Gracias VRS is Back!
December 01, 2011
You know it! The one-and-only amazing super-duper interpreting cast and crew are back in town to provide the best video relay services around to you are yours every day all day 24/7 anytime you need them!
Find out more on the GVRS website today!
MTV’s Next Reality Star: University for the Deaf!
November 21, 2011
One of our team members told us about Silent Campus that will be airing soon and we really hope mtvU keeps it interesting, entertaining, and positive. This is great publicity for a great university and a great community.
MTV’s college channel, mtvU, which has taken its cameras and microphones into lectures, concerts and protests at schools across the country, will next attempt to capture university life of an entirely different nature: a campus where nearly all students are deaf.
On Monday, the cable network will formally announce the debut of a
short-form series, "Quiet Campus," that will follow four students at Gallaudet University, the four-year school for the deaf and hard of hearing in Washington, D.C.
National Bullying Prevention Month
October 27, 2011
It’s National Bullying Prevention Month,
For any interpreter who works with children, or has children of their
own, this is a very telling article for the month.
It's National Bullying Prevention Month, and until really recently, I was feeling pretty smug that my kids — ages 4, 6 and 8 — had largely escaped either being a bully or being bullied.
To be a bully, it seemed you had to torment your peers. To be bullied, it seemed you had to be the tormented. But what I've learned is that the definitions are not always so clear-cut. Moreover, they're almost beside the point: if a kid — or his mom — feels like another child is being mean for the sake of being mean, it's time to pay attention.
A few weeks ago, my son, a third-grader, came home complaining about the boy who sat next to him in class. They'd been paired to work on a project, and the boy had yelled at him, my son said.
“Really?” I said, surprised. “In the middle of class?”
Yes, insisted my son. They'd disagreed, and the boy delivered a verbal dressing-down, very loudly. My son was mortified.
He'd told his classmate not to yell at him. Or so he said. Although he has no problem telling his squabbling sisters where to get off, he turns meek when it comes to speaking up for himself outside his family circle. And aren't meek kids a bully's prey of choice?
MORE: What You Need to Know About Bullying
In many school districts across the country, children learn from kindergarten onward about standing up to bullies. In my children's schools in Seattle, there are anti-bullying posters on the walls and anti-bullying speakers who address the kids in schoolwide assemblies. Mothers tote their babies into classrooms as part of a campaign to instill empathy in schoolchildren. Kids bring home brochures in their backpacks.
Traditionally, bullying evokes images of a hulking kid roughing up a beanpole in the boys' bathroom. It seems insidious and obvious, like you'd know it when you see it.
Was my son being bullied or was I being a reactionary Mama Bear? I wasn't sure.
I delivered an impromptu pep talk about the importance of being assertive and not letting others treat you badly. Then I promptly forgot all about it.
Until the next week, when he shared that this same boy had humiliated him in the school-bus queue, throwing this barb: You're the worst tablemate in the whole world. It would almost have been laughable had I not heard the hurt in my son's voice.
Was this bullying? It had happened twice, so there was repetition, which is a critical element of bullying.
Megan Moreno, an assistant professor of pediatrics at University of Wisconsin-Madison and author of a recent “Advice for Patients” column about school bullying published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, says the definition of bullying has evolved.
“In the old days, bullying was getting pushed around on the playground,” she says. “Now we've realized that both verbal and physical abuse have consequences.
“The thing about it,” acknowledges Moreno, “is it's still hard on a day-to-day basis when it's your kid to know what counts.”
She recommends coaching beleaguered children to say something as simple and direct as, Hey, you need to stop it. Resist the temptation as a parent to fling yourself
into the conflict; many times, children can resolve the problem on their own. If they can't, of course, it's appropriate to loop in teachers or other adults.
MORE: Why Kids Bully
Earlier this month, TIME put together a mongo package on bullying. In one piece, about re-thinking anti-bullying strategies, I found a clue that seemed to offer a realistic window into my son's experience:
… An emerging area of psychological study is looking at the formation of enemies —
the adversarial and antipathetic relationships that are prevalent in classrooms (and, most likely, in the faculty lounge too) ... The problem is that without a clear definition of what constitutes bullying, children who exhibit any type of unfriendly, negative or
exclusionary behavior are punished as bullies ...
"It's easy to take it a step further to think of dislike and bullying as the same, but they're not the same," says Melissa Witkow, an assistant professor of psychology at Willamette University and author of a landmark study that found an association
between mutual antipathies and a higher level of social development. "As adults, there are people we don't like, but we're not beating them up. We're not harassing them. A lot of adults think that kids should only have positive relationships, but that's not possible."
According to Witkow's interpretation, my son had merely had a couple run-ins with a kid who just didn't like him (this, despite my boy's reigning stature as the 2010-11 winner of his grade's “humanitarian award”). Suck it up, Mom, Witkow seemed to say, and move on.
So I did. But not without first chatting with the boy's mother — actually my husband did that, with far more finesse and studied casualness than I could have mustered — and again reinforcing to my son the importance of standing up for himself.
Without a word from me, his teacher also helped smooth things over, switching up the assigned seating. My son's now got three new seatmates. As far as I know, they haven't proclaimed him the best tablemate in the world — he's got a tendency to be kind of messy — but neither have they dubbed him the worst.
Bonnie Rochman is a reporter at TIME. Find her on Twitter at @brochman. You can also continue the discussion on TIME's Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME.
Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2011/10/13/is-my-kid-being-bullied-how-to-tell/
Loss of a Great Innovator
October 06, 2011
Our sympathy to Apple Company family for the loss of the most visionary CEO in our history.
You no doubt feel the loss, and we all do too, of an innovator as Mr. Steve Jobs. He has connected the world.
So much of what our company sees as the future to connect our hearing and deaf community is based on the amazing capabilities the Apple products and the team that supports the product and customers provide.
Mr. Jobs has impacted us all forevermore. Not only for the technology that changed the entire global system, but with his vision of life.
In all ways, Steve Jobs pioneer spirit is with us always and his essence lives on....
Angela Roth
President CEO
ASL Services Inv
ASL Services Latino Inc..
Deaf Spotlight: Jason Hurdich
June 15, 2011
Key Contractor with ASL Services Takes Home Award with Vcom3D, Inc. Team
Attending the 2010 National Center for Technology Innovation (NCTI) National Conference in Washington D.C. was Jason Hurdich. Mr. Hurdich and his Vcom3D team won the
Brightest Idea Award, voted on by peers and experts in their field at the Conference’s Tech Exposition, a showcase of emerging and exciting technologies and research (http://www.nationaltechcenter.org/index.php/conf10-tech-expo/).
Mr. Hurdich is a valued contractor with ASL Services, Inc. and Team Leader of Sign Language Projects for Vcom3D, Inc., a local research firm located in Orlando, FL. According to Mr. Hurdich, “Vcom3D's goal has always been to deliver the most realistic and expressive virtual human technology to their wide spectrum of clients.” Proving this at the NCTI Conference, he led the Vcom3D team in demonstrating their research project, "How the Signing Math and Science Dictionaries Support Deaf/Hard of Hearing Learners," utilizing signing 3-D avatars (see demos at: http://www.youtube.com/vcom3d#p/a/u/0/dpj5lWLujZs and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbWf79mRoTk).
Jason Hurdich, a deaf and native ASL signer, currently works with ASL Services, Inc. as the Interns’ Logistics Coordinator, utilizing tools to support emerging interpreters, as an Interpreter Evaluator, and as a Deaf Interpreter for community requests. He also manages the research partnerships between Vcom3D and several universities, including Gallaudet University. In addition to this, Mr. Hurdich represents Florida Association of the Deaf (FAD) for the Florida Coordinating Council of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (FCCDHH) Legal Accessibility Task Force.
Mr. Hurdich has taught American Sign Language and ASL/English at major colleges and universities for the past 18 years. He currently teaches at the University of Central Florida (UCF) and Valencia Community College as well as coordinates and coaches the UCF ASL Team that performs the national anthem at every Orlando Magic home game. In his spare time, when he actually has it, Jason enjoys spending time with his family and catching some good sports games.
