State Parks. ODHH hopes you enjoy the benefits of the program passes offered by Washington State Parks. The link to the page about Disabilities pass is at http://www.parks.wa.gov/passes.asp The contact person to request: 1) a “Pass Programs” brochure explaining eligibility, documentation requirements, and benefits 2) an application for the Disability Pass Angela Harper Customer Service Specialist Washington State Parks Pass Program 360-902-8500 (Voice) Angela.Harper@PARKS.WA.GOV What is Gold Access Passport? Gold Access Passport lifetime pass gives deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind and speech disabled individuals free access to US Parks, monuments, historical sites, recreation areas, and national wildlife refuges. The Gold Access Passport has two types of entrance fees. They are per vehicle and per person admission. You must be a pass holder to use the entrance admission. 1) If there is a per vehicle entrance fee, there will be little or no cost to you and your guests in the vehicle. 2) If there is a per person entrance fee, there will be a little or no cost to you, your spouse and children. The passport also gives a 50% discounts for facilities and services such as camping, swimming, parking, boating and tours. It also works for sites managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service the Bureau of Land Management, and the Army Corps of Engineers. You must obtain a pass in person. You must bring medical proof of your disability, such as an audiogram. The card is available at most national parks and federal recreation areas. For more information here is the address: http://www.us-parks.com/golden_access_passport.html Hearing Accessible Driver Safety Training By Colleen Rozmaryn What is American Association of Retired People (AARP) Driver Safety Program (DSP)?  The DSP is an 8 hour classroom refresher course for licensed drivers of any age, but focuses primarily on those 50 years and older. The interactive course deals with improving safe driving skills and making adjustments for physical changes that come with the aging process. Participants over 55 years old who complete the course are entitled by Washington State Law to an automobile insurance discount. The amount of the discount is up to the individual insurance carriers. There are 300 highly trained DSP volunteer instructors in Washington State.  Over 20,000 people completed the program in 2005 and an even greater number are expected in 2006. How did AARP realize that better hearing access is needed in driver safety classes?  Charlene MacKenzie and Bert Lederer have been AARP-DSP instructors for many years. They found that DSP is not always accessible to people with hearing loss. They are also members of Hearing Loss Association of Washington (formerly known as WASA-SHHH), and are officers in the Whatcom County Chapter. They have the advantage of knowing both organizations well. What’s next for hearing accessible driver safety? Charlene and Bert developed an “Accessibility Workshop for Driver Safety Program Instructors.” They did pilot presentations for DSP instructors in Whatcom and Skagit Counties last year, and to DSP State Coordinators last fall (2005). Charlene also worked with AARP and was instrumental in implementing additions to the new DSP nationwide curriculum relative to hearing loss, and the mandatory use of open-captioned video presentations. AARP’s regional and state DSP Coordinators decided that it was important to implement a hearing accessibility program statewide. Charlene and Bert prepared a DSP hearing accessibility project and budget proposal for several thousand dollars which was approved on March 24, 2006, except for purchase of 17 sound amplification systems. This is currently under review by AARP in Washington, D.C. Charlene and Bert will present several training sessions for DSP Instructor-Presenters who will then go back to their sections and train the instructors. They hope that by October 1, 2006 all 300 instructors will participate in accessibility training! On March 25, 2006, Bert presented a status report to the Hearing Loss Association’s board that included a brief of the DSP workshop, “Accessibility for People with Hearing Loss.” The board encouraged Bert and Charlene to coordinate the accessibility program among the 20 HLA-WA chapters and the 19 DSP sections this year.  