DEAF-BLIND SERVICE CENTER

DBSC BULLETIN

Volume 59 Spring 2005

Table of Contents

Program Updates __________________________ 2

Staff News __________________________________ 8

Announcements ___________________________ 8

Community Information _______________________ 9

DBSC Office and Staff _______________________ 12

DBSC Board of Directors _______________________ 13

Donors ____________________________________ 13

Donation Form ______________________________ 14


DBSC Newsletter Abbreviation Information

In order to save space here, we will often abbreviate "DB" for Deaf-Blind.

Program Updates

Advocacy and Case Management Program
By Liz Halperin

News from the Advocacy Program

Clients or Participants? We are changing our vocabulary at DBSC. We decided to stop using the label "client." Now we are all participants. (We are signing it like "joiner"). Some people who received services did not like being called a "client" but do participate in services. If you get any service from DBSC such as SSP services, advocacy services, or the newsletter, you are a participant. (Even the DB staff are participants!) We will talk about DB people who get our services as participants, that's it. We are changing our paperwork and the website for this. It will be a slow change, it takes time. But we are already making the changes. Some forms are changed, some we will do later. Our signing habits take some time to change too.

New vibrating signals! The city of Seattle has agreed to put in vibrating crosswalk signals at the intersection of Madison and 17th. They will put in signals on all four corners! Big thanks to David Miller and many others who worked a long time to make this happen. DBSC advocates also gave input at a very important time. Now there is a Trader Joe's (TJ's) store at that intersection and a lot of traffic is turning the corners. It is more dangerous now, so please be extra careful. Even when the new signals are put in, please be careful there. If you are walking on the west side of the TJ's building, the parking lot entrance and exit is not safe. We had been talking with the TJ's management about this. They added a mirror for drivers who leave the driveway, but it's still not safe enough. We have asked for a required stop before going into sidewalk. We will see what they do.

Our Website: The DBSC website, www.seattledbsc.org, is regularly updated. The new information is always listed on the home (front) page, with a link to find it on the website. If you have feedback, please contact Liz Halperin at lhalperin@seattledbsc.org. She maintains the website as a volunteer donation of time.

As participants have noticed, we are actively updating all Intake Forms and Interpreter Preference Lists at this time. Our goal is to have all Interpreter Lists completed and distributed by the end of March, 2005. We won't do this project again until 2007.

Restaurant Access: If you know of any restaurants that have Large Print and Braille menus, please contact Dave Scotton. We would like to have a list of these restaurants available on the website for local DB people and visitors. At this time, we know of 2: The Cheesecake Factory (all of them) and P.F. Chang's Chinese Bistro in the Westlake Mall downtown Seattle. You have to ask for the menu, but they do have it at the front desk. Let us know of others!

Pagers: Liz is researching the current 4 available models of Blackberry pagers and the one Sidekick. She personally has the 7730 Blackberry model that is not in stores for demonstration. She can show it to you in person. Liz is making a written list of comparisons between the different pagers. If you are interested in this, please contact her.
Liz will attend the 20th annual Technology and Individuals with Disabilities Conference in LA this March. She went last year and came back with a lot of information about current new tech and products in development.

SSP Gas Fees: Now, this may be the most exciting news for DB people! Liz asked her tax accountant about the gas money she pays for SSP trips. There isn't any invoice or receipt, so there is no way to prove the expense. (You can deduct any disability-related cost if you can prove it.) The accountant said you don't need a receipt if the service cost is under $75. What you do need is evidence if you get audited. Evidence can be noting in your calendar when you have SSP days and how much you paid for gas. (Same for volunteer SSP time.) If you don't keep a calendar or are fully blind, you can keep a print or braille record, just keep a list that gives the dates and how much you paid the SSP for gas. At the end of the year, you can add it up and deduct this as a disability-related expense. That means you don't have to pay tax on that money. If you have trouble keeping track of this, maybe you can ask your SSP to help with the list. Maybe tape a piece of paper on a kitchen cupboard and write down every time you have SSP. There are many ways to keep lists. If you use a computer program such as Quicken, QuickBooks, or Money, you can keep track there with a new category for Medical/Disability/
SSP Services.

