Betty Timon’s Dream Comes True…

On October 15, Betty Timon’s dream became a reality with the opening of the new Spire Development  Residences at Courtyard Crossing, in  Independence, KY. The Residences offers barrier-free living for deaf and hard of hearing individuals. 

For over 45 years, Betty Timon was an advocate for the deaf and hard of hearing. Her own journey with a hearing loss began when she was 35 and was diagnosed with a significant hearing loss, which, over the years, progressed to a profound loss. Betty became a Kentucky resident in 1990. Serving on the KCDHH Commission Board over 18 years with her husband, Jim, by her side, she tirelessly advocated for accessible communication for deaf and hard of hearing individuals in the Commonwealth.

One of her many passions was to advocate for senior citizens. She worked tirelessly during her time as a Commissioner to promote accessibility in nursing homes, and began working with KCDHH and developers to establish a living space where individuals could live, socialize, and support each other without any barriers.

Although her dream did not become a certainty during her lifetime, she instilled the passion in KCDHH, and throughout the community, to continue work to make her dream a reality.

“Betty called me one night to come to northern Kentucky for a visit,” explained Virginia Moore, KCDHH Executive Director. “I knew she was very ill, and I sat down at her bedside. She asked me to not give up this fight. Her husband, Jim, held me to it. I honestly didn’t know if it would happen. Now, we can say a dream we worked on together, and ultimately took over, has came true.”

The new Courtyard Crossings, located at 133-B McCullum Pike, Independence, KY, offers 30 one-bedroom apartment homes and 17 two-bedroom apartment homes equipped with open floor plans, visual strobe fire and CO alarms, bed shakers synced with alarm clocks and life-safety systems, matte paint to reduce visual glare, video-based entry systems,  and wireless smart monitoring systems to alert residents about open doors, temperature issues, motion activity, voltage issues, and water issues. The common areas include a community room with a kitchenette, supportive services room, and laundry room, and also features RTT and TTY technology. See photos from the groundbreaking below.

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Deaf-Blind Questionnaire Needs YOUR Input by Oct. 29!

You have until Friday, October 29, to complete KCDHH’s Deaf-Blind Community Study Group “Questionnaire for Kentucky’s Deaf-Blind Constituents.” This confidential questionnaire will help determine if accessibility issues are prohibiting Deaf-Blind individuals and individuals with a combined hearing and vision loss from obtaining local and state services in Kentucky. Feedback will be used to guide further positive changes for these constituents. Please forward this information to anyone who is part of the Deaf-Blind community in Kentucky who may be interested in participating.

If you would like additional information about the questionnaire, please contact KCDHH at kcdhh@ky.gov. To see a video about the questionnaire, click here.

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KCDHH’s Moore Named Communicator of the Year

The Kentucky Association of Government Communicators (KAGC) has named Virginia Moore, Executive Director of KCDHH, as its 2021 Communicator of the Year. The annual awards celebration was held virtually Thursday, September 23, honoring the very best in government-produced communications.

A familiar face on Governor Andy Beshear’s COVID-19 briefings, Moore has led a tireless effort in providing this service. “Thank you, but I’m nothing without my team,” the award winner said. “The pandemic has opened the door to understand just how many are affected by hearing loss and how KCDHH has been able to make a difference. This is quite the unexpected honor, and it’s truly appreciated.”

KCDHH staff and volunteers were also recipients of the following awards:

Audio Long Program:

Excellence Award to Virginia L. Moore, KCDHH Staff & Kentucky Sports Radio for “KSR’s Meet Virginia Moore”

Working Without a Net:

Excellence Award to Virginia Moore for “Virginia Moore Signs Song During Governor's Press Briefing”

Web Based Media:

Honorable Mention to Jim Rivard for “Coronavirus Accessible Communications for DHH”

Social Media:

Honorable Mention to Virginia Moore/Reb Kreutzer for “Governor's Press Briefing Updates”

Public Information Campaign:

Excellence Award to KCDHH Team for “Coronavirus Accessible Communications for DHH”

Innovations:

Excellence Award to KCDHH Team for “KCDHH Mask Up for Communication”

Communicator of the Year awarded to Virginia L. Moore

A complete list of winners is available at http://www.kagc.net/.

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Kreutzer Recognized for Volunteer Interpreting

Rebecca Kreutzer, volunteer Deaf Interpreter, pictured left, accepted one of the proclamations Governor Andy Beshear signed declaring June 16 as “Interpreter Appreciation Day.”  The Governor told attendees that when KCDHH opened the door to language access for the deaf and hard of hearing in Kentucky, they opened the door to access in all languages. She is also an KAGC award winner in the above story.

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UK Welcomes KCDHH Executive Director

The University of Kentucky's College of Communication and Information's (CI) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee and American Sign Language & Deaf Culture Club (ASLDCC) welcomed KCDHH’s Virginia Moore — Kentucky's Communicator of the Year for 2021 — for a presentation on Tuesday, Oct 5.

