• 28th Deaf Annual Tea Invitation
• Deaf Annual Tea Awards Nomination Ballot and Deaf Culture Tea Awards to Date
• Maine Association of the Deaf (MeAD) Biennial Conference
• Reflections of a VR Counselor: There’s a Job for Everyone!
• 129th Legislation related to Deafness: http://legislature.maine.gov/
• Jr. National Association of the Deaf (Jr. NAD), Maine Educational Center of Deaf and Hard of Hearing (MECDHH)

28th Deaf Annual Tea Invitation

28^th Deaf Annual Tea Invitation

http://www.maine.gov/rehab/advisory_councils/dod/minutes/index.shtml

Maine Commission for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Late Deafened invites you to the Annual Tea

in celebration of Deaf Culture Week on Thursday, September 19, 2019 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. in the afternoon at the State House Hall of Flags.

Keynote Speaker – Emily Blachly, Teacher of the Deaf

Please Respond To:

Nancy A. Winter
Nancy.A.Winter@Maine.gov
(207) 623-7958 (V)
(207) 623-7998 (TTY)

Terry L. Morrell
Terry.L.Morrell@Maine.gov
(207) 470-7668 (VP)

Please respond by September 13, 2019. American Sign Language Interpreters and CART provided. Please contact Nancy by September 6, 2019 if you need other accommodations.

Deaf Annual Tea Awards Nomination Ballot and Deaf Culture Tea Awards to Date

http://www.maine.gov/rehab/advisory_councils/dod/minutes/index.shtml

Maine Association of the Deaf (MeAD) Biennial Conference

MeAD held their Biennial Conference on May 10-12, 2019. The conference took place at the lovely Village by the Sea in Wells, Maine. It was the first time that MeAD collaborated with Maine Registry of Deaf Interpreters (MeRID) and Hands & Voices.

There were three workshops for people to enjoy. Hands & Voices, Darlene Freeman, Megan Garrity, and Sitara Sheikh explained how Hands & Voices can support families with Deaf/hard-of-hearing children by sharing resources. They also shared the social opportunities planned for the families involved.

Alex Leffers spoke of accepting diversity through understanding, support, and tolerance as a community. His message stressed the importance of asking questions rather than assuming someone’s identity.

Dr. Poorna Kushalnagar spoke of how aging affects cognitive functioning in older Deaf sign language users. Currently she is developing a variety of research projects about this topic.

The new MeAD board for 2019-2021 is Terry Morrell (President), Sitara Sheikh (Vice President), Carrie Pierce (Secretary) John Post (Treasurer), and Amy Richardson (Treasurer in Training).

Everyone enjoyed a wonderful performance by Sunshine Too 2.0 from Rochester, New York. Carrie Pierce received MeAD President's Special Recognition Award. Michelle Ames received the Christopher Blair Big Heart Award. MeRID presented Polly Lawson with the Betsy Reifman Award.

The entire conference was very enjoyable as we focused on collaboration, commUNITY, and consistency.

We hope to have such collaboration in future conferences.

MeAD Biennial Conference May 10-12, 2019

Judy Shepherd-Kegl, Polly Lawson & Meryl Troop MeRID presented Polly Lawson with the Betsy Reifman Award.

Carrie Pierce received the MeAD President's Special Recognition Award.

Left to Right: Terry Morrell, John Post, Carrie Pierce, Sitara Sheikh, Darleen Hutchins & Amy Richardson.

Left to Right: Terry Morrell, John Post, Michelle Ames, Sitara Sheikh, Darleen Hutchins & Amy Richardson. Second picture: Michelle Ames recipient of the Christopher Blair Big Heart Award

Reflections of a VR Counselor: There’s a Job for Everyone!

Left to right: Marsha Swain, CART reporter & Sitara Sheikh

Sitara Sheikh, MS, is a vocational rehabilitation counselor for the Maine Bureau of Rehabilitation Services, where she has worked for over eight years. She was born deaf and grew up bilingual using American Sign Language and English. Sheikh earned a bachelor’s degree in social work and a master’s degree in human resources development from the Rochester Institute of Technology as well as a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling from Virginia Commonwealth University. Formerly a Peace Corps volunteer, she worked as a teacher in Kenya for three years. After returning to the United States, she worked as a training specialist and case manager at different agencies. Sheikh welcomes questions and comments about this article at sitaranasim@gmail.com.

https://www3.gallaudet.edu/Documents/Clerc/Odyssey/2019_Issue/ODYSSEY2019_Sheikh.pdf

