Communication Access E-Newsletter Disability and Communication Access Board State of Hawaii Fall Edition                                        October 2010 Volume 1, Issue 1 In This Issue State Conference Got a Question? New ADA rules Accessible Polling Sites What is HQAS? Calendar of Events Standing Committee on Communication Access Members Chair, Ann Ito Ed Chevy Tamar Lani Dr. Lucy Miller Dr. Lawrence Scadden State Conference on March 16, 2010 to educate public about Communication Access and Assistive Technology The Disability and Communication Access Board, Pacific ADA Center, and Sprint Relay Hawaii is proud to present, "The Power and Influence of Accessible Communication" conference at the Japanese Cultural Center on Wednesday, March 16, 2010 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  The conference will educate the public about the amendments to the Americans with Disabilities Act relating to Communication Access, empower advocacy to consumers with disabilities and enrich the quality of sign language interpreters working in the State of Hawaii.  The conference will also showcase the latest in communication tools for people with disabilities. If you would like to become one of our sponsors or reserve an exhibit booth, please contact Kristine Pagano by phone (808) 447-1397 or email, kristine.pagano@doh.hawaii.gov. Got a Question? Q:  What is the difference between video relay service (VRS) and video remote interpreting service (VRI)? A:  Video Relay Service (VRS) is a service provided by a phone company regulated by the Federal Communications Commission.  VRS involves interpreting a phone call between two consumers, Hearing and Deaf or Hard of Hearing.  A Video Interpreter (VI) interprets the free phone call for the two consumers. Video Remote Interpreting provides a fee for service interpreting services from a remote location for two parties, Hearing and Deaf or Hard of Hearing.  Both VRS and VRI utilize video technology to provide the service. The U.S. Department of Justice defines video technology to be in: 1) real-time, full motion video and audio over a dedicated high-speed, wide-bandwidth video connection or wireless connection that delivers high-quality video images that do not produce lags, choppy, blurry, or grainy images, or irregular pauses in communication; 2)  the image must be sharply delineated image that is large enough to display the interpreter's face, arms, hands, and fingers, and the participating individual's face, arms, hands, and fingers, regardless of his or her body position; and 3) a clear, audible transmission of voices to provide effective communication with individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impairments. Got a question, need an answer?  Send in your questions to Kristine Pagano by phone, (808) 447-1397 or email, kristine.pagano@doh.hawaii.gov.  Disability and Communication Access Board 919 Ala Moana Blvd., Room 101 Honolulu, Hawaii 96814 Phone Numbers: Oahu: (808) 586-8121 (V/TTY) (808) 586-8129 (Fax) email:  dcab@doh.hawaii.gov Maui:  (808) 984-2400 ext. 6-8121 Kauai:  (808) 274-3141 ext. 6-8121 Big Island:  (808) 974-4000 ext. 6-8121 Molokai and Lanai:  1(800) 468-4644 Visit our Website The Standing Committee on Communication Access would like to welcome you with the first edition of the Communication Access e-newsletter.  The purpose of the newsletter is to provide you with the latest information relating to communication accessibility in our State.  In addition to the current news nationally, we will provide local news and a section similar to the Honolulu Star Advertiser Kokua Line.  At the end of the newsletter, a calendar of events will provide you an array of events, meetings and conferences happening around our State.  We hope you will enjoy participating in these events. To start our first newsletter, I'd like to introduce you to our Committee members who are volunteers and appointed by the Governor to serve on the Disability and Communication Access Board (DCAB). Should you have any questions, concerns, or would like to provide an article about communication accessibility in our State, please feel free to contact our Communication Access Specialist, Kristine Pagano at phone, (808) 447-1397 or email, kristine.pagano@doh.hawaii.gov. Ann Ito, a person with vision and hearing loss,chairs our Standing Committee on Communication Access.  She directs the KOKUA Program at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.  KOKUA is the designated unit to provide access services to Manoa students with disabilities.  Ms. Ito brings to the Board professional expertise to complement her personal perspective. Ed Chevy is a veteran entertainer and instructor in the field of entertainment.  He achieved success with an all deaf-rock band, Beethoven's Nightmare, as a bassist and composer.  His work as a deaf musician developed a new category in music, Deaf Rock.  Chevy lives in Honolulu and is recognized as a highly acclaimed American Sign Language (ASL) performing artist, captivating the audience with his music, storytelling and humor in the Pacific Rim and in the U.S.  Currently Chevy is teaching ASL interpretation in music and storytelling at a local community college. Tamar Lani has been a sign language interpreter in private practice in Hawaii for 14 years and is a former manager of the Honolulu call center for Purple Communications.  She began her career as an interpreter with a Hawaii Quality Assurance System credential and then obtained national certification from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf.  Tamar became the first and only interpreter from Hawaii to hold an RID specialty certificate in legal interpreting.  As an active member of the Deaf community, she was recognized for her advocacy and contributions by being selected as Interpreter of the Year in 2001 by the Aloha State Association of the Deaf.  