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Register by June 15
Deaf Vaccine Day/LAD Picnic Saturday, June 19
You have until Tuesday, June 15, to register for a
COVID-19 vaccine during Deaf Vaccine Day (DVD) and the Louisville
Association of the Deaf’s picnic on Saturday, June 19. Be one of the
first 20 to register and the Knowledge Center on Deafness (KCD) will cover
your picnic entrance fee, $10. Deaf Vaccine Day and the picnic will be
held at the Fern Creek Community Center, 6104 Bardstown Road.
To register by noon, contact Blake Campbell, blake.noland@ky.gov, 502-416-0607
(VP) or Holly O’Mary, homary@sevencounites.org,
502-416-0310 (VP) or 502-645-8459 (Text/Facetime). For more information
on the event, click on the photo below to see a video.
Remember: Register by JUNE 15!
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Vaccine Incentive Drawing
Governor Launches ‘Shot at
a Million’
On June 4, Gov. Andy Beshear invited Kentuckians to
get a COVID-19 vaccine and enter for a Shot at a Million – the state’s new vaccine incentive
drawing.
Visit shotatamillion.ky.gov.
Entry requires 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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Innovative Readiness Training will Provide
No-cost Med Services to Eastern Kentuckians
On June 8, Gov. Beshear announced the launch of Operation
Gateway Kentucky Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) Medical Mission,
a service operation in five Eastern Kentucky counties to provide free,
general medical, dental and optometry services to approximately 1,800
uninsured or underinsured Kentuckians.
Sponsored by the Department of Defense (DOD) and the
Gateway Area Development District (GADD) and using $138,000 from the
Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), a group of military medical
professionals will operate health clinics in Bath, Menifee, Montgomery,
Morgan and Rowan counties roughly between July 10 and July 21 of this
year. Services offered to Kentuckians in the region will be available
on a first-come, first-served basis. As details are finalized, GADD
will share them with the community. Click on the GADD logo below for
more information.
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DeafBlind Awareness Week, June 27 to July 3
In recognition of the achievements of
people who are DeafBlind, the Helen Keller
National Center for DeafBlind Youths &
Adults (HKNC) celebrates the last week in June as “Helen Keller DeafBlind Awareness Week.”
Held each year since 1984, this year’s
theme is: “TrailBlazer, BigThinker,
GoGetter, DeafBlind: DeafBlind
Employees Can Help Businesses Grow with Unique Insights and
Perspectives.”
The essence of the message is that
2020 was a landmark year for improvements in Diversity, Equity, and
Inclusion (DE&I), and disabled individuals have seen benefits of
this progress. Talented employees who are DeafBlind
are more than doing their part to assist companies grow. Learn more by
visiting https://www.helenkeller.org/hknc/dbaw.
Click the logo below to find out more about DeafBlind
Awareness Week.
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Citizens Can
Stay Connected to Legislative Action
No matter what part of Kentucky you’re in, you’ll
have ways to stay engaged in action at the State Capitol, as members of
the General Assembly continue their interim committee meetings. June 1
marked the beginning of a six-month period in which interim joint
committees made up of Senate and House members will study and discuss
many of the issues confronting Kentucky in preparation for next year’s
legislative session.
The Kentucky General
Assembly website allows users to:
•See the General Assembly’s weekly schedule.
•Tune in to live coverage of legislative committee
meetings.
•View contact information for senators and
representatives.
•Learn about the legislative process.
•View informational materials on topics being
considered by committees.
•Request to testify at committee meetings.
Following the General Assembly’s work often begins
with a look at the Legislative
Calendar. The calendar shows which committees are meeting each
week.
Livestreams of committee meetings can be viewed
through feeds provided by Kentucky Educational Television (KET) and the
Legislative Research Commission (LRC). Click here
for links to the livestreams.
Information about legislative committees is available
by clicking here.
