Upcoming disabilities Expo

ASL Interpretation

Stop what you are doing and get your marker!  On your calendar, circle, asterisk or otherwise mark this date: Saturday, May 5^th.  From 10 am until 4 pm is the 3^rd Annual disABILITIES EXPO.  This FREE event (parking at the Coliseum is $4.00) will be chock full of information and activities to learn more about physical, intellectual, vision and/or hearing impaired services and equipment.   You do not have to have a disability yourself to attend.  And if you are worried that you or those with you will not be able to handle chaos and the noise for long, there will be a Calming Room to provide a retreat. 

This program is open to anyone who is just curious or needs to learn more about a variety of topics, not limited to technology, bathroom renovations, mobility products, residential services, or transportation. 

Some of the activities includes:  Art and Photo Exhibit, Health Screenings, Story Booth, Wii and X Box Kinect, and more.  Special guests are Jodi Logman, Ms. Wheelchair Indiana 2011 and world-renowned handcyclist Greg Hockensmith.  There will be stage performances….well, too many things to list!  See attached flyer that details the events for the day or visit website www.disAbilitiesExpoIndiana.org.  

The League for the Blind and Disabled will be one of the vendors in the Exhibitor Hall to provide information and answer your questions.  So stop by and say “Hello”! 

What:              3^rd Annual disABILITIES EXPO

When:             Saturday, May 5, 2012

Time:              10 am – 4 pm

Where:            Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
                       4000 Parnell Avenue, just off of Coliseum Blvd.
                       Fort Wayne, IN 

Hope to see you there!

DeafLink Deaf Forum: Public Videophones and Interpreters

ASL Interpretation

On Wednesday, April 18, 2012, a group of 33 citizens from the deaf community attended the DeafLink Deaf Forum at the League for the Blind and Disabled.  The forum had two main focuses: 1) Public Access Videophones (PAVs) and 2) effective communication access.  When asked which businesses in Fort Wayne are deaf-friendly, none of the attendees could think of any. 

What is needed to make Fort Wayne deaf-friendly:  

1. An Interpreter on-hand at places of business/service centers, or 

2. Video Remote Interpreting:

When on-site interpreting services are not immediately available, technology now provides for an interim solution in the form of off-site interpreting services, called Video Remote Interpreting (VRI).  [VRI uses videoconferencing technology, equipment, and a high speed Internet connection with sufficient bandwidth to provide the interpreting services. A qualified interpreter is usually located at a call center ready to interpret for the consumers at their location.] VRI is currently being used in a wide variety of settings including hospitals, physicians’ offices, mental health care settings, police stations, schools, financial institutions, and workplaces.  Entities may contract for VRI services to be provided by appointment or to be available “on demand” 24 hours a day, seven days per week.  As such, there are significant possibilities for the use of VRI technology and services.  While there are many benefits to using VRI services, there are limits to the effectiveness of VRI in some settings including but not limited to medical, legal, and court situations.  In such settings, the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) strongly believes that VRI services should be provided only if on-site interpreter services are unavailable. 

Public Access Videophone “PAV”

The Public Access Videophone (PAV) is a public phone with video technology included. The PAV allows deaf and hard of hearing people the ability to make Video Relay Service (VRS) and Point to Point (P2P) calls in public locations. Also available on the PAV is a direct line to our contact center for further information on job opportunities, interpreting services, customer support or general inquiries. 

A Public Access Videophone, another helpful tool for the deaf, that could be placed in highly frequented city locations i.e. the downtown public library. The only city locations that have one already are the welfare office, Easter Seals Arc and the League for the Blind and Disabled. It was suggested that hospitals should have a PAV so that deaf individuals could call their loved ones with updates. 

What are some issues the deaf have in Fort Wayne?

They are often unable to communicate effectively with the Police Department whether they’re calling in to report an issue, have an emergency, or if they get pulled over.  

If they go to the hospital or a doctor’s office, they can’t communicate their problems effectively without an interpreter which could lead to misdiagnosis, medication error, and/or death. 

When they phone businesses, such as banks, they can’t do confidential business because the bank won’t let an interpreter overhear confidential business.  Title III ruling of the ADA, “A public accommodation shall respond to telephone calls from a telecommunications relay service established under title IV of the Americans with Disabilities Act in the same manner that it responds to other telephone calls.” 

