Volume 28 Issue 10

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Classified Section:
Two online stores, one poker tournament, and one employment opportunity

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Contact information and disclaimers are at the end of this newsletter.
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- Article 1: Hurricane Katrina, One Year Later: Independent Panel Recommendations - Part 1
By Cheryl Heppner
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Editor: Have you ever thought about the difficulties you would face during an emergency? The situation would be tough for anyone, and hearing loss compounds the difficulties. A coalition of hearing loss organizations has been lobbying on your behalf to ensure that people with hearing loss are not left out in emergency situations. Here's Cheryl's report on their recommendations.

You are welcome to share this information, but please be sure to credit NVRC. See the credit information at the end of this article.

This is part one of two parts.

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One year ago today, Hurricane Katrina began its devastation along the Gulf Coast. The storm was followed by other hurricanes, and before the season ended we saw massive destruction and evacuations on a mind- boggling scale. We also saw an enormous outpouring of generosity to help the victims of the hurricanes.

The Federal Communications Commission's Response

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) worked around the clock to help restore communications in the aftermath of Katrina. FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin also established an Independent Panel to review the impact of Hurricane Katrina on telecommunications and media infrastructure in the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina, and to make recommendations to the FCC to better prepare for future disasters. The Panel met five times. At its public hearing in Jackson, MS, NVRC Executive Director Cheryl Heppner and NOD's Hilary Styron testified about Katrina's impact on individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing.

The Independent Panel presented its report to the FCC on June 12, 2006. Moving swiftly, Chairman Martin and FCC Commissioners Adelstein, Copps, Tate and McDowell issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking one week later on June 19, 2006. They invited comment on actions that could be taken in the four areas they identified. These areas included improving communication of emergency information to the public and improving the operability and interoperability of public safety and 911 communications in time of crisis.

Comments from the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community

Last week, on August 21, 2006, Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc., American Association of People with Disabilities, Association of Late-Deafened Adults, California Coalition of Agencies Serving the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Deaf & Hard of Hearing Consumer Advocacy Network, and National Association of the Deaf jointly submitted comments to the FCC's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. The comments from these organizations included:

General Comments - Through the organizations' active participation in many FCC proceedings related to emergency services, many concerns have already been stated, such as in the recent Review of the Emergency Alert System (EAS).

- Although the Independent Panel made several recommendations regarding people with disabilities, other measures are required. The Panel's recommendations, while thoughtfully considered, do not suggest tangible action.

- Top priority must be given to the need for effective communication of information to people who are deaf and hard of hearing. In an emergency situation, a deaf and hard of hearing person, like any other individual, must have many options for communication. If one option proves ineffective or unworkable in conveying emergency information, emergency personnel should be prepared with readily available and accessible communication alternatives.

- People with hearing loss use many strategies and tools for communication. Katrina disrupted those strategies and took away tools. Heavy rain, flooding and perspiration destroyed hearing aids and cochlear implant processors or made them inoperable. Loss of power and telecommunications services made it difficult or impossible to reach the professionals who provide visual information through interpreting or transliteration, or translation of spoken words to text or serve as support service providers for individuals who are deafblind to facilitate their communication, provide visual and auditory information, and act as sighted guides.

- At a minimum, Katrina reinforced 1) the critical need for additional redundancy to ensure effective communication during preparation, notification, response, and recovery; 2) the need to develop a visually accessible communication system that can operate with off-the-shelf batteries; and 3) the need to better equip shelters and train providers to ensure effective communication with deaf and hard of hearing evacuees.

Television

- Many television stations did not provide visual information, or provided insufficient information, to convey the gravity of the situation and what actions should be taken.

Deaf and hard of hearing people were frustrated that they could get news about Katrina on national news program broadcasts that were captioned, but could not find out what was happening in their own towns through local newscasts. Even when information was visually presented, it lacked clarifying details available to those who could also hear.

