[nfbwatlk] Puget Sound Connection

Wed Mar 28 22:17:19 UTC 2012

March 2011	 

Puget Sound Connection
Newsletter by Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services

Welcome to our first Puget Sound Connection newsletter!  We want to share
with you from the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services of HSDC Seattle, Tacoma
and Bellingham offices of what is going on around Puget Sound.  

Telecommunication Equipment Distribution (TED)

HSDC collaborates with the Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ODHH) to
ensure Washington residents with hearing loss can access the telephone
network. ODHH has a program called Telecommunication Equipment Distribution
(TED) in which they distribute much needed specialized telephone equipment
to residents who might otherwise not be able to afford the equipment. HSDC
Staff will work with individuals to identify the correct assistive telephone
equipment for their needs and can authorize the qualifications of the
applicant. In HSDC's Seattle, South Sound (Tacoma), and North Sound
(Bellingham) offices, the various TED equipments (TTY, amplified phones,
CapTel phone, Voice Carry Over phones and Signaling Devices)  is on display
allowing community members to try the equipment before making their choice.
Consumers can apply for equipment through the state Telecommunications
Equipment Distribution program or at all three HSDC offices. To see what TED
equipments to offer at our centers, check their website
www.dshs.wa.gov/hrsa/odhh/ted.

Communication Assessments 
by Laura Cummings, Seattle

Communication is an important part of everyone's life.  Every day you
communicate with many people and in many settings - friends and family at
home, doctors and other professionals in their offices, even neighbors at
the grocery store.  Sometimes everything goes smoothly and sometimes
communication breaks down.  These breaks downs can occur for many different
reasons and there are just as many strategies to use to fix them.  An
important piece to remember is that communication is a two-way street - it
takes two people to make it work.  As you become more effective in your
communication skills the more you can educate those around you on your needs
and better overall strategies.

Our advocates often work with individuals who often experience communication
break downs and the resulting frustrations.  We work with you to identify
the causes and to develop effective strategies that fit your lifestyle and
your unique needs.  In some cases assistive technologies are useful and we
can work with you to get the right equipment and to make the best use of it.
By working as a team with you, your partners, or other important people in
your lives we can help to improve your overall communication experiences.

Pierce County Elections
By Anthony Bonura, Tacoma

I attended March 9, 2012 Pierce County Voting Accessibility Advisory
Committee meeting and want to share this information.  We, the committee
will have the Pacific Lutheran University Media Lab to produce an outreach
video beginning Election Day, February 14, 2012.  The video will be ASL,
open-caption and voice-over. We will welcome auditions by everyone from the
community, friends and relatives. We have already approved the 2012 Voter
Outreach Video Script.   The video will include people with all type of
disabilities and there will be 2 to 4 deaf people.  Once the video is
completed, it will be distributed via Youtube.com, TV stations, and outreach
locations.

We have approved another project, 2012 Voter Education Outreach.  The
purpose is to improve voter participation with a 2012 voter education
outreach project focused on distinct disability communities. We will help
people understand the election process, personally invite and encourage
election participations, practice voting, and connect voters with resources.
Referral agencies will need to establish an event with four weeks advance
notice to arrange for all appropriate accommodations and  logistics.

Each presentation will be tailored to the receiving audience.  During a
standard one hour presentation, topics to be covered include:
.	Voter registration requirements and an opportunity to register
.	Rights of voter with specific needs or disabilities
.	The importance of voting
.	Overview of elections (types of elections, when they are held, etc).
.	Voter registration database
.	Vote by Mail
.	Voting Centers
.	Election dates
.	Ballot processing
.	Hands-on practice with voting systems;  Paper ballots and touch
screen voting machines
We are very excited and anxious to get the ball rolling and hope you will
consider participating in creating the video or attending one of the
outreach events.

Emergency Public Information
from the Washington Emergency Management Division
Submitted by Donna Platt, HSDC Emergency Education Program

Residents of Washington, Michigan, Pennsylvania and other states have
reported receiving calls from someone requesting money for 9-1-1 services.
The caller claims that residents must pay a fee to register their house in a
9 1 1 database so first responders can locate the home in an emergency. The
caller also requests names and medical information from the residents. 
This is a scam. 9-1-1 services are funded through dedicated 9-1-1 excise
taxes on telephone bills and by other local government funds. 
Any request for 9-1-1 funds over the phone is a fraud. Residents who receive
these calls should hang up and report the suspicious call to their local
police or sheriff's non-emergency phone number.

