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New Chat Room for Deaf on AIM
From Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (TDI)...
AIM, a popular instant messaging service, has established a dedicated online chat room for the deaf community.
The new chat room is available at: http://chat.aim.com/chats/people/deaf-friends.
Users are also free to create their own rooms there as well.
The Mass. Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Receives Grant for Assistive Technology from the Shapiro Family Foundation
April 29, 2008
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (MCDHH) today announced that it has received a $25,000 grant from the Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family Foundation. This generous contribution will support the Commission’s Assistive Technology Fund, which provides hearing aids and other devices for individuals who cannot otherwise afford them.
“Hearing aids — which can cost between $2,000 and $3,000 — are a valuable form of assistive technology that unfortunately can be cost prohibitive for many people,” said MCDHH Commissioner Heidi Reed. “The Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing considers the Shapiro Family Foundation a key ally in collaborative efforts to ensure that individuals with hearing loss have the resources they need to live safe and healthy lives.”
“We are delighted to support the Assistive Technology Fund at the Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, because it embodies our belief that persons with disabilities have the right to be included in the broader community,” said Ronny Zinner, President of the Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family Foundation. “A focus of our grant program is to promote the distribution of available technologies that help to provide access to community participation. We are pleased to have the state as a partner in this effort.”
About the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
The Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing provides services to over 500,000 deaf, hard of hearing and late-deafened adults and children across the Commonwealth. Since its establishment in 1986, MCDHH has worked to ensure that deaf and hard of hearing individuals have access to information, services, education and opportunities equal to those of people who hear and which enable each deaf and hard of hearing individual to live productively and independently, while assuming full responsibilities as citizens.
About the Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family Foundation
The Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family Foundation has a history of making contributions towards improving the quality of life for the deaf and hard of hearing community, primarily through its Disability Inclusion Initiative. Established in 2000, the initiative aims to help individuals with disabilities achieve independence, community integration and a better quality of life. Other recent grants include support for the National Center for Accessible Media at WGBH; Very Special Arts of Massachusetts; the Perkins School for the Blind; Outdoor Explorations; and D.E.A.F., Inc. The Foundation, established in 1961, supports a wide variety of organizations in the areas of arts and culture, education, health and hospitals, Jewish causes, and social welfare through capital grants, multi-year program commitments and four strategic grant initiatives.
The U.S. House Passes Captioner Training Bill
From Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (TDI)...
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2007 (H.R. 4137), otherwise known as the Higher Education Reauthorization bill. This bill, championed by Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wis.), includes a grant program to train realtime writers to meet the demands of providing communication access to 30 million deaf and hard-of-hearing Americans.
National Court Reporter Association (NCRA) Executive Director and CEO Mark J. Golden, CAE, states, "Passing this language demonstrates that Congress truly understands that people with hearing loss deserve full and effective communication access which can only be provided by qualified stenographic realtime writers. This funding will go a long way in helping to bring more realtime writers into the workforce and meet the growing demand for this necessary service. We are honored that people who are deaf and hard-of-hearing and the providers who serve them have a champion like Ron Kind on Capitol Hill. NCRA has been working side-by-side with Congressman Kind since 2001 on this issue and congratulates him on this step toward success."
"Court reporters are the guardians of the public record, and closed captioners help our hard-of-hearing residents stay informed," Rep. Kind said. "Right now we are educating only half the realtime writers we need, and I am pleased that this new grant program will increase awareness and interest in this vital profession."
NCRA will now diligently work toward ensuring that the same language is included in the final conference bill that is presented to President Bush for his signature and approval, as the Senate has already passed its version of the Higher Education Reauthorization bill. The Senate has included similar language in its previous attempts to pass a similar bill.
The supply of court reporters still seriously lags behind demand for their services in courtrooms and law offices, in television studios to caption newscasts, and in schools and other settings to provide interpretive services for students who are deaf or hard of hearing.
According to NCRA estimates, the number of court reporters in the United States has dropped to approximately 35,000, down from 43,000 in ten years. However, the Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts that employment of realtime court reporters may experience substantial growth between now and 2016. For more information, go to www.ncraonline.org.
CNET TV Now Online with Captions
From Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (TDI)...
CNET (www.cnet.com), a popular online portal where people go to discover the latest in technology and consumer electronics information, announced the official launch of CNET TV 2.0 (www.cnettv.com), featuring closed captioning of its popular video content. This move extends CNET 's reach with original video content that is accessible to people interested in learning about the latest tech news and reviews of consumer electronics.
