DEAF SERVICES COMMISSION OF IOWA Commission Meeting Friday, August 20, 2010 Altoona Public Library Altoona, Iowa 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. The DSCI Commission Meeting was called to order by Chairperson Theresa Legg at 10:05 a.m., Friday, August 20, 2010, Altoona Public Library, Altoona, IA Members present: Theresa Legg, Gus Cordero, Dr. James Grover, Dr. James Snyder, Robert Vizzini and Tammy Westhoff Gentry Ex-Officio Member absent: Preston Daniels Staff members present: Suzy Mannella, Stephanie Lyons and Linda Scott Staff member absent: Kathryn Baumann-Reese Interpreters: Mary Brandt, Peggy Chicoine, and Kim Kischer-Larson Captioners: Karrie Truitt Commissioners, staff, interpreters and captioners were introduced, visitors recognized and ground rules for the meeting presented. Approval of Minutes from May 14, 2010: There being no changes to the minutes of the May 14, 2010 meeting, motion made to accept the minutes as presented. Snyder/Grover Commissioner Reports: Legg: . attended the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) Conference this summer and plans to attend the Mental Health Conference in October . talked about the $14.9 million grant awarded CSD nationwide to develop a program to help Deaf and Hard of Hearing people receive high speed internet services in their homes . Jennifer Upah presented to the fire department in Cedar Rapids this week to help them better work with the deaf community. Vizzini: . has become an instructor at the University of Iowa teaching ASL. He hopes the end result will be to establish an ITP program or deaf studies program at the University . discussed Vlogs on the DSCI website and the possibility of other people including their news . would like further training on his role as a Commissioner . wants to see the Commissioner’s page updated with pictures and pertinent information relating to each Commissioner . attended a workshop for interpreters and the deaf community put on by Hands Up Communications and was closely related to the Interpreter Licensure Committee for DSCI Cordero: . now that he’s retired, he’s trying to finish up several projects . would like to talk with Mannella about expanding the Committee for Youth in relation to employment and work . wants to contact the school systems throughout the state to begin making presentations to young people about preparing themselves for the future. Possibly connect with the AEAs to share information and connect with the youth Grover: . continues to work for VR in Sioux City and with all of the early retirements they’ve lost a number of people. We may find ourselves working with a whole new group of people who may not have any experience working with the Deaf or Hard of Hearing Westhoff-Gentry: . gave an update on the Legal Access Committee Snyder: . new museum in Dubuque with an IMAX theater does not have closed captioning. Approached the Asst. Manager and asked about captioning or scripts to the movies. Will keep contacting the facility as a private citizen until it meets the needs of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community . took part in a 5K walk for SERTOMA and took 3rd place. . will take part in a commercial for Hamilton CapTel . spoke at a Rotary meeting. Over the years he’s pushed for symbols on the license plates or a bumper sticker denoting that a deaf person is in the vehicle if and when stopped and those continues those efforts . likes to go to casinos and play the machines, but the television sets near the machines were never captioned, but with his insistence, they are now . writing a book on his perspective as a hearing person who can’t hear and invited any on the Commissioners or staff member to submit their stories to made part of the book. Book would be good for people who work with the deaf, people with deaf children, what they can look forward to – what they can expect Staff Reports: Lyons: . will be asking the Iowa Department of Public Health to place her on their agenda to talk about the Licensure Board of Interpreters and Transliterators and the Code of Professional Conduct (CPC). Would like to see the Board put the Registry of Interpreters on their website as well as placing a Vlog on the site to be more accommodating to the deaf community with helping them find a list of interpreters, who to contact if they want to file a complaint or if they have paperwork to complete, etc. . discussed Vlogs, captioning of YouTube and accessing YouTube if unfamiliar with the site . invited the Commissioners to become a part of Vlogs on DSCI’s website . may be placing some new information about Commissioners on the website to include their picture, some information about each and pertinent information they would like to share with the community . will be traveling to Mason City in October to speak to the deaf club presenting on interpreter issues and how to fill out and file sign language/transliterator complaint forms through the IDPH . talked to the Commissioners about ZVRS informing them that Daryl Johnson, Regional Sales Manger for ZVRS, could come to the Commission and make a presentation about their product, if they were interested . continues to work with clients on a daily basis Mannella: . asked Commissioners to begin thinking about writing an article for the monthly E- News Newsletter . our focus the past few weeks has been on a very large project using a Community Action Agencies (CAA) grant. Been working on developing four (4) DVDs for the deaf community and four (4) for the Hispanic