SHA Certification: There is another way to use this SSP gas money information. If you keep the records, you should be able to use it as a medical (disability) expense when you get your SHA or Section 8 recertification done. It's like keeping the receipts for your medicines or braille paper or TTY paper or whatever deaf-blind expenses or medical expenses you have. This should help lower your rent. If you need assistance with this, please contact one of our advocates.

Program Director
By Jackie Engler-Morris

DB Interpreting Mentorship Project

On January 8th, we had a workshop, Understanding and Revisiting The Mentoring Process, with Julie Simon. There were 14 participants including 8 DB. It was good learning opportunity for when they decide to become mentors in the future. Thanks to Julie for her wonderful presentation and Salwa for coordinating the interpreters! A special thanks to Dawn Sign Press for generously supporting interpreter expenses!

Video Access Program

GOOD NEWS! DBSC now has Video Access Program (VAP)! What is VAP? People can make a phone call and communicate through video. You can call people directly or use the Video Relay Service (VRS) to call non-singers instead of using the traditional Relay Service. You can use your sign language instead of typing English on TTY/TB.

DBSC now has a video communication booth in the conference room. DBSC now has D-Link which is a small box with video lens. D-Link is on top of a 26" screen TV. You can sign and look at a TV screen during video communication.

There are two ways you can use our VAP. You can call a non-signer, like a business or friend, through the VRS. Or you can call someone who has video equipment directly. You can use either here at DBSC!

This VAP is sponsored by Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ODHH). There are two parts for this program: DBSC staff can provide one-to-one training to DB participants to learn how to use VAP. We will make a few presentations to some local agencies and businesses about how video communication process works.

If you are DB and live in King, Snohomish, Jefferson, or Clallam counties, you have the opportunity to come to DBSC and learn how to use video communication. We have adapted the materials for low vision DB people. We hope you grab this opportunity with this exciting program!

The trainings are free. This will continue until the end of June. If you are interested in learning more about the program, email Jackie at jengler@seattledbsc.org or TTY at (206) 323-5463. If you want to schedule training, email Liz at Lhalperin@seattledbsc.org or TTY at (206) 323-9217.

SSP Program
By Dawn Howes, Manager

Here are some updates in the SSP Program.

As you may know, we hired Johnnie Peterson as our new Staff SSP. He is does a wonderful job and works with many DB people. Johnnie also assists DBSC staff and Board with SSP needs. He also helps with the Senior Citizen class by driving people to the class from and to their homes. This is great because now seniors do not have to rely on the Access van to get them to and from DBSC. Taking the stress out of the Senior Class makes it more enjoyable for everyone.
I also want to thank to everyone including DBSC staff and Interpreters who have helped drive DB Seniors home from the Senior Citizen events.

We are still trying to resolve the problem with volunteer SSPs. DBSC is researching how we can set up volunteer SSP services again without being liable if an accident happens. As soon as we get more information, we will let the community know. Big thanks to all for your patience and understanding and to all of the paid SSPs who have volunteered many hours to the DB community.

DBSC is also in the process of revising and improving our SSP Policies for DB and SSPs. Jackie, Gail and I are working on making the revisions so all of the policies are clear and consistent with what we want our program to look like. When the policies are complete, we will be asking people in the DB community to review them and give us feedback before they are finalized.

I sent out a letter to many DB people who get SSP services about a month ago. It explained how we still have people on the SSP waiting list who have no SSP hours. The letter asked if you could donate an hour of your SSP time back to DBSC for a few months (through March '05). Three people responded, and we were able to get two DB people off the wait list for SSP services. Thank you! If you can make due with fewer hours, please let us know. We still have people who have none or very few hours for SSP time. Your donation would be greatly appreciated by everyone. If you can donate an hour for a few months, please contact me.

