DEAF-BLIND SERVICE CENTER
DBSC BULLETIN
Volume 63 Spring 2007
Table of Contents
Community Information and Announcements
DBSC Newsletter Abbreviation Information
In order to save space here, we will often abbreviate “DB” for Deaf-Blind, “ED” for Executive Director, and “NL” for newsletter
By Jelica Nuccio
Greetings and a big smile to all! I am so happy and excited to be back at DBSC in this new role as Director. It’s a time for big dreams and much gratitude – appreciation for all your support, good wishes and bouquets of flowers.
Developing the SSP program is the first priority. We do need more independent contractors. Sometimes DB people do not have enough choices. We also want to make sure the SSP service is high quality. So, we will recruit more SSP’s to be on our list and we will offer training.
DBSC continues to need your donations and financial support. We will be looking for contracts that improve the quality of life for DB people and we will be busy doing fundraising. I am learning more about the process for getting money from the state. The fiscal year (budget year for us) ends in the middle of summer. By July 1, 2006 we will know more clearly what money we will receive from the state for next year. We will prepare for the next year and keep you, our Community informed.
See you all in May at the Walk-a-Thon.
GREETINGS FROM DBSC BOARD OF DIRECORS!
By Caryn Tenin, Board President
Greetings from the Board of Directors
Hope the year of 2006 finds you well and happy.
As you may not realize DBSC is already 20 years old! The agency was established in 1985 but very slowly; which was necessary. First 20 years we had sighted hearing and Deaf Executive Directors and DBSC is rewriting history after 20 years.
Finally, it’s a new generation in 2006 having a first Deaf-Blind director.
We are very pleased to welcome Jelica Nuccio as our new Executive Director. She is well known in the community. She is very capable of taking on many challenges including negotiations and budget. She’s a raw talent.
We the Board look forward to working with her closely in the future. Read Jelica’s profile under announcements in this newsletter. We are also pleased to welcome Jacki Christi a young hearing woman who joined the Board in January. She is already involved in fundraising and personal committees assisting the chairpersons. Waving, stomping to her!
Don’t forget about 3rd year Walkathon event coming in May! Also, DBSC picnic will be back in August. Info at: www.seattledbsc.org
Best regards,
Caryn Tenin, DBSC President and Board members
Program Updates:
By Jackie Engler-Morris
It’s spring time now! Time to stop smell and touch the flowers that are blooming! It is so exciting to have Jelica as DBSC’s very first DB Executive Director! Also, her beloved dog Cliff has joined us as well and he will surely be entertainment for us!
SENIOR CITIZEN’S PROGRAM:
By Jackie Engler-Morris
DB seniors attended two classes last fall, and we had FUN at Southcenter Mall for holiday lunch and shopping last December. BIG THANKS to interpreting students from SCCC, ASLIS, deaf SSP from Bellingham area and a free-lance interpreter; for their wonderful energy and motivation in SSPing with DB Seniors! The educational classes are now on hold due to lack of funding. Hopefully DBSC will plan a summer gathering for DB Seniors to go shopping and have lunch at Alki Beach in West Seattle.
For Senior Citizens – if you need to have your will notarized, the Mayor’s Office will do that for free for Senior Citizens. You will need to call their TTY number (206) 233-2778 and ask to speak to Cynthia who will make an appointment for you to come in between 8 AM and 5 PM Monday thru Friday.
SSP PROGRAM:
By Jackie Engler-Morris
I am now working hard in this program. A huge thank-you to Heidi for her excellent work and motivation on this program in the past seven months! If you would like to participate as a volunteer SSP for upcoming events: Walk-A-Thon on May 6 and DBSC’s 20th Anniversary picnic on August 5th, please contact me (Jackie) at ssp@seattledbsc.org or (206) 323-5463 TTY. Also, you will see the latest update below about the local SSP Pilot project.
SSP Pilot Project: We are doing our SSP Pilot project through the City of Seattle contract. Each DB person who lives in Seattle gets 2 goal plans every year under their Advocacy Services. Now, this year you can get one goal plan for SSP services! For example, if a DB person wants to buy a new TV and he/she is able to read closed-captioned well, then DBSC can set up a goal plan and get a SSP to assist DB person to go to a few stores and provide visual and environmental information with choices of TV brand names. Another example, if a DB person wants to buy a new microwave oven, DBSC can make a goal plan and get SSP services to help learn how to use it!
ADVOCACY AND CASE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
By Dave Scotton
Some things have changed. First, we would like to say thank you to Liz Halperin for her five years of hard work. Many of you know that she left last November. Dave is still here and he is now the Lead Case Manager/Advocate. If any of our female clients need a female advocate, they can make a request thru Dave either by email or TTY. And we will provide one. We still have our Video Access Program and Shane Dickson is our new Trainer. Good news – you can be trained on both Sorenson and D-Link. So if you are interested, contact Dave and he will make the necessary arrangements. (Dave’s email address and phone number is still the same).