There are still many TTY (Text Telephone) lines listed in the phone book, but most of those don’t work and/or employees do not know how to use the equipment. 

The proposed solution: The League for the Blind and Disabled will work with a committee of people who attended the deaf forum to document their issues and proposed solutions,  then visit businesses and community service centers to ask for their support to make Fort Wayne a more deaf-friendly environment. 

If you are interested in learning more and joining DeafLink to make a better and positive change in the community please contact us at:  

260.441.0551 V/TTY            260.440.3013 VP                 garths@the-league.org 

I look forward to working with you! 

Garth Sponseller, NIC, Ed:K-12
DeafLink Director

Designing a City for the Deaf

Sometimes people think of accessibility of cities/towns as being focused around people with mobility issues.   This article’s viewpoint explores making cities/towns accessible for those with hearing loss or who are Deaf.   Like curb cuts, how can these suggestions actually be beneficial for all?  What do you think?

Patricia Howard
Information and Referral Coordinator

This article was published on March 27, 2012 in The Atlantic Cities. 

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/design/2012/03/designing-city-deaf/1600/

Youth Leadership Fort Wayne

ASL Interpretation

Our guest blogger this week is Youth Leadership Fort Wayne (YLFW).  This wonderful program works with our youth to develop budding leadership skills and to learn about community involvement in Allen County, Indiana.  To find out more, visit http://www.leadershipfortwayne.org/programs/YLFW/index.html.   

Enjoy!

Youth Leadership Fort Wayne (YLFW) has been training young people in Allen County to become actively involved in their communities for over 15 years. We teach our youth that leadership isn’t a skill that they either have or don’t. Leadership can be developed; it just takes courage to sometimes step out of one’s comfort zone and take steps towards personal development and self-awareness. 

We teach our youth that there are many types of leaders and many different leadership styles.  We encourage them to develop their own leadership style with the tools they take away from the YLFW program. Three of the most important tools include communication, social awareness, and personal relationships.  

An effective leader needs to keep lines of communication open and clearly communicate with his or her team. Knowing the ways his team communicates is important. Verbal and written communication is essential, but broadening communication to text messages and social networks can enhance and expand those people a leader wants to reach. 

Social awareness is vital in making an impact as a leader. At YLFW we expose our youth to what is happening in city government, how different social services impact the lives of many people and how to serve our community. From these experiences we hope that our young people learn that contributing to the betterment of others and our community can make an impact not only to those in need, but it will enhance the quality of life for everyone in our community.  

Developing good personal relationships is essential for a young leader. Whether these relationships are with teachers, friends, classmates or other adults, we teach the youth that it is important to foster these relationships. The more positive connections a young person can make, the more successful he or she will be as a leader. Having strong personal relationships will help a leader motivate others and will build trust within the team. 

Our YLFW program has made an impact on over 500 youth in Allen County. Here’s what some of them have said about our program. 

“Youth Leadership Fort Wayne changed my life. When I came into the program, I was a quiet sophomore at Carroll High School. YLFW, LEAD, YAR (other youth programs through YLFW), and my involvement with the ACUYS (Allen County United Youth Summit) helped me break out of my shell. I have utilized the valuable skills in a variety of organizations in college.” 

“Every day I apply something I learned in Youth Leadership Fort Wayne. I always volunteer to help people, I am more committed to group projects, I even am more open- minded when it comes to other people’s ideas.” 

“Being in Youth Leadership helped me gain a better understanding of the awesome things that Fort Wayne has to offer. It helped me want to be more involved in community service.” 

Anne Duff
Program Assistant
Leadership Fort Wayne
April 3, 2012

Deaf Forum

Garth Sponseller, DeafLink Director

April Deaf Forum – ASL Interpretation  

Public Videophones (VP) and Sign Language Interpreters for the Fort Wayne Area. If you are Deaf or Hard of Hearing you may want to come. DeafLink and MobileMissions are linking together to make a difference for our community. People from the mayor’s office, fire and police department, and the Allen County Public Library (ACPL) will be invited to attend this meeting.  For more information, visit http://the-league.org/events/index.php and select Deaf Forum.