Silent communication: Sign-talkers share vanishing language
August 23, 2010
We found this great story article on http://www.ravallirepublic.com written by Donna Healy and wanted to share it with you.
Loretha (Rising Sun) Grinsell is fluent in a language few people understand, a language without spoken words.
Grinsell, who is deaf, grew up on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation using Plains Indian sign language to communicate with her foster grandmother.
She relied exclusively on "hand talk" until she went to school at age 9 and learned the more commonly used American Sign Language.
She uses the Plains Indian signs, interspersed with ASL, to communicate with her cousin, James Wooden Legs, who became deaf from a fever during a bout with spinal meningitis as an infant. Like Grinsell, Wooden Legs learned Plains Indian sign language before he went off to the school.
Today, Grinsell knows about 10 sign-talkers in the Northern Cheyenne Tribe who are fluent and another 20 who can communicate on a basic level using sign language.
Along the Great Plains of North America, stretching from Canada into Mexico, Plains Indian sign language was once the lingua franca, the common language among tribes speaking at least 40 different languages.
To Be the Voice of Those Who Have None
July 23, 2010
by Alsy Acevedo
Originally published in Spanish by El Sentinel on June 11, 2010
Teresita Fonseca lives in silence. She cannot hear or talk because she was born deaf.
But her silence is not synonymous with the lack of communication. Like many other mothers, she is the one that attends PTA meetings and takes the kids to their medical appointments.
When she has something to say, the voice others hear is that of an interpreter.
by Alsy Acevedo
Originally published in Spanish by El Sentinel on June 11, 2010
Teresita Fonseca lives in silence. She cannot hear or talk because she was born deaf.
But her silence is not synonymous with the lack of communication. Like many other mothers, she is the one that attends PTA meetings and takes the kids to their medical appointments.
When she has something to say, the voice others hear is that of an interpreter.
“I come from another country. We don’t have interpreters; I depended on my family,” said Fonseca, who was born and raised in Colombia.
In Central Florida, where she moved to eight years ago, she discovered interpreting services.
“Here, I am me. There [in Colombia], people answered for me. I like the independence I have here much better,” Fonseca declared.
That independence is due to the stipulations in the American with Disabilities Act that came into effect in 1992 to guarantee that a person with any physical limitation have access to establishments of public service. Previous to the ADA only entities that received federal funds had the responsibility to guarantee access to everybody. Now, private businesses are also required to have their services accessible to everyone.
According to the law, for people with hearing disabilities, qualified interpreters, hearing assistance equipment, note takers or written material must be provided.
But many companies and individuals are unaware of the responsibilities and rights this law entitles.
Fonseca did not know about the law until she registered her son in school. “When I signed my son up for school, they brought an interpreter,” recalled 49 year old Fonseca.
But, it did not help much. The interpreter used American Sign Language and she was using a Spanish version.
A Diverse Language
“The variety of the Deaf community is the same as the hearing one,” said Ángela Valcárcel-Roth, president of American Sign Language Services, an interpreting agency with headquarters in Kissimmee.
The company was founded in 1992 and specializes in multilingual interpretation. It means that their interpreters master English and Spanish as well as sign languages in those two languages, with its variants.
For example, at a doctor’s appointment the doctor might be speaking English but the interpretation in sign language is to the Spanish used in Mexico. It is just as the spoken language, signs have different languages, which also have regionalisms.
“You can hear the different accents when people talk; it is the same thing with signs, we have different expressions depending on the country,” said Fonseca, who learned Colombian sign language in her home country. She learned American Sign Language when she moved to the United States. With her husband, who is also Colombian and Deaf, she speaks both. “We speak a mix, like Spanglish in sign language,” Fonseca joked with a smile.
Valcárcel-Roth decided to start a company that provides services in Spanish after noticing the isolation of the Hispanic Deaf and hard of hearing community in the United States.
“Many times they are ashamed that they can’t hear. This is more common within the Hispanic community because they don’t know their options to access,” Valcárcel-Roth said.
Interpreters are not only for doctors or court appointments; theme parks, cruises, and even theaters can provide interpreters. “We interpreted a performance of the musical In the Heights when they came to Orlando” said Valcárcel-Roth as an example. Besides having an interpreter physically onsite at the place where interpreting is needed, there is also the option of video remote or video relay interpreting.
In the first option, both persons that need to communicate are together and use an interpreter through the computer, or similar equipment.
In the second option, the Deaf or hard of hearing person calls the interpreter using a video phone and places a call to any phone number. Then the interpreter uses his or her voice to relay what the Deaf person is saying in sign language.
"Those calls are paid for by the FCC so that any deaf person can have access," Valcárcel-Roth stated.
Not all service providers are familiarized with the ADA or with the different kind of services available. “I had a doctor for 4 years that refused to provide me with an interpreter”, recalled Fonseca. “I had to make a complaint and he kicked me out as a patient”. Now she has a doctor that she describes as fabulous, that provides interpreter. Fonseca, who has used both Hispanic and Anglo interpreters, says she feels better with the former because they understand her culture.
The job of the interpreters is to be the voice of those who have none. That is why they have to distance themselves from what they are saying.
For 13 years, Annette Rodríguez has been doing simultaneous translations for medical appointments, legal procedures, and community events. She has been the voice of couples that promise eternal love at the altar, of people saying farewell to a loved one in the cemetery and to mothers in the delivery room. None of that intimidates her.
“The hardest part of my job is not to interfere when I see the lack of education of people saying they don’t have to provide interpreters when the law requires so,” Rodríguez said.
You can contact Alsy Acevedo at aacevedo@orlandosentinel.com or 407-540-4004.
More information
To learn more about interpreting services for the Hispanic community in Central Florida visit www.aslservices.com or 1-888-744-6275.
For subtitles / caption services visit www.dicapta.com or 407-389-0712
Get general information at www.nchdhh.org.
orlandosentinel.com/elsentinel/orl-es-comunidad06122010,0,5026747.story
Disney interpreters assigned to help deaf visitors
July 07, 2010
Everett Rowlett never knew why people were laughing the first three times he rode Disneyland’s Jungle Cruise.
But the Disney employee finally got the jokes when he recently rode with a sign language interpreter for the first time.
“This one was exciting and fun,” said Rowlett, a Disney maintenance and repair worker for 28 years, through a sign-language interpreter.
Rowlett and a Disney interpreter recently demonstrated how a new sign-language service works at the Disneyland Resort.
The Resort recently assigned sign-language interpreters to regular shifts at eight locations at the two parks. Visitors can pick up schedules to see when the interpreters are available, roughly every two hours per location on most days. Previously, visitors would have to request interpreters, who were provided for special occasions on a case-by-case basis.
See a previous story and the locations of the new sign-language services here.
New Sign Language Intrepretation Service at Disneyland Resort
June 20, 2010
From the Disney Parks Blog comes this news:
At Disneyland Resort we’re always looking at ways to make every guest’s experience as magical as possible. This week we began offering regularly scheduled sign language interpretation at many shows and attractions at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure parks. Guests have access to a schedule of offerings that are interpreted without having to make prior arrangements.
DCMP Celebrates Deaf History Month
April 15, 2010
To mark this year’s observation, the Described and Captioned Media Program has put together a comprehensive resource at http://dcmp.org/deafhistory featuring its many deaf history–related resources, both those that are available to registered DCMP members via our free-loan service and those that are available to everyone from the DCMP website or YouTube channel.
You can read more on their website here.
IRS Videos in ASL Available on YouTube
January 24, 2010
With tax season in full swing, did you know that deaf and hard of hearing consumers can find answers to their tax questions directly from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in American Sign Language (ASL)?
The IRS has built a YouTube channel complete with a series of ASL videos-that are also voiced and captioned-on a myriad of tax topics, including e-File and Direct Deposit, Free File and Fillable Forms, Education Tax Credits, Unemployment Compensation and Home Energy Credits. ASL videos on many more important subjects for taxpayers will be added as they become available.
