• Director's Report
• Do You Have Combined Hearing and Vision Loss? iCanConnect Can Help!
• Remote Conference Captioning Now Available in Maine
• Make the Call with Maine Relay
• Please don’t hang up on me
• Enjoy an Interview with Karen Hopkins
• Volunteer Opportunities for Deaf Community Members

Director's Report

Terry Morrell, Director Division for the Deaf Hard of Hearing and Late Deafened I would like to share this link of Consumer Reports about Hearing Loss. It addresses several concerns and offers some helpful information about other resources to use. http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/hearing-aids/buying-guide.htm

Do You Have Combined Hearing and Vision Loss? iCanConnect Can Help!

Communicating on the phone or over email can be challenging for people with significant combined vision and hearing loss – if you don't have access to the right equipment.

iCanConnect, also known as the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program (NDBEDP), administered by Disability Rights Maine (DRM) Deaf Services can help. We provide free communication equipment and software, and training in your home, allowing you to take full advantage of the powerful features and functionality that today's communication technologies provide.

Hearing and vision loss develop slowly and tend to get worse over time, so there’s no time like the present to start exploring the world of assistive technology. Maybe you just need a phone that’s a little louder or has bigger buttons. Maybe your computer screen is harder to read than it used to be. Maybe you’d like to have portable access to face-to-face communication.

However your vision and hearing loss are limiting your freedom to communicate, you don’t have to settle for being cut off from the outside world. There are ways to help you regain the ease of being in touch with the people you care about and who care about you.

Combined hearing and vision loss can cause you to put so many things on hold - relationships, creative pursuits and interests, and just keeping up with current events.

Since 2012, more than 70 Mainers with combined vision and hearing loss have received free equipment and training to help them stay connected with family and friends, employers and caregivers - to take care of all their distance communication needs. Could you also benefit? Why not give Scott Murray a call at DRM Deaf Services and find out more about this helpful program.

207-797-7656 (V) or 207-766-7111 (VP)

Email: SMurray@DRME.ORG
Website: iCanConnect.ORG

Remote Conference Captioning Now Available in Maine

New to Maine Relay users, Remote Conference Captioning (RCC) allows individuals who have difficulty hearing what’s said during conference calls to have a clearer understanding of the conversation and participate in the call more effectively. Using Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) service to convert speech to text as it is spoken; RCC delivers word-for-word captions over the Internet while you listen over the telephone.

To use RCC, you will need access to a conference bridge to allow the certified writer to listen to the audio portion of the call. You will also need access to an Internet-connected computer, smartphone or tablet. There is no software to download – just a link to click on to view the captions.

How Remote Conference Captioning works:

• The writer accesses the audio through a conference call bridge.
• The writer listens and produces realtime streaming text that is sent over the Internet.
• You can view the text on a computer or mobile device with an Internet connection by clicking on a link that is provided.
• The text shows up just seconds after someone has spoken.
• At any time, you can scroll up to review text.
• By clicking “Transcript”, another browser window containing the raw, unedited transcript opens which may be copied or printed.

To request RCC services, complete an RCC Scheduling Request Form online at www.HamiltonRelay.com/RCC or call Maine RCC Customer Care at 877-339-2665 (Voice). Maine Relay users are guaranteed access to RCC services if scheduled at least 24 hours in advance. RCC services may also be available with a two-hour notice for emergency situations.

To learn more, contact:
Maine RCC Customer Care
1-877-339-2665 (Voice)
Email: merelayrcc@hamiltonrelay.com

Make the Call with Maine Relay

To access Maine Relay Dial 7-1-1

800-437-1220 TTY

800-457-1220 Voice

888-890-9254 ASCII

888-890-9255 Spanish

888-890-9256 STS

Maine Relay is available at no cost, 24-hours a day, every day – making it possible for individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind or have difficulty speaking to communicate over the telephone. Services include TTY (Text Telephone), VCO (Voice Carry Over), HCO (Hearing Carry Over), DBS (Deaf-Blind Service), STS (Speech-to-Speech), Captioned Telephone and Voice.

