News

<results><page>0</page><page>20</page><page>550</page><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Updated Presenter Lineup for Civic Engagement Day</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Smiling Asian woman looking at her computer at her desk</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/AdobeStock_400958979-850_tcm1063-726448.jpg</Url></Image><title>2026-03-06-updated-presenter-lineup</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-729071&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2026-03-07T05:52:15Z</Date><ShortDescription>Taking place online on Monday, March 9, 2026. Register to reserve your spot!</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Join us for a day of being involved with our communities and making a difference</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Civic Engagement Day is an opportunity to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Hear directly from legislators and policy leaders &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Learn about current public policy developments&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Engage with community members and advocates&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Strengthen our impact through our participation&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Can&apos;t make the full day? That&apos;s OK! You can choose which session(s) to attend based on your schedule. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Monday, March 9, 2026 at scheduled times&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Agenda&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;9:30 – 10:30 am, Legislative Panel&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Moderated by Alicia Lane. Panelists are Senator Jim Abeler, Rep. Liz Reyer, Rep. Kim Hicks, Rep. Patricia Mueller, and possibly one more legislator. Audience questions are encouraged. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;10:45 – 11:45 am, Public Policy Update&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Presented by Alicia Lane. Audience questions are encouraged. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;12:15 – 1:15 pm, Civic Engagement Hour&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Remarks by Dr. Darlene Zangara, invited policymakers, and community members. This includes, but is not limited to, Senator Scott Dibble, Elise Knopf, Samantha Porter, and Mark Daly, and a video provided by Secretary of State Steve Simon.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1:30 – 2:30 pm, What Is Civic Engagement?&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Facilitated by Jessalyn Akerman-Frank. Presented by Outreach &amp;amp; Civic Engagement Specialists: Jer Loudenback, Kathy Manlapas, Kim Wassenaar, Kyle Laughery, Kyle Littlepage, Pamela Burry, and Patrick Vellia.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and CART will be provided.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How to register&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We will have one link for all day. Attendees can join the parts that they want to attend. Register at the link: &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.eventbrite.com/e/deaf-deafblind-hard-of-hearing-civic-engagement-day-tickets-1982924926835&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Civic Engagement Day registration&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Answering teacher questions&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We’ve received several inquiries from teachers asking if this would be a good activity for their students. The answer is a resounding yes—this is a meaningful opportunity for students to increase their understanding of civic engagement. We would love to have you and your students to join us.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>729071</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>citizen advocate</Title><Id>310308</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2026-03-06T14:12:47Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>40th Anniversary Video Recordings Now Available</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Collage includes Sherri Rademacher, Jerry Nelson, Robert Harris, Mary Hartnett, and Rich Diedrichsen</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/anniversary-collage-850_tcm1063-728443.jpg</Url></Image><title>2026-03-02-40th-anniversary-video-recordings-available</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-728444&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2026-03-02T19:17:48Z</Date><ShortDescription>Contributors include Robert Harris, Jerry Nelson, Mary Hartnett, Rich Diedrichsen, Sherri Rademacher, Story Booth participants, and Kickoff Rally participants.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Stories and history preserved for future generations of advocates</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2025, the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing celebrated its 40th anniversary with two special events: an observation in the Capitol Rotunda in March and a banquet in St. Cloud in November.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To mark this milestone, the Commission is pleased to share a series of video recordings captured during these events, preserving the stories and history shared.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All videos have captions, American Sign Language (ASL), English voiceover, and descriptive transcripts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These recordings are shared with the permission of the individuals who generously agreed to participate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/heritage/40-years&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Access the videos: 40 Years of History&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>728444</id><Tag><Description/><Title>heritage</Title><Id>310257</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>citizen advocate</Title><Id>310308</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2026-03-02T19:19:21Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Come to Civic Engagement Day</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Smiling Asian woman looking at her computer at her desk</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/AdobeStock_400958979-850_tcm1063-726448.jpg</Url></Image><title>2026-02-23-ce-day-reminder</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-726449&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2026-02-23T21:11:23Z</Date><ShortDescription>Session options include a legislative panel, a public policy update, a civic engagement hour, and a civic engagement panel. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Why it is important to attend</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Civic Engagement Day is an opportunity to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Hear directly from legislators and policy leaders &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Learn about current public policy developments&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Engage with community members and advocates&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Strengthen our impact through our participation&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Can&apos;t make the full day? That&apos;s OK! You can choose which session(s) to attend based on your schedule. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Monday, March 9, 2026 at scheduled times&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Agenda&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;9:30 – 10:30 am, Legislative Panel&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Moderated by Alicia Lane. Legislators to be announced.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;10:45 – 11:45 am, Public Policy Update&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Presented by Alicia Lane&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;12:15 – 1:15 pm, Civic Engagement Hour&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Remarks by Dr. Darlene Zangara, invited policymakers, and community members.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1:30 – 2:30 pm, What Is Civic Engagement?&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Facilitated by Jessalyn Akerman-Frank. Presented by Outreach &amp;amp; Civic Engagement Specialists: Jer Loudenback, Kathy Manlapas, Kim Wassenaar, Kyle Laughery, Kyle Littlepage, Pamela Burry, and Patrick Vellia.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and CART will be provided. For additional accommodations, contact &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; by Monday, March 2, 2026.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How to register&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We will have one link for all day. Attendees can join the parts that they want to attend. Register at the link: &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.eventbrite.com/e/deaf-deafblind-hard-of-hearing-civic-engagement-day-tickets-1982924926835&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Civic Engagement Day registration&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Answering teacher questions&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We’ve received several inquiries from teachers asking if this would be a good activity for their students. The answer is a resounding yes—this is a meaningful opportunity for students to increase their understanding of civic engagement. We would love to have you and your students to join us.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>726449</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2026-02-23T21:17:35Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Lobby Day is now Civic Engagement Day and Takes Place Online for 2026</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Picture from an old lobby day with text, &quot;New plan! Celebrate Civic Engagement Day online&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Screenshot%202026-02-11%20131148_tcm1063-724956.png</Url></Image><title>2026-02-12-lobby-day-now-civic-engagement-day</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-724957&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2026-02-12T23:50:37Z</Date><ShortDescription>Taking place on Monday, March 9, 2026</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Plus bonus event in the spring</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Out of respect for the community’s safety concerns, the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing has decided to move our traditional biennial Lobby Day from an in-person event to a virtual format. We’ve created an exciting, reimagined online event that will be accessible to community members across the state. We&apos;ve also changed the name to Civic Engagement Day for this year. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are the details:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Monday, March 9, 2026 at scheduled times&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Agenda&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;9:30 – 10:30 am, Legislative Panel&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Moderated by Alicia Lane. Legislators to be announced.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;10:45 – 11:45 am, Public Policy Update&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Presented by Alicia Lane&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;12:15 – 1:15 pm, Civic Engagement Hour&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Remarks by Dr. Darlene Zangara, invited policymakers, and community members.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1:30 – 2:30 pm, What Is Civic Engagement?&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Facilitated by Jessalyn Akerman-Frank. Presented by Outreach &amp;amp; Civic Engagement Specialists: Jer Loudenback, Kathy Manlapas, Kim Wassenaar, Kyle Laughery, Kyle Littlepage, Pamela Burry, and Patrick Vellia.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and CART will be provided. For additional accommodations, contact &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; by Monday, March 2, 2026.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How to register&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We will have one link for all day. Attendees can join the parts that they want to attend. Register at the link: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.eventbrite.com/e/deaf-deafblind-hard-of-hearing-civic-engagement-day-tickets-1982924926835&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Civic Engagement Day registration&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Awards&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Save the date! We will host a spring Awards Ceremony on Saturday, May 16, 2026. More details will be shared at a later time.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Plans for 2028&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We plan to bring back the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day as an in-person event at the Capitol in 2028. By then, construction at the Capitol Complex will be complete, and we are hopeful that our sense of safety will have fully returned well before that time.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>724957</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2026-02-12T23:56:17Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Executive Director Updates with Dr. Darlene Zangara: February 2026</Title><title>2026-02-10-executive-director-updates</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-724501&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2026-02-10T19:50:47Z</Date><ShortDescription>We also cover recent Collaborative Plan work and the outcomes of the board&apos;s statewide survey.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Current situation in Minnesota, voter information and privacy, 2026 public policy agenda, and more!</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/sxv1BQn3o-s&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. To adjust the video speed, use YouTube&apos;s playback speed tool.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/6YWT-V6D58Y?si=42hGokInzkemlca3&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with the executive director update for February 2026&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello everyone! My name is Darlene Zangara and I’m the executive director of the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I will start with a visual description of myself. I am a white woman with blonde hair, glasses, and wearing a black shirt.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We have now entered a new year, 2026. We expect to be busy this year with the upcoming legislative session and community engagement. It is also an election year; voters will elect a Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, State Auditor, one U.S. Senator, eight U.S. Representatives, and the entire State Legislature.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Current situation in Minnesota&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We have been hearing from community members with questions about ICE, fraud, and how the federal and local governments are working together.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We know many people are feeling worried, confused, or unsafe. There is a lot of information online and in the news, and some of it can be hard to understand or may conflict with each other. We want you to know that we hear you and take your concerns seriously.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here is what we can share:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;1. We stand up for our communities&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission will continue working to reduce barriers and support our communities, no matter what is happening politically. The legislative session starts on February 17. We will work with legislators from both parties to move forward the Commission’s policy priorities. We will also work to protect programs and services that already exist in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2. We support voting and your right to choose&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We believe voting is important. Voting helps people have a say in decisions that affect their lives and their communities. We are here to help you understand your voting rights and learn how to find information about candidates and issues.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As a government agency, the Commission cannot and will not tell you who to vote for or promote any political party.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;3. Our events will be safe and accessible&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We work to make sure all events hosted by the Commission are safe, welcoming, and accessible to everyone. This includes changes to our original plans for Lobby Day. More information about Lobby Day changes will be in a separate announcement.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;4. We work to make public information accessible&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We work with the Governor’s Office and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety to make sure press conferences are accessible. This work will continue.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;5. We share helpful resources&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On January 16, we sent a newsletter called “&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/news/index.jsp?id=1063-720071&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Public Safety, Personal Safety, and Your Rights&lt;/a&gt;.” It includes helpful information about communication access and knowing your rights.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Voter information and privacy&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We have also received questions about a request from the federal government to access Minnesota’s voter rolls, which include personal information about voters.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office has clearly said no to this request. If you are worried about your private information being shared, please know that the Secretary of State’s Office has committed to keeping your information private and protected.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Secretary of State Steve Simon’s full statement is available on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.sos.mn.gov/about-the-office/news-room/statement-from-secretary-simon&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Secretary of State’s website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2026 public policy agenda&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The board met on January 16, 2026, and approved our 2026 public policy agenda. You can find the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/legislation/legislative-agenda/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;agenda on the Commission’s website&lt;/a&gt;. Some of the agenda items are&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Continue to review age-related hearing loss policy gaps and make recommendations&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Update human rights law to clarify closed captioning needs to be always on when TV service is provided to the public&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Gather information and address deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing needs for the new kindergarten assessment requirements scheduled to take effect in 2027&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;And more!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Legislators will return to the Capitol on February 17. We are ready to work with them to make sure programs and services that help Minnesota’s deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing community are protected.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Collaborative Plan education report&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Last August, Commission staff attended the Minnesota Hands &amp;amp; Voices annual gathering. Hands &amp;amp; Voices is a support group for parents of children who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing. The staff enjoyed meeting parents and connecting with other organizations and schools that support these families.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In September, Danelle and Anne attended the Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Conference in Minneapolis. CMV is the most common cause of birth disabilities, including hearing loss, in infants. Minnesota is the first state in the country to require CMV screening for all newborns, and we are proud to support this important public health effort.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In December, Danelle and Keith joined the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf Winter Program, where we met with students, families, and school staff. We shared information about the Commission and helped families understand resources like IEPs. We also enjoyed watching the students’ holiday performance—great job, everyone!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In January, Danelle and Anne went to Minnesota Hands &amp;amp; Voices skating event for families where we helped with the photobooth and interacted with families and staff. It is always a pleasure to work with MN Hands &amp;amp; Voices.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The new 2025 Collaborative Plan report is now available! The Commission’s work depends on strong collaboration with community partners to improve education and career outcomes for deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing students.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Community members, partners, and caregivers shared that Minnesota has a strong system of services for these children. They also highlighted areas where programs could better support families, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During a recent summit, participants created a five-year plan to support children and youth from birth through age 22. The plan identifies six focus areas and specific action steps for the Commission to work on between 2025 and 2030. It also aims to better coordinate efforts across different workgroups.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To learn more about the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/collaborative-plan/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;2025 Collaborative Plan&lt;/a&gt;, please visit our website. If you have questions, &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:danelle.gournaris@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;email Danelle&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Board retreat and statewide survey&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Board had a retreat in St. Cloud last November. The main goal for the retreat was to identify essential issues for the Commission to focus on for the next two years.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There were presentations given by&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ashley Oolman on the challenges and commitments our state leaders face in this time of leadership and how we can change the tide to work in our favor&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Stacey Sjogren on board member’s role and authority for governor appointed board members&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Nancy Bloch on communicating governance principles with our communities&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;And Dr. Mohamed Mourssi-Alfash on the statewide community survey results.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dr. Mourssi-Alfash &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/assets/2025-board-statewide-survey-findings-report_tcm1063-724366.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;analyzed the survey results&lt;/a&gt;, which identified four important steps to strengthen community engagement and accessibility statewide.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Increase awareness efforts in Greater Minnesota through local collaboration and accessible digital materials.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Expand interpreter training programs, mentorship opportunities, and outreach to high school ASL educators.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Continue advocating for affordable hearing aids and equitable healthcare coverage.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Improve transportation policy coordination and SSP access. Monitor awareness, satisfaction, and accessibility metrics on a quarterly basis.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I am so thankful to work with such a strong and committed board who are community driven and results oriented. I am also thankful to every single person in the community who participated in the statewide survey. Your feedback makes a difference!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Picture slideshow&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are pictures of recent events, including our 40th anniversary event in St. Cloud and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration at the Ordway.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/collage-1_tcm1063-724482.png&quot; title=&quot;collage-1&quot; alt=&quot;collage-1&quot; style=&quot;width: 750px; height: 421px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;collage-1&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/collage-2_tcm1063-724483.png&quot; title=&quot;collage-2&quot; alt=&quot;collage-2&quot; style=&quot;width: 750px; height: 421px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;collage-2&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/collage-3_tcm1063-724485.png&quot; title=&quot;collage-3&quot; alt=&quot;collage-3&quot; style=&quot;width: 750px; height: 421px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;collage-3&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/collage-4_tcm1063-724488.png&quot; title=&quot;collage-4&quot; alt=&quot;collage-4&quot; style=&quot;width: 750px; height: 421px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;collage-4&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/collage-5_tcm1063-724489.png&quot; title=&quot;collage-5&quot; alt=&quot;collage-5&quot; style=&quot;width: 750px; height: 421px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;collage-5&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/collage-6_tcm1063-724490.png&quot; title=&quot;collage-&quot; alt=&quot;collage-&quot; style=&quot;width: 750px; height: 421px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;collage-&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In closing&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;My door is always open. Please &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:darlene.g.zangara@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;contact me&lt;/a&gt; anytime you would like to discuss deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing issues in Minnesota. We are here for you. Thank you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Featuring Dr. Darlene G. Zangara, Executive Director. The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Daisy Jo Shuda for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>724501</id><Tag><Description/><Title>executive director updates</Title><Id>457794</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>board</Title><Id>310266</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2026-02-10T21:04:20Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>ASL Interpreter Not Visible on News When They’re Present: What To Do</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A past news conference hosted by the State of Minnesota. A sign language interpreter is included in the lineup. Photo provided by the Office of Governor Tim Walz.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/53559873291_232dbc240b_o%20%281%29_tcm1063-722829.jpg</Url></Image><title>2026-03-04-asl-interpreter-not-visible</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-722830&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2026-02-04T23:25:59Z</Date><ShortDescription>How to advocate for the inclusion of sign language interpreters in the news.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Email template and example comment included</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are watching the news and notice there is a sign language interpreter present, but the interpreter is not included in the framing or has been cut off and not fully visible onscreen, what do you do?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;News media on TV stations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are watching on TV, you can directly reach out to the media. Here’s how:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;1: Identify the Right Contact.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Look for accessibility coordinators, public editors, or community engagement officers on the organization’s website.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If none are listed, email the general contact or newsroom editor.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Example subject line: “Request for Accessibility: Please Include Sign Language Interpreters in News Gathering&quot;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2: Use Clear and Respectful Language. Do include the following information:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Why the request matters (i.e. accessibility and inclusion for deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing audience members)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ask if they have plans to expand the accessibility of their news coverage to reach a wider audience&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Examples of inclusion done well, if any, to help show your request is achievable and reasonable&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The FCC shares that TV stations are encouraged to work with the community to include sign language if possible. The FCC rules do not require ASL to be shown on broadcast TV. It is better to share your concerns with the TV stations directly. You can find the contact information for the TV station in the FCC’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.fcc.gov/VPDRegistry&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;video programming distributors registry&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Online platforms&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are watching the news on an online platform (example YouTube, Facebook, Instagram) and see that the interpreter is not included in the framing or has been cut off and not fully visible, you can:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Make a comment on the video post, either written or in ASL (do include a transcript if you are doing an ASL video comment).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Alternatively, you can send a direct message via the message function within the online platform.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When sharing your message, do request that the ASL interpreter be fully visible onscreen.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In your comment or message, you can share the following:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Point out the exclusion of the ASL interpreter on screen and request they be fully visible going forward.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Explain why captions are not a perfect substitute, and ASL interpreters provide a fully accessible message through ASL.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here is an email template to use when writing to TV stations as well as an example of a comment made on social media to help you get started:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sample email template&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Subject: Request for Accessibility – Include Sign Language Interpreters in News Videos
&lt;br /&gt;
Dear [News Organization or Editor&apos;s Name],&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I’m writing to respectfully request that your organization consider including sign language interpretation in your video news content.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing viewers rely on visual interpretation to access vital information, especially during breaking news, emergencies, and public health updates. While captions are helpful, sign language provides cultural and linguistic access that is essential to a large segment of the Deaf community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Including sign language interpreters would be a major step toward making your content more inclusive and accessible. Some organizations have successfully implemented this, and it sets a strong example of equitable news coverage.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Could you please let me know whether this is something your team is considering?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you for your time and your commitment to accessible journalism.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sincerely,
&lt;br /&gt;
[Your Full Name]
&lt;br /&gt;
[Your City/State, Optional]
&lt;br /&gt;
[Your Contact Info]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Example of a comment made on social media platforms&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Disappointed to see that the ASL interpreter has been cut off in the video and not fully visible. Deaf people need direct access to news through ASL, and cutting off the interpreter prevents Deaf people from accessing the news. Please make your content accessible to all by including the ASL interpreter in the video frame. Thank you.”&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>722830</id><Tag><Description/><Title>citizen advocate</Title><Id>310308</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>emergency management</Title><Id>310293</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2026-02-04T23:30:58Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Public Safety, Personal Safety, and Your Rights</Title><title>2026-01-16-public-safety-personal-safety-and-your-rights</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-720071&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2026-01-16T23:50:37Z</Date><ShortDescription>Resources and tips for communication access and knowledge of your rights</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/bill-of-rights-transcript&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution&lt;/a&gt; protects your right to peacefully assemble (protest).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The City of Minneapolis sent a message on January 10, 2026 titled, &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.minneapolismn.gov/news/2026/january/protest-update/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;City urges protests remain peaceful in federal shooting aftermath.&lt;/a&gt;&quot; Here is a quote,&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&quot;People have the right to peacefully protest and exercise their First Amendment rights. People can assemble peacefully in public spaces and on sidewalks, not roadways or freeways. They can carry signs and chant. They cannot throw objects, start fires or damage property. They also cannot use fireworks or weapons.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What rights do I have when communicating with ICE?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are several important resources for you regarding your rights.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Office of the Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has a resource titled, &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Brochures/pubKnowYourRightsWithICE.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Know Your Rights with ICE (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&quot; available in English, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Brochures/pubKnowYourRightsWithICE_Hmong.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Hmong&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Brochures/pubKnowYourRightsWithICE_Somali.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Somali&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Brochures/pubKnowYourRightsWithICE_Spanish.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Spanish&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf Equality has a guide about your legal protections and communication access rights in American Sign Language (ASL) and English, &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://deafequality.org/2025/09/22/ice/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;What Deaf and Hard of Hearing People Need to Know About ICE&lt;/a&gt;&quot;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What about communication access tips?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;Our sister agency, the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing State Services, sent out a&lt;/span&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNDHS/bulletins/4049367&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot; style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;newsletter about safety and communication&lt;/a&gt; &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;on January 16, 2026. Here are some of their tips. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you need to communicate in an emergency situation, it is important that you remain calm. Identifying yourself as a person who is deaf, deafblind or hard of hearing may help keep you safe. Three ways you can identify yourself include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot;&gt;Saying &quot;I am deaf (or deafblind or hard of hearing),&quot;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot;&gt;Gesturing that you have hearing loss by pointing to your ear and shaking your head,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot;&gt;Showing the Communication card:
&lt;br /&gt;
o &lt;a href=&quot;https://edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/Public/DHS-6556A-ENG&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Communication card: I am deaf&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
o &lt;a href=&quot;https://edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/Public/DHS-6556B-ENG&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Communication card: I am deafblind&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
o &lt;a href=&quot;https://edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/Public/DHS-6556D-ENG&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Communication card: I am hard of hearing&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
o &lt;a href=&quot;https://edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/Public/DHS-6556C-ENG&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Communication card: I have hearing and vision loss&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing continues to work with the Governor&apos;s Office and with the Minnesota Department of Public Safety to ensure communication access is provided during news briefings and communications to the public.</BodyText><Author/><id>720071</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>emergency management</Title><Id>310293</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2026-01-17T00:47:33Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration on January 19, 2026</Title><title>2026-01-12-mlk-jr-event</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-719340&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2026-01-12T19:35:11Z</Date><ShortDescription>Attend either in-person or online. Free admission. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Hosted by the State of Minnesota and the Governor’s Council on the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/g5id8VMKuHw?si=uUsevEdL2x8Xc_b7&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with BDA members about the 2026 Dr MLK Jr event&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You’re invited to come together and help shape Minnesota’s future.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This year marks the 40th anniversary of Minnesota’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday celebration, one of the largest and longest running in the country. Communities across the state will gather to honor Dr. King by putting his values into action.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The weeklong celebration includes learning, community conversations, and ways to get involved, all focused on unity and service. Explore the full list of events and invite your family, friends, and neighbors to join.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Find the full schedule on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/oeoa/mlk-2026&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;event website&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/mnmlkholiday/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Facebook&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/company/minnesota-office-of-equity-opportunity-and-accessibility/posts/?feedView=all&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;LinkedIn pages&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Join us on Monday, January 19, 2026, for the incredibly powerful closing event of Minnesota’s 40th Anniversary Dr. MLK Jr. Holiday celebration. This inspiring program brings together art, storytelling, and community to honor Dr. King and our shared future.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Be there in person at the Ordway Center for Performing Arts or watch the livestream from home. Reserve your seat and be part of this historic event.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and live captions will be available both &lt;a href=&quot;https://ordway.org/events/40th-annual-mlk-day-celebration/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;in person&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.tpt.org/governors-council-martin-luther-king-jr-celebration/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;online&lt;/a&gt;. Additional accommodations can be requested when you reserve your tickets. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Content provided by the State of Minnesota Governor’s Council on the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL provided by the St. Paul/Minneapolis Black Deaf Advocates.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kim Wassenaar, Cookie Brand, and Crystal Amdor for ASL talent.
&lt;br /&gt;
Tamajai Brady for voiceover.
&lt;br /&gt;
Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>719340</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2026-01-12T20:46:15Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Reminder! Public Policy 2026 Session Preview</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Within bubbles are pictures of a couple looking at a laptop screen and a picture of the Minnesota State Capitol</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/2026%20Public%20Policy%20Session%20Preview-850_tcm1063-717092.jpg</Url></Image><title>2026-01-08-reminder-public-policy-session-preview</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-719097&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2026-01-08T22:32:30Z</Date><ShortDescription>We&apos;ll review what to expect from this session and the ideas we hope to bring to legislators for improving the quality of life for deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Minnesotans. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Please join us this Saturday, January 10, 2026 from 10:30am - 12:00pm</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Legislators return to the Capitol on February 17 to begin the 2026 legislative session. Even though the state has more money than expected this year, planning for the future is affected by rapid changes in federal policies, rising prices, and other trends. Our government relations director Alicia Lane will discuss what to expect from this session and the ideas we hope to bring to legislators for improving the quality of life for deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Minnesotans. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saturday, January 10, 2026, from 10:30am - 12:00pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Join us on Zoom from the comfort of your home. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Be sure to register to attend so we have an accurate head count. Here is the registration link:  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/xg2MnOW9TPKNZKrts8tCeQ#/registration&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Public Policy 2026 Session Preview registration&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Calling in via phone is an option if preferred. First, register to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation via email. The confirmation will include information on how to call in by phone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and CART will be provided.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>719097</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2026-01-08T22:34:19Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Public Policy 2026 Session Preview</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Within bubbles are pictures of a couple looking at a laptop screen and a picture of the Minnesota State Capitol</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/2026%20Public%20Policy%20Session%20Preview-850_tcm1063-717092.jpg</Url></Image><title>2025-12-19-public-policy-session-preview</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-717091&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-12-19T20:54:11Z</Date><ShortDescription>Join us on Zoom</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Please join us on Saturday, January 10, 2026 from 10:30am - 12:00pm</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Legislators return to the Capitol on February 17 to begin the 2026 legislative session. Even though the state has more money than expected this year, planning for the future is affected by rapid changes in federal policies, rising prices, and other trends. Our government relations director Alicia Lane will discuss what to expect from this session and the ideas we hope to bring to legislators for improving the quality of life for deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are considering adding a second date and time if there is enough interest. Please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:alicia.lane@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;alicia.lane@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; if you are interested but unable to attend January 10.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Don&apos;t forget, we want your feedback on possible public policy topics. If you have not yet participated in our &lt;a href=&quot;https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8588229/Commission-2026-Action-Items-Survey&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;2026 public policy action items survey&lt;/a&gt;, the deadline is January 3, 2026. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saturday, January 10, 2026, from 10:30am - 12:00pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Join us on Zoom from the comfort of your home. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Be sure to register to attend so we have an accurate head count. Here is the registration link:  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/xg2MnOW9TPKNZKrts8tCeQ#/registration&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Public Policy 2026 Session Preview registration&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Calling in via phone is an option if preferred. First, register to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation via email. The confirmation will include information on how to call in by phone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and CART will be provided. For additional accommodations, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; by Friday, January 2, 2026.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>717091</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-12-19T22:15:50Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Survey for the Commission&apos;s 2026 Public Policy Agenda</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Person looking at laptop while smiling, underneath text &quot;2026 Public Policy Agenda Survey&quot; and the Commission&apos;s logo in the corner</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/2026%20Public%20Policy%20Survey%20850_tcm1063-714290.jpg</Url></Image><title>2025-11-24-2026-action-items-survey</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-714291&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-11-24T23:09:13Z</Date><ShortDescription>Survey is estimated to take 6-10 minutes of your time.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Let us know which action items are important to you</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing is choosing what to work on for its 2026 public policy agenda. We collected ideas from many people, including community members, leaders, teachers, lawmakers, state agencies, and advocates.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We want to know the issues that matter most to you. Your answers will help us decide which issues to prioritize.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This anonymous survey takes about 6–10 minutes to finish.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8588229/Commission-2026-Action-Items-Survey&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Please take the &quot;Commission 2026 Action Items Survey&quot; today. &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To request a different format or help with taking this survey, you may contact us in one of the following ways:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot;&gt;Send an email to &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:mn.commission@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;mn.commission@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot;&gt;Call 612-405-5618 (voice or video)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>714291</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>survey</Title><Id>310297</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-11-24T23:13:49Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Save the Date! 2026 Collaborative Experience Conference</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Parent workshop with interpreters, cart, and PPT onstage from the 2024 Collaborative Experience Conference</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/nov2-218_tcm1063-714045.jpg</Url></Image><title>2025-11-21-save-the-date-cec</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-714046&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-11-21T18:10:10Z</Date><ShortDescription>At Breezy Point Resort</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Seventh biennial conference happening November 5-7, 2026</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Save the date! The Collaborative Plan stakeholders are excited to invite you to the seventh biennial conference for parents and professionals who work with students who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/collaborative-experience/&quot;&gt;Collaborative Experience Conference&lt;/a&gt; focuses on sharing up-to-date resources, professional development, and opportunities for collaboration among Minnesota teachers, service providers, and families dedicated to deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing students.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thursday, November 5 - Saturday, November 7, 2026&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Theme&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To be announced&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Breezy Point Resort
&lt;br /&gt;
Breezy Point, MN&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have any questions, please contact Danelle Gournaris, Collaborative Plan Program Director, at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:danelle.gournaris@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;danelle.gournaris@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>714046</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-11-21T18:25:47Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2026 Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day: Save the Date</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Minnesota State Capitol Rotunda with Lobby Day participants in conversation</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/LobbyDay2023-246-850_tcm1063-713580.jpg</Url></Image><title>2025-11-18-save-the-date-lobby-day</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-713579&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-11-18T22:36:20Z</Date><ShortDescription>At the Minnesota State Capitol</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Lobby Day is on Monday, March 9, 2026</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Save the date for March 9, 2026! Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day will take place at the Minnesota State Capitol.  We will meet with legislators and government leaders, host roundtables, and go on an accessible Capitol tour. A rally with awards will take place in the Capitol Rotunda from 10:45 am - 11:45 am. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Date&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Monday, March 9, 2026&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota State Capitol, 75 Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard, St. Paul, MN 55155&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Theme&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reimaging the Future&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Watch for our next update with registration information and more details. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;/deaf-commission/get-involved/lobby-day/index.jsp&quot; title=&quot;000 Lobby Day Page Intro&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;000 Lobby Day Page Intro&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;button&quot;&gt;Learn more about Lobby Day&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>713579</id><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-11-18T22:54:03Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Celebrate 40 Years of Advocacy &amp; Community!</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>blue with gold ribbon background and text, &quot;Anniversary Banquet 40 Years of History and Advocacy&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Banquet%20Invitation%20Header_tcm1063-710072.png</Url></Image><title>2025-10-28-celebrate-40-years</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-710867&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-10-28T16:37:52Z</Date><ShortDescription>Special Offer — BOGO!

Buy one ticket, get one FREE! Bring a friend, colleague, or family member and share in this milestone celebration.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Saturday, November 15, 2025 in St. Cloud, MN</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Join us in person, along with over 120 of your fellow community members, at the St. Cloud River’s Edge Convention Center (Terry Haws A Room) as we commemorate four decades of advocacy, history, and system change for Minnesota&apos;s deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing communities — all while enjoying a delicious meal and unforgettable company.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Get ready for an inspiring evening filled with powerful presenters, story sharing, and networking opportunities with fellow community members. Together, we’ll celebrate our collective achievements and look forward to a future of continued growth in communication access and equal opportunity.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Featured speakers include Jerry Nelson, Sherri Rademacher, Robert Harris, Mary Hartnett, Rich Diedrichsen, and Jamie Taylor.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Special Offer — BOGO!&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Buy one ticket, get one FREE! Bring a friend, colleague, or family member and share in this milestone celebration.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Details&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When: Saturday, November 15
&lt;br /&gt;
Time: 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
&lt;br /&gt;
Where: St. Cloud River&apos;s Edge Convention Center
&lt;br /&gt;
10 4th Ave S, St. Cloud, MN 56301&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tickets: $25.15 each — and with our BOGO offer, that’s two tickets for the price of one!
&lt;br /&gt;
Registration Deadline:  New deadline! Thursday, November 6. &lt;em&gt;(previous deadline was Tuesday, November 4)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register now at: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mn-commission-of-the-deaf-deafblind-hard-of-hearings-40th-anniversary-tickets-1829165987709&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;MN Commission’s 40th Anniversary Registration&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>710867</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-11-03T23:29:06Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>You&apos;re Invited to Join the Commission in Celebrating 40 Years of History and Advocacy</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>blue with gold ribbon background and text, &quot;Anniversary Banquet 40 Years of History and Advocacy&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Banquet%20Invitation%20Header_tcm1063-710072.png</Url></Image><title>2025-10-17-anniversary-banquet</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-710073&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-10-17T23:12:59Z</Date><ShortDescription>Join us for a evening filled with inspiring presenters, story gathering, and networking opportunities with fellow community members.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Saturday, November 15, 2025 in St. Cloud, MN</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Come join us in person at the St. Cloud River’s Edge Convention Center in the Terry Haws A room, as we &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mn-commission-of-the-deaf-deafblind-hard-of-hearings-40th-anniversary-tickets-1829165987709&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;commemorate four decades of advocacy, history, and system changes for Minnesota&apos;s deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing communities&lt;/a&gt;, while enjoying a delicious meal.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Get ready for a evening filled with inspiring presenters, story gathering, and networking opportunities with fellow community members. This milestone event is a chance to reflect on our past achievements and look forward to a future of continued growth in communication access and equal opportunity. The current list of speakers include, but is not limited to, Jerry Nelson, Sherri Rademacher, Robert Harris, and Mary Hartnett.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Don&apos;t miss out on this special occasion to celebrate our community&apos;s resilience and accomplishments over the past 40 years. We can&apos;t wait to see you there!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saturday, November 15&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Time&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;5:00 PM - 8:00 PM&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;St. Cloud River&apos;s Edge Convention Center
&lt;br /&gt;
10 4th Ave S
&lt;br /&gt;
St. Cloud, MN 56301&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tickets&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tickets are $25.15 each. Register at &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mn-commission-of-the-deaf-deafblind-hard-of-hearings-40th-anniversary-tickets-1829165987709&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;MN Commission&apos;s 40 Anniversary registration&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>710073</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>heritage</Title><Id>310257</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-10-17T23:15:25Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Rethinking I-94 Project Update with Minnesota&apos;s Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing Community</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>map of i-94 corridor between St. Paul and Minneapolis</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Rethinking_I94_Study_Area_Map-850_tcm1063-586909.jpg</Url></Image><title>2025-10-07-rethinking-i94-project-update</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-708544&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-10-07T14:08:08Z</Date><ShortDescription>In partnership with the Minnesota Department of Transportation</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Taking place online on Tuesday, October 14, 2025 at 5:00 pm</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You&apos;re Invited! Join the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing and the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) for an update on the future plans for I-94.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Background&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The I-94 corridor between Minneapolis and St. Paul, stretching 7.5 miles from Hwy 55/Hiawatha Avenue to Marion Street, needed a plan for the future. Originally built in the 1960s, this was the first time MnDOT conducted a comprehensive evaluation of this stretch.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The goal was to ensure that any updates benefit not only I-94 commuters but also the surrounding communities. MnDOT gathered feedback from residents who live, work, travel, and spend time along this corridor.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In September 2023, the Commission and community members met with MnDOT to hear a presentation on the project and proposed alternatives. Community members were also encouraged to suggest new ideas for reimagining I-94.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After a long period of community engagement, MnDOT is now ready to share an update on their proposed changes to I-94, thanks to the community at large.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We invite you to join us and be part of the conversation! You might also want to study their website, &lt;a href=&quot;https://talk.dot.state.mn.us/rethinking-i94&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Rethinking I-94 - Minneapolis to St. Paul&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tuesday, October 14, 2025, 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Join us on Zoom from the comfort of your home.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and CART will be provided. For additional accommodations, contact &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; by Friday, October 10, 2025.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please register to attend so we have an accurate head count. The registration link is:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/mjYNcQIYTZqsUhrjUgH5ww&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Rethinking I-94 Project Update with MnDOT signup&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Calling in via phone is an option if preferred. First, register to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation via email. The confirmation will include information on how to call in by phone.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>708544</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-10-07T14:11:21Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Four Reasons Why Voting in Local Elections is Important</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>header with text, &quot;Here we go vote mnvotes.gov&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/here-we-vote_850_tcm1063-706851.jpg</Url></Image><title>2025-09-26-four-reasons-to-vote-local-elections</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-707257&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-09-26T17:04:56Z</Date><ShortDescription>Join us on September 29, 2025 at 6:00 PM on Zoom</ShortDescription><Subtitle>You are invited to join a webinar about local elections this coming Monday</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Historically, voter turnout in local elections is significantly lower than federal and state elections. Yet, local elections have a huge impact on you and your community. Here are four reasons why eligible voters should go and vote if their city or town is having a local election this year. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Local elected officials make decisions regarding education, healthcare, public safety, and economic development. They also make decisions regarding your trash haulers, snow removal, and school funding. Voting is your opportunity to elect officials who represent your interests. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Voting gives you a say in where your tax dollars will go in your community.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Local elected officials work with decision-makers for local topics such as planning boards and zoning boards. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Due to the typically lower voter turnout, every vote especially counts! A single vote can make the difference as to who gets elected. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the Local Elections Webinar&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Did you know that voting in your local election is just as important as voting in larger elections? Some cities and towns in Minnesota will have a local election this year, others will not. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During this webinar, together, we will go through how to find your polling station, how to look up if your city or town will have a local election, and the different ways you can research candidates running for office. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The information will be shared by Secretary of State Steve Simon and Voter Outreach Director Melanie Hazelip.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Intended audience&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anyone, including Minnesota&apos;s deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing community, who is interested in learning more about their voting rights and accessible voting in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Monday, September 29, 2025, from 6:00 - 7:00 pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and CART provided.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register at&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/OSaB_fRKQyS1kswaULtIwg&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Local Elections Webinar, September 29, 6:00 pm registration&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Calling in via phone is an option if preferred. Please register to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation via email. The confirmation will include information on how to call in by phone.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>707257</id><pubdate>2025-09-26T17:11:26Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Save the Date! Celebrating 40 Years of History and Advocacy</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>blue with gold ribbon background and text, &quot;Save the Date 40 Years of History and Advocacy&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Save%20the%20Date%20Banquet%20Header_tcm1063-707212.png</Url></Image><title>2025-09-26-save-the-date-banquet</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-707213&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-09-26T14:11:56Z</Date><ShortDescription>Starting at 6:00 PM</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Saturday, November 15, 2025 in St. Cloud, MN</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Join the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing for a special banquet honoring the rich history and contributions of the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing communities in Minnesota. This celebration also marks the Commission’s 40th anniversary!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saturday, November 15&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Time&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;6:00 PM&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;St. Cloud, Minnesota&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;More details, including venue information, RSVP instructions, and program highlights, will be shared in the coming weeks.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mark your calendar. We look forward to celebrating with you!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>707213</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-09-26T14:14:57Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Webinar on Local Elections on Monday, September 29, 2025</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>header with text, &quot;Here we go vote mnvotes.gov&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/here-we-vote_850_tcm1063-706851.jpg</Url></Image><title>2025-09-23-local-elections-webinar</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-706854&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-09-23T17:53:40Z</Date><ShortDescription>With Secretary of State Steve Simon and Voter Outreach Director Melanie Hazelip</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Why it is important to participate and how it works</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Did you know that voting in your local election is just as important as voting in larger elections? Some cities and towns in Minnesota will have a local election this year, others will not. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Local elections may include races for city officers, school board members, township officers, and local ballot questions. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During this webinar, together, we will go through how to find your polling station, how to look up if your city or town will have a local election, and the different ways you can research candidates running for office. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The information will be shared by Secretary of State Steve Simon and Voter Outreach Director Melanie Hazelip.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Intended audience&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anyone, including Minnesota&apos;s deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing community, who is interested in learning more about their voting rights and accessible voting in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Monday, September 29, 2025, from 6:00 - 7:00 pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and CART provided. For additional requests, please contact &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; by Thursday, September 25, 2025. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register at&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/OSaB_fRKQyS1kswaULtIwg&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Local Elections Webinar, September 29, 6:00 pm registration&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Calling in via phone is an option if preferred. Please register to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation via email. The confirmation will include information on how to call in by phone.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>706854</id><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-09-26T14:48:19Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Updated Collaborative Plan for Minnesota&apos;s Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing, Ages 0-22</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Four picture collage, including a newborn hearing screening, a teacher working with a student in ASL, a group of students wearing backpacks walking on the sidewalk together, and person&apos;s shoes pointing to the word &quot;future&quot; on the sidewalk.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/DDBHH-youth-ages-0-22%20850_tcm1063-706788.jpg</Url></Image><title>2025-09-23-collaborative-plan-updated</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-706794&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-09-23T14:40:02Z</Date><ShortDescription>Next, the Collaborative Plan workgroups will develop a detailed action plan to carry out the priorities.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Plan includes tasks and priorities to improve education, language, and career outcomes for 2025-2030</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Collaborative Plan is a network of schools, agencies, and organizations that work together to create lasting, positive change. The goal is to improve education, language, and career outcomes for students who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Every five years, key stakeholders gather input and set goals for the next five years. We’re excited to share the updated &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/assets/MNCommission_CollaborativePlanReport_8-2025_tcm1063-706624.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Collaborative Plan 2025 (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;, which outlines our shared priorities and strategies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This plan will guide our work from 2025 through 2030.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How the Collaborative Plan 2025 was created&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Families and professionals from across Minnesota shared their insights through workgroup meetings, interviews, focus groups, conference sessions, and a planning summit. This report brings together their stories, feedback, and recommendations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Key focus areas for 2025-2030&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The workgroups will focus on six strategic areas:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Provide resources for families from identification through transition&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Develop, expand, and address mental health resources and needs across Minnesota&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Utilize data-informed decision-making&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Provide post-secondary options for deaf, hard of hearing, and deafblind community members in-state&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Language acquisition for children and their families&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What&apos;s next&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/collaborative-plan/mn-collaborative-plan.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Collaborative Plan workgroups&lt;/a&gt; will now begin developing detailed action plans for each priority area. These plans will outline the steps to be taken, who is responsible, and the timeline for each action.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can access the full report at &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/assets/MNCommission_CollaborativePlanReport_8-2025_tcm1063-706624.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Collaborative Plan 2025 (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>706794</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>language acquisition</Title><Id>310294</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-09-23T14:44:22Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2025 Legislative Wrapup</Title><title>2025-08-29-legislative-wrapup</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-702880&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-08-29T12:38:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Summary includes changes in advocacy, aging, communication access, education, employment, government, healthcare, and hearing technology.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>With Alicia Lane, Government Relations Director</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/JQfB1LYa1mk?si=Bk-i3ovAYQpGzbSS&quot; title=&quot;2025 legislative wrapup in ASL&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version (with descriptive transcript)&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video begins with the Commission’s logo. Scene changes to title screen, “2025 Legislative Wrapup”. Scene changes again to Alicia Lane standing in the right corner. The top left has Alicia’s PPT. PPT text: “2025 Legislative Wrapup, Alicia Lane, Government Relations Director.” Alicia begins to sign.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia: Hello! I’m Alicia Lane, government relations director for the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here’s a visual description: I’m a white Hispanic woman with dark hair pulled up. I’m wearing a black top and standing in front of a black background.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In this 2025 Legislative Wrapup, I will be giving brief summaries of what happened with legislators this session, the laws that were passed, and a status update on remaining items on the Commission’s legislative agenda.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Slide changes. PPT text: “Budget Forecast for FY202-2029&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Budget forecast released by Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) to help governor and legislators plan&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Short term: Surplus, but smaller than expected&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Long term: Revenue and expenditure trends shifted, putting state at risk of deficit&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Disability services and special education targeted as “cost drivers” “&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;Alicia continues.]&lt;/p&gt;
&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia: Every two years, Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) releases a budget and economic forecast for the next four years to help the governor and legislators plan the next budget. This covers fiscal years 2026 through 2029. MMB looks at many different factors, such as revenue trends, spending trends, inflation, how the economy is doing, and shifts in federal policies. This year, the budget forecast showed that in the short term, for the next two years, Minnesota still has a surplus, although it’s smaller. In the long term, however, the forecast showed that revenue and spending trends had shifted, meaning that the state was now at risk of running a deficit. The report from MMB pointed specifically at disability services and special education as “cost drivers.”