Hundreds of CNET TV videos are available with closed captioning on Adobe Flash® Player version 8 or above. A button labeled "CC" is located on the video player and accesses closed captioning on popular CNET TV shows like The Buzz Report, CNET Top 5, CNET Live, CNET Mailbag, Insider Secrets, Prizefight, and Product Spotlight. For upcoming videos on CNET TV, closed captioning will be available shortly after the release of each video.
One of the most common requests received from users after the launch of CNET TV in 2006 was for closed captioning. Despite the explosive growth in online video content, very few websites offer captioning on its streaming videos. In keeping to its commitment toward all users, CNET worked with Automatic Sync Technologies (www.automaticsync.com/caption ) and Adobe Systems to create a captioning system for its online video content.
"There are more than 30 million deaf and hard-of-hearing people in America today, and CNET is proud to be one of the first Web sites to offer comprehensive closed captioning of its video content so this group can turn to CNET to explore today's digital world," said Joe Gillespie, executive vice president of CNET. "CNET TV 2.0 embodies everything our users want out of video content -information that is entertaining and easy to understand so that they can get the most out of their tech and CE gadgets."
"CNET's decision to incorporate closed captioning into its CNET TV video programming is a textbook example of doing well by doing good, and is emblematic of the interactive media industry 's commitment to innovations that improve peoples 'lives" said Randall Rothenberg, President and CEO of the Interactive Advertising Bureau.
"The addition of closed captioning is an innovative step that shows CNET's commitment to being accessible for anyone interested in exploring technology," said Pam Horan, president of the Online Publishers Association. "OPA research has shown that quality news and information sites such as CNET are playing an increasingly vital role in the everyday lives of Americans. As online media grows in importance, it becomes even more essential that it is accessible to all audiences."
U.S. National Park Service Offers Open Captions
From Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (TDI)...
The U.S. Department of the Interior, announced in a recent Civil Rights Directive that they will require that all audio-visual media used throughout its national park system and other programs must be open captioned rather than closed captioned. The Directive also noted that "This in no way negates [their] responsibility to provide assistive listening devices for program participants who are hard of hearing."
According to the Directive, open captioning is preferred because it "provides the most effective and efficient method of access... Even where close captioned media is available, it has been found that much staff time and effort is often taken to ensure that captioning is turned off and on in a timely manner for participants with disabilities ... switches may be easily broken or tampered with causing ... non- compliance."
For more information, please contact Carroll Andre, Chief, Public Civil Rights Division, Office of Civil Rights, US Dept of the Interior at: carroll_andre@ios.doi.gov. To file an ADA or other civil rights complaint against the US Dept of the Interior, follow instructions on their website at: http://www.doi.gov/diversity/doc/5how.htm
FCC Inaugurates Online Disability Complaint Form
From Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (TDI)...
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) revised their online complaint Form 2000 so that consumers with disabilities may find it easier to alert the FCC of accessibility problems in telecommunications and media, including filing of captioning complaints.
You may access the FCC Form 2000C DISABILITY ACCESS COMPLAINT which you can get to at https://esupport.fcc.gov/sform2000/formC!input.action OR by clicking on Form 2000 at http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/complaints_general.html
When you get to this page, first click on YES to the "security" question, and then scroll down to blue FORM 2000C in the middle of the page, and then fill out the information they ask for. Remember to scroll down and click SUBMIT at the bottom of the page to make sure the FCC gets the information. Retain the Acknowledgment Number they send back as this will be your complaint number that can be used to track your complaint later.
You can also use this form for HDTV captioning complaints, Relay Service complaints, Section 255 Complaints, and for Access to Emergency Information on TV complaints! TDI recommends that you file one type of complaint at a time with this form. For example, fill out the form for a complaint on TRS or VRS relay service, and then submit a new form for a captioning-related complaint.
House Releases 21st Century Communications And Video Accessibility Act For People With Disabilities
From the Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology (COAT)...On December 21, 2007, the U.S. House of Representatives released a draft bill, the long-awaited "Twenty-first Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act" This proposal is a dramatic and comprehensive step forward for consumers with disabilities. It proposes to amend the Communications Act - the main statute that impacts the telephone and video programming industries - to add new consumer protections that will ensure people with disabilities do not get left out or left behind as telephones and television programming increasingly rely on digital and Internet Protocol (IP) technologies.
Key provisions of the bill include:
- Apply disability access regulations in Section 255 for telecommunication services to Internet based services as well.