When you connect with Maine Relay, a Communication Assistant (CA) will facilitate your call – promptly, professionally and accurately. All relay calls are confidential and no records are kept of relay conversations.

TTY (Text Telephone)

TTY is the most common way to connect to TRS. This allows people who are deaf or hard of hearing to type their messages and read the other party’s responses.

VCO (Voice Carry Over)

VCO is an effective service for people who have hearing loss and use their voice on the phone. VCO users speak directly to the person being called and, through specialized equipment, read what is spoken by the other party.

HCO (Hearing Carry Over)

HCO is especially useful for people who can hear, but who regularly or occasionally have difficulty speaking over the phone. HCO users listen directly to the person called and, through specialized equipment, type their responses to the other party.

DBS (Deaf-Blind Service)

DBS allows people with combined hearing and vision loss to place and receive telephone calls. DBS users type their messages and read the other party’s responses, typed by the Communication Assistant (CA), on a braille display.

STS (Speech-to-Speech)

STS is especially useful for people who have difficulty speaking or being understood on the telephone. STS Relay involves specially trained CAs who are familiar with the speech patterns of a wide variety of individuals who have difficulty being understood. The CA repeats the STS user’s side of the telephone conversation as needed, to ensure that the entire conversation is understood.

Captioned Telephone (CapTel®)

Captioned Telephone is a no cost service that allows users to listen to their phone conversations while reading word-for-word captions of what’s said to them. Through the use of a uniquely designed CapTel phone, users speak directly to the other party and listen and read the other party’s response. Captions appear on the bright, built-in display screen of the CapTel phone, just moments after the other party has spoken.

Voice

Voice Relay allows standard phone users to communicate with individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind or have difficulty speaking and who may use a TTY, TeleBraille, or other assistive telecommunications device. A CA facilitates the call by relaying messages between the individuals, according to their communication needs.

If you have suggestions, comments or concerns, please contact:

Maine Relay Customer Care

P.O. Box 285
Aurora, NE 68818
800.270.9709 (Voice/TTY)
402.694.5110 (Fax)
Email: merelay@hamiltonrelay.com
Website: www.merelay.com

If your expressed concern is not resolved to your satisfaction, please contact your state relay administrator.

Maine Public Utility Commission

Michael Johnson
18 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
207.287.1572 (V)
Email: Michael.R.Johnson@maine.gov 

Should your concern go unresolved, you may file a complaint with the FCC’s Consumer Information Bureau. Website: http://www.fcc.gov/

Customer Profile - Individual call handling preferences, including customized greetings, preferred connection option, and more, can be stored on file. Completing a customer profile can save on call processing time - connecting you with family, friends and business is a more efficient and effective manner. Call Customer Care or visit www.merelay.com to complete your profile.

Equipment Distribution Program - Specialized telephone equipment may be available at no cost to eligible residents through Disability Rights Maine (DRM) - Deaf Services. For more information, please contact DRM: 207.797.7656 (Voice/TTY) or 800.639.3884 (Voice/TTY)

Email: deafservices@drme.org
Website: www.drcme.org

Maine Relay – Powered by Hamilton Relay
CapTel is a registered trademark of Ultra Tec, Inc.
Copyright 2015 Hamilton Relay. All Rights Reserved

Reprinted with permission.

Please don’t hang up on me

I am one of thousands of individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf blind or have difficulty speaking wanting to do business with your company.

Relay users are customers with money to spend.

• Answering relay calls can mean increased revenue
• Answering relay calls can increase the number of customers you serve
• Answering relay calls can result in the recommendation of your business to others

Taking calls placed through Maine Relay is simply good business.

Relay Caller: The relay caller places a call using relay, primarily through the use of an assistive communications device.

