Office of Deaf Services SIGN of the TIMES E-NEWS - March 2011 Visit DSCI website: www.deafservices.iowa.gov Questions or Comments? Email us: dhr.dsci@iowa.gov ANNOUNCEMENT Press Release: Deaf Winter Olympics Games Cancelled INFORMATION Deaf & Hard of Hearing Children’s Educational Bill of Rights Since the passage of the All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, inclusion has been the main focus of education for students with disabilities. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), current law, includes language that requires .special considerations. when children are deaf or hard of hearing. In 1992 and 1994 the U.S. Department of Education published policy guidance on IDEA: how it should be applied in order to ensure an appropriate education for deaf and hard of hearing children. Further, the 1997 and 2004 amendments to IDEA require education programs for deaf and hard of hearing children to consider the language and communication needs of these children. This is to help out with the basic premise from the IDEA that students are to have access to full communication in the educational setting so they can learn and thrive. This bill would ensure that the intent of the IDEA is implemented more consistently across Iowa’s schools. This bill was introduced on Feb. 9th and referred to Education Subcommittee. Click here to see more information about this Bill SF 190. Two organizations, Iowa Association of the Deaf and Iowa Hands & Voices have been involved with the process. If you have any questions or need more information, you can contact those two organizations by clicking on the names above. There are eleven states that currently have a Deaf Children’s Bill of Rights as law. The proposed bill mirrors the existing federal IDEA legislation. That information is available on the National Association of the Deaf’s website: NAD—Bill of Rights for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children. ANNOUCEMENT Deaf Tax Day Saturday - March 12, 2011 10 AM TO 3PM IEB Building 505 5th Avenue Des Moines, Iowa 50309 To make an appointment, contact: Amy Riemer: Ariemer@efr.org or 515-471-2372 (TTY) ~ FIRST COME FIRST SERVE ~WALK-INS WILL NOT BE PERMITTED UNLESS THERE ARE CANCELLATIONS OR ADDITIONAL OPENINGS SUBMITTING ARTICLES, NEWS, RECENT EVENTS, OR INFORMATION The deadline for submission for the April issue is March 30th. Send e-mail submissions to the editor at dhr.dsci@iowa.gov INFORMATION Relay Iowa Invites Survey Participation Relay Iowa values the opinions of our customers and invites relay users across the state to participate in our 2011 Customer Survey. The information gathered provides valuable feedback and allows us the opportunity to identify areas of emphasis for ongoing Communication Assistant training and outreach efforts so that our service and programs meet your communication needs. Quality is our top priority. Please complete the survey online at www.relayiowa.com. Thank you in advance for taking the time to complete this survey. Your valuable feedback is appreciated. If you have any questions or concerns, or would like a hard copy survey form mailed to you, please contact Relay Iowa Customer Service by phone at 888-516-4692, by fax at 402-694-5110, or by e-mail at relayiowa@hamiltonrelay.com. The survey will be available from February 21 - March 31, 2011. INFORMATION National Association of the Deaf Praises California Department of Education Video on American Sign Language Through Your Child’s Eyes: American Sign Language ~ The video stresses the benefits of teaching deaf and hard of hearing babies and children ASL while showing positive support and perspectives from both deaf and hearing parents.. ~ We believe it is the right of every deaf and hard of hearing person to acquire and express themselves in American Sign Language and English.. ANNOUCEMENT Would you like to become a member of our commission? Commission duties: . Study the changing needs and opportunities for the deaf and hard of hearing people. . Serve as a liaison between the office and the public, sharing information and gathering constituency input. . Recommend to the board for adoption rules pursuant to chapter 17A as it deems necessary for the commission and office. . Recommend legislative and executive action to the governor and general assembly. . Establish advisory committees, work groups, or other coalitions as appropriate. . Term is 4 years If interested, click here to visit our commission website and to go to the link to get an application form. CALENDAR OF EVENTS 3/04: 6:00 pm: American Sign Language Social hosted by Deaf Awareness and DMACC located at ALL-Play, Des Moines. 3/07: 11 am – 2 pm: Deaf Education Day located at the Capitol Building in Room 116, East 9th Street and Grand, Des Moines. 3/26: 10 am – 1 pm: DSCI Commission Meeting located at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall, 2600 E. Euclid, Des Moines. To see more details of these events, see our events webpage: http://www.deafservices.iowa.gov/events/index INFORMATION MORE SUMMER CAMPS INFORMATION National Association of the Deaf (NAD) 2011 Youth Leadership Camp (YLC) will be from June 22—July 20 at Camp Taloali, Oregon. Campers from grades 10 –11 application forms are now online at www.nad.org/2011ylc. Deadline is March 31, 2011. To see a list of other summer camps for Deaf and Hard of Hearing teens, click here. JUNIOR COMMISSION PROGRAM LEADERSHIP CAMP JULY 18 — 23, 2011 DOLLIVER STATE PARK Click here to download the Application Form Application Deadline is April 30th. Donations are welcome to the JCP Camp. MARK YOUR CALENDARS April 1: 6:00 pm: Take Back the Night at Kirkwood Community College hosted by Deaf Iowans Against Abuse—DIAA/KSAVE at Cedar Rapids. April 16: Iowa Association of the Deaf Board Meeting located at Council Bluffs Silent Club. April 30: First Annual 5K Race to End Sexual Assault in the Deaf Community located at Hiawatha. To see more details of these events, see our events webpage: http://www.deafservices.iowa.gov/events/index.html