community. Subjects of the DVDs will be programs found within CAA: Head Start Program; FaDSS, to help families provide access for their children and assessment tools to get off welfare; Weatherization Program where some families cannot afford to winterize their homes, this program helps with that and LIHEAP, a program for energy assistance. The DVD will be placed on the internet so that the public can access that information. Videos will be made in Spanish and in sign language, making them accessible to their respective communities. If any Commissioners would like to take part in the videos, please let Mannella know. Cordero volunteered. Public Comment: Herschel Jackson, Coordinator, Iowa Independent Living Center: reported that their deaf community has developed a new chapter – Iowa/Illinois Deaf, an affiliate chapter of Iowa Association for the Deaf (IAD) allowing for both state residents to come together and collaborate and having more community fellowship. Voting privileges will be new to this new chapter and since it’s was set up in March, the chapter is growing and they’re looking for a success. Old Business: Committee Reports: Because we’re just beginning to work as a group on the five (5) Committees, Mannella suggested that reports from each Committee be tabled at this time to be brought up at the November Commission meeting. After much discussion, Commission felt that a Chair for each Committee was necessary. Committee Chairs are as follows: Culturally Affirmative Mental Health Services/Substance Abuse Education and Aftercare Services: Dr. James Snyder Accessible Legal Representation: Tammy Westhoff-Gentry Licensed Sign Language Interpreters Meeting Competency Standards: Robert Vizzini Opportunities for Youth: August Cordero Services That Specifically Address Issues for Those Who Lose Their Hearing Later in Life: Dr. James Grover Suggested that each Committee come to the November meeting with two (2) recommendations from each Committee to be presented to the new DHR Board. New Business: Commission Meeting/Symposium The Commission talked about putting together a Symposium where there might be the possibility of six (6) issues – three (3) in the morning and three (3) in the afternoon. Because of expense, it may be that a Commission meeting would be held in the morning and then a shortened Symposium in the afternoon with three (3) issues presented to attendees..a possible Symposium to be held in the near future. Right now this is in the idea stages and nothing has been finalized or decided upon. Commission suggested that we might co-host a Symposium with IAD. Mannella will attend their October meeting and bring it up to their Board. Motion #11-01: Moved that DSCI approach IAD about co-hosting a Symposium on deaf issues. Snyder/Grover Approved: 6 Disapproved: 0 Abstain: 0 Motion carried. Next Commission Meeting: After some discussion as to whether to hold the meeting on Fridays or Saturdays, it was decided the following dates would be the dates for the next three (3) Commission meetings: Saturday, November 20, 2010 Saturday, February 5, 2011 (with an alternate date of February 12, 2011 in case of inclement weather) Saturday, May 14, 2011 Motion #11-02: Motion to approve the dates for the next three meetings as presented. Westhoff-Gentry/Grover Approved: 6 Disapproved: 0 Abstain: 0 Motion carried. Coordinating Council for Hearing Services Report CCHS): Commission discussed the Council and that an Ad Hoc Committee will be put together reporting to the Department of Education (DOE) their findings of education of students who are deaf or hard of hearing, providing recommendations and advice to the State Board of Education and the Board of Regents. Mannella asked for Commission’s support of having a member on the Ad Hoc Committee (drawing in some people from the Department of Public Health (DPH): providers, physicians, audiologists), to include late-deafened individuals, hard of hearing, to include deaf individuals and parents. Needs Commission’s support to type up a letter stating that we feel this Ad Hoc Committee needs representation from these individual groups. Motion #11-03: Motion to prepare a letter of support that there be a representative, deaf, hard of hearing and late-deafened and parents, on the Ad Hoc Committee from these individual groups. Snyder/Vizzini Approved: 6 Disapproved: 0 Abstain: 0 Motion carried. NAD/NASADHH – Organizational Member: Talked about the possibility of DSCI becoming an affiliate organizational member of the NAD at an annual cost of $150.00. After some discussion pro and con it was decided that this subject would be placed on November’s agenda once more information was received about membership and the state’s stance on national organization memberships. NASADHH – National Association of State Agencies of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. The group has been a 501(3)C non-profit organization and would like all state agencies to become involved with the group to support national issues – a group that would have non-profit status to earn money to help NAD with their efforts. Again, the Commissioners felt more information was needed and tabled discussion until the November meeting. Announcements/Adjournment: CSD will be sponsoring a Walk-a-Thon to Stop Domestic Violence the morning of October 16, 2010 in Cedar Rapids. There being no further business, meeting adjourned at 1:25 p.m. ___________________________________ __________________________________ Theresa Legg, Chair Linda A. Scott, Secretary