Just go to the IRS YouTube channel here to see ASL videos that will help you complete your taxes this year. You can post and share these videos through your websites, vlogs or other social network venues. Click on the subscriptions button at the top of the YouTube page and you can find out right away when future videos become available.
http://www.youtube.com/user/IRSvideosASL
A wide range of helpful IRS videos in ASL, voice and captions are available on the IRS YouTube channel.
Discover Interpreting
April 20, 2009
Check out this website: http://www.discoverinterpreting.com
This website has been created by the National Consortium of Interpreter Education Centers to provide information about interpreting as a career.
The Regional Interpreter Education Center at Northeastern University has led the work on the Discover Interpreting initiative, working closely with Consortium members at Gallaudet University Regional Interpreter Education Center and Western Region Interpreter Education Center at Western Oregon University and El Camino Community College.
Please share this with others, especially those who would want to learn more about a possible career in interpreting.
NAD Applauds FCC Action on Closed Captioning Rules
December 14, 2008
By advocacy | December 1, 2008
On November 7, 2008, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a ruling, order, and notice of proposed rulemaking on several closed captioning issues. The NAD applauds the FCC for taking this action. We are pleased that the FCC provided clarification about how the closed captioning rules apply to the transition to digital television (DTV), which will be completed on February 17, 2009.
The FCC is also changing the closed captioning rules to provide a more efficient process for consumers to contact television programmers and distributors about closed caption problems and to file complaints. In addition, the FCC has requested and the NAD looks forward to providing comments about how the closed captioning rules should apply to digital broadcasters that “multicast.”
The NAD also thanks the deaf and hard of hearing community for your support, advocacy action, and persistence. The NAD especially thanks everyone who wrote to the FCC about closed captioning. Some of the individuals who wrote to the FCC about closed captioning are identified in the FCC’s order: Jimmy Beldon; C.M. Boryslawskyj; Margaret Bishop; Ed Bosson; Dave Branfield; George Breden; Ron and Joyanne Burdett; Jack Cassell; Marie Desrosiers; Sarah Dixon; Brenda Estes; Anatoliy Feygin; Joshua Finkle; Anatoliy Feygin; Claudia Foy; Peggy Hlibok; Tawny Holmes; Malisa Janes; Marshall Lawrence; Mary Lou Mayfield; Kim Mihan; Philip Moos; Dana Mulvany; David Nelson; Pauline Newton; Andrea Panella; Reyes Preciado; Ricky Schoenberg; Louis Schwarz; Wayne Scott; Rebecca Sneidman; Charley Tiggs; Ronald Vickery; Judith Viera; and Dave Volz.
BACKGROUND
The FCC rules require 100% of all new, non-exempt, English language television video programming to be closed captioned. In July 2004, the NAD, along with other consumer advocacy groups (TDI, HLAA, ALDA, and DHHCAN) filed a petition asking the FCC to improve the closed captioning rules. In July 2005, the FCC issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to examine the closed captioning rules. More than 1,600 comments about closed captioning were filed with the FCC, mostly by individual consumers.
Here is a summary of the FCC ruling, order, and notice of proposed rulemaking, released November 7, 2008, which addresses some of our closed captioning issues and concerns. The complete FCC ruling, order, and notice of proposed rulemaking is available at http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-08-255A1.pdf.
The NAD, other consumer groups, and individual consumers continue to advocate for improved closed captioning rules; additional monitoring, reporting, and enforcement mechanisms; establishing captioning quality standards; and resolution of old and new closed captioning issues and concerns. For example, we continue to advocate for the establishment of a working group of industry and consumer representatives to address digital closed captioning issues and concerns.
SUMMARY
Ruling and Order
New network exemption: FCC rules allow new networks to be excused from the FCC’s closed captioning requirements for the first four years. The FCC clarifies that networks changing from old analog technology to new digital technology do not qualify for this four-year exemption.
Captioning digital channels: The FCC also clarifies that the closed captioning rules apply the same when a channel using old analog technology changes to new digital technology. Broadcasters that change from old analog technology to new digital technology must continue to provide captioning in accordance with the closed captioning rules as if there had been no change. In addition, broadcasters that transmit the same programming in two formats – one using old analog technology and the other using new digital technology (called “simulcasting”) – must caption both the analog channel and the digital channel the same.
Continue to provide analog captioning: Today, there are two types of captioning. Old analog captions (called CEA-608 captions) display only white text on a black background. New digital captions (called CEA-708 captions) allow viewers to change the size, color, font, and other features of the captions. After the DTV transition on February 17, 2009, many people will continue to use their old analog TV sets with converter boxes to watch free, over-the-air television programs. For old analog TV sets to continue to decode and display analog captions, broadcasters must continue transmitting analog (CEA-608) captions. Broadcasters must also begin captioning in the digital format for viewers who have digital equipment that can decode and display digital (CEA-708) captions.
Pass through captions: When digital networks qualify for an exemption from the FCC’s captioning rules, they must still pass through captions when they broadcast programs that already have captions.
Ensure equipment transmits captions: The FCC reminds “multichannel video programming distributors,” such as cable and satellite television companies, to make sure the equipment they give to their customers (for example, cable set-top boxes) transmits all available captions to the television set, for both analog and digital formatted programs. Captions must be delivered in a way that can be displayed by television caption decoders.
Contact information: The FCC is requiring video programming distributors to provide two types of contact information for reporting closed captioning problems. First, video programming distributors must provide contact information for reporting and handling closed captioning problems quickly. For example, when the captions suddenly disappear while you are watching a television program and you want the station to get the captions turned back on quickly. Second, video programming distributors must provide contact information for filing written closed captioning complaints. For example, when a program has no captions and you believe the program should have captions.
New complaint procedures: The FCC is changing the closed captioning rules to provide a more efficient complaint process. In the past, consumers were required to file closed captioning complaints with the video programming distributor. The new rule permits filing closed captioning complaints directly with the FCC. Consumers must file a closed captioning complaint within 60 days of the captioning problem. Complaints can be filed by e-mail, fax, letter, or by completing FCC Form 2000-C, available online at http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm.
Effective date: The FCC ruling and order must be published in the Federal Register. Publication in the Federal Register is expected soon. The FCC ruling and order will be effective 30 days after publication in the Federal Register. The NAD will provide details about the new rules when they become effective.
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
With old analog over-the-air broadcasting, broadcasters provide programming on a single channel. With new digital over-the-air broadcasting, broadcasters may provide several streams of programming, known as “multicasting.” To see these new digital over-the-air signals, you need a digital television (or an old analog television with a DTV converter box) and “rabbit ears” or a rooftop antenna. The “main” digital stream is designated by a “channel” number and “-1.” Multicast streams are designated by the same “channel” number and “-2,” “-3,” etc. For example, in the Washington DC area, WRC Channel 4 broadcasts several digital over-the-air programming streams:
main . . . . . . 4-1 . . . . NBC network and local programming
multicast . . . 4-2 . . . . Weather Plus programming
multicast . . . 4-3 . . . . Universal Sports Channel programming
The FCC is now seeking comments about how the closed captioning rules apply to digital multicast programming. For example, under the FCC’s current rules, video programming providers are not required to spend any money to caption any channel that produces less than $3,000,000 gross revenue per year. The FCC did not define what a “channel” means for receiving this exemption. Now, the FCC wants to know whether and how this exemption should apply to digital multicast streams.
Comment due date: The FCC notice of proposed rulemaking must be published in the Federal Register. Publication in the Federal Register is expected soon. Comments are due 30 days after publication in the Federal Register.
Legal Rights: Public Facilities
December 14, 2008
http://www.nad.org/publicfacilities
Many places and types of businesses fall under the category of “public accommodation.” In dealing with any of these places or businesses, deaf and hard of hearing people have the right to equal access, participation, and communication. No matter how big or small the place or business, it is up to the “public accommodation” to provide auxiliary aids for deaf and hard of hearing people.