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With this challenging budget forecast, the governor and legislators had to make some hard decisions in adjusting the state’s budget.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Slide changes. PPT text: “2025 Legislative Regular Session&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;January 14 – May 19&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Began without clear majority in either chamber. Typically majority decides:
&lt;br /&gt;
* Who chairs the committees. Chair picks which bills are heard.
&lt;br /&gt;
* Majority picks who leads floor sessions. Floor leaders pick which bills are taken up.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;No majority = power-sharing agreement”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alicia continues.]&lt;/p&gt;
&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia: The 2025 legislative regular session started January 14 and ran until May 19. Minnesota became the first state in history to begin a new session without a clear majority in either the House or the Senate. Why is this important? The majority party decides who will chair the committees and pick which bills are heard by each committee. The majority also decides who leads floor sessions where all legislators meet to vote, and which bills are brought to the floor. The majority is key. 
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Without a majority, a power-sharing agreement had to be created instead. This impacts how quickly bills can move through the system.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Slide changes. PPT text: “Power-Sharing in Each Chamber&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;House&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;67-67 split for most of session&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Significantly delayed start due to quorum disagreement&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Committee co-chairs&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Senate&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;34-34 split at beginning due to DFL vacancy&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Committee co-chairs for first part of session&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;At session end, one-seat DFL advantage”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;imageCaption&quot;&gt;Alicia continues.]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;imageCaption&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 0, 51);&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia: With the power-sharing agreements in the House and Senate, committees in both chambers had co-chairs – one Republican and one Democrat - for at least part of the session. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The House had a 67-67 split for most of the session, and a significantly delayed start due to a disagreement about quorum. Once it started, for most of the session, committee control alternated between the two chairs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Senate was split 34-34 at the beginning due to a DFL vacancy, and during that time, the committees had co-chairs. Once the vacancy was filled, the DFL gained a one-seat advantage and finished the session with majority control.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This generally meant that opportunities for advocates to help move bills forward in the House were significantly reduced, compared with the Senate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Slide changes. PPT text: “2025 Legislative Special Session&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Regular session ended May 19 with much unfinished work&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Legislators set up temporary working groups to negotiate the remaining budget agreements&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;One-day special session adjourned Tuesday, June 10, 2025.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alicia continues.]&lt;/p&gt;
&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia: The 2025 regular session ended May 19 with much unfinished work, requiring a legislative special session. Before this special session, legislators set up temporary working groups to negotiate the remaining budget agreements. Much of this work happened during private discussions. Then the one-day special session was convened, and the remaining bills were passed. The special session adjourned on Tuesday, June 10, 2025.
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Slide changes. PPT text: “Commission Overall Goals&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Protect existing services&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Monitor for federal impacts&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Invest in policy work beyond legislation”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alicia continues.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia: The Commission’s overall goals during this challenging legislative session were to protect existing services, monitor for federal impacts, and to invest in policy work beyond legislation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Slide changes. PPT text: “Commission Involvement Tiers&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tier 1 (T1) = lead&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tier 2 (T2) = actively supporting &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tier 3 (T3) = monitoring/reporting&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;In progress = no bill yet&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This year, heavy on T3 due to goal of protecting existing services.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alicia continues.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia: The Commission’s involvement with bills includes a fairly wide range of activities, so we created a tier system to help better convey our role. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tier 1, or T1 for short, means we lead. This can mean we wrote a bill draft ourselves and brought it to a legislator. Or it can mean we saw that a legislator had an idea and introduced a bill, and we approached them with suggested amendments, and then became the sole organization advocating for a bill. Or, we may be the sole lead for a portion of a large bill with multiple portions being led by others. Being the lead is usually a time-consuming process because we support the chief author in gathering more support, bringing on testifiers, talking with legislative staff to make sure the bill is getting to the places it needs to be, and so on. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tier 2, or T2 for short, means we are actively supporting. Another organization is leading, but we may be meeting with legislators, providing consultation, bringing on testifiers, writing letters of support, or attending hearings.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tier 3, or T3, means we are monitoring and/or reporting on a bill because it is relevant to deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In progress means that we’re working on an issue but no bill has been introduced yet.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This year, we saw a lot of T3 bills because of our goal to protect existing services. Bills for existing services tend to be led by the government relations or legislative affairs liaisons for those services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/JQfB1LYa1mk?si=H0cPIxbp52p-LbM8&amp;amp;t=507&quot;&gt;Advocacy (8:27)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Slide changes. PPT text: “Advocacy&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Service Dog Trainers (T2, Law)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Enables trainers to train the dogs in a home environment without being penalized by landlords or homeowner associations.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alicia continues.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia: In the Advocacy category, we successfully advocated for a new service dog trainers law that enables trainers to train service or assistance dogs in a home environment without being penalized by landlords or homeowner associations. Another organization was already leading this bill, making this a Tier 2 bill, and we joined forces to include DeafBlind owners, educate a wider network of stakeholders, and garner more support.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/JQfB1LYa1mk?si=i7_xobrTYn9_mdte&amp;amp;t=545&quot;&gt;Aging (9:05)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Slide changes. PPT text: “Aging&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Healthy Aging Subcabinet (T2, Inactive)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Establishes cabinet to provide centralized multisector guidance on aging, including community strategies to prevent, delay, or adapt to disability.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Legislation not passed, MMB agreed to develop a multisector report.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alicia continues.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia: In the Aging category, we engaged with the chief author of the Healthy Aging Subcabinet bill (T2) beginning last year and gave a presentation to a legislative task force on aging. Our recommendations were incorporated into the task force’s report, and the bill was created based on that report. This bill would have established a cabinet to provide centralized multisector guidance on aging, including community strategies to prevent, delay, or adapt to disability. Though this bill did not pass and is now inactive, MMB agreed to develop a healthy aging plan by April 1, 2027.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/JQfB1LYa1mk?si=e6n6jHxt0j0fDVz5&amp;amp;t=608&quot;&gt;Communication Access (10:08)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Slide changes. PPT text: “Communication Access&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;IEP Process Accommodations for Parents (T2, Law)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Adds disability to a district&apos;s language access plan, to ensure families with a disability can meaningfully participate in their child’s IEP process.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State Services Grants for Interpreter Development (T3, Law)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Maintains current funding levels&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;An increase is needed, but governor did not include in proposed budget.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Always-On Captioning in Public Places Statute Clarification (in progress)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Clarify that captioning in public places needs to always be on.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Had meetings and gathered information for a potential policy bill.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alicia continues.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia: In the Communication Access category, first is the IEP process accommodations for parents. This new law, with Tier 2 involvement from us, adds disability to a district’s language access plan, to ensure families with a disability can meaningfully participate in their child’s individualized education program (IEP) process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Second is maintaining current funding levels for State Services grants for interpreter development. This was enacted into law with Tier 3 monitoring by us. An increase is needed, but the governor did not include this in his proposed budget.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Last is an issue that is in progress, to clarify that captioning in public places needs to always be on. We had meetings and gathered information for a potential policy bill.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/JQfB1LYa1mk?si=JOviW6Uhc3fg27_C&amp;amp;t=688&quot;&gt;Education (11:28)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Slide changes. PPT text: “Education (1 of 3)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;READ Act DDBHH Recommendations (T1, Law)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;More instances of &quot;oral language&quot; expanded to &quot;expressive or receptive language&quot;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;More amendments needed next year&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Metro Deaf School Birth-3 Early Learning Funding Renewal (T1, inactive)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Grant of $150,000 per year for the MDS Birth-Three Early Learning Program. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Note: this program has a waiting list, has secured donations and a grant to cover part of the cost, and is seeking additional grants. They intend to remain operational.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alicia continues.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia: As usual, education is a large category for us, and this is slide 1 of 3. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;First up is the new READ Act Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing recommendations enacted into law. We led these provisions as part of a larger bill. Last year, a working group met to develop recommendations for making the READ Act inclusive of deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing students. The READ Act was initially enacted in 2023 with the goal of pulling up overall literacy levels in Minnesota schools, and some of the original language was heavily audio-centric. We successfully identified more instances of “oral language” and expanded them to “expressive or receptive language.” This is just a start. More amendments are planned based on the working group’s recommendations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Next is the funding renewal for Metro Deaf School (MDS) Birth-3 Early Learning program. We led this as a T1 bill with the goal to secure a grant of $150,000 per year. This was a very difficult budget climate with special education being one of the biggest targets for spending cuts. Though legislators chose not to renew this grant, MDS has a waiting list for this program and has secured donations to cover part of the cost. They are also seeking additional grants elsewhere with the intention of remaining operational.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Slide changes. PPT text: “Education (2 of 3)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Master&apos;s Degree Tax Credit for Deaf/HH Education (T1, Inactive)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Add Deaf education to the list of teacher licensure fields that qualify for a tax credit of up to $2,500 towards a master’s degree.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Adult Basic Education Rate Increase (T2, Inactive)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Increase rates paid to adult basic education providers, such as ThinkSelf.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Inactive, but current rate preserved.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;IDEA Complaint Process (T2, Law)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;State process for filing a complaint if a provider is believed to have violated Part B or Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alicia continues.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia: We are now on education slide 2 of 3. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;First is the master’s degree tax credit for Deaf/Hard of Hearing Education, a Tier 1 bill that we led to add Deaf Education to the list of teacher licensure fields that qualify for a tax credit of up to $2,500 towards a master’s degree. Once again, in this difficult budget climate, legislators chose not to pass this. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Next is the Adult Basic Education rate increase, which we lent T2 support. The goal was to increase rates paid to adult basic education providers such as ThinkSelf. This bill did not pass, but current rates were preserved.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For the IDEA complaint process provisions, which received T2 support from us, a new state process was signed into law for filing a complaint if a provider is believed to have violated Part B or Part C of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Slide changes. PPT text: “Education (3 of 3)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota State Academies Funding (T3, Law)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;$2.2 million (6%) increase for the MSA’s FY25-26 operating expenses.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota State Academies Bonding Requests (T3, law)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;$1M bonding for Minnesota State Academies for asset preservation.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Original ask was $1.227M, plus funding for pre-designs of a new student center and replacement of the therapy pool.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alicia continues.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia: Here’s slide 3 of 3 in the Education category. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We closely monitored (T3) the funding levels for the Minnesota State Academies. They received a $2.2 million, or 6%, increase for the MSA’s FY25-26 operating expenses. Again, in this difficult budget climate, this was welcome news. They also received some of their bonding request for asset preservation - $1 million. This was a bit lower than their original ask of $1.227 million, plus they did not receive funding for pre-designs for a new student center or replacement of their therapy pool.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Slide changes. PPT text: “Education, in Progress&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Held planning meetings, gathered information for future bills:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Emergency Plans on IEPs&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MDE Require Child Count Reports on All Categorical Disabilities”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alicia continues.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia: We also have a couple of education items in progress. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We held planning meetings and gathered information for future bills related to, first, requiring emergency plans on the form for a student&apos;s IEP. If student is deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing, this is where the IEP would describe what needs to be done in an emergency. The second bill would specify that the Minnesota Department of Education require child count reports on all disability categories. Right now, MDE requires counts only of a student’s primary disability, which means students who do not have deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing listed as their primary disability are not included in the statewide counts of deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing students.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Slide changes. PPT text: “Special Education Cuts&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Special education transportation (T3, Law)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reduces reimbursement that districts can get for transporting special education students&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;School support personnel aid (T3, Law)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reduces reimbursement for school support personnel.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Blue Ribbon Commission (T3, Law)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Established to create an action plan for increasing efficiencies and reducing expenses in special education while still providing each student with a free and appropriate education (FAPE) as required by federal law.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alicia continues.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia: Before we move on to the next category, I want to share some updates on special education cuts. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We monitored (T3) all these due to their relevance to deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing students. When state funds are cut in special education, districts are still required to provide each student with a free and appropriate public education (FAPE), so that means they will need to get the money elsewhere. But districts may also shift policies to reduce special education expenses, so we urge families of those students to be alert for any service or placement changes. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;First, legislators decided to reduce the reimbursement for special education transportation. This means districts will get less money for transporting special education students. We anticipate this may impact placement decisions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State aid for school support personnel was also cut. We are still investigating the potential impacts. Right now, we think this cut would primarily affect students in general education (mainstream) settings.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Legislators feel still more cuts are needed, so they decided to set up a Blue Ribbon Commission on Special Education. “Blue ribbon” typically means a group attempts to bring in top experts in related fields. This commission would create an action plan for increasing efficiencies and reducing expenses in special education while still providing each student with FAPE as required by federal law.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/JQfB1LYa1mk?si=cpTBSbATn06l1O4p&amp;amp;t=1167&quot;&gt;Employment (19:27)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Slide changes. PPT text: “Employment&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Vocational Rehabilitation Services Funding (T3, Law)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Moves vocational rehabilitation services to a different fund and increases the amount by $5 million per year.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alicia continues.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia: In the employment category, we closely monitored vocational rehabilitation services funding. Legislators moved VR services to a different fund and increased the amount by $5 million per year. This increase will help maintain current service levels as the agency recovers from recent shortfalls.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/JQfB1LYa1mk?si=zBZBhcLn_l4Fe6DN&amp;amp;t=1201&quot;&gt;Government (20:01)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Slide changes. PPT text: “Government (1 of 2)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Central Accommodations Fund (T2, Law)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Maintains current funding level for the CAF, which pays up to 50% of accommodation costs for state employees with disabilities.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;An increase is needed, but governor did not include in proposed budget.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commission Funding (T3, Law)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Maintains current funding level for the Commission.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alicia continues.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia: This is slide 1 of 2 for the government category. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We lent T2 support to maintain current funding levels for the Central Accommodations Fund, which pays up to 50% of the cost of accommodations for state employees with disabilities. An increase is needed, but the governor did not include it in his proposed budget.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We also monitored (T3) to ensure our own funding would remain at current levels.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Slide changes. PPT text: “Government (2 of 2)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing State Services Grants Funding (T2, Law)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Maintains current funding levels for the State Services grants, which address needs such as DeafBlind services, interpreter training, technology access, and family mentor services. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;An increase is needed, but governor did not include in proposed budget.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;LCC Accessibility Funding (T3, Law)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Maintains current accessibility funding level for the Legislative Coordinating Commission (LCC), which is responsible for providing accommodations for members of the public to access the legislative process.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alicia continues.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia: In slide 2 of 2 of the government category, we start with the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing State Services Grants funding which addresses needs such as DeafBlind services, interpreter training, technology access, and family mentor services. We lent T2 support in urging an increase, but the governor did not include the increase in his proposed budget and instead maintained current funding levels.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We also monitored (T3) funding levels for the Legislative Coordinating Commission (LCC), which is responsible for providing accommodations for members of the public to access the legislative process. The LCC’s funding was maintained at current levels.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Slide changes. PPT text: “Government, in Progress&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Potential Federal Impacts Preparation&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Fraud Prevention Accountability for Preserving Service Access and Quality&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Requesting community member/partner support with monitoring&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Artificial Intelligence Appropriate Usage&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Requesting community member/partner support with monitoring”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alicia continues.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia: In the government category, we are also watching several in-progress issues that have not yet arisen in specific bills. For example, we expect preparation for potential federal impacts once the federal budget is finalized this fall. If federal grant cuts are significant enough, state legislators may have another special session at that time.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Legislators this session spoke often on fraud prevention, and we are monitoring for opportunities to ensure accountability for maintaining service access and quality. We request that you, as community members or our partners, help us by letting us know of any problems with getting services due to new fraud prevention rules. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Likewise, we ask for your support in alerting us to any use of artificial intelligence that is harmful to deaf, deafblind, or hard-of-hearing Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/JQfB1LYa1mk?si=-IoLNYjPsfVVrMgt&amp;amp;t=1370&quot;&gt;Healthcare (22:50)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Slide changes. PPT text:  “Healthcare&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Prescription Container Accessible Labels Report Recommendations (in progress)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reviewed reports released by Minnesota Department of Health&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Telehealth Accessibility Monitoring (in progress)”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alicia continues.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia: In the healthcare category, we reviewed reports from the Minnesota Department of Health with recommendations related to the accessible prescription labels law passed last year. We are investigating whether to pursue further legislation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are also monitoring telehealth accessibility and exploring ways to improve this access.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/JQfB1LYa1mk?si=RSw0x2QE0wrd1Nev&amp;amp;t=1400&quot;&gt;Hearing Technology (23:20)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Slide changes. PPT text:  “Hearing Technology&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hearing Aid Reimbursement Policy Improvements (in progress)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Gathering information”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alicia continues.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia: In the hearing technology category, we have received multiple reports of high out-of-pocket costs for hearing aids and are gathering information on potential improvements for hearing aid reimbursement policy. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;That concludes our 2025 legislative wrapup. This year was eventful and challenging in many ways for Minnesota legislators and everybody who works with them. We thank you for your support as we and your legislators attempt to navigate those difficult times to make our state an even better place for deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Minnesotans. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video changes to ending credits.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Featuring Alicia Lane, Government Relations Director. The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Daisy Jo Shuda for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Video ends.]&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>702880</id><pubdate>2025-08-29T13:23:07Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Apply to Join a New Guiding Team for Interpreting Forward 2030</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Room full of Interpreting Forward participants at a summit</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/summit-138-850_tcm1063-696178.jpg</Url></Image><title>2025-07-03-if2030-guiding-team</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-696180&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-07-03T16:26:22Z</Date><ShortDescription>The deadline to apply is July 28, 2025.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Team members will lead the work, shape the vision, strategize, and achieve goals</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing, as part of the Interpreting Forward 2030 team, is working to make interpreting services better and more available.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To make this happen, we’re creating a team of leaders to guide the work. This team will build a larger group, called the Interpreting Forward 2030 Coalition, using a model called Collective Impact. Our goal is to bring together many different voices (people from the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing communities, interpreters, advocates, and others) to create long-term, meaningful change.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We’re looking for &lt;strong&gt;four&lt;/strong&gt; committed people to join the Guiding Team. The Guiding Team will help lead the work, shape the vision, set goals, create strategies, and ensure the work is community-driven.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Team members will receive a small stipend (payment) for their time and contributions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Who should apply?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We welcome people with passion and experience in one or more of these areas:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Community members&lt;/strong&gt;: Deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing individuals who have strong ties to the community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Interpreters&lt;/strong&gt;: Deaf Interpreters, hearing Interpreters, and leaders in interpreting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Policy &amp;amp; advocacy&lt;/strong&gt;: People with experience working on policy, funding, or systems change.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Data &amp;amp; evaluation&lt;/strong&gt;: People who are skilled in collecting and analyzing data, and measuring success.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Community engagement&lt;/strong&gt;: People who know how to connect with communities and share information in accessible ways.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Project management&lt;/strong&gt;: People experienced in managing groups, coordinating projects, or leading meetings.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Collaboration&lt;/strong&gt;: People who thrive in group work and have a collaborative nature. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What you&apos;ll do&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As a Guiding Team member, you will:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Work with data and resources to help build a shared vision and plan.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Make decisions and take action to move the project forward.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Support open communication and include voices from the community.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Help build a coalition that is fair, lasting, and meets everyone’s needs.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Attend monthly meetings and actively participate for about 12 to 18 months.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why join?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is your chance to help lead a powerful effort that will shape the future of interpreting services in Minnesota and beyond. Your voice and leadership will make a real difference for the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing communities—and for interpreters across the state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How to apply&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Send a short statement about why you&apos;re interested and share your background by using our online &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mndeaf.wufoo.com/forms/zslln7s0xyu9xt/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Interpreting Forward 2030 Guiding Team application form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The deadline to apply is July 28, 2025.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have questions or need help with your application, please reach out to &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:darlene.g.zangara@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;darlene.g.zangara@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. We want the application process to be inclusive and accessible to everyone. The board executive committee will review and recommend the applicants for the Guiding Team.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn more about the &lt;a href=&quot;https://interpretingforward.net/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Interpreting Forward 2030 initiative by visiting the website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you for your interest in improving interpreting services. We’re excited to hear from you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Warmly,&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Darlene Zangara
&lt;br /&gt;
Executive Director
&lt;br /&gt;
Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing
&lt;br /&gt;
Interpreting Forward 2030 Guiding Team&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>696180</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>contract opportunities</Title><Id>489191</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-07-03T16:44:16Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Commission Board Statewide Survey</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Graphic of different people&apos;s hands linked together and the Commission logo with text, &quot;Commission Board Statewide Survey&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Board%20Statewide%20Survey%20850_tcm1063-695559.jpg</Url></Image><title>2025-06-30-board-statewide-survey</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-695589&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-06-30T19:30:05Z</Date><ShortDescription>Thank you for your feedback and ideas. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Help the Board decide our big picture goals</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing board members are seeking your feedback to help shape the Commission’s big picture goals. Your feedback is important—please take a few minutes to complete a short survey and share your ideas on the big-picture goals you’d like the Commission to focus on.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The last day to fill out the survey is &lt;strong&gt;Tuesday, September 30, 2025&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Estimated time to complete the survey: 4–8 minutes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The survey is available in both American Sign Language (ASL) and English.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Prefer a conversation instead? You can request an interview by calling Darlene Zangara at 612-405-5618.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You may choose the version of the survey that works best for you—we offer light mode, dark mode, and plain text (recommended for screen reader users) options.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you for your participation!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/boardsurvey-lightmode_tcm1063-695593.png&quot; title=&quot;survey-light-mode&quot; alt=&quot;survey-light-mode&quot; style=&quot;width: 100px; height: 100px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;survey-light-mode&quot; /&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8341749/Statewide-Survey-Light-Mode&quot;&gt;Take the survey in light mode.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/boardsurvey-darkmode_tcm1063-695591.png&quot; title=&quot;survey-dark-mode&quot; alt=&quot;survey-dark-mode&quot; style=&quot;width: 100px; height: 100px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;survey-dark-mode&quot; /&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8362461/Statewide-Survey-Dark-Mode&quot;&gt;Take the survey in dark mode&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/BoardSurveyScreenreader_tcm1063-699888.png&quot; title=&quot;survey-plain-text&quot; alt=&quot;survey-plain-text&quot; style=&quot;width: 100px; height: 100px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;survey-plain-text&quot; /&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8379701/Statewide-Survey-Screenreaders&quot;&gt;Take the survey in plain text (recommended for screen reader users)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>695589</id><Tag><Description/><Title>board</Title><Id>310266</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-11-24T22:24:15Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Public Statement from the Commission</Title><title>2025-06-25-commission-statement</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-694739&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-06-25T21:09:01Z</Date><ShortDescription>Hortmans to lie in state in Capitol Rotunda on Friday</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Regarding the politically motivated attacks in Minnesota</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hortmans to lie in state in Capitol Rotunda on Friday&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Melissa and Mark Hortman will lie in state in the Minnesota State Capitol Building on Friday, June 27. They will be joined by their golden retriever, Gilbert. Melissa Hortman will be the first woman and one of fewer than 20 Minnesotans to lie in state in the Capitol.
&lt;br /&gt;
The Capitol Rotunda will be open to the public to pay their respects to the Hortmans from noon to 5 p.m. Friday.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing is providing sign language interpreters from noon to 2:00 p.m. if you would like to attend during this time frame. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Public Statement from the Commission&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/WGn_XCFedjY?si=BedvXPmrZP4Jsz1y&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. To adjust the video speed, use YouTube&apos;s playback speed tool.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/JwzAAODyhCc?si=Oqi-z1-GFMhtJ2PO&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with the Commission statement&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission is deeply horrified by the tragic assassination of House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, as well as the attack on Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. Legislators are people first, and no one deserves to be attacked or have their loved ones harmed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Each year, the Commission and community advocates work closely with legislators, and we know Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and Senator John Hoffman as friends of the disability community. Most recently, Senator Hoffman led the accessible prescription labels bill and the bill to update the Commission’s statute.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We also want to recognize state leadership and media partners for their efforts to make media briefings accessible to all Minnesotans through the inclusion of sign language interpreters and captions. At the same time, we recognize that there were still gaps in accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission offers resources on the following:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/news/index.jsp?id=1063-450802&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;How to report captioning issues to your local news, TV provider, and the FCC&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/about/media/accessible/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Resources on accessible media coverage and how to contact broadcasters to request the inclusion of sign language interpreters in the framing&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/melissa-hortman_tcm1063-694741.jpg&quot; title=&quot;representative-hortman&quot; alt=&quot;representative-hortman&quot; style=&quot;width: 300px; height: 533px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;representative-hortman&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/john-hoffman_tcm1063-694740.jpg&quot; title=&quot;senator-hoffman&quot; alt=&quot;senator-hoffman&quot; style=&quot;width: 300px; height: 450px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;senator-hoffman&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Featuring Dr. Darlene G. Zangara, Executive Director. The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sage Magee for voiceover.
&lt;br /&gt;
Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>694739</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-06-25T21:59:42Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2025 Regular Session Wrapup</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The MN State Capitol with Commission logo and text, &quot;2025 Regular Session Wrapup&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/2025%20Regular%20Session%20Wrapup%20850_tcm1063-685975.jpg</Url></Image><title>2025-05-22-regular-session-wrapup</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-685980&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-05-22T20:36:18Z</Date><ShortDescription>Come learn how changes in state laws may affect deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Minnesotans.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Saturday, June 7, 2025, at 10:30 am–12:00 pm</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The last day of the legislature’s regular session was Monday, May 19, 2025. Legislators are still discussing many parts of the state budget, so we are expecting a special session to be called. Though the special session dates have not yet been announced, we are announcing this wrapup event in advance to allow time for accommodation requests. Our government relations director, Alicia Lane, will provide updates on any relevant laws passed by June 7, 2025. Alicia will be presenting in American Sign Language. There will also be interpreters and CART.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are currently monitoring bills from the following committees:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Education Finance&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Education Policy&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Capital Investments&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Commerce&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Human Services&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jobs &amp;amp; Labor&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;State Government&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Taxes&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Come learn how changes in state laws may affect deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Join us on Zoom from the comfort of your home.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saturday, June 7, 2025, at 10:30 am–12:00 pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sign language interpreters and CART provided. For additional accommodations, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; by Friday, May 30, 2025.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Be sure to register to attend so we have an accurate head count:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/y-iBR75ZTkG_XDBH5e_vRw#/registration&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;2025 Regular Session Wrapup registration&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Calling in via phone is an option if preferred. Please register to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation via email. The confirmation will include information on how to call in by phone.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>685980</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-06-03T22:59:09Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Medical Power of Attorney Explainer</Title><title>2025-05-22-medical-poa</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-685321&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-05-22T13:00:49Z</Date><ShortDescription>This is part of a mini-series dedicated to providing essential information on making healthcare decisions in a format accessible to deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing individuals. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>What it is, what it does, and why it is important</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is part of a mini-series dedicated to providing essential information on making healthcare decisions in a format accessible to deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing individuals.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/5ctYXtDqMa8&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. To adjust the video speed, use YouTube&apos;s playback speed tool.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/29F_ka9uhTw?si=_oPBwXX0mMfkHXzR&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with Regina Daniels about medical power of attorney&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello, I’m here with you all today to discuss what Medical Power of Attorney means and how that can impact you as well as your family and friends.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;First, let’s review - what is Medical Power of Attorney (POA)?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A Medical Power of Attorney (POA), also known as Health Care Proxy, or assigning a health care agent, is a legal document that allows a patient to appoint another person to make medical decisions on their behalf. If the patient is no longer able to make decisions regarding their medical care, the appointed person is able to make those decisions on their behalf.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Who can be appointed as a medical Power of Attorney (POA)?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anyone who is over the age of 18, and who is not a doctor or another health care provider for the patient. This may be a family member, relative, friend, or spiritual leader.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;More than one person can be appointed as agents as decided by the patient. These may be co-agents working together to make decisions, or successive agents should one agent be unable to make the decisions at the time.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What can the Power of Attorney (POA) person do on behalf of the patient?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The person can make decisions regarding the patient’s medical care and after-death decisions (in the case of organ and/or tissue donation) if the patient is too sick or unable to make conscious decisions for themselves. These decisions include life-sustaining treatments such as CPR (if there is no DNR in place), oxygen machines, dialysis, and so on.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What does the POA document include?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The document can include statements made by the patient of the actions that the patient wishes regarding their medical care, especially life-sustaining treatments and actions that the patient wants or does not want. This can also include an DNR as well.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What are the limitations of a Power of Attorney (POA)?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A Power of Attorney (POA) cannot transfer the responsibilities to another agent without the consent of the patient who made the original assignment. They also cannot make decisions about the patient’s estate after death - that is up to the executor of the patient’s estate. They cannot make changes to the patient’s will or estate planning documents.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:
&lt;br /&gt;
Regina Daniels for ASL talent.
&lt;br /&gt;
Judy Mermelstein for voiceover.
