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Contact: Deborah Schow, DSHS Communications, 360-902-7891 , schowdl@dshs.wa.gov

November 05, 2009
DSHS Office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing celebrates 30-year anniversary with Past, Present, Future 1979 - 2009 symposium
Media are invited to attend

OLYMPIA -- The Department of Social and Health Services Office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing will commemorate 30 years of serving Washingtonians who are deaf, hard of hearing or deaf-blind with a symposium for stakeholders on Nov. 13. 

The "Past, Present, Future 1979 - 2009" symposium will be held at DSHS Headquarters, OB2 Auditorium, 1115 Washington Street SE, Olympia, at 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Friday, Nov. 13.

"The DSHS Office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing has many accomplishments, but we strive to further meet the needs of our constituents. This symposium is a way to connect further with our partners and work together to meet those needs, even in tough economic times," said Eric Raff, director of the DSHS Office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

Raff, DSHS Chief of Staff Tracy Guerin, retired Office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Director Leon Curtis and the office's founding member Allie Joiner will be keynote speakers.

Deaf, hard of hearing and deaf-blind community leaders, professionals serving those communities, parents of deaf, hard of hearing and deaf-blind children, DSHS Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Department of Health, DSHS Health and Recovery Administration, and the Center for Childhood Deafness and Hearing Loss will be among the stakeholders and partners taking part in the event.

The symposium will include break-out sessions on issues of education, interpreting, employment, mental health, early intervention, and Americans with Disabilities Act: Title II, in relation to the deaf, hard of hearing and deaf-blind communities.

Exhibits in the lobby and an open house tour of the DSHS Office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing with many hi-tech devices such as the DeafBlind Communicator and videophones that enable American Sign Language conversations in real-time will also be featured.

Sign Language Interpreter Services, Assistive Listening System, and Computer Assisted Real-Time Captioning (CART) will be provided throughout the event.

Additional information including agenda, maps, directions and a list of break-out sessions is available at the DSHS Office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Website. http://www.dshs.wa.gov/hrsa/odhh/

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