Tamar holds a Bachelor's degree in linguistics and second language studies and an Art of Leadership certificate from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.  She enjoys spending time with her husband and two young boys.  Tamar brings a wealth of knowledge of American Sign Language, interpreting, advocacy, community needs, standard business practices in the interpreting field and Video Relay Services/Video Remote Interpreting operations to the DCAB.  She Dr. Lucy Miller has been involved in civil rights issues all her life, going back to the early days of TTYs.  Her approach was to advocate from the inside; she became a member of the first Community Advisory Committee for PBS in the 1970's in order to push for line 21 closed captions.  She was a member of Hawaii State Coordinating Council on Deafness (HSCCD), which has since merged to become part of DCAB.  She also serves on Kauai County Mayor's Access Committee for Equal Access.  Her doctorate is in Educational Psychology, she taught for many years as well as had a clinical practice as a Marriage and Family therapist, both in California and Hawaii.  Dr. Miller is widowed with two grown children and two stepchildren.  She lives on Kauai with her hearing dog, Muffin. Dr. Lawrence Scadden, trained as a research scientist, spent 40 years working to improve the lives of people with disabilities through the use of appropriate technology.  His personal research activities related to national evaluations of emerging technology that led to viable commercial products including optical character recognition reading machines for the blind and use of speech synthesis for computer output displays.  Dr. Scadden received a B.A. degree in government from University of Redlands, an M.A. in Psychology from the University of the Pacific, and his Ph.D. from the University of the Pacific's Graduate School of Medical Sciences with academic emphases in human perception, neuro-physiology, and bioengineering. The Federal Register published its new rules effective on March 15, 2011 - Series On September 15, 2010, the U.S. Department of Justice published in the Federal Register the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title II and III amendments.  The amended Title II and III of the ADA will be effective on March 15, 2011.  Because of limited space in the quarterly newsletter, we will provide a series of articles highlighting the new ADA changes relating to communication access.  On July 26, 1991, the U.S. Department of Justice published the Title II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act Public Law 101-336 that prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by public and private entities.  The regulations became effective January 26, 1992. After years of research and many disability lawsuits, the U.S. Department of Justice revised its regulations to improve the standards of equality and accessibility for people with disabilities.  This year marks the 20th anniversary of the ADA. The Title II of the ADA is titled "Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in State and Local Government Services."  Title III of the ADA is titled "Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in Public Accommodations and Commercial Facilities." The U.S. Department of Justice defined auxiliary aids and services as those aids and services designed to provide effective communications, i.e., making aurally and visually delivered information available to persons with hearing, speech, and vision impairments. Although the original list is not exhaustive, a few examples of an auxiliary aid and service are qualified interpreter, videotext displays, and transcription services, closed and open captioning. The new definition of an auxiliary aid or service includes: Qualified interpreters on-site or through video remote interpreting (VRI) services; notetakers; real-time computer-aided transcription services; written materials; exchange of written notes; telephone handset amplifiers; assistive listening devices; assistive listening systems; telephones compatible with hearing aids; closed caption decoders, open and closed captioning including real-time captioning; voice, text and video-based telecommunications products and systems, including text telephones displays, videophones, and captioned telephones or equally effective telecommunications devices; videotext displays; accessible electronic and information technology; other effective methods of making aurally delivered information available to individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. For persons who are blind or have low vision, auxiliary aids and services include qualified readers; taped texts; audio recordings; brailled materials and displays; screen reader software; magnification software; optical readers; secondary auditory programs (SAP); large print materials; accessible electronic and information technology; or other effective methods of making visually delivered materials available. It is important to note that the type of auxiliary aid or service necessary to ensure effective communication will vary depending on the method of communication used by the person with the disability. A covered entity must consider the nature, length, and complexity of the communication involved and context of the communication to determine what type of auxiliary aids and services are necessary.  However the entity shall give primary consideration to the requests of persons with disabilities. For example, if a person who is deaf request for a specific sign language interpreter because of the nature, context and complexity of the communication involved, the covered entity shall try to secure the requested sign language interpreter. Stay tuned for the next newsletter to review the new amendments relating to service animals. Accessible Polling Sites during General Elections offered On November 2, please do not forget to vote at your local precinct from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.  