&lt;br /&gt;
Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional resource&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://ducksinarowmn.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Get Your Ducks in a Row Campaign&lt;/a&gt; unites diverse community partners across the seven-county Arrowhead Region to promote a critical message: advanced planning matters for everyone, regardless of age. Videos include captions and ASL. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>685321</id><Tag><Description/><Title>health care</Title><Id>310254</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-05-22T13:06:16Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Executive Director Update with Darlene Zangara: May 2025</Title><title>2025-05-21-executive-director-update</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-685302&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-05-21T13:19:29Z</Date><ShortDescription>Recent work and accomplishments at the Commission. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>State of the State, Collaborative Plan (2025-2030), CEASD, aging task force, accessible prescription labels, and more</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/UrUITO4n1C8&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. To adjust the video speed, use YouTube&apos;s playback speed tool.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/14r0u5BIejU?si=Y0h-5TTqj2u-8Obb&quot; title=&quot;May 2025 executive director update with Darlene Zangara&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello everyone! My name is Darlene Zangara and I’m the executive director of the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I will start with a visual description of myself. I am a white woman with blonde hair, glasses, and wearing a black shirt.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I’ll update you about some of the things my team and I have been working on these recent months.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2025 State of the State address with captions and ASL&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission would like to recognize the crew of TPT Twin Cities PBS engineering, technology, and marketing teams and interpreters Nic Zapko and Patty McCutcheon from Keystone Interpreting Solutions for their work at making the 2025 State of the State address accessible for Minnesota’ deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing audience. The Legislative Coordinating Commission and the Governor’s Office were essential partners in this collaboration. The Governor’s speech was streamed live, with ASL and captions, on TPT’s Almanac at the Capitol on April 23, 2025. If you missed the live event, you can &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.tpt.org/almanac-at-the-capitol/video/2025-state-of-the-state-address-4rexik/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;catch the recording on TPT&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Collaborative Plan for 2025-2030&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Collaborative Plan is a network of agencies, schools, and organizations that work together to create positive, systemic changes to achieve better education and career outcomes for students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2018, the Commission researched the needs and gaps in serving deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing children ages 0-22 and their families. This resulted in a list of identified strategic issues and action steps to work on from 2019-2024. A lot has changed since then, especially with the COVID-19 pandemic.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It is now time to follow up on the five-year plan and find out if these issues are still essential and if there are any new action steps we need to pursue.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Last fall, the Commission hired Wilder Research Center to develop a new five-year Collaborative Plan for 2025-2030.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We completed a statewide survey during the Collaborative Experience Conference in November. In January, we hosted interviews and focus group meetings with approximately 60 professionals and parents. Then on May 8th, the Commission hosted a statewide summit with over 50 professionals and parents. Together, we will finalize the priorities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The summary of the report will be completed in July 2025.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;CEASD&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Danelle attended the Conference of Educational Administrators of Schools and Programs for the Deaf (CEASD) in Pittsburgh, PA, from April 9–12. CEASD advocates for individuals on the national level by working with government agencies to influence educational policy and implement federal legislation.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This year&apos;s conference featured a range of topics focused on building connections that transform deaf education, exploring the meaning of the Least Restrictive Environment for deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing students, and examining how the current political climate impacts special education, among others.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Looking ahead, the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf (MSAD) will have the honor of hosting the 2026 CEASD conference at Mall of America (specifically the Radisson Blu) from April 22–24, 2026. We look forward to welcoming more Minnesota educators to this important event.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Danelle and the Commission team continue to monitor the political climate with the federal education department. As of this filming, there have been no changes to the Minnesota&apos;s Early Hearing Detection Intervention and Minnesota Department of Education DHH Program. We will keep you informed of any upcoming changes within Minnesota&apos;s educational system for deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing students.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Legislative Task Force on Aging recommendations&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Last year, the Commission provided a presentation with recommendations to the Legislative Task Force on Aging.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In January 2025, the task force submitted a final report to the legislature with recommendations on how to support an aging population in Minnesota. We are pleased to share that our recommendations were included in the report.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The recommendations include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Have state agencies partner with the Commission and with Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing State Services (State Services) to update statewide older adult resources&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Update statewide data collection efforts on seniors to include questions on hearing loss and accommodations needed&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Raise awareness on State Services’ Minnesota Access to Communication Technology (MN ACT) program, i.e. hearing access technology&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Screen all adults age 55+ for hearing loss&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Allow ASL-fluent hospice workers and volunteers to work at multiple facilities statewide &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Collaboration between the Commission and the Minnesota Department of Health about health equity&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Continued collaboration between the Commission and the Board of Aging.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Study hearing aid services reimbursement rates&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Work to get Medicare coverage to include hearing aids&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Develop an ASL-fluent caregiver workforce&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Create policies that support housing communities for deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing residents.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We have a lot of work to do but we are happy these recommendations have been recognized and are included in this report. Once implemented, these will make a difference for aging Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing and their loved ones.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.lrl.mn.gov/docs/2025/mandated/250362.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;report is available online at the Legislative Reference Library&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessible prescription labels&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission’s government relations director, Alicia Lane, worked with legislators and pharmacy representatives to agree upon requirements for providing accessible prescription labels. Those requirements for Braille, large print, and audible labels are now law and in the process of being implemented.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For Braille and large print labels, the Minnesota Department of Health has updated its list of pharmacies offering Braille and large print labels.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For audible labels, MDH did an assessment and has published their final report. Key takeaways from the report include:  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Among outpatient pharmacies that responded to MDH’s survey, approximately 40% currently provide audible labels. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Most of the pharmacies that offer this service are larger chains or health care systems. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The main reported barrier for pharmacies to provide audible labels is the financial commitment.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MDH recommends that policymakers balance the need for audible labels with pharmacies’ ability and financial feasibility to provide them.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn more about &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.health.state.mn.us/data/economics/rxlabels/index.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;accessible prescription labels online&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota’s deaf, deafblind &amp;amp; hard of hearing history&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anne Sittner Anderson is gathering stories, photos, and video about the Commission, community advocacy, and deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing history during the Commission’s 40 years of existence. We have gathered a lot of great stories over the years, and they are available on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/heritage/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Commission’s history section on the website&lt;/a&gt; but we know there are stories missing. If you know anyone who should be interviewed or if you would like to be interviewed, please &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;let Anne know&lt;/a&gt;!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Picture slideshow&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are pictures of recent events.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_20250109_183142856_tcm1063-685234.jpg&quot; title=&quot;1-jessalyn-keenan&quot; alt=&quot;1-jessalyn-keenan&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 270px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;1-jessalyn-keenan&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_20250120_190954_617_tcm1063-685235.jpg&quot; title=&quot;2-mlk&quot; alt=&quot;2-mlk&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2-mlk&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Screenshot%202025-01-28%20124122_tcm1063-685236.png&quot; title=&quot;3-stevie-alicia&quot; alt=&quot;3-stevie-alicia&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 335px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;3-stevie-alicia&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_20250213_143957280_tcm1063-685237.jpg&quot; title=&quot;4-anne-danelle-wilder&quot; alt=&quot;4-anne-danelle-wilder&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 270px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;4-anne-danelle-wilder&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_20250306_075006_tcm1063-685238.jpg&quot; title=&quot;5-proclamation&quot; alt=&quot;5-proclamation&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;5-proclamation&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_0811_tcm1063-685239.jpg&quot; title=&quot;6-rep-reyer&quot; alt=&quot;6-rep-reyer&quot; style=&quot;width: 400px; height: 533px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;6-rep-reyer&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_0833_tcm1063-685240.jpg&quot; title=&quot;7-sen-abeler&quot; alt=&quot;7-sen-abeler&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;7-sen-abeler&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_20250325_123440.20250325174846200_tcm1063-685241.png&quot; title=&quot;8-mds-supporters&quot; alt=&quot;8-mds-supporters&quot; style=&quot;width: 400px; height: 533px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;8-mds-supporters&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_20250408_173840.20250408224724465_tcm1063-685242.png&quot; title=&quot;9-dsat&quot; alt=&quot;9-dsat&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;9-dsat&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_4596.20250421171742128_tcm1063-685243.png&quot; title=&quot;10-ceasd&quot; alt=&quot;10-ceasd&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;10-ceasd&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/20250423_183810_tcm1063-685244.jpg&quot; title=&quot;11-accessibility-team&quot; alt=&quot;11-accessibility-team&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;11-accessibility-team&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/2025%20State%20of%20the%20State%20address_tcm1063-685245.jpg&quot; title=&quot;12-state-of-the-state&quot; alt=&quot;12-state-of-the-state&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 270px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;12-state-of-the-state&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_20250508_223410%20%281%29_tcm1063-685246.jpg&quot; title=&quot;13-cp-summit&quot; alt=&quot;13-cp-summit&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;13-cp-summit&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/932A0453_tcm1063-685248.JPG&quot; title=&quot;14-work-1&quot; alt=&quot;14-work-1&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;14-work-1&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/932A0502_tcm1063-685249.JPG&quot; title=&quot;15-work-2&quot; alt=&quot;15-work-2&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;15-work-2&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/932A0517_tcm1063-685250.JPG&quot; title=&quot;16-work-3&quot; alt=&quot;16-work-3&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 479px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;16-work-3&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/932A0599_tcm1063-685251.JPG&quot; title=&quot;17-autumn&quot; alt=&quot;17-autumn&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 493px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;17-autumn&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/932A0613_tcm1063-685252.JPG&quot; title=&quot;18-voting&quot; alt=&quot;18-voting&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;18-voting&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/932A0531_tcm1063-685253.JPG&quot; title=&quot;19-goals-table&quot; alt=&quot;19-goals-table&quot; style=&quot;width: 400px; height: 616px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;19-goals-table&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/932A0573_tcm1063-685255.JPG&quot; title=&quot;20-goals-sticky-sheet&quot; alt=&quot;20-goals-sticky-sheet&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 900px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;20-goals-sticky-sheet&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_20250514_145641_414_tcm1063-685256.jpg&quot; title=&quot;21-bill-signing&quot; alt=&quot;21-bill-signing&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 449px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;21-bill-signing&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In closing&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Did you know that Commission staff frequently provide workshops and presentations to state agencies, community organizations, and nonprofits? We are available to present on topics such as legislation, how to meet your legislator, voting 101, accessibility, and other deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing issues. If you would like for us to present on a topic, let me know.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;My door is always open. Please &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:darlene.g.zangara@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;contact me anytime&lt;/a&gt; you would like to discuss deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing issues in Minnesota. Thank you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Featuring Dr. Darlene G. Zangara, Executive Director. The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hannah Merren for voiceover.
&lt;br /&gt;
Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>685302</id><pubdate>2025-05-21T13:19:37Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Write to Congress: Ask Them Not to Cut Medicaid</Title><title>2025-05-15-write-to-congress-medicaid</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-684154&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-05-15T21:24:21Z</Date><ShortDescription>Medicaid is an important lifeline for seniors and some children and adults with disabilities. </ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Congress is working on a budget reconciliation bill. The bill includes plans for budget cuts for Medicaid. Medicaid is an important lifeline for seniors and some children and adults with disabilities. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How to take action&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact your elected representatives. Use &lt;a href=&quot;https://action.thearc.org/EM1941O&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;The Arc&apos;s Medicaid Action tool&lt;/a&gt; to urge your U.S. Representatives and Senators to vote NO on Medicaid cuts. It only takes two minutes. A full House vote is scheduled for May 19, 2025 so it&apos;s important to reach out to your representative before then. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Medicaid&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are wondering what is Medicaid and why it may be important to you or a loved one, here are some resources.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing State Services created an ASL video with voiceover and captions on &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-hard-of-hearing/about-us/news-and-events/index.jsp?id=1121-678313&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Facts about Medicaid&lt;/a&gt;&quot;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Services has a &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/dhs/medicaid-matters/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Medicaid Matters webpage&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Minnesota Council on Disability has an &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.disability.state.mn.us/about-our-public-policy/advocate-for-legislation/understanding-medicaid-and-how-you-can-help-protect-it/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Understanding Federal Medicaid and How You Can Protect It webpage&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>684154</id><Tag><Description/><Title>healthy aging</Title><Id>625841</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>health care</Title><Id>310254</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-05-15T21:32:06Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Introducing the Interpreting Forward 2030 Website!</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Interpreting Forward gatherings</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/photo800-collage_tcm1063-683812.png</Url></Image><title>2025-05-14-interpreting-forward-website-announcement</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-683823&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-05-14T12:39:25Z</Date><ShortDescription>Our mission to increase the quality and availability of professional interpreting services for our diverse and large community in Minnesota continues.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Access the latest news, collected data, list of proposed solutions, interpreter pathways and more.</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing and Dendros Group, LLC are proud to announce the launch of the Interpreting Forward 2030 website, an initiative dedicated to strengthening the future of sign language interpreting in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This website is a hub of ideas, action, and collaboration—with 114 potential solutions aimed at increasing both the quality and quantity of  sign language interpreters in Minnesota. Whether you&apos;re an interpreter, community member, interpreting student, or policymaker, you&apos;ll find resources, strategies, and opportunities to shape the future of interpreting together. While browsing the website, you will be able to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ponder the solutions.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Get involved.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Share your perspectives.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This website is the result of the community in action. Thank you again to the working groups and contributions from community stakeholders. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Together, we’re building a future where interpreting services are stronger, more available, and fully reflective of community needs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Explore the &lt;a href=&quot;https://interpretingforward.net/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Interpreting Forward 2030 site now&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>683823</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-05-14T12:56:24Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Clean Elections MN Hosts Conversation with MN Secretary of State and ACLU</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Event header for Clean Election MN with Secretary of State Steve Simon and ACLU political advocacy director Diedre Schiffeling</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/CEM-EO-Event-3-800_tcm1063-683813.jpg</Url></Image><title>2025-05-13-clean-elections-mn</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-683815&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-05-13T21:02:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>A conversation about the SAVE Act. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>ASL interpreters and CART (captions) provided by the Commission</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Clean Elections MN is hosting a conversation on &quot;The Threat to Voting by the Save Act and President Trump&apos;s Executive Order&quot; with Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon and National Political Advocacy Director for the ACLU, Diedre Schifeling.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;They will be interviewed by Dave Hage, a retired Pulitzer Prize winning journalist. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Co-hosted by Common Cause Minnesota, FairVote Minnesota, and League of Women Voters. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing is providing ASL interpreters and CART (captioning). For any additional ADA accommodations, please contact &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; by Friday, May 16, 2025. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission has received questions about the SAVE Act from community members. This conversation is an opportunity to learn more about the positions and perspectives surrounding the SAVE Act.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register to attend at:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_WSJUQkiuQ2aSXDiT-WYPgQ#/registration&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Clean Elections MN Conversation: May 20, 2025 at 7:00 PM Registration&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>683815</id><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-05-13T21:07:47Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>POLST Explainer</Title><title>2025-05-07-polst-explainer</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-683252&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-05-07T20:34:55Z</Date><ShortDescription>This is part of a mini-series dedicated to providing essential information on making healthcare decisions in a format accessible to deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing individuals.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>What it is, what it does, and why it is important</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is part of a mini-series dedicated to providing essential information on making healthcare decisions in a format accessible to deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing individuals. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/FCyL4Uq51JM&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. To adjust the video speed, use YouTube&apos;s playback speed tool.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/D-S6SBFKQOM?si=ey8UYesmgp7noPRd&quot; title=&quot;POLST ASL video with Nic Zapko&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello, I’m here with you today to discuss a medical order called “Provider Orders for Life-sustaining Treatment”, and shortened to POLST, and how POLST can impact you as well as your family and friends.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is a Portable Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST)?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;First, let’s review. A POLST is a medical order completed between the medical provider (doctor, nurse, physician, etc.) and the patient. It allows patients with chronic illness or age-related health deterioration to list exactly what they want done should they, the patient, may face future medical emergencies. A POLST gives patients who are chronically ill, more control over their care.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Unlike other health directives such as a living will, which is often completed when the patient is healthy, a POLST form can be completed when the patient faces changes in health, such as a diagnosis of a serious health condition; cancer for example. A POLST form is more likely to be recognized by emergency medical responders.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A POLST form tells all health care providers during a medical emergency what the patient wants. Some examples include the following:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt; “Take me to the hospital” or “I want to stay here”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;“Yes, attempt CPR” or “No, don’t attempt CPR”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;“These are the medical treatments I want” &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;“This is the care plan I want followed”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;POLST is not for everyone. POLST is designed for individuals who are seriously ill, or those who are in very poor health, regardless of their age.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is the difference between a POLST and a DNR?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A POLST is more comprehensive than a “Do Not Resuscitate” (DNR) order. A DNR is a simple document that tells medical providers, such as doctors and nurses, whether to perform CPR if the patient’s heart stops beating and the patient stops breathing, and is unresponsive. A POLST includes the patient’s specific instructions about whether to perform CPR if they stop breathing. It can also state that the patient doesn’t want to go back to the hospital for medical care, or does not want to be placed on a ventilator as a long-term life sustaining measure. It can also be determined by the patient to state that they wish that medical providers do everything possible to save and/or sustain their life. On the other hand, a DNR is limited to whether or not a patient wants to be saved or left to pass away without life sustaining measures.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In short, a DNR determines if the patient wants to cut off life sustaining actions, while a POLST lists exactly what actions should be taken regarding life-sustaining measures and how those actions should be done.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Does a POLST override other health directives set up already?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A POLST is intended for people who have already been diagnosed with a serious illness. A POLST form does not replace your other directives such as a living will. It is an additional directive, and does not replace other directives already in place&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How long is a POLST form good for?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This form does not expire, but should be reviewed whenever the patient:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;is transferred from one type of care setting to another (ex. hospital, rehab facility, etc.)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;has a big change in health status;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;changes primary provider (example: doctor or surgeon); or&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;changes their treatment preferences or goals of care.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If any of these happens, it is good practice to review the POLST form and make any updates necessary.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If a patient decides on completing a POLST form, the form is copied into their medical file, and copies given to close family members and legal decision-makers appointed by the patient.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information, visit the national POLST website (https://polst.org/). The website provides resources about completing the form; state programs for advance care planning; as well as other resources related to POLST and/or health care planning.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks
&lt;br /&gt;
Nic Zapko for ASL talent.
&lt;br /&gt;
Daisy Jo Shuda for voiceover.
&lt;br /&gt;
Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Note: People should actually review their healthcare directive every 3-5 years because they can always revise their directives as their wishes change.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>683252</id><Tag><Description/><Title>health care</Title><Id>310254</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-05-07T20:39:48Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2025 State of the State Access Survey</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Still frame of the live recording of Governor Walz&apos;s State of the State address in 2025 with ASL and captions</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/2025%20State%20of%20the%20State%20address_tcm1063-681550.jpg</Url></Image><title>2025-04-23-sots-survey</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-681551&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-04-24T00:46:02Z</Date><ShortDescription>We appreciate your feedback.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing Minnesotans, please share your experience</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Are you deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or are you a person with a hearing loss? Did you watch the State of the State address in Minnesota? If yes to both, please participate in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8288210/State-of-the-State-Access-Survey-2025&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;State of the State Access Survey&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have not yet watched Governor Walz&apos;s speech, the recording is available at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.tpt.org/almanac-at-the-capitol/video/2025-state-of-the-state-address-4rexik/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;TPT&apos;s Almanac at the Capitol: 2025 State of the State Address&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing wants to know what your experience was like and we will use that to prepare for the State of the State address. Thank you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8288210/State-of-the-State-Access-Survey-2025&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Fill out the 2025 State of the State Access Survey&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>681551</id><Tag><Description/><Title>survey</Title><Id>310297</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-04-29T16:20:03Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>State of the State Address with Governor Tim Walz</Title><title>2025-04-23-state-of-the-state</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-680315&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-04-23T13:00:44Z</Date><ShortDescription>Accessibility information for this livestreamed event.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Happening tonight, April 23, 2025 at 7:00 pm</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Governor%20Walz-2024_lg_tcm1055-624988_tcm1063-680314.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Governor Tim Walz&quot; alt=&quot;Governor Tim Walz&quot; style=&quot;width: 300px; height: 200px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Governor Tim Walz&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is scheduled to deliver his annual State of the State address tonight, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at 7:00 pm (CST). He will speak before a joint session of the Minnesota Legislature, with both state representatives and senators in attendance.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This event will be streamed live. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Legislative Coordinating Commission, on behalf of the Minnesota Legislature, has arranged for ASL interpreting services via Picture-in-Picture (PIP) and with captions. The ASL interpretation will be provided by Nic Zapko and Keystone Interpreting Solutions (KIS).  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where to watch&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Television Broadcast Information:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;TPT’s Minnesota Channel will include ASL and captions. Statewide channel: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.tpt.org/channels/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Where To Watch Us - Twin Cities PBS&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Webcast Information:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;TPT’s Livestream Digital Almanac at the Capitol will include ASL and captions: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.tpt.org/almanac-at-the-capitol/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Almanac at the Capitol - Twin Cities PBS&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For any questions, please reach out to &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>680315</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-04-24T00:47:31Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) Explainer</Title><title>2025-04-18-dnr-explainer</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-679836&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-04-18T13:04:56Z</Date><ShortDescription>This is part of a mini-series dedicated to providing essential information on making healthcare decisions in a format accessible to deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing individuals.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>What it is, what it does, and why it is important</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is part of a mini-series dedicated to providing essential information on making healthcare decisions in a format accessible to deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing individuals. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/VgEzWqB3vcs&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. To adjust the video speed, use YouTube&apos;s playback speed tool.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/iYbiFq_CaN4?si=-GNDkVYarTi1GE_R&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with Regina Daniels on Do Not Resuscitate&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello, I’m here with you today to discuss what is a DNR - expanded to “Do Not Resuscitate”, and shortened to DNR, and how a DNR can impact you as well as your family and friends.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is a DNR?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;First, let’s review. A DNR, or “Do Not Resuscitate”, is a medical order that tells healthcare providers including doctors and nurses, that if a patient stops breathing or has no pulse, not to attempt resuscitation through cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Who decides on a DNR?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A DNR is a legal document that can be signed by either the patient, or a representative for the patient (including family, friend, relative, or lawyer). A patient who has a DNR order cannot be resuscitated should they stop breathing or have no pulse.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A doctor typically writes the DNR order after discussion with the patient about the benefits and risks of resuscitation through CPR.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A DNR order can be written into a person’s living will. This allows the patient to decide on the healthcare treatment to receive should an emergency occur, rather than have the family or friends make the decision for them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why would a patient decide on a DNR order?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If the patient has a documented history of illness or injury that could affect their survival rate after CPR attempts, they may elect to have a DNR order in place to avoid prolonged survival.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some of the reasons a patient may choose to decide on a DNR may include the following:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Terminal Illness: This may include terminal illness where there is no cure,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Quality of Life for the patient, where the patient deems that the adverse conditions outweigh the benefits of living,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Long-term healthcare where the patient is dependent on life support devices, and so on. The patient deems it better to not be resuscitated should they stop breathing or no longer have a pulse.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Can a DNR be revoked?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If a healthcare provider has already written out a DNR for a patient under their care, then the family, friends, or legal representatives of the patient cannot revoke an existing DNR in place. However, the physician, the patient, or the patient’s healthcare agent can elect to override a DNR set in place.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:
&lt;br /&gt;
Regina Daniels for ASL talent.
&lt;br /&gt;
Judy Mermelstein for voiceover.
&lt;br /&gt;
Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Note: By law, in an emergency, EMS and other healthcare professionals cannot follow the treatment wishes that are included in a person&apos;s healthcare directive. If EMS arrives at someone&apos;s house and they find the person not breathing, they must provide CPR, even if a family member says the person does not want CPR. It is worth considering a POLST form for people who are very sick or frail, which will be explained in a future video.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>679836</id><Tag><Description/><Title>health care</Title><Id>310254</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-04-18T13:09:17Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Senate Hearing Alert: Charter School Special Education Cuts</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Interior view of the brilliant blue and gold Capitol Rotunda ceiling with MNCDHH&apos;s logo and the text, &quot;Bill Hearing Alert&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Bill%20Hearing%20Alert-850_tcm1063-518245.jpg</Url></Image><title>2025-04-01-senate-hearing-alert-charter-school-special-ed-cuts</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-676027&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-04-01T16:10:33Z</Date><ShortDescription>Please support deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing students statewide</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Hearing on Wednesday, April 2, 8:30 AM</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/committees/committee_bio.html?cmte_id=3119&amp;amp;ls=93&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Senate Education Finance Committee&lt;/a&gt; is hearing testimony on its proposed budget. This budget cuts funding for charter school special education transportation, building maintenance, and special education services. It also does not include funding for Metro Deaf School’s Birth to Three Early Learning Program (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=Senate&amp;amp;f=SF2502&amp;amp;ssn=0&amp;amp;y=2025&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;SF2502&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dr. Susan Outlaw, the executive director of Metro Deaf School, will testify about the impacts of these cuts on Metro Deaf School and on deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing students at other charter schools.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission encourages community members to attend the hearing in person. It&apos;s important for legislators to witness strong support for deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing students statewide.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you cannot attend in person, here are some other options:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Watch the hearing live online or view a recording later. Please note that the onsite ASL interpreters generally will not be visible on video, and the captioning is generated using automated speech recognition technology.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Write or call the members of the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/committees/committee_bio.html?cmte_id=3119&amp;amp;ls=93&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Senate Education Finance Committee&lt;/a&gt;, especially the chair and ranking minority member, to urge them to support critical services for deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing students.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Wednesday, April 2, 2025 at 8:30 AM&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota Senate Building, Room 1150 or online at the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/schedule/webcast-schedule&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Senate Webcast Schedule&lt;/a&gt;. After the hearing, a recording will become available at at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/@MnSenateMedia/videos&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Minnesota Senate Media Services&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Livestream captioning generated by automated speech recognition technology is available and ASL interpreting will be provided onsite at the hearing. To provide feedback on digital accessibility of meeting information, please submit comments through the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.leg.mn.gov/accessibility/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Minnesota Legislature Accessibility &amp;amp; Usability Comment Form&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>676027</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-04-01T16:12:36Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Senate Hearing Alert: Metro Deaf School Appropriation</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Interior view of the brilliant blue and gold Capitol Rotunda ceiling with MNCDHH&apos;s logo and the text, &quot;Bill Hearing Alert&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Bill%20Hearing%20Alert-850_tcm1063-518245.jpg</Url></Image><title>2025-03-21-senate-hearing-alert-mds</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-673827&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-03-21T17:54:58Z</Date><ShortDescription>Please attend and show your support.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Hearing on Tuesday, March 25, 8:30 AM</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=senate&amp;amp;f=SF2502&amp;amp;ssn=0&amp;amp;y=2025&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;SF2502 (Maye Quade)&lt;/a&gt; will be heard by the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/committees/committee_bio.html?ls=94&amp;amp;cmte_id=3119&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Education Finance Committee&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The bill would provide a grant to Metro Deaf School to provide services to young children who have a primary disability of deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission encourages community members to attend the hearing in person and show their support. With the looming budget deficit, securing funding will be challenging this year. It&apos;s important for legislators to witness strong support for this bill.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you cannot attend in person, you can watch the hearing live online or view a recording later. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tuesday, March 25, 2025 at 8:30 AM&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota Senate Building, Room 1150 or online at the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/schedule/webcast-schedule&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Senate Webcast Schedule&lt;/a&gt;. After the hearing, a recording will become available at at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/@MnSenateMedia/videos&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Minnesota Senate Media Services&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Livestream captioning is available and ASL interpreting will be provided. To provide feedback on digital accessibility of meeting information, please submit comments through the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.leg.mn.gov/accessibility/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Minnesota Legislature Accessibility &amp;amp; Usability Comment Form&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>673827</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-03-21T17:57:05Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>In the News: Minnesota lawmakers unveil Minnesotans with Disabilities Act</Title><title>2025-03-18-in-the-news-mn-with-disabilities-act</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-673829&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-03-18T18:02:15Z</Date><ShortDescription>KAAL TV </ShortDescription><Subtitle>ABC 6 News</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;(ABC 6 News) — On Tuesday, a bipartisan group of legislators and disability justice advocates unveiled the Minnesotans with Disabilities Act.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The bill would enshrine federal protections of reasonable accommodation for people with disabilities into Minnesota law.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rep. Kim Hicks (DFL-Rochester) and Senator Erin Maye Quade (DFL-Apple Valley) released the following statement:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“The disability justice movement has made our country a better place for people of all abilities. This bill reaffirms that in Minnesota, our neighbors, coworkers, classmates and family members will have the opportunities they deserve to fully participate in our schools, workplaces and communities. The Minnesotans with Disabilities Act affirms our dedication to listening to and learning from people with disabilities on our path to a just, equitable future.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesotans with Disabilities Act closely mirrors the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which offers strong protections from discrimination based on disability in programs that receive federal funding.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesotans with Disabilities Act will offer the same protections at a state level. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rep. Danny Nadeau (R-Rodgers), who signed on as a co-author of the bill, said of the bill, “I’m proud to stand alongside and support the heroes who find the strength to persevere despite overwhelming obstacles.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The bill is awaiting introduction in the House and Senate.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>673829</id><Tag><Description/><Title>in the news</Title><Id>317336</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-03-21T18:04:17Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Ready for Tomorrow? Celebrate Minnesota&apos;s History</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Blue background with green stars, Commission logo, and text, &quot;The Commission is celebrating 40 years advocating for communication access and equal opportunity with the 20% of Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/CELEBRATING_tcm1063-669034.png</Url></Image><title>2025-03-04-ready-for-tomorrow-celebrate-mn-history</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-671326&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-03-04T21:13:10Z</Date><ShortDescription>Attend either in person or online. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>40 years of history kickoff on March 5, 2025</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are aware of tomorrow&apos;s weather forecast, but rest assured, the celebration of the Commission&apos;s history will proceed as planned. After all, we do live in Minnesota!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Everyone is welcome to attend in person, but for those who prefer to join remotely, we will be offering a livestream. Due to technical reasons, we will stream the event from the Commission&apos;s YouTube account. However, the livestream link will also be available simultaneously on our Facebook account.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Event details&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Together, Minnesota&apos;s deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing community will kick off a celebration of 40 years of advocacy at the Capitol and making a difference in our lives. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Key remarks will be provided by Curt Micka, Mike Cashman, Mary Hartnett, and Darlene Zangara. Representatives from the Governor&apos;s Office and the Capitol will be participating in the celebration. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please come and recognize some of Minnesota&apos;s legislators and community advocates who have made history over the last 40 years. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Wednesday, March 5, 2025, from 2 PM - 3:30 PM. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota State Capitol Rotunda
&lt;br /&gt;
75 Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd.,
&lt;br /&gt;
St. Paul, MN 55155&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This event will also be livestreamed on the Commission&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/@MNCommission&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;YouTube account&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/MNCommission/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Facebook account&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and CART will be provided. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While registration is not required, having a head count would be helpful! Please let us know if you plan to attend by filling out the &lt;a href=&quot;https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8190601/2025-Commission-s-40th-Anniversary-Rally-at-the-Capitol&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;40th Anniversary Rally registration form&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>671326</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>heritage</Title><Id>310257</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-03-04T21:15:44Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Let&apos;s Celebrate Minnesota Together</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Blue background with green stars, Commission logo, and text, &quot;The Commission is celebrating 40 years advocating for communication access and equal opportunity with the 20% of Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/CELEBRATING_tcm1063-669034.png</Url></Image><title>2025-02-27-celebrate-minnesota-together</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-670817&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-02-27T18:08:20Z</Date><ShortDescription>Join us in person at the Minnesota State Capitol or online through the livestream. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>40 years of history kickoff on March 5, 2025</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Let&apos;s celebrate Minnesota together.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&quot;Right. Again, that’s something that evolved. A commission does just what you said. A better commission not only identifies the needs, but does the research to support it and writes legislation so that it can pass and then lobbies the legislators and educates the community. And that’s what this one does. They’ve done some excellent work. If I were to rank nationally, I think Minnesota’s is number one.&quot;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot;&gt;- Dwight Maxa, Legacy Oral-Visual History Interview, 2011&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/-FnXGD117M0?si=KKUNs6K-mXZyYxSF&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Video&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/heritage/legacy-video-interviews/dwight-maxa-legacy-interview.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Transcript&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Event details&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Together, Minnesota&apos;s deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing community will kick off a celebration of 40 years of advocacy at the Capitol and making a difference in our lives. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Key remarks will be provided by Curt Micka, Mike Cashman, Mary Hartnett, and Darlene Zangara. Representatives from the Governor&apos;s Office and the Capitol will be participating in the celebration. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please come and recognize some of Minnesota&apos;s legislators and community advocates who have made history over the last 40 years. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Wednesday, March 5, 2025, from 2 PM - 3:30 PM. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota State Capitol Rotunda
&lt;br /&gt;
75 Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd.,
&lt;br /&gt;
St. Paul, MN 55155&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This event will also be livestreamed on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/MNCommission/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Commission&apos;s Facebook account&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and CART will be provided. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While registration is not required, having a head count would be helpful! Please let us know if you plan to attend by filling out the &lt;a href=&quot;https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8190601/2025-Commission-s-40th-Anniversary-Rally-at-the-Capitol&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;40th Anniversary Rally registration form&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>670817</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>heritage</Title><Id>310257</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-02-27T18:11:22Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Healthcare Directive Explainer</Title><title>2025-02-24-healthcare-directive-explainer</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-670391&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-02-24T21:02:36Z</Date><ShortDescription>Information available in both American Sign Language (ASL) and English.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>What it is, what it does, and why it is important</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is part of a mini-series dedicated to providing essential information on making healthcare decisions in a format accessible to deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing individuals. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/F9C_RvE_k1o&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. To adjust the video speed, use YouTube&apos;s playback speed tool.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/8Q6qjAeCbbQ?si=J0dJpSDQrOXSOPg-&quot; title=&quot;ASL video on healthcare directives&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello, I’m here today with you all to discuss what Healthcare Directive means and how that may impact you and your family and friends.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is a Healthcare Directive?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Let’s review together.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A Healthcare Directive, also known as an advance directive, or living will. It is a legal document that outlines the specific wishes of the patient regarding their medical care and treatment, should the patient be no longer able to communicate on their own.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What’s in a Healthcare Directive?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A healthcare directive has two parts:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Living Will&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Durable power of attorney for healthcare.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The living will section of a healthcare directive document describes the medical care and treatments that the patient wants if their life is threatened. These decisions may include the patient’s wishes on life-sustaining means such as resuscitation through CPR, breathing machines, dialysis, tube feedings, and so on. This also may include whether or not the patient wishes to donate their organs and/or tissue after death as well.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care portion of the document is where the patient names someone they trust to make decisions for the patient in the event that the patient cannot make decisions themselves. This named person is also known as the health care proxy for the patient.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Durable Power of Attorney itself is a legal document naming an individual to make medical and/or financial decisions for the patient. This document may go into effect right away, while the patient is alive and well, or later on when the patient is no longer capable of making decisions for themselves. This decision remains in effect until the patient changes it, or the patient dies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why are Healthcare Directives important?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Advance directives including the living will and durable power of attorney are vital because they help ensure that the patient is the one making decisions about their own healthcare. They also make sure the patient’s wishes are honored and followed through should the patient become too sick or unconscious and no longer able to make those decisions for themselves. They also help ease the burden on the patients’ loved ones (including family and friends) as the decisions have been made by the patient and not left to the loved ones to decide for the patient especially during difficult times.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On the other hand, a non-durable Power of Attorney (POA) grants temporary control to a person to make decisions on behalf of the patient for a limited, specified time. A non-durable POA is often used for temporary situations, such as when the patient is traveling, or hospitalized. It can also be used for specific transactions and exchanges such as financial or business deal.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In short, durable means long-term, and non-durable for temporary situations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:
&lt;br /&gt;
Regina Daniels for ASL talent.
&lt;br /&gt;
Judy Mermelstein for voiceover.
&lt;br /&gt;
Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Note: Just a reminder that the Medial Power of Attorney is only in effect until either the patient changes their mind, or they die. Any after death decisions need to be made clear through the patient&apos;s will.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>670391</id><Tag><Description/><Title>healthy aging</Title><Id>625841</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>health care</Title><Id>310254</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-04-17T13:16:40Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Seven Reasons for Celebrating Minnesota&apos;s Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing History</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Blue background with green stars, Commission logo, and text, &quot;The Commission is celebrating 40 years advocating for communication access and equal opportunity with the 20% of Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/CELEBRATING_tcm1063-669034.png</Url></Image><title>2025-02-21-seven-reasons-for-celebrating-ddbhh-history-mn</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-670160&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-02-21T16:34:42Z</Date><ShortDescription>You can participate either in person or through the livestream. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Join us at the celebration kickoff on March 5, 2025</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are seven reasons for celebrating deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing history in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Celebrating legacy:&lt;/strong&gt; This is a chance to honor the Commission&apos;s rich history and the milestones achieved over four decades. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Acknowledging contributions:&lt;/strong&gt; This event will recognize the hard work and dedication of community advocates, stakeholder groups, legislative partners, and the board, staff, and contractors who have contributed to the Commission&apos;s success. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Networking opportunities:&lt;/strong&gt; Reconnect with long-time colleagues and peers while also meeting new faces. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sharing stories:&lt;/strong&gt; You will have a rare opportunity to view a long mural created by longtime leader Bob Cook. The mural shows how advocacy led to legislative action, which planted the seeds to the system model Minnesota has today. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Building community spirit:&lt;/strong&gt; Enjoy a sense of unity, pride, and collaboration together. The Commission is for everyone within our deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing community and supporters. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Empowering ourselves&lt;/strong&gt;: This is an opportunity to learn about our own history, how far we have come, and all that we need to do to keep our rights protected. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Special guests:&lt;/strong&gt; We have an exciting lineup, with great speakers who will share stories about the Commission across four decades. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Event details&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Together, Minnesota&apos;s deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing community will kick off a celebration of 40 years of advocacy at the Capitol and making a difference in our lives. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Key remarks will be provided by Curt Micka, Mike Cashman, Mary Hartnett, and Darlene Zangara. Representatives from the Governor&apos;s Office and the Capitol will be participating in the celebration. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please come and recognize some of Minnesota&apos;s legislators and community advocates who have made history over the last 40 years. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Wednesday, March 5, 2025, from 2 PM - 3:30 PM. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota State Capitol Rotunda
&lt;br /&gt;
75 Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd.,
&lt;br /&gt;
St. Paul, MN 55155&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This event will also be livestreamed on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/MNCommission/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Commission&apos;s Facebook account&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and CART will be provided. For additional accommodations, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; by Wednesday, February 26, 2025.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While registration is not required, having a head count would be helpful! Please let us know if you plan to attend by filling out the &lt;a href=&quot;https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8190601/2025-Commission-s-40th-Anniversary-Rally-at-the-Capitol&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;40th Anniversary Rally registration form&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>670160</id><Tag><Description/><Title>heritage</Title><Id>310257</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-02-21T16:38:10Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Have You Had Trouble Getting Accommodations to Participate in Your Child’s IEP Process?</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Minnesota State Capitol surrounded by flowers, decorative grass, and trees, with Commission logo and text, &quot;Share Your Story&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Share%20Your%20Story%20850_tcm1063-669604.jpg</Url></Image><title>2025-02-14-iep-stories</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-669603&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-02-14T20:49:09Z</Date><ShortDescription>SF507 is a bill that would require school districts to adopt policies and processes to provide accommodations to parents with disabilities or parents who use another language at home, so the parents can be involved in their child&apos;s Individualized Education Program (IEP) without barriers.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Stories needed from parents with disabilities or parents who use another language at home</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=senate&amp;amp;f=SF507&amp;amp;ssn=0&amp;amp;y=2025&quot;&gt;SF507&lt;/a&gt; is a bill that would require school districts to adopt policies and processes to provide accommodations to parents with disabilities or parents who use another language at home, so the parents can be involved in their child&apos;s Individualized Education Program (IEP) without barriers. Some of our disability advocate community partners are gathering stories via this survey:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeHQ_T0TQtmLPCHhHqR67s0erDk5-c_VdimDUJcJPkxByPdkQ/viewform&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;IEP Accessibility Bill survey&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are a parent with a disability who has a child with an IEP, we encourage you to share your story &lt;a href=&quot;https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeHQ_T0TQtmLPCHhHqR67s0erDk5-c_VdimDUJcJPkxByPdkQ/viewform&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;through the survey&lt;/a&gt;. You may also contact our government relations director Alicia Lane at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:alicia.lane@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;alicia.lane@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; to share your story.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;SF507 is currently scheduled to be heard by the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/committees/committee_bio.html?cmte_id=3120&amp;amp;ls=94&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Senate Education Policy committee&lt;/a&gt; on Monday, February 17, 2025 at 12:30 PM.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>669603</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-02-25T02:13:44Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Interview with Kathleen Smith and Dr. Mark Schleiss: All about cCMV</Title><title>2025-02-12-smith-schleiss-ccmv-interview</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-669110&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-02-12T13:40:45Z</Date><ShortDescription>Answers to questions such as:

What is CMV and cCMV? What is the difference?
What is Minnesota already doing to help people impacted by cCMV?
What else can be done to address cCMV?
