Technology
Access – You Don’t Know What You Are Missing
David Baquis, Accessibility Specialist
U.S. Access Board
People with hearing disabilities are largely unaware of how electronic
and information technology can be designed for accessibility,
as well as their individual rights to such technology. Participants
in this workshop will learn more about how Sections 508 and 255
can benefit them and discover the complimentary nature of mainstream
and assistive technologies.
Wireless
Technology in the Workplace: A review of Laws and Strategies to
Improve Accessibility
Brenda Battat, Senior Director of Policy and Development
Self Help for Hard of Hearing People, SHHH
Timothy Creagan, Director of Consumer Training
Information Technology Technical Assistance and Training,
ITTATC
The workshop will explore laws covering accessible telecommunications
and electronic and information technologies. Tools, techniques
and resources available to help employees obtain accessible telecommunications
will be discussed.
Moving
Beyond Accommodations: A Case Study of Efficiency Within A Department
With Deaf/Hearing Supervisors and Employees
Julie Bourne, Program Analyst, Discovery Logics
National Institutes of Health, Office of Loan Repayment
National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Loan Repayment boasts
a total of 39 employees, of which 6 are deaf. This case study
spotlights communication and managerial strategies utilized to
achieve the program goals efficiently and effectively. NIH’s
centralized interpreting services system is also explored in this
case study.
Federal Relay: Accessibility to the Federal Government
Karl A. Ewan, Agency Liason
Sprint Federal Relay
Federal Relay is a Federal Government service managed by the General
Services Administration and operated by Sprint. Federal Relay
has a variety of products such as traditional relay, video relay,
CapTel, relay conference captioning, and internet relay. Participants
in this workshop will learn what the Federal Relay System can
do for them.
Access
Now! Speech Recognition Captioning
Mark Hall, Director of Sales and Marketing
ULTECH LLC
This workshop demonstrates the capabilities of speech recognition
captioning to provide captions on demand for meetings and events.
Speech recognition allows staff to learn to speech caption in
a relatively short amount of time. Speech recognition captioning
will allow more events to be captioned and reduce the prior notice
required for accommodations.
Recent Developments from the FCC on Telecommunications
Access
Gregory Hlibok, Esq., Attorney
Federal Communications Commission
Presentation discussions consist of the latest from the FCC’s
Disability Rights Office on the Telecommunications Relay Services
(TRS) policy matters, mainly Video Relay Service and IP Relay
Service. The presentation will also discuss the captioning requirements
as the January 1, 2006 deadline approaches. The presentation will
also outline how attendees can make good use of the Disability
Rights Office’s resources and how to file a complaint and/or
comment with the FCC.
Remote
CART- Using Technology to Achieve Communication Success
Philip A. Hyssong, Vice President
Caption First
Communication without limitation is key to advancement. Technological
advances make it possible for deaf employees, despite their hearing
loss, to perform their communication duties. Internet remote CART
will be demonstrated throughout this session to give participants
a general understanding of the necessary steps equipment for success,
as well as how to locate providers.
Leveraging
Interpreters in the Workplace
Billy Kendrick (CI, CT, NAD V), Director of Marketing
&
Brandon Arthur (CI, CT), President
Visual Language Interpreting
Communication is crucial to gaining respect and recognition in
the workplace. This workshop will explore how interpreters can
be leveraged to improve workplace communication and take advantage
of growth opportunities. Participants will discover how working
with interpreters as a team can improve their opportunities for
success at work.
Introduction
to Security Awareness
Dean Lauria, Assistant Professor
Applied Computer Technology, National Technical Institute
for the Deaf, Rochester Institute of Technology
This workshop is designed to help federal/government employees
better understand threats, attacks, vulnerabilities (in technology
and humans) and how they affect the workplace. Attendees will
learn how to evaluate their status in the workplace and determine
the best way to respond in an emergency situation.