To view materials such as info sheets, handouts, and PowerPoint
presentations that are compiled for lawmakers to review at committee
meetings, click on the “Meeting Materials” tab on the left side of each
committee’s page.
An online application offers a convenient way for
citizens to request to testify at committee meetings. It allows users
to choose a committee, then fill in their contact info to have the
request to testify automatically submitted to the committee. The online
application can be viewed by clicking here.
To share feedback on an issue with lawmakers, call
the General Assembly’s Message Line at 1-800-372-7181. Kentuckians with hearing loss can
use Kentucky Relay by dialing 7-1-1.
To directly reach a lawmaker’s office, call
502-564-8100. An operator will transfer the call to the office of the
lawmaker you want to reach.
If you have a question about the lawmaking process or
legislative resources, the LRC Public Information Office can be reached
by calling 502-564-8100. To access Kentucky General Assembly website,
click on the logo below.
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KCDHH Recognized for Hospital Kit Collaboration
The Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA)
Kentuckiana Chapter recently recognized KCDHH staff members Virginia
Moore, Jayna Oakley and Jim Rivard for their efforts in completing the
2021 Hospital Kit. The kit contains a sample letter to medical
professionals advocating for effective communication, Know Your Rights
brochure, Tips for Communicating card, labels for paper medical charts
detailing your communication needs, stickers with the icon for hearing loss
for use on medical records, a plastic bag to store a hearing aid or
cochlear implant, a “Face Me” hearing loss button, and info on HLAA
resources. The kits are available by contacting KCDHH at 502-573-2604
(V), 502-416-0607 (VP) or HLAA at 502-233-5774. Below, left to right,
Carla Trivedi, HLAA, presents a certificate of apprecation to KCDHH’s
Virginia Moore.
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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of the sites that normally
host summer camps for deaf and hard of hearing youth are facing a lot of
uncertainty. As a result, KCDHH has compiled the list below to serve as
a starting point for parents to search for camps that will be available
summer, 2021. (Before registering
for summer camps, most camps require that participants receive their
COVID-19 vaccination. Use vaccines.gov
to schedule an appointment.)
Note: Deaf and hard
of hearing children have the same rights to attend summer camp as their
hearing peers, and cannot be denied admission due to their hearing
loss. The Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that summer camps (both
private and those run by towns or municipalities) must provide
reasonable modifications of their policies, practices and procedures
when necessary to enable campers with disabilities to participate fully
in camp programs, unless the camp can demonstrate that the necessary
modifications would fundamentally alter the nature of the services and
activities offered by the camp. Camps must provide reasonable
accommodations unless they can prove it would pose a danger to other
campers or cause an undue financial burden. This applies to sports
camps as well as traditional camps such as 4-H and Conservation. Always sign up as soon as possible
and let the camp administrators know that your child needs a specific
accommodation. Even when a
specific accommodation may not be feasible, there are often options
that can still provide a happy camp experience. The parents/caregivers and camp administrators
should work together to identify the best accommodations for the child.
If you feel like your deaf or hard of hearing child is not being
provided the necessary accommodations for their camp experience, please
let us know, and we will be happy to help advocate.
Camp Sousley
Military Adventure Camp
June 20 to July 3
Session Two: The premier
military exploration program. Home of Military Adventure Camp,
Flemingsburg, KY.
Basic Cadet Training - $2350
Basic / Advanced Leadership Courses - $2350
Deaf and Hard of Hearing encouraged to attend. Interpreters will
be provided. Partial Scholarships available.
July 4 to July 17
Session Three:
Basic Cadet Training - $2350
Basic / Advanced Leadership Courses - $2350
Deaf and Hard of Hearing encouraged to attend. Interpreters will
be provided. Partial Scholarships available.
Gallaudet Summer Youth
Webinars: (Virtual)
June 21-25, June 28-July 2, or July 6-July 9:
Sign up for the “Got Skills?,” “Immerse
into ASL,” “Deaf Youth Pride” or “Deaf Biz” webinars.
