Office of the Deaf & Hard of Hearing Community Review Fall 2010 Volume 7, Number 2 Washington State Social and Health Services Message from the Director Eric Raff, ODHH Director As you know, the State of Washington is implementing across-the-board budget reductions by October 1. Although ODHH does not get state general funds, ODHH does get funding from a monthly excise tax on telephone subscribers. However, the annual number of landline telephone subscribers has declined 6%. In past years, the average decline was 3%. This represents a shrinking tax base due to people who are struggling in a stagnant economy or subscribers switching to wireless or internet technologies. In the Winter 2010 newsletter, I reported that ODHH went through a FY10 budget reduction and would have to transfer $4 million to DVR this FY11. Due to the fact we have received less revenue, we had to go through another budget reduction. We reviewed the FY11 budget and made adjustments to our 6 month old relay and equipment distribution projections. With more current data, we made adjustments to our cost assumptions and delayed a few activities that will not occur this FY11. The outcome was a 5% reduction of the total budget. We anticipate the number of telephone subscribers will continue to decline. We do recognize that we need to rethink how we do business and review activities that we implemented in last few years. ODHH will exercise fiscal prudence, focus on existing initiatives and not consider any new initiatives. It will mean some changes in the level of care, service delivery and contracted services. It will mean no more growth in the number of staff. Budget decisions will be difficult, but I want you to know that we are making them as strategically as possible. ODHH will be busy with existing initiatives as outlined in the new ODHH business plan, currently posted on the website. A few of these initiatives might actually save the state some money. One example is working with General Administration to award a statewide contract for Communication Access Real-Time Translation (CART) services, better known as real-time captioning. Another example is to award a statewide contract for Video Remote Interpreting services. ODHH is also working with DSHS Information Technology staff to implement captioning via videoconferencing with multiple sites. ODHH will begin rule-making to establish standards for courtroom or legal interpreting. All of these initiatives have already started this year. We continue to make improvements internally. One such example is the long-awaited implementation of the new Deaf and Hard of Hearing Information System (DHHIS). Several program managers will begin using the equipment distribution, regional service centers and interpreter registration data in a meaningful way that will help us identify trends and improve our services. Although we cannot move forward with a new policy analyst position, we do have a new staff filling the new ‘Office Coordinator’ position that will help us improve administrative functions. Read about Diana in this newsletter and give her a warm welcome! With an approved exemption to the hiring freeze, we are currently recruiting to fill a vacant Information, Referral and Advocacy position. This position respond to requests from the general public and assist DSHS compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. With existing initiatives to keep us busy in meeting our community needs and internal improvements, I am amazed that my staff has risen to the challenges and remains committed to the community and people we represent and serve. This fall, I will begin a series of public meetings with various key stakeholders and community members throughout the State of Washington. We will post public meeting announcements on the website and distribute via various organizations’ listservs. These public meetings will focus on key policy issues that will have long-term ramifications on the future of ODHH. I hope to have a conversation with you about these issues. I expect the public meetings and planning for policy changes will be ongoing throughout 2011. As Director, I partner with others and make contributions to improving opportunities for deaf, hard of hearing and deaf-blind. I am serving on the Center of Childhood Deafness and Hearing Loss (CDHL) core committee to submit a report to the Legislature on recommendations to improve educational practices for children. The report will be posted on the CDHL website so be sure to look for it. I served on a DSHS Office of Diversity Affairs committee to draft a plan for DSHS to become a model employer of people with disabilities. This plan will be incorporated into the DSHS strategy. I served on the interview panels to assist with the hiring of qualified candidates for the positions of a DSHS Diversity Director and a DSHS Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Director. Both positions have the capacity to make a significant beneficial impact on the lives of deaf, hard of hearing and deaf-blind people. Where is my ODHH ‘Community Review’ newsletter? Due to budget cutbacks, ODHH reduced the number of newsletters