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Governor Mandates
Masks in Kentucky Schools
Citing exponential growth of COVID-19 cases and
hospitalizations across Kentucky, K-12 schools are now required to
enforce universal masking among students and staff, Governor Andy
Beshear announced on August 10, as he reported 2,500 new cases — the
most reported in a single day since early January.
The governor said he would sign a 30-day executive
order requiring all teachers, staff, students, and visitors in K-12
schools, child care and pre-kindergarten programs to wear a mask when
indoors. Read the entire story here.
The Kentucky Board of Education also voted
unanimously August 11 to approve an emergency regulation requiring
anyone inside a public K-12 school to wear a mask. Due to state law
around emergency administrative regulations, the regulation would last
270 days — which lands around the first week of May.
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Hospitals Requiring Vaccines by September 15
On August 5, during his weekly Team Kentucky update, Governor Andy
Beshear said hospital executives from 11 health care systems in the
commonwealth announced the following pledge:
“The health care facilities below are committed to the health and
safety of our patients and employees. In support of this commitment, we
will all require our health care workforce to initiate a complete
COVID-19 vaccination series no later than September 15, 2021.”
The new policy will help health systems respond to a surge in
COVID-19 cases driven by the Delta variant. Yesterday, the Governor
announced 2,583 new cases (the highest since February 3, 2021) and a
10.08% test positivity rate (the highest since Jan. 24, 2021).
The health care systems adding this vaccine requirement for staff
include: Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH), Baptist Health, CHI
Saint Joseph Health, King’s Daughters Health System, Med Center Health,
Norton Healthcare, Pikeville Medical Center, St. Claire Healthcare, St.
Elizabeth Healthcare, UK Healthcare and UofL Health.
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One More Time for ‘Shot at a Million’
If you are a permanent resident of Kentucky who has
received at least the first dose of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19
vaccines, or the one dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19
vaccine, you are eligible to register for a “Shot at a Million.”
Permanent residents of Kentucky are eligible even if they received the
vaccine in a different state.
Visit shotatamillion.ky.gov.
Entries require Kentuckians to provide personal and contact
information, including: name, birth date, email address, phone number,
home address, and the name and location of the place that provided you
with the vaccine. Entry also requires agreement to the official rules
of the drawing and agreement to allow the Kentucky Department for
Public Health to verify your vaccination information. The website also
offers information about eligibility, how to find a vaccine
appointment, frequently asked questions, and official rules. Click on
the logo below to access the website.
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 CDC Healthy Schools
It’s back to school season, and the Centers for Disease Control
(CDC) has listed some ideas for parents to help their kids get ready
for school and ways they can be actively involved in school health.
Click on the “Back to School” image.
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KCDHH Will Not Be Attending State Fair
Due to the recent outbreak of the Delta variant, the
KCDHH and Heuser staff have opted out of hosting a booth at this year’s
Kentucky State Fair, which is slated for August 19-29, 2021. KCDHH
thanks all of those volunteers who signed up to work. You can still
attend the fair. You may find more information about it by clicking on
the logo below. Information about KCDHH will also be available in the
Cabinet for Health and Family Services booth.
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Emergency Broadband Available
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is providing an
Emergency Broadband Benefit Program that is available for qualifying
low-income households. This program provides a temporary discount on
monthly internet bills. To receive the discount, consumers will need to
verify their internet company is participating in the program and to
enroll in the EBB Program. To see if you qualify, visit the website here. This program will
end when the fund runs out of money, or six months after the Department
of Health and Human Services (DHHS) declares an end to the COVID-19
health emergency. To see a video to learn more about the program, click
on the photo below.
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KCDHH Executive Director Visits
Hodgenville
The Hodgenville Rotary Club rolled out the red carpet for KCDHH Executive
Director, Virginia Moore, during a July 29th visit for
“Virginia Moore Day in LaRue County.” She
spoke with ABE 93.7 radio station and then gave words of encouragement
to those gathered at the Rotary Club’s meeting, “Service to Self,
Service to Others.” Moore was honored with an Abraham Lincoln statue.
See photos of her visit below.
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Moore Interviews with Courier-Journal
In a recent interview with the
Louisville Courier-Journal, KCDHH’s Executive Director, Virginia Moore,
had an opportunity to explain the Commission’s role in the governor’s
press briefings, how state agencies collaborate with KCDHH, how the
hearing community can learn to communicate with someone who is deaf or
hard of hearing, different ways to communicate, resources available,
and organizing the DeaFestival. To read the article, click here.
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“CODA” Breaks New Ground for Deaf Moviegoers
“CODA,” a coming-of-age
story about the only hearing member of a Deaf family, will have open
captions that need no special equipment in all U.S. and U.K. movie
theaters, starting Friday, August 13, and you can see it in Louisville
at Baxter Avenue Theatres.
CODA, an acronym for “child of deaf
adults,” won four awards at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this
year. It will also be streamed with full subtitles in more than 36
languages on Apple TV+, starting Friday. See the trailer by clicking on
the photo below.
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2021 H&V
Conference
September 17-19: These
Boots are Made for Leading
The Hands &
Voices Leadership Conference brings together family leaders from all
over the world to develop skills, to receive training on providing
leadership to others, and to impact local systems. It is the only
conference of its kind devoted exclusively to teaching family members
with children who are deaf or hard of hearing to be effective agents of
change. The conference will be held at the Franklin Marriott Cool
Springs, Franklin, TN. For information and registration, visit the
Hands & Voices website here.
