CSCDHH GA Newsletter - January 1998 Issue

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NOTE: This is an abbreviated version of the CSCDHH GA Newsletter. Articles not included have the article title in Italics. To get the full text of the newsletter, become a member of CSCDHH. Thank you!!

Community Service Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
1609 19th Avenue, Seattle, Washington 98122-2848
(206) 322-4996 V/TTY
(206) 720-3251 FAX
Email: cscdhh@cscdhh.org
Interpreter Referral Service (206) 322-5551 V/TTY

CSCDHH GA
January 1998 - Vol. 17, No. 1

It's Not Important

by Branden Huxtable

CSCDHH Upcoming Events

Monday, January 19th
CSCDHH will be closed for Martin Luther King's Day.

Monday, February 16th
CSCDHH will be closed for Presidents' Day.

Technology News

DEAFDIGEST

• A Rear Window Captioning System experiment, possible through a grant by US Department of Education, took place in Sherman Oaks, CA. Exactly what is it? captions appear on the movie screen when deaf patrons use acrylic panels that are attached to their seats.

• An agreement has been reached to ensure compatibility between TTY signals and digital technology wireless systems. Ensuring compatibility were the Cellular telecommunications Industry Association and the Personal Communications Industry Association. Gallaudet University and other national consumer groups for the deaf witnessed the signing that took place last November.

Did You Know?

DEAFDIGEST

How many deaf people live in the world? 70 million, according to the latest World Federation of the Deaf Statistics.


Western States Basketball Classic

Can't get enough basketball? The Washington School for the Deaf is proud to be hosting an annual basketball tournament for high school deaf athletes from five different states. A total of eight deaf schools will be participating in the Western States Basketball Classic, for both boys and girls teams, to be held in Vancouver, Washington from January 28th to 31st 1998.

The games will be played at the Washington School for the Deaf and Hudson's Bay High School. Participating teams are from schools for the deaf in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Arizona and New Mexico.

There will also be a Knowledge Bowl competition Friday morning. The teams consist of both boys and girls in high school grade levels. In addition, there will be a cheerleading competition Friday night January 30th, 1998.

Come and join the fun. Contact Judy Smith at (360) 418-0401 (V/TTY) or (360) 418-0401 (V/TTY).


Club Saturday

We are into our second successful year of Club Saturday. Twenty-two Deaf and hard of hearing children, ranging from 3 to 12 years old, have enjoyed this fun and educational ASL program. The Board members are very proud of this accomplishment, and hope to see it continue. Funding, personnel and location are in place for a third six-month session, starting in January 1998. During this next session, the existing Board will be replaced. The Board is hoping those of you who have children who have benefited from this program, or those of you who believe in the opportunities Club Saturday is giving these kids, will take part.

Please join us on February 21st 10am at CSCDHH to choose a new board members. Without new leadership, June 20th will be the final day for Club Saturday. For more information, see in Community Announcements.

GA Newsletter Masthead

Letter from the Director

Welcome Aboard to New Staff Members. Please join me in welcoming new Information & Referral Service staff members Mary Bauer and Lusanne (Lu) Massaro. They will share the position; Mary started early in December, and Lu will start on January 5. Both currently attend the Interpreting Training Program at Seattle Central Community College.

CSCDHH Birthday Dinner. For those of you who missed a wonderful 21st Birthday dinner party for CSCDHH, I can truly tell you that a great time was had by all. A huge crowd ate the delicious food prepared by John MacWilliams and his volunteers. THANK YOU! In addition, Dianne Greene was honored for her service as the first CSCDHH Coordinator. It can be truly said that Dianne and the first board of CSCDHH built the foundation upon which CSCDHH provides its services to the community.

New Year's Resolutions. Tradition calls for a time of celebration whenever a New Year begins. Celebration is then followed by a time of reflection, and resolving to use the "new" year to start over with a clean slate and become a better person. So here are New Year's resolutions for CSCDHH:

· WE RESOLVE to continue on the path of financial stability for CSCDHH.

· WE RESOLVE to have more presentations in 1998 on deaf culture, hearing loss, interpreting services and interpreting block grant availability.

· WE RESOLVE to improve the Interpreter Referral Service to provide the best referral services in the Northwest.

· WE RESOLVE that the 9-1-1/TTY Education Program will develop a testing procedure to ensure that 9-1-1 operators appropriately communicate with deaf, deaf-blind, hard of hearing and speech disabled TTY users.

· WE RESOLVE to update our Information & Referral database so that the entire community has access to the most accurate information about deaf, deaf-blind and hard of hearing people.

· WE RESOLVE that the Community Advocacy Program will continue to provide community members with appropriate assistance with their communication access needs.

· WE RESOLVE to have community forums in 1998 so that members can tell us what types of services and programs they would like to see in the future.

