Deaf Professional Happy Hour

Tonight!

January 30, 2009
5:00 p.m.

R.P. McMurphy’s
2910 Wasson Rd Cincinnati OH 45209
513-531-3300

Cochlear Implant Recipient Group

Is ON for tonight at 7:00 p.m.
at the Hearing Speech & Deaf Center
2825 Burnet Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio 45219

Email Carole at CDonnellon@HearingSpeechDeaf.com
or call 513.221.0527 ext 182

House Defeats TV Bill

Bill's Defeat Means Nation Will Transition From Analog Sets Next Month
By Kim Hart

Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, January 28, 2009; 1:53 PM

The House today defeated a bill to delay the nation's switch to all-digital television by four months. The action comes less than two days after the Senate unanimously passed a plan to postpone the Feb. 17 switch to June 12.

The defeat was a setback for the Obama administration and Hill Democrats, who are concerned that too many Americans are not ready to get digital programming. House Republicans have argued that postponing the date would cause confusion for consumers and cost millions for broadcasters who have planned to make the transition.

Congress three years ago mandated that all television broadcasters shut off analog signals and air only digital programming. As a result, viewers who rely on older analog TV sets and antennas to receive broadcasts will need to upgrade to a digital TV or install a converter box to continue watching television.

The Nielsen Co. estimates more than 6.5 million U.S. households that rely on over-the-air broadcast signals, or 5.7 percent of the population, are not prepared for the transition and could see their TV sets go dark next month.

The Obama administration had urged Congress to postpone the transition to give consumers more time to get ready. In a letter to Capitol Hill, Obama aides cited consumer confusion and budget shortfalls as two key reasons for a delay.

This month the Commerce Department hit a $1.34 billion funding limit for $40 coupons that help consumers pay for digital TV converter boxes, which cost between $50 and $80. Consumers who need coupons are now being placed on a waiting list until already-issued coupons reach their 90-day expiration date, making money available for additional coupons. About 3 million consumers are on the waiting list.

The Senate bill to delay the transition did not specify how the costs of a delay would be covered, which contributed to opposition in the House. Other lawmakers could still come forward with new bills to delay the transition or find other alternatives. But that would require Senate action and, with less than three weeks before the transition, time is running out.

Changes to Town Hall Schedule

The Hearing Speech & Deaf Center's Town Hall Meetings
will be held at

The Deaf Club
3938 Spring Grove Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio 45223

Town Hall Meetings
are offered through our
Community Services for the Deaf Department (CSD)

10:30-12:00 noon


February 10, 2009:

Presenter will answer questions regarding current U.S. economy (unemployment, foreclosures, stock market, etc)

Are we headed for another era of Depression?



April 7:

Carol Yoken, psychologist fluent in sign language, will present on Life After Fifty.



June 9:

Ask the Doctor!

Dr. Susan Wiley, will answer your medical questions. Oprah has Dr. Oz, we have Dr. Wiley!

Snow Day

The Hearing Speech & Deaf Center is closed today, Tuesday, January 27, 2009.

Text for Emergency!

Deaf, Speech and/or Hearing Impaired

Deaf, Speech and/or Hearing Impaired individuals who carry cellular telephones for texting purposes can now request police, fire or medical assistance in the City of Cincinnati by texting to CPD-9911 (513-273-9911). A trained operator will respond to those text messages 24/7/365 and ensure the appropriate response.

Additionally, Police Communications Section, each of the five police districts, and Criminal Investigations Section are each equipped with a TTY/TDD and have trained staff on proper use of these devices should calls be placed to any of these locations main numbers.

http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/police/pages/-33862-/

Communicating with Police

CINCINNATI POLICE DEPARTMENT
POLICY STATEMENT REGARDING
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION WITH
PEOPLE WHO ARE DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING

OVERVIEW

It is the policy of this law enforcement agency, the Cincinnati Police Department, to ensure that a consistently high level of service is provided to all community members, including those who are deaf or hard of hearing. This Agency has specific legal obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act. To carry out these policies and legal obligations, the Agency instructs its officers and employees (hereinafter, “officers” 1) as follows:

* People who identify themselves as deaf or hard of hearing are entitled to a level of service equivalent to that provided hearing persons.