from four times a year to twice a year. We will be exploring ways to distribute the newsletter four times a year via email to save money on printing and postage costs. Although your name is currently on the mailing list, we will be mailing you a subscription card with mailing preferences that must be completed and returned. It is our hope to distribute all newsletters via email. We will continue to print and mail to those who need Braille or do not have internet access. New Hearing Aid Compatibility Rules Being Proposed by the Federal Communications Commission by Robert Lichtenberg On August 5, 2010, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a “Policy Statement and Second Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking” related to Hearing Aid-Compatible (HAC) Mobile Handsets*. This is part of the Federal Government’s effort to bring individuals with disabilities into mainstream commercial telecommunications services via the National Broadband Plan. The plan contains policy language that affirms the Federal level support for access to new services for persons with disabilities over Internet and wireless broadband networks (i.e., wireless 3G and 4G currently available via Verizon, AT & T, and Sprint, for example) and Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technologies. The new technologies affect people with hearing-aids and cochlear implants. Of special interest to hearing aid and cochlear implant users is the possibility of having wireless handheld cell phones and handsets be designed and certified as “hearing-aid” compatible over additional frequency bands or voice technology modes for which the FCC has not finalized standards. There are new Wi-Fi Wireless network bands being made available. The question is whether frequency-compatible phones for those bands should be certified as compatible without the design technology standards being approved. Cell phone manufacturers are seeking to have their devices certified as compatible without having to comply with approved technical standards, due to the long time it takes for any new technology standards to be approved by the FCC. For consumers, this could be a blessing or a curse. The FCC is also seeking to benefit consumers by allowing them to do compatibility testing in retail outlets not owned by service providers and is seeking comment whether and how it should be done. Those and several other important issues are raised in the new Hearing Aid Compatibility filing by the FCC. ODHH stakeholders are encouraged to review and comment on the FCC document. The Hearing Loss Association of Washington (HLA-WA) is a resource for information regarding HAC rules and can assist in answering questions about the FCC’s proposed rules and current requirements. For questions or more information visit www.hearingloss-wa.org, e-mail info@hearingloss-wa.org or phone Penny Allen, HLA-WA President, at 360-871-0997. The Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology is another resource for HAC information. To view their website, visit www.coataccess.org. The comment period is now open and closes in mid-November. * http://www.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2010/db0805/FCC-1--145A1.pdf SeaTac Announces Request for Information (RFI) on Enhanced Communication Services On September 2, 2010, the Port of Seattle released a Request for Information (RFI) seeking ideas, suggestions, and comments from contractors, suppliers, consultants and others within the professional passenger service industry regarding the Port of Seattle’s approach to contracting for relay services or other enhanced communication services for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf-Blind and Speech-Disabled users of the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (STIA). This input may be used to help the Port of Seattle management and purchasing departments better define its current and future approach to enhanced communication services for airport customers. The goal of the Port of Seattle is to provide enhanced communication access at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf-Blind and Speech-Disabled individuals who access the airport each day. For more information in regards to the enhanced communication project at the Seattle-Tacoma international airport, please contact Andy Frank at frank.a@portseattle.org or 206-787-5758 (voice). Temporary Layoff Days for ODHH State Employees Due to state budget reductions, the Office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ODHH) will be closed on the following days for temporary layoff: Wednesday, November 24, 2010 Monday, December 27, 2010 Friday, January 28, 2011 Tuesday, February 22, 2011 Friday, March 11, 2011 Friday, April 22, 2011 Friday, May 27, 2011 Friday, June 10, 2011 Please leave a message with your name, phone number and a brief message regarding how we can assist you. We will promptly respond to your inquiry on the next working day. Thank you for your patience as we continue to strive to give you excellent customer service during this time of temporary layoffs. Assistive Technology Museum ODHH has recently established a small