Where can people learn more about cCMV and how can they get involved?</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Kathleen and Dr. Schleiss answer questions about congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV)</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/hrhIn_Klzno?si=0ggmv2zERubtA4xt&quot; title=&quot;Interview with Kathleen Smith and Dr Mark Schleiss about cCMV&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Descriptive transcript&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video opens with the logo for the Commission sliding into view. Video transitions to a title slide with text: “Interview with Kathleen Smith and Dr. Mark Schleiss, All about cCMV”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Can you introduce yourselves? Can you share your name and your role in relation to congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV)?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video transitions to three people sitting in a row in front of a dark background. From left to right: Kathleen Smith, Dr. Mark Schleiss, and interpreter Regina Daniels. Kathleen signs, Mark speaks, and the interpreter signs for Mark.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mark: My name is Dr. Mark Schleiss and I am a professor of pediatrics at the University of Minnesota Medical School. I’ve been studying cytomegalovirus for about 35 years. I am a pediatrician by training and specialize in pediatric infectious diseases, but I’ve always had a particular interest in CMV, particularly CMV infections in newborn infants and the long-term consequences that can happen because of those infections. So that’s my main area of research and advocacy and academic expertise.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Kathleen: Hello, I’m Kathleen Smith. I’m with the National CMV Foundation as the Community Alliance chair for Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Image of Kathleen as a child, sitting with her sister in front of a Christmas tree. Title: “Kathleen as a baby with her older sister. Photo provided by the Smith family”.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video transitions to a view of Kathleen signing.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Kathleen: We suspect I was born with cCMV. At five hours old, I looked like I had measles with a rash all over my body. My dad also noticed that my right eye looked a bit different. A bit of investigation showed that I had coloboma, which can be caused by CMV. At the age of 4 months, they noticed I wasn’t responding to sounds. They brought me to an audiologist who did some testing. The first audiologist thought I could hear from my responses. That turned out to be incorrect. My mom decided to look for another audiologist. The audiologist tested me. My mom hoped to get audiogram results that she could bring back to the school program in Edina, but that audiologist did not believe in early intervention for deaf children. This was really upsetting to my mom, who didn’t want any negative impacts from my hearing loss. So, she brought me to another audiologist at the University of Minnesota who finally detected that I was deaf. That was July 1981. I was born in 1980 so it took them a full year to diagnose my hearing loss.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is CMV and cCMV? How does it impact people?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video transitions to Mark speaking with the interpreter signing.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mark: So CMV is an abbreviation for cytomegalovirus. And that’s a big, big term. All it really means is a large virus that makes cells, swells up, and looks bigger under the microscope. What that really stems from is observations over 100 years ago by pathologists who looked at tissues under the microscope and saw that there are these cells that were too big, they were really large so cytomegaly means big cell. This was before viruses had even been discovered. Viruses weren’t really discovered until the 1940s. The overall scheme of things not that long ago. But we knew about this disease because there was something that was making the cells look large under the microscope in sick babies. So as time went by, we discovered that the virus was responsible. CMV is an infection that most people around the world get at some point in their life. By the time you’re in the seventh or eighth decade of life, three quarters of all people in the US and Europe have had CMV. In the developing world, it’s actually a lot higher than that. 100% of people get CMV in low and middle income countries. The challenge and the dilemma is the pregnant person who gets the first CMV infection in their lifetime while they’re pregnant. If that happens, and there’s no immunity to the virus, the virus can infect the developing fetus, causing congenital CMV. So that’s what we mean when we say congenital CMV. It’s an infection that you acquire before you’re even born and that in turn can damage the developing fetus and lead to hearing loss and other disabilities as well. So that’s the virus, that&apos;s why we call it CMV, and it’s really the congenital CMV that’s the main problem when we talk about deafness, developmental disabilities, and other kinds of long-term consequences for the young child.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video transitions to a view of Kathleen signing.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Kathleen: OK these are two different things, CMV and cCMV. CMV is just the name of the infection. cCMV occurs during pregnancy, which can cause hearing loss. This is only during pregnancy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is Minnesota already doing to help people impacted by cCMV?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video transitions to Mark speaking with the interpreter signing.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mark: So, Minnesota in 2021 passed legislation called the Vivian Act. And I’ve always kind of taken a deep personal interest in that because Vivian was my patient. Her mother and I actually started talking about this in 2015/2016. It only took us six years, which in the world of the legislature and in the world of politics is actually a very short time. We had a lot of obstacles along the way including the COVID pandemic. But I really have to give credit to parents. It was Vivian’s mom, mothers and fathers, lots of families of children in Minnesota who were born with CMV that went to testify at legislative hearings, put on fundraisers, informational sessions. And after some tenacity and persistence, we got that bill passed. So, Minnesota became the first state to test all newborn babies for CMV infection. The bill also importantly provided funding and the funding is now at the State Health Department. It’s used to monitor and track babies with CMV, to look at their developmental outcomes, most importantly of all, monitor their hearing. And ask questions about speech and language in babies that have CMV. The most important point about CMV and hearing loss is that, perhaps as many as half of all babies who are destined to have hearing loss in early childhood actually pass their newborn hearing screen. Seem to be able to hear normally at birth. But they go on at three, six, nine, twelve, fifteen months of age to develop hearing loss later. And I think Kathleen’s story is kind of a testament to this; that if a young child loses their hearing, sometimes it’s just not noticed. Parents may not pick up on it, doctors don’t pick up on it. And so, by testing for CMV, and identifying it at birth, we then identify a group of babies that need to be monitored very, very closely for delayed onset hearing loss. And if you can pick up that hearing loss, then you could offer intervention that can make a big difference for the babies’ speech and language development. So that’s really what Minnesota has tailored the CMV screening to focus on most of all, is identifying a group of babies that would benefit from very, very close monitoring and early intervention.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video transitions to Kathleen signing.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Kathleen: I’m a volunteer with the National CMV Foundation. My job is to provide education and resources to parents who are not sure what to do or where to go for help. For example, if they are not sure what to do with their deaf child, I can direct them to Minnesota Hands &amp;amp;amp; Voices as a resource. I also encourage OT &amp;amp;amp; PT as later in life there could be balance issues. I personally struggle with balance because back in the 1980s, they didn’t have the resources and knowledge connected with OT and PT. At the same time, I work to educate health care providers because 91% of women and providers do not know about cCMV. There are about 9% who are aware and that is a huge difference between the two. My job is to provide education and how to reduce the risk of CMV because it is on the rise. We want to reduce the risk as much as possible until a vaccine becomes available.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What else can be done to address cCMV?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video transitions to Mark speaking with the interpreter singing.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mark: I think the years ahead are going to be challenging times for health care. Incorporating scientific knowledge into medical decision making. And decision making about public policy. And I think it&apos;s really important for all of us in medicine, in the community, certainly in our political bodies to embrace the idea that science matters. That scientific information can make lives better and benefit children. That’s what I care about the most because I’m a pediatrician. And families. Part of what we can do in CMV is advocate for the incorporation of the knowledge we gain from things like newborn screening. My most important answer I think would be to embrace the knowledge that we gain and in turn translate that into patient care and development of new strategies. To try to decrease the burden that CMV has on children. And I would just like to add that when I say burden, I’m really talking about a financial cost, the cost of providing complete audiology care, neurology care, care for developmental disabilities, care for special needs. I’m just saying that if we were able to prevent those things through knowledge awareness, prevention, and eventually vaccination, the cost savings would be tremendous. Even more important than the cost savings through, the benefit that it would provide to families. Families often go on a search. Some call it a diagnostic odyssey. A search to try to understand why, try to understand the cause, try to understand the reason. And with CMV testing, now we have, at least we have an answer. But the impact on families is still very large. The emotional stress, feelings of guilt that sometimes families feel because this has happened to them. So, I think the other big benefit, even bigger than the financial benefit, would be the benefit on people, kind of benefit on families to try to develop strategies to prevent this infection from ever happening in the first place.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New slide:  “Babies with signs of congenital CMV at birth are at greater risk of long-term health concerns, such as: Seizures Visual impairment Developmental and motor delay Lack of coordination or muscle weakness - Minnesota Dept of Health website”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where can people learn more about cCMV and how can they get involved?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[video transitions to Kathleen signing.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Kathleen: We are having a conference coming up in September 2025. You will have the opportunity to learn more about CMV and how you can help with this work. Both Mark and I will be there. We are looking forward to it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New slide: “&lt;a href=&quot;https://cmv.usu.edu/&quot;&gt;2025 CMV Conference Minneapolis, MN&lt;/a&gt;“.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video transitions to Mark speaking with the interpreter signing.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mark: I think the best resource always is discussion with your primary care physician. I think if you are a pregnant person or parent of a young child, having discussions about these issues with your doctors is always a good place to begin. That’s particularly important for a young woman who might be planning a pregnancy or in the early stages of her pregnancy who wants to understand her risk to this, who wants knowledge about CMV. Pregnant women in the US today are well-informed about a lot of things. I think I have yet to meet the pregnant patient who hasn’t been concerned about cat litter. About the importance of not changing the cat litter when they’re pregnant. And that’s important because the cat litter can transmit an infection called toxoplasmosis, which can also damage a developing fetus. But in the overall scheme of things, toxoplasmosis is really rare. Extraordinarily unusual. CMV, on the other hand, is one of the most common infectious diseases in the United States and possibly the world that causes disability in children. So, I think we need to do a much better job. We, as physicians, we need to do a much better job about educating our patients, particularly our pregnant patients about CMV. So, I think if people want to explore this and get information about it, talk to your doctor. The young infant, the newborn baby, who presents to the pediatrician for well-child care, who may have a question about that baby’s neurologic development or that baby’s hearing or that baby’s growth. Talk to your pediatrician.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New slide:  screenshot of National CMV Foundation website.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mark: Now, I think to go deeper, I highly recommend the National CMV Foundation. Kathleen is the community alliance representative for the National CMV Foundation here in Minnesota. And it’s a terrific organization that has tremendous resources on their web page. Very receptive staff who can be approached by email with questions that arise. And so, I think that’s a really good source of information as well. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New slide: screenshot of UMN CMV website.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video returns to Mark speaking.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mark: My laboratory at the University of Minnesota also maintains a website where we try to provide some information about CMV. In all honesty, it&apos;s not as good as the National CMV Foundation’s website but I field a lot of questions from families, really all over the country and I’m always happy to try to answer emails or try to steer people in the direction of getting more information about resources, if they have any big questions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New slide: “CMV Resources”. Additional text below:  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nationalcmv.org/&quot;&gt;National CMV Foundation&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://cmv.umn.edu/&quot;&gt;University of Minnesota: Pediatric Infectious Diseases CMV&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/groups/828342997176100/&quot;&gt;CMV Family Support (private Facebook group)&lt;/a&gt;,  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.health.state.mn.us/CMV&quot;&gt;Minnesota Department of Health&lt;/a&gt;”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Any final words?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video returns to all three standing in a row.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mark: I would like to just thank Kathleen for sharing her personal story about CMV. That’s not always easy to do and so I think it really deserves a gratitude on the part of the community and all of us in CMV research. So, thank you for that. I think that it’s really important as we look to the future, increase knowledge and awareness broadly across the community. CMV as we’ve talked about is the most common infectious disease in the US and probably the world. It causes disability in children and yet when we talk to pregnant people and women of childbearing age, the knowledge about CMV ranks dead last. We are not doing a good job, we the medical community, the public health community. We’re not doing a good job about educating people about how to prevent this infection. So, my biggest take-home message would be that we need to develop strategies to increase knowledge and awareness of this and we need to look to a, I think, a very bright future where we can look at behavioral interventions that can prevent CMV acquisition during pregnancy and hopefully a vaccine in the next few years that could be given to people prior to pregnancy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Kathleen: Thanks Mark. I want to share a little bit. I’m very excited to share that I am writing a book about my journey through CMV. I will also be going to the EHDI Conference in Pittsburgh to get more information out there in regard to CMV. I think you pretty much said everything.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New slide:  “The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing was a supporter of the Vivian Act legislation in 2021, which directed an advisory committee to review congenital CMV for possible inclusion on Minnesota’s newborn screening panel. In 2022, the Minnesota Commissioner of Health approved the recommendation to add congenital CMV to the newborn screening panel, following the advisory committee’s recommendations. Minnesota is the first state in the country to screen all newborns for congenital CMV.]”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Featuring Kathleen Smith and Dr. Mark Schleiss. The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Regina Daniels for ASL interpretation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jennifer Williams for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Riss Leitzke Photography for filming.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dee Ramnarine for interpreting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for editing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDH for their feedback.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video ends.]&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>669110</id><Tag><Description/><Title>health care</Title><Id>310254</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>language acquisition</Title><Id>310294</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-02-12T13:50:12Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Celebrate 40 Years of Impact: Kickoff Rally at the Capitol!</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Blue background with green stars, Commission logo, and text, &quot;The Commission is celebrating 40 years advocating for communication access and equal opportunity with the 20% of Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/CELEBRATING_tcm1063-669034.png</Url></Image><title>2025-02-11-40-years-of-impact-kickoff-rally-at-the-capitol</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-669030&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-02-11T20:05:15Z</Date><ShortDescription>March 5, 2025 – be there! </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Join the Commission as we honor four decades of history and advocacy. </Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Together, Minnesota&apos;s deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing community will kick off a celebration of 40 years of advocacy at the Capitol and making a difference in our lives. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Key remarks will be provided by Curt Micka, Mike Cashman, Mary Hartnett, and Darlene Zangara. Representatives from the Governor&apos;s Office and the Capitol will be participating in the celebration. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please come and recognize some of Minnesota&apos;s legislators and community advocates who have made history over the last 40 years. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Wednesday, March 5, 2025, from 2 PM - 3:30 PM. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota State Capitol Rotunda
&lt;br /&gt;
75 Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd.,
&lt;br /&gt;
St. Paul, MN 55155&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This event will also be livestreamed on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/MNCommission/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Commission&apos;s Facebook account&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and CART will be provided. For additional accommodations, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; by Wednesday, February 26, 2025.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While registration is not required, having a head count would be helpful! Please let us know if you plan to attend by filling out the &lt;a href=&quot;https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8190601/2025-Commission-s-40th-Anniversary-Rally-at-the-Capitol&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;40th Anniversary Rally registration form&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>669030</id><Tag><Description/><Title>heritage</Title><Id>310257</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-02-11T20:08:42Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Kickoff for the Commission&apos;s 40th Anniversary</Title><title>2025-02-05-kickoff-for-the-commissions-40th-anniversary</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-668136&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-02-05T20:36:21Z</Date><ShortDescription>&quot;40 years of history&quot;</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Taking place at the Minnesota State Capitol on March 5, 2025</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/INW6K5FkCIQ&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. To adjust the video speed, use YouTube&apos;s playback speed tool.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q50WoNHIZ1s?si=fK99hs6spEJe_HSu&quot; title=&quot;Commission 40 years announcement in ASL&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello everyone!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many of you have asked about Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day this year, and I’m here to share some updates.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The legislature works on the state’s budget during odd-numbered years (2021, 2023, 2025) and focuses on policy changes during even-numbered years (2022, 2024, 2026). Typically, Lobby Day occurs every two years during budget years. However, this year, we’ve decided to host Lobby Day during a policy year instead. This change allows the Commission to better support key projects such as the Collaborative Experience Conference, voter engagement, public policy changes, and, of course, Lobby Day.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The next Lobby Day will take place in 2026.
&lt;br /&gt;
But don’t worry—we have something special planned for this year at the Capitol!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please save the date for March 5, 2025! We will host a rally at the Capitol to kick off the celebration of the Commission’s 40th anniversary.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The event will feature speeches, a photo slideshow, and video highlighting the Commission’s achievements and the people who have been part of our journey over the past 40 years.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;More details are coming soon, so stay tuned!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Featuring Jessalyn Akerman-Frank, Director of Community and Civic Engagement. The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Riss Leitzke Photography for filming.
&lt;br /&gt;
Daisy Jo Shuda for voiceover.
&lt;br /&gt;
Keystone Interpreting Solutions for editing&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>668136</id><Tag><Description/><Title>heritage</Title><Id>310257</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-02-05T20:39:30Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Share Your Photos from the Past 40 Years!</Title><title>2025-02-05-submit-photos-40-years-of-history</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-668132&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-02-05T20:34:17Z</Date><ShortDescription>Submit your photos and video clips to be included in a slideshow commemorating the Commission&apos;s 40th anniversary. </ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Photos_tcm1063-668130.png&quot; title=&quot;camera icon&quot; alt=&quot;camera icon&quot; style=&quot;width: 150px; height: 150px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;camera icon&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission will create a slideshow to share 40 years of history.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do you have pictures taken during the past 40 years of different events with the Commission? This can include meetings with your legislators, Capitol hearings, board meetings, community engagement events, Lobby Day, and more! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you would like your photos and video clips to be included in the slideshow, please email Anne Sittner Anderson at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. Please submit materials by February 26, 2025. Thank you!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>668132</id><Tag><Description/><Title>heritage</Title><Id>310257</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-02-25T02:13:55Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>In the News: Disability Viewpoints Interview with the Commission</Title><title>2025-01-31-disability-viewpoints</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-667641&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-01-31T17:41:52Z</Date><ShortDescription>Full interview includes the ARC Minnesota Public Policy Director, Tina Rucci&apos;s interview with co-host Mark Hughes. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Co-host Joan Willshire interviews Alicia Lane in this episode</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/5idJnYo3YUA?si=zD58gejJkQAr88e8&quot; title=&quot;Disability Viewpoints interviews January 2025&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Descriptive transcript&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video opens with a word cloud slowly appearing on screen with words such as “safety” “employment” “community” “justice” etc.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;(upbeat music) (birds chirping)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video transitions to a title slide “Disability Viewpoints” with an image of a compass.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;(upbeat music continues)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video transits to a man sitting at  a table with his arms crossed. A text and photo bar slides in from the right with a headshot of a smiling man. Name underneath the image: “Mark Hughes, Host”.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;(birds chirping continues)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video transitions to a woman speaking, with an image and text slide sliding in from the right. It shows a headshot of the woman. Name underneath: “Joan Willshire, Co-Host”.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video transitions to a Zoom chat with a man speaking on the left side window, and an interviewee on the right side window. A text and photo slide temporarily covers the interviewee. The image shows a headshot of the man, with a name underneath: “Nick Wilkie, Co-Host”.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video transitions to Mark speaking.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mark: Hello, I&apos;m Mark Hughes. Welcome to this edition of &quot;Disability Viewpoints.&quot; My guest co-host today will be Joan Willshire, and her guest is Alicia Lane, Government Relations Director from the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, [Deaf]Blind and Hard of Hearing here in Minnesota. My guest is Tina Rucci from the ARC of Minnesota. Welcome, Tina, coming to us by Zoom.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video transitions to a Zoom window showing Tina. She speaks. Text across the bottom: “Tina Ricci, Public Policy Director/The ARC of Minnesota”.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mark: Welcome, good to have you here.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Tina: Thanks, Mark. Hi everyone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mark: Nice to have you here. Tell us a little bit about yourself before we get going.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Tina: Sounds good, yeah, hi everyone. I&apos;m Tina Rucci, the Public Policy Director of the ARC Minnesota. I&apos;ve been with the ARC for just over a year, so this is my second legislative session working with the ARC.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mark: Well, congratulations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches back to Mark.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mark: So, as of the time we&apos;re on the air now, we have kind of a different legislature this year. We&apos;re three weeks into the session, and the Minnesota Supreme Court has handed down that a quorum is 68 participants or people. And, so, the Republicans are there in session. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to show Tina briefly before returning to Mark.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mark: The Democrats have chosen not to report for a while, and we don&apos;t know because there was a little misunderstanding that the Democrats wanted to decide who was half co-chairs in power and the Republicans kinda decided against that, even though they may have agreed to it at one time, I&apos;m not sure. But, so the Democrats have kind of not decided not to be in the House and so forth right now. So we hope they&apos;re negotiating that. So we&apos;re kind of at a stalemate or standstill, but I know that the ARC of Minnesota has some great legislation and as the years gone by and you&apos;re working on some great stuff. So why don&apos;t you tell us about that in the next few minutes?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to Tina.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Tina: Yeah, so even though there&apos;s a lot of unknowns happening at the legislature right now, we&apos;re still poking away with our legislative agenda. We have good allies on both sides of the aisle, in both bodies, that have really always been champions for the disability community. So we&apos;re, like I said, we&apos;re still making progress. We have a number of legislative priorities that we&apos;ll be advancing this year. We are looking at improvements to CDCS, particularly looking at wanting to get rid of that disparity, that 30% disparity- &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video shows Mark briefly before returning to Tina.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mark: Yeah, tell us what CDCS stands for for those that don&apos;t know at home.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Tina: Thank you, Mark. It&apos;s easy to get caught up in- &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mark: Yeah, acronyms.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Tina:  Acronyms. (laughs)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video shows Mark briefly before returning to Tina.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mark: No, I do the same thing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Tina: Community-Directed Consumer Supports. So, the goal of the CDCS waiver as opposed to the traditional waiver is that people will get to decide how their services are made up and who they&apos;re hiring and that kind of thing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mark:  Right.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Tina: Right Now, the budget for that waiver is 30% less than a traditional waiver. And so we&apos;re working on getting that matched up.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mark:  Right, to make it equal.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Tina: Mm-hmm. Exactly.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mark: Okay.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Tina: Another initiative that we&apos;re working on is creating inclusive playgrounds.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mark:  Right.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video shows Mark briefly before returning to Tina.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Tina: So we believe strongly that all children should be able to access play spaces equally. It&apos;s interesting for me when I have conversations with legislators about inclusive playgrounds, I often learn that not everyone knows that just because a playground is ADA-compliant doesn&apos;t mean it&apos;s inclusive and accessible.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mark: That&apos;s exactly right.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Tina: There are some sensory things we can take into consideration and to make sure that all children get to play.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mark: Yeah, and some of the other stuff you&apos;re working on?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Tina:  So, we&apos;re also continuing to work on the elimination of subminimum wage for people with disabilities. Right now, the average person who&apos;s working for a subminimum wage or 14(c) job is making around $4 an hour in the state of Minnesota. And we really just want people to be paid equitably.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mark: Right. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video returns to Mark.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mark: Yeah, when I was in the state council, Walmart, I think it was, had their CEO came up from Chicago and he had a son with ADHD and his son really couldn&apos;t work, but he could drive. So, the dad had him drive him back and forth to the airport, which is a big task sometimes, and paid him. But he also believed in putting the able-bodied person and the disabled person right next to each other, having them work as a team and paying all one and the same. And so that has been done, and again, employment lights up my eyes and ears and that&apos;s the way it should be done, and I was glad to hear that. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video shows Tina briefly before returning to Mark.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mark: But I do remember that when I was on the Minnesota State Council that we went to 3M and heard that and it was great. And the CEO was from Chicago, so it started there, and I think that&apos;s what should be done, but they don&apos;t ask me. But, I just, I think that if a disabled person is being paid $4 an hour, you don&apos;t want &apos;em to get taken advantage of. And &apos;cause there are some really talented disabled people, not necessarily me, but there are some really talented people out there working that should be paid the minimum wage.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to Tina.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Tina: Yeah, I completely agree. One of the things that we think and talk about a lot at the ARC is that everybody has different talents and interests, and if, you know, you find something that sparks those talents and interests in someone, you know, that&apos;s the goal, right? Like, we want to be figuring out what everyone, regardless of ability-&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mark:  And do it again. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Tina: - Is interested in. And because that&apos;s when people really thrive.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to Mark.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mark: Right, I always tell people working is like sleeping. You gotta do it about 1/3 of your life, so you might as well enjoy it. We have about three minutes left. Is there anything that we might have missed that you want to cover?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to Tina.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Tina: There&apos;s two things that I will cover really quickly that&apos;s on our legislative agenda. Elimination of MAEPD premiums. So, that&apos;s Medical Assistance for Employed People with Disabilities. Those premiums are ridiculously high and we want to eliminate those so that people with disabilities can access their healthcare at an appropriate cost.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to Mark.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mark:  Do you think you have a good shot at that?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to Tina.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Tina:  You know, Representative Hicks is a really good champion for this bill. I don&apos;t know what the upcoming structural imbalance, as they call the upcoming deficit. I don&apos;t know what that&apos;s gonna do for any spending bills, and I do believe that there might be spending attached to this one.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mark: Okay. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video shows Mark briefly before returning to Tina.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Tina: So, we&apos;ll see.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mark: And your second?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Tuba: The second one is an IEP accessibility bill for parents. So, the IEP process is pretty challenging to access, regardless of ability, but particularly for people with disabilities or parents that don&apos;t speak English as their first language or don&apos;t use, you know, the written, they have more of a verbal-&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video shows Mark briefly before returning to Tina.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mark: That&apos;s an Individual Education Plan?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Tina: Yep. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mark:  Is that the one?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Tina nods.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to Mark.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mark:  That&apos;s an important thing. You can plan your stuff in your education and it&apos;ll take you all the way to just about high school. So, it&apos;s a really important thing. If you need a hand with that, let me know.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to Tina.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Tina: I definitely will. And then the last thing I&apos;ll say is we have Capitol Connectors teams. So, that&apos;s a group of volunteers who want to be involved in public-policy work. There&apos;s a team in each congressional district. My colleague, Gene Martinez, leads those teams, but we work really closely together to make sure that what we&apos;re hearing from around the state is being brought up to the Capitol. So, if there&apos;s anything that you&apos;re interested in working on or that viewers are interested in working on, please let me know.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to Mark.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mark: Yeah, Gene Martinez is a great guy. Been on this show, been around a while.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How do we get a hold of you if we&apos;re interested in volunteering for any of that?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to Tina.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Tina: So, you can reach me at 612-965-0969, or at my email address, which is tinarucci@arcinnesota.org.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Text banner showing email address and phone number appears on screen.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video shows Mark briefly before returning to Tina.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mark: Good, and any last thoughts before we go?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Tina: I&apos;m gonna make a plug for Disability Advocacy Day at the Capitol on March 25th. You can stay tuned for some details to follow.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mark:  Sure.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Tina: We can follow up on that once the planning gets more underway.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to Mark.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mark:  If you send them over to Jo Erbis, Joanne Erbis, then we get &apos;em on the community calendar and do that as soon as you can, we&apos;ll get &apos;em on here and we&apos;ll probably roll that toward the end credits of the show.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Tina: Okay, that sounds great. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches back and forth between Tina and Mark.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mark:  Sounds great? Well, thank you for being here today. Enjoyed having you come on, come on back and see us again.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to Tina.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Tina: Sounds good, thanks so much, Mark.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to Mark.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mark: All right, that&apos;s Tina Rucci from the ARC of Minnesota and thanks for watching and we&apos;ll see you soon, bye now.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;(bright music)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video transitions to a slide with text: “Disability Etiquette: Do not touch, pat or grab. No one wants to be touched without consent, including people with disabilities. Do not touch, grab, or guide them or their wheelchair, scooter, or cane without permission.”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;(bright music fades)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to Joan sitting at a desk with a sign language interpreter sitting next to her. Joan speaks. Text banner below: “Joan Willshire, Host”.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Joan: Well, it is January, 2025, and you know what that means? The Minnesota State Legislature has started. So, we are going to talk today to the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Commission about some of the upcoming legislative issues and get started this year of 2025 so we can basically see where the disability community is going this upcoming legislative session. With me today is Alicia Lane. She&apos;s the Government Relations Director for the Deaf Commission. And, so, welcome.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Camera pans to the right to show Alicia Lane sitting opposite Joan. Alicia signs while the interpreter voices.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia: Yes, thank you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches back to Joan.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Joan: Got a lot to talk about, just when we&apos;re talking about the Deaf Commission and, so, welcome. And why don&apos;t we start off with talking about you, what you exactly do and, like, what is the Deaf Commission and what do they do? And then we&apos;ll get into the juicy details of some of the detailed legislative issues that you want to talk about today.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to Alicia. Text banner below: “Alicia Lane, Government Relations Director, Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing”.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia: Sure, well, thank you so much, Joan. Hi everyone, I&apos;m Alicia Lane.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I&apos;m the Government Relations Director for the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing. We tend to call it the Commission, which is what we&apos;re most widely known as and our work at the Commission, we focus on improving the quality of lives of deaf, deafblind &amp;amp; hard of hearing Minnesotans. And we do this through systems-level change. So, we are the principal advocate for working on a multitude of issues. We serve as advisors to the Governor&apos;s office, to the legislature, state administrators, as well as the judicial branch. And we work to make sure that they have the information that they need to develop good policy for Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches briefly to show everyone before returning to Alicia.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia: I, personally, as government relations director, I am basically the person who has to figure out how to make that systems change. Often one of the ways we do this is by talking and working with legislators, also with state leaders about their internal policy use. So that just gives you a little bit of an idea.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to Joan.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Joan: Okay, fabulous. And, so, now since you, how long have you been with the Commission, first of all? Maybe I want to start with that.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to Alicia.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia:  Sure, I started in April of 2021. That was kind of when everything was still shut down for the pandemic. And so, really, it was a fantastic journey for me to see the transition, you know, from the middle of the shutdown and to now being back in person.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to Joan.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Joan: Okay, fabulous. So, but the deaf community and the Deaf Commission, are there key issues you always work on naturally at the legislature?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to Alicia.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia: Yeah, so really our primary focus is communication access.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Joan:  Right.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia: And equitable opportunities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Joan:  Right, okay.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia: Often we work on issues that impact K-12 education, as well, and early hearing detection and intervention. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Joan: Right.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia: A challenge that faces this community is not having access to language impacts cognitive development, and, so, that is a really big focus of ours.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Joan:  For sure.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia; We also focus on aging community, especially this legislative session, we&apos;re gonna focus even more because there are many seniors that experience hearing loss and we want to make sure that they have equitable access and opportunities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to Joan.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Joan: Sure. So, let&apos;s kind of, before we move into this year&apos;s session, I want to also revisit last year&apos;s session a little bit because I know you&apos;ve had some good successes in the past. Do you want to bring us up to date on what you did last session that was so successful?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to Alicia.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia: Yeah, we, well we do have a long list and so I guess I&apos;ll give you just one example of the successes that we had from the last legislative session.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Joan: Right.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia: So, we had a community member come to us with concerns because they themselves are a deafblind individual and they were struggling to access the information that was on their prescription bottle labels. And they had had some errors where they took the wrong doses because they didn&apos;t have access to that information, or accidentally switched medications, and ended up in the hospital with issues and, you know, because they took the wrong medication. So we worked with legislators to develop a bill that would require pharmacies in the state of Minnesota to offer large print and braille labels.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Joan: Sure.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia: We also partnered with an important community partner, the National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota. They are very knowledgeable on audible labels and those labels are really important for older Minnesotans because many of them are experiencing hearing loss and, excuse me, vision loss, later in life. Meaning that they probably don&apos;t know braille and the braille labels wouldn&apos;t be accessible to them. So, we were successful in passing that bill. And now, as of this month, all pharmacies are required to provide a list of pharmacies that do have accessible prescription labels in large print and braille already. And then next January, 2026, all pharmacies are going to start offering large print and braille labels. Also, the Minnesota Department of Health is currently preparing a report on what pharmacies currently are doing to address those needs of folks that can&apos;t access the labels in braille or large print. And, so, that&apos;s one new piece of legislation we were able to push that we are really proud of. I want to also recognize one of our board members, Jessica Eggert, she is a deafblind individual who provided really crucial testimony for this bill. Also, our staff member, Maya Larson, who is also a member of the community, did a lot of work to make this bill happen. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video briefly shows everyone before returning to Alicia.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia: So I actually just came from the Capitol. Today is the first day of the legislative session and there are a lot of things that are really in flux at the Capitol. So, I&apos;m monitoring the political landscape closely and we know that the legislators this year have a really big job to just even pass the budget. So, the Commission has a long history of having bipartisan support for our bills.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Joan: Right.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia:  And, so, we&apos;re going to continue to work with legislators to improve communication access and equal opportunities for our community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Joan:  Sure. Great.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia:  We are currently in the process of developing our public policy agenda that I will be presenting to our board very soon. And once the board has heard it and approved it, we will make that available to the public.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Joan: Great.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video briefly shows everyone before returning to Alicia.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia: And I do want to recognize that this session, there&apos;s been a lot of conversation about fraud prevention and there&apos;s something that we&apos;re keeping our eye on is just really encouraging legislators to keep in mind folks that are impacted by any policy change are the people that actually need the services. We want to make sure that legislators have a strong focus on knowing that they&apos;re not creating due barriers for folks in that population that need to access those services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to Joan.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Joan: Right, okay, okay. So, let&apos;s continue on the issues then for this session.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to Alicia.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia: Sure. So this session, another thing that we&apos;re gonna be monitoring is for opportunities to improve aging services for seniors with hearing loss. I want to increase the quality of services and also improve the data collection for students who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing. And we also want to encourage the appropriate use of emerging technologies. For example, artificial intelligence, AI, telehealth and video remote interpreting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to Joan.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Joan: Sure. So why don&apos;t you continue on more of your issues here, &apos;cause I know you&apos;ve got plenty to talk about here. So, have we missed any here that you want to bring up? Or where are we at with your long list of issues that you&apos;re working on?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to Alicia.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia:  Sure, so one thing that people maybe haven&apos;t realized that we do is that we do a lot of monitoring. And what I mean by monitoring is bills that are introduced by other entities or other folks that would have a direct impact on our community or would disproportionately impact our communities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Joan: Right.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia: So we try to just keep an eye out for those and monitor and meet with folks to have those kinds of conversations. We want to have good policy passed. And so that&apos;s why we try to monitor. An example of that for last year, and that&apos;s going to still be ongoing, I&apos;m still working on, has to do with the READ Act. And, so, we know that that will impact children all over the state of Minnesota. It&apos;s a law that sets a new requirements for literacy goals to be improved in the state. And this will, like I said, impact all students in the state of Minnesota. And there were new requirements for training, for the trainings of the instructors, the teachers and the curriculum, and the screening of children, potentially who could be impacted by their reading.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Joan: Okay.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia: So the law was originally passed in 2023, the READ Act, and there was some language that was found that was not inclusive of deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing children. And it focused on sound-based learning approaches. And for, of course, deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing children, they often have to use different approaches to learning how to read rather than sound-based approaches. So we worked closely with legislators last year in the passing of the Amendment of the READ Act to incorporate a working group that would take a closer look at those requirements and how they could update some of the language to be more inclusive of folks that use sign language and not just spoken language. And so that work is ongoing. And the work group just finished their work and I think the report is going to be released soon. And so that&apos;s exciting. We, you know, to my knowledge, we are the first state in the country to pass the READ Act and have language specifically for deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing students. Other states have a READ Act, but they don&apos;t have specific language for how to teach those deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing kiddos. So that&apos;s something that we&apos;re very proud of in that law.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to Joan.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Joan: That&apos;s fantastic. Right. So it sounds like you do try to follow some national trends within the deaf community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to Alicia.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia:  Definitely, definitely. Yeah, we&apos;re always looking around at other states and to see what they&apos;ve passed and to see if it would be a good fit for us here in Minnesota. And to be honest, there are a lot of states that look to us in Minnesota. We quite often are the first ones to pass a lot of legislation. So, we are the first state in the country to require screening for cCMV, congenital cytomegalovirus. And so that&apos;s for babies. That screening is now in the birth screenings that happen at the hospital. And the reason that that&apos;s so important is because babies that are born with cCMV, they often experience hearing loss later in life. It shows up usually about one or two. And, so, then that means that the hearing screening at birth shows up just fine. It turns out the results are normal. And then at one or two they overlook the hearing loss that happens. And, so, now requiring the cCMV screening for all babies, we&apos;re able to catch and monitor those kiddos, those babies, excuse me, for hearing loss so that they can get the support services quicker and they aren&apos;t overlooked in the system.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Joan:  Fabulous, fabulous.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia; Yeah, and so, like I said, we were the first in the state and we were the first in the country to have that, so it&apos;s very exciting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to Joan.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Joan: Now let&apos;s touch briefly here before we need to run on how you would like your constituents within the deaf community to respond to issues. Who do they need to contact at the Commission? What would you like them to message, talk to the legislators? So, let&apos;s talk briefly about that before we need to wrap up.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to Alicia.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia:  So for our constituents, deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing Minnesotans, we offer multiple ways for them to contact us. One of the ways is obviously through our website, they can also contact any of the staff members. You can contact me directly or any of us really. And it&apos;s all on the website there. We also have a newsletter that folks can subscribe to. And in that newsletter we share periodic announcements about info sessions that we provide, town hall meetings, they can come to the board meetings. We share about when the board meetings are, people can come and share public comments. We love when they talk with their legislators, as you mentioned, we encourage folks to talk with us, too, so we can provide support to them before they go. If they, of course, feel comfortable going directly, that&apos;s just fine, but, it&apos;s great, it helps all of us when people have better relationships with their legislators.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Joan: What is your day at the Capitol?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia: It is going to be in March. It is on March 5th. Yes, so we&apos;ll have a rally on March 5th at the Capitol.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video briefly shows everyone before it switches to Joan.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Joan: Great, those are always fantastic days for anyone to come to the Capitol and talk about their issues. So, that&apos;s great to know. Well, I know we&apos;re getting close to the end here. So, what types of last final messages would you like to give out to the community and to everyone to know about the Deaf Commission and the deaf issues?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to Alicia.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Alicia: Well, I would like for our community to know that we are showing up for them and I want them to show up, too. Legislators have a lot on their plate this session. There might be a lot of disagreement in there, at the Capitol, but we&apos;re gonna be there and we&apos;re gonna be visible and we&apos;re going to remind them that we&apos;re still here and we are still an important part of the community and we&apos;re going to be there.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to Joan.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Joan: Great, and we look forward to hearing all the successes and great things that the Commission&apos;s gonna do. Great, again, thanks for coming in and we&apos;re gonna be right back after these messages.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;(bright music)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video transitions to a text slide: “Disability Etiquette: Speak directly to the person with a disability. Also, remember that most people, including those with disabilities, would rather not discuss their bodies or medical history with people they just met.”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;(bright music fades)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video transitions to Mark.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mark:  I want to thank Joan Willshire and Alicia Lane, Government Relations Director for the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, [Deaf]Blind and Hard of Hearing. And this is Mark Hughes. We&apos;ll see you again next time on &quot;Disability Viewpoints.&quot; I want to remind people before we go, the Osman Shrine Circus is coming up, so we&apos;ll hear from them on the next show. The Circus comes in March, so you&apos;ll see some of those guys from Osman Shrine coming up on our next show. So please stay tuned, keep watching &quot;Disability Viewpoints&quot; and thanks to the folks at SPNN for having us here and we enjoy it. We&apos;ll see you soon. I&apos;m Mark Hughes for the entire team, thanks for watching and we&apos;ll see you soon, bye now.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video transitions to text slide: “Hosts: Mark Hughes, Joan Willshire. Guests: Tina Rucci, Public Policy Director, The ARC Minnesota; Alicia Lane, Government Relations Director, Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New text slide: “Guest Coordinator, Jo Erbes. For SPNN: Director: Terry Kayser, Phd.; Producer: Steve Brunsberg. Audio: Berthie Piorek. Executive Director: Bonnie Schumacher.”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Logo for SPNN, “Building community through media”.]&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>667641</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>health care</Title><Id>310254</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>in the news</Title><Id>317336</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-03-21T17:59:57Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Learn More about Accessible Prescription Bottle Labels</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A generic prescription bottle with nonidentifying information on the label. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/AdobeStock_287862773-trimmed_tcm1063-667634.jpg</Url></Image><title>2025-01-31-learn-more-about-accessible-rx-labels</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-667633&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-01-31T17:23:29Z</Date><ShortDescription>A new law was passed during the 2024 legislative session that requires pharmacies to provide braille and large print labels on prescription bottles when requested.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Braille, large print, and audible</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A new law was passed during the 2024 legislative session that requires pharmacies to provide braille and large print labels on prescription bottles when requested.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By 2026, all Minnesota pharmacies will be required to offer braille and large print prescription labels. For now, many pharmacies are already providing these options. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.health.state.mn.us/data/economics/rxlabels/index.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;list of pharmacies offering large print or braille&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For some people, especially seniors who lose their vision later in life, braille and large print may not be accessible. To better understand the options for this group of people, MDH completed an assessment of licensed outpatient pharmacies and vendors providing additional formats such as audible container labels and prescription readers. MDH is currently finalizing this report and will publish it soon.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission would also like to thank Senator Hoffman, Rep. Hemmingsen-Jaeger, and Rep. Reyer for their advocacy. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>667633</id><Tag><Description/><Title>health care</Title><Id>310254</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>accessible technology</Title><Id>310264</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-02-25T02:15:07Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Differences between State Services and the Commission</Title><title>2025-01-30-differences-between-state-services-and-commission</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-667465&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-01-30T17:58:12Z</Date><ShortDescription>Explanation of the roles and responsibilities of both organizations. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>A joint message shared by Dan Millikin and Darlene Zangara</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/Eb0Py7Wg22Y?si=XaanAT5rVF6bLpF-&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about the difference between State Services and the Commission with Dan Millikin and Darlene Zangara&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Descriptive transcript&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video opens with a slide showing the Minnesota state government logo on a blue background. Title in white below: “Differences between State Services and the Commission”. Video transitions to a video of Dan Millikin on the right side, and Darlene Zangara on the left side. Behind them is a dark background. They both sign to the camera.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Dan: Hi, I’m Dan Millikin, Director of Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing State Services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Darlene: I’m Darlene Zangara, Executive Director of the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Dan: Many people think that Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing State Services and the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing are the same organization.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Darlene: It’s easy to understand why people get confused. Both are Minnesota organizations. Both focus on issues facing deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Minnesotans, and both were created thanks to the Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens and other community activists who were not satisfied with the programs, services and funding that were available to support deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Dan: However, we are separate organizations that do very different work.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video transitions to a solo video of Dan with the logo for the Minnesota Department of Human Services on the top left corner, with subtitle underneath: “Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing State Services Division”.