Communication Assistant: The Communication Assistant speaks and/or types what’s said between callers.

You: Speak as you normally would, just a little slower and say “go ahead” when you’re ready for a response. Turn taking continues in this manner until the call is complete.

For more information contact: Maine Relay Customer Care

P.O. Box 285, Aurora, NE 68818
1-800-270-9709 Voice or TTY
1-402-694-5110 Fax
Email: merelay@hamiltonrelay.com
Website: www.merelay.com

Enjoy an Interview with Karen Hopkins

Karen Hopkins

Could you share with us what your family life was like as a child?

I grew up in Millinocket, Maine, and was the only deaf child in my family and community. My family was incredibly supportive. I would go to school all day, then my mother would review everything learned once I got home to be sure I had access to all the information taught. She was in close connection with my teachers to provide pre- and post-teaching before that was a known thing to do in Deaf education.

My family also made sure that I had many social experiences; we were involved in many community activities and had friends around throughout my life. As I grew, social experiences became more challenging. Throughout my teen years my friends tried to "take care of me" in a way I didn’t realize until I was adult. They would bring me along with them but, looking back, I wasn't really involved. I was very involved in school activities but again, looking back, I see my involvement was, in many ways, superficial. I did very well with one-on-one conversations with friends, and friends were my guides through school. Academically, I did very well in school and I believe this was due to my mother's persistence and guidance in supporting my educational experience.

There were very little resources for deaf and hard-of-hearing children in northern areas of Maine at that time so my parents had no resources or information related to deaf education that may have supported them. I did not meet another deaf or hard-of-hearing individual until I was 17 and first stepped foot on the campus of Gallaudet University on a college tour. My best friend found Gallaudet on one of her college searches and encouraged me to visit. This was a life changing experience for me that opened more doors than I ever could have imagined.

What mode of communication did you use as a child?

As a child I communicated with spoken language. My hearing was progressive in nature, so I had access to spoken language for most of my younger years as I lost more hearing. There were no opportunities to interact with other deaf or hard-of-hearing children and other communication opportunities were never brought to my parent’s attention as options for me. I grew up really not knowing I was deaf.

I went to the new signers program at Gallaudet University the summer before my freshman year with 40 other deaf college students just like me that had grown up using spoken language and were just meeting other deaf peers for the first time. This was an incredible experience. As I interacted with these peers and met numerous deaf peers that had grown up communicating via American Sign Language (ASL), I realized what I had missed. The connections, interactions and ease of communication my friends had with each other were eye-opening for me. But for me, more than how they communicated with each other, it was about connections - they were connected in a way I never felt growing up. They had others in their circle that was like them and that mattered. It mattered for their identity, social connections and life experiences. It was at this time that I realized Maine children needed support, families needed support in getting information earlier and meeting deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals early in their young child's life. Building connections, focusing on identity and expanding communication opportunities was as much a part of my college experience as my academic experience.

Where did you go to school?

Growing up I went to school in the Millinocket public schools. Upon graduation from high school I attended Gallaudet University and graduated in 1991. Since then I have gone on to receive my Master’s Degree from the University of Maine and Advanced Graduate Certifications from University of New England. I have attended Endicott University, Western Kentucky University and Gallaudet University for additional graduate coursework focusing on deaf education and educational leadership.

What is your family life like now?

I have been married to my husband Scott for 26 years. We live in Scarborough and have three children, Andrew (21), Alyssa (17) and Adrianna (13). We have a very close extended family and I have been the primary caregiver for my mother who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s 9 years ago. It has been an honor to care for her and support her care in the way she was so committed to doing for me for so many years.  

Have you always lived in Maine?

Except for when I was in college, I have always lived in Maine.

What kind of work have you done?

I have always worked in the field of education. When I came back from Gallaudet, I immediately began working with deaf children and their families, trying to fill the gaps in Maine that I had realized were so prevalent during my years at Gallaudet.

