Stavros
Advocates for Independent Living
New & Interesting Deaf News
The Disability Policy Consortium is concerned about the seeming lack of
communication access last week on the potential tornadoes in Western Mass. Our main complaint is the lack of ASL interpreters accompanying the Governor when he made the announcement on Wednesday, June 1, 2011. If you would like to add your name to our complaint, please respond directly to DPC's Director, Bill Allan (wfallan@dpcma.org) with the following information. Please share this with others.
Here's what we need: your name, home address, city, zip code, phone (TTY, Sorenson), email, text address and a short statement of impact of the tornado if relevant.
If you have comments or stories about post-tornado issues, please include them in a separate paragraph. One of the other issues is local response such as Reverse 911 without a text alternative, police car with bullhorns, etc, lack of interpreters in shelters, etc.
DHILS files complaint with the FCC
The Stavros' DHILS program has filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission about the lack of real-time captioning for weather alerts and emergency broadcasts. The Republican's Carrie Barrepski writes about it in her August 24, 2011 blog.
How to be safe in severe weather
Check here for important messages from Governor Patrick in YouTube format with an ASL interpreter.
Click here for info on tornado recovery efforts and resources.
Consider signing up for email updates (including on severe weather) from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) website, or check here for Severe Weather Watches.
Hurricane Preparedness How to stay safe in a hurricane
MCDHH News
Gov Patrick's budget proposal for FY 12 includes cuts to MCDHH. Please contact your state legislators and ask them to level fund MCDHH.
New Safe Driving Law in ASL/Caption
Watch this video to learn about the new Safe Driving law that bans use of electronic communication deices while driving
Tax Topics in ASL
Welcome to the official YouTube channel of the Internal Revenue Service. This channel will feature videos produced by the IRS on various tax administration topics in American Sign Language.
New Captioned Telephone Service
For the First Time, Captioned Telephone Services Are Now Available for Individuals who are Hard of Hearing AURORA, Neb., July 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Hamilton CapTel and Hamilton Relay, a division of Hamilton Telecommunications, today announced that, starting August 1, for the first time captioned telephone services will be available to the residents of Massachusetts. Now, individuals who are hard of hearing will be able to "see what they say" on the telephone and not miss a word of their telephone conversations.
"Captioned telephone service has never before been available in the state of Massachusetts and we are thrilled to finally be able to offer this service to meet consumer demand,"said Frank Pozniak, Executive Director of the State 911 Department.
"This service is unprecedented in our state and we have worked for years to make captioned telephone a reality for those who need it. As a result of legislation passed in 2008, starting today we are delivering enhanced technology options to make lives easier for those individuals in Massachusetts who are hard of hearing. This truly is an important milestone for our state and we are happy to be a part of this groundbreaking offering."
Captioned telephone is similar to closed captioning on the television. Using a CapTel phone and a standard telephone line, users can listen and read what the other person on the telephone is saying to them on a large, bright screen. Captions are available in English or Spanish. The CapTel phone is free to Massachusetts residents who qualify, ensuring that everyone who may benefit from Hamilton CapTel will have access to the service. "Relay services for individuals who are hard of hearing have been available in Massachusetts for years," said Mona Wallace, Director of Programs for the State 911 Department.
"We are now taking the next step forward by delivering captioned telephone services throughout the state. We are excited to add Hamilton CapTel to our list of available relay services, addressing the requests of many users throughout the State."
For more information about how to access Hamilton CapTel and apply for a CapTel phone in the state of Massachusetts, please call toll-free,1-800-300-5658. Or you can find out more about Hamilton CapTel on-line at: www.HamiltonCapTel.com or www.MassRelayEDP.com.
"Captioned telephone exists because every call is important. Our mission is to provide users with a top quality telephone experience, eliminating the frustration of trying to understand what is being said during a call."
About MassRelay
MassRelay is a 24/7 service that enables people using a standard telephone to communicate with people who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, or have difficulty speaking. CapTel service in Massachusetts will be funded by the E911/ Disability Access surcharge that is assessed on landline and wireless phones, and is part of the disability access program administered by the State 911 Department.
About Hamilton CapTel
Hamilton CapTel is a service of Hamilton Relay, a division of Hamilton Telecommunications, a diversified communications and technology services provider based in Aurora, Neb.
Founded in 1901, HamiltonTelecommunications has grown to encompass eight primary company divisions allowing Hamilton to operate on a local, regional and national basis.
For more information about Hamilton CapTel, please visit: www.hamiltoncaptel.com. CapTel is a registered trademark of Ultratec, Inc.
ASL videos about Emergency Preparedness
CEPIN Deaf and Hard of Hearing Disaster Preparedness Video. Check HERE to view the video.
ASL Emergency Preparedness Videos. Check them out on YouTube.
Deaf MD-Bridging Medicine & the Deaf World
Check out this innovative website providing accurate, concise, and valuable health information in American Sign Language to the Deaf & Hard of Hearing population. Using health information created by two trustworthy and unbiased government sources--the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health, DeafMD.org, a team of healthcare providers, linguists, and educators translates this complex information into ASL.