Learn who will be recognized for their advocacy
2/21/2019 9:06:40 AM
Good news! The deadline to sign up for Deaf, DeafBlind & Hard of Hearing Lobby Day has been pushed back to Monday, February 25, 2019 (before it was Friday, February 22, 2019). So please register to attend and cheer on the award winners!
Yes, I want to sign up to attend Lobby Day.
Special thanks to the Awards Selection Committee members: Sarah Arana, Xavier Arana, Lynn Bloom, John Fechter, Bob Harris, and Ryan Odland for their hard work and careful consideration. We are pleased to announce the following Lobby Day award recipients.
Awarded to youth who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing who have demonstrated strong leadership skills.
Shivali met with her teacher, Ann Mayes, and expressed a desire for an increase of American Sign Language (ASL) awareness at her school, Farmington High School. Shivali started by hosting an information session at her school in the fall of 2018 to gather support from her fellow students. Typically with a club, 8-10 students are interested, but with the ASL Club, roughly 60 came to the club's first meeting. The principal was impressed and has now expressed interest in providing an ASL class at their school. This story was covered by a local paper, "Farmington High School club sparks interest in ASL."
Shivali is deaf and until 9th grade, had very limited access to deaf/hard of hearing peers. This has since changed. She participated D/HH Night Out, which is hosted by teachers from District 196 and District 917 (MNCDHH has proudly sponsored communication access at some of their events in the past).
She also volunteered at the 2018 Health and Wellness Summit, which is also organized by a similar group of highly motivated teachers and connects D/HH students with each other.
Shivali is currently a sophomore. She plans to become a doctor and is taking a rigorous course load.
Awarded to individuals who have done exemplary work in advocating for and with deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Minnesotans.
Liza is a well-known artist with hearing loss who has worked with a variety of projects and grants. Recently, she worked with scientists studying sensory loss (hearing and/or visual) at the University of Minnesota's Center for Applied Translational Sensory Science. Most of the scientists do not have any sensory loss and Liza recognized a gap in their knowledge. So she organized a "Sensory Loss and Art" symposium at the Weisman Art Museum on September 13, 2018.
The symposium participants were sensory loss scientists, people who are blind or low vision, and people who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing. Participants were assigned to small groups and participated in a tour around the museum, discussing the art along with the barriers of being able to access the art, the discussion taking place, and the space itself. People with disabilities were able to share what inclusion and access mean to them and the scientists learned from what they shared.
One of the sensory loss scientists described his experience in the following article, "Access (taken for) Granted: the Sensory Loss and Art Symposium at the Weisman."
Liza is currently an MFA candidate at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign.
Awarded to an organization or public official that has worked to increase the civic engagement of deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Minnesotans.
Stonearch Employment Solutions is owned by Alan Kenney and Cori Giles.
Cori and Alan have over 50 years of combined experience working in the Deaf and DeafBlind Community. They set up Stonearch to give choices and share resources for people who are DeafBlind seeking employment services. Their services range from ASL, Braille, and tactile instruction; to job coaching; to getting competitive employment for their clients. Alan and Cori educate employers about the value of job carving and customized employment. Because of this, when blind and DeafBlind people get jobs, they feel that they matter.
Awarded to individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to a child, student, school, or the field in general and serve students who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing.
Jay Fehrman is the Principal Manager for ISD 916. Jay is a Deaf community member who is dedicated to the overall development of children who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing and their families. Jay ensures that his students have qualified teachers, intervenors, and interpreters. Jay participates in additional professional projects, above and beyond his workday expectations. He hosts pilot studies for the Minnesota Department of Education, he is the Chair for the Minnesota Department of Education Deaf/Hard of Hearing Advisory Committee, and he represents Minnesota on the National Deaf Center Transition workgroup. In addition, Jay participates in state-level advisory committees on interpreter qualifications and teacher licensure. In addition to professional services, Jay is the wrestling coach for a Deaf/Hard of Hearing youth wrestling team. Jay is fully committed to his work, his students, and their families.
Watch this 7: 21-minute video in which Jay shares his experience growing up as a deaf child and why he became a teacher and school administrator, "Reducing Isolation through Collaboration."
Awarded to those who have done notable work in increasing the accessibility of services for and with deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Minnesotans. Examples of accessibility support may include Captioning, Interpreting, Public Access, or Accessible Technology.
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Emergency Communication Networks (ECN) division implemented Text-to-911 statewide in Minnesota. Minnesota is the 8th state to bring Text-to-911 statewide. Most states are doing it city by city, or county by county, but our state recognized that can be confusing for people and potentially create barriers to accessing 911 services. So they planned and executed it so that anyone within Minnesota's borders, can text 911 if they need to. They also partnered with MNCDHH and DHHSD to make sure that their information reached people who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing and in a culturally appropriate way.
Text-to-911 has been in Minnesota for almost 15 months and it has already made a difference. Check out this December 18, 2018 press release, which includes stories from three Deaf community members; Tracy Bell, Chelsea Paulson, and Mande Riehl Andrews.
Dana Wahlberg, the Director of the Emergency Communications Networks (ECN) division, will be accepting the award on the division's behalf.
Awarded to those who have done distinctive work for and with deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing Minnesotans that is not recognized within other awards categories.
Federal Judge Donovan Frank recently presided over a decision that will result in Deaf, deaf, and hard of hearing people being able to get delivery jobs at UPS and other delivery services.
A deaf employee sued his employer, UPS, for discrimination after repeatedly being turned down for a promotion to delivery jobs. UPS attempted to win a quick summary judgment. The judge considered UPS' case and the employee's case then ruled in favor of the employee. The employee's case will be allowed to go on to trial where he will have an opportunity to prove that he can perform as a delivery driver.
Awarded to those who have done distinctive work for and with deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Minnesotans that spans their 20+ years of contributions.
Mary Edwards is a force to be reckoned with. Her service to people who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing goes beyond 20 years.
Mary has worked and volunteered for Minnesota's Deaf Community Health Workers Program, CSD's Deaf ABE program, Pink Deafies, Deaf Hospice, HCMC, Ramsey County, and more. She has done most of her work for little to no pay.
Her heart lies with deaf immigrants, many of who had limited access to language growing up. She has provided bus transportation training, Civics training, and Citizenship training. But wait, there is more.
Mary makes sure that deaf immigrants gain the tools to navigate the "system," get the services they need and have opportunities to become successful.
Her work with deaf medical patients is phenomenal. Mary goes to their appointments with them. She helps them understand their medical issues and their medications. If you have the opportunity, please ask Mary to explain diabetes or rabies... in classifiers.
Mary is a person who has truly changed lives.
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