National Support Service Provider Pilot Project Update:
By Gail Ploman
The National SSP Pilot Project committee members and supporters worked hard during 2004-2005 by providing education about DB people and SSP services to Senator’s and Representatives in Congress from many states. Members of this committee are Randy Pope from Maryland, Kris Cue’ from Texas, Jamie Pope and Elizabeth Spiers from AADB, Dorothy Walt from HKNC, and Caryn Tenin, Jackie Engler-Morris and Gail Ploman from DBSC. Nancy Sommer from WSDBC also joined us in Washington DC. DBSC’s new Executive Director, Jelica Nuccio will be joining the committee.
In 2005, DBSC presented a proposal to Senator Patty Murray requesting 2006 appropriation funds for the National SSP Pilot Project. Senator Murray’s staff informed us in January that there were no earmarked funds available for any agency or organization for 2006 under the Dept. of ED, or Dept. of Labor and Dept. of Health and Human Services. This means that no agency received any federal appropriation funds for their projects, including DBSC for 2006. We are disappointed. The good news is that Senator Murray asked DBSC to submit the same proposal again for 2007 appropriation funds. Senator Murray informed us that she will make all 2006 requests that are re-submitted for 2007 a priority. This means the National SSP Pilot Project has a chance of receiving federal funds in 2007!
If funds are provided for this project, DBSC will expand SSP services in Washington State, and DBSC will sub-contract out start-up funds for two pilot sites to provide SSP services: one in Austin, Texas and one in MD/VA/DC metro area.
If you want more information or want to know how you can support the National SSP Pilot Project, please contact Gail Ploman at gploman@seattledbsc.org.
COMMUNITY INFORMATION AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Third Annual Walk for Opportunity: DBSC is excited to be hosting our Third Annual Walk for Opportunity. We hope you can join in the fun this is a good time to get out and see old friends and meet new ones. The walk-a-thon will be at Seward Park on Saturday, May 6th, 2006 from 9am – 1pm. for more information please contact DBSC. Thank you Sponsors: Talking Rain, Safeway, QFC, Madison Market, Julia's, and Broadway Grill (they have all donated Gift Certificates to be used as prizes).
Annual Deaf and Deaf Blind Community Picnic: There will be a community picnic hosted by ADWAS, DBSC, HSDC, and Lighthouse for the Blind, WSAD, WSDBC, Gallaudet Alumni, and NTID Alumni. The picnic will be on June 3, 2006 at Lincoln Park from 11am-3pm at Shelters #1 and #2. Please mark it on your calendar!
Annual DBSC Picnic: 20th Year Anniversary!! Save this Date!!
Our annual picnic will be held at Ravenna Park on Saturday, August 5, 2006 from 10am-2pm at shelter #1. We will supply the burgers, hot dogs, buns and condiments. It is a potluck so brink your favorite dish to share. We hope to see you there.
Congratulations!!
Congrats to Nancy Wickward for being certified interpreter - CI & CT!!! Nancy was a former DBSC staff member. We are wishing you the best adventure you can have interpreting!
Congratulations, Jelica Bruer Nuccio, M.P.H., executive director of the Deaf-Blind Service Center in Seattle, Washington, is this year's winner of the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) Distinguished Alumni Award for the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID). Distinguished Alumni Awards are presented annually to graduates with outstanding professional achievements. Nuccio, a native of Dubrovnik, Croatia, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from RIT in 1988. Nuccio, who has Usher's Syndrome, an inherited condition that causes hearing loss and progressive vision loss, directs the Deaf-Blind Service Center in Seattle. Jelica was former President of WSDBC, and a Board member of AADB. She also is a volunteer development officer for ASLIS. Jelica has an MA in Public Health from Emory and a BA in Biology from NTID/RIT. Her most recent employment was working as an employment placement specialist for DVR and HKNC in WA State. She has also worked for the University of Washington in fiscal management and research. Jelica says she is enthusiastic about working for DBSC and will do her best for the Deaf-Blind community.
Congratulations, Pam Milham in pursuing your career as an interpreter, Pam graduated from SCCC last year and has worked with us since last summer. We will miss you and have enjoyed so much having you around. Once again thank you for your dedication and your hard work for DBSC. We all hope to see you around and continue staying in touch.
Job Announcement:
DBSC is seeking a full time permanent Office Manager. For more information please visit our web site at www.seattledbsc.org or please email resume to Jelica Nuccio at jnuccio@seattledbsc.org.