The NAD has put together informational pages on the rights of deaf and hard of hearing people dealing with the broad range of “public accommodations,” including pages on the obligations of hotels, lawyers, and private travel services. You also can find a Model ADA Policy for deaf and hard of hearing people at trade shows, exhibitions, employment fairs, and similar marketing events. ________________________________________
Related News
• NAD Files Complaint against Bank of America for Refusing to Open an Account for Deaf Man
Legal Rights
• Public Facilities Main Page
• ADA Title III
• Hotels and Motels
• Legal Services
• Trade Shows
________________________________________
The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) Law and Advocacy Center prepared this material as informal guidance. This is not legal advice. The NAD assumes no liability for this material.
For additional information or technical assistance about how laws against disability discrimination apply to you, contact the NAD Law and Advocacy Center, 301-587-7730 Voice/TTY, 301-587-0234 FAX, www.nad.org/contactus; a local attorney (for more information, see Get a Lawyer); or an enforcement agency (see list at www.ada.gov or call 800-514-0301 Voice or 800-514-0383 TTY).
NAD Partners with IRS
December 14, 2008
Four New ASL PSAs on the Economic Stimulus Payment
www.nad.org/NADPartnerswithIRS
The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) is partnering with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to make sure important information reaches the deaf community.
Last spring, the IRS produced three public service announcement videos, “Economic Stimulus Payment Basics,” in American Sign Language (ASL) which are now in open captions and voice over instead of transcripts.
Now the IRS has produced four new public service announcement videos and a short 1040-A instructional video in ASL with open captions and voice over.
“We are delighted to bring you these new video clips”, said Nancy J. Bloch, NAD Chief Executive Officer. We are so pleased that the IRS has produced four more announcements in ASL with captions and voice over so that this important information is accessible to deaf and hard of hearing Americans.”
View the Economic Stimulus Payment Video Clips (seven clips, American Sign Language)
Time Extension and Assistance
Instructions on how to Prepare Form 1040-A
Social Security Benefits
How to Reach IRS with Questions?
General
Tax Payers Who Normally Don't File
Rebate Scams
Information about the Economic Stimulus Package can be found at:
http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=177937,00.html
NAD Advocates for Accessible Air Travel
November 11, 2008
Have you ever missed a flight because there was a gate change and no visual information was provided? Have you sat at a gate for hours wondering why your plane hasn’t boarded yet, because the only announcements made were over the loudspeaker? Have you landed in an unexpected location because your flight was diverted, and the announcement made was not accessible? Many deaf consumers have experienced these problems.
Victory! NAD Makes Touchdown in Groundbreaking Redskins Case
November 11, 2008
In an opinion issued on September 30, 2008, a federal district court in Maryland held that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires the Washington Redskins “to provide deaf and hard of hearing fans equal access to the aural information broadcast over the stadium bowl public address system at FedExField, which includes music with lyrics, play information, advertisements, referee calls, safety/emergency information, and other announcements.”
Read more on their website: http://www.nad.org/GroundbreakingRedskinsCase
NAD Partners with the IRS to Share Important Information
October 31, 2008
Silver Spring, MD -- The National Association of the Deaf (NAD)
announced that it has partnered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to make sure important information reaches the deaf community. The IRS produced three pilot videos, "Economic Stimulus Payment Basics", in American Sign Language (ASL) along with an English transcript of the content. These pilot videos are available on the NAD website.
"This is the first time that the IRS has produced Public Service
Announcement (PSA) videos in ASL with an English transcript," said Nancy
J. Bloch, NAD Chief Executive Officer" "We are delighted to bring you
these video clips.
View the Video Clips
Economic Stimulus Payment Basics (three 30 sec clips) American Sign
Language with English transcripts. (http://blogs.nad.org/advocacy/esp/)
Information about the Economic Stimulus Package can be found at:
http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=177937,00.html
---
About the NAD
The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) was established in 1880 by
deaf leaders who believed in the right of the American deaf community to
use sign language, to congregate on issues important to them, and to
have its interests represented at the national level. These beliefs
remain true to this day, with American Sign Language as a core value. As
a nonprofit federation, the mission of the NAD is to preserve, protect,
and promote the civil, human, and linguistic rights of deaf Americans.
The advocacy scope of the NAD is broad, covering the breadth of a
lifetime and impacting future generations in the areas of early
intervention, education, employment, health care, technology,
telecommunications, youth leadership, and more. For more information,
please visit www.nad.org.
Gallaudet University's Extension Programs
August 22, 2008
Course offerings can be found at their Official Website for Gallaudet University's Extension Programs.
NAD Mourns the Loss of Frank G. Bowe
August 30, 2007
A News Release from the National Association of the Deaf Release Date:
August 30, 2007
Silver Spring, MD: Frank G. Bowe, Ph.D, LL.D, a long-time member and
supporter of the National Association of the Deaf (NAD), died on August
21, 2007.
He served as a Government Affairs consultant to NAD during the past
several years, in addition to his full time work as a professor of
counseling, research, special education and rehabilitation (CRSR) in
Hofstra University's School of Education and Allied Human Services.
Prior to serving as consultant to the NAD, he provided his expertise and
support quietly behind the scenes and opened doors on Capitol Hill,
providing opportunity for the NAD to share its message with our
country's leaders.
Frank served on the faculty at Hofstra University since 1989 and held
the Dr. Mervin Livingston Schloss Distinguished Professorship for the
Study of Disabilities. In 2005, 2006 and during the spring of 2007, he
served as acting chair of Hofstra's CRSR Department. Also in 2005 and
2006, Frank gave invited testimony before the U.S. House of
Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce and conducted U.S
Congressional demonstrations of high-speed broadband communications.
"A true giant is gone, but he paved the way for many generations to
come. Frank Bowe's commitment to accessibility and 'leveling the playing
field'; his wit and humor; and his uncanny ability to encourage others
to action are important elements of his legacy," said Nancy J. Bloch,
NAD Chief Executive Officer. "The American deaf community and disabled
Americans are the beneficiaries of his passion."
An accomplished leader in the disability rights movement, Frank was the
first executive director of the first national cross-disability consumer
advocacy organization, the American Coalition of Citizens with
Disabilities (ACCD). He conceived the nationwide protest that led to
issuance of landmark regulations for Section 504 in 1977. In 1980,
Frank was the first person with a disability to represent any nation in
the planning of the United Nations (UN) International Year of Disabled
Persons. In the mid-1980s, he chaired the U.S. Congress Commission on
Education of the Deaf (COED), which made 52 recommendations for
improving education and rehabilitation. He was director of Research for
the U.S. Architectural and Transportation Compliance Board ("Access
Board") from 1984-1987 and then regional commissioner for the U.S.
Department of Education's Rehabilitation Services Administration from
1987-1989.
"As a champion of access, Frank Bowe is legend. His broad knowledge base
and his wise counsel over the years guided us in many areas," said
Rosaline Crawford, Director of the NAD Law and Advocacy Center. "Frank
was in the 'Washington beltway information loop' and, as consultant to
the NAD, he kept us current on all fronts, noting areas that needed
attention and places we needed to be, and providing us with the
background and expertise we needed to move forward."
Frank's textbooks, including Making Inclusion Work (Prentice Hall) and
Early Childhood Special Education (Thomson Delmar Learning), are in use
at colleges and universities around the country and in several other
nations. He authored other books, including Handicapping America
(Harper & Row) and Universal Design in Education (Greenwood Publishing),
hundreds of articles in professional journals in public policy, special
education, rehabilitation, and technology, and prepared NAD technical
reports, provided consultation on NAD legislative and regulatory
comments.
Frank earned his doctorate at New York University, his master's degree
at Gallaudet University, and bachelor's degree at Western Maryland
College. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws by Gallaudet
University. He was selected as an Outstanding Scholar of the 20th
Century and received a Distinguished Service Award from President George
H.W. Bush in 1992.