display of old technology in the office, specifically telecommunications and captioned decoders. Visitors will be able to marvel at how various technologies evolved over time. Currently we are looking for the first generation of a TTY, otherwise known as the big noisy clunker, called, “Green Monster”. We also have a ‘Wyndtel’ pager, which began the late 1980s explosion of pager usage in the deaf and hard of hearing community; however we’re also looking for some later models of various pagers such as the T-Mobile early generation model. We have the closed caption decoders, 3000 (3rd generation) and 4000 (4th generation) before the decoder box became obsolete with the release of televisions with built-in captioning chips. We are looking for the 1st and 2nd generation of closed caption decoders. Someday we may also expand to include antique hearing aids and other old assistive technologies. If you have any of these old technologies, in working condition or broken, and would like to donate it to ODHH, please contact us! Are you having problems with your TED phone? by Lorraine Olin We have noticed some common problems that our clients have experienced with their telephones. Below is a list of questions to help you troubleshoot and resolve and issues you may encounter with your telecommunication equipment. The first thing to check when you are having trouble with your phone is to make sure the phone line and power cord are plugged into a working outlet or a power strip that is turned on, as well as the telephone. If you are still having trouble, please see other possible solutions below. Is your phone just not amplifying like it used to? The electrical power is what provides the amplification. Make sure the power cord is plugged into a working outlet or a turned on power strip, and that it is securely plugged into the telephone. Are you unable to access automated menus on your phone? This may be due to a switch on the side of the phone with a T and P. You may remember those old time rotary phones that made clicking sounds for each number dialed. When the switch is on P for “Pulse”, it is just like those rotary phones. To access automated menus while using the phone, the switch must be on T for “Tone”. Have you recently switched your phone service to a digital line or bundle package? All phones provided through the TED Program are made to work with an analog line. You will need to contact your phone service provider to either switch to an analog line or ask them about installing a filter to the digital line. Are you having trouble with your CapTel phone? Call CapTel Customer Service at 1-888-269-7477 Monday thru Friday, 8am – 5pm Central Time. Depending on the situation, CapTel Customer Service may be able to diagnose the problem over the phone. They can see if the menu settings need to be adjusted or if the phone needs an update. Is your phone not ringing? Check to make sure the ringer is turned on. Still not working? Call ODHH at 1-800-422-7930. We will try our best to resolve the problem with you. If more troubleshooting is needed, we will contact a trainer in your area to make an appointment with you. TELL US YOUR STORY It is our hope that your TED telephone has helped you have independent use of the telephone and stay connected to friends and loved ones. If you have a story you would like to share, we would enjoy hearing how your TED telephone has helped you. You can send any comments to our office at PO Box 45301, Olympia, WA 98504 or e-mail to Lorraine.olin@dshs.wa.gov. Job Opening! The Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ODHH) seeks applicants for the Information, Referral and Advocacy (IRA) Program Manager. The IRA program manager is responsible for the statewide program providing information, referral, advocacy, education & training and outreach services. For more details, applicants can apply online here: http://careers.wa.gov/index.html and type “01266” in the keyword search. CART Contract News by Colleen Rozmaryn The Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) often uses Communication Assistance Real-time Translations (CART)* services to make meetings communication accessible to clients with hearing loss. The ODHH Accessible Communications Technology (ACT) Program has been building a list of CART providers’ contact information for all DSHS departments to make finding CART providers easier. We have over 20 Court Reporters and Firms on our list. Eric Raff, ODHH Director, sought authority to release a Request for Qualifications and Quotations (RFQQ) for CART services and to encourage Court Reporters to submit bids in response to the RFQQ. It would give DSHS and its divisions a better chance of finding someone to provide CART services for meetings as needed. This year we learned that authority for this type of contract had been given to the Department of General Administration (GA). This means that another agency will be handling the bidder recruitment and the contracts that follow. The good news is that the list of contractors awarded the right to provide CART services to state agencies will be published on GA’s website and available for all agencies