Register: ALDAcon 2021: “Passport to Accessibility!”
 Invite your family and friends to this year’s Association of
Late-Deafened Adults (ALDA) Convention in Niagara Falls, New York, from
October 6 to October 10. Engage in workshops designed for the
deaf/Deaf, hard of hearing, hearing family, and allies. Explore the
wonders of Niagara Falls on both the United States and Canadian sides.
ALDA looks forward to seeing you at the 2021 ALDAcon
in Niagara Falls, NY! Simply complete the online registration or print
and submit your registration via mail – click
here.
Call for nominations! ALDAcon 2021 Awards
Want to recognize a great volunteer or organization? Each year
ALDA honors various people and organizations that have either improved
the lives of people with hearing loss or significantly contributed to
the activities and well-being of ALDA. This is your chance to recognize
the individual accomplishments and achievements of those who volunteer
and/or advocate on behalf of everyone with hearing loss. There are
awards for ALDA members, non-members, and organizations who have made
significant contributions or achievements on behalf of people with
hearing loss.
Award categories
include:
·
I. King Jordan Award – Presented at the
discretion of the Board of Directors to a late-deafened person who has
succeeded and become distinguished in their chosen field of endeavor
and is an outstanding role model for other late-deafened people and for
deaf people in general.
·
Robert R. Davila ALDA Angel Award – Presented to an individual, organization, or agency providing
ALDA with important services, funding or other forms of support during
the year.
·
ALDA Brainstorm Award — Presented for a creative idea or initiative which
has had or will have a significant long-term benefit to ALDA.
·
Bob Hawley Fearless Leader Award — Presented to an individual for
superior leadership in advancing, maintaining or establishing an ALDA
chapter or a group.
·
Able ALDAn
Award — Presented to a member of ALDA who
has contributed time and hard work above and beyond the call of duty.
·
Cheryl Heppner ALDA Advocacy Award — Presented to a person for
outstanding advocacy on behalf of late-deafened adults.
Submit your nominations by September
3, 2021 through the online nomination form located here.
If you have any questions, contact Awards Chair Steve Larew: SLarew@aol.com.
Deaf Women United
Opens Registration for 2023
Deaf Women United
has opened registration for the 2023 conference that will be held in
Chicago, July 26 to July 30. The early-bird rate is available through
February 28, 2023. For more information, click on the logo below.
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Ohio Association of the Deaf Day Special Events
The Ohio
Association of the Deaf will be hosting:
·
Deaf Day at King’s Island: October 16
·
Deaf Day at Cedar Point: August 14
and October 2
Visit http://www.oad-deaf.org/events.html
or click here for
more information.
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August’s KCDHH Spotlight Q&A is
with Michelle Niehaus, who is the designee for the Secretary of the
Cabinet for Health and Family Services on KCDHH’s Commission Board.
Michelle’s hometown is Cincinnati, OH. She attended Greenhill’s and
Winton Woods High Schools, Cincinnati. She earned her Bachelor of Arts
in Psychology and a Master’s in Social Work from Indiana University,
Bloomington, IN and Washington University, St. Louis, MO. She currently
lives in Louisville with her husband, Chuck, and son, Nate. Read more here.
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Twitter Introduces Much Awaited “Automated Captions” Feature
For Voice Tweets
Twitter, the microblogging website, released a new update turning
on the features of automated captions for voice tweets. This means that
written captions will be available for all voice tweets.
This feature was introduced by Twitter after it was criticized
for not making features that are accessible to all. The voice tweet
feature debuted last year but it was criticized by many because those
with disabilities couldn’t access it. Read more here.
Instagram Now
Supports 60-Second Videos on Reels
Haven’t you heard that Instagram is no longer a photo-sharing
app? On July 27, Instagram announced that users can now upload
60-second videos on Reels, the platform’s TikTok
competitor.
This update also adds functionality for a captions sticker on
Reels, which transcribes audio to text. Instagram previously teased
this sticker for Reels when they added it to Stories, making the
platform more accessible for deaf or hard of hearing users, as well as
people who want to use the app without sound. Right now, the caption
sticker is only available in a handful of English-speaking countries,
but Instagram says they plan to expand to additional countries and
languages soon. TikTok already has a similar
feature. Read more here.
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PLEASE VISIT
KCDHH’S
IF YOU HAVE AN EVENT YOU’D LIKE TO
LIST
ON THE CALENDAR, PLEASE EMAIL US AT:
kcdhh@kcdhh.ky.gov
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COVID-19 Vaccine Resources
International:
World
Health Organization
Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC)
National:
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Vaccines.gov
What
You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and
Other EEO Laws
Kentucky:
Kentucky Governor News
The official Team Kentucky source for Vaccine
Kentucky
Registry of Vaccine Location
KCDHH COVID-19/Vaccine Important Links
for Deaf and Hard of Hearing
KCDHH Facebook Page
Apps:
For those who have deaf family members who use sign language,
consider downloading Sorenson Wavello and/or the ZVRS Sivo app on your smartphone. This app
makes it possible for you to see your loved ones on your screen next to
your interpreter.
Other KCDHH Resources:
KCDHH
KCDHH’s
Telecommunications Access Program (TAP)
Landline or wireless equipment for Kentucky
residents who are deaf, hard of hearing, speech impaired or have both a
hearing and vision loss.
KCDHH
Commissioners
KCDHH Staff
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