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Dan: State Services was created in 1980.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our purpose is to put the Governor’s agenda into action. State Services must follow state regulations and Minnesota Department of Human Services policies. We also follow the budget set by DHS.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State Services provides direct services to deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing people, their parents and family members, human service providers and others who work with people who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We do this by providing information, resources and referrals, and grants to support deafblind services, family mentoring services, mental health services and real-time captioning for local news.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Through MN ACT we support access to the phone for people who have hearing loss, or a physical or speech disability.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We also provide mental health services to adults who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing and connect parents of children who are deaf, deafblind or hard of hearing with community mental health resources.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video transitions to a solo video of Darlene signing, with the logo for the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing on the top left corner.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Darlene: The Commission was created in 1985. We are governed by an independent board. Board members are appointed by the Governor. At least 50% of the board must be deaf, deafblind or hard of hearing. At least one board member must be a parent of an individual who is deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We also have nonvoting ex officio members chosen by the commissioners of the Departments of Education, Health, and Employment and Economic Development, and the director of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing State Services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The board decides the purpose (big picture goals) of the Commission. I, with help from my staff and contractors, am responsible for interpreting the board’s instructions. I also must report to the board about how our work is progressing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission advises the governor, legislators, state agencies, and the judicial branch to ensure their policies and programs are inclusive to Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We develop and pursue public policy solutions to barriers. We serve as the principal agency of the state to advocate on behalf of Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind, and hard-of-hearing by working to ensure equal access to the services, programs, and opportunities available to others. The Commission advocates for communication access and equal opportunity with the 20% of Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video transitions back to a video showing both Dan and Darlene, with Darlene on the left side and Dan on the right side.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Dan: State Services and the Commission stay in close contact. We sometimes partner on specific issues. For example, State Services and the Commission shared the responsibility of distributing information about over-the-counter hearing aids.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Darlene: State Services representatives sometimes serve on Commission task forces and work groups. In addition, up to five State Services advisory committee members are also Commission board members. State Services staff and Commission staff frequently check in with each other to ensure our respective roles and responsibilities are working well.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Dan: To learn more about State Services, visit State Services’ website.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Darlene: To learn more about the Commission, explore the Commission’s website.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video transitions to a slide with information for both organizations, with white text on a blue background. On the left side, the logo for the Minnesota Department of Human Services: Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing State Services Division: State Services’ website, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-hard-of-hearing/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;mn.gov/deaf-hard-of-hearing&lt;/a&gt;. On the right side is the logo for the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing: The Commission’s website, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;mn.gov/deaf-commission&lt;/a&gt;.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New slide: “Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing State Services Division. Phone: 800-657-3663 voice or preferred relay. Videophone: 651-964-1514. Email: &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:dhs.dhssd@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;dhs.dhssd@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. Web: &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-hard-of-hearing/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;mn.gov/deaf-hard-of-hearing&lt;/a&gt;.”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New slide: “Copyright 2025 State of Minnesota, Department of Human Services, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/dhs/general-public/policies/video-statement.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;mn.gov/dhs/videos&lt;/a&gt;”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video ends.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We also created an infographic on the differences between &lt;a href=&quot;https://edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/Public/DHS-8549-ENG&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;State Services and the Commission&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/Public/DHS-8549-ENG&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Screenshot%202025-01-29%20164321_tcm1063-667463.png&quot; title=&quot;Venn diagram&quot; alt=&quot;Venn diagram&quot; style=&quot;width: 650px; height: 419px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Venn diagram&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>667465</id><pubdate>2025-01-30T18:03:23Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Senate Hearing Action Alert: Master&apos;s Degree Tax Credit</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Interior view of the brilliant blue and gold Capitol Rotunda ceiling with MNCDHH&apos;s logo and the text, &quot;Bill Hearing Alert&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Bill%20Hearing%20Alert-850_tcm1063-518245.jpg</Url></Image><title>2025-01-27-bill-hearing-alert</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-666830&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-01-28T01:54:44Z</Date><ShortDescription>The bill would expand the master’s degree credit to include a master’s degree program in special education, including deaf and hard of hearing education. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Hearing on Tuesday, January 28, 8:30 AM</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=senate&amp;amp;f=SF0249&amp;amp;ssn=0&amp;amp;y=2025&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;SF249&lt;/a&gt; (Johnson Stewart) will be heard by the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/committees/committee_bio.html?cmte_id=1019&amp;amp;ls=94&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Senate Taxes Committee&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The bill would expand the master’s degree credit to include a master’s degree program in special education, including deaf and hard of hearing education. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The following individuals are scheduled to testify in support of this bill.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Alicia Lane, Government Relations Director&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Stevie Middlebrook, teacher at Metro Deaf School&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please attend in person or watch online and show your support! If you cannot attend, a recording of the hearing will become available at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/@MnSenateMedia/videos&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Minnesota Senate Media Services&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tuesday, January 28, 2025 at 8:30 AM&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota State Capitol, Room G-15 or online at the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/schedule/webcast-schedule&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Senate Webcast Schedule&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Livestream captioning is available and ASL interpreting will be provided. To provide feedback on digital accessibility of meeting information, please submit comments through the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.leg.mn.gov/accessibility/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Minnesota Legislature Accessibility &amp;amp; Usability Comment Form&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>666830</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-01-28T01:58:07Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>You&apos;re Invited to the State of Minnesota&apos;s 39th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration</Title><title>2025-01-13-mlk-jr-celebration</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-665008&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-01-13T21:32:20Z</Date><ShortDescription>Taking place at the Ordway Center for Performing Arts. This will also be broadcast by TPT Twin Cities PBS. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Monday, January 20, 2025, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm at the Ordway</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This celebration is hosted by the State of Minnesota and the Governor’s Council on the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday. The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing&apos;s contractors will be working at this even to welcome all deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing participants. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/NLfxigJYKfE?si=H1p45c2PneXKp2Bm&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with Dr Regina Daniels about the 2025 MLK Celebration on January 20&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Join us on January 20 at the Ordway Center for the grand finale of the State of Minnesota’s MLK Holiday Celebration series. This unforgettable event will feature inspiring performances by Billy Steele and Fellowship Baptist Church, Jamecia Bennett, and Known MPLS. Dr. Yohuru Williams will guide the morning at MC and host a fireside chat with the revered elders Josie R. Johnson and Reatha Clark King.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Celebrate the legacy of Dr. King by connecting with friends old and new, hearing powerful stories, and experiencing the joy of music. Leave inspired and energized for action to support our beloved community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://ordway.org/events/39th-annual-martin-luther-king-jr-day-celebration/&quot;&gt;Register online&lt;/a&gt;, and for those who can’t join in person, the program will also be streamed live. Don’t miss this meaningful celebration of Dr. King’s enduring vision. To learn more, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/oeoa/events/mlk-flagship-celebration.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;visit our website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/MLK25%20Ordway%20Sizzle%20Reel%20Final%20%281290x1080%29-1-850_tcm1063-665006.jpg&quot; title=&quot;2025-01-20-mlk-celebration&quot; alt=&quot;2025-01-20-mlk-celebration&quot; style=&quot;width: 850px; height: 478px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2025-01-20-mlk-celebration&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Quick facts&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;When:&lt;/strong&gt; Monday, January 20, 2025, 10:00am to 12:00pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Where:&lt;/strong&gt; Ordway Center for Performing Arts, 345 Washington St., St Paul, MN 55102&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What to expect:&lt;/strong&gt; This closing celebration will include community leaders and inspiring performances by Billy Steele and Fellowship Baptist Church, Jamecia Bennett, and Known MPLS. Yohuru Williams will MC and host a fireside chat with Dr. Stacie Stanley, and revered elders Josie R. Johnson and Dr. Reatha Clark King. Come meet new and old friends, listen to inspiring stories, feel the joy of music, and leave with energy for action. This event is limited to 1900 people, and the event will be broadcast by TPT Support our beloved community. &lt;a href=&quot;https://ordway.org/events/39th-annual-martin-luther-king-jr-day-celebration/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Register in advance&lt;/a&gt; to save time at the door.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>665008</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-01-13T21:40:53Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Public Policy 2025 Session Preview</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Outline of a person with a laptop, seated in a living room.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Zoom%20Education%20Series%20Rectangle%20850_tcm1063-475877.jpg</Url></Image><title>2024-12-31-public-policy-session-preview</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-663258&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-12-31T15:19:04Z</Date><ShortDescription>Join us on Zoom. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Please join us on Saturday, January 18, 2025 from 10:00 - 11:30 AM</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Legislators return to the Capitol on January 14 to begin the 2025 session, and with some recent election developments, advocates will be facing new dynamics. The Commission is shifting its public policy strategy accordingly. Come learn from our government relations director Alicia Lane about this session’s new dynamics and the areas the Commission is focusing on to improve public policy and quality of life for deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saturday, January 18, 2025, from 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Join us on Zoom from the comfort of your home. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Be sure to register to attend so we have an accurate head count. Here is the registration link:  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/XpKEJ5RdQhGtNxBLntJ1rA#/registration&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Public Policy 2025 Session Preview registration&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Calling in via phone is an option if preferred. First, register to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation via email. The confirmation will include information on how to call in by phone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and CART will be provided. For additional accommodations, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; by Friday, January 10, 2025.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>663258</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-01-02T14:29:00Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Meet Your Legislator Training</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Commission logo, Keenan, Jessalyn, and the Minnesota State Capitol with text, &quot;Meet Your Legislator Training. Presented by Keenan Gao and Jessalyn Akerman-Frank.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/2024%20Meet%20Your%20Legislator%20Training%20-%20850_tcm1063-662136.jpg</Url></Image><title>2024-12-23-meet-your-legislator-training</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-662137&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-12-23T16:11:02Z</Date><ShortDescription>The training will take place on Thursday, January 9, 2025 from 6-7 pm through Zoom.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Presented by Keenan Gao and Jessalyn Akerman-Frank</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Join us for a refresher on the essential steps for meeting your legislator. You’ll learn how to identify your legislator, find key contact information, secure an appointment, and prepare for a productive meeting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This one-hour session will leave you feeling confident and ready to meet with your legislator.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Presented by Keenan Gao and Jessalyn Akerman-Frank.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thursday, January 9, 2025 from 6:00 - 7:00 pm.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and CART provided. For additional accommodations, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; by Thursday, January 2, 2025.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMvduGhrz0oHtB4ypOyBu6JR_MOpLfPRfU1#/registration&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Register to attend&lt;/a&gt; (or just show up a few minutes before the webinar begins). &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMvduGhrz0oHtB4ypOyBu6JR_MOpLfPRfU1#/registration&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Register for Meet Your Legislator Training now.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Calling in via phone is an option if preferred. First, register to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation via email. The confirmation will include information on how to call in by phone.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>662137</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-12-23T16:28:37Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Executive Director Update with Darlene Zangara: December 2024</Title><title>2024-12-20-ed-updates-with-darlene-zangara</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-661866&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-12-20T15:38:02Z</Date><ShortDescription>Some of the Commission&apos;s recent work.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Interpreting Forward 2030, Collaborative Experience Conference, Voters Outreach Season, Accessibility at the Airport, and more</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/70U9BCYdlDM&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. To adjust the video speed, use YouTube&apos;s playback speed tool.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/HgkWIv6GA38?si=UYNokdyDuJyx6jw8&quot; title=&quot;December 2024 executive director updates ASL video with Darlene Zangara&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello everyone! My name is Darlene Zangara and I’m the Executive Director of the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing. We do not use an acronym for our organization anymore so I will use ‘the Commission’ for short.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I will start with a visual description of myself. I am a white woman with blonde hair, glasses, and wearing a black shirt.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I’ll update you about some of the things my team and I have been working on these recent months.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Interpreting Forward 2030&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Interpreting Forward information gathering process resulted in 114 potential solutions from the community. Right now, we are working on a new website that will be released shortly. The website includes ASL videos with captions and voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Community members will be able to comment on any of the 114 potential solutions and make recommendations on which potential solutions to pursue.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some solutions are easy and will take a short time to complete them, about 6 months or less. We can call them “low hanging fruit.” Some are mid-term, meaning it will take a few years to accomplish them. Other solutions are long-term, which means they will take many years.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some work that is low-hanging fruit has already happened or is in progress. Here are a few examples:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Minnesota Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (MRID) has established an &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/S764V9WWKik?si=UNspoh0LencpCCXS&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;ad hoc Interpreting Forward committee&lt;/a&gt;. This was voted on during the October 2024 MRID conference.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-poised-to-lose-nearly-40-of-its-sign-language-interpreters/600366671&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Star Tribune article on Interpreting Forward&lt;/a&gt; was published, generating attention and interest to the issue of improving the quality and quantity of interpreting services in Minnesota.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Commission ran &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/DtCCX7tflpI?si=udQRIdT6wuv019A2&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;radio and television ads on interpreting training program recruitment&lt;/a&gt; from July to September 2024.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Minnesota Department of Education has a DHH Advisory Group. Group members are focusing on educational interpreter solutions.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing State Services announced they are &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-hard-of-hearing/about-us/news-and-events/index.jsp?id=1121-660306&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;hosting a BIPOC interpreter workshop&lt;/a&gt; with the goal of recruiting more BIPOC interpreters to the field.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Commission worked with DEED to create an &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/news/index.jsp?id=1063-639526&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;ASL video about the Employer Reasonable Accommodation Fund (ERAF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The soon-to-be-released Interpreting Forward website will also be used to communicate about the activities that are taking place and encourage individuals and organizations to participate in the solutions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Collaborative Experience Conference&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Collaborative Experience Conference was a great success! From November 1-3, it was a gathering of parents, DHH teachers, and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind &amp;amp; hard of hearing in Minnesota. We networked and learned new things together. We received fantastic feedback from conference attendees, and we are already excited for the 2026 Collaborative Experience Conference! Here are a few quotes from the conference evaluations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;“It was amazing to meet other parents at the event. Having a MN H&amp;amp;V breakfast was super nice and helpful to meet their staff and other parents. I am so thankful that I was awarded a parent scholarship and was able to attend this event.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;“The conference staff were efficient and pleasant. The restaurant, luncheon and dinner ballrooms were all abundantly staffed and people were well taken care of. As for sleeping accommodation: our sleeping room was too warm- even set to 63.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;“Thank you to the collaborative for the great opportunity to connect and learn. Was great learning.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Voters Outreach Season&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We had a great Voters Outreach season. Here are some of the things we accomplished.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Presidential Information Session with Diego Ozuna-Clark&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;ASL Hotline in partnership with the Secretary of State’s office&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Accessible Voting Machine and Get Ready to Vote event in partnership with Hennepin County&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;DeafBlind In Person Help Line for Voters Questions&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Voter 101 online workshop with the Secretary of State’s office&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The work was completed by the Voters Outreach team, which consists of 12 contractors.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We received comments and stories about how this work made a difference. For example,&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;One experienced voter learned for the first time they could get time off from work to go and vote without losing pay or vacation time.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;In addition to callers from Minnesota, we received calls from individuals from other states since they did not have an ASL Voters Hotline in their state.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Three first-time voters registered to vote at our Get Ready to Vote event.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Several attendees at the Presidential Information Session commented on how they learned something new from Diego.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility at the Airport&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In October, the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) &lt;a href=&quot;https://metroairports.org/news/msp-airport-debuts-enhanced-accessibility-programs-travelers-who-are-deaf-hard-hearing&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;announced two new pilot technologies available at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The first is Aira ASL. Aira is an on-demand visual interpreting platform available for individuals who are blind or low-vision. They recently expanded to provide on-demand ASL interpreting. ASL users can use the Aira ASL app on their personal devices at no charge while traveling at MSP.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The second is talk-to-text, which broadcast real-time announcements at all gates at Terminal 2. A few gates at Terminal 1 also have this technology, and there are plans to add talk-to-text at additional gates.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I want to thank the members of the Travelers with Disabilities Advisory Committee (TDAC) for their advocacy and the staff at MAC and MSP for their commitment to serving travelers with disabilities. I especially thank Andrew Palmberg for representing the Commission at TDAC.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Upcoming Events: Martin Luther King, Jr Day Celebration and Public Policy Q&amp;amp;A Session&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Save the date! There will be a Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration on January 20, 2025. We are working with the Governor’s Council on the MLK Jr. Holiday to provide a cultural and accessible experience for all. The Commission’s contractors will be working at the event to welcome all deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing participants. At the time of this filming, the event site is not yet live. However, we will share more information about this event as soon as it is public.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are also planning to host a Public Policy Agenda Q&amp;amp;A with Government Relations Director, Alicia Lane. This will take place on January 18th, 2025. We will soon send out a separate announcement about this event.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Simultaneously, I will be representing the Commission at the Hearing Loss Association of America, Twin Cities’ chapter meeting on January 18th.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commission&apos;s 40th Anniversary Rally at the Capitol&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As you know every two years, we do Lobby Day during budget years. This year, we decided to make some changes. With our experience managing the Collaborative Experience Conference and with it being so close to Lobby Day, we decided to move our Lobby Day to policy years. This allows staff to give the needed time and attention to adequately support both major projects.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This year, we will not have Lobby Day, but we will have a rally. The rally will be the kickoff for the Commission’s 40th Anniversary celebration! Come join us to honor and celebrate the 40 years of work the Commission has done in partnership with the community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;More information to come soon.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Picture Slideshow&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are pictures of recent events.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_20240916_184309569_tcm1063-661888.jpg&quot; title=&quot;1-melanie-hazelip&quot; alt=&quot;1-melanie-hazelip&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 406px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;1-melanie-hazelip&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/vote-140_tcm1063-661889.jpg&quot; title=&quot;2-accessible voting machine&quot; alt=&quot;2-accessible voting machine&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2-accessible voting machine&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/vote-122_tcm1063-661890.jpg&quot; title=&quot;3-hennepin county&quot; alt=&quot;3-hennepin county&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;3-hennepin county&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/vote-4_tcm1063-661892.jpg&quot; title=&quot;4-participants&quot; alt=&quot;4-participants&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;4-participants&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/VOTE-51_tcm1063-661894.jpg&quot; title=&quot;5-photobooth&quot; alt=&quot;5-photobooth&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;5-photobooth&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/VOTE-33_tcm1063-661899.jpg&quot; title=&quot;6-photobooth&quot; alt=&quot;6-photobooth&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;6-photobooth&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/board-147_tcm1063-661900.jpg&quot; title=&quot;7-board&quot; alt=&quot;7-board&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;7-board&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/board-134_tcm1063-661902.jpg&quot; title=&quot;8-board&quot; alt=&quot;8-board&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;8-board&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/board-142_tcm1063-661901.jpg&quot; title=&quot;9-board&quot; alt=&quot;9-board&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;9-board&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/board-39_tcm1063-661903.jpg&quot; title=&quot;10-board&quot; alt=&quot;10-board&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;10-board&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_2324%203_tcm1063-661907.jpg&quot; title=&quot;11-photobooth&quot; alt=&quot;11-photobooth&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;11-photobooth&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_2325%203_tcm1063-661909.jpg&quot; title=&quot;12-diego&quot; alt=&quot;12-diego&quot; style=&quot;width: 400px; height: 533px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;12-diego&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_2292%203_tcm1063-661910.jpg&quot; title=&quot;13-photobooth&quot; alt=&quot;13-photobooth&quot; style=&quot;width: 400px; height: 533px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;13-photobooth&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_2264%203_tcm1063-661911.PNG&quot; title=&quot;14-voting team&quot; alt=&quot;14-voting team&quot; style=&quot;width: 400px; height: 867px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;14-voting team&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_2298%203_tcm1063-661912.jpg&quot; title=&quot;15-photobooth&quot; alt=&quot;15-photobooth&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;15-photobooth&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/MADC%20Panel_tcm1063-661914.jpg&quot; title=&quot;16-panel&quot; alt=&quot;16-panel&quot; style=&quot;width: 400px; height: 533px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;16-panel&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/MADC%20Booth_tcm1063-661915.jpg&quot; title=&quot;17-madc&quot; alt=&quot;17-madc&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;17-madc&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_20241114_085621_tcm1063-661918.jpg&quot; title=&quot;18-state services&quot; alt=&quot;18-state services&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;18-state services&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_20241114_085628_tcm1063-661919.jpg&quot; title=&quot;19-state services&quot; alt=&quot;19-state services&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;19-state services&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_9727_tcm1063-661923.jpg&quot; title=&quot;20-madc&quot; alt=&quot;20-madc&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 337px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;20-madc&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/nov2-76_tcm1063-661932.jpg&quot; title=&quot;21-cec&quot; alt=&quot;21-cec&quot; style=&quot;width: 400px; height: 457px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;21-cec&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/nov2-91_tcm1063-661933.jpg&quot; title=&quot;22-cec&quot; alt=&quot;22-cec&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;22-cec&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/nov2-145_tcm1063-661934.jpg&quot; title=&quot;23-cec&quot; alt=&quot;23-cec&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;23-cec&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/nov2-87_tcm1063-661935.jpg&quot; title=&quot;24-cec&quot; alt=&quot;24-cec&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 417px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;24-cec&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/nov2-84_tcm1063-661936.jpg&quot; title=&quot;25-cec&quot; alt=&quot;25-cec&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 416px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;25-cec&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/nov2-47_tcm1063-661938.jpg&quot; title=&quot;26-cec&quot; alt=&quot;26-cec&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;26-cec&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/nov2-213_tcm1063-661939.jpg&quot; title=&quot;27-cec&quot; alt=&quot;27-cec&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 362px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;27-cec&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/nov2-140_tcm1063-661940.jpg&quot; title=&quot;28-cec&quot; alt=&quot;28-cec&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 375px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;28-cec&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/nov3-59_tcm1063-661941.jpg&quot; title=&quot;29-cec&quot; alt=&quot;29-cec&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;29-cec&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/nov2-27_tcm1063-661942.jpg&quot; title=&quot;30-cec&quot; alt=&quot;30-cec&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;30-cec&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/nov2-94_tcm1063-661943.jpg&quot; title=&quot;31-CEC&quot; alt=&quot;31-CEC&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 364px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;31-CEC&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/nov3-21_tcm1063-661944.jpg&quot; title=&quot;32-cec&quot; alt=&quot;32-cec&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;32-cec&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/nov3-9_tcm1063-661945.jpg&quot; title=&quot;33-CEC&quot; alt=&quot;33-CEC&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;33-CEC&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In Closing&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are getting ready for the upcoming legislative session and putting together our public policy agenda. Our board meetings are open to the public and I invite you to attend. Our next board meeting will take place on Zoom on January 24, 2025. Our event calendar will be updated with additional information, but we will reserve time to discuss our public policy agenda, which will be presented by Alicia Lane.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Email me (&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:darlene.g.zangara@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;darlene.g.zangara@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;) at any time if you would like to discuss barriers that impact your quality of life in Minnesota. I would also love to learn if there are any topics you would like me to discuss in my updates. Thank you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Featuring Dr. Darlene G. Zangara, Executive Director. The Minnesotan Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hannah Merren for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solution for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>661866</id><Tag><Description/><Title>executive director updates</Title><Id>457794</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-12-20T18:08:26Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2024 Collaborative Experience Conference Highlights Reel</Title><title>2024-12-19-CEC-highlights</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-661780&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-12-19T23:36:26Z</Date><ShortDescription>A conference for parents, DHH teachers, and professionals serving deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing students ages 0-22 in Minnesota. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Strengthening connections through collaboration</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Collaborative Experience Conference took place on November 1-3, 2024 in Breezy Point Minnesota. This conference is for parents, DHH teachers, and professionals serving deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing students ages 0-22 in Minnesota. This video captures some of the highlights of the conference, including workshops, exhibitors, and strengthening connections with peers and colleagues. A descriptive transcript has been provided.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/5ggmuvxnL34?si=IlBc2ZVQLyWrFVl8&quot; title=&quot;2024 Collaborative Experience Conference highlights video&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Descriptive transcript&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video opens with a montage of video clips from the conference. OC on bottom: &quot;(upbeat music)&quot;. Two presenters at the podium with an interpreter signing to an audience. A sweeping view of conference attendees in a grand ballroom. A presenter next to a PowerPoint slide with the audience watching. OC on bottom, &quot;...solutions with different stakeholders...&quot; A different presenter standing onstage next to a podium and signing. OC on bottom: &quot;We provide a whole approach...&quot; The same stage with someone standing at the podium with an interpreter on either side of them. OC on bottom: &quot;...reading requires teaching...&quot; Two of them watch the person on the left side person signing to the audience watching.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Text overlay n a view of the audience sitting at round tables: “2024 Collaborative Experience Conference”. A different view of the room with more audience members sitting at round tables and interacting with each other. An attendee interacting with the info desk person with a table of swag and info cards in between them. A sweeping view of a conference room full of attendees sitting at tables.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[A close-up of a sign on a tripod with text, &quot;Conference Registration, Parent Welcome with MNH&amp;amp;V Table&quot; and a QR code to scan. A close-up of a sign reading “Collaborative Experience Conference.”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[A view of a room full of attendees sitting at tables and chatting. Two attendees confer over coffee. A group of individuals gathered and laughing around a table and conferring with another attendee looking on. A cluster of individuals chatting while standing with more attendees in the background.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[A close-up of signage for “Photo Booth” that moves to photo props including another sign for “Deaf can!”. An individual taking a photo of a group of attendees standing in front of a promotional backdrop. A few attendees at the photo booth table. A close-up of a presenter speaking while another presenter looks on from the podium. The first presenter picks up a small stuffed animal and walks towards the audience. A sweeping view of the audience watching the presenter as she tosses the animal to an audience member who mouths, &quot;thank you&quot;. Close-up view of audience reactions as they watch a presentation. Another view of an attendee asking a question while pointing. A presenter responding to an attendee’s question. Two presenters standing in front of a PowerPoint screen and signing to the audience. Another presenter in front of a different PowerPoint presentation.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[A view of attendees watching. Close-up of a hand taking notes. A close-up of two attendees doing an interactive activity. Several group members interacting through that same activity.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[An interpreter signing for the presenter speaking into a microphone on stage. A view of attendees interacting in between rows of seats in the audience. Attendees mingling in a room in between sessions. An attendee blowing up a balloon. Another attendee letting go of a balloon and watching it fly around the room. Several views of attendees interacting with each other. An attendee interaction with a booth demonstrator. Close-up of clusters of attendees conversing in the hallway. A row of attendees chatting while seated.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[A circle of seated attendees in a workshop. Attendees interacting with a booth demonstrator. A presenter signing onstage. OC on bottom: &quot;...discuss language and language access...&quot; Sweeping view of a large conference room with attendees sitting at tables watching a presenter on a raised stage. Several attendees hugging one another. An attendee watching another attendee write on a wall-mounted Post-It paper. Several close-ups of an attendee writing on several different wall-mounted Post-It papers. A CDI pointing while two presenters look on.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Several attendees sitting in the audience, conferring and pointing to several strips of papers laid out on a chair in between them. A moderator standing at a podium with three panelists seated at a table next to them. A presenter looking on from the podium while an attendee signs to the audience. A close-up of a presentation screen with a video on screen and scrolling CART captions above. A sweeping view of the audience seated in rows of chairs. A moderator standing at a podium looking onto two panelists seated at a table next to them.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[A close-up of signage for the Commission as video fades out. “With the community, we develop solutions”. OC on bottom: &quot;(music ends).&quot;]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video ends.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Transcript provided by Kaitlyn Mielke.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>661780</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-12-19T23:59:44Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Applications Open for 2025 Heritage Language Pathway Cohort Program</Title><title>2024-12-19-applications-open-2025-heritage-language-pathway-cohort-program</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-662129&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-12-19T15:53:14Z</Date><ShortDescription>Now accepting applications  for the 2025 Heritage Language Pathway Cohort Program. The Commission encourages ASL teachers seeking K-12 World Languages and Cultures licensure to apply. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>PELSB announcement</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission is also pleased to share this announcement from the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB). PELSB is launching a cohort for teachers seeking K-12 World Languages and Cultures licensure to teach their heritage language and culture. We encourage American Sign Language teachers seeking K-12 World Languages and Cultures licensure to apply.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During the 2024 legislative session, the Commission and advocates successfully advocated for the definition of &quot;heritage language and culture teacher&quot; be expanded to include teachers with a childhood connection to ASL and whose primary language is ASL. The definition previously relied on a familial connection, which excluded many deaf people with native fluency in ASL in the past. Not all deaf individuals are born to deaf families. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;From PELSB&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;PELSB is excited to announce the launch of another Heritage Language Pathway Portfolio Cohorts for teachers seeking K-12 World Languages and Cultures licensure to teach their heritage language and culture!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota’s students and families speak more than 300 home languages. In an effort to increase the opportunities for language instruction across the state, PELSB is committed to supporting heritage language teachers in the licensure process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Heritage language and culture teacher&quot; means a teacher with a familial connection to their community&apos;s language and culture, who is proficient in the language and engaged in the culture, and uses this connection to support students as they learn academic content, become proficient in the language, and engage with the culture of that particular linguistic and cultural community. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For the purposes of this program, a heritage language and culture teacher of American Sign Language is a teacher with a childhood connection to American Sign Language, whose primary language is American Sign Language. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Two separate cohorts will begin in January 2025. Each cohort will be guided and supported by PELSB staff through the licensure via portfolio process as they complete the requisite portfolio items with the goal of attaining a Tier 3 World Languages and Cultures license to teach their heritage language.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Initial Licensure Cohort&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Initial Licensure Cohort will consist of teachers who are currently teaching with a Tier 1 or 2 license. Cohort members will complete portfolios for the Standards of Effective Practice and World Languages and Cultures over an 18 month program.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional Licensure Cohort&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Additional Licensure Cohort will consist of teachers who are currently teaching on a Tier 3 or 4 license, but either on an OFP to teach their language or licensed in an area other than World Languages and Cultures. This cohort will complete a portfolio for World Languages and Cultures over a 6 month program. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Application Details&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Application Process&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This application consists of two steps:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Complete the Application Form&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ensure that TWO professional references complete the Candidate Reference Form&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Application Form &lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Complete the application form by Friday, January 10, 2025. Please share this link with any interested candidate. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=RrAU68QkGUWPJricIVmCjG-5nQF-Wy1DqE9KKfiMmbNUQ1NINFNXN1NNSzBXMkhRRktPTUg1U05KWi4u&quot;&gt;2025 HLP Portfolio Cohort Application Form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reference Form &lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Each candidate must have TWO completed professional references. The link for this reference form is also embedded in the application. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that two professional references complete this form by the January 10, 2025 deadline. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=RrAU68QkGUWPJricIVmCjG-5nQF-Wy1DqE9KKfiMmbNUQ1FJVTlEMzVKWjdOSFZTQU03RFpJSVhPRi4u&quot;&gt;2025 HLP Professional Reference Form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Overview of Application Timeline&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Application Opens : Monday, December 16, 2024&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Applications Due : Friday, January 10, 2025&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Notification of Candidate Status : February 2025&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Meetings Begin : March 2025&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you again for your collaboration and for all you do for teachers and students in Minnesota. Please reach out to PELSB&apos;s Heritage Language Pathways Specialist, with any questions you may have at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:heritage.PELSB@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;heritage.PELSB@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>662129</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>employment</Title><Id>310253</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-12-23T15:53:22Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard-of-Hearing Youth Day Treatment Program</Title><title>2024-12-19-ddbhh-youth-day-treatment-program</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-662122&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-12-19T15:52:56Z</Date><ShortDescription>The mental health day treatment program for youth who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing now accepting referrals for the program.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Memo from Nicki Melby and Jaime Monson</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission is sharing an important memo from Jaime Monson, Associate Director of Behavioral Health, Volunteers of America of MN &amp;amp; WI. This letter announces the official opening of the Mental Health Day Treatment Program for Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard-of-Hearing Youth, which will be housed at the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf in Faribault, MN. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is an incredible milestone. The Commission, mental health and school professionals, and advocates have been working to establish this program since before a survey went out in 2023. We are pleased this program will now be available to deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing youth in Minnesota. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Memo&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dear Community Member,&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Vona Center for Mental Health by Volunteers of America of MN and WI is proud to announce, in collaboration with Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf, we have completed certification for opening a Mental Health Day Treatment Program for Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard-of-Hearing Youth in Minnesota, to be housed on the campus of MSAD in Faribault.  You may have heard a bit about this program already, we are excited to announce the program’s next steps!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Mental Health Day Treatment Program makes a world of difference for the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing youth ages 6-18 years, in grades K-12, in developmentally matched cohort groups of 4-6 youth.  This model focuses on teaching kids how to trust, grow, and excel in school, home, and community. Also, it helps children whose social, emotional, and behavioral problems interfere with their academic progress and daily functioning.  Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing youth attend academic and mental health programming on the campus of the MN State Academy for the Deaf, who is our educational partner. Youth attend in person during the school year and virtually during the summer.  We offer skills development, individual therapy, group therapy and family therapy.  The day treatment program therapist is Tyler Russell, MSW, LGSW and supervised by Nicki Melby, MA, LMFT. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;We are ready to accept referrals for the program, effective immediately. &lt;/strong&gt; If you have questions about a referral, you may reach out to Nicki Melby at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Nicki.Melby@voamn.org&quot;&gt;Nicki.Melby@voamn.org&lt;/a&gt;.  You can make a referral via our website at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.voamnwi.org/deaf-hard-hearing-mental-health&quot;&gt;www.voamnwi.org/dhh&lt;/a&gt; and click on “Request Services”.  To be eligible for the program a youth needs the following:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Diagnostic Assessment completed within the past one year (if needed, we can provide via appointment)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Child and Adolescent Services Intensity Instrument (CASII) completed within the past 2 months (if needed, we can provide via appointment)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Active health insurance with day treatment coverage (we can help verify)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Currently receiving mental health therapy services or has received mental health therapy services and has stopped because the services have not met the mental health needs&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Is in grades K-12 and is willing to transfer to the MN State Academy for the Deaf&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Is eligible to reside in the residential dormitory at MSAD or live close enough to commute
&lt;br /&gt;
- Programming is offered on-campus only during the school year, virtual services are not an option.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It is our hope to welcome the first cohort of students into this program beginning January 21, 2025; however, we realize that the educational transfer process including the IEP can take some time.  We will handle all transitions with the diligence and care necessary to ensure they are smooth. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are currently developing informational materials and preparing an open house for mid-January, stay tuned!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Questions?  Reach out to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Nicki Melby, MA, LMFT                            Jaime Monson, MSW, LICSW
&lt;br /&gt;
Program Supervisor/Manager                  Associate Director                   
&lt;br /&gt;
612-716-7763 (v/txt)                                763-252-4509 (v/txt)
&lt;br /&gt;
612-444-2267 (vp)                                   612-326-4255 (vp)
&lt;br /&gt;
nicki.melby@voamn.org                          jmonson@voamn.org&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>662122</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-12-23T15:53:06Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Board Decision on the Commission&apos;s Short Name</Title><title>2024-11-18-board-decision-on-commission-short-name</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-653358&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-11-18T17:19:52Z</Date><ShortDescription>Approved short references include the Commission, Minnesota Commission, and MN Commission. The Commission no longer uses an acronym as a short reference. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Updates to the Commission&apos;s branding</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At the September 20, 2024, board meeting, the board unanimously voted to stop using &apos;MNCDHH&apos; and use the &apos;Commission&apos; to refer to the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Therefore, the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing no longer uses an acronym as a short reference to the organization. The old acronym (MNCDHH) was hard to remember, unclear, and DeafBlind wasn’t included. Going forward, the Commission will use their full name for first-time references and then switch to “the Commission” or in cases where we need to be clear which state commission, the ‘Minnesota Commission’ or ‘MN Commission’ for short.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Official Commission branding&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Commission&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Commission&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MN Commission&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To preserve the integrity of our branding, please do not make up any other short references or acronyms to refer to the Commission. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>653358</id><Tag><Description/><Title>board</Title><Id>310266</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-11-18T17:22:36Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Current Board Members</Title><title>2024-11-18-current-board-members</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-653356&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-11-18T17:16:25Z</Date><ShortDescription>Meet the Commission&apos;s board members</ShortDescription><Subtitle>New members, ex officio members, existing members</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing is pleased to announce the appointment of new board members. These individuals bring a wealth of experience, expertise, and passion for our mission to advocate for communication access and equal opportunity with the 20% of Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Join us in welcoming the following individuals&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Adrienne Haugen (Advisory Committee Member)&lt;/strong&gt;: a representative of the Speaking DeafBlind community from Greater Minnesota&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Allison Mehlhorn (At-Large Member)&lt;/strong&gt;: a parent of an individual who is deaf/hard of hearing&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Barry Siebert (Advisory Committee Member):&lt;/strong&gt; a representative of the Deaf senior citizens community and involved with Minnesota Deaf Senior Citizens&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Julie Svatos (Advisory Committee Member)&lt;/strong&gt;: a spouse and parent of Deaf individuals and a human service worker in Greater Minnesota&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Karla Sand (At-Large Member)&lt;/strong&gt;: a representative of seniors with limited hearing ability and involved with the Hearing Loss Association of America, Twin Cities chapter&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Samantha Porter (At-Large Member)&lt;/strong&gt;: a DeafBlind community member and a college student studying social work&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are also pleased to announce, for the first time ever, the addition of nonvoting ex officio members, representing state agencies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bridget Walde:&lt;/strong&gt; a representative of the Minnesota Department of Health&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Dan Millikin&lt;/strong&gt;: a representative of the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing State Services Division (State Services)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Elise Knopf&lt;/strong&gt;: a representative of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mary Cashman-Bakken&lt;/strong&gt;: a representative of the Minnesota Department of Education&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;They join a fantastic board with strong commitment and leadership. We also extend our sincere appreciation and gratitude to the rest of the board members. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aaron Peterson (Advisory Committee Member):&lt;/strong&gt; a deaf parent of deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing children, from Greater Minnesota&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Chandra Petersen (Advisory Committee Member)&lt;/strong&gt;: A rehabilitation counselor with Vocational Rehabilitation Services serving deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing individuals in Greater Minnesota&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jessica Eggert (At-Large Member)&lt;/strong&gt;: a DeafBlind college student and accessibility advocate&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;John Fechter (At-Large Member, Vice Chair)&lt;/strong&gt;: a Deaf individual with a professional background in accessible telecommunications and nonprofit leadership&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Krista Dillman (At-Large Member)&lt;/strong&gt;: a professional DHH teacher, certified sign language interpreter, and mother to D/deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing children.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mohamed Mourssi-Alfash (At-Large Member)&lt;/strong&gt;: a deaf social justice and disability advocate with professional experience in continuous improvement and business process automation&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Peggy Nelson (At-Large Member):&lt;/strong&gt; a professor of audiology at the University of Minnesota with a background in researching various hearing loss issues&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Rebecca Thomas (At-Large Member, Chair)&lt;/strong&gt;: a Deaf individual who teachers American Sign Language (ASL) at the high school and post-secondary level&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sally Prouty (At-Large Member)&lt;/strong&gt;: an advocate on both the state and federal levels and parent of a DeafBlind adult&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn more about the board members at &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/about/who-we-are/board/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Meet the Board&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>653356</id><Tag><Description/><Title>board</Title><Id>310266</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-11-18T17:22:43Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Apply to Join the Commission Board</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>&apos;Join the board&apos; text with MNCDHH&apos;s logo on a blue and marbled tone header</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Join%20the%20Board_tcm1063-455279.jpg</Url></Image><title>2024-11-18-apply-to-join-commission-board</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-653354&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-11-18T17:10:38Z</Date><ShortDescription>Information on the Commission&apos;s board application process and available seats</ShortDescription><Subtitle>3 At-Large Member seats open</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing serves as the principal agency of the state to advocate on behalf of Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. We work to ensure these community members have equal access to the services, programs, and opportunities available to others. (&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/what-we-do/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Learn more about what we do and how.&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Board members have an important role at the Commission by providing guidance and oversight to the executive director. At least 50% of the board must be deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. Board members are appointed by the Governor.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The following seats are currently open for a January appointment. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;At-large member (3 seats)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anyone may apply for an at-large seat. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Recommendations will be made to the Governor&apos;s Office by the Commission board for new members early December 2024. Please submit any applications by 8 AM on December 2nd, 2024, to be considered. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To learn more about the board and how to apply, view our &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/get-involved/join-the-board/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;&quot;Join the Board&quot; webpage&lt;/a&gt;. Or go to the &lt;a href=&quot;https://commissionsandappointments.sos.state.mn.us/Agency/Details/185&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Secretary of State&apos;s page for our Commission&lt;/a&gt; and apply now.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Board applications remain on the website for one year. If you applied after December 2nd, 2023, your application will be considered. If you applied before December 2nd, 2023, and are still interested in being considered, please resubmit your application. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>653354</id><Tag><Description/><Title>board</Title><Id>310266</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-11-18T17:22:31Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2024 Voter Access Survey for Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing Minnesotans</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Close up of voting themed signage, with messages encouraging folks to go and vote.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/vote-83-850_tcm1063-652068.jpg</Url></Image><title>2024-11-05-voting-access-survey</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-652069&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-11-06T01:34:34Z</Date><ShortDescription>This survey is intended for Minnesota residents who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing, or is a person with a hearing loss AND voted in the 2024 General Election.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Let us know about your experience with voting</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Are you deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or are you a person with a hearing loss? Did you participate in the General Election in Minnesota, either through early voting or on Election Day? If yes to both, please participate in the Voter Access Survey.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing wants to know what your experience was like and we will use that to prepare for the next Election. Thank you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8031576/Voting-Access-Survey-2024&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Fill out the Voter Access Survey&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>652069</id><Tag><Description/><Title>accessible technology</Title><Id>310264</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-11-06T01:37:30Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota&apos;s ASL Voting Hotline is Back</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>(L-R) Members of the Outreach &amp; Civic Engagement team: Kim Wassenaar, Patrick Vellia, Keenan Gao, Jer Loudenback, Pamela Burry, Kyle Littlepage, Riss Leitzke, and Toni Fairbanks.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/2024-voting-hotline-header-850_tcm1063-650575.jpg</Url></Image><title>2024-10-26-asl-voting-hotline</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-650576&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-10-27T13:02:30Z</Date><ShortDescription>When and how you can reach the Commission&apos;s outreach &amp; civic engagement specialists</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Hotline and additional opportunities to ask your voting questions</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Good news! The Minnesota ASL Voting Hotline is back! Do you have questions about how to find your polling station, what the voting process looks like, how to find out what is on your ballot, etc.? Call the ASL Voting Hotline at 612-293-4288 and ask.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Representatives from the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing&apos;s Outreach and Civic Engagement team will be available to answer your questions.  All specialists are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing and fluent in American Sign Language (ASL). &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you call and the line is busy, please leave a message and we will respond right away. If you call after hours, we will respond the next business day. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Full schedule&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Monday, October 28: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