throughout the state to use. I am pleased to say that GA has included ODHH in the committee that is writing the RFQQ. Our goal is to have the RFQQ released by the end of this calendar year. If you have questions contact Colleen Rozmaryn at (360) 902-0851 Voice/TTY, or rozmaic@dshs.wa.gov. *CART is provided by Court Reporters who used a stenographic machine to record what is happening during meetings. The typed record is projected onto a screen for attendees to read. Utilizing this real-time record is especially helpful for people with hearing loss who do not use sign language interpreters. Staff Recognition Emily Hill tested for her National Interpreters Certification (NIC) and received her certification at the advanced level. Kelly Robison tested for her National Interpreters Certification (NIC) and received her certification. Jeannie Kay graduated from Spokane Falls Community College with a Hearing Instrument Specialist (HIS) degree. Trevor Kosa was on the US deaf cycling team and went to the 21st Summer Deaflympics in Taipei, Taiwan. He was honored to be part of one of the biggest ever Summer Deaflympics. Trevor has been invited to Taiwan this October to ride the Tour de Formosa, one of the longest bike races for deaf cyclists from all different countries. He will also be attending the World Deaf Cycling Championship in Montreal, Canada in the summer of 2011. Lucas Doelman was recognized with a personalized plaque for his outstanding effort as Dues Chairman Toastmaster for 2009/2010 by the District 32 Governor Jay Melrose and the other top officers. This has been a wonderful year for many of our staff and their families. One of our staff members celebrated the birth of a new baby, another a grandbaby and another a college graduation of their youngest child. ODHH is proud to recognize these employees for their outstanding achievements. Get Connected! With Washington Relay Get—and stay—connected to family, friends and co-workers. It has never been easier with Washington Relay. Washington Relay is a free service provided by Washington State Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ODHH) to ensure equal communication access to the telephone service for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind, and speech disabled. To use Washington Relay, simply dial 711 to connect with an operator. The operator will dial the requested number and relay the conversation between the two callers. You’ll never feel disconnected again! Example of Traditional Relay 1 TTY User types his message. 2 RO reads the typed message to the other party. 3 Other party listens and then replies. 4 RO listens and types the spoken reply to the TTY user. VOICE 1.800.833.6384 TTY 1.800.833.6388 VCO 1.800.833.6386 STS 1.877.833.6341 HCO 1.800.833.6388 TB 1.800.833.6385 CUSTOMER SERVICE (ENGLISH) 1.800.676.3777 CUSTOMER SERVICE (SPANISH) 1.800.676.4290 www.washingtonrelay.com DSHS and Assistive Listening Systems by Colleen Rozmaryn Not all people with hearing loss use sign language; many use Assistive Listening Systems (ALS). An effort is underway in the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) to improve statewide ALS referral and loan services. ODHH is working with the Regional Service Centers (RSC) to identify service delivery procedures and to address any training needs for DSHS staff who will be responsible for managing reasonable accommodations requests. The effort will involve procedures for requesting and providing ALS equipment as needed. ALS is an accommodation for DSHS employees and clients with hearing loss to effectively communicate in meetings. The principle approach is to make electronic ALS available to amplify sound and send it directly, free of noise, to a DSHS client who has a hearing loss. How will the Plan work? • Example: You are requesting a meeting with someone at a DSHS office. You tell the person scheduling the meeting that you will need ALS. Please make requests as far in advance as possible. The DSHS employee scheduling the meeting will contact ODHH to reserve ALS equipment for the day and time of your appointment. ODHH staff will inform the DSHS employee where to pick up the ALS in time for your meeting. • Example: A DSHS office or division is planning a large meeting and you wish to attend. The DSHS office or division will advertise the event, adding a note to the flyer asking people with hearing loss to request ALS on or before a specific date. You, as a person with hearing loss, will call or e-mail the contact person to request ALS. A person from DSHS will be responsible for picking up an ALS for the event When you arrive at the meeting, you will check out and be responsible for the equipment while you use it. After the meeting DSHS staff will return the ALS. • ODHH has provided ALS equipment to seven (7) Regional Service Centers throughout Washington. The locations are Bellingham, Seattle, Tacoma, Vancouver, Yakima, Pasco and Spokane. DSHS offices and divisions will contact ODHH to find the nearest RSC from which to borrow ALS. • When you wish to attend a large meeting, you should contact the meeting planner ASAP. Who do I contact with questions