This outreach program should increase accessibility for 10,000 or more DSP participants with hearing loss every year, because at least half of those over 50 years old have some degree of hearing loss. As a side note, Charlene and Bert also presented a separate pilot course for the Deaf Community. AARP and local donations covered the cost of several interpreters and other expenses.  For local course information on the AARP Driver Safety Program and where to find out the training class nearest you, call AARP 1-888-227-7669 (voice) or visit www.aarp.org/drive.  Sign Language Interpreters Have you ever needed a sign language interpreter for a DSHS appointment? Are you a DSHS employee who needs to communicate with your deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing clients, but don’t know sign language? There is a contract in place for DSHS (and other governmental agencies) to get Sign Language Interpreter Services! The following individuals and agencies currently provide interpreting services through our contract: Roxie Andrews Phone: (253) 861-5251 Email:jandrews16@juno.com Isabella Cobb Phone: (360) 459-8076 Cell: (360) 701-1272 Pager: (360) 709-3775 Michael Kosanovich Cell: (253) 686-6657 Pager: mekosanovich@tmail.com Email: aslmichaelterp@net-venture.com Polly MacLean Pager: pollym@tmail.com Email: 2pollymac@earthlink.com Cell: (253) 381-3547 Sarah Rasmussen Cell: (253) 222-3725 Pager: sarahras@tmail.com Verna Siegel Cell: (360) 280-8112 Email: vmsiegel49@hotmail.com ASL Professionals 3418 North Ferdinand Tacoma, WA 98407 Phone: (253) 759-7653 Fax: (253) 761-8936 Email:aslprofessionals@comcast.net Dynamic Language Center, LTD. 15215 52nd Ave South, Suite 100 Seattle, WA 98188 Phone: (206) 244-6709 TTY: (206) 431-5186 Fax: (206) 243-3795 Email: dynamic@dlc-usa.com Eastern Washington Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (EWCDHH) 1206 North Howard Street Spokane, WA 99201 Phone: (509) 328-3728 Phone: 1-800-214-3323 Fax: (509) 327-4622 Email: nancy@ewcdhh.org Northwest Interpreters, Inc. P.O. Box 65024 Vancouver, WA 98665 Phone: (360) 566-0492 Fax: (360) 566-0453 Email: asl@nwiservices.com SignOn: A Sign Language Interpreter Resource 1414 Dexter Ave. N, Suite 316 Seattle , WA 98109 Phone: (206) 632-7100 TTY: (206) 632-7200 Fax: (206) 632-0405 Email: terps@signonasl.com Sign Shares Seattle 99 Detering, Suite 160 Houston TX 77007 Phone: (206) 334-0662 Email: coordinator@signshares.com Southeast Washington Service Center of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (SEWSCDHH) 124 N 5th Ave Pasco, WA 99301 Phone: (509) 543-9644 TTY: (509) 543-9643 Fax: (509) 543-3329 Email: tina@sewscdhh.org Universal Language Service, Inc. PO Box 4147 Bellevue , WA 98009 Phone: (888) 462-0500 Phone: (425) 454-8072 Fax: 877-516-4347 Email: unilang@gte.net We’ve also accepted four new providers for Sign Language Interpreting Services! Welcome aboard! Sara Geballe Phone: (360) 650-0060 V/TTY Cell: (206) 354-4707 Fax: (360) 650-0080 Email: sarageballe@comcast.net Shelly Hansen Phone: (509) 628-8818 Cell: (509)987-0083 Email: slhansen5@hotmail.com Tammera Richards, NorthWest American Sign Language Associates Phone: (503)267-4861 Pager: tjrichards@tmo.blackberry.net Email: tjrichards1@msn.com Language Fusion, LLC 400 East Evergreen Blvd, Suite 203 Vancouver, WA 98660 Phone: (888) 750-1112 Fax: (360) 750-1125 Email: info@languagefusion.us If you have any questions about the Sign Language Interpreter Services contract, please contact Emily Hill at (800) 422-7931 or hillemily@dshs.wa.gov. You can also find this information on our website: http://odhh.dshs.wa.gov, “Sign Language Interpreter Management,” “Contractors.” Part Time Work Available Yakima • Pasco • Tri-Cities Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ODHH) Telecommunication Equipment Distribution (TED) The TED program contracts people to deliver specialized equipment to Washington residents with hearing loss or speech disabilities. Many of our readers are TED clients and have received equipment from someone who delivered the phone and demonstrated how to use it. Interested in earning money to help people? • Are you familiar with telecommunication equipment? • Do you know how to use a TTY or an Amplified telephone? • Can you teach other people how to use these devices? • Are you willing and able