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September Message?
 Image description: Fall foliage, orange and yellow leaves. Credit: Katie Moum Unsplash
ODHH is proud to share that September is Deaf Awareness Month, an annual event that aims to celebrate and promote the culture, language, and achievements of deaf and hard-of-hearing people. Deaf Awareness Month also seeks to raise awareness of the challenges and barriers that deaf and hard-of-hearing people face daily (i.e., communication, education, employment, health care, and social isolation). Some of the activities that take place during this month include:
- Educational workshops and seminars on deaf history, culture, and sign language.
- Cultural events and performances by deaf artists, musicians, poets, and actors.
- Advocacy campaigns and rallies for deaf rights and accessibility.
- Community outreach and service projects to support deaf organizations and causes.
- Recognition and appreciation of deaf role models and leaders.
Celebrating this month is an excellent opportunity to learn more about the deaf community and its diversity, richness, and societal contributions.
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Come join us at any of the events listed in the News and Events below!
The Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ODHH) has started a significant transition that began this spring.
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ODHH and Washington Advocates of Deaf & Hard of Hearing (WADHH) are transitioning Case Management Services for the Vancouver, Washington, region over to the ODHH Case Management team, led by Hope Crumley, Case Management Field Supervisor, Jonah Thompson, Case Management Team Lead, and supported by Zachary DeLoya, WADHH Executive Director.
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?We are excited to work in collaboration with Zachary,? says Hope, ?It is evident that the complexity of service needs has increased. While the number of clients requesting services has stayed consistent, the complexity of service needs has increased. Since 2013, the time spent with individual clients has quadrupled. This means case managers spend more time with each client to support and empower their needs.?
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The WADHH case management and client service contract in Vancouver, WA, will end on September 30, 2023. ODHH will continue transitioning these services in the Vancouver, WA, region to ODHH staff positions over the next several months.
NEWS AND EVENTS
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Saturday, September 9, 2023,?1:00 - 6:00 p.m.:?Deaf Thrive, which has been on hiatus due to the public health emergency, is returning this year! The family-friendly festival, now in its fifth year and planned in collaboration with local and state agencies and organizations, is hosting a cookout at Magnuson Park, Hangar 30, 6310 NE 74th St. Seattle WA. For more information, go to www.deafthrive.com.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
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Thursday, September 21, 2023, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.: Online virtual workshop, ?Medicare Basics,? to support individuals planning to enroll or change their Medicare plan when enrollment begins on October 15. Pre-registration is required:?ZOOM Registration link for September 21.?
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Saturday, September 23, 2023, 10;00 - 11:30 a.m.:?Online virtual workshop, ?Medicare Basics,? to support individuals planning to enroll or change their Medicare plan when enrollment begins on October 15. Pre-registration is required:?ZOOM Registration link for September 23?
A 30-minute Q&A session for both events follow the one-hour presentations. ASL interpreters and captioning are provided. If additional communication accommodations are needed, please contact Elizabeth Luttrell at [email protected] or call 253-287-3852 by September 15, 2023.
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Saturday, September 30, 2023, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.: ?ODHH is hosting a community meet-and-greet to introduce our services to the Tacoma community. Meet us at the Tacoma Public Library (Wheelock Branch) at 3722 N 26th St, Tacoma, WA? 98407. All are welcome. Light refreshments will be available.
ASL EMERGENCY ALERT?DEMONSTRATION AND SURVEY
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Image description: cell phone text: Wildfire in your area. White male on right signing "ready"
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The Washington State ASL Emergency Alert Team (Steve Peck and Berle Ross from ODHH, Jim House from CIEP, and Adam Summers from ALTSA) have created an ASL Emergency Alert demonstration video and survey.?
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We hope the ASL Emergency Alert video project will become a resource to develop emergency alerts in a language understood by deaf, hard of hearing and deafblind communities in Washington State.? We would love to have some feedback from Washington residents to assist us towards improving this project. ?
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The demonstration materials are intended to empower Emergency Management and other emergency SMEs to work together to provide accessible emergency alerts in ASL, captioning, and video description format for DeafBlind braille readers.?
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This is a video demonstration of what an accessible emergency alert looks like with ASL, voiceover, captions and video description.? ?Please note that this is not an actual emergency notification.?