After we finish the SSP Policies, we will start revising our training for SSPs. We have many people who want to become SSPs, including many Deaf people, which we are especially excited about. We hope to have another training in the summer of this year and hope that many new people will become contracted with DBSC to provide SSP services.

Staff News

If you move or change address, please contact Deanna to update and let us know which one you would like to receive in print or in email. We need to save a lot of money on papers and stamps if you could be put on email list.

Announcements

DBSC 2005 Event (save the date!)
Sunday, May 22, 2005 - DBSC's 2nd Annual Walk-A-Thon at Seward Park - 5902 Lake Washington Blvd. S., Seattle

Lighthouse Seabeck Camp
This year Seabeck Camp is August 28 to September 3, 2005. If you are interested to volunteer SSP/interpret for the Deaf-Blind campers, please contact Tami Berk at TBerk@seattlelh.org.

Community Picnic
The Community Picnic will happen on June 11, 2005 from 11am to 3pm. The picnic is sponsored by CSCDHH, ADWAS, DBSC, NWADO, WSDBC, HSDC, WNAAL, NWGUAA, and ODHH. Contact Kay Amos at kay@adwas.org for location. Contact Dawn at dhowes@seattledbsc.org for SSP.

DBSC Job Announcement
Support Service Provider (SSP) Manager Position

DBSC is searching for a motivated and creative person to manage the SSP Program. This is a 20-30 hour a week position. If you are interested to apply this position, please check DBSC's website at www.seattledbsc.org.

Thank You!! Thank You!! Thank You!!

A major thank you to Douglas Bailey who has volunteered countless hours for technical support advice to help train Liz Halperin about web design and computer network servers. Another huge thank you to Dawn McKenna for her volunteer time with Salwa Rosen for training on QuickBooks and accounting practices. Big thanks to Christine Gilbrough for helping out when we make mass mailings.

COMMUNITY INFORMATION

Washington State 9-1-1/TTY Education Program
By Donna Platt

APRIL IS WASHINGTON STATE DISASTER PREPAREDNESS MONTH

Disaster preparedness month is being observed in Washington State during April. The purpose of this observance is to encourage residents to learn more about how to prepare for different types of disasters and to make a 3-day emergency plan. With more practice and planning, people will know what to do when a real disaster happens. Washington State is one of a few states that are in danger for terrorism, natural (earthquake, flood, windstorm) and manmade disasters (chemical accident, fire, power outage).

You may contact your local emergency management office for assistance with disaster planning. You can find the listing from www.emd.wa.gov.

Emergency preparation information from different sources are listed in http://www.cscdhh.org/911/en10.htm. You can contact for more information with the Washington State 9-1-1/TTY Education Program at (206) 322-4996 TTY/V, (206) 720-3251 FAX, WA911TTY@cscdhh.org. You can come to the Community Service Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing to look at various posters on how to prepare for different type of disasters in the lobby area.

APRIL 21st IS EARTHQUAKE DRILL IN WASHINGTON STATE

Statewide earthquake drill will be held on April 21, 2005 between 9:45 AM and 10:00 AM. Weather alert equipment, some radio and television stations will announce the earthquake drill to the public in the state. People are to practice the Drop, Cover and Hold drill. Drop means go under a strong desk or table, cover your head with arms and then hold to the furniture. It is important to practice this drill because it will help people become more prepared for a real earthquake in the future.

IMPORTANT! DON'T TURN OFF THE PHONE SERVICES!

Many of you do not have phone services or some of you are thinking of turning off the phone services. Why? You use TTY less and less because you are using email, internet, pagers, VRS, and other technologies more than before. So why keep phone services? Right?

What can you do when an emergency happens? It is faster to call 9-1-1 directly using TTY. If you call 9-1-1 from your TTY using the phone line, the 9-1-1 center will see the address on the computer screen. The 9-1-1 may be able to send help to that address if communication between you and 9-1-1 doesn't work out. If use technology, it takes a LONG time to contact 9-1-1 and many technologies do not work with 9-1-1. Also it will not show the address on their computer screen.