Deaf-Blind Explorers:
Mark your calendar now for 2007! Start saving for the next trip planned by the Deaf-Blind Explorers! Deaf-Blind Explorers is making plans for a wonderful cruise to Alaska. It promises to be full of exciting and breathtaking views of the beautiful and awesome glaciers, animals, and mountains in the northwest part of the United States. We are working closely with the cruise line to help get us the best deal and we will let you know as soon as we have pricing. We are looking at dates in June 2007. Full details, including the cost, will be announced by the beginning of this summer. Look for us at the exhibits table at the AADB national conference in Baltimore. To be added to the email list for further announcements. (Please contact Lynn Jansen at deafblindtravel@aol.com).
HKNC Region10 – January 2006 Newsletter: To all Deaf-Blind individuals in the states of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington! If you have not received your copy of the HKNC Region 10 newsletter for January 2006 please contact us! We may not have your current address (e-mail and/or street). Call Taryn at 206-324-9120 or e-mail her at: hkncnw@qwest.net with your new information.
New Tactile Traffic Signals near DBSC: The City of Seattle has finally put in four new tactile crossing signals at each four corners of 17th and Madison near Trader Joe’s. Dave has tested them and they work just fine. Now DB can travel safely around that area. In addition, four other tactile signals were also recently installed near Woodland Park Zoo on 50th and Fremont.
Western Region Interpreter Education Center: The Western Region Interpreter Education Center at Western Oregon University (WOU) and El Camino College has new website! It's www.wou.edu/wriec. Please note that few areas on that website are still under construction. If you need more information, contact Julie Simon of WOU at simonjh@wou.edu or Pauline Annarino of El Camino College at pgannarino@aol.com.
Jot a Dot New Braille Equipment: Jot-A-Dot, the first innovation in Braille writing in the last fifty years, is one of the contenders to win the fourth Saatchi & Saatchi Award for World Changing Ideas. The Jot a Dot is a portable Braille writing device used for taking quick notes on standard paper. The unit is very small and can be worn around the neck. The user can see what has been brailed without removing the paper from the unit. Paper is rolled in the unit similar to a Perkins Braille Writer. Optelec Tieman Group. Price: $345. From: Technology Resource List, National Federation of the Blind Updated December 1, 2005
Wal-Mart introduces Tactile Keypads: As of December 1, Wal-Mart has started installing debit and credit card machines at the register with tactile keypads in every store in the country (over 10,000 units!) The new units allow blind shoppers to enter their PIN numbers with confidentially. Other retailers with flat screen devices force blind people to disclose their PIN when using debit cards. Wal-Mart is training staff about the location of the new machines and their importance to blind shoppers. As with anything else new in a store, however, it is possible that not all staff may know where the new units are located. If you encounter any problems or have feedback please let us know by email: lfeingold@earthlink.net or phone: 1-800-332-6177 (please leave a message)
2006 AADB Conference: American Association of the Deaf-Blind (AADB) will have its national conference on June 17-23, 2006 on the campus of Towson University in Baltimore, MD; if you are interested in attending this conference, you can check their website for more details - www.aadb.org. Or, you can call AADB office for more information. You can reach at (301) 495-4403 TTY or (301) 495-4403 Voice.
By Pam Milham and Heidi Aulenbach
Heidi and I decided to interview a couple of the earlier Executive Directors; Gail Ploman and Carol Brown, to see what their perspective was then and now.
Carol Brown:
HEIDI: You were a director here for ten years; what kept you going in this job?
CAROL: The community and the demand for providing increased services. I always tried to do more.
HEIDI: What was your biggest accomplishment during your ten year post?
CAROL: There were several things that I believe were great accomplishments. One of the accomplishments would include increasing SSP hours; getting a federal grant to provide weekend retreats and DB classes which the Lighthouse had done in previous years; Region 10 Mentorship Project in conjunction with Western Oregon University (thanks Marthalee) having the first DB board president; and last leaving the organization with a rainy day fund (a savings account that could help cover costs if there was and emergency). Of course, this could not have happened without the help of a great staff and a hard working, dedicated board. Last, I think one of my greatest accomplishments was recruiting Jelica Nuccio to work at DBSC.
HEIDI: From DBSC’s infancy in 1985, can you tell us how much the agency has changed since then and what is your current impression?
CAROL: The agency has made huge changes over the years. During this time that most non-profits are struggling because of the economy, I look forward to seeing DBSC take on this challenge and succeed. If we all can make efforts to work as a team to keep the services strong and to address the changing needs, that is what I would encourage.
HEIDI: How do you feel about Jelica Nuccio being the agency’s first DB ED?