to travel within Central Washington? If you answered yes to these questions and are interested in training residents in the Central Washington area, contact ODHH immediately! Opportunity Available: Apply Today! If you’re interested in becoming a contracted TED trainer please contact: Telecommunication Equipment Distribution Kelly Robison, Program Manager E-Mail: robiskd@dshs.wa.gov (800) 422-7930 Voice/TTY Television Washington Begins Offering Closed-Captioning, Spanish Translation of Selected Programs TVW, the network that offers unedited television coverage of civic affairs across Washington state, has begun offering closed-captioning and Spanish translation of many of its most popular programs. Closed-captioning provides on-screen English subtitles, and translated events feature a Spanish-language voiceover – Spanish events are not also closed-captioned in Spanish.    Starting in July, TVW began offering closed-captioning and Spanish translation of the following slate of shows:  • Produced  programs – Inside Olympia, Author’s Hour, The Docket, The Faces and Places of Washington State, and during the legislative session Olympia On-Call and Legislative Review; • 2006 election coverage; • 2007 LIVE legislative session coverage; and, • Selected other programs.   TVW President Cindy Zehnder said, “TVW is grateful to the legislature and governor for funding these important services. This is another major step in our continuing mission to expand access, and we’re excited to begin connecting more viewers and new audiences to the civic life of Washington through our programming.” The new services are possible through a $319,000 appropriation in the 2006-07 supplemental state operating budget. TVW, a private non-profit corporation, receives most of its operating cash through legislative budget appropriations in the form of contracts for services.   Modern television sets allow viewers to access closed-captioning and separate audio channels for other languages. Typically when translation is offered, the additional language is carried simultaneously on a separate audio channel. However, until TVW moves into new headquarters later this year, the network does not have the ability to send out two simultaneous audio channels. Therefore, for most if not all of 2006 TVW will offer a specific weekly Spanish-language-only programming block, starting at 3 PM Sundays and lasting up to 4 hours.    About TVW TVW, headquartered in Olympia, is a cable-only network available in 98% of the cable households in Washington, representing over half the state’s population. The network offers unedited gavel-to-gavel coverage of civic events across the state, the Washington State Legislature, Supreme Court, executive branch, and government boards and commissions. TVW’s streaming media archives at www.tvw.org  contain about 43,000 hours worth of audio and video, including the largest known repository of publicly accessible legislative streaming media in the world. Later this year the network will move from its original leased space into the new TVW Jeannette C. Hayner Media Center at 1058 S. Capitol Way in Olympia. Web users can view the construction progress via the station’s webcam at www.tvw.org. To find out about TVW channel location in your community, please visit at TVW website. It is http://www.tvw.org/tvguide/findchannel.cfm?CFID=9116872&CFTOKEN=9681113. If you do not have Internet access and need to know about channel location in your community. Please call TVW at (360) 586-5555.     What it means to you - The Board of Hearing and Speech By Penny Allen, Public Member of the Board of Hearing and Speech (Hearing Loss Association – WA provided the following article excerpted from their Spring 2006 issue of their newsletter.) The Board of Hearing and Speech was created by the Washington State Legislature to protect the public. It oversees the licensing of fitter/dispensers, audiologists, and speech-language pathologists. It also investigates complaints, is charged with credentialing and disciplining providers, and it establishes policy. Board members are appointed by the Governor to serve three-year terms. There are ten volunteer members: three public members, two fitter/dispensers, two audiologists, two speech-language pathologists, and one physician. Hearing aids purchased in our state must be bought from