“Living the Life We Have”

ASL Interpretation

Here is a great blog article with a perspective on how we should view ourselves-with a disability or not.  This article is written by psychologist and author Dan Gottlieb, Ph.D; posted by Disability Blog.

http://usodep.blogs.govdelivery.com/2012/03/28/living-the-life-we-have/#more-2787

DeafLink March Forum

ASL Interpretation

When: Monday, March 19, 2012 from 6:00pm-8:00pm

Where: League for the Blind and Disabled, 5821 S Anthony Blvd, Fort Wayne, IN 46816

Who: Rhonda Marcum and Deka Oliver from Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (DHHS) will present and answer questions.

Topics: What is Case Management? How does it benefit you? How does it work from a consumer and a provider perspective? What are the state’s expectations from Case Management services? It has been noted that we (DHHS) provide instructions to the case managers on how to do their job and realize that the community needs to know this so they can work better with the case managers to increase their independence.

Audience: Anyone who is Deaf and hard of hearing. No matter if you communicate through sign language, lip-reading, speech, etc. YOU ARE WELCOME!

Transportation: CITILINK bus last pick up at Anthony/Paulding will be 7:51pm. CITILINK will drop off downtown (Superior Street). Last pick up at Superior Street will be 8:15pm to go home. This means you can stay at the meeting until 7:40pm and still get home safely.

Reasonable accommodations, such as sign language interpreters for voice-to-sign and sign-to-voice, will be made available with 48 hours notice. Contact: Garth Sponseller, DeafLink Director, garths@the-league.org JJ Johnston, DeafLink Case Coordinator, jayej@the-league.org Hilary Riley, DeafLink Interpreter Coordinator, hilarym@the-league.org

PIZZA, CHIPS, POP, AND COFFEE WILL BE PROVIDE FREE!!!!!

Have Cane, Will Travel

As for the first reason, how much anonymity does a person have when you keep running into other people and tripping over unseen obstacles?  My high school was fairly large with about 1800 students, so of course my knowledge of the entire student body and their experience with me was limited.  Several times, after physical collisions, I was asked the question, “What’s the matter, are you blind or something?”  In hind sight, not wanting to draw attention to myself by carrying a long white cane seems to be a bit of faulty reasoning.  Then, my second reason of not knowing about the League and how they could help me was cut short when I began planning for college.  Vocational Rehabilitation soon entered the picture and they referred me to the League so I could learn cane travel skills. 

I chose to attend St Francis College, which was small and welcoming; however, this campus had a travel challenge.  Lovely Mirror Lake is positioned smack dab in the middle of campus, separating the classroom buildings from the dining hall and the dorms.  It is necessary to cross over the causeway to navigate around campus. 

Now, I am a very good swimmer, but I am also realistic.  After all how many times will a professor accept the excuse that my homework is at the bottom of the lake?  This excuse is right up there with the dog that ate my homework assignment. 

So, I solved my mobility issue by learning how to successfully and safely travel with a long white cane.  This was the summer of 1971 between my graduation from high school and my fall enrollment into St. Francis College.  For six weeks, I lived in Fort Wayne and received intensive training from the League.   

Let me divert for a moment for a brief history lesson about the League.  Back then, the League was housed in a beautiful old home in the West Central neighborhood of Fort Wayne.  The students lived on the 4^th floor of the Keenan Hotel, which no longer exists.  I would walk nine blocks every day from the downtown area, east, to the League.  Every evening, I would walk the nine blocks back to the hotel.  Just so you don’t think the League would throw a newbie to the wolves, in other words the traffic and unknown territory, I did receive instruction for a couple of days to make sure I knew the route and some beginning cane skills.  Nevertheless, it was still very scary!  My entire home town consisted of 300 people and four streets.  I was really in the big city now! 

I use a long white cane with red near the tip because this indicates to other people that the user has some kind of vision impairment.  Learning to use this cane requires the training of an Orientation and Mobility Specialist (O&M).  If people prefer the shorter support cane because of balance or other medical reason, there is a white and red support cane available to them.  The legs of a walker can also be marked with the white and red tape to denote the user also has vision impairment.  People can also choose the preferred length of their cane, the style of tip, if the cane is rigid or folding, and the style of grip. 