The American deaf community is invited to share their tributes and
memories at: www.nad.org/HonoringFrankBowe
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About the NAD
The National Association of the Deaf (NAD), founded in 1880, safeguards
the civil rights of deaf and hard of hearing Americans. As a national
federation of individual members, state associations, organizational and
corporate affiliates, the advocacy work of the NAD encompasses a broad
spectrum of areas including, but not limited to, accessibility,
education, employment, healthcare, mental health, rehabilitation,
technology, telecommunications, and transportation. The NAD website
(http://www.nad.org) has a wealth of advocacy information and resources.
ASL Video Clips on CDC
August 30, 2007
Just wanted you to know that the ASL video clips are up on the CDC webpage!! You can view them HERE. If you look at the chart of Public Service Announcements, you will see those that have ASL video clips (there will be a check mark in the ASL column). Please share with your constituents and encourage them to fill in the feedback form that accompanies all the video clips so that we can get a sense of what the viewers think.
DeafTax
March 20, 2007
Schwarz Financial Services LLC has created a new
website - www.deaftax.com to meet the tax return preparation needs of the deaf community.
NAD Announces Upcoming Distribution of Multi-Point Video Conferencing
January 08, 2007
A News Release from the National Association of the Deaf
October 29, 2007
Silver Spring, MD - The National Association of the Deaf (NAD)
announced that they will be the main distributor of VideoSign 3.0, an
innovative multi-point video conferencing software product. The software
will help connect and engage multiple deaf people in video conversations
at absolutely no cost to the user. VideoSign 3.0 is slated for release
early in 2008.
"Finally, we can look forward to using our personal computers and
webcams to engage in video conversations with more than one person at a
time; up to eight people simultaneously," said Bobbie Beth Scoggins, NAD
President. "With VideoSign 3.0, deaf people will be able to engage in
video chats with each other, and include hearing persons and video
interpreters as well. For so many of us who cannot travel for
face-to-face group meetings, the costs savings alone is incredibly
exciting."
Distribution of VideoSign 3.0 will be handled mainly by NAD for six
months after the initial launch, exclusively for the first two months.
Powered by Hands On VRS, this videoconferencing software, which includes
features like AOL Instant Messaging and a missed call directory, will be
available for free download. The NAD welcomes opportunities for
distribution of cutting-edge products offered by other providers;
distribution of such products by the NAD does not constitute an
endorsement.
"Hands On VRS has a long history of providing deaf and hard of hearing
organizations with means of self-empowerment through the use of
innovative communication technologies," said Ron Obray, chief executive
officer and founder of Hands On VRS. "Hands On is thrilled to join
hands with the National Association of the Deaf. This joint effort will
serve as a major resource in our mission to help break down barriers for
the deaf and hard of hearing community through innovative technologies."
State associations and non-profit organizations interested in
distributing VideoSign 3.0 to their members or constituencies should
contact the NAD for details, starting November 1, 2007.
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About National Association of the Deaf (NAD)
Established in 1880, the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) is the
nation's oldest and largest consumer-based national advocacy
organization safeguarding the civil and accessibility rights of deaf and
hard of hearing people in the United States of America.
Advocacy, policy, and legislative issues addressed by the NAD cover a
broad range of areas, including education, employment, health care,
human services, rehabilitation, telecommunications, and transportation.
More information is available at www.nad.org
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About Hands On Video Relay Services, Inc.
Hands On is a recognized leader in Video Relay Services throughout the
country. The company is the second largest VRS provider in the nation.
Hands On VRS has been serving the needs of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
community since 1992 the company is committed to removing communication
barriers for Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals while providing
quality services they can rely on. More information is available at
www.hovrs.com
Open Letter to the Gallaudet University Board of Trustees, Administration, Campus and External Community on the Gallaudet Presidential Announcement
June 10, 2006
http://www.nad.org/GallaudetOpenLetter3
Posted May 3, 2006
On Monday May 1, 2006, the Gallaudet University Board of Trustees Interim Chair Celia May Baldwin announced its selection of Provost Jane K. Fernandes as its 9th president. The announcement quoted Baldwin as saying: “Jane has a deep understanding of how this university works, having served in senior leadership positions here for more than a decade.
On Monday May 1, 2006, the Gallaudet University Board of Trustees Interim Chair Celia May Baldwin announced its selection of Provost Jane K. Fernandes as its 9th president. The announcement quoted Baldwin as saying: “Jane has a deep understanding of how this university works, having served in senior leadership positions here for more than a decade.” That same afternoon, Gallaudet students protested the decision. Faculty and staff concerns are also surfacing. The NAD has all along been communicating with students, faculty, staff, and alumni – and others having a vested interest in Gallaudet University. We stand with these concerned stakeholders, who sincerely believe that they are not being respected nor heard.
Last October, the NAD Board of Directors wrote an Open Letter to the Gallaudet Board of Trustees. In that letter, the NAD Board noted the long-standing and positive relationship between the NAD and Gallaudet. The letter continued by articulating priorities and principles important to the NAD. Among those were that Gallaudet’s next president be an individual who can sustain Gallaudet’s historic role as a “beacon of hope for all deaf citizens in the world” and who has “a deep understanding of the challenges faced by deaf people every day in this country and worldwide”. The Open Letter added that “the next president must also be a visionary in promoting academic excellence, as well as committed to diversity in hiring and promoting qualified deaf administrators, faculty, and staff members”.
The NAD also brought together, in a December 2005 a round table with four individuals who represent different segments of our large and diverse community (see http://www.nad.org/gallaudetroundtable) who expressed their hopes and expectations for Gallaudet.
Last month, the NAD wrote a second Open Letter (see http://www.nad.org/GallaudetOpenletter2). In that communication, which was addressed to the Gallaudet University Search Committee, Board of Trustees, campus community and the larger deaf and hard of hearing community, the NAD noted the fact that all three finalists were deaf individuals with records of distinction. This second letter referenced the role of the NAD in advocating for a deaf president even before and during the historic Deaf President Now events of 18 years ago (http://www.nad.org/NAD-DPN). The NAD urged the Trustees to appoint as the next president, a person “able to unite the community behind a common vision and inspire individuals and groups both on and off campus to reach for a noble cause bigger than any single person or issue.” Further, the NAD urged stakeholders to closely scrutinize each candidate according to the Presidential qualifications and expectations as outlined by the search committee—and to communicate their expectations and views to the committee and the Trustees.
We recognize the tremendous level of unrest this week on and off campus. We believe that current furor is fueled by disconnect between the stated goals of the University and the actions of the administration. Specifically, we are troubled by growing evidence that the final decision by the Board of Trustees may not reflect deeply felt values of students, faculty, alumni, and other community stakeholders – values arising from Gallaudet’s unique place in our community and articulated in our previous open letters, as well as in the Presidential Agenda outlined by the Trustees (see http://pr.gallaudet.edu/presidentalsearch/?ID=8140). Tumultuous and rapidly spreading undercurrents among the students and the campus community also seem to be influenced by ongoing issues related to a lack of diversity within campus, distrust of the current administration, perceived low academic expectations, and poor community morale. Progress is also being restrained by the twin chains of bigotry – audism and racism – which deserve attention and action.
We also recognize the unique role of a University community in promoting freedom of speech, respect for diversity, support for vigorous debate, and tolerance for the exercising of civility in response to dissent and strongly expressed discourse. At this time, discussion is warranted and should be not only tolerated, but encouraged. The current unrest reflects the deeply felt values assigned to Gallaudet by students, faculty, staff, alumni and other community stakeholders, values the NAD and others in the national and worldwide community of deaf and hard of hearing people also hold dear. Gallaudet acknowledged, and expressed commitment to such values in the announcement of the search. There, the University stated that it was eager to identify a president with the abilities to “ensure full access and open communication throughout the University.” The Trustees also set as a qualification the ability to “lead the entire Gallaudet community and its students (K-12 and college level) through times of crisis and challenge.”
Accordingly, the NAD calls upon the Gallaudet University Board of Trustees, President I. King Jordan, and Provost Jane K. Fernandes to take corrective action with courage and wisdom to resolve in a positive manner the growing discord, divisiveness and disconnect on and off campus. Such decisive action would begin the healing process and enable all involved to move forward. The current leadership must move expeditiously to “unite the community behind a common vision and inspire individuals and groups both on and off campus to reach for a noble cause bigger than any single person or issue.”