- Broadcasters should ensure that they can meet their captioning obligations, even in emergency situations when their usual captioning personnel might be unavailable. Strategies could include contracts or cooperative agreements among captioning providers to caption broadcasts in the event of emergencies regardless of the emergency's location; designation of those captioning providers as essential personnel in the context of emergency; plans to ensure that transmission of captions generated offsite will not be interrupted or lost, (i.e. backup power, satellite links, etc.); and, in cases where a live stenographer is simply not available, exploring captions generated by automatic speech recognition if there is no other option and errors are immediately caught and corrected.

- The FCC should modify its captioning rules to require single-button access to captioning features, similar to the subtitle button on most DVD player remotes, to save precious seconds that are lost when trying to activate captions in emergencies.

- The FCC should revise its rules to require real-time captioning during periods of emergency alerts, and that all audio announcements are broadcast with a simultaneous text display. It should also clarify or expand its regulations on visual presentation of emergency information to include such examples as airport closings, new security measures, changes in homeland security threat levels, instructions on filing for disaster relief, where to get information on survivors and mental health services in aftermath of disasters, etc.

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(c)2006 by Northern Virginia Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons (NVRC), 3951 Pender Drive, Suite 130, Fairfax, VA 22030; www.nvrc.org Items in this newsletter are provided for information purposes only; NVRC does not endorse products or services. You do not need permission to share this information, but please be sure to credit NVRC.

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- Article 2: NAD Files Complaint About Lack of Captioning at Sports Events
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Editor: We've published many stories about people with hearing loss fighting for captioning in movies, on airplanes, on television, etc. I think this is the first one we've run about fighting for captioning at sporting events. Here's the press release from the NAD.

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Silver Spring, MD - The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) and Joseph B. Espo, an attorney with Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP in Baltimore, Maryland, filed a class action lawsuit against the Washington Redskins and FedEx Field football stadium. The complaint, filed with the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, claims that the Washington Redskins and FedEx Field failed to provide captioning for announcements made over the public address system before, during, and after Washington Redskins home games, as required under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The class action lawsuit was brought on behalf of all individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, who attend or in the future will attend Washington Redskins home games at FedEx Field. Representing the class are Shane Feldman, Brian Kelly, and Paul Singleton, who are deaf or hard of hearing and who regularly attend Washington Redskins home games at FedEx Field. Feldman says, "I am a life-long, die-hard Redskins fan and I love watching the Washington Redskins play at FedEx Field, but I miss out on the total game experience because I cannot hear the information announced over the public address system. Providing captioning is not rocket science; it is simple, and it is the right thing to do."

Marc Charmatz, Senior Attorney with the NAD Law and Advocacy Center said, "People who are deaf or hard of hearing have been excluded from large public events for decades. Providing captioning in stadiums will ensure effective communication, equal access, and an equal opportunity for people who are deaf or hard of hearing."

The complaint asks the court to order the Washington Redskins and FedEx Field to provide and display captioning on the scoreboards and video monitors for all announcements made over the public address system, including plays and penalties called, safety and emergency information, and any other announcements.

According to Espo, "The failure to provide and display captioning for the announcements made over the public address system discriminates against deaf and hard of hearing Washington Redskins fans. The Washington Redskins have known about this for years and did nothing. Deaf and hard of hearing fans are tired of being left out of the game."

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About the NAD The National Association of the Deaf (NAD), founded in 1880, safeguards the civil rights of deaf and hard of hearing Americans. As a national federation of individual members, state associations, organizational and corporate affiliates, the advocacy work of the NAD encompasses a broad spectrum of areas including, but not limited to, accessibility, education, employment, healthcare, mental health, rehabilitation, technology, telecommunications, and transportation. The NAD website (http://www.nad.org) has a wealth of advocacy information and resources.

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You're Career Oriented... Career Driven...and Hard of Hearing or Deaf
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The Institute for Persons Who Are Hard of Hearing or Deaf (IHHD) is a nonprofit Congressionally-funded agency dedicated to facilitating workplace and career advancement for aspiring professionals like you.