  CPR & First Aid Training in ASL Available in Spring!

HSDC is offering two (2) CPR/AED & First Aid trainings in ASL this spring.
Our three Deaf instructors are American Red Cross certified.

1.	Saturday, April 14th - 9:00 am to 3:30 pm: CPR/AED (Adult) and First
Aid  
$90 per person for Adult CPR/AED & First Aid Course

2.	Thursday, April 19th, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm: CPR/AED (Adult), First Aid
and Bloodborne Pathogens
$90 per person for Adult CPR/AED & First Aid Course
$50 per person for Bloodborne Pathogens Course
$110 per person for both courses in same day

The class is limited to 10 participants.

The training will be held in the large conference room on the 1st floor at
Hearing, Speech & Deafness Center 1625 19th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122.

Please register at least 1 week prior to the training date. Please contact
Donna Platt at dplatt at hsdc.org or videophone 206-452-7967 for registration
form and/or if you have any question.

 Seattle Deaf Film Festival, March 30 - April 1!

Deaf Spotlight, an organization that focuses on Deaf culture, cinema,
performing arts and visual arts, is proud to present the Seattle Deaf Film
Festival.

The festival promises a full weekend of films on, about, and for Deaf
community. This three day event will begin on March 30, 2012 and will be
held at Kane Hall on the University of Washington campus. It is the first
film festival of its kind in the Pacific Northwest. The Festival's calendar
includes both feature length and short films from local and international
artists in the categories of: documentary, drama/suspense, action, comedy,
and animation. According to Patty Liang, director of the festival, the
committee screened over seventy films making it a difficult task to choose
only a few of them for the festival. Patty added that, "We are very lucky to
have a strong core committee and supporters sharing a passion for cinema and
working together to make this a reality." Films will be accessible to both
deaf and hearing persons, with many in American Sign Language but all
subtitled in English.

The Seattle Deaf Film Festival is excited to have so much participation from
the film
making community in so many different topics and genres. We look forward to
growing this community, forging new partnerships, and inspiring more new
filmmakers in the future.

Sponsors of the Seattle Deaf Film Festival include Seattle Office of Arts
and Cultural Affairs, and University of Washington Department of
Linguistics, AccessComputing, Office of Diversity & Minority Affairs,
Association of Disabled Students, the Q Center, Sprint, ZVRS, ADWAS,
Stranger Ticketing and Reel Grrls.

More information on ticketing, schedule, and details are available at
www.deafspotlight.com/SDFF.

With offices in Seattle, Tacoma, and Bellingham, HSDC provides Deaf & Hard
of Hearing Services to residents of thirteen counties across Western
Washington who are Deaf, Deaf-Blind, or hard of hearing
.	HSDC Seattle serves King, Snohomish, Jefferson, Clallum, & North
Kitsap (Bainbridge Island and north of Bremerton) counties.
.	HSDC South Sound (Tacoma office) serves Pierce, Grays Harbor,
Thurston, Mason, & South Kitsap (Bremerton and south of Bremerton) counties.
.	HSDC North Sound (Bellingham office) serves Whatcom, Skagit, San
Juan & Island counties.

www.hsdc.org

	Seattle
Tacoma - South Puget Sound                                   Bellingham -
North Puget Sound
Tel: (206) 323-5770                                                     Tel:
(253) 475-0782                                                  Tel: (360)
647-0910
Toll Free: 1-888-222-5036                                           Toll
Free: 1-888-222-5036                                        Toll Free:
1-888-222-5036                   
Videophone: (206) 452-7956                                      Videophone:
(253) 292-2209                                   Videophone: (360) 255-7167
TTY: (206) 388-1275                                                   TTY:
(253) 474-1748                                               TTY: (360)
647-8508
Email: seattle at hsdc.org                                              Email:
tacoma at hsdc.org                                         Email:
bellingham at hsdc.org

________________________________________
Hearing, Speech & Deafness Center
1625 19th Avenue
Seattle, Washington 98122
US
Read the VerticalResponse marketing policy. 

Becky Frankeberger
Butterfly Knitting

Custom-made knit throws, shawls, and more!

Phone: 360-426-8389
E-mail: becky at ButterflyKnitting.com
Website: www.ButterflyKnitting.com