&lt;br /&gt;
Tuesday, October 29: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
&lt;br /&gt;
Wednesday, October 30: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
&lt;br /&gt;
Thursday, October 31: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
&lt;br /&gt;
Friday, November 1: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Monday, November 4: 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
&lt;br /&gt;
Tuesday, November 5: 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL Voting Hotline number&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;612-293-4288 (VP)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This hotline is also open to voters who identify as hard of hearing or as an individual with a hearing loss or similar and wish to call through their voice, amplified, or captioned phone to connect with one of our specialists.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Other ways to ask questions&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission&apos;s outreach and civic engagement team is also reachable through the following ways:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DeafBlind Voter&apos;s Drop In&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Outreach &amp;amp; Civic Engagement Specialists Riss Leitzke and Patrick Vellia will be available to meet in person with members of the DeafBlind community to answer voting questions in person. Walk-ins are accepted but if you let us know you are coming (email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn-akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;jessalyn-akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;) with the time you expect to arrive, we can watch for you by the door.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where: Dendros, 2642 University Avenue West, Suite 140, Saint Paul, MN 55114&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When: Monday, November 4, 2024 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Facebook Messenger &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Send your questions by sending a private message to the Commission&apos;s Facebook account during business hours (Monday-Friday, 8 am - 5 pm), &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/MNCommission/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;@MNCommission (Facebook)&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Email&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Prefer to discuss through email? Contact &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Jessalyn.Akerman-Frank@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; and either Jessalyn or a specialist will respond to you.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>650576</id><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-10-30T14:46:27Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Info Session on the Presidential Election</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Minnesota state outline colored in red, white and blue, next to text, &quot;2024 Election Understanding the Presidential Candidates&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Vote%20Minnesota%20finale%20800_tcm1063-649590.jpg</Url></Image><title>2024-10-16-info-session-on-the-preseidential-election</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-649591&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-10-17T01:00:34Z</Date><ShortDescription>Sunday, October 20, 2024 from 2-4 p.m. at St. Catherine University. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Please join us!</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Join us for an informative, nonpartisan event designed to present an unbiased overview of the 2024 U.S. Presidential candidates. This information will be accessible in American Sign Language, spoken English, and CART (captions).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In this session, we will break down the candidates&apos; platforms and positions on key issues such as healthcare, the economy, the environment, immigration, foreign policy, and more. Our goal is to provide voters with clear straightforward information to help them make informed decisions in the upcoming election.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This event will focus solely on presenting facts and verified policy positions, without endorsing or opposing any candidate. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of where each candidate stands and how those stances could impact the future of the country.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This event is open to the public and encourages civic engagement. We invite individuals of all political affiliations to participate in this fact-based, unbiased discussion. This space is not a place for debates.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Intended audience&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anyone, including Minnesota&apos;s deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing community, who is interested in learning more about the platforms and positions on key issues. A highlights video will be available at a later time so anyone who cannot attend will get an idea of the event. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Who&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This event is led by Diego Ozuna-Clark from &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.instagram.com/electionswithdiego/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;@ElectionsWithDiego&lt;/a&gt;, a nonpartisan platform dedicated to providing informative and balanced elections content.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Co-hosted with St. Catherine University. St. Catherine University&apos;s ASL Club will be offering usher support. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sunday, October 20, 2024, from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;St. Catherine University, Jeanne d&apos;Arc Auditorium (in Whitby Hall)
&lt;br /&gt;
2004 Randolph Ave
&lt;br /&gt;
St. Paul, MN 55105&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is presented in American Sign Language. ASL/voice interpreters and CART provided.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why is the Commission hosting this event?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing is a nonpartisan government organization who, along with supporting organizations, is providing a space for community members to access election information. We are providing this event at the request of community members who want opportunities to access the different positions on key issues in an unbiased manner and accessible format. We are not responsible for any personal views held by anyone in attendance. We are aware that political topics can lead to strong emotions. Please bring your best selves to this event and respect the time, energy, and opinions of others. Thank you. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>649591</id><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-10-17T01:08:01Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Voting with a Criminal Record</Title><title>2024-10-16-voting-with-a-criminal-record</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-649582&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-10-16T21:38:26Z</Date><ShortDescription>Individuals with a criminal record can vote as long as they are not currently incarcerated for a felony sentence.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Minnesota&apos;s voting information in American Sign Language and English with captions and voiceover</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/bjmagYy5gtI?si=QeLMpKRZcuSRZtQc&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. To adjust the video speed, use YouTube&apos;s playback speed tool.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/QkMPdxOTTJc?si=5AZtLdRN4Jjz9Cng&quot; title=&quot;ASL video on voting with a criminal record&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Your criminal record does NOT affect your right to vote in Minnesota unless you are currently incarcerated serving a felony conviction sentence.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Voting after a felony conviction&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As of June 1, 2023, you can vote as long as you are not currently incarcerated for a felony sentence, a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old on Election Day, and a resident of Minnesota for at least 20 days.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Voting after your rights are restored&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you were incarcerated for a felony sentence, you can vote once incarceration is complete. When your right to vote has been restored, you must register to vote. You can register in three ways.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Online at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.sos.mn.gov/elections-voting/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;MNVotes website&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;With a paper form, returned by mail to the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State or your county election office&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;In person at your county election office&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can vote under these situations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Charged or convicted of a misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor. Yes, you can vote.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;In jail but not currently serving a felony sentence. Yes, you can vote.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Charged with a felony but not convicted. Yes, you can vote.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Given a stay of adjudication (not officially guilty of a crime but the judge has requirements such as community service, probation, or counseling). Yes, you can vote.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Convicted of a felony in another state but not currently incarcerated. Yes, you can vote.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;On probation or parole after a felony conviction. Yes, you can vote.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Convicted of a felony and currently on work release. Yes, you can vote.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You cannot vote if you are currently in prison serving a felony conviction.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For further information about those new voting laws, check out the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.sos.mn.gov/elections-voting/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;MNVotes website&lt;/a&gt; or call 1-877-600-VOTE.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State and the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thank:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jer Loudenback for ASL talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Becky Lukkason for voiceover. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>649582</id><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-10-17T01:08:10Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Know Your Rights</Title><title>2024-10-16-know-your-rights</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-649581&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-10-16T21:14:45Z</Date><ShortDescription>Your rights as a voter in Minnesota</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Minnesota&apos;s voting information in American Sign Language and English with captions and voiceover</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/kmqhPURs680&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. To adjust the video speed, use YouTube&apos;s playback speed tool.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/m-YhiboApOA?si=kpDC2Y7-dkYk70sg&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about your rights as a voter in Minnesota&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As a Minnesota voter, you have many rights—get to know them!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Have time off work to vote&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You have a right to take time off work to vote anytime during the absentee voting period or on Election Day without losing your pay, personal leave, or vacation time.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Vote if in line by 8 p.m.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You have the right to vote if you are in line to vote any time before 8 p.m.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register on Election Day&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You have the right to register to vote on Election Day if you can show the required proof of residence.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sign in orally&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You have the right to orally confirm who you are and to ask another person to sign for you if you cannot sign your name.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ask for help&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You have the right to ask anyone for help, except for an agent of your employer or union.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Bring children to the polls&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You have the right to bring your children with you to vote.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Vote if you are not currently incarcerated for a felony conviction&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you had a felony conviction, you can vote if you are not currently incarcerated for the felony offense.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Vote under guardianship&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You have the right to vote if you are under a guardianship, unless a judge has revoked your right to vote.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Vote without being influenced&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You have the right to vote without anyone in the polling place trying to influence your vote.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Get a replacement ballot&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You have the right to a replacement ballot if you make a mistake on your ballot before you cast it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;File a complaint&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You have the right to file a written complaint at your polling place if you are unhappy with the way an election is being run.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Bring a sample ballot&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You have the right to take a sample ballot into the voting booth.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Bring the Voter&apos;s Bill of Rights&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You have the right to take a copy of the Voter’s Bill of Rights into the voting booth.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For further information about those new voting laws, check out the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.sos.mn.gov/elections-voting/&quot;&gt;MNVotes website&lt;/a&gt; or call 1-877-600-VOTE.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State and the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thank:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jer Loudenback for ASL talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Becky Lukkason for voiceover. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>649581</id><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-10-17T01:08:06Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Information for New Voters</Title><title>2024-10-16-information-for-new-voters</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-649580&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-10-16T21:02:39Z</Date><ShortDescription>Going to your polling place, voter registration, the steps to voting, voting early, and time off work to vote.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Minnesota&apos;s voting information in American Sign Language and English with captions and voiceover</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/eH5vaT3xLPQ&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. To adjust the video speed, use YouTube&apos;s playback speed tool.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/DrMPReEkLZ0?si=W_G-mXNVK5J981NB&quot; title=&quot;ASL videos on information for new voters in Minnesota&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Are you new to voting? Don’t worry—these steps explain the process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Go to your polling place&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You must vote at your assigned polling place. It is usually located near where you live. Find your polling place at the MNVotes website. Most polling places open at 7 a.m. All polling places will remain open until 8 p.m. Anyone in line to vote by 8 p.m. must be allowed to vote.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sign in or register&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are registered to vote, your name will be on a list of voters. You just need to write your signature next to your name. If you are registered, you do not need to show ID when you sign in.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you did not register before Election Day, you must show proof of your current address. For example, you can show a current Minnesota driver’s license or state ID. Or you can show a photo ID that has your old address, along with a bill that shows your current address. For a list of all the types of ID and documents you can bring, visit the MNVotes website.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Vote&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You will vote in a private area, and your vote is secret. Vote with a pen or pencil, and completely fill in the oval next to your choice. The ballot instructions will say how many candidates you can choose for each office. Usually it will say to ‘choose one.’ Some local offices may have more than one seat to fill. Your ballot will count even if you do not vote on every race or ballot question.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Take your ballot to the ballot box. After you have voted, put your ballot in the ballot-counter machine. Be sure to get your “I Voted” sticker before you leave!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Vote early with an absentee ballot&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can vote early at your local elections office. You can also apply to have an absentee ballot sent to you in the mail. To find your local elections office or to request an absentee ballot, visit the MNVotes website.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A friendly reminder, you also have time off work to vote at any point during the absentee voting period.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Time off work to vote&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You have a right to time off work to vote, without losing your pay, personal leave, or vacation time.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For further information about those new voting laws, check out the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.sos.mn.gov/elections-voting/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;MNVotes website&lt;/a&gt; or call 1-877-600-VOTE.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State and the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thank:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jer Loudenback for ASL talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Becky Lukkason for voiceover. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>649580</id><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-10-17T01:08:09Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>What&apos;s New for Minnesota&apos;s Voting Laws</Title><title>2024-10-16-whats-new-for-mn-voting-laws</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-649576&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-10-16T20:55:26Z</Date><ShortDescription>Restoring the vote, automatic voter registration, pre-registration for 16- and 17-year olds, ongoing vote from home, and language provisions.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Minnesota&apos;s voting information in American Sign Language and English with captions and voiceover</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/a4tAU7lwzZs&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. To adjust the video speed, use YouTube&apos;s playback speed tool.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/nv-uKqqyow8?si=a_S3ZINDIlLHBAcz&quot; title=&quot;ASL video on whats new for Minnesota voting laws&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota has new laws that expand the freedom to vote! These new laws include the following:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Restoring the vote&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Before Minnesotans who have not yet completed their sentence such as probation or parole could not vote. Now your criminal record does not affect your right to vote unless you are currently incarcerated for a felony. If you are not incarcerated, even if you are on probation or parole, or owe restitution, you can vote.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Automatic voter registration&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2024, Minnesota established automatic voter registration. People applying for an instructional permit, driver’s license or state ID, will also be registered to vote if they meet all eligibility requirements, including citizenship. In addition to making it easier to vote, this will allow elections officials to streamline the process of updating voter rolls, which makes the process more secure. Minnesotans are able to opt-out of registering to vote within 20 days of their registration being processed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-olds&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Now, 16- and 17-year-old Minnesotans can submit a voter registration form, and have their registration take effect on their 18th birthday. They are also pre-registered when they get a driver&apos;s license. Minnesota is a national leader in youth engagement, and getting young people to think of themselves as future voters is a big part of that.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ongoing vote from home&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many Minnesotans enjoy the convenience of voting from home with an absentee ballot. Any eligible voter may vote this way, and as of June 2024 they will be able to request to be added to a list to automatically be sent an absentee ballot during the early vote period, instead of needing to apply again ahead of every election. This will save time for voters who know they want to continue voting from home. Folks can submit this request by re-registering to vote.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Language provisions&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Starting in January 2024, voter instructions in the three most commonly spoken non-English languages will be provided in every polling place statewide. This is Spanish, Hmong, and Somali.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional language access will be provided at qualifying polling places, according to data collected in the most recent census.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Precincts with at least 3% of the population speaking English “less than very well” will provide translated voting instructions and sample ballots.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Precincts with at least 20% of the population speaking English “less than very well” will, upon request, provide translation services in their precinct on Election Day.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If their language is not being provided in their precinct, voters can also submit a request with at least 10 signatures from eligible voters from their precinct.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For further information about those new voting laws, check out the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.sos.mn.gov/elections-voting/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;MNVotes website&lt;/a&gt; or call 1-877-600-VOTE.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State and the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thank:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jer Loudenback for ASL talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Becky Lukkason for voiceover. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>649576</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-10-17T01:08:15Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Save the Date for a Special Info Session on the Presidential Election</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Text: Save the date! 2024 Election: Understanding the Presidential Candidates (with shape of Minnesota in red, white, and blue colors)</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Vote%20Minnesota_tcm1063-648293.png</Url></Image><title>2024-10-04-save-the-date-presidential-election-info-session</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-648295&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-10-04T21:49:34Z</Date><ShortDescription>Happening on October 20, 2024 from 2-4 pm at St. Catherine University. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Learn more about each the platforms and key issues for presidential candidates</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Save the date! Join us for an informative, nonpartisan event designed to present an unbiased overview of the 2024 U.S. Presidential candidates. This information will be accessible in American Sign Language, spoken English, and CART (captions).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In this session, we will break down the candidates&apos; platforms and positions on key issues such as healthcare, the economy, the environment, immigration, foreign policy, and more. Our goal is to provide voters with clear straightforward information to help them make informed decisions in the upcoming election.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This event will focus solely on presenting facts and verified policy positions, without endorsing or opposing any candidate. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of where each candidate stands and how those stances could impact the future of the country.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This event is open to the public and encourages civic engagement. We invite individuals of all political affiliations to participate in this fact-based, unbiased discussion. This space is not a place for debates.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Intended audience&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anyone, including Minnesota&apos;s deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing community, who is interested in learning more about the platforms and positions on key issues&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Who&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This event is led by Diego Ozuna-Clark from &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.instagram.com/electionswithdiego/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;@ElectionsWithDiego&lt;/a&gt;, a nonpartisan platform dedicated to providing informative and balanced elections content.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Co-hosted with St. Catherine University. St. Catherine University&apos;s ASL Club will be offering usher support. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sunday, October 20, 2024, from 2:00 - 4:00 pm.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;St. Catherine University, Jeanne d&apos;Arc Auditorium (in Whitby Hall)
&lt;br /&gt;
2004 Randolph Ave
&lt;br /&gt;
St. Paul, MN 55105&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission is looking into options for providing a recording of this event for those who cannot attend in person.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is presented in American Sign Language. ASL/voice interpreters and CART provided. For additional requests, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; by October 14, 2024.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why is the Commission hosting this event?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing is a nonpartisan government organization who, along with supporting organizations, is providing a space for community members to access election information. We are providing this event at the request of community members who want opportunities to access the different positions on key issues in an unbiased manner and accessible format. We are not responsible for any personal views held by anyone in attendance. We are aware that political topics can lead to strong emotions. Please bring your best selves to this event and respect the time, energy, and opinions of others. Thank you. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/logos-vote-event_tcm1063-648294.png&quot; title=&quot;voting event sponsor logos&quot; alt=&quot;voting event sponsor logos&quot; style=&quot;width: 850px; height: 446px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;voting event sponsor logos&quot; /&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>648295</id><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-10-04T22:03:21Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Refresher on How and When to Use Text-to-911</Title><title>2024-10-02-refresher-text-to-911</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-647796&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-10-02T11:35:17Z</Date><ShortDescription>Call if you can, text if you can&apos;t</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Information on the basics of texting emergency services in Minnesota</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/Yq8igPSmLck?si=uGJyujkZcZDcm1ZO&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. To adjust the video speed, use YouTube&apos;s playback speed tool.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/KomoTixx3WA?si=IkndYzwJlSnVkGTm&quot; title=&quot;ASL video on how and when to text 911&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;[Logos for the Commission, Minnesota Department of Public Safety, and the Emergency Communication Networks briefly appear. Scene changes to show James Paul Beldon, who begins to sign.]&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Text-to-911 is available statewide. It is an important alternative to calling 911.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When to use Text-to-911&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here is a list of when Text-to-911 could be used. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When it is too dangerous to call while a crime is in progress. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When someone must remain quiet to stay safe. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If peer pressure is strong. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When a person is deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How to use Text-to-911&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;[Video showing a person&apos;s hands texting 911 on their mobile briefly appears next to James Paul.]&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;First, in the “To” space, enter 911.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;[Side video changes to show a dispatcher&apos;s shoulder and computer screen, responding to the text message.]&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Then, in the text message, text your exact address or describe your location. Explain the type of emergency. You can also choose to self-identify as someone who is deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Press “send.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;[Side video changes to show a dispatcher&apos;s hand moving the mouse near their keyboard.]&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When you text 911, dispatch will ask if they can (voice) call you. If you haven’t already, you can let them know that you are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing and that text is the best way for you to get help.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;[Side video changes to show a dispatcher at their desk, wearing an ear piece and talking.]&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You are not required to self-identify as deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing if you do not want to. However, be aware that the dispatcher will ask you to call if you are not in immediate danger.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;[Side video changes to show a close up of the text exchange between dispatcher and the person texting.]&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is because the technology for calling is faster and more reliable than texting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;[Side video returns back to previous clip of a person&apos;s hands texting on their mobile phone.]&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When you get a message back, promptly answer any questions and follow instructions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do not use emojis, slang, GIFs, or photos. No shorthand texting (BRB, IDK, BTW, THX, etc.)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;[Side video fades away.]&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Does it really work? Can I test it?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Yes, it works! Several people who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing were part of the pre-arranged testing process during the rollout back in late 2017 and early 2018.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please do not try to test it yourself! That will take away the dispatcher’s ability to help people who are experiencing a real-life emergency.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Can I text 911 anywhere in Minnesota?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Yes, as long as you have text and cell service.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;However, if you are using roaming service, the 911 text will bounce back to you. So make sure you have good cell service.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are not in Minnesota, or along the border of Minnesota, dispatch may not receive your 911 text.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do I need to use an area code when I text 911?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;No, you do not need to use an area code.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why is &quot;Call if you can, text if you can&apos;t&quot; the slogan? Why can&apos;t it just be &quot;Call or text 911?&quot;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dispatchers prefer to receive a call instead of text because &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;They can track your location better,, &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It is faster to exchange information, and &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;They can listen to background noise and get an idea of what’s going on. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;However, you as a deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing person can choose between texting or calling. Use your best judgment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What do I do if I experience barriers while trying to text 911 in Minnesota?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;First, concentrate on the emergency at hand. Do what you need to do to get help. Second, save the text conversation. When the emergency is over, contact the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-hard-of-hearing/contact/&quot;&gt;Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing State Services Division&lt;/a&gt; and describe what kind of barrier you experienced, as well as the date, time, and where you were located. In the past, there have been some instances where the dispatcher insisted that the person call instead of text, even after self-identifying as deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing. However, this should be less of an issue since there has been additional training for dispatchers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Are there other ways to contact 911 besides text?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Yes, there are several ways you can contact 911 in Minnesota. You can use your preferred device, whether it is a voice phone, captioned phone, IP relay, text, or videophone. If you use a videophone, make sure that the address linked to your videophone is correct. If you happen to use a TTY, 911 call centers are still required to have a TTY at their center.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Emergency Communication Networks Division for the original content. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;James Paul Beldon for ASL talent. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional information&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keep your text messages short. There is a 160 character limit. Learn more at the Minnesota Department of Public Safety&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/ecn/programs/911/Documents/text-911-fact-sheet.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Text-to-911 fact sheet (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mark Zangara for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/news/index.jsp?id=1063-385948&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;This message was originally produced in 2019. &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>647796</id><Tag><Description/><Title>emergency management</Title><Id>310293</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>text-to-911</Title><Id>310260</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-10-02T16:52:47Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Today (October 1st) is the Last Day to Register for the Collaborative Experience Conference</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The State of Minnesota logo, an image of a desktop with books, pencils, magnifying glass, and an apple with leaf embellishments, and the event title, &quot;2022 Collaborative Experience Conference for parents and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. Build our future together.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/2024%20Collaborative%20Experience%20Conference%20Conference%20Theme%20850_tcm1063-626466.jpg</Url></Image><title>2024-10-01-deadline-to-register-cec</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-647280&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-10-01T13:12:50Z</Date><ShortDescription>Taking place at Breezy Point Resort, from November 1-3, 2024.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>A conference for parents, DHH teachers, and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing.</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Today is the last day to register to attend the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/collaborative-experience/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Collaborative Experience Conference&lt;/a&gt; (Tuesday, October 1, 2024). It is also the last day to book your room separately at Breezy Point Resort. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the conference&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Collaborative Experience will take place on November 1-3, 2024 at Breezy Point Resort in Minnesota. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This three-day conference is designed for parents, DHH teachers, and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. Conference attendees will enjoy opportunities to network and learn from peers. They will also experience a deep dive into the most recent research and information from experts and leaders in the field of deaf education, school counseling, vocational rehabilitation, and more.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration is $300 plus tax. Visit the Collaborative Experience Conference registration page for additional details. Your hotel reservation must also be booked by October 1st. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact us&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For any questions, please reach out to Collaborative Plan Program Director Danelle Gournaris, &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:danelle.gournaris@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;danelle.gournaris@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>647280</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-10-02T12:05:19Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Collaborative Experience Conference Keynote on Language and Disability Justice</Title><title>2024-09-30-cec-keynote-educational-equity</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-646869&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-09-30T11:56:46Z</Date><ShortDescription>Tuesday, October 1, 2024 is the last day to register for the conference and book your hotel. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Register for the conference and learn about how policy changes impact Deaf Education and ways to combat inequity</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/4xVzswntJB4&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. To adjust the video speed, use YouTube&apos;s playback speed tool.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/o75BaksMjVw?si=lVs6vc--_JHuRWE-&quot; title=&quot;ASL video announcing conference keynote with Dr Gloshanda Lawyer&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello! I’m Danelle Gournaris and I’m the Collaborative Plan Program Director. I’m responsible for the Collaborative Experience Conference, a conference for parents, DHH teachers, and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Today I will announce one of our keynote presenters!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This presenter will discuss educational equity for language and disability justice.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This presenter has done research on social justice, translanguaging, colonization, Deaf Education, and Deaf Studies with an emphasis on analyzing systems of power.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This presenter has been a K-12 Deaf educator, early interventionalist, and professor in Deaf Education, Deaf Studies, and Interpreter Education.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This presenter is also a co-founder of Myers &amp;amp; Lawyer, a Black multilingual researcher/interpreter duo that engages in research, consultation, training and resource development for BIPOC interpreters.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I’m excited to welcome Dr. Gloshanda Lawyer to the Collaborative Experience Conference.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Featuring Danelle Gournaris, Collaborative Plan Program Director. The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hannah Merren for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional information&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dr. Lawyer will deliver her keynote on Sunday, November 3, 2024 from 8:30 - 10:00 am. Learn more about Dr. Lawyer&apos;s conference keynote, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/collaborative-experience/keynote-education-equity.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Educational Equity for Language and Disability Justice&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Planning to attend the Collaborative Experience Conference? Register at 2024 Collaborative Experience Conference registration. Hotel registration is separate. The deadline to register is Tuesday, October 1, 2024. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Explore the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/collaborative-experience/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Collaborative Experience Conference page&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>646869</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-10-02T12:05:49Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Collaborative Experience Conference Keynote on Instructional Models for Literacy</Title><title>2024-09-24-cec-keynote-science-of-reading</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-645846&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-09-24T11:41:59Z</Date><ShortDescription>The deadline to register for the conference is coming soon! Register no later than October 1, 2024. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Register for the conference and learn about the science of reading and implications for deaf and hard of hearing learners</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/0x2sEuDmsjY&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. To adjust the video speed, use YouTube&apos;s playback speed tool.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/8pEVIQ8_vhs?si=2CGrPmNkHwe_G1mu&quot; title=&quot;ASL video announcing Stacey Tucci keynote&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello! I’m Danelle Gournaris. The Collaborative Experience Conference is a conference for parents, DHH teachers, and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing in Minnesota. This year’s conference theme is, “build our future together.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Are you ready to find out who one of our presenters will be?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This presenter will provide in-depth information about her research on deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing children’s literacy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This presenter joined the field of Deaf Education when she became a parent to a Deaf daughter.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This presenter serves as the language and literacy director for the Georgia Department of Education.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This presenter is a co-author and trainer for Foundations of Literacy curriculum, which is an evidence-based early literacy curriculum designed specifically for students who are deaf and hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I’m happy to welcome Dr. Stacey Tucci to the Collaborative Experience.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Featuring Danelle Gournaris, Collaborative Plan Program Director. The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hannah Merren for voiceover. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional information&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dr. Tucci will deliver her keynote on Saturday, November 2, 2024 from 8:15 - 9:45 am. Learn more about Dr. Tucci&apos;s conference keynote, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/collaborative-experience/keynote-science-of-reading.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;The Science of Reading: Implications for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Learners&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Planning to attend the Collaborative Experience Conference? Register at 2024 Collaborative Experience Conference registration. Hotel registration is separate. The deadline to register is October 1, 2024. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Explore the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/collaborative-experience/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Collaborative Experience Conference page&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>645846</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-10-02T12:06:22Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Planning to Attend the Collaborative Experience Conference? Better Hurry and Register.</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The State of Minnesota logo, an image of a desktop with books, pencils, magnifying glass, and an apple with leaf embellishments, and the event title, &quot;2022 Collaborative Experience Conference for parents and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. Build our future together.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/2024%20Collaborative%20Experience%20Conference%20Conference%20Theme%20850_tcm1063-626466.jpg</Url></Image><title>2024-09-19-planning-to-attend-the-cec</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-645365&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-09-19T12:01:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Collaborative Experience Conference is dedicated to providing the most recent resources, professional development, and collaboration amongst Minnesota&apos;s teachers and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing as well as families. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>The deadline to register for the conference is October 1, 2024</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The last day to register to attend the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/collaborative-experience/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Collaborative Experience Conference&lt;/a&gt; is Tuesday, October 1, 2024 (less than two weeks away). October 1st is also the deadline to book your room at the Breezy Point Resort. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the conference&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Collaborative Experience will take place on November 1-3, 2024 at Breezy Point Resort in Minnesota. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This three-day conference is designed for parents, DHH teachers, and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. Conference attendees will enjoy opportunities to network and learn from peers. They will also experience a deep dive into the most recent research and information from experts and leaders in the field of deaf education, school counseling, vocational rehabilitation, and more.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration is $300 plus tax. Visit the Collaborative Experience Conference registration page for additional details. Your hotel reservation must also be booked by October 1st. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact us&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For any questions, please reach out to Collaborative Plan Program Director Danelle Gournaris, &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:danelle.gournaris@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;danelle.gournaris@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>645365</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-10-02T12:06:55Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Collaborative Experience Conference Keynote on the Importance of Early Language Exposure</Title><title>2024-09-16-conference-keynote-importance-of-early-language-exposure</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-644792&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-09-16T21:36:58Z</Date><ShortDescription>Conference Keynote: The Crucial Role of Early Language Exposure for Deaf Children</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Register for the conference and learn about predictors to language and academic outcomes</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/Hie52BX0utM&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. To adjust the video speed, use YouTube&apos;s playback speed tool.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/1XE9mkqGpq4?si=lTBGhnPPWAzKGF-f&quot; title=&quot;ASL video announcing Naomi Caselli as a keynote presenter&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello! I’m Danelle Gournaris. The Collaborative Experience Conference will happen November 1-3, 2024 in Breezy Point, MN. The Collaborative Experience is a conference for parents, DHH teachers, and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Today, I will announce one of our keynote presenters!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This presenter will discuss their research in early language development and milestones for deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing children. They will also cover language deprivation and language assessment tools.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This presenter is the director of the Deaf Center at Boston University. They are also an assistant professor in Deaf Studies at Boston University.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This presenter provides presentations and professional development sessions on topics related to sign language acquisition, deaf education, and sign language technology.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This presenter leads a research team that studies language and ways to ensure all deaf children have access to language.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please join me in welcoming Dr. Naomi Caselli to the Collaborative Experience.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Featuring Danelle Gournaris, Collaborative Plan Program Director. The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hannah Merren for voiceover. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional information&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dr. Caselli will deliver her keynote on Saturday, November 2, 2024 from 1:45 - 3:15 pm. Learn more about Dr. Caselli&apos;s conference keynote, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/collaborative-experience/keynote-crucial-role-of-early-language-exposure.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;The Crucial Role of Early Language Exposure for Deaf Children&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Planning to attend the Collaborative Experience Conference? Register at 2024 Collaborative Experience Conference registration. Hotel registration is separate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Explore the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/collaborative-experience/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Collaborative Experience Conference page&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>644792</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-10-02T12:07:23Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Online Town Hall with FEMA for Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing Minnesotans</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Text with blue boarders and the FEMA logo, &quot;3 ways to apply for disaster assistance. Online (DisasterAssistance.gov), download the FEMA APP, and call 800-621-3363.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/3%20days%20to%20apply%20for%20disaster%20assistance-850_tcm1063-639619.jpg</Url></Image><title>2024-09-13-fema-town-hall</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-644587&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-09-13T18:57:53Z</Date><ShortDescription>Eligible counties: Blue Earth, Cook, Cottonwood, Faribault, Freeborn, Goodhue, Itasca, Jackson, Lake, Le Sueur, Martin, Mower, Murray, Nicollet, Nobles, Rice, Rock, St. Louis, Steele, Waseca, and Watonwan</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Impacted by the summer flooding and reside in one of the eligible counties? Join us!</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing in Minnesota and you are in a county that has been impacted by this summer&apos;s flooding, please join us for a town hall with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) representatives. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;FEMA will provide information about their Individual Assistance Program and resources. They will also share information about how to register with FEMA during this event. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing State Services Division will share information about resources and support from State Services and what they can do for individuals who are deaf, deafblind or hard of hearing and need assistance.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing will briefly share information about the role and responsibility the Commission has in Minnesota. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Intended audience&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing community, who were impacted by summer flooding and reside in the following counties, and are eligible for individual disaster assistance:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Blue Earth&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Cook&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Cottonwood&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Faribault&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Freeborn&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Goodhue&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Itasca&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jackson&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Lake&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Le Sueur&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Martin&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mower&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Murray&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Nicollet&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Nobles&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rice&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rock&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;St. Louis&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Steele&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Waseca&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Watonwan&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thursday, September 19, 2024, from 5:30 - 6:30 pm.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and CART provided. For additional requests, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; by September 17, 2024.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register to attend online: &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYrfuutqDosHNbTZ5kdiJc62Y-AslWGL6dW#/registration&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;FEMA town hall (September 19, 2024). &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Calling in via phone an option if preferred. Please register to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation via email. The confirmation will include information on how to call in by phone.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>644587</id><Tag><Description/><Title>emergency management</Title><Id>310293</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-09-13T19:01:51Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Last Call to Become an Exhibitor at the 2024 Collaborative Experience Conference</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>&quot;Save the date&quot; text with the State of Minnesota logo, an image of a desktop with books, pencils, magnifying glass, and an apple, and the event title, &quot;2022 Collaborative Experience Conference for parents and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/2024%20Collaborative%20Experience%20Conference%20850_tcm1063-592551.jpg</Url></Image><title>2024-09-12-last-call-exhibitor</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-644448&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-09-12T17:01:53Z</Date><ShortDescription>Conference exhibitors will have a showcase table in the exhibit area, their company name listed in the conference program, and one conference registration (does not include hotel accommodations). </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Deadline to register as an exhibitor is Friday, September 13, 2024 (tomorrow)</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The deadline to sign up to be an exhibitor at the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/collaborative-experience/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;2024 Collaborative Experience Conference&lt;/a&gt; is tomorrow (Friday, September 13, 2024). Don&apos;t miss your chance to share your organization&apos;s information with over 325  parents, DHH teachers, and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing in Minnesota. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Exhibitors can sign up by filling out the conference registration form as an exhibitor. We also have a &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/assets/Sponsor%20Exhibitor%20Guide%202024%20Accessible_tcm1063-642742.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Sponsor and Exhibitor Guide (PDF)&lt;/a&gt; for your convenience.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For any questions, reach out to &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:danelle.gournaris@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;danelle.gournaris@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>644448</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-10-02T12:07:52Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Voter 101 Online Workshop on Monday, September 16, 2024</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Word cloud with prominent words such as elections, accessibility, ballot, registration, absentee, office, turnout, poll, candidates, voting, etc. MNCDHH and the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State logos are also present.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Voting%20in%20Minnesota-850_tcm1063-539219.jpg</Url></Image><title>2024-08-30-voter-101-online-workshop</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-642745&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-08-30T16:57:23Z</Date><ShortDescription>Make sure you have all the information you need to participate in this big presidential election year. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Presented by Melanie Hazelip, Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Join us for this Voter 101 presented by Melanie Hazelip, Voter Outreach Director for the Office of the Secretary of State. Make sure you have all the information you need to participate in this big presidential election year. You’ll learn the different ways to vote, your rights as Minnesota voter, the different options if you need assistance while voting, and so much more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Intended audience&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anyone, including Minnesota&apos;s deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing community, who is interested in learning more about their voting rights and accessible voting in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Monday, September 16, 2024, from 6:00 - 7:00 pm.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and CART provided. For additional requests, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; by September 11, 2024.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYodeqqpz0uEtPbshv_FCxI7pzrrlVwGHm3#/registration&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Register to attend online: Voter 101 event on September 16, 2024.&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Calling in via phone is an option if preferred. Please register to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation via email. The confirmation will include information on how to call in by phone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Melanie Hazelip, Voter Outreach Director&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Melanie Hazelip is the Voter Outreach Director for the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State. She is new to the office but has done this work for six years, in a variety of capacities. She believes democracy is not a spectator sport, we all must participate. In her work she tries to make voting accessible to all Minnesotans. She spends her days talking to advocates around the state who share the same goal. She lives in Saint Paul with her husband, three kids, and two black cats. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;September 17 is National Voter Registration Day&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition to the online Voter 101 workshop on September 16, please join us for the in-person National Voters Registration Day event on September 17th in St. Paul. Learn more at &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/news/index.jsp?id=1063-640783&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Commission Hosting a &apos;Get Registered to Vote&apos; Event in Honor of National Voter Registration Day.&lt;/a&gt; Pizza will be provided. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>642745</id><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-09-10T16:27:22Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Collaborative Experience Conference Schedule Now Available</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The State of Minnesota logo, an image of a desktop with books, pencils, magnifying glass, and an apple with leaf embellishments, and the event title, &quot;2022 Collaborative Experience Conference for parents and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. Build our future together.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/2024%20Collaborative%20Experience%20Conference%20Conference%20Theme%20850_tcm1063-626466.jpg</Url></Image><title>2024-08-30-CEC-presenters-workshops</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-642740&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-08-30T15:22:59Z</Date><ShortDescription>For parents, DHH teachers, and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Conference will be held in Breezy Point, MN on November 1-3, 2024</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The 2024 Collaborative Experience Conference schedule with workshop titles and presenter names is now available! Visit the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/collaborative-experience/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Collaborative Experience webpage&lt;/a&gt; and click on the &apos;Schedule&apos; tab to learn more about the workshops.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Collaborative Experience will take place on November 1-3, 2024 at Breezy Point Resort in Minnesota. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This three-day conference is designed for parents, DHH teachers, and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. Conference attendees will enjoy opportunities to network and learn from peers. They will also experience a deep dive into the most recent research and information from experts and leaders in the field of deaf education, school counseling, vocational rehabilitation, and more.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration is $300 plus tax. Visit the Collaborative Experience Conference registration page for additional details.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact us&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For any questions, please reach out to Collaborative Plan Program Director Danelle Gournaris, &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:danelle.gournaris@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;danelle.gournaris@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sponsors and Exhibitors&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are still opportunities to be a sponsor or an exhibitor at the Collaborative Experience Conference.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn more at &lt;a href=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Sponsor%20Exhibitor%20Guide%202024%20Accessible_tcm1063-642742.pdf&quot; title=&quot;2024-sponsor-exhibitor-guidebook-cec&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2024-sponsor-exhibitor-guidebook-cec&quot;&gt;2024 Sponsor and Exhibitor Guide (pdf)&lt;/a&gt;. The guide includes information about pricing, recognition for your generosity, and what to expect at the conference. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For Potential Sponsors&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please contact &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:danelle.gournaris@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;danelle.gournaris@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; to discuss opportunities. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Access Sponsor (1 of 4 available)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Bag Sponsor (1 available)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Break Sponsor (2 of 3 available)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Event Partners &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For Potential Exhibitors&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The deadline to sign up to be an exhibitor is Friday, September 13, 2024. Exhibitors can sign up by filling out the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2024-collaborative-experience-conference-tickets-910042480557&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;conference registration form as an exhibitor&lt;/a&gt;.  For any questions, reach out to &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:danelle.gournaris@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;danelle.gournaris@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>642740</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-10-02T12:08:34Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Captioning of Campaign Advertisements</Title><title>2024-08-27-captioning-of-campaign-advertisements</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-642402&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-08-27T16:36:36Z</Date><ShortDescription>On August 27, 2024, the Commission sent a letter reminding state-level candidates who signed the public subsidy agreement about the requirements to caption their campaign ads (Minnesota Statutes 10A.38).</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Benefiting deaf, deafblind &amp; hard of hearing voters</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dear Candidate,&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As the General Election approaches, the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing would like to remind you of the legal requirements to make your campaign videos and radio ads accessible to the 20% of the electorate with varying degrees of hearing loss. Nearly two-thirds of the elderly population are in this demographic.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Not only is it law, but it will also allow candidates, such as yourself, to increase the number of voters who will access and understand your advertisements.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/10A.38&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Minnesota Statutes 10A.38&lt;/a&gt; requires legislative candidates who agree to spending limits to make their ads accessible as follows:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Broadcast or cable campaign ads&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“A campaign advertisement that is disseminated as an advertisement by broadcast or cable television must include closed captioning for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers unless the candidate has filed with the board before the advertisement is disseminated a statement setting forth the reasons for not doing so.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ads on a candidate’s website&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“A campaign advertisement that is disseminated as an advertisement to the public on the candidate&apos;s Web site must include closed captioning for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers, unless the candidate has posted on the Web site a transcript of the spoken content of the advertisement or the candidate has filed with the board before the advertisement is disseminated a statement setting forth the reasons for not doing so.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Radio ads&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“A campaign advertisement must not be disseminated as an advertisement by radio unless the candidate has posted on the candidate&apos;s Web site a transcript of the spoken content of the advertisement, or the candidate has filed with the board before the advertisement is disseminated a statement setting forth the reasons for not doing so.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Noncompliance&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A recent change in the statute states that any candidate who fails to complain with the requirements is subject to a civil penalty imposed by the board of up to $1,000. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Questions and resources&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can find more information and resources for making your ads accessible on our website at &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/get-involved/voting/candidate-campaign-ad-captioning/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Candidate Campaign Ads: Captioning is the Law&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please let us at the Commission know if you have questions or need additional information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our email address is &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:mn.commission@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;mn.commission@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Taking this step will demonstrate that you want to communicate with this demographic group. Not surprisingly, deaf and hard of hearing individuals have told us that they have an improved perception of the candidates who have captioned campaign advertisements and are more inclined to vote for these candidates.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you in advance for making your campaign messages accessible to Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sincerely,&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Darlene G. Zangara, Ph.D.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Executive Director&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>642402</id><Tag><Description/><Title>accessible technology</Title><Id>310264</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>captioning</Title><Id>247356</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-08-27T16:38:09Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Apply to Join the Commission Board</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>&apos;Join the board&apos; text with MNCDHH&apos;s logo on a blue and marbled tone header</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Join%20the%20Board_tcm1063-455279.jpg</Url></Image><title>2024-08-20-join-the-board</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-641720&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-08-20T14:22:21Z</Date><ShortDescription>Please submit your application by September 9, 2024. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Open seats include member at large and regional representatives</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing serves as the principal agency of the state to advocate on behalf of Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. We work to ensure these community members have equal access to the services, programs, and opportunities available to others. (&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/what-we-do/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Learn more about what we do and how.&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Board members have an important role at the Commission by providing guidance and oversight to the executive director. At least 50% of the board must be deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. Board members are appointed by the Governor.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The following seats are currently open. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;At-large member (3 seats)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Advisory committee regional representative (2 seats) &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anyone may apply for an at-large seat. To apply to be a regional representative, you must be a member of your region&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-hard-of-hearing/about-us/advisory-committees/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing State Services advisory committee&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Recommendations will be made to the Governor&apos;s Office by the Commission board for new members mid-September 2024. Please submit any applications by September 9th, 2024, to be considered. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To learn more about the board and how to apply, view our &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/get-involved/join-the-board/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;&quot;Join the Board&quot; webpage&lt;/a&gt;. Or go to the &lt;a href=&quot;https://commissionsandappointments.sos.state.mn.us/Agency/Details/185&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Secretary of State&apos;s page for our Commission&lt;/a&gt; and apply now.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Board applications remain on the website for one year. If you applied after October 2023, your application will be considered. If you applied before October 2023 and are still interested in being considered, please resubmit your application. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>641720</id><pubdate>2024-08-20T14:50:49Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2024 Minnesota State Fair</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>MN State Fair header with Commission logo and icons of typical Fair structures like a Ferris wheel, tent, and tickets.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/2024-state-fair_tcm1063-641711.jpg</Url></Image><title>2024-08-19-Minnesota-State-Fair</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-641712&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-08-19T21:21:11Z</Date><ShortDescription>Find the Commission on August 26 and August 28, from 1 - 5 p.m. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Information about where to find the Commission, accessibility, and booths!</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota State Fair will run from August 22nd to September 2nd, 2024. The fair is located at 1265 Snelling Ave. N., St. Paul, MN 55108. Find details about the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mnstatefair.org/general-info/hours-of-operation/&quot;&gt;hours of operations&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mnstatefair.org/transportation/&quot;&gt;transportation and parking options.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn more about all the opportunities at the State Fair and where to find us!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota State Fair offers a variety of accessibility services so everyone can enjoy the fair. Learn more about their accessibility offerings at their &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mnstatefair.org/general-info/accessibility-guide/&quot;&gt;Accessibility Guide.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL, Captioning and Audio Description&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During the fair, ASL interpreters are available to assist guests 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. If you would like ASL interpretation during your visit, please contact the fair at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:accessibility@mnstatefair.org&quot;&gt;accessibility@mnstatefair.org&lt;/a&gt;, by phone at 651-288-4448, or stop by Guest Relations at Visitors Plaza. (Advance arrangements are recommended. Requests for interpreter services will be accommodated based on interpreter availability.)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There is also captioning available for guests who are deaf or hard of hearing at specific free shows and competitions. A monitor displaying the captioning will be positioned near the stage or in a designated seating area.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The fair offers Aira Visual Assistance App (new this year!); audio description services and prerecorded audio description services for specific shows; and large-print daily schedules and maps.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mnstatefair.org/general-info/accessibility-guide/#asl&quot;&gt;View the list of shows with already scheduled ASL interpretation.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mnstatefair.org/general-info/accessibility-guide/#captioning&quot;&gt;View the list of shows with captioning.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mnstatefair.org/general-info/accessibility-guide/#blind&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;View the list of shows with audio descriptions.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional ASL and audio description services available upon request with two weeks advance notice.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Booths&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These booths may be of interest to you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visit with your legislators and learn about voting&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Fairvote Minnesota – Education Building, north center section&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MN House of Representatives – Education Building, east wall&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MN State Senate – Education Building, east wall&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Senator Amy Klobuchar - North side of Judson Ave. between Nelson and Underwood streets&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State – in the Grandstand, lower level, northeast section&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visit with your political party&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MN Democratic Farmer Labor Party – Northeast corner of Dan Patch Ave. &amp;amp; Copper St.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Republican Party of Minnesota – South side of Carnes Ave. between Nelson and Underwood streets&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Independence Party of Minnesota - South side of Dan Patch Ave. between Nelson &amp;amp; Underwood streets&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Libertarian Party of Minnesota – West side of Nelson St. between Carnes &amp;amp; Judson avenues&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Grassroots Party - Legalize Cannabis - In the Grandstand, lower level, northeast section&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visit your government agency&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Council on Disability – Education Building, northeast section&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Department of Agriculture – In the Agriculture Horticulture Building, north side&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Department of Commerce - Eco Experience Building, southwest corner
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Note:&lt;/em&gt; The Department of Commerce is providing ASL for daily speakers on August 22 (workforce development and jobs program and home energy audit services), August 24 (Cities, tribal nations, and schools share information about improvements for the environment and communities), and August 25 (energy saving tips for renters and homeowners) from 11 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. They also have their energy rebate programs and home weatherization materials available in braille. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Department of Corrections - Education Building, south center aisle&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Department of Education - Education Building, southwest corner&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Department of Public Safety - Education Building, south aisle&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Department of Revenue - Education Building, south aisle&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Department of Natural Resources - Department of Natural Resources Building, between Carnes &amp;amp; Judson avenues &amp;amp; Clough &amp;amp; Nelson streets&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs - Education Building, just inside the main entrance&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Department of Transportation - West side of Cosgrove street between Wright &amp;amp; Dan Patch avenues&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State - In the Grandstand, lower level, northeast section&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing Related Booths&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Lions Vision, Diabetes and Hearing Center - Education Building, center aisle section&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Your Ears Rock - Warner Coliseum, south side&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Health Fair 11 - Southwest corner of Dan Patch Ave. &amp;amp; Cooper St. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Find the Commission&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing will be at the Minnesota State Fair during the following dates and times:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Monday, August 26th, 1 - 5 p.m.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Wednesday, August 28th, 1 - 5 p.m. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Find us at the Minnesota Council on Disability&apos;s booth (Education Building, northeast section). Board members and staff will be there to meet members of the public. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>641712</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-08-19T21:34:16Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Commission Hosting a &apos;Get Registered to Vote&apos; Event</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Text with Commission logo in center, &quot;National Voter Registration Day. Rise up and register. Sept 17, 2024&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/NationalVoterRegistrationDayPartnerWithCommissionLogo-850_tcm1063-640781.jpg</Url></Image><title>2024-08-13-national-voter-registration-day-event</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-640783&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-08-13T20:19:02Z</Date><ShortDescription>Taking place on September 17, 2024 from 4:40 - 6:30 PM</ShortDescription><Subtitle>In honor of National Voter Registration Day</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;September 17 is National Voters Registration Day! In honor of this day, the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing is hosting an in-person &quot;Get Registered to Vote&quot; event. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commission representatives will also be available to share voting resources such as how to find your polling station and where to find your sample ballot. Pizza will be provided!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Intended audience&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Members of the community who are eligible to vote. If you need to update your voter registration, or not yet registered, or not sure if you are registered, please join us!  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We also invite partner organizations who would like tools and resources to mobilize voting with their members. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tuesday, September 17, 2024, from 4:30 PM - 6::30 PM.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Dendros Group
&lt;br /&gt;
2642 University Ave W #140
&lt;br /&gt;
St Paul, MN 55114&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Transportation and Parking&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Right across the street from the METRO Green Line Westgate Station on University Ave. Walk to the south and approach the front door of the building. If locked, please knock and someone will come to open the door.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If using Metro Mobility or a ride share service, arrange to be picked up by 8:00 as the building closes promptly at 8:00 pm.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Free parking is available on the East side of the building. Pay parking is available on the West side of the building.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We will have interpreters and CART onsite. To request another accommodation, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; by Wednesyda, September 11, 2024.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>640783</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-09-10T23:50:00Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>FEMA Resources</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Text with blue boarders and the FEMA logo, &quot;3 ways to apply for disaster assistance. Online (DisasterAssistance.gov), download the FEMA APP, and call 800-621-3363.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/3%20days%20to%20apply%20for%20disaster%20assistance-850_tcm1063-639619.jpg</Url></Image><title>2024-08-02-disaster assistance</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-639620&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-08-02T19:58:49Z</Date><ShortDescription>More may be added as FEMA continues to assess the damage.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Individual disaster assistance approved for 19 counties impacted by summer flooding</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;FEMA, the federal agency that provides disaster assistance, has approved individual assistance for residents in the following counties impacted by summer flooding. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Blue Earth&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Cook&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Cottonwood&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Faribault&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Freeborn&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Goodhue&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Itasca&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jackson&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Lake&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Le Sueur&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mower&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Nicollet&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Nobles&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rice&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rock&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;St. Louis&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Steele&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Waseca&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Watonwan&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional counties may be added to the list as FEMA continues their assessments for damage around Minnesota. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesotans in the listed counties can apply for individual assistance at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.disasterassistance.gov/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;disasterassistance.gov&lt;/a&gt;. Visit their &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.disasterassistance.gov/help/faqs&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;FAQ for additional questions&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Aaron Kubey is a Communication Access Specialist  and Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI) with FEMA and is available to make sure the process is accessible to deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Minnesotans. If you need to reach him, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:aaron.kubey@fema.dhs.gov&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;aaron.kubey@fema.dhs.gov&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>639620</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>emergency management</Title><Id>310293</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-08-02T20:54:34Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Employer Reasonable Accommodation Fund (ERAF)</Title><title>2024-08-02-eraf</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-639526&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-08-02T16:37:54Z</Date><ShortDescription>Central accommodation fund designed for small to mid-size Minnesota employers to provide reasonable accommodations for job applicants and employees with disabilities. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Program under the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/532OP-3kjyU&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. To adjust the video speed, use YouTube&apos;s playback speed tool.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/6k1XJdyteOg?si=NnQqOD-duKq8BpUu&quot; title=&quot;ERAF ASL video&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) has a program called the Employer Reasonable Accommodation Fund (ERAF) to aid employees with disabilities. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The purpose of the ERAF is to encourage employment of people with disabilities by reducing any perceived or real financial barriers. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The ERAF creates a central fund where small to mid-sized Minnesota employers can request reimbursement for expenses related to providing reasonable accommodations for job applicants and employees with disabilities. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Qualifying accommodations could include sign language interpreters, captioning, lighting and alarms, low vision aids and devices, and more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition to the reimbursements, the ERAF Coordinator is available for technical assistance and consultation at no cost to employers. They available for the following activities:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Understanding the Americans with Disabilities Act as it relates to hiring and retaining individuals with disabilities and implementing reasonable accommodations.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Consulting on how to locate, purchase, and implement reasonable accommodations that meet the needs of individuals with disabilities.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Connecting employers to disability-related trainings and resources, including DEED-specific programs and initiatives.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Answering any questions about the ERAF.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The ERAF program  is a two-year pilot program from July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2025. This program has a budget of $4,000,000.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For questions, comments, assistance with the application, or requests for technical assistance/training, please contact the ERAF program. Email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Eraf.deed@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Eraf.deed@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; or call 651-539-2390 or 1-833-391-8050.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;More information including a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) is also available &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/financing-business/eraf&quot;&gt;through the website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>639526</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>employment</Title><Id>310253</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-08-02T20:51:54Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Interpreter Training Program Recruitment</Title><title>2024-08-02-itp-ads</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-639521&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-08-02T15:13:16Z</Date><ShortDescription>Ad running on radio and television, encouraging individuals to consider becoming an interpreter and attending an interpreter training program (ITP). </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Growing the numbers of professional sign language interpreters</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You may have noticed the Commission&apos;s ads running on various radio and television stations in Minnesota. One of the obvious issues that emerged from the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/communication-access/interpreting-forward/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Interpreting Forward 2030&lt;/a&gt; work is we need more individuals to pursue professional sign language interpreting as a career.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/DtCCX7tflpI?si=VRZztfTcRSNKqfRA&quot; title=&quot;interpreting training program pep with open captions&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Descriptive transcript&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video opens with a photo of an ASL interpreter with title below: “Are you looking for a fulfilling profession?” Burned-on open captions on the bottom.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Voiceover: Are you looking for a fulfilling profession where you can put your communication skills to work in…&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New photo of a different interpreter signing ‘ready’.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Voiceover: …medical, educational, legal settings and more? Become an American Sign Language interpreter.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New photo of a platform interpreter on stage for a government-related presentation. The interpreter signs ‘award’.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Voiceover: Did you know that there’s a high demand for qualified interpreters throughout Minnesota?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New photo of an interpreter mid-sign, something like ‘freeze’.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Voiceover: You can learn American Sign Language and interpreting skills through programs at St. Paul College,&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New photo showing a group of student interpreters doing a physical group activity in a college classroom.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Voiceover: …St. Kate’s, or North Central University. Learn more through each college’s website.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New photo shows a man wearing a business suit with two sign language interpreters looking on from the side.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Voiceover: Paid for by the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing,&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Slide showing the logos for both the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind, &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing on left, the logo for Minnesota Broadcasters Association on left. Website link on bottom: mn.gov/deaf-commission.]&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>639521</id><pubdate>2024-08-02T20:51:59Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Scam Stopper: Telemarketing Scams</Title><title>2024-08-02-scam-stopper</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-639498&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-08-02T14:42:03Z</Date><ShortDescription>As well as what to do if a telemarketing scam happens to you. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>How to recognize the signs and how to protect yourself. </Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Attorney General Keith Ellison issued a warning to Minnesotans about how to spot – and avoid – telemarketing fraud.  The warning is part of the Attorney General’s monthly Scam Stopper series, aiming to help protect Minnesota consumers from common scams.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Telemarketing scammers work hard to exploit individuals – particularly that of more vulnerable adults, or seniors of a generation used to doing business on a handshake. Telemarketing scammers abuse the trust of folks. Here’s what people should watch for: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;High-pressure sales tactics that ask you to make an immediate decision &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Computer messages warning you of a virus and directing you to an unfamiliar help line or software vendor &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Messages informing you of prize contests or sweepstakes you’ve won, but never entered &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Asks for donations to unfamiliar charities &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Suspicious calls purporting to be from a familiar company, asking for personal information or additional payment&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It is essential that Minnesotans report scams to the Attorney General’s Office or to law enforcement. Many people feel embarrassed when a scam happens to them, but the truth is that con artists and scammers are often professionals with years of experience. They are good at what they do, and they count on people feeling too embarrassed to protect others by speaking out. If a scam happens to you, the best thing to do is report it right away.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If a telemarketing scam happens to you, here are a few steps to take: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Promptly notify your local law enforcement agency &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Keep copies of all communications with the scammer &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;File a complaint with the Office of Attorney General Keith Ellison online at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ag.state.mn.us/&quot;&gt;ag.state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; or on the phone at (651) 296-3353 for Twin Cities residents and (800) 657-3787 for people in Greater Minnesota.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/3qxLLt9rZV0?si=OAAIbTzojltt64jr&quot; title=&quot;Scam stopper message featuring AG Keith Ellison with ASL and open captions&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Descriptive transcript&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
[Video opens with a video of Attorney General Keith Ellison, wearing a tan suit with a dark red shirt underneath. He stands in front of a bookcase with thick legal volumes lining the shelves. He speaks while the ASL talent signs. Burned-on subtitles in white across the bottom.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Keith: Hey friends, Keith Ellison here, Minnesota Attorney General and the People&apos;s Lawyer.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video transitions to a picture in picture window of the ASL signer on bottom right corner with a photo of the state capitol as the main background image. Rolling text on the image: “Scam ! Stopper from the Office of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison” Graphic on either side of the title are of the scales of justice and the Minnesota state outline.] &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Music] &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video transitions back to Keith.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Keith: My job is to help people afford their lives and live with dignity,  safety, and respect. You can&apos;t live with dignity, safety, and respect if you fall victim to telemarketing fraud. These people might get you through the mail, the phone, or the internet, and believe me, it&apos;s big business—about $40 billion a year—because of this telemarketing fraud. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These people are professionals, they&apos;re good, and you have to give them credit for the crookedness that they engage in. They&apos;re so good that they sometimes take people in,  but you don&apos;t want to be their victim. So, let&apos;s talk about that a little bit. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;First of all, they take advantage of people. They take advantage of people&apos;s trust. Some of our neighbors, particularly some of our seniors, grew up in a time when you could trust people and do business on a handshake. Those days are over, and we want to make sure you know how to protect yourself from these telemarketer fraudsters. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Let&apos;s talk about their tactics. Number one, these people use high-pressure sales tactics. They make you think that you&apos;ve got to have their product now. No, you don&apos;t. The reality is, if there&apos;s something you need, even if you need it right away, you can initiate and look for the product yourself. If they&apos;re calling you, telling you that you&apos;ve got to have this and to give them your information now,  they&apos;re probably using a high-pressure sales tactic, which is a telltale sign of fraud. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Oftentimes, they offer phony sweepstakes or  prizes. Most legitimate businesses don&apos;t do that,  and that&apos;s another red flag that there&apos;s a fraud coming up. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Another thing is that sometimes they ask for donations from non-existent charities. At the Minnesota Attorney General&apos;s Office,  we have a registration database for all the  charities. If you want to know if this is a legit charity, you can ask us. Ask around,  ask your friends. If they&apos;re calling you and soliciting you, make sure it&apos;s  a real charity before you give them your money. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;They also ask for your personal information. The reality is, when people start asking you for your Social Security number and you didn&apos;t call them, it&apos;s probably not good. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sometimes they buy data that has your name on it, and when they buy that data, they will try to pretend that they’re a company you did business with before. So,  you want to make sure you check that. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;They also might try to open up a fake account  in your name, so be careful about that too. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Now, here&apos;s how to avoid the scammers. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;First of all, know what&apos;s going on and what the signs are. Also, don&apos;t send money orders or prepaid gift cards to people—that&apos;s a telltale sign.  Legitimate businesses don&apos;t really do that, so be aware. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Number two, if you&apos;re told about a computer virus, don&apos;t send them anything. Go to a trusted repair shop. You can look them up—there are a lot of them out there. Generally, these computer virus scams are just trying to get your data and information. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Number three, don&apos;t give personal information to people you don&apos;t know. Call them back at a number you trust to confirm. If anybody wants your Social Security number, don&apos;t give it to them. We don&apos;t give our Social Security number over the phone, we don’t give our credit card number over the phone, we don&apos;t do those kinds of things—it&apos;s not a good idea. Legitimate businesses tend not to do this.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Then, you want to ask for an offer or contract materials in writing. You want to make sure you have written material so that you can really look it over and take your time. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And this is very important: always be ready to walk away.  If the deal doesn&apos;t feel right or there&apos;s too much pressure, just say, &quot;Thank you, I’m done with this conversation,&quot; and hang up. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Of course, ask around. Do your homework. Your friends and family are often a good source of information for products and services that you might want. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Now, if you&apos;ve been a victim of a scam, first thing—don&apos;t be embarrassed. Speak up. By speaking up, you&apos;re going to help us shine a light on these scams and find the people who are doing these bad things. Give us a call at our office. I&apos;ll give you the number in a moment. But if you speak up, you can help a lot of people. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These scammers know that people get embarrassed when they&apos;re victims of scams, and they’re going to try to use your embarrassment or shame to silence you. Shining a light on these tactics can help stop the next scammer.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reach out to my office. The Minnesota Attorney General’s Office has a whole group of experts in the area of consumer protection who can help you. We call them the Consumer Action Team, and you can reach them at 651-296-3353 (or at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ag.state.mn.us/&quot;&gt;ag.state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;). &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So, thank you for listening. This is another edition of Scam Stoppers, looking out for your paycheck, your family&apos;s budget, and your income. Thank you and stay safe.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video transitions to the title slide with the state capitol and the rolling trite text. Subtitle in white across the bottom of the closing slide, “American Sign Language provided by Diego Ozuna-Clark, Keystone Interpreting Solutions, and the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video ends.]&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>639498</id><Tag><Description/><Title>healthy aging</Title><Id>625841</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-08-02T20:52:04Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Deadline Extended for Presenter Proposals</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Call for Presenters header with the State of Minnesota logo and blurb, &quot;2023 Collaborative Experience Conference for parents and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, an dhard of hearing. Call for presenters.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/2024%20CEC%20Call%20for%20Presenters-800_tcm1063-623465.jpg</Url></Image><title>2024-06-28-deadline-extended-presenter-proposal</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-630415&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-06-28T18:03:38Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Collaborative Experience Conference is designed for parents and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing in Minnesota.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Collaborative Experience Conference proposals due by Friday, July 12, 2024</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The deadline to submit presenter proposals for the 2024 Collaborative Experience Conference has been extended. They are now due by Friday, July 12, 2024.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How to submit your proposal&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Fill out the &lt;a href=&quot;https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7835181/Call-for-Presenters-for-the-2024-Collaborative-Experience-Conference&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;online proposal form&lt;/a&gt;. Be sure to fill out the form completely as partially completed proposals will not be accepted.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Priority topics&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are especially seeking proposals related to the following topics:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Accommodations, modification, and adaption of curriculum, material, and instruction&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;ASL/deaf culture&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Cultural competency&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf/hard of hearing with diverse/multiple cultural and linguistic backgrounds&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing with multiple disabilities&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deafblind topics&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Educational interpreting&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;LGBTQIA+&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Positive behavior intervention&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Racial issues related to equity, racism, ableism, audism&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reading preparation&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Specific workshops for parents&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Strategies/resources for mental health needs for teachers&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Strategies/resources for mental health needs for parents&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Strategies/resources for social-emotional supports/development&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Suicide prevention&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>630415</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-06-28T18:05:14Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Tonight! 2024 Laws Q&amp;A Online</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Header with Minnesota State Capitol and text, &quot;2024 Laws Q&amp;A&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/2024%20Legislative%20Outcomes%20Webinar%20850_tcm1063-627724.jpg</Url></Image><title>2024-06-25-tonight-2024-laws-qa</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-628738&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-06-25T18:22:55Z</Date><ShortDescription>Join us and learn more about new legislation impacting Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Provided by the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tonight Government Relations Director Alicia Lane will review statutes signed into law this year that benefit deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Minnesotans and answer questions submitted in advance. We will also take questions during the live session and, if time permits, answer them at the end.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tonight! Tuesday, June 25, 2024, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How to submit questions&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Two easy steps!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Review the &lt;a href=&quot;https://drive.google.com/file/d/1b6--XFlKkO_RteOvoCG00N6NVAljnt4V/view?usp=sharing&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;2024 laws benefitting deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Minnesotans&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Fill out the &lt;a href=&quot;https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7901792/03b61cd63cee&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;short question form&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;That&apos;s it! We will answer questions as time permits.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and CART provided. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register to attend (or just show up a few minutes before the webinar begins).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Calling in via phone is an option if preferred. Please register to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation via email. The confirmation will include information on how to call in by phone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEqcuGtpzwvHtYZHn_KC3zjPJ3S9bnS-HMF#/registration&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Register today!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>628738</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-06-25T18:24:46Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2024 Laws Q&amp;A Online</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Header with Minnesota State Capitol and text, &quot;2024 Laws Q&amp;A&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/2024%20Legislative%20Outcomes%20Webinar%20850_tcm1063-627724.jpg</Url></Image><title>2024-06-14-new-laws-q-a</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-627725&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-06-14T17:04:07Z</Date><ShortDescription>Presented by Government Relations Director Alicia Lane</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Provided by the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Government Relations Director Alicia Lane will review statutes signed into law this year that benefit deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Minnesotans. All registrants will receive a brief summary of 2024 laws and instructions on how to submit questions in advance.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tuesday, June 25, 2024, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and CART provided. For additional accommodations, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:mn.commission@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;mn.commission@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; by Tuesday, June 18, 2024.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register to attend (or just show up a few minutes before the webinar begins).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Calling in via phone is an option if preferred. Please register to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation via email. The confirmation will include information on how to call in by phone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEqcuGtpzwvHtYZHn_KC3zjPJ3S9bnS-HMF#/registration&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Register today!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>627725</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-06-14T17:05:55Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Education Conference Sponsor and Exhibitor Opportunities</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The State of Minnesota logo, an image of a desktop with books, pencils, magnifying glass, and an apple with leaf embellishments, and the event title, &quot;2022 Collaborative Experience Conference for parents and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. Exhibitors and Sponsors&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/2024%20CEC%20Exhibitors%20and%20Sponsors-800_tcm1063-623977.jpg</Url></Image><title>2024-06-06-cec-exhibitor and sponsor opportunities</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-623978&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-06-06T22:55:10Z</Date><ShortDescription>The conference theme is &quot;Build our future together.&quot;</ShortDescription><Subtitle>2024 Collaborative Experience Conference, November 1-3, 2024</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sponsor and exhibitor opportunities are available during the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/collaborative-experience/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;2024 Collaborative Experience Conference&lt;/a&gt;! This is the sixth biennial conference for parents and professionals who work with students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Collaborative Experience will take place on Friday, November 1, 2024 through Sunday, November 3, 2024. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Collaborative Experience will take place at the Breezy Point Resort in Breezy Point, MN. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sponsorship and exhibitor packet&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Access this &lt;a href=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Sponsor%20Exhibitor%20Guide%202024%20Accessible_tcm1063-642742.pdf&quot; title=&quot;2024-sponsor-exhibitor-guidebook-cec&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2024-sponsor-exhibitor-guidebook-cec&quot;&gt;sponsorship and exhibitor packet (pdf)&lt;/a&gt; to learn more about opportunities to engage with Minnesota&apos;s parents of and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Conference registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are now &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2024-collaborative-experience-conference-tickets-910042480557&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;accepting registrations&lt;/a&gt; to attend the conference. The rates for exhibitors are:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For profit organizations: $650 plus tax&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Non-profit organizations: $200 plus tax &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact us&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For any questions, please reach out to Collaborative Plan Program Director Danelle Gournaris, &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:danelle.gournaris@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;danelle.gournaris@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>623978</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-08-30T15:48:12Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Registration is Open for the Collaborative Experience Conference</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The State of Minnesota logo, an image of a desktop with books, pencils, magnifying glass, and an apple with leaf embellishments, and the event title, &quot;2022 Collaborative Experience Conference for parents and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. Registration is open!&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/2024%20CEC%20Registration%20is%20Open%20850_tcm1063-626710.jpg</Url></Image><title>2024-06-05-cec-registration-is-open</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-626708&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-06-05T20:02:54Z</Date><ShortDescription>For parents and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Conference will be held in Breezy Point, MN on November 1-3, 2024</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration is now open for the 2024 Collaborative Experience Conference! The conference will take place on November 1-3, 2024 at Breezy Point Resort in Minnesota. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This three-day conference is designed for parents and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. Conference attendees will enjoy opportunities to network and learn from peers. They will also experience a deep dive into the most recent research and information from experts and leaders in the field of deaf education, school counseling, vocational rehabilitation, and more.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration is $300 plus tax. Visit the Collaborative Experience Conference registration page for additional details.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accepting presenter proposals&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are &lt;a href=&quot;https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7835181/Call-for-Presenters-for-the-2024-Collaborative-Experience-Conference&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;accepting presenter proposals&lt;/a&gt; until June 28, 2024. Consider sending in a proposal. The first two presenters for each workshop will receive complimentary registration. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Follow us to receive conference news&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Be sure to &lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNCDHH/subscriber/new&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;subscribe to the Commission&apos;s newsletter&lt;/a&gt;! We will be sending out exciting conference scoops over the next few months.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact us&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For any questions, please reach out to Collaborative Plan Program Director Danelle Gournaris, &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:danelle.gournaris@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;danelle.gournaris@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>626708</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-10-02T12:09:36Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Advancements in Older Americans Act (OAA) Regulations: A Long-Awaited Update</Title><title>2024-05-29-advancements-in-oaa-regulations-jacob-salem</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-625837&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-05-29T21:15:12Z</Date><ShortDescription>Originally published by Deaf Seniors of America. Republished with permission. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>By Jacob Salem, State Legislation Manager for the National Association of the Deaf</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Originally published by Deaf Seniors of America. Republished with permission. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What’s Changing in the OAA and Why It Matters?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Now, let’s take a refresher course. The OAA is U.S. legislation passed in 1965, aiming to support the well-being and independence of older adults. It achieves this through initiatives such as providing nutritious meals, transportation, caregiver support, elder abuse prevention, health promotion, elder rights safeguarding, community service employment opportunities, and funding research and evaluation efforts. Administered by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), the OAA allocates federal funding to state and local agencies to deliver these services nationwide. Some of us may remember the &apos;check-in&apos; program that called if you don&apos;t pick up the phone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Imagine if the rules had not changed for over 35 years. You might find yourself receiving outdated services that have been surpassed by newer, more effective alternatives, despite still being funded. Unfortunately, that was the reality concerning the quality of services for seniors. Recently, there has been a long-overdue transformation in regulations that better meet the changing needs of older Americans. This is a huge milestone, although it could and should have happened years ago.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The OAA, in short, ensures older adults can age with dignity, independence, and support.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What Does ACL Do for Us?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Now, here’s one more important stakeholder in issues related to the OAA – ACL. What does ACL have to do with OAA? ACL is a key agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and has been leading the efforts to modernize the OAA regulations. ACL&apos;s focus on maximizing independence, well-being, and health for older adults, people with disabilities, and their families has been instrumental in driving these efforts. By proactively updating the regulations, ACL aims to address vulnerabilities within the aging network that were highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are several reasons why updating the OAA regulations is important. First, the changes in the regulation better reflect the needs of today&apos;s older adults and help ensure effective use of resources. Second, inconsistencies and lack of clarity exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in multiple efforts to improve response and preparedness and the OAA regulations address some of these issues. For example, initiatives included having ASL interpreters on-screen and providing access to VRI at state drive-thrus during the pandemic. Finally, as we anticipate a larger number of seniors this year due to the aging of the baby boomer generation, aging networks become increasingly important, and updating the regulations becomes even more urgent to meet evolving demands.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Advocacy in Action&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In efforts to gain nationwide recognition and advocate for our Deaf* communities, national organizations such as the NAD, Deaf Seniors of America (DSA), National Association of State Agencies of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (NASADHH), and Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (TDI) have teamed up with multiple organizations to narrow the gaps and prevent anything from falling through the cracks via OAA regulations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Before update:&lt;/strong&gt; Disability definitions limited in scope, excluding communication disabilities.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;After update:&lt;/strong&gt; Expanded disability definitions to include communication disabilities, promoting inclusivity.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Before update:&lt;/strong&gt; &quot;Greatest social need&quot; definitions lacked explicit mention of communication disabilities.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;After update:&lt;/strong&gt; Revised &quot;greatest social need&quot; definitions to explicitly include communication disabilities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Before update:&lt;/strong&gt; Limited access to comprehensive care models for individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;After update:&lt;/strong&gt; Prioritized comprehensive care models accessible for individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Before update:&lt;/strong&gt; Lack of dedicated grant funds for aging individuals with communication disabilities.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;After update:&lt;/strong&gt; Allocated a minimum amount of grant funds for aging individuals with communication disabilities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Before update:&lt;/strong&gt; Limited coordination between state agencies and area agencies on aging serving individuals with communication disabilities.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;After update:&lt;/strong&gt; Enhanced coordination between state agencies and area agencies on aging serving individuals with communication disabilities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Before update:&lt;/strong&gt; Sparse availability of language translation services and American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation in supportive services.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;After update:&lt;/strong&gt; Expanded supportive services to include language translation services and American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Before update:&lt;/strong&gt; Workforce lacking diversity, hindering effective support for diverse aging populations.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;After update:&lt;/strong&gt; Emphasized the development of a diverse workforce to better address the needs of diverse aging populations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Before update:&lt;/strong&gt; Insufficient funding for research on accessible caregiving training.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;After update:&lt;/strong&gt; Increased funding for research on accessible caregiving training to improve quality of care.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Before update:&lt;/strong&gt; Limited grants for education and training in the field of aging.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;After update:&lt;/strong&gt; Provided grants for education and training in the field of aging to enhance expertise and support.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These are examples of proposed changes we strive to see being implemented in every state across the US, for the benefit of our Deaf community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What Can YOU Do?