Members of the NAD and its supporters are deeply concerned that if this crisis is not resolved immediately and decisively by Gallaudet University, there would be increased risk for long term and permanent impact in the areas of recruitment, enrollment and financial giving.
The NAD is determined to stand firm for the cherished values of our community and for the well-being of the world’s only liberal arts university for deaf and hard of hearing people. This is precisely why the NAD stands with Gallaudet students and the entire community in retaining the true greatness of Gallaudet University and the hope it represents to the nation and the world.
Sincerely,
Andrew J. Lange
President
National Association of the Deaf
HOVRS EN ESPAÑOL
March 27, 2006
HANDS ON VIDEO RELAY SERVICES INTRODUCES
“HOVRS EN ESPAÑOL”
Partnership with ASL Services Delivers Spanish-Language Video Relay Service with an Emphasis on the Deaf and Latino Communities
ROCKLIN, CA – March 22, 2006 – Hands On VRS (www.hovrs.com), a leading provider of video relay services, today announced the availability of its newest service, HOVRS en Español. The new service allows a person who communicates using American Sign Language (ASL) to connect to Spanish-speaking friends, family, and co-workers through the video relay services (VRS) offered by Hands On VRS. Hearing Spanish speakers can contact ASL users directly through HOVRS en Español using a toll-free number.
“HOVRS en Español” is being delivered to customers in partnership with ASL Services Inc. (ASLS), one of the nation’s premier sign language interpreting firms and a specialist in addressing the needs of the Spanish-speaking community.
Deaf people can access HOVRS en Español 24-hours-a-day from a web browser, or by using VideoSign 2.5 software on a PC, iChat software on a Mac, or from a videophone. Users simply select the Spanish language option, and are automatically connected to a bi-lingual, an ASLS interpreter who is conversant in American Sign Language (ASL) and Spanish. Hearing Spanish speakers can also contact ASL users directly through a Spanish-only, toll free phone number (877-467-4875). Each method provides smooth communication flow between the Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing signer using ASL and the hearing contact who speaks Spanish.
“Historically, ASL users who needed to communicate with their Spanish-speaking family or friends have been bypassed by the benefits of VRS communication,” said Ronald Obray, president of Hands On VRS. “We created HOVRS en Español to connect these VRS users to Spanish speakers, and to make this the fastest, highest quality connection possible. ASLS’ nearly 15 years of experience in serving both the Deaf and Hispanic communities is critical to making this a reality for our customers.”
Founded in 1992, ASLS’ unique awareness of both the Deaf and Hispanic cultures, combined with its proven expertise in ASL interpreting, have made it the English-Spanish interpreting service of choice for government, university, medical, and entertainment businesses throughout the southeast United States. ASLS is also a leading provider of interpreting services in Puerto Rico through its sister company, ASLS Latino.
“Hands On VRS is a great partner for ASLS because they are as focused on delivering high quality VRS services, as they are in supporting the Deaf, Hearing and interpreting communities in which they operate,” said Angela Roth, president of ASLS. “The ASLS team shares this passion for delivering a quality service responsibly, and we’re pleased that our Spanish-speaking Video Interpreters are a part of this important communication service.” Angela Roth is also the president of Mano a Mano, the national association of interpreters working in Spanish-language influenced communities.
Availability
HOVRS en Español is available now. Spanish-speaking callers can reach ASL users directly by dialing 877-467-4875 and providing the operator with the ASL user’s extension. ASL users can access the service by visiting www.hovrs.com, from a PC or Mac, or from a Videophone by adding espanol.hovrs.tv to the address book.
To see HOVRS en Español in action, visit the HOVRS en Español booth at the DeafNation Expo in Orlando, Florida, on March 18, 2006. The HOVRS booth will also be demonstrating English VRS and other relay options. See the DeafNation web site for details (www.deafnation.com).
About ASLS
ASL Services, Inc., Inc. is an industry leader in providing professional sign language interpreting services throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. ASL Services, Inc. also provides a full range of community, educational and artistic services as well as interpreting for cruises, major theme parks and conventions nationwide. For more information, visit their website at www.aslservices.com.
About Hands On
Hands On is a leader in providing Video Relay Services and community interpreting services. The company has been serving the needs of the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing community since 1992. Hands On is committed to removing communication barriers for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing. For more information, visit www.hovrs.com.
(Para la versión en español).
HANDS ON VIDEO RELAY SERVICES PRESENTA
“HOVRS EN ESPAÑOL”
En asociación con ASL Services, ofrecemos servicios en español de transmisión de Video con énfasis en personas sordas y las comunidades latinas.
ROCKLIN, CA – 15 de marzo, 2006- Hands On VRS (www.hovrs.com), uno de los líderes en servicios de transmisión de video, ahora anuncia la disponibilidad de su más reciente servicio, HOVRS en español. El nuevo servicio le permite a la persona que usa el lenguaje de señas americano (ASL) a comunicarse con sus amigos, familiares y compañeros de trabajo hispanohablantes, a través de los servicios de transmisión por video (VRS) ofrecidos por Hands On VRS. Los hispanohablantes oyentes pueden comunicarse con personas que emplean ASL directamente a través de HOVRS en español usando un número de teléfono gratis.
“HOVRS en español” se está distribuyendo ahora a clientes en asociación con ASL Services Inc. (ASLS), una de las principales compañías a nivel nacional en interpretación del lenguaje de señas y especialista en tratar las necesidades de la comunidad de habla hispana.
Los usuarios sordos pueden tener acceso a HOVRS en español las 24 horas del día con un navegador de red o usando VideoSign 2.5 software en una PC, iChat software en una Mac, o desde un videoteléfono. Los usuarios simplemente seleccionan la opción de español, y se les conecta automáticamente con un intérprete de ASLS que sabe el lenguaje de señas americano (ASL) y el español. Los hispanohablantes oyentes pueden también comunicarse con los usuarios de ASL directamente a través del número de teléfono en español gratis al (877-467-4875). Los dos métodos proveen una comunicación clara y fluida entre la persona sorda o de dificultades auditivas que emplea el lenguaje de señas ASL y la persona oyente que habla español.
“Antes, los usuarios de ASL que necesitaban comunicarse con su familia o amigos que hablaban español no tenían los beneficios de la comunicación de servicio de transmisión de video (VRS),” afirmó Ronald Obray, presidente de Hands On VRS. “Hemos creado HOVRS en español para conectar a estos usuarios de VRS con los hablantes del español, y para hacer que ésta sea la conexión más rápida y de mayor calidad. Los casi 15 años de experiencia de ASLS al servicio tanto de la comunidad latina como de la comunidad sorda son fundamentales para hacer de esto una realidad para nuestros clientes.”
Fundado en 1992, ASLS tiene un conocimiento excepcional tanto de la cultura de los sordos como de las culturas hispanas. Esto, en conjunto con su pericia comprobada en la interpretación del lenguaje de señas americano, lo han hecho el servicio predilecto de interpretación para el gobierno, la universidad, los servicios médicos y los negocios de entretenimientos en todo el sureste de los Estados Unidos. ASLS es también uno de los proveedores líderes de servicios de interpretación en Puerto Rico a través de su compañía hermana, ASLS Latino.
“Hands On VRS es un gran socio para ASLS porque está igual de comprometido con ofrecer servicios de VRS de alta calidad, como con apoyar las comunidades sorda, oyente y de interpretación en que trabaja,” dijo Angela Roth, presidenta de ASLS. “El equipo de ASLS comparte este entusiasmo por ofrecer de manera responsable un servicio de calidad, y estamos muy satisfechos que nuestros intérpretes por videoconferencia en español son una parte de este importante servicio de comunicación.” Angela Roth es también presidenta de Mano a Mano, la asociación nacional de intérpretes que trabajan en las comunidades con influencia del español.