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Email us for more information about this project or if you have any comments or questions.?
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TRAINING AND PRESENTATIONS
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The Training and Presentation Program is asking for YOUR ideas for trainings and presentations topics of interest to our communities. Are there any previous trainings or presentations that you found beneficial and would like to have again or to build upon? To learn how to start a business? Do you want to learn from an expert on being retirement-ready, buying a house/property? Would you like to watch an expert talk about social justice or environmental issues? We want to support you with training opportunities that benefit our communities.??
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Please share your ideas with us at [email protected]
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TELECOMMUNICATIONS DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM
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The Telecommunication Equipment Distribution (TED) Program provides specialized telecommunication equipment to individuals who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, DeafBlind, live without speech or have speech impairment for the purpose of ?distance communication.?
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Equipment is provided on a sliding fee scale based on the Federal Poverty guidelines with many clients qualifying for equipment at no cost.? If there is a cost based on the reported family size and income, and that cost would cause a financial hardship, clients can request a waiver.
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Most equipment is shipped directly to the client, while some specialty devices are delivered in person to ensure clients can effectively use the equipment with technical support provided as necessary.? Clients with need for extensive support may receive in-person evaluations and training.
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To participate in the TED Program, applicants must be Washington residents aged 4 and up who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Late Deafened, DeafBlind or have a speech impairment*.
Equipment currently available include:
- Amplified telephones ? Landline service, with or without caller ID
- Captioned telephones ? requires analog landline.
- iPad ? Wi-Fi (or cell data if necessary), with option of standard or mini size.
- iPhone ? currently issuing the iPhone 12.
- Electrolarynx ? for laryngectomy clients.
- Teletypewriters
Clients with co-occurring disabilities such as speech impairment and mobility restrictions, can be evaluated to determine what accessories may be necessary to make the TED Program equipment accessible.? Those accessories are provided through the TED Program as well.?
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*Speech Qualifiers: ?Persons who are certified to be unable to speak or are certified to have a speech condition that limits their access to telecommunications. These can include limited verbal ability, difficulty word finding, soft/diminished speech, stuttering, medical interventions that decrease/inhibit speech, low endurance, etc.
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Apply at:https://www.dshs.wa.gov/altsa/odhh/telecommunication-equipment-distribution
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EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT: SUZANNE MANNELLA
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This month's Employee Spotlight recognizes Suzanne Mannella, Program Manager, who will have been with ODHH for 13 years on October 3, 2023.
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Suzanne is currently working with multiple organizations throughout the state to sponsor their events in honor of Deaf Awareness Month. "Suzanne's logistics acumen serves us well as we coordinate events; we could not get things done without her," says Earnest Covington, III, ODHH director. "As a public face for ODHH, she always works to put our office in a favorable light and communicates our work positively. Thank you, Suzy, for doing all your fabulous work for ODHH!"
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Suzanne passionately works to support client access and equality in residential and community settings. Suzanne collaborates and advocates with the HCS community and residential agencies to provide guidance and support for Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing clients and residents.
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Congratulations to Suzanne, ODHH September Employee Spotlight!
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Who We Are
The Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ODHH) provides programs and services for Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, Hard of Hearing, Late Deafened, and Speech Disabled individuals, their families, and service providers in Washington State. ODHH works to ensure that services and resources are accessible and inclusive to all Washingtonians.
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What We Do
ODHH operates under the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) and is entrusted with fulfilling its legislative mandate outlined in RCW 43.20A.725.
ODHH?s work includes:
Advocacy: ODHH advocates for the rights, interests, and needs of individuals who are Deaf, DeafBlind, Deaf Disabled, Hard of Hearing, Late Deafened, and Speech Disabled. The Office works to eliminate communication barriers and promote equal opportunities in various service areas, including training, consultation, contract management, information and referrals, and resources to promote communication equity.
Coordination: ODHH is a centralized resource. The Office collaborates with governmental, business, and community stakeholders to develop and implement policies, programs, and initiatives that address and ensure that state services and resources are accessible and inclusive to all Washingtonians.
Contact Us!
800-422-7930 Voice
360-339-7382 VP
[email protected]
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