Now, I would like to make some suggestions for New Year's resolutions for CSCDHH members and the community:

· To join CSCDHH as a member.

· To participate in community forums.

· To volunteer at CSCDHH (Youth Program, GA Newsletter production, 9-1-1/TTY Education Program testing, Fundraising, committee or Board member).

· To donate money to CSCDHH to continue its programs, or for the Building Fund.

Whatever your resolutions are, have a happy, safe and healthy 1998!

What's Happening and About Town

Community Announcements

Volunteers needed. A volunteer proficient in either ASL or SEE is needed to work in the classroom with a nine year old student who has Down's Syndrome. The student has a moderate hearing impairment and is aided. Volunteers should be available during school hours 9am to 3pm. Please call Woodside Elementary at (425) 338-5150 and ask for Gail Carney. Woodside is located in the Mill Creek area.

Adventure to South America planned. WRAD International SIG (formerly Aquarian Tours of the Deaf), is again offering a uniquely exciting series of adventure tours in South America for August 1998. Because our trip experience of 1995 was very successful, it is being offered again. Travelers will have the same opportunity to experience the wonders of the Amazon Rainforest, to discover the wonders of Peru and its ancient Inca culture, or to explore mysterious Easter Island. All tours are accompanied by top professional sign language interpreters.

For more information, call (800) 822-5528 (V), (916) 926-3491 (V), (916) 926-3494 (FAX), or write Elisa Spahn 319 W Mt. Shasta Blvd. P.O. Box 219 Mount Shasta CA 96067, or go to the web site http://www.wrad.org/travel, or e-mail loy@snowcrest.net, or write J. Loy Estes WRAD International Travel SIG Tour Director, P. O. Box 893 Mount Shasta CA 96067, (916) 926-4969 (TTY/FAX).

The University of Washington is conducting a study to investigate how people's ability to understand speech is affected by age. We are currently seeking adults age 18-40 with a hearing impairment in at least one ear. You must have some residual hearing to participate in the study, but you don't need to use a hearing aid. A hearing test will be conducted to determine eligibility. All testing will be conducted a the University of Washington. Participants will be paid $8.00 per hour and will be reimbursed for parking. Interested individuals should contact Pamela Souza, Ph.D. at the Auditory Research Lab at (206) 685-2207.

Never too early to plan camp for your deaf kids. Camp Mark Seven, Adirondack Mountains NY, offers recreational and educational programs for the deaf. For more information, e-mail Lisa E. Flynn at lisaflynn@aol.com or go to web site http://members.aol.com/campmark7.

The City of Seattle federally-funded Energy Assistance Program (EAP) has been renewed for another program year. Through the program, eligible low income households residing in the city may receive fuel payment assistance ranging from $25 to $700 to help pay electric, natural gas, oil and other home heating costs. Furnace repair services will also be available for eligible home owners. For more information, or to schedule appointments, call (206) 328-2356.

Hearing interpreter needed in beautiful Lake Chelan WA. Individual would act as an interpreter and educational assistant for a delightful seven year old boy 6.5 hours per day and work a schedule that allows you the time to explore Lake Chelan and the beautiful North Cascades. Must have excellent interpreting skills; prefer educational interpreting experience but will train. Salary range $9.66 to $10.24 per hour depending upon experience. Great attitude, sense of humor, flexible and self-starter wanted. If interested, please call (509) 682-3515. For an application, write to Lake Chelan School District #129 P. O. Box 369, Chelan WA 98816.

Bellevue Community College is now offering a full-time tenure track American Sign Language Instructor position. Starting September 1998, the successful candidate will be responsible for teaching courses at levels (I through III) of American Sign Language offered at Bellevue Community College. In addition to teaching, responsibilities include providing leadership in the development, review and implementation of curriculum; providing student advising; and participating in college governance and on committees. At least one-third of the teaching assignment may be during the evening.

Minimum qualifications are: Master's degree in Education, Linguistics or a related field; certification or qualification for certification from American Sign Language Instructor Association (ASLIA) or from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) or from the National Association of the Deaf (NAD); and a minimum of two years experience working with the deaf culture or as a freelance sign language interpreter or two years teaching experience in American Sign Language.

Closing date is February 2, 1998. Call 425/ 643-2082 for an application or refer to the homepage at www.bcc.ctc.edu/joblist. Applicants with disabilities who require assistance with the recruitment may contact 425/ 641-2274 or leave a TTY message at 425/ 603-4184 by the application closing date.

Paid Advertisements

Washington State TTY Directory, 1996-1998

Pick up your copy at CSCDHH today for $7.00 each or send a check, payable to CSCDHH, for $9.00. $7.00 for the book plus $2.00 shipping and handling.

Community Service Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, 1609 - 19th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98122-2848

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