Disponibilidad
HOVRS en español ya está disponible. Los usuarios hispanohablantes pueden comunicarse directamente con los usuarios de ASL marcando el 877-467-4875 y proporcionándole al operador el número de extensión del usuario de ASL. Los usuarios de ASL pueden tener acceso al servicio visitando el sitio de Internet www.hovrs.com, ya sea de una computadora PC o de una Mac, o de un teléfono de video tan sólo poniendo espanol.hovrs.tv en la agenda de teléfono.
Para ver HOVRS en Español en acción, visite el stand de HOVRS en español en la DeafNation Expo en Orlando, Florida, el 18 de marzo, 2006. El stand de HOVRS estará también demostrando VRS en ingles y otras opciones de transmisión. Vea el sitio de Internet de DeafNation para más detalles (www.deafnation.com).
Acerca de ASLS
ASL Services, Inc., es líder en proveer servicios profesionales de interpretación del lenguaje de señas en los Estados Unidos y Puerto Rico. ASL Services, Inc. también provee todo tipo de servicios educativos, artísticos y comunitarios además de servicios de interpretación a nivel nacional para cruceros, para los grandes parques temáticos y para congresos. Para más información visite su página web www.aslservices.com
Acerca de Hands OnHands On es líder en proveer servicios de transmisión por video y servicios de interpretación para la comunidad. La compañía le ha servido a la comunidad sorda y de dificultades auditivas desde 1992. Hands On VRS está comprometida a eliminar las barreras de comunicación para las personas sordas o de dificultades auditivas. Para más información, visite www.hovrs.com.
ICE
December 29, 2005
Some things we don't like to think about but this seems like a good idea
ICE - In Case of Emergency A campaign encouraging people to enter an emergency contact number in their mobile phone's memory under the heading ICE (In Case of Emergency), has rapidly spread throughout the world as a particular Consequence of last week's terrorist attacks in London.
Originally established as a nation-wide campaign in the UK, ICE allows paramedics or police to be able to contact a designated relative / next-of-kin in an emergency situation. The idea is the brainchild of East Anglian Ambulance Service paramedic Bob Brotchie and was launched in May this year. Bob, 41, who has been a paramedic for 13 years, said: "I was reflecting on some of the calls I've attended at the roadside where I Had to look through the mobile phone contacts struggling for information on a shocked or injured person. Almost everyone carries a mobile phone.
Now, and with ICE we'd know immediately who to contact and what number to ring. The person may even know of their medical history." By adopting the ICE advice, your mobile will help the rescue services quickly contact a friend or relative - which could be vital in a life or death situation. It only takes a few seconds to do, and it could easily help save your life. Why not put ICE in your phone now? Simply select a new contact in your phone book, enter the word 'ICE' and the number of the person you wish to be contacted.
Urgent Message to NAD Certified Interpreters
June 30, 2005
Act Quickly to Retain Your Certification Status - Deadline is Fast Approaching!
By Nancy Bloch, NAD Executive Director
A large number of NAD Level III, IV, and V Certified interpreters have already joined NAD and RID under a special arrangement forged by both organizations in 2003. This dual arrangement requires NAD interpreters to maintain annual membership in both organizations and also maintain their certification through active participation in the RID Certification Maintenance Program (CMP) and Ethical Practices System (EPS). In addition, NAD and RID interpreters in good standing are eligible for waiver from the written portion of the new NAD-RID
National Interpreter Certification test being brought to completion this year.
Quick Action Needed
Some NAD interpreters still are not fully aware that time is running out. The NAD certification status of these individuals will expire at 12-midnight on June 30, 2005. This deadline is final; there will be no reinstatements after this date. Individuals with expired certificates will be required to take the new NAD-RID National Interpreter Certification test. NAD interpreters who have not yet joined have had since January 2003 to take advantage of the dual NAD-RID arrangement, which affords membership in good standing and active certification status. The NAD has been working diligently to reach out to those who have moved and left no forwarding address, or have not provided updated contact information. The NAD also needs to know whenever the last names of interpreters have changed, so that central database corrections can be made. If you know someone who has not yet heard about or is unaware of this certification deadline, please help spread the word.
CMP Deadline Extended
By agreement of both organizations, all NAD Certified interpreters now have until December 31, 2008 to earn eight continuing education units (CEUs). One CEU is equivalent to ten hours. This is the first CMP deadline required for maintenance of NAD certification in good
standing. Thereafter, the standard four-year CMP cycle for completion
of eight CEUs shall be applicable.
Joining is Easy
To take advantage of dual certified membership, go to www.rid.org and select the printable membership application form in PDF format. On it you will see "NAD Certified" membership category for NAD interpreters (includes dual membership in both organizations, with benefits and privileges thereof) at the rate of $115 which is in force through
June 30, 2005, $155 for membership through June 30, 2006. However, members will not be able to earn CEUs until July, 2005. New members desiring to earn CEUs before then can contact Melissa Bowhay. On the next line, "RID and NAD Certified" membership category is offered for those who hold dual certification; maintenance of both certificates is also strongly encouraged. For assistance with the membership form, contact Melissa Bowhay at the RID Membership Department (membership@rid.org).
If you have questions about your NAD certification, contact Kelly Aziz, NAD Interpreter Records (aziz@nad.org).
VIEWS April 2005
2005: Year of Languages
May 16, 2005
Under the guidance and stewardship of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), 2005 will be celebrated as The Year of Languages in the United States. These celebrations will take place in a variety of settings, including elementary and secondary schools and postsecondary institutions as well as at events at the local, state and national levels across America. As the representatives of all aspects of foreign language education, ACTFL and its affiliated organizations are prepared to coordinate a cooperative effort to include all of the various organizations and agencies in the foreign language community. This is an opportunity to focus America's attention on the academic, social and economic benefits of studying other languages and cultures from around the world. This initiative will seek to positively influence the full range of language programs in U.S. schools and communities and the students these programs are designed to serve. The campaign plan will capture the attention and interest of all Americans with the involvement and assistance of teachers, administrators, state, local and federal legislators and government officials, businesses and, perhaps most important, parents.
The goal of The Year of Languages (YOL) celebration is to advance the concept that every American should develop proficiency not only in English, but in other languages as well.
Children's Hearing Help fund
January 25, 2005
CHILDREN'S HEARING HELP FUND:
New Donation Box on Driver's License Renewal
On May 24th Governor Bush signed a new option into law for low income
children to have access to better hearing. A significant barrier to
successful intervention outcomes has become very apparent since the
implementation of the enactment of Florida's Universal Newborn Hearing
Screening Law Statute 383.815.
Following diagnosis, it is not unusual for
some infants to experience delays of 6 months or more prior to hearing
evaluation and hearing aid fitting due to a variety of issues primarily
related to funding and/or parental uncertainty of how to proceed. The new
law authorized the Department of Motor Vehicles to include a $1 donation
check-off box on every driver's license renewal form that allows funds to be
collected to aid families who don't have the means to pay for hearing aids
for children who have been found to have hearing loss.
The Children's Hearing Help Fund (CHHF) will be used to provide assistance
for qualifying families with minor children, from newborns to eighteen years
of age for services such as hearing evaluations, loaner hearing devices,
permanent hearing devices or the ongoing maintenance and replacement of the
devices if necessary until the child reaches eighteen years of age. Hearing
loss is the most common birth defect with three out of every 1000 newborns
being found to have a permanent hearing problem that causes them to be at
high risk for developing communication delays unless early help is provided
to their families. Florida can expect approximately 600 new children to be
confirmed as hearing impaired annually. Approximately 37% of families have
insurance and/or financial resources however insurance rarely covers even a
portion of hearing aids and most families with young children cannot readily
afford to pay for hearing aids, each of which can cost as much as a
refrigerator ($1000-$3000) and may need to be replaced every 3 years.
Approximately 43% of children will have Medicaid coverage that could be
applied to meet the cost of permanent amplification devices and an
additional 20% are found to be from financially needy families that have no
resources available. Therefore many families are faced with trying to
purchase expensive hearing aids, typically 5-6 times before the child
becomes an adult.