The event, “Virginia Moore: Communicating for All Kentuckians,” was held in the UK Athletics Auditorium at the William T. Young Library. Moore spoke about accessibility and inclusivity during the global pandemic. To read the full story, click here.

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October is Protect Your Hearing Month

October is “National Protect Your Hearing Month,” and KCDHH is urging the public to be aware of the importance of good hearing health by protecting your hearing. For more information, click on the photo below.

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COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Recommendations

Following the latest guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s amended authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, Gov. Andy Beshear said that his administration recommends the following Kentuckians who received a Pfizer vaccine series get a booster six months after their second shot:

• Individuals 65 and older;
• Those living in a long-term care facility;
• People 18 to 64 who have a medical condition that increases their risk of severe COVID-19 infection – examples of these include diabetes, heart, kidney or lung disease, or a BMI greater than 25; or
• People 18 to 64 who are likely to get exposed at their place of work – examples of high-risk work environments include health care and education.

In addition, the Governor said for immunocompromised individuals – for example, people who are undergoing cancer treatment or who are taking a high dose of an immunosuppressant – a third shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine is recommended at least 28 days after the second shot. Read more of the story here.

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kynect Opens Oct. 15 for Previewing Health Plans

Governor Andy Beshear is encouraging Kentuckians to visit kynect.ky.gov, which opened October 15, to review and compare plans on the state’s new health care marketplace to see what coverage will best suit their needs for 2022. Kentuckians can enroll from November 1, 2021, to January 15, 2022.  The state-based marketplace relaunch, recently approved by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, will allow Kentuckians to access and compare state-managed health care options, apply for coverage, and complete their enrollment all on one convenient platform. Read the complete story here.

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KCDHH Job Opening

The Kentucky Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing is seeking someone to fill an Executive Administrative Secretary vacancy. Click on the photo below to watch the video. You can also click a link to the job opening announcement here and a link to apply for this position here.

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The Kentucky Walk4Hearing was held on Saturday, October 9, at Beckley Creek Park in Louisville. See photos below.

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“Becoming Helen Keller” Premiere’s October 19

American Masters: Becoming Helen Keller examines one of the 20^th century’s human rights pioneers in honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month. The new documentary rediscovers the complex life and legacy of author and activist Helen Keller (1880-1968), who was deaf and blind since childhood, exploring how she used her celebrity and wit to advocate for social justice, particularly for women, workers, people with disabilities, and people living in poverty. Closing the series’ 35^th season, American Masters: Becoming Helen Keller premieres nationwide Tuesday, October 19 at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT on KET. And after the program airs on KET on Oct. 19, you’ll be able to stream the program here: https://www.ket.org/program/american-masters/

To read more, click on the photo below.

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View “We Hear You” Documentary by October 28

“We Hear You” is a groundbreaking documentary about hearing loss, the invisible disability that impacts 430 million people worldwide, including 48 million in the United States alone. By shining a light on the hearing loss experience, it strives to build awareness, community, and a more inclusive world for all. To watch “We Hear You” by October 28, click on the picture below.

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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 on October 16. Visit http://www.oad-deaf.org/events.html or click here for more information.

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October’s KCDHH Spotlight Q&A is with James “Eddie” Runyon, who is an AARP representative on KCDHH’s Commission Board. Eddie’s hometown is Pikeville where he attended Pikeville High School. He received his Associate of Arts Degree in Business and Industrial Security and his Bachelor of Science Degree in Loss Prevention from Eastern Kentucky University. He also attended Gallaudet University in Washington, DC. Eddie works as a Kentucky Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Discrimination Investigator and currently lives in Richmond with his wife, Yvette, son, Brock, and daughter, Triniti. Read more here.

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YouTube Announces New Caption/Audio Features

YouTube has lifted previous limitations to its accessibility features for live streams with new improvements for its caption and audio capabilities, along with more features meant to make content more accessible to all types of viewers. The most recent change should make live streams more accessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Read more here.

New Device Levels Playing Field for DHH Gamers

It is an industry first for the gaming world — an audio-radar experience that helps gamers who are deaf and hard of hearing visualize sounds using an LED display. The technology turns the subtle sounds made during gameplay into bands of light on six LED bars that surround a TV or monitor. It lets gamers see what they can't hear by plugging it into their XBox, PlayStation, or computer. Read more here.

Amazon Adds New Speech Setting to Alexa App

Amazon announced it is adding a new feature to the Alexa app, available on iOS and Android, that forces Alexa to wait longer in order for a person to finish speaking. This functionality, which is opt-in, will be helpful to those who have a speech impairment. It will make Alexa feel more useful and, crucially, more inclusive. Read more here.

Sign-Speak Enables Business to Interact with DHH

Sign-Speak technology enables businesses everywhere to communicate more effectively with deaf and hard of hearing clients and employees. Click on the photo below to learn more about Sign-Speak.

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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