Luckily, the League has a supply of canes on hand of varying sizes with different styles   of tips.  Funding sources are available if you need a cane and cannot afford it.  The League also offers Orientation and Mobility Skills Training.  The O&M Instructor can teach you how to use a cane properly and travel safely at home, work place, or in your community.  If you have ever hesitated about learning to use a cane, it is a tool that will ultimately increase your independence, confidence, and safety.   

The cane skills I learned that summer have served me well over the years.  Learning to properly use this tool with its specialized techniques made me an independent person, able to go anywhere safely and confidently.  If you would like to learn how to use a cane, call the League.  There is no better time than the present.  If you are a person who notices people traveling with a long white cane and would like to learn more, give the League a call.   The origin of the long white cane has an interesting history and those of us who are cane users, have great stories to share!

Did you know that

ASL Interpretation

…the League has a video phone available, free of charge, first come first serve, during the League’s business hours?   This enables a sign language user to access telephone services.  

…Information and Referral Services can be provided to anyone, anywhere, whether or not you have a disability? Information can be a helpful tool from learning more about disability rights to community options to finding a phone number.  Don’t forget to visit http://disabilityinfosite.com/ for a topical listing of disability-related information and resources. 

…applications from organizations are available for services?  Here are a few: 

1.     NEIRRS (Northeast Indiana Radio Reading Service) aka talking newspaper – provides access to newspapers for folks who are blind or visually impaired in northeast Indiana.
2.    Talking Book & Braille Library- provides digital audio books, large print books and books in Braille to Indiana residents who are unable to read regular print, because of a visual or a physical disability. 
3.    inTRAC- Equipment distribution program providing telephone access for Deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired Indiana residents.
4.    Citilink Access-provides transportation services in Fort Wayne for people with disabilities who cannot access the traditional fixed route transportation.
5.    Voter Registration-provides the ability to vote at primary or general elections. 

…the League sponsors 10 support groups in northeast Indiana?  Learn tips and techniques for living with sight loss, resources available in your community, and more. 

…peer support and mentoring opportunities is available connecting people with the same or similar disabilities and/or experiences?  You are not alone.  Others can help you help yourself.  

…the League can help if you need a photo ID in order to vote?  Don’t let not having ID prevent you from voicing your opinion in the upcoming 2012 elections. 

…the League can help you receive reader services, transportation for Fort Wayne area support groups, and more?  The Volunteer Services program recruits and coordinates volunteers to perform these tasks, and more. 

Whew!  Hopefully, this 3-part blog article gave you a good overview of how the League can help you, a friend, a family member, or a neighbor live independently in their community, no matter the disability.   

Patricia Howard
Information and Referral Coordinator

More League Programs

ASL Interpretation

Last time, the blog posting explained our four fee-for-service programs available at the League.  

Today, let’s talk about additional programs available here at the League.  These specific programs have the requirements of being a person with a disability and living in a county served by the League (Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Huntington, Jay, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wells and Whitley).  Let’s learn more about Adaptive Equipment Services, Independent Living Services Skills Training, Senior Blind Services, Youth Services, and Advocacy Services.    

Adaptive Equipment Services:  This program helps people with disabilities obtain equipment needed to live independently.  Demonstration of different adaptive devices is available here at the League or in your home.  Still not sure if the equipment is right for you?  There is a loaner program so that you can determine if your equipment will be a practical purchase. 

Independent Living Services Skills Training:  This program is designed to help you live in the community independently.  Learn daily living skills such as homemaking or balancing your checkbook.  Receive assistance to get out of or prevent from going into the nursing home.  Obtain community resources such as housing, furniture, Medicaid, and more. 

Senior Blind Services:  If you are age 55 or older and have vision loss, this program can help provide skills, techniques, and equipment to perform daily tasks for living independently.   

Youth Services:  If you have a child with disabilities, this program can help with advocacy in the school system or in the community, mentoring and peer support for youth and parents or integrating kids with disabilities into summer camps.   

Advocacy Services:  If you are a person with a disability who is being discriminated against or have issues with accessibility, at work or in the community, this program can teach you how to advocate for yourself.  You will learn your rights and responsibilities to become an effective advocate for yourself or others. 

If you are interested in receiving any of these services, have questions or concerns, simply call the League at 260-441-0551 or 800-889-3443.   

And there’s more!  The next article will discuss other services available at the League.  Until next time!  

Patricia Howard
Information and Referral Coordinator