* The Agency will make every effort to ensure that its officers and employees communicate effectively with people who have identified themselves as deaf or hard of hearing.

* Effective communication with a person who is deaf or hard of hearing involved in an incident -- whether as a victim, witness, suspect, or arrestee -- is essential in ascertaining what actually occurred, the urgency of the matter, and type of situation.

* Various types of communication aids - known as “auxiliary aids and services” - are used to communicate with people who are deaf or hard of hearing. These include use of gestures or visual aids to supplement oral communication; an exchange of written notes; use of a computer or typewriter; use of assistive listening devices (to amplify sound for persons who are hard of hearing); or use of qualified oral or sign language interpreters.

* The type of aid that will be required for effective communication will depend on the individual's usual method of communication, and the nature, importance, and duration of the communication at issue.

* In many circumstances, oral communication supplemented by gestures and visual aids, an exchange of written notes, use of a computer or typewriter, or use of an assistive listening device may be effective. In other circumstances, qualified sign language or oral interpreters are needed to communicate effectively with persons who are deaf or hard of hearing. The more lengthy, complex, and important the communication, the more likely it is that a qualified interpreter will be required for effective communication with a person whose primary means of communication is sign language or speech reading. For example:

o If there has been an incident and the officer is conducting witness interviews, a qualified sign language interpreter may be required to communicate effectively with someone whose primary means of communication is sign language.

o If a person is asking an officer for directions to a location, gestures and an exchange of written notes will likely be sufficient to communicate effectively and a sign language interpreter is often not required.

* To serve each individual effectively, primary consideration should be given to the communication aid or service that works best for that person. Officers must ask persons who are deaf or hard of hearing what type of auxiliary aid or service they need. Officers must defer to those expressed choices, unless there is another equally effective way of communicating, given the circumstances, length, complexity, and importance of the communication, as well as the communication skills of the person who is deaf or hard of hearing.

* The Agency is not required to provide a particular auxiliary aid or service if doing so would fundamentally alter the nature of the law enforcement activity in question, or if it would cause an undue administrative or financial burden. Only the Agency head or his or her designee may make this determination. For example:

o If the Agency has limited financial resources and providing a particular auxiliary aid would cost a large sum of money, the Agency head may determine that it would be an undue financial burden (note: the Agency's budget as a whole must be considered). In this situation, the most effective means of communication that does not involve an undue burden must be used.

* The input of people who are deaf or hard of hearing who are involved in incidents is just as important to the law enforcement process as the input of others. Officers must not draw conclusions about incidents unless they fully understand -- and are understood by -- all those involved, including persons who are deaf or hard of hearing.

* People who are deaf or hard of hearing must never be charged for the cost of an auxiliary aid or service needed for effective communication.

ON-CALL INTERPRETIVE SERVICES

* The Agency will maintain a list of sign language and oral interpreting services that are available (on-call 24 hours per day) and willing to provide qualified interpreters as needed. Each of these services will be chosen after having been screened for the quality and skill of its interpreters, its reliability, and other factors such as cost. The Agency will update this list annually.

* A qualified sign language or oral interpreter is one who is able to interpret effectively, accurately, and impartially, both receptively and expressively, using any necessary specialized vocabulary. Accordingly, an interpreter must be able to sign to the deaf individual (or interpret orally to the person who does not use sign language) what is being said by the hearing person and to voice to the hearing person what is being signed or said by the deaf individual. The interpreter must be able to interpret in the language the deaf person uses (e.g., American Sign Language or Signed English) and must be familiar with law enforcement terms and phrases. Because a qualified interpreter must be able to interpret impartially, a family member, child, or friend of the individual who is deaf may not be qualified to render the necessary interpretation because of factors such as professional, emotional, or personal involvement, or considerations of confidentiality. Additionally, although a “qualified” interpreter may be certified, a certified interpreter is not necessarily “qualified,” if he or she is not a good communications match for the deaf person (e.g., where the deaf person uses Signed English and the interpreter uses American Sign Language) or the situation (e.g., where the interpreter is unfamiliar with law enforcement vocabulary). Certification is not required in order for an interpreter to be “qualified.”