either a Washington State licensed audiologist or a licensed fitter/dispenser. Out-of-state sales (including Internet sales) are not permitted. Audiologists dispensing in Washington State must hold a minimum of a Masters Degree from an accredited university, have supervised clinical experience, and pass a national examination. Fitter/dispensers practicing before January 1, 2003, have completed on-the-job-training, an apprenticeship, or some higher academic level preparation. They have also passed a national examination. As of January 1, 2003, all newly-licensed fitter/dispensers must complete a Board approved two-year degree program. Washington is the first state to require a two-year program and Spokane Falls Community College the first school in the state to initiate it. Currently, Bates Technical College in Tacoma has the only other two-year program in our state. You have the right to ethical and professional treatment, regardless of your age, sex, race, color, religion, national origin or disability. In addition, you have the right to a clear written description of the services, fees and billing information. The contract concerning your hearing aid purchase must be in writing and must include such details as serial number, make and model numbers, circuit options, and name and license number of the seller. Costs must be detailed and include charges for testing, cost of the hearing aid and ear mold, and the terms of the sale. A trial period (called a “rescision period”) of at least 30 days is required by law. During this time, you can return your hearing aid for reasonable cause (in its original condition, less normal wear and tear) for refund. The provider has a legal right to keep 15 percent of the original purchase price, or $150 per hearing aid—whichever is less. If you return the hearing aid for repair during this period, the repair days are not counted in this trial period. Not all providers deduct the allowed fee. The ones who do may opt to apply it towards another hearing aid, as long as you purchase it from them. If you have a complaint against a provider, contact the Board of Hearing and Speech, not the Attorney General’s Office. Reasons for complaint may include being lied to, financial problems, abuse, negligence, and treating you while the provider is under the influence of alcohol or drugs. For more information see the Board of Health web page: https://wws2.wa.gov/doh/hpqa-licensing/hps7/Hearing_Speech/default.htm. It includes a Consumer Rights brochure, a list of current Board members, and information on how to file a complaint. You may also call 360-236-4700 or FAX 360-236-4818. DSHS/ODHH Advisory Committee on Deafness DSHS/ODHH Advisory Committee on Deafness meetings will be held at the Red Lion Hotel at Sea Tac, from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 30, 2006. Meeting Location: Red Lions at Sea-Tac 18220 International Boulevard Seattle, Washington 98188 (800) 325-4000 Reservations or (206) 246-5535 Direct to Hotel Directions: I-5 Northbound toward Seattle, Take the Military Rd. exit- EXIT 151- toward S. 200th St., Turn LEFT onto Military Rd. S., Turn LEFT onto S 200th St., Turn RIGHT onto International Blvd / Pacific Hwy S / WA-99 N., End at 18220 International Blvd, Seatac, WA 98188-4207 I-5 Southbound toward Seattle, Take the S. 188th St. exit- EXIT 152- toward Orillia Rd., Take the S 188th Street ramp, Turn RIGHT onto S 188th St., Turn RIGHT onto International Blvd / Pacific Hwy S / WA-99 N., End at 18220 International Blvd, Seatac, WA 98188-4207 Accommodations: This meeting location is accessible. Sign language interpreter services, assistive listening systems, computer assisted real-time (CART) captioning will be provided. Requests for deaf-blind interpreting and published materials in alternative format must be submitted to Rena Patch patchrr@dshs.wa.gov or 360-902-7564 (Voice/TTY) at least three weeks before the meeting date. Note: Please limit your use of fragrances as an accommodation. Parking: Advisory Committee members and visitors attending the meeting will not be charged for parking. Please contact Rena Patch if you have questions. 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, SHS Program Manager pecksc@dshs.wa.gov Kelly Robison, TED Program Manager robiskd@dshs.wa.gov Colleen Rozmaryn, ACT Program Manager rozmaic@dshs.wa.gov