Using relay services via internet and video is not recommended because the relay operator has to get information (address of where you are and phone number) first from you and then call the directory assistance to get the right 10-digit phone number of 9-1-1 center near where you live. When the relay operator calls 9-1-1, the 9-1-1 will not have your address on their computer screen. It is your responsibility to give address of emergency and phone number to 9-1-1 the first thing because sometimes the phone between relay service, 9-1-1 center and you can be disconnected. If disconnected, the 9-1-1 center may call you via TTY, but it all depends on the information the 9-1-1 gets from you.

It is important to have the phone service and TTY for emergency purposes. If you're thinking of disconnecting your telephone service... my suggestion? DON'T! as it may save your own life!

Volcano Awareness Month is being observed in Washington State in the month of May. Do you know that Washington State has 5 mountains that may cause volcano eruptions? For more information, check http://emd.wa.gov/5-prep/trng/pubed/weather/volcano-month-flyer.pdf

In Memory Of
We are sad to announce the passing of Lillian Bjerk and Sherri Griffith.

DBSC Office And Staff
DBSC Phone: (206) 323 - 9178 TTY
DBSC Fax: (206) 328 - 8497

Gail Ploman, Executive Director
Phone: (206) 325 - 7241 TTY
Email: gploman@seattledbsc.org

Dawn Howes, SSP Program Manager
Phone: (206) 323 - 3644 V/TTY
Email: dhowes@seattledbsc.org & ssp@seattledbsc.org

Johnnie Peterson, SSP Staff
Phone: (206) 323 - 3644 TTY
Email: jpeterson@seattledbsc.org

Deanna Donaldson, Office Manager
Phone: (206) 323 - 9178 TTY
Email: info@seattledbsc.org & ddonaldson@seattledbsc.org

Liz Halperin, Advocacy Program Manager/Advocacy Specialist
Phone: (206) 323 - 9217 TTY
Email: lhalperin@seattledbsc.org

Dave Scotton, Advocacy Specialist
Phone: (206) 328 - 0613 TTY
Email: dscotton@seattledbsc.org

Jackie Engler-Morris, Program Director
Phone: (206) 323 - 5463 TTY
Email: jengler@seattledbsc.org

Salwa Rosen, Interpreter Coordinator/Bookkeeper
Phone: (206) 726 - 1950 V/TTY
Email: srosen@seattledbsc.org & terp@seattledbsc.org

DBSC Board of Directors

Caryn Tenin - President Jeremy Sasser - Member
Jeff Foster - Vice President Kathy Steiner - Member
Alex Lee - Treasurer Robert Steppler - Member
Adam Novsam - Member Karen Stueland - Member

Donors November 2004 to February 2005

Carol Askew
John & Linda Blondin
Karen Carlson
Robin Cashman
Michael Dahl
James & Rita Durkheimer
Lester & Jackie Engler-Morris**
Selene Fisher
Dorothy Foster
Marlene Foster
Griffin Commercial Parts, Inc.
Liz Halperin**
Branden & Jennifer Huxtable
Barton & Kristen Johnson
Sandie Ledray
Alex Lee*
Nancy Leto
Molly McGuire

Lewis Merkin

Lavena Meske

Shiela & Lachmi Mohnani

Kevin Napolitano

Karen Ozmun

Gail Ploman**

Jason Plourde

Clements Provtakis

QFC

John & Dorothy Rasmussan

Peter Rosen

Jeremy Sasser*

Donna Shaman

Rachel Simon

Robert Steppler*

Dorothy Walt

Michael Worstell

*Indicates DBSC Board Member
**Indicates DBSC Staff


DONATION FORM

The Deaf-Blind Service Center is a non-profit organization. We are funded through government contracts and individual donations. All contributions are tax deductible within the rules and regulations set by the IRS.

Your support means a lot to us.

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Yes, the company I work for has a Matching Gifts program

(last updated on 3/27/05)