CAROL: As a DB person, Jelica understands what life is like for other DB people. Her taking the position as ED demonstrates to the hearing world that DEAF-BLIND PEOPLE CAN!!! Jelica has the determination, commitment and leadership skills to lead DBSC into the future. I am looking forward to it and hope to help in any way I can.
Gail Ploman:
HEIDI: What was your biggest accomplishment during your post?
GAIL: In the 6 years I was Director, there were many accomplishments, but not all were obvious, such as in 2003, when the state tried to cut all of DBSC’s state money. By working close with the Governor’s office during that time, the money was saved. One huge accomplishment was moving into the new offices in this building. We have more room now and are more accessible to the HEIDI: Do you feel that DBSC has grown in the past twenty years?
GAIL: Yes, and often nonprofit agencies grow the most during times of challenge and sometimes growing is an up and down process. DBSC is a strong agency because many DB people support it. The Board has grown more professional without ignoring DB culture and communication. State funding for DBSC is larger now than it was 20 years ago. Many nonprofits fold every year, but DBSC is still here and running its programs with DB community members involved!
HEIDI: What are your feelings about Jelica Nuccio being the first DB Executive Director here at DBSC?
GAIL: I am very excited about Jelica becoming the new ED for DBSC! One of my goals was to have DBSC ready for a DB person to become Director by having a record of strong DB leadership on the Board and as staff of DBSC.
HEIDI: What do you see or hope for the future of DBSC?
GAIL: That it continues to be a strong agency with DB leadership, involvement and support. I see DBSC approaching adulthood and becoming a mature agency. The next direction the agency takes will depend a lot on the vision of the new Director this is an exciting time and there is a wonderful window of opportunity ready for Jelica to lead the agency through, and I believe she will do it successfully!
OUTSIDE AGENCIES COMMENT ON THE NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
ADWAS: ADWAS is delighted with the selection of Jelica Nuccio as the new Executive Director of DBSC. I personally cannot think of a better qualified person for this important position. Jelica has already made an impact in a brief period of time - and I know a lot more good stuff is. She brings a breath of fresh air into the organization and with her skills and winning personality, the present and future are bright. Congratulations to DBSC and to Jelica!
Marilyn J. Smith - Executive Director - ADWAS
HSDC: We at the Hearing, Speech & Deafness Center are looking forward to working with Jelica and further strengthening the positive relationship we have with DBSC. I think too that it sends a great message that the Executive Director is not only very professional and has great leadership potential, but is also Deaf-Blind. Congrats to DBSC and Jelica!
Susie Burdick, CEO of HSDC
TRIVIA AND TIDBITS IN AND FOR THE COMMUNITY
There have been changes since the founding of DBSC 20 years: Currently, there are 17 state associations that are, by and for the Deaf-Blind, in Addition to AADB.
DBSC has been a role model and inspiration for others to start services in other states. The list of agencies is continuing to grow at a steady rate and that is a good sign!
"An Eye on You": Cashew, my 14-year old yellow Lab, is blind and deaf. Her best friend is Libby, age 7, her seeing-eye cat. Libby steers Cashew away from obstacles and leads her to her food. Every night she sleeps next to her. The only time they're apart is when we take Cashew out for a walk. Without this cat, we know that Cashew would be lost and very, very lonely indeed. It's amazing but true. This is one animal that knows what needs to be done and does it day in and day out for her friend. - Terry Burns, Middleburg, Pennsylvania.
GENERAL DONORS November 2005 – MARCH 2006:
Mrs. Wheeler’s 3rd grade class from St. Anthony’s in Renton
Adam Novsam was forgotten last NL so a very special thank you for all of your help last year and this year.
May 2005 Walk-A-Thon Donors
In memory of Daniel Jones: George and Carol Langelier
2006 Grants: Elizabeth Lynn Foundation, Local independent Charities
Jelica Nuccio, Executive Director
Email: jnuccio@seattledbsc.org
Jackie Engler-Morris, Program Manager
Phone: (206) 323 – 5463 TTY
Email: jengler@seattledbsc.org
Stephen Kennedy, Advocacy Specialist
Phone: (206) 328 – 0613 TTY
Email: skennedy@seattledbsc.org
Sandy Sallee, Office Manager
DBSC Phone: (206) 323 – 9178 TTY
DBSC Fax: (206) 328 – 8497
Email: info@seattledbsc.org
aj Granda, SSP Educator
Email:deafblind@seattledbsc.org
Michelle Perreira, Interpreter Coordinator/Bookkeeper
Phone: (206) 726 – 1950 V/TTY
Email: mperreira@seattledbsc.org & terp@seattledbsc.org
DBSC Board of Directors:
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