Charitable funding sources for families to turn to for assistance with
purchasing amplification for children have historically been very limited.
arly intervention and quality education is necessary to prevent
developmental delays in language and learning. The Children's Hearing Help
Fund will exist in order to provide the necessary funding to enable children
from financially needy families to obtain amplification for their children
(loaner or permanent) within 30 days of recommendation for hearing aid
fitting, when no other funding options are available.
The Children's Hearing Help Fund is administered by the Sertoma Speech &
Hearing Foundation of Florida, Inc.
For more information contact: Craig McCart, Executive Director
1-866-999-2443 or visit Website -
www.childrenshearinghelpfund.org
For more information about the HEARING AID LOAN BANK FOR INFANTS AND
TODDLERS please
click here to download the pdf:
* Nationally, three out of every 1000 newborns have a hearing loss. It
is the most common birth defect. * Even mild hearing loss or hearing loss
in only one ear, if
undetected, has substantial detrimental consequences. Research shows that
children with hearing loss in one ear are 10 times as likely to be held back
at least one grade level compared to matched group of children with normal
hearing. Research notes that children identified with hearing loss at birth
are, by the time they enter school, one to two years developmentally ahead
of their hearing impaired peers who were not diagnosed until after they were
six months old. * Before universal newborn hearing screening the average
age at which
children were diagnosed with hearing loss was 2.5 years. Very important
speech-language development occurs significantly earlier and these children
frequently required intensive special instruction throughout all their
school years. * Through identification of hearing loss in the first 3
months and by
working with the parents and caregivers to communicate effectively with
their child thereby preventing delays in language, cognitive and social
development these early identified children have the opportunity to develop
on par with unimpaired peers. Without amplification and early intervention
services by 6 months of age, lifelong delays in communication and learning
may be expected. * By the time a child with hearing loss graduates from
high school,
more than $400,000 per child can be saved in special education costs if the
child is identified early and given appropriate educational, medical, and
audiological services. * Only by continuing consistent use of appropriate
and well
functioning amplification, can children with hearing loss continue to have
the opportunity to access teacher instruction in classrooms using their
remaining hearing. When the hearing aids of a school-age child need to be
replaced or repaired, every day that the child is unable to hear optimally
can be like a day they are absent from school!
Information and statistics courtesy of the National Center for Hearing
Assessment and Management - Utah State University (NCHAM) or the National
Institute on Deafness and Communicative Disorders (NIDCD).
UPS Pays $10 million in Class Action Suit
February 28, 2004
By JULIANA BARBASSA
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - United Parcel Service Inc. will pay $10 million and ensure deaf employees and applicants full access to workplace safety information and promotion opportunities under a proposed settlement of a class-action lawsuit. The Monday agreement - which includes $4.1 million for plaintiffs' attorneys - ends a trial of a class-action lawsuit claiming UPS, the nation's fourth-largest private employer, discriminated against more than 900 current and former hearing-impaired employees.
"I'm hopeful that deaf employees will not be held back anymore," Babaranti Oloyede, one of the plaintiffs, said through an interpreter.
In a trial that began in April, hearing-impaired plaintiffs testified that they were routinely excluded from workplace information, denied opportunities for promotion and exposed to unsafe conditions due to lack of accommodation by the delivery company.
"I've been working there for 12 years now and for all those years UPS didn't provide interpreters, a telephone for emergency news, closed captioning, training videotapes or emergency signals like flashing lights," said Oloyede, 45, who works in UPS' Oakland office. "We had many meetings, like a meeting about anthrax, and I didn't have an interpreter, so I didn't know what was going on."
Company officials denied discriminating against hearing-impaired employees and on Monday said UPS has tried to accommodate deaf and hard-of-hearing employees.
"UPS has long been a positive work environment for those with disabilities and we're proud of our record thus far," said Peggy Gardner, spokeswoman for the Atlanta-based company. "We feel the measures called for in the settlement are only going to make a positive work environment even better."
Plaintiffs' lawyers disagreed, saying UPS was forced to settle by its cavalier attitude toward the disabled workers.
"Their defense was basically that deaf people should be happy to have a job," attorney Todd Schneider said. "I was shocked, the court was shocked, and that's why we settled."
Under the proposed settlement, UPS would set aside $100,000 to track promotions and ensure that deaf employees and job applicants have access to certified interpreters. The company would also provide text telephones and vibrating pagers to alert deaf employees to emergency evacuations.
The settlement resolves all issues in the case except for UPS' policy precluding deaf people from any driving positions. Other companies, such as the U.S. Postal Service, permit deaf employees who have demonstrated safe driving skills to drive delivery vehicles under 10,000 pounds. That issue will be resolved in court.
The proposed settlement requires court approval after notice is distributed throughout the country and a fairness hearing is held. The parties hope for final approval by the end of the year.
Pagers Become Lifeline For Deaf
February 28, 2004
(AP) When Cary Barbin's car broke down at 2 a.m. on a remote road in New Jersey, pulling out a cell phone and calling the auto club wasn't an option. Like his parents, grandparents, and millions of other Americans, he's deaf.
But Barbin wasn't helpless. He took out his BlackBerry wireless pager and typed an e-mail to a hearing friend, who called the tow truck.
Barbin, 35, researches technologies for the deaf at Gallaudet University, a Washington-based school for the deaf and hard of hearing, but he didn't have an e-mail pager just because he's a techie.
Cell phone-size messaging gadgets like the BlackBerry and the T-Mobile Sidekick have caught on quickly with the deaf since being introduced a few years ago, giving them freedom to move around and communicate like never before.
"I talk to my friends almost everyday with the pager. It is really great!" said Bryan Blaisdell, a deaf 15-year-old in Pascoag, R.I. He uses his Sidekick to message his parents for rides, and can stay in touch with them when he's out, things that would have been hard or impossible a few years ago.
The pagers have become even more important to the deaf than cell phones are for the hearing, since the deaf can't use regular phones or pay phones.
"Before, you were set to a strict plan that was set in advance. There was no way to change the plan if somebody was running late," said Joe Karp, director of marketing at Wynd Communications, one of a couple of companies that specialize in selling wireless services to the deaf.
Wynd, which is based in San Luis Obispo, Calif., started out selling e-mail pagers to corporate travelers. But in 1997, the company got an e-mail from a deaf lawyer, who pointed out that the pagers were great for the deaf.
"We began to explore the opportunity, and found that there was a decent-size market - 28 million deaf or hard of hearing in the U.S.," Karp said.
This month, Wynd introduced a service that makes its pagers more useful in communicating with the hearing. Users can now send text messages to human operators, who call a hearing recipient on the phone and read the message. The recipient can then tell the operator to send a message back to the deaf person's pager.
The human operator is part of a state-mandated relay service designed for older equipment known as TTY machines. These can send and receive text messages through regular phone lines. Of course, lugging around these machines, which look like electronic typewriters, and plugging them into phone lines hasn't been an attractive option for the deaf.
In some ways, the pagers even take the part of the radio for the deaf. Users can subscribe to services that send news and traffic reports, or tips on where closed-captioned movies are playing. The pager network in New York helped the deaf understand what was happening during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Barbin said.
In one important area, however, the e-mail pagers fall behind cell phones in usefulness - you can't use them to call 911 directly. Like Barbin, in emergencies the deaf typically e-mail or message a hearing friend or family member, and have them make the call.
Deaf people can call 911 from cell phones with TTY features, but since cell phones are of little use to the deaf otherwise, they're not very popular.
"The whole area of messaging and 911 needs to be examined, and the emergency number professionals in the U.S. are beginning to do so," said Judy Harkin, director of the Technology Access Program at Gallaudet.
The police department in Sacramento, Calif., may be showing the way. It started accepting "911" e-mails in February.
The service is intended for the city's deaf, but it clearly fills an unmet need. Deaf people from as far away as Los Angeles and Texas have sent in e-mails asking Sacramento police to relay emergency information to their local authorities, according to dispatcher Vera Hill.
"It's something that gives the deaf community a good feeling, being able to contact us at all times," she said.
By Peter Svensson
Originally published by www.cbs.com