Kentucky Lion’s Camp, Lebanon Junction, KY
June 28 to July 2
The Kentucky Lions Camp for DHH children, ages six to 15.
National
Association of the Deaf Youth Leadership Camp, Camp Taloali,
Stayton, Oregon
July 5-July 17
An intensive educational four-week, virtual summer program for
DHH high school sophomores and juniors.
Gallaudet
Virtual Camp Discovery
July 5-16 &
July 19-30
Focused on serving children, ages four to 12, who are DHH, kids
of deaf adults, or children who use sign language, but all are welcome.
Explore Your Future, Rochester, NY
(Virtual)
July 11-July 14,
July 18-July 21
For DHH college-bound students exploring their futures after
high school graduation.
If you know of other
camps, please send them to us at kcdhh@kcdhh.ky.gov.
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HLAA Opens 2021 Conference Registration
The Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) will hold its
annual conference virtually on June 24-26. Register by clicking on the
“Register Now” button below.
•Register now through June 15 for
$35.
•Beginning June 16, registration is
$45.
DeafNation Conference July 31 to August 4, 2022
With DeafNation canceling its 2021 conference, you can
now register for the 4th DeafNation
World Expo & Conference that is set for July 31 to August 4, 2022.
Click on the logo below for more information.
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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USA
Deaf Soccer Association Hosting Youth Clinic
The USA Deaf Soccer Association is
holding a Youth Soccer Clinic for children of all ages on Sunday, July
18, at Louisville’s Champions Park, 2050 River Road. The clinic will be
from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. 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: June 26
and 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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June’s KCDHH Spotlight Q&A is
Dr. Thomas “Tommy,” Evans, who represents the Kentucky Speech-Language-Hearing
Association on KCDHH’s Commission Board. Tommy is from Spring City, TN
and currently lives in Union with his wife Tiffany and their three
children, Davey (13), Addyson (9), and Austin (6). He is a graduate of
Rhea County High School, Evensville, TN.
Tommy graduated from University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he
earned a bachelor’s in communication sciences disorders, a master’s
degree and clinical doctorate degree in audiology. He is currently a
pediatric audiologist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. To read
Tommy’s Spotlight, click here.
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Apple Previews Powerful Software Updates
Designed for People with Disabilities
Apple announced new software features
designed for people with mobility, vision, hearing, and cognitive
disabilities. A new service called SignTime,
which launched May 20, enables customers to communicate with AppleCare
and Retail Customer Care by using American Sign Language (ASL).
Later this year, with software updates
across all of Apple’s operating systems, people with limb differences will
be able to navigate Apple Watch using AssistiveTouch;
iPad will support third-party eye-tracking hardware for easier control;
and for blind and low vision communities, Apple’s industry-leading VoiceOver screen reader will get even smarter using
on-device intelligence to explore objects within images. In support of
neurodiversity, Apple is introducing new background sounds to help
minimize distractions, and for those who are deaf or hard of hearing,
Made for iPhone (MFi) will soon support new
bi-directional hearing aids. Read more of the story here.
Better Access from
Microsoft Means Success for All
Microsoft announced a new five-year
commitment to help bridge the “Disability Divide,” the gap in societal
inclusion for people with disabilities. Given the impact of the
pandemic on people with disabilities, the commitments focus on talent
development (employment and education), workplace culture (hiring), and
accessible technology. Read about their new technology changes here.
Rexton Announces New Line
of Rechargeable Hearing Aids
Rexton, a hearing aid manufacturer, introduced a new line of
rechargeable, MotionCore (M-Core)
behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids April 20, including the M-Core B-Li
P, M-Core B-Li M, and M-Core B-Li HP, which is the company's first
high-power, rechargeable, BTE hearing aid that provides up to 61 hours
of battery life on one charge. These devices, designed for people with
moderate to severe hearing loss, combine the M-Core platform with
High-Resolution Soundpro technology. 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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