129th Legislation related to Deafness: http://legislature.maine.gov/

Interpreters and CART are available at legislative hearings and workshops. Contact Casey Milligan at the Legislature, 287-1692 or casey.milligan@legislature.maine.gov.

http://legislature.maine.gov/ros/LawsOfMaine/#Law/129/R1/ACTPUB/429

An Act Regarding Kindergarten Readiness for Children Who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing

PUBLIC Law, Chapter 429, LD 642, 129th Maine State Legislature

http://legislature.maine.gov/ros/LawsOfMaine/#Law/129/R1/ACTPUB/284

An Act to Amend and Clarify the Laws Concerning American Sign Language Interpreters

PUBLIC Law, Chapter 284, LD 1751, 129th Maine State Legislature

http://legislature.maine.gov/ros/LawsOfMaine/#Law/129/R1/ACTPUB/339

An Act To Modernize the E-9-1-1 Laws To Include Text Messaging and Other Methods of Contacting E-9-1-1

PUBLIC Law, Chapter 339, LD 1800, 129th Maine State Legislature

http://legislature.maine.gov/ros/LawsOfMaine/#Law/129/R1/ACTPUB/418

An Act to Require Insurance Coverage for Hearing Aids for Adults

PUBLIC Law, Chapter 418, LD 38, 129th Maine State Legislature

The Governor’s budget included legal interpreting and specialized customer communications equipment and fund changes. These changes have been finalized.

http://legislature.maine.gov/doc/2770

Sec. PPP-1.  5 MRSA §48-A, sub-§1, ¶M, as amended by PL 2017, c. 223, §2 

Sec. PPP-2.  5 MRSA §48-A, sub- §4, as amended by PL 2009, c. 174, §1, is repealed.

Sec. UUU-1. 26 MRSA §1419, sub-§1, ¶B-2, as amended by PL 2011, c. 173, §1

Sec. UUU-2. 26 MRSA §1419-A, sub-§6, as amended by PL 2009, c. 174, §21 is repealed.

Sec. UUU-3. 35-A MRSA §7104, sub-§5, as amended by PL 2007, c. 224, §3

LD 1502 An Act to Expand Workforce Access by Creating Apprenticeship Programs to Increase Access to Licensure in Certain Occupations. Voted ought not to pass.

LD 888 An Act to Provide Workplace Support to Individuals with Hearing Loss. Voted ought not to pass.

Jr. National Association of the Deaf (Jr. NAD), Maine Educational Center of Deaf and Hard of Hearing (MECDHH)

Left to Right: Marena Thompson, President, Keyana Kassa, Secretary, Tyler Dufour, Vice President and Marlaco Bethune, Treasurer.

The Junior National Association for the Deaf (Jr. NAD) chapter at Governor Baxter School for the Deaf (GBSD) elected their first officers in March 2019.

Jr. NAD is a youth program under the National Association of the Deaf (NAD). Jr. NAD offers Deaf and hard-of-hearing students from middle and high school opportunities to develop leadership skills, learn and demonstrate citizenship, and meet and interact with Deaf students from other schools and states. Jr. NAD chapters focus on advocacy, attitude, awareness, commitment, cooperation, friendship, information exchange, involvement and leadership skills. We have meetings and participate in many activities such as community events and fundraisers. Skills and values obtained by chapter members during these meetings and events will help them to become future leaders and advocates in the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. We hope to recruit more youth Deaf and hard-of-hearing Mainers to join Jr. NAD with the help from the MECDHH outreach program.

Last Spring, we hosted our first fundraiser event, Blind Volleyball, at the GBSD Gym on Mackworth Island. We also had a bake sale with wonderful help from the GBSD program at Portland High School. In June, we had a picnic potluck with Maine Association of the Deaf (MeAD) members, an affiliate of NAD. MeAD officers mentored Jr. NAD officers about leadership roles, this was done with fun, icebreaker activities to get to know each other. Jr. NAD is excited to collaborate with MeAD by having their officers joining our monthly meeting starting this fall. We will send three of our Jr. NAD Seniors to attend the exciting Jr. NAD conference at Rochester School for the Deaf in Rochester, NY. This conference will enrich our students’ leadership skills.

Jr. NAD is looking for more volunteer opportunities to support the Deaf community such as childcare, luncheons with senior citizens, fundraiser events, participate in Deaf organizations/club meetings. Feel free to reach out to our Jr. NAD advisor for more ideas and how to be involved. emily.blachly@mecdhh.org

Jr. NAD Officers:

President - Marena Thompson, Senior

Vice President - Tyler Dufour, Senior

Secretary - Keyana Kassa, Sophomore

Treasurer - Marlaco Bethune, Sophomore

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