- Require captioning that are on television shows to be also carried over to the Internet.
- Require any devices that pass through and display video also be capable of carrying captioning.
- Require television manufacturers to make it easier to access controls to turn on captioning in television menus and on remote controls.
- Allow deaf people to receive federal Lifeline and Linkup discounts for Internet service to allow them to use video phones.
- Authorize funds to distribute specialize telecommunications equipment for people who are deaf blind.
- Restore video description regulations and make on-screen text menu accessible for viewers with vision disabilities.
For more information and updates on this draft legislation or COAT, visit the COAT Web site.
There's No Place Like Home
By Karen Langley and Rahel Gottlieb
“There’s no place like home,” chants Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, tapping her heels three times. Dorothy is right. There is no place like home, and for people faced with a new or progressive disability, living at home independently shouldn’t feel like a dream at the end of a rainbow.
That’s why the MRC created the Home Modification Loan Program (HMLP). People want to live in their own homes and often the “deal breaker” is as simple as an access ramp, a lift, a wider doorway, roll-in shower or some blend of modifications. The HMLP offers up to $30,000 in loan funds to eligible households to make modifications necessary for family members with disabilities. Loans may be 0% deferred, 3% deferred or amortizing based on household income. The Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC) and Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation (CEDAC) jointly administer the program through contracts with seven regional housing agencies. Since the program’s inception in 1999, the HMLP has been a veritable yellow brick road for over 770 households, helping them keep or return family members home.
Take, for example, a recent borrower from Framingham. A stroke in 2006 left him unable to leave a nursing facility because home was inaccessible for his wheelchair. His family, learning about the HMLP, contacted one of the seven regional agencies to help them with an application. Based on his income and “functional need” he was found eligible for a 0% deferred payment loan of $25,000. The funds put a ramp on his home, widened doorways and improved access to his bathroom. After 8 months in a nursing home, he was able to return home to his family.
For “housebound” applicants the problem isn’t so much about getting or staying home, but getting out and about. Indeed, one borrower’s diabetes had progressed to a point where his blindness and difficulty walking made exiting his home dangerous. Using an HMLP loan, however, he was able to add a ramp, repair a very unsafe entryway, and widen a door. Because of these “access improvements,” he can now get in and out in his scooter, take his dog on short walks, and do his own shopping. “It’s the first time in a year I’ve been able to go to Market Basket” he reports. “I feel safe, independent.”
Outcomes like these make work satisfying for HMLP program coordinators like Kassia Pereira (of SMOC). Pereira tells the story of a borrower in Walpole whose multiple sclerosis had left her unable to get to her second floor bathroom. “Her living room had been transformed into a bedroom and bathroom. She had a commode next to a hospital bed separated only by a curtain. She was so embarrassed. She felt defeated and really afraid that she would need to move into a nursing home.” But help from the HMLP changed the woman’s outlook on life. “I visited her a few weeks ago when the project was done,” Pereira reports, “and what a difference! She was smiling, so proud to show me the new bathroom, how easy it is to get in and out, how she can also go outside the house to the garden and to the kitchen. She could not stop smiling and being thankful that we could help her with the loan.”
Pereira had a similar experience with SMOC’s first project in Wayland. It was for a 17 year old child with cerebral palsy. The boy’s mother’s biggest concern was getting him in and out of their existing bathtub. “She knew it was painful for him and—since she isn’t getting any younger—feared that one day she would drop him on the floor.” Pereira helped the family with a loan application for a new bathroom complete with raised tub. “When the work was done I went to visit them and that woman’s happiness was contagious. For the first time in years she didn’t have back pain. Her son could transfer safely into the tub and really enjoy it. She gave me a picture of the happy boy in the new tub!”
The HMLP is state funded. Applicants may include any homeowner with a disability, any homeowner with a household member who has a disability, or homeowners who rent to an individual with a disability. Regional provider agencies can provide guidelines for choosing and hiring architectural, design, and contracting professionals and may also assist applicants with the application process.
For more information contact MRC at 617 204-3724 or go to www.mass.gov/mrc/hmlp for details and contact information for HMLP providers.
Red sequined shoes are not required.
New Mini-Grant/Mini-Loan Program Being Developed
By Jason Luciano
Easter Seals Massachusetts is in the process of exploring the development of a new program designed to help people obtain AT devices and services when the total cost would be less than $500.