TTY AND RELAY SERVICES

* In situations when a non-disabled person would have access to a telephone, officers must provide persons who are deaf or hard of hearing the opportunity to place calls using a text telephone (TTY, also known as a telecommunications device for deaf people, or TDD). Officers must also accept telephone calls placed by persons who are deaf or hard of hearing through the Telecommunications Relay Service.

TECHNIQUES FOR OFFICERS TO COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY

* Officers must review and have a working knowledge of Guide for Law Enforcement Officers When In Contact With People Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. This document reviews how officers should communicate effectively in the types of situations officers will encounter. These situations include: - Issuing a non-criminal or motor vehicle citation. -

o Communicating with a person who initiates contact with an officer.
o Interviewing a victim or critical witness to an incident.
o Questioning a person who is a suspect in a crime.
o Making an arrest or taking a person into custody.
o Issuing Miranda Warnings to a person under arrest or in custody.
o Interrogating a person under arrest or in custody.

TYPES OF AUXILIARY AIDS AND SERVICES

* Officers must utilize the following auxiliary aids, when available, to communicate effectively:
o Use of gestures
o Use of visual aids
o Exchange of written notes
o Use of computers or typewriters
o Use of assistive listening devices
o Use of teletypewriters (TTY's)
o Use of qualified oral or sign language interpreters

1 The reference to “officers” includes all Cincinnati Police Department

Captioned Movies

Captioned Movies

Regal Cinema – Open Captioned
Deerfield Towne Center
5500 Deerfield Blvd.
Mason, OH 45040

Hotel for Dogs
Friday, January 23 at 12:25 p.m.
Saturday, January 24 at 2:50 p.m.
Sunday, January 25 at 12:25 p.m. and 10:05 p.m.
Monday, January 26 at 12:25 p.m. and 7:40 p.m.

Paul Blart Mall Cop
Tuesday, January 27 at 3:05 p.m. and 8:10 p.m.
Wednesday, January 28 at 12:40 p.m. and 8:10 p.m.
Thursday, January 29 at 3:05 p.m. and 8:10 p.m.

AMC Theater at Newport On The Levee – Closed Captions
1 Levee Way
Newport, KY 41071

Paul Blart Mall Cop
Friday, January 23 at 12:20 p.m.
Saturday, January 24 at 10:05 a.m.
Sunday, January 25 at 10:05 a.m.
Monday, January 26 at 2:40 p.m.
Tuesday, January 27 at 1:40 p.m.
Wednesday, January 28 at 2:40 p.m.
Thursday, January 29 at 2:40 p.m.

Showcase Western Hills – Closed Captioned
5870 Harrison Ave.
Cincinnati, OH 45248

Notorious
Friday, January 23 at 1:20 p.m.
Saturday, January 24 at 1:20 p.m.
Sunday, January 25 at 1:20 p.m.
Monday, January 26 at 1:20 p.m.
Tuesday, January 27 at 1:20 p.m.
Wednesday, January 28 at 1:20 p.m.
Thursday, January 29 at 1:20 p.m.

Showcase Cinema De Lux – Closed Captioned
7860 Mall Road
Florence, KY 41042

Hotel for Dogs
Friday, January 23 at 11:55 a.m.
Saturday, January 24 at 11:55 a.m.
Sunday, January 25 at 11:55 a.m.
Monday, January 26 at 11:55 a.m.
Tuesday, January 27 at 11:55 a.m.
Wednesday, January 28 at 11:55 a.m.
Thursday, January 29 at 11:55 a.m.

Inauguration Viewing Party!

The community was inviting to The Hearing Speech & Deaf Center to watch the historic inauguration of Barack Obama to President of The United States with captioning and sign language interpreters.

Town Hall Meeting

Newly Revised Schedule for Deaf Town Hall Meetings sponsored by CSD of the Hearing Speech and Deaf Center.



When is the next meeting? February 10

What time? 10:30-12:00 noon

Where? The Deaf Club: 3938 Spring Grove Avenue

Topic of Presentation? Life After Fifty presented by Carol Yoken, Psychologist knows ASL!





The Deaf Town Hall Meetings will begin a new schedule and location. Every other month on the second Tuesday in collaboration with The Deaf Club Senior Citizens Group. All are welcome and invited!