IHHD provides important online educational opportunities to share experiences, access top professional leaders, and develop crucial communication and business skills. Choose from a number of programs that cover all aspects of career growth - from starting a business to leadership and advocacy development.

These month-long courses are delivered online using National University's acclaimed state-of-the-art interactive learning system to provide optimal accessibility. Visit: http://cha.nu.edu/ec/formihhd-careerdev.html?ypd002
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- Article 3: Vint Cerf and BHI Address Untreated Hearing Loss
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Editor: We all know that untreated hearing loss is a real problem for millions of Americans, and that many people deny their hearing loss for years before doing something about it. Better Hearing Institute and Vint Cerf have produced a video to address the issue. You can download it at www.betterhearing.org, but note that it isn't captioned. Those who benefit from captions might choose to watch for it on their local PBS station.

Here's the press release.

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Vinton Cerf, a computer pioneer who is now Google's Vice President and Chief Internet Evangelist, urges viewers to stop ignoring hearing problems in a Better Hearing Institute documentary that will be aired on public television affiliate stations beginning in August, 2006. Dr. Cerf, who has worn hearing aids since the age of 13, is participating in an ongoing campaign by the Better Hearing Institute (BHI) to educate Americans about hearing loss and new technologically sophisticated solutions that are available to address it.

The PBS program, "Spotlight on Hearing Loss", was recently made available for showing to 348 public television affiliate stations around the country as part of the popular "Spotlight On" series with a successful 16 year history on National Public Television. The hearing loss segment is a 9.5 minute program guaranteed a minimum of 500 airings to at least 3 million public television viewers. It conveys the negative consequences of untreated hearing loss and shows viewers what they can do about it. The mini-documentary was made possible by a special grant from Sonion (Minnetonka, MN), a global supplier to the hearing healthcare industry.

"I have spent much of my life thinking about the potential of communications technology to transform people's lives," Dr. Cerf says in the documentary. "Now I'm equally excited about new digital technology that is transforming the lives of people with hearing problems."

Known as one of the "Fathers of the Internet," when he was a professor at Stanford University in the early 1970s, Dr. Cerf co-designed the protocols and architecture that now make it possible to communicate through cyberspace. He has indicated that, without hearing aids, he would not have been able to function as productively as he did throughout his long and successful career.

"We hope the Public Television 'Spotlight On' program will be a wake-up call to the 25 million Americans who know they have hearing problems but aren't doing anything about it," states Sergei Kochkin, Ph.D., BHI's Executive Director. "As a result, they often lose income on the job, have psychological problems and find that intimate relationships and family life are disrupted."

To help overcome the widespread resistance to dealing with hearing loss not to mention misinformation about the hearing healthcare process in America, the program explains the value of hearing, shows viewers what happens when they visit a hearing professional as well as how modern digital hearing aids are fitted and then manufactured.

Dr. Kochkin further states, "The use of Dr. Cerf as a spokesperson for Better Hearing is of particular significance to people with hearing loss. Dr. Cerf is a communications pioneer who has contributed world-wide to the development of the Internet and eMail; and now these are common tools in modern communication. We are hoping that his involvement in hearing health will motivate Americans with hearing loss, who have benefited from the Internet and eMail, to also explore digital technology as a means of enhancing their ability to hear, listen and communicate."

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- Article 4: Short Takes
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Editor: Here are our picks of some additional stories that you may find interesting. For more, please point your browser to: http://www.hearinglossweb.com/news/curr.htm

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Major Insurance Carriers Approve Bilateral Cochlear Implants

After losing 38 Let Them Hear Foundation bilateral cochlear implant appeals in a row, including three rulings from two insurance commissioners, Wellpoint, the largest Blue Cross parent company covering 34 million individuals in 14 different states changed their policy to provide bilateral cochlear implants to all their covered members. This affects all individuals in the Anthem and Empire families, as well as Blue Cross in California, Georgia, Wisconsin and Virginia. For the full story, including links to the new policies, please point your browser to:

http://advocacy.letthemhear.org/news-7.25.2006.php

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Gene linked to Hearing Loss in Aged Identified