about ALS? Contact Colleen Rozmaryn, ODHH Assistive Communication Technology (ACT) Manager, at (360) 902-0851 Voice/TTY, or 1-800-422-7930 Voice/TTY or by e-mail at Colleen.Rozmaryn@dshs.wa.gov Welcome to our new staff member Diana Sutherland I am looking forward to meeting the new challenges in my position with the Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ODHH). I came to ODHH in April 2010 as the new Office Support Supervisor 2 with over 26 years of service to the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS). In my new role with ODHH I will have the responsibilities of the overall office needs. Although I do not know American Sign Language (ASL) I was given a warm and welcoming reception from all the staff. They are wonderful people to work with and strive to make a difference in the lives of the clients we serve. I look forward to my new journey with them and I am proud to be a part of a group of people who believe in serving our clients with respect and dignity. Court Sign Language Interpreting Standards – We Need Your Feedback! by Emily Hill ODHH has been working in collaboration with the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) and members of the deaf, interpreting, and judicial communities to develop standards for sign language interpreters in legal proceedings. These standards will assist us in complying with state law, and will provide Washington Courts with a list of qualified interpreters (RCW 2.42, http://apps.leg.wa.gov/Rcw/default.aspx?Cite=2.42). Now is the time when we need your help! The standards that we’ve proposed are posted on our website. Will you read through them and send me your feedback—good or bad? We are in the process of establishing these standards in Washington Administrative Code (WAC), the rules that support all of our laws. We want to make sure that our WAC has the best information possible in it! To view the Standards for Sign Language Interpreters in Washington Courts, suggested trainings, and our Comments section (designed to help judges and other court staff with any questions they may have about using sign language interpreters), please visit our website at: http://odhh.dshs.wa.gov, the click “Sign Language Interpreter Management” on the left! (If you don’t have internet access, please contact us—we’ll be happy to send you a copy in the mail!) Once you’ve read our proposal, send me an email (emily.hill@dshs.wa.gov) or give me a call (all of our office numbers are listed on the back of the newsletter). I am excited to see what our communities think! Communication Access Network by Eric Raff; ODHH Director We recently established a ‘videophone demonstration site’ located in our office for state employees with a hearing loss. Our site was established for those who would like to try out different videophone equipment and software currently available. This will assist these employees to select the appropriate equipment to meet their telecommunication needs as a reasonable accommodation. This was extended to some of the ODHH staff and we are now implementing videophone equipment at their desks to better serve you. Additionally, for each equipment and software, we intend to identify the various features and list the pros and cons of each. The results will be posted and shared on the ODHH website to help you as a videophone user, make an informed decision and select the best product that meets your needs. We have heard about the need for a statewide ‘videophone’ directory, similar to the ‘TTY’ directory that was common years ago. Currently, we are reviewing and updating our listing of agencies with contacts and videophone numbers. It is our intention to post the directory on the ODHH website. If you know of an agency with a videophone, send the name, contact, and VP number to steve.peck@dshs.wa.gov Office of the Governor Christine Gregoire DSHS Secretary Susan N. Dreyfus DSHS Chief of Staff Tracy Guerin ODHH Eric Raff, Director Robert Lichtenberg, Assistant Director Lien Ngo-Tran, Fiscal Officer PROGRAMS Kelly Robison, TED Program Manager Claudia Foy, SHS Program Manager Colleen Rozmaryn, ACT Program Manager Emily Hill, SLIM Program Manager Steve Peck, TRS Program Manager Patricia Moed, Program Support Lorraine Olin, Program Support INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY William Crites, IT Manager Trevor Kosa, IT Database Specialist Brian Clark, IT Network Specialist OFFICE SUPPORT Rena Patch, Executive Assistant Jeannie Kay, Customer Service Representative Lucas Doelman, Office Assistant Diana Sutherland, Office Coordinator Office of the Deaf & Hard of Hearing Toll Free: 1 (800) 422-7930 V/TTY (360) 902-8000 V/TTY Website: http://odhh.dshs.wa.gov VP200 (360) 339-7382 (VP) IP 65.113.246.110 (VP) Eric Raff, Director eric.raff@dshs.wa.gov Robert Lichtenberg, Assistant Director robert.lichtenberg@dshs.wa.gov Claudia Foy, SHS Program Manager claudia.foy@dshs.wa.gov Emily Hill, SLIM Program Manager emily.hill@dshs.wa.gov Steve Peck, TRS Program Manager steven.peck@dshs.wa.gov Kelly Robison, TED Program Manager kelly.robison@dshs.wa.gov Colleen Rozmaryn, ACT Program Manager colleen.rozmaryn@dshs.wa.gov