Interpreting
Issues in the Federal Workplace
Robert J. Mather, Esq., Trial Attorney
US Department of Justice
Mr. Mather will lead a group discussion to address issues of reasonable
accommodations, especially qualified interpreters, in the work
place.
How
Can a Deaf Employee, Supervisor, and Interpreter Work Together
to Ensure That Effective Communication Takes Place in the Workplace?
Susan M. Mather, Ph.D., Professor
Graduate School and Professional Studies, Department of Linguistics
and Interpretation, Gallaudet University
Developing an understanding of the differences in communication
styles is the starting point for establishing a professional atmosphere
in the workplace. This workshop will focus on the roles of an
employee, supervisor and an interpreter in the workplace setting
and how to improve communication for a more successful outcome.
Convergence
between Assistive Technology and Full Accessibility: Effectively
Bridging the Gap among Deaf and Hearing Employees
Myrna Orleck-Aiello, CEO, & Philip Aielo, Chief
Technical Officer
TCS Associates
With an emphasis on fostering inclusiveness for Deaf individuals
using the latest technology, this workshop will focus on practical
applications of assistive technology (AT). Presenters will highlight
the use of key devices for accessible communication among Deaf
and Hearing colleagues. Other topics include successful integration
of communication equivalent to federal employees using AT, emergency
preparedness and IT.
Is
It Time to Declare the TTY Obsolete?
Robert Rice, President and Managing Partner,
Ken Nakata, Director of Disability Initiatives and Government
Compliance,
BayFirst Solutions, LLC
A recent poll on DeafDC.com suggests that less than 2% of deaf
individuals use TTYs. The ADA and Section 504 often require TTYs
for "effective communication," but are silent on more
modern alternatives. Section 508 also has standards and rules
regarding the use of TTYs in the Federal government. However,
is it time to modify regulations and policies to recognize cheaper
and more advanced solutions that achieve more effective communication?
Waves
of Communication
Paul Singleton, Program Analyst, Sherri Hoyt, Federal
Partnership Coordinator, & Lisa Valenti, Contractor
Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP)
Department of Defense
This is an interactive workshop that will provide information
on communicating with Deaf or Hard of Hearing Persons, while covering
the latest assistive technology. Different communication strategies
will be discussed. This workshop hopes to attract people new to
deafness and provide them with a general understanding of communication
in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing world.
You’re
Hired! Now CAP Can Provide You with Assistive Technology!
Paul
Singleton, Program Analyst, Paul Boesch, Senior Analyst, &
Lisa Valenti, Contractor
Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP) Department
of Defense
The Department of Defense Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program
provided over 40,000 assistive technology solutions to Federal
employees with disabilities at no cost to Federal agencies. CAP’s
Deaf and Hard of Hearing team will show how you can use CAP! There
will be demonstrations of A/T, needs assessment processes, and
A/T recommended solutions.
Mentoring:
Become Part of the Solution to More Certified Interpreters
Aimee Whyte-Solomon, Mentorship Coordinator/Deaf Mentor
Communication Service for the Deaf of Minnesota
As the number of Deaf and Hard of Hearing professionals increases,
so does the need for certified interpreters. Today’s demand
for interpreters is larger than supply. The goal of this workshop
is to encourage Deaf/HOH individuals to participate in a mentoring
program to encourage interpreting careers. Participants will learn
what ASL language mentoring is and be given resources to become
language/culture mentors.
Video
Remote Interpreting: Easy, Quick Communication Access for the
Workplace
Al Sonnenstrahl, Manager
Regional Consumer Relations Office
Communication Service for the Deaf, Inc.
Remote videoconferencing technology creates a new innovation in
nationwide accessibility—Video Remote Interpreting (VRI).
Instead of having interpreters on site, VRI permits the virtual
facilitation of communication between deaf/hard-of-hearing and
hearing parties. A Video Interpreter, stationed at a remote center,
serves as an intermediary interpreting signed and verbal communication.
This presentation will explain how VRI can benefit people in the
workplace.