Easter Seals Massachusetts received a grant from the statewide AT Act Council, managed by the MRC, to conduct a feasibility study to determine the best approach to helping Massachusetts residents with disabilities. During the past 3 months multiple focus groups have been held and consumer input has been sought. The program will be proposed to the AT Act Council this fall for approval and funding.
It is anticipated that this program will complement the existing AT Loan Program, so Massachusetts can continue in its national leadership role of providing services and devices to people with disabilities. If you would like to share your thoughts on the need for funding for low cost AT devices, please contact:
Jason M.Luciano, Ph.D.
Easter Seals, Massachusetts
Phone: 800-244-2756 x 428/431.
Accessible IT Isn't Just the Law,
It's the Right Thing to Do
By Joe Lazzaro
In June of 2006, I was hired as the manager of the Assistive Technology Group of the Commonwealth's Information Technology Division (ITD), a state agency responsible for running the statewide computer network, and for developing software applications for many state agencies, including the human services sector.
The mission of the ITD Assistive Technology Group is to assure all information technology procurements and deployments are fully compliant with recognized accessibility standards; and are usable by persons with sensory, physical, learning, cognitive, and other disabilities. This will be accomplished by building and maintaining links between the Information Technology Division, assistive technology vendors, mainstream IT vendors, standards bodies, state agencies serving the disability community, advocacy groups and disability related stakeholders.
The ITD Assistive Technology Group is charged with the establishment of an assistive technology testing/usability lab to provide an environment that can be utilized for testing the accessibility and usability of existing applications, and applications that are under development or procured.
The ITD Assistive Technology Group is also in the process of establishing an information portal on the ITD web site to distribute information about accessibility best practices. The site will include links to assistive technology resources, guidelines that support accessibility, guides to accessible document design, accessible web and software design and other AT resources.
As the Assistive Technology Group develops, ITD will be seeking qualified individuals with assistive technology expertise to fill several key positions. These will include developers competent with accessible web and software design, systems integration involving assistive and information technology, help desk, as well as training and documentation specialists. For questions concerning the newly created ITD Assistive Technology Group, please contact:
Joe Lazzaro
Phone: 617-626-4410
Email:joe.lazzaro@state.ma.us.
Assistive Technology Loan Program Benefits People with Disabilities
Assistive Technology Loan Program Benefits People with Disabilities
By Jason Luciano
Over $3,000,000 have been loaned out to Massachusetts residents
Massachusetts has become a national leader in the realm of Alternative Financing with the success of the Massachusetts Assistive Technology Loan Program (MATLP). Having been established less than three years ago, independent studies have consistently found that the Massachusetts program is the fastest-growing program across the country, and has statistically higher loan approval ratings than all but the most established, and much older, programs.
There are 33 Alternative Financing Programs across the United States, and each is state-focused. Alternative Financing Programs allow consumers of assistive devices and services greater access to low-interest financing; without which these necessary devices could be cost-prohibitive.
Managed by Easter Seals
The Massachusetts Assistive Technology Loan Program – the only one of its kind in the state – is managed by Easter Seals Massachusetts in partnership with Sovereign Bank and the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission. The program is funded by a federal grant to MRC from the Alternative Financing Program of the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, US Department of Education.
From January 2005, when the program was launched, through September of this year (2007), over $3 million have been loaned out to Massachusetts people with disabilities and their family members. These loans can be used for assistive devices, services, and other AT needs for residents of Massachusetts.
Most of this $3 million was used to buy modified vehicles that can accommodate wheelchairs and the special transportation needs of people with disabilities. Other loans bought computers and software, stair lifts, wheelchair lifts for vans, medical equipment, Braille displays, ramps and hearing aids.
Memory enhancement aids, print magnifiers, electric wheelchairs and scooters, as well as certain vehicle and home modifications are also eligible for loans under the program.
In addition, the MA AT Loan Program offers funding for assistive technology services that help people determine which device may be right for them. These services also help people locate and purchase the items, train them on their use and provide maintenance and repair.
The MA AT Loan Program offers lower interest rates than traditional bank loans, with repayment lengths based on the expected useful life of the device purchased. Most loans for computers are repaid in three years, for example, while vehicle and home modification loans can be stretched out up to a 10-year period, lowering monthly payments.
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for the program, applicants must meet the following requirements:
- They must have a disability or represent someone with a disability. For example, a parent might submit the application for a child with a disability.
- The devices being sought must be used primarily to increase the independence of someone with a disability.
- Applicants must have been Massachusetts residents for the past six months.
For more information on the MA AT Loan Program, please call (800) 244-2756 x428 or x431