News & Events- 9/6/02

WSRD Call for Programs Now Available!

The next biennial Western Symposium on Rehabilitation and Deafness will be April 9-11, 2003 in Seattle, Washington at the Seattle Center. Participants are enthusiastic about their previous workshop experiences...help us continue the tradition by responding to the Call for Programs! WSRD brings together a variety of professionals who seek to improve education, employment, and independent living outcomes for individuals who are deaf, late-deafened, hard of hearing, and deaf-blind. Any person whose work affects these populations is welcome to submit a proposal. See what you've been missing! The Call for Programs, a sample Call for Programs, general conference information, and proceedings from the previous conferences are all available at: http://www.wou.edu/wrocc and click on 'WSRD Conference'. Deadline for submitting proposals is Friday, November 8, 2002.

NEW PEPNet Satelite Telecast 9/26/02

"Using Technology to Enhance Educational Services for Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing in Postsecondary Education." This informative teleconference will cover leading-edge technology designed to enhance the quality of services and educational experiences of students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Topics include Voice Recognition, Video Conferencing, Buying Tips for ALD's, and Video Relay Services. 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM (Pacific) For registration information or to find a downlink site in your area, go to http://www.pepnet.org.

If you are in the Willamette Valley, Western Oregon University will be a downlink site. Attendance is free and open to the public. If your program or institution is interested in hosting the downlink, WROCC Outreach Site at WOU has a limited number of stipends available to cover the downlink fee for programs in the Western region. Contact wrocc@wou.edu for more information.

Videotapes of previous teleclasses, such as "Americans With Disabilities Act - Responsibilities For Postsecondary Education Programs Serving Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students" and "Services for the Hard of Hearing Student in Postsecondary Education" are available for $20.00 each from the PEPNet Resource Center at http://prc.csun.edu.

Also, hold the date for the next exciting broadcast: Thursday, February 20, 2003 "Virtual Learning and On-Line Services for Postsecondary Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing."

NEW Training Modules

Check out the new training modules on the WROCC at WOU website! You'll find information on a wide variety of telecommunications options, information for academic advisors, help with understanding the issues involved in communication access and more! http://www.wou.edu/wrocc and click on 'Training Materials'.

While you are at it, be sure to visit the newly remodeled WROCC home page at http://wrocc.csun.edu. You'll find links to the PEPNet Resource Center and other projects at the National Center on Deafness, dedicated to creating accessible environments for individuals who are Deaf or hard of hearing on the job, at school, and at home.

WROCC Speaker's Bureau

WROCC is soliciting speakers, trainers, and consultants who wish to be listed in their new Consultant's and Trainers Online Directory. WROCC is seeking speakers who have expertise related to the provision of services to students who are deaf or hard of hearing at the postsecondary level. This directory will serve to assist postsecondary institutions in locating assistance and resources regionally or nationally. If you are interested, view the form and instructions for submission at http://www.wou.edu/nwoc/speakersbureau.htm or download the form at http://www.wou.edu/nwoc/speakersbureau.pdf.

Action Alert: Support Standards for Acoustics

Properly designed architectural acoustics is fundamental to access to the communications process. A poor acoustical environment is an architectural barrier to people with hearing, speech, language and visual impairments every bit as much as a set of stairs might be considered a barrier for a person in a wheelchair. You have an opportunity to support ANSI's newly released standards for acoustics...standards that make for a less stressful and better listening environment for everyone. These standards, while voluntary, still have a major influence on the acoustical design of classrooms. They are coming under attack by some trade organizations. To learn more about how you can help, go to http://www.wou.edu/nwoc/acousticsinfo.htm.

Have you seen...

Interested in equity in testing for Deaf students?
Check out http://gri.gallaudet.edu/TestEquity/index.html , site of the National Task Force on Equity in Testing Deaf and Hard of Hearing Individuals. They work on several fronts, including state and federal licensure bodies, employers, college and university admissions, and with testing companies. Check them out!

Want info on Employment and Rehabilitation?
Check out the materials available on the RT-31 website at http://www.uark.edu/depts/rehabres for the University of Arkansas Rehabilitation Research and Training Center for Persons who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.

Loop America?
Read about the strategies used in the adjoining cities of Holland and Zeeland, Michigan to become accessible to hearing aid users with telecoils. http://www.hearingloop.org

What laws impact access to technology?
Go to http://tap.orst.edu/Policy/techlaw.html for a brief overview of the laws and what they cover.

Mobile Phone Survey Deadline 9/10/02
SHHH has posted a survey to their website requesting information from hearing aid and cochlear implant users on the mobile phone use. The deadline for completion is coming up fast! Go to http://www.shhh.org to complete the survey! The information gathered will be presented to the FCC on September 12!