Loss of hearing in the elderly has been blamed on defects in a specific gene according to studies by Dutch researchers. It has been estimated that about 37% of Britons from ages 61 to 70 and 60% of those from ages 71 to 80 about 6.5m people are said to have age-related hearing loss. The Human Mutation study that was conducted on 1,200 people revealed subtle changes in the gene, KCNQ4 more frequent among those with age-related hearing problems. According to the Royal National Institute for Deaf People, which funded the work, the study offered "real hope for treatments."

http://www.medindia.net/news/view_news_main.asp?x=13728

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The Fatigue Factor

How I Learned to Love Power Naps, Meditation, and Other Tricks to Cope With Hearing-Loss Exhaustion

It happened again last week. After a long day that included three extended conference calls and two group meetings, I crashed. This letdown wasn't the usual worn-out feeling after a long day. It was pure exhaustion, the deepest kind of fatigue. I took a nap hoping it would refresh me, but when I woke up three hours later I was still so tired I gave up on the day. I went to bed for good and only started to feel normal the next morning after eleven more hours of sleep.

http://tinyurl.com/l5z87 or
http://www.healthyhearing.com/library/article_content.asp?article_id=729

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- Classifieds
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Two online stores, one poker tournament, and one employment opportunity appear in this issue. (Ads appear after this brief table of contents.)

WCI. Providing Solutions for People with Hearing Loss.
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Potomac Technology - Everything You Need Under One Roof!
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Las Vegas World Deaf Poker Tournament
October 11, 2006
www.poker.deaflasvegas.com

Employment Opportunity
Various Positions
GLAD
Los Angeles

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WCI. Providing Solutions for People with Hearing Loss.
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Las Vegas World Deaf Poker Tournament
October 11, 2006
www.poker.deaflasvegas.com
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2nd Annual Las Vegas World Deaf Poker Tournament

When? October 11, 2006; 6 PM; Door opens at 12 noon.

Where? Palms Casino and Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada.

Event? No Limit-Texas Hold'Em/ All in. For all deaf and hard of hearing people who wish to participate. Must be 21 years or older to play.

Prizes? Based on 300 entries, 1st place winner will receive $27,000.

Cost? $300 entry fee per player.

Hosts? Southern Nevada Silver Knights and Southern Nevada Coalition of Organizations of and for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Both are non-profit organizations and the net proceeds will be donated to worthy deaf community charities.

Comments? Last year the 1st annual tournament was a complete success. Many local deaf poker tournaments were held across the country because of this success. So far none of them have not met the magnitude of this one. It has the "major league" status. The "big one". Since Las Vegas is the poker capital of the world, no wonder it is so popular here.

Web Site? Go to www.poker.deaflasvegas.com. This will give you all the information needed, such as tournament entry form and Orleans Hotel room reservation form.

E-Mail? Need to e-mail for additional information? Email lvdeafpoker1@earthlink.Net.

From the Committee: We are anxious to treat all of you to the unique and exciting experience in the world poker. Come to Las Vegas, the city of awe and thunder. It is your chance to come as a winner. See you all in "Viva Las Vegas".

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Employment Opportunity
Various Positions
GLAD
Los Angeles
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GLAD is an Affirmative Action Employer with equal opportunity for men, women and people with disabilities. For more information on the following positions, please go to: www.gladinc.org. The status of all positions is: Regular, Full-time, Non-Exempt, Full Fringe Benefits unless otherwise noted. All positions are open until filled.

* Deputy Director
* Community Health Educator and/or Community Advocate

If interested for any of these positions then please submit resume and application to:

Jeff Fetterman
Human Resources Specialist
Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafness, Inc.
2222 Laverna Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90041
V/TDD: (323) 550-4207
Fax #: (323)550-4204
E-mail: jfetterman@gladinc.org

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