Every polling site has an accessible voting booth with an accessible voting machine.  You may request for an auxiliary aid such as magnifiers, signature guides and communication cards to assist you to vote.  You may also request for an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter for the early walk-in absentee voting process only.  Please contact the county clerk's office on your island to request an ASL interpreter at least five (5) working days prior to the date you wish to vote.   The Help American Vote Act of 2002 (pursuant to Section 301 (a)) allows you to vote electronically or by paper ballot.  The direct recording electronic (DRE) voting machines are an option for voters with disabilities. Voters who are hard of hearing, have a cognitive disability, is blind or low vision have access to the DRE by hearing the name of the candidates running for office as well as large print. If you need assistance to vote, you may ask a person of your choice, as long as the person who is helping you is not your employer, an agent of your employer, or an agent of your union.  All polling places have a voter assistance station, should you need assistance. To place a vote, one scrolls and click on the box to mark an X.  At the end of the vote, the DRE prints your voting receipt number.  For more information about voting accessibility, please contact Anthony Akamine by phone, (808) 453-8683 or email, Anthony.Akamine@hawaii.gov. Hawaii Quality Assurance System (HQAS) The Hawaii Quality Assurance System (HQAS) was established in 2000 and offers sign language interpreters who do not hold national certification an opportunity to obtain credentials valid within and recognized by the State of Hawaii.  Legislative authority for the credentialing of interpreters through a State screening process is contained in the Hawaii Revised Statutes 348-F-3(3). The HQAS is based on the Kansas Quality Assurance Screening (KQAS). In March 2006, the Disability and Communication Access Board (DCAB) developed the first HQAS+H test.  The +H tests sign language interpreters on Hawaii's local signs.  The HQAS or HQAS+H test fee is $200.00. Since its inception, the DCAB has tested over 100 candidates. Candidates go through two days of testing.  The first day consists of a pre-test workshop and written test.  A candidate must pass the written test with a score of 43 out of 50 before advancing to take the performance test on the second day. If a candidate fails the written test, one has two more opportunities to take the written test.  After the third written test, one has to re-apply and submit a new test fee of $200.00. Candidates receive their test results in ten (10) to twelve (12) weeks after the performance test. The HQAS/HQAS+H is scheduled four (4) times a year.  The August 2 and 3 test was canceled due to low enrollment.  Four (4) candidates were tested on October 4 and 5.  The next two tests are scheduled on: February 1 & 2, 2011 April 11 & 12, 2011 Two or more candidates who live on the neighbor islands may take the HQAS or HQAS+H test on their respective island.  For more information, please contact Kristine Pagano by phone (808) 447-1397 or email, kristine.pagano@doh.hawaii.gov. Calendar of Events October - December 2010  October 19:    Disability and Communication                       Access Board                       Standing Committee on                       Communication Access                       University of Hawaii at Manoa                       Queen Liliuokalani Center for                       Student Services                       Room 012, Ground Floor                       2600 Campus Room                       9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.                       Contact:  Kristine Pagano                       Phone/VP: (808) 447-1397 October 28:     Deaf-Blind Task Force meeting                        State Capitol conference room 225                        3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. October 29:     Furlough                        DCAB office is closed November 2:    General Election                        DCAB office is closed November 11:   Veteran's Day Holiday                         DCAB office is closed November 16:   Disability and Communication                         Access Board                         Standing Committee on                         Communication Access                         University of Hawaii at Manoa                         Queen Liliuokalani Center for                         Student Services                         Room 012, Ground Floor                         2600 Campus Room                         9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.                         Contact:  Kristine Pagano                         Phone/VP: (808) 447-1397 November 19:   Furlough                         DCAB office is closed November 20:   Aloha State Association of the Deaf                         Town Hall meeting                         Hawaii School for the Deaf and                         the Blind cafeteria                         3440 Leahi Avenue                         10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.                         Contact:  Colleen Matusof                         Email:                         asadpresident.hawaii@gmail.com November 25:   Thanksgiving Holiday                         DCAB office is closed November 26:   Furlough                         DCAB office is closed December 10:   Furlough                         DCAB office is closed December 17:   Furlough                         DCAB office is closed December 24:   Christmas Holiday                         DCAB office is closed December 31:   New Year's Eve Holiday                         DCAB office is closed About the Disability and Communication Access Board (DCAB) The mission of the DCAB is to advocate and promote the full integration, independence, equal access, and quality of life for persons with disabilities in society.