I worked with Department of Labor and Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) to encourage State programs to find funding for children to be together and families to have access to deaf and hard-of-hearing adults.

I went on to teach pre-school and pre-kindergarten in the Bangor area. I worked with deaf teenagers in the Bangor area for several years creating a social-emotional program for them that involved functional life skills, outdoor recreation, travel and most importantly peer connections.

For the past 17 years I have been working for the Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (MECDHH)/Governor Baxter School for the Deaf (GBSD), in the early childhood field. I came to realize that if I wanted to make a difference, the place for me to start was to make sure families of deaf children had easy, early access to information, other parents, and deaf adults. MECDHH saw the need for more support in the Bangor area and opened a Bangor area office where I was the only employee. As numbers grew, we added school age support, and now that office has grown to include three early childhood staff and three public school staff.

I moved down to southern Maine to teach in the preschool program at MECDHH/GBSD and coordinate outreach services for children ages 3-5. Over the years my position changed where I now am the director of the 0-5 years program/services statewide and the parent infant and preschool programs on Mackworth Island. My work in early intervention has been focused on program growth and ensuring all families received support statewide. With the support of my incredible early childhood team we have created a bilingual=bimodal preschool program that brings deaf and hard-of-hearing children together regardless of their communication preferences. This model is based on ensuring children have access to language and are together with other deaf and hard-of-hearing children. Our early childhood and family services team has worked incredibly hard to create one system for early intervention in Maine for all children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Regardless of if they live in Fort Kent or Southern Maine, all families receive the same information early in their journey of raising their deaf or hard-of-hearing child, all have the opportunity to meet other parents and all have the opportunity to meet deaf and hard-of-hearing children and adults.

I have also been very involved in boards in Maine that support deaf and hard-of-hearing children. I was a founding board member of The Foundation for Maine's Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the Maine Newborn Hearing Program Advisory board and Maine's Hands & Voices Board. Being involved in the work of these boards since their inception has been incredibly rewarding. I have seen tremendous growth in services and support for deaf children due to the work these boards have accomplished.

As a Deaf professional what are your proudest accomplishments?

I would say I am most proud of the incredible team of professionals we have, they support each other and the work we are trying to do each day for deaf and hard-of-hearing children and their families. The accomplishments in designing our preschool program and the early intervention system in Maine that embeds MECDHH consultants in the State's system and ensures that deaf children have access to deaf adults, are ones I am incredibly proud of, but know that I could never have accomplished these efforts without our team.  

What would you like to see happen for those that you work with?

I would like to see continued growth of our early intervention programs and all of our programs at MECDHH. It is my hope that every deaf and hard-of-hearing child meets other children and adults who are deaf and hard of hearing and has an educational experience that is comparable with their hearing peers. We need to have high expectations for deaf children and provide their families support to be involved every step of the way. 

Volunteer Opportunities for Deaf Community Members

From David W. Sherry, Executive Director, Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing/Governor Baxter School for the Deaf (MECDHH/GBSD).

The number one volunteer need is in the classrooms:

• American Sign Language (ASL) tutoring for students;
• Specific career shadowing opportunities or supporting transition plans for students;
• Kids Like Me programs;
• Serving as foster grandparents;
• Preschool Aftercare program;
• Summer program - in classrooms, tutoring, mentoring or for special events/activities in July and early August;
• Hands and Voices events;
• Special MECDHH/GBSD events

According to the Maine Attorney General’s Office finger printing will not be required; however, a background check will be required.

Contact: David W. Sherry, Executive Director, MECDHH/GBSD
1 Mackworth Island, Falmouth, ME 04105
Tel: (207) 781-6285
Fax: (207) 781-6319
Email: david.sherry@mecdhh.org
Website: http://mecdhh.org

The Department of Labor is an equal opportunity provider. Auxiliary aids and services are available to individuals with disabilities upon request.