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The long-awaited update to the OAA regulations represents significant progress in addressing the changing needs of older Deaf Americans. These revisions aim to enhance care and support by promoting clarity, flexibility, and inclusivity for older adults, tribal elders, and family caregivers nationwide. The updated regulations will play a significant role in ensuring that older Deaf Americans can age with dignity, independence, and access to necessary services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Continue to monitor the latest updates, get involved with local, state, and national organizations, and most importantly, connect with your legislators. Now is the time to build relationships with your representatives and senators. Encourage them to support our proposed amendments while ensuring they continue to learn about our needs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information, please visit &lt;a href=&quot;https://acl.gov/about-acl/authorizing-statutes/older-americans-act&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;the recent updates by the ACL&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.deafseniors.us/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;the DSA&lt;/a&gt; or contact NAD at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:nad.info@nad.org&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;nad.info@nad.org&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;sub&gt;* The term &quot;deaf&quot; is used as a shorthand term to refer to people who may identify as Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, and Hard of Hearing.&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;sub&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/jacob-salem_tcm1063-625834.jpeg&quot; title=&quot;jacob-salem-headshot&quot; alt=&quot;jacob-salem-headshot&quot; style=&quot;width: 150px; height: 153px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;jacob-salem-headshot&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt; &lt;/sub&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;1&quot;&gt;Jacob Salem serves as the State Legislation Manager at the National Association of the Deaf (NAD). &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h1 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sign up to attend a free Older Americans Act Webinar&lt;/h1&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deaf Seniors of America welcomes everyone to the first DSA webinar series&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When: Tuesday, June 4, 2024, 3:00 pm Eastern Time&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Presenters:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Phil Aiello, President DSA&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sherri Collins, Webinar Moderator, Executive Director of ACDHH, NASADHH&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;AnnMarie Killian, Chief Executive Officer, TDIforAccess (TDI)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jacob Salem, State Legislation Manager, NAD&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This webinar is free.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Older Americans Act (OAA) supports a wide range of health and health-related social services programs for older individuals defined as aged 60 years or older. These include supportive services such as personal care, chore services, and transportation, congregate nutrition services (i.e., meals served at group sites such as senior centers, community centers, schools, churches, or senior housing complexes), home-delivered nutrition services, family caregiver support, the long-term care ombudsman program, and services to prevent the abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older persons.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://purplevrs.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_8hFlU6W2Ss6hjXrJgjLqcw#/registration&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Register at this link today.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>625837</id><Tag><Description/><Title>health care</Title><Id>310254</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>healthy aging</Title><Id>625841</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-05-29T21:45:04Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>In the News: Minnesota poised to lose nearly 40% of its sign language interpreters</Title><title>2024-05-17-in-the-news-minnesota-poised-to-lose-nearly-40percent</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-624735&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-05-17T16:27:24Z</Date><ShortDescription>By Jessie Van Berkel</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Star Tribune</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deaf Minnesotans made a pitch from the auditorium stage at Prior Lake High School to an audience of about 325 students studying sign language: We need you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;American Sign Language interpreters are an essential part of life for thousands of Minnesotans. They are there when someone is diagnosed with cancer or if they end up in court. They attend weddings, family reunions and funerals.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;But the pool of interpreters is shrinking in Minnesota and across the nation. A survey of Minnesota interpreters in 2021 found nearly 40% expected to leave the profession within five years. Leaders of two interpreting agencies in Minnesota said they are seeing service requests rising and more of those asks are going unmet.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Meanwhile, the three Minnesota colleges with interpreter training programs have seen participation drop.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;We&apos;re afraid for our quality of life. We&apos;re afraid we&apos;re losing our access to communication. We&apos;re afraid to be pushed aside,&quot; said Darlene Zangara, executive director Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Access the full article at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-poised-to-lose-nearly-40-of-its-sign-language-interpreters/600366671/&quot;&gt;Minnesota poised to lose nearly 40% of its sign language interpreters&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>624735</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>in the news</Title><Id>317336</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-05-17T16:30:38Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Executive Director Update with Darlene Zangara: May 2024</Title><title>2024-06-16-ed-updates</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-624595&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-05-16T17:38:37Z</Date><ShortDescription>Some of the Commission&apos;s recent work.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Interpreting Forward 2030, Collaborative Experience Conference, Uber and Lyft, DeafNation, Walk4Hearing, and Board and Staff Retreat</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/Rvjmy4XRDAQ?si=vBuSvB6yKPrUabQI&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. To adjust the video speed, use YouTube&apos;s playback speed tool.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/yUel3aBJgx0?si=uUmCsYsCTU0KSuBy&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with executive director Darlene Zangara with her May 2024 updates&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello everyone! My name is Darlene Zangara and I’m the Executive Director of the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I will start with a visual description of myself. I am a white woman with blonde hair, glasses, and wearing a black shirt.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These last few months, my team and I have been working on many things. Here are some of our recent and upcoming activities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Interpreting Forward 2030 Updates&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Interpreting Forward is a statewide initiative. Together with Dendros and stakeholders, we are working on solutions to a big question; How do we increase the quality and availability of professional sign language interpreting services in Minnesota?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is a nationwide issue. Other states are also starting to work on addressing interpreting shortage in their states. Minnesota is not alone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On February 23-24, 2024, we hosted a summit to work on possible solutions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On April 19, 2024, Dendros presented a summary of the work done at the Commission board meeting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Together, people participating in Interpreting Forward created 77 possible solutions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dendros and the Commission are working to make the solutions clear and accessible. We can’t wait to share the result with the public. There are exciting things to come.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Collaborative Experience Conference&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Good news! The location and a new date have been selected for the 2024 Collaborative Experience Conference! This conference is for parents and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The conference will take place at Breezy Point Resort in the Northwoods. It will happen on Friday, November 1 through Sunday, November 3, 2024.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Over the coming weeks, more announcements will be sent out about sponsorship, exhibitor, and presenter opportunities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For any questions, please reach out to &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:danelle.gournaris@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Danelle Gournaris&lt;/a&gt;, the Collaborative Plan Program Director.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Update:&lt;/strong&gt; Here is the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/news/index.jsp?id=1063-623467&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;presenter proposal announcement.&lt;/a&gt; If you have a great workshop, be sure to fill out an application.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Other education conferences&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Danelle continues to attend national education conferences, where she can learn about the latest research and network with her peers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In March, Danelle attended the 2024 Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Conference in Denver, CO.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In April, Danelle attended the CEASD Conference in Spartanburg, SC.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Again and again, Danelle is impressed with the professionals who are committed to good outcomes for deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing children.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Uber, Lyft, and the City of Minneapolis&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission has received many questions about the City of Minneapolis, Uber, and Lyft. People ask about what is causing the conflict and why the City and rideshare companies cannot come to an agreement.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where we are at right now:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The City of Minneapolis passed an ordinance that sets the minimum pay for rideshare drivers to $1.40 per mile within city limits. Before there was a May start date but now the start date is July 1, 2024.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Both rideshare companies say that is too much and plan to drop service starting on July 1st.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry released a study that says a rate of between 89 cents and $1.21 per mile would be enough for drivers to earn minimum wages.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Minnesota legislature is working on legislation that might resolve the issue.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It is not yet known if a newly passed state law will result in overriding the City’s ordinance.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are monitoring the situation because this impacts deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing community members traveling in the Twin Cities. Most recently our team members, Alicia Lane and Maya Larson, attended a city council meeting. During this meeting, the council members decided to extend the original May 1st deadline to July 1st.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are hopeful that state legislation will come through and the rideshare companies and the City will resolve the issue through negotiation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Update:&lt;/strong&gt; Since the time of this filming, state legislators and the City have reached an agreement. However, they still need to reach an agreement with the rideshare companies. The outcome is still unknown at this time. Meanwhile, other rideshare companies are becoming licensed to operate locally. The Commission is paying attention as we want to make sure their apps and services are accessible to the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing community.  &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DeafNation Expo&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DeafNation Expo took place in Minneapolis on April 13, 2024. Over 1,400 people attended! The board, staff and contractors had a great time connecting with members of the community. We had information about voting, legislation, and a new Venn diagram that shows the difference between the Commission and our sister agency, the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dan Millikin, director at DHHSD, and I led a fun activity onstage, called “Who Does What? Commission or DHHSD?” Audience members had small signs with Dan’s picture on one side and my picture on the other side. We quizzed the audience and asked them to guess the answer, which would be either ‘Commission’ or ‘DHHSD.’&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For example, we asked, “Which agency advises the governor’s office?” I hope you know the answer! It is the Commission.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Walk4Hearing&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The national Hearing Loss Association of America is organizing a nationwide walk to bring awareness and fundraise for both the national and local chapters.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The walk will take place on Sunday, June 2, 2024, at Como Park in St. Paul. We hope you will consider signing up and join the hard of hearing community on Walk Day to “connect, celebrate, learn more about hearing health care, and enjoy fun activities!”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visit &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.walk4hearing.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.event&amp;amp;eventID=507&quot;&gt;HLAA’s Walk4Hearing site&lt;/a&gt; to learn more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Board and Staff Retreat&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Board had a board meeting on April 19, 2024. As I mentioned earlier, Dendros provided an update on Interpreting Forward work. I provided an executive director’s report, where I covered information such as:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Work on Legislative Task Force on Aging/Older Americans Act&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Best practices and strategies for managing conflicts of interest &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A proposed strategic plan for next FY, which includes more work on aging, a DeafBlind quality of life study, language acquisition, housing, and more.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reported on monitoring reports, including the Commission’s financial health, activities, and planning for next fiscal year.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The next day was a training day. Chair Rebecca Thomas and member Michele Isham provided training on John Carver’s policy governance model, which explains how the board operates and makes sure the board’s role and responsibilities are clearly described.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Later, the board and staff had DeafBlind training provided by Helen Keller National Center. Many thanks to Ryan Odland, John Filek, and Karlee Wascher. The training included a presentation on the diversity of the DeafBlind community, with hands on activities. There was also a panel discussion. Many thanks to panelists Rocky Hart, Patrick Vellia, Riss Leitzke, and Jessica Eggert.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Picture Slideshow&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are pictures of recent events.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/EHDI%202024%20-%201_tcm1063-624520.jpg&quot; title=&quot;ehdi&quot; alt=&quot;ehdi&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 394px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;ehdi&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Deaf%20nation%202_tcm1063-624519.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Darlene-Dan&quot; alt=&quot;Darlene-Dan&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Darlene-Dan&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Deaf%20Nation%201_tcm1063-624518.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Jessica-Anne&quot; alt=&quot;Jessica-Anne&quot; style=&quot;width: 450px; height: 390px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Jessica-Anne&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Alicia%20and%20Riss_tcm1063-624517.jpg&quot; title=&quot;riss-alicia&quot; alt=&quot;riss-alicia&quot; style=&quot;width: 450px; height: 600px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;riss-alicia&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Darlene%20and%20Siuho_tcm1063-624516.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Darlene-siuho&quot; alt=&quot;Darlene-siuho&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Darlene-siuho&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Michiele%20on%203-18%20Testify_tcm1063-624515.PNG&quot; title=&quot;MI-testifying&quot; alt=&quot;MI-testifying&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 322px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;MI-testifying&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_20240312_102902_457_tcm1063-624514.jpg&quot; title=&quot;al-testifying&quot; alt=&quot;al-testifying&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;al-testifying&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/retreat-533_tcm1063-624512.jpg&quot; title=&quot;DB-training-presenters&quot; alt=&quot;DB-training-presenters&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;DB-training-presenters&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/retreat-250_tcm1063-624511.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Board-at-work&quot; alt=&quot;Board-at-work&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Board-at-work&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/retreat-249_tcm1063-624510.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Maya, Keith, Jessica&quot; alt=&quot;Maya, Keith, Jessica&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Maya, Keith, Jessica&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/retreat-596_tcm1063-624509.jpg&quot; title=&quot;DB panel&quot; alt=&quot;DB panel&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;DB panel&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/retreat-548_tcm1063-624609.jpg&quot; title=&quot;patrick-jessalyn&quot; alt=&quot;patrick-jessalyn&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 399px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;patrick-jessalyn&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Group%20with%20googles%20%281%29_tcm1063-624507.jpg&quot; title=&quot;staff-db-training&quot; alt=&quot;staff-db-training&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;staff-db-training&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/retreat-327_tcm1063-624508.jpg&quot; title=&quot;commission-gov-office&quot; alt=&quot;commission-gov-office&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 374px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;commission-gov-office&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In Closing&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As always, my door is open. Please &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:darlene.g.zangara@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;contact me&lt;/a&gt; to discuss systemic issues. You can also let me know if there is any information you would like me to share in a future update. Thank you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Featuring Dr. Darlene G. Zangara, Executive Director. The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rita Van Der Puije for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>624595</id><Tag><Description/><Title>executive director updates</Title><Id>457794</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>accessible technology</Title><Id>310264</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>hard of hearing</Title><Id>536211</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-05-16T23:57:19Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Collaborative Experience Conference Seeking Presenter Proposals</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Call for Presenters header with the State of Minnesota logo and blurb, &quot;2023 Collaborative Experience Conference for parents and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, an dhard of hearing. Call for presenters.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/2024%20CEC%20Call%20for%20Presenters-800_tcm1063-623465.jpg</Url></Image><title>2024-05-07-cec-call-for-presenters</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-623467&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-05-07T21:49:04Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Collaborative Experience Conference is taking place at the Breezy Point Resort from November 1-3, 2024.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Deadline to submit proposals is June 28, 2024</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Collaborative Plan Conference is now &lt;a href=&quot;https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7835181/Call-for-Presenters-for-the-2024-Collaborative-Experience-Conference&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;accepting proposals&lt;/a&gt; for the sixth biennial conference for parents and professionals who work with students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. The conference will be held on November 1-3, 2024 at the Breezy Point Resort in Breezy Point, MN. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deadline&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The deadline to submit your proposal is June 28, 2024. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How to submit your proposal&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Fill out the &lt;a href=&quot;https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7835181/Call-for-Presenters-for-the-2024-Collaborative-Experience-Conference&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;online proposal form&lt;/a&gt;. Be sure to fill out the form completely as partially completed proposals will not be accepted. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Priority topics&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are especially seeking proposals related to the following topics:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Accommodations, modification, and adaption of curriculum, material, and instruction&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;ASL/deaf culture&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Cultural competency&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf/hard of hearing with diverse/multiple cultural and linguistic backgrounds&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing with multiple disabilities&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deafblind topics&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Educational interpreting&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;LGBTQIA+&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Positive behavior intervention&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Racial issues related to equity, racism, ableism, audism&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reading preparation&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Specific workshops for parents&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Strategies/resources for mental health needs for teachers&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Strategies/resources for mental health needs for parents&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Strategies/resources for social-emotional supports/development&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Suicide prevention&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact us&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For any questions, please reach out to Collaborative Plan Program Director Danelle Gournaris, &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:danelle.gournaris@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;danelle.gournaris@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>623467</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-05-07T21:54:53Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2024 Collaborative Experience Conference Updates</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>&quot;Save the date&quot; text with the State of Minnesota logo, an image of a desktop with books, pencils, magnifying glass, and an apple, and the event title, &quot;2022 Collaborative Experience Conference for parents and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/2024%20Collaborative%20Experience%20Conference%20850_tcm1063-592551.jpg</Url></Image><title>2024-04-25-collaborative-experience-conference</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-621917&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-04-25T14:18:45Z</Date><ShortDescription>This conference is designed for parents and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Change of date, confirmed venue, and more</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Save the date for this year&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/collaborative-experience/&quot;&gt;Collaborative Experience Conference&lt;/a&gt;! We have a slight change of date. The sixth biennial conference for parents and professionals who work with students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing will take place on Friday, November 1, 2024 through Sunday, November 3, 2024. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Steering Committee is planning opportunities to engage all conference attendees, from parents to teachers, school counselors to vocational rehabilitation counselors, DeafBlind specialists to speech-language pathologists, and school administrators to sign language interpreters. There will be keynote speeches, breakout sessions, exhibitors, and informal gatherings. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Confirmed location!&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Collaborative Experience will take place at the Breezy Point Resort in Breezy Point, MN. All learning and networking opportunities will be enjoyed surrounded by the beauty of the Northwoods.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tentative schedule&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This schedule is subject to change.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Friday, November 1&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;4:00 PM - 9:00 PM&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saturday, November 2&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;8:00 AM - 5:00 PM&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sunday, November 3&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;8:00 AM - 12:00 PM&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Theme&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The conference theme is &quot;Build our Future Together.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Continuing education and clock hours&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Educator relicensing clock hours, administrator clock hours, and continuing education units will be offered. More specifics will be shared closer to the date. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact us&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For any questions, please reach out to Collaborative Plan Program Director Danelle Gournaris, &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:danelle.gournaris@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;danelle.gournaris@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>621917</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-04-25T14:24:43Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Governor Walz Recognizes Deaf History Month</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The State of Minnesota&apos;s seal with the text, &quot;State of Minnesota Proclamation&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Proclamation-header-850_tcm1063-472050.png</Url></Image><title>2024-04-16-governor-walz-recognizes-deaf-history-month</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-620612&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-04-16T15:41:44Z</Date><ShortDescription>Celebrating Minnesota&apos;s Deaf History</ShortDescription><Subtitle>State of Minnesota Proclamation for Deaf History Month, 2024</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In recognition of National Deaf History Month, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has also proclaimed April 2024 to be &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/assets/04.01.24%20Deaf%20History%20Month_SIgned_tcm1055-620392.pdf&quot;&gt;Deaf History Month&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Proclamation Language &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;WHEREAS: Minnesota has served as the home for several historic Deaf changemakers, including Olof Hanson (1862–1933), the first Deaf architect; Agatha Tiegel Hanson (1873–1959), first female graduate of Gallaudet University; Cadwallader Lincoln Washburn (1866–1965), a well-known Deaf artist; Gerald “Bummy” Burstein (1926–2018), a notable teacher and parliamentarian; Doug Bahl (1950–2014), a famous Deaf historian; and Blanche Wilkins Williams (1876–1936), the first African American woman to graduate from the Minnesota State Academy of the Deaf; and&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;WHEREAS: Minnesota is proud to be the home of historic national landmark Charles Thompson Memorial Hall, built in 1916 by Margaret Brooks Thompson in memory of her husband, both of whom were Deaf, and designed by architect Olof Hanson, a family friend, to be a space where Deaf Minnesotans and friends could gather, free of charge; and&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;WHEREAS: The Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf (MSAD), established in 1863 in Faribault, serves students who are Deaf, DeafBlind, and hard of hearing and has two buildings listed in the National Register of Historic Places: the Administration and Girl’s Dormitory and Noyes Hall; and&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;WHEREAS: Metro Deaf School, a free public charter school serving students ages 0–22 in Saint Paul, was established in 1992 under Minnesota’s then-new charter school law, becoming the second charter school to officially open in the United States; and&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;WHEREAS: Organizations serving the Deaf community include the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD), the Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens, the Minnesota DeafBlind Association, the Hearing Loss Association of America – Twin Cities Chapter, the St. Paul/Minneapolis Black Deaf Advocates, the Minnesota Deaf Muslim Community, Deaf Women of Minnesota, Minnesota Deaf Queers, Minnesota Deaf Senior Citizens, Deaf Equity, ThinkSelf, and others; and&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;WHEREAS: The Minnesota Digital Library hosts an archive of 173 historical photos and documents donated from the Charles Thompson Memorial Hall, the Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens, and the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf Alumni Association Museum, under their Minnesota Reflections collection; and&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;WHEREAS: The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing website hosts several collections of oral-visual history interviews with Minnesota advocates who are Deaf, DeafBlind, and hard of hearing so that every Minnesotan can learn more and get involved this Deaf History Month.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;NOW, THEREFORE, I, TIM WALZ, Governor of Minnesota, do hereby proclaim April 2024 as: DEAF HISTORY MONTH in the State of Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Minnesota to be affixed at the State Capitol this 3rd day of April.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>620612</id><Tag><Description/><Title>heritage</Title><Id>310257</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-04-17T15:41:55Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Bill Hearing Alert: SF4478 (Hoffman) Monday, March 11, 2024 at 3:00 PM</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Interior view of the brilliant blue and gold Capitol Rotunda ceiling with MNCDHH&apos;s logo and the text, &quot;Bill Hearing Alert&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Bill%20Hearing%20Alert-850_tcm1063-518245.jpg</Url></Image><title>2024-03-11-bill-hearing-commission</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-613518&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-03-11T10:40:46Z</Date><ShortDescription>Please attend and show your support. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Commission board membership requirements</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=senate&amp;amp;f=SF4478&amp;amp;ssn=0&amp;amp;y=2024&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;SF4478 (Hoffman)&lt;/a&gt; will be heard by the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/committees/committee_bio.html?ls=93&amp;amp;cmte_id=3126&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Senate Human Services Committee&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This bill updates statute requirements to allow more flexibility for the governor to appoint board members with relevant lived experiences.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The following individuals are scheduled to testify in support of this bill.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Dr. Darlene Zangara, Executive Director at the Commission&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;John Fechter, Commission Vice Chair&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please attend and show your support!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Monday, March 11, 2024 at 3:00 PM &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota Senate Building, Room 1200 or online at the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/media/media_coming_up.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Senate Webcast Schedule&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Livestream captioning is available and ASL interpreting is onsite. To provide feedback on digital accessibility of meeting information, please submit comments through the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.leg.mn.gov/accessibility/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Minnesota Legislature Accessibility &amp;amp; Usability Comment Form&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>613518</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-03-11T06:44:18Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Bill Hearing Alert: SF2583 (Rest) Thursday, March 7, 2024 at 8:30 AM</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Interior view of the brilliant blue and gold Capitol Rotunda ceiling with MNCDHH&apos;s logo and the text, &quot;Bill Hearing Alert&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Bill%20Hearing%20Alert-850_tcm1063-518245.jpg</Url></Image><title>2024-03-06-bill-hearing-deaf-education</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-612139&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-03-07T00:57:38Z</Date><ShortDescription>This bill adds deaf education to the list of teacher licensure fields that qualify for a tax credit of up to $2,500 towards a master&apos;s degree.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Master&apos;s degree tax credit</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=Senate&amp;amp;f=SF2583&amp;amp;ssn=0&amp;amp;y=2023&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;SF2583 (Rest)&lt;/a&gt; will be heard by the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/committees/committee_bio.html?ls=93&amp;amp;cmte_id=1019&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Senate Taxes Committee&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This bill adds deaf education to the list of teacher licensure fields that qualify for a tax credit of up to $2,500 towards a master&apos;s degree.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The following individuals are scheduled to testify in support of this bill.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Alicia Lane, Government Relations Director at the Commission&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Letters of support have also been submitted by Stevie Middlebrook, Audrey Kludtke, Dr. Susan Outlaw, and the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please attend and show your support!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thursday, March 7, 2024 at 8:30 AM &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota State Capitol, Room G15 or online at the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/media/media_coming_up.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Senate Webcast Schedule&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Livestream captioning is available and ASL interpreting is onsite. To provide feedback on digital accessibility of meeting information, please submit comments through the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.leg.mn.gov/accessibility/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Minnesota Legislature Accessibility &amp;amp; Usability Comment Form&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>612139</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>hard of hearing</Title><Id>536211</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-03-07T01:01:44Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Interpreting Forward Summit Update: February 2024</Title><title>2024-02-29-interperting-forward-summit-update</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-611576&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-02-29T22:54:53Z</Date><ShortDescription>Again, our profound appreciation for everyone who attended the opening reception and the working summit. The work continues. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>With Dr. Darlene Zangara and Diego Ozuna-Clark</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYGRNvWlREI&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. To adjust the video speed, use YouTube&apos;s playback speed tool.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/ydyKnM8yVYw?si=yzk1tws3stW8e1Z-&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about the Interpreting Forward Summit with Darlene Zangara and Diego Ozuna-Clark&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Descriptive transcript&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[The video opens with a white background and the Commission logo.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New slide: “Interpreting Forward 2030 Summit Community Update February 2024.”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Darlene Zangara and Diego Ozuna-Clark stand in front of a black background. Darlene is a white female with blonde hair and glasses. Diego is a light skinned Chicane transmasculine person with short, cropped hair. Diego begins signing.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Diego: Interpreting Forward 2030 Summit Community Update. I am Diego.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Diego turns to Darlene. She signs.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Darlene: and I am Darlene.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Diego: We are so excited to give you an update on the Interpreting Forward 2030 Project after a wonderful summit this weekend.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Darlene agrees.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Diego: This project is focused on increasing the quality and availability of interpreting services across Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Diego glances at Darlene. They both nod. Brief pause.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Diego: Thursday night was a wonderful community gathering with more than 60 people in attendance.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Diego and Darlene exchange glances.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Darlene: Yes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Diego: We explored the system obstacles that we face in solving this problem and recognize that we still have a lot of work ahead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Darlene and Diego look at each other.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Diego: We will soon share more details about the results of our conversations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Darlene nods.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Diego: On Friday and Saturday, approximately 50 people gathered and reviewed the work from the following working groups: Community Engagement, Interpreter Pathways, Data Analysis, National Research.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Darlene agrees.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Diego: We also developed some criteria to help us sort and prioritize solutions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Darlene looks at Diego and nods.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Diego: Next, we looked at the full preliminary set of solutions that were a result of conversations and surveys with people across the state since the start of this project.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Darlene nods. Diego invites Darlene to share more information.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Darlene: That&apos;s right.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Brief pause.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Darlene: Our community has some amazing ideas.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Diego: Yes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Darlene: In the next couple of months, we will be evaluating the solutions and beginning to figure out which strategy we can implement.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Diego agrees.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Darlene: We are also excited to begin publishing the results of our work soon.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Diego nods.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Darlene: The Commission is happy to have brought together people in this project&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Diego looks at Darlene and nods.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Darlene: and we know that we cannot continue this work alone. Some of these ideas the Commission will advance. More likely, many of these ideas will have to be addressed within partnerships and collaborations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Diego: Yes in collaboration.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Darlene: There&apos;s a lot of work still to do.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Diego: Yes, a lot.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Darlene and Diego look at each other and they both nod. Diego smiles.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Darlene: I want to say a big thank you to everyone across the state who have given their time and expertise to this work.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Diego agrees.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Darlene: Stay tuned, more to come.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Darlene smiles. Diego nods and smiles.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Diego: Yes. Thank you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Darlene: Thank you.           &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New screen appears with a white background and blue text. “The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks: featuring Dr. Darlene G. Zangara, Executive Director and Diego Ozuna-Clark, Dendros Group, Interpreting Forward 2030. Computer generated voiceover. Dendros Group Film Production.” Dendros’ logo is beside the text.]&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>611576</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-03-01T00:05:04Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Executive Director Update with Darlene Zangara: February 2024</Title><title>2024-02-29-executive-director-updates</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-611352&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-02-29T18:36:09Z</Date><ShortDescription>Focusing on some of our recent work.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Interpreting Forward 2030, court interpreters strike, presidential nomination primary, Older Americans Act reauthorization</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/tSoWfvwhZxI&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. To adjust the video speed, use YouTube&apos;s playback speed tool.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/IU2qdGC5W30?si=UnKxzivU3yTYhRXb&quot; title=&quot;executive director February 2024 updates in ASL&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello everyone! My name is Darlene Zangara and I’m the Executive Director of the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I will start with a visual description of myself. I am a white woman with blonde hair, glasses, and wearing a black shirt.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I have a lot of exciting news to share with you in this update.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Interpreting Forward 2030 updates&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Today I am filming just before our big summit begins. By the time this update is shared with you, the summit will already be over. During this summit, we will review the information that has been collected so far and work on proposed solutions. A separate update about the summit results will be shared soon.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For now, I want to say thank you to everyone who has contributed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We did a statewide tour and held 12 sessions. Through these sessions, we gathered input and ideas from more than 235 consumers, Deaf interpreters, hearing interpreters, and systems stakeholders. Thank you for joining the sessions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I thank the working group members for their hard work with building a systems map that shows the path to becoming an interpreter, conducting interviews, doing research, and analyzing data.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I thank the focus group members for meeting to exchange knowledge and develop possible solutions in specialized topics. If you are not aware of the focus groups, visit the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/news/index.jsp?id=1063-604730&quot;&gt;December 2023 Interpreting Forward update&lt;/a&gt; on the Commission’s website.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I thank everyone who participated in the open interviews and the anonymous surveys.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I thank our community partners for endorsing Interpreting Forward. They are the Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens, the Minnesota Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, The St. Paul/Minneapolis Black Deaf Advocates, Deaf Equity, Minnesota Deaf Queers, and the Minnesota Deaf Muslim Community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All of you are an important part to addressing this important issue, how to improve the availability and quality of sign language interpreters in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Court interpreters strike&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Disability Law Center and ThinkSelf have created a letter in both American Sign Language and English for court participants who are deaf. The letter explains your rights to communication access in the courts and how to file a complaint.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have a court appointment and you are not sure if you will have an interpreter, It is still really important to attend court appointments to avoid any consequences for not showing up. If you attend your scheduled hearing and there is no accommodation provided, the courts should delay to another day.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Access the letter and information on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/news/index.jsp?id=1063-609798&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Commission’s website (MN court interpreter strike)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Again, if you have a court appointment, you still need to go to the appointment. Don’t miss it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Presidential Nomination Primary (PNP)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Presidential Primary will take place on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. Early voting is already open for this primary.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What’s the Presidential Primary?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the Presidential Primary, you will vote for your preferred candidate for President for your chosen major political party. Other political parties do not have a Presidential Primary.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When you vote, either by early voting or on Election Day, you will have to select one ballot for the major political party you want.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Separately, on August 13, 2024, we will have a State Primary Election for offices other than the President.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The big Election Day will take place on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. Be sure to take time to learn the elections process and research your candidates.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For any questions about elections, I encourage you to reach out to Outreach and Civic Engagement Director Jessalyn Akerman-Frank. She and her team of civic engagement specialists will be happy to explain the voting process to you. Contact &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Jessalyn by email&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Older Americans Act reauthorization&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Did you know the number of retirees will outnumber children in the United States by 2035? This is predicted by the U.S. Census Bureau.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On the federal level, the Older Americans Act (OAA) is going through a reauthorization. The OAA is a law that provides funding and guidance to states and local programs specifically for older adults.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Legislative committees will often create programs and funding for a specific time frame with an end date. This is also called an authorization period.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If they want the work to continue, the same legislative committee will work to “reauthorize” that program and funding. The OAA has gone through several reauthorizations since it was first established in 1965.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Right now, the OAA is approaching their current ending date. Congress is working on reauthorizing the OAA.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The National Association of State Agencies serving Deaf and Hard of Hearing (NASADHH), of which the Commission is a member, is leading a national push on the OAA reauthorization.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We want to see funding, programs, and services allocated to seniors who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;NASADHH submitted suggested changes to be included in the reauthorization. This includes:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Definitions inserted on “communication disabilities” and who has a communication-related disability, such as Deaf, DeafBlind, Deaf Disabled, and Hard of Hearing.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Require the Administration to evaluate comprehensive, accessible care models to determine their impact on health outcomes for community members with communication-related disabilities.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Require all 50 states to dedicate a percentage of grant funding and ensure cultural and linguistic appropriate services to serve the aging population with hearing loss with various identities.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
States should also coordinate with state agencies serving Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing individuals if the state has an agency.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Minnesota is lucky because we have two agencies, 1) the Commission and 2) the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
States can also work with similar state nonprofits who focus on deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing issues.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Require that support services and senior center program include American Sign Language in the list of languages for language translation services available.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I will provide updates as we advocate for these changes with other NASADHH members.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Picture slideshow&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are pictures of recent events. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/1-drwilsononstage_tcm1063-611361.jpg&quot; title=&quot;1-dr-wilson&quot; alt=&quot;1-dr-wilson&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;1-dr-wilson&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/2-drwilsongandgroup_tcm1063-611360.png&quot; title=&quot;2-dr-wilson&quot; alt=&quot;2-dr-wilson&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2-dr-wilson&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/3-karenanddrwilson_tcm1063-611362.jpg&quot; title=&quot;3-dr-wilson&quot; alt=&quot;3-dr-wilson&quot; style=&quot;width: 400px; height: 533px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;3-dr-wilson&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/4-legislativetaskforceonaging_tcm1063-611363.jpg&quot; title=&quot;4-legislative-hearing&quot; alt=&quot;4-legislative-hearing&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 332px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;4-legislative-hearing&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/6-madc_tcm1063-611364.jpg&quot; title=&quot;5-madc&quot; alt=&quot;5-madc&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;5-madc&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/5-hlaa_tcm1063-611365.jpg&quot; title=&quot;6-hlaa&quot; alt=&quot;6-hlaa&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 270px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;6-hlaa&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/7-summit_tcm1063-611366.jpg&quot; title=&quot;7-interpreting-forward&quot; alt=&quot;7-interpreting-forward&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;7-interpreting-forward&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/8-summit_tcm1063-611367.jpg&quot; title=&quot;8-interpreting-forward&quot; alt=&quot;8-interpreting-forward&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 365px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;8-interpreting-forward&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/9-board_tcm1063-611368.jpg&quot; title=&quot;9-interpreting-forward&quot; alt=&quot;9-interpreting-forward&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;9-interpreting-forward&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/10-rollerskating_tcm1063-611369.jpg&quot; title=&quot;10-mnhv&quot; alt=&quot;10-mnhv&quot; style=&quot;width: 433px; height: 315px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;10-mnhv&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In closing&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;From Interpreting Forward to the Older Americans Act reauthorization, we are working on large system issues to ensure Minnesotans have a good quality of life. If you would like to chat about systemic issues or if there is any information you would like me to share in a future update, please reach out to &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:darlene.g.zangara@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;me by email&lt;/a&gt;. Thank you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Featuring Dr. Darlene G. Zangara, Executive Director. The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Daisy Jo Shuda for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>611352</id><Tag><Description/><Title>executive director updates</Title><Id>457794</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>healthy aging</Title><Id>625841</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-05-29T21:44:56Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Bill Hearing Alert: SF2266 (Hoffman) Thursday, February 29, 2024 at 8:30 AM</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Interior view of the brilliant blue and gold Capitol Rotunda ceiling with MNCDHH&apos;s logo and the text, &quot;Bill Hearing Alert&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Bill%20Hearing%20Alert-850_tcm1063-518245.jpg</Url></Image><title>2024-02-28-bill-hearing-2266-rx-labels</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-611052&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-02-29T01:21:29Z</Date><ShortDescription>Please attend and show your support!</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Accessible prescription labels</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=Senate&amp;amp;f=SF2266&amp;amp;ssn=0&amp;amp;y=2023&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;SF2266 (Hoffman)&lt;/a&gt; will be heard by the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/committees/committee_bio.html?ls=93&amp;amp;cmte_id=3123&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Senate Health and Human Services Committee&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This bill ensures consumers can receive accessible prescription label information via audible, braille, or large print.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The following individuals are scheduled to testify in support of this bill.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jessica Eggert, community advocate and Commission board member&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please attend and show your support!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thursday, February 29, 2024 at 8:30 AM &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota Senate Building, Room 1100 or online at the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/media/media_coming_up.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Senate Webcast Schedule&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Livestream captioning is available and ASL interpreting will be provided. To provide feedback on digital accessibility of meeting information, please submit comments through the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.leg.mn.gov/accessibility/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Minnesota Legislature Accessibility &amp;amp; Usability Comment Form&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>611052</id><Tag><Description/><Title>deafblind</Title><Id>499876</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-02-29T01:23:34Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>The 2024 Legislative Session Begins! </Title><title>2024-02-13-commission-starts-legislative-session</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-609798&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-02-13T22:00:13Z</Date><ShortDescription>The 2024 Legislative Session opened on Monday, February 12, 2024. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>2024 legislative agenda, survey on Capitol improvements, and letter about court interpreters strike</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The 2024 Legislative Session opened on Monday, February 12, 2024. Learn more about the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/legislation/legislative-agenda/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;legislative agenda&lt;/a&gt;,&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have questions, personal stories, or information related to one of our legislative agenda items, reach out to our Government Relations Director, Alicia Lane, at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:alicia.lane@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;alicia.lane@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Screenshot%202024-02-13%20125015_tcm1063-609800.png&quot; title=&quot;Capitol Mall Design Framework survey logo&quot; alt=&quot;Capitol Mall Design Framework survey logo&quot; style=&quot;width: 250px; height: 220px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Capitol Mall Design Framework survey logo&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Take the Capitol Mall Design Framework Survey&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board (CAAPB) has a survey to collect feedback and ideas on how the Capitol Mall can be improved to feel more welcoming and inclusive to all residents, workers, surrounding community in the area, and visitors. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The more feedback they receive, the better. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mncapitolmall.engage.sasaki.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Learn more about the Capitol Mall Design Framework project.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7672882/MN-CMDF-Survey-One&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Take the survey.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; The last day to participate in the survey is Thursday, February 15, 2024.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Letter about ASL Court Interpreters Strike in both ASL and English&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Disability Law Center and ThinkSelf have created a letter for court participants who are deaf. The letter explains your rights to communication access in the courts and how to file a complaint.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It is very important to attend court appointments to avoid any consequences for not showing up, even if court participants are not sure if they will have an interpreter during the court interpreters strike. If a court participant attends a hearing and there is no accommodation provided, they should delay to another day.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; Below is a copy in both American Sign Language (ASL) and English. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/KdWsTWdSQcw?si=fYulZyHGciYy2u1g&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about court interpreter strike&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Screenshot%202024-02-13%20130030_tcm1063-609799.png&quot; title=&quot;mdlc and thinkself logos&quot; alt=&quot;mdlc and thinkself logos&quot; style=&quot;width: 350px; height: 72px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mdlc and thinkself logos&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Court&apos;s Duty to Provide Effective Communication During the ASL Court Interpreters&apos; Strike&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You have a right to an interpreter for your Court hearings. All court participants have a constitutional right to effective and meaningful communication in court and the right to be heard - in both civil and criminal court. To protect these rights, courts must take steps to ensure that communication with people with disabilities is as effective and meaningful as communication for people without disabilities. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Minnesota Human Rights Act (MHRA), courts must provide aids and services, like qualified American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters, to communicate effectively with people who are deaf.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota Certified ASL Court Interpreters, along with other foreign language Court Interpreters, are now on strike. Therefore, the court may not have an ASL interpreter to communicate effectively with you at court.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Most Minnesota judges are now either continuing the case or using outstate Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) for court participants who are deaf. If your case is “continued”, that means that the judge is only moving your hearing to another date. Make sure you get the new date for your hearing and come to court on the new date set by the judge.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If the court uses VRI, the VRI must have a clear, high-quality video image of the interpreter without freezing, blur or lags, must be large enough to show all of the interpreters’ signing, and provide an audible transmission of voices. The ASL interpreter must also be qualified court interpreter.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are not given an interpreter or otherwise denied effective communication in court, we recommend that you file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division (DOJ) or the MN Department of Human Rights (MDHR). You may contact the DOJ at &lt;a href=&quot;https://civilrights.justice.gov/report/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;[the DOJ website]&lt;/a&gt; or (202) 514-3847; 1-855-856-1247 (toll-free) or (202) 514-0716 (TTY). Or you may contact the MDHR at 651-539-1133, MN Relay 711 at 1-800-627-3529 or Toll Free at 800-657-3704 or &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/intake/consultationinquiryform&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;[the MDHR website]&lt;/a&gt;. There are time limits to file complaints under the law, called statutes of limitations. Therefore, if you want to file a complaint, you should do so as soon as possible.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you make a complaint to the DOJ or MDHR, please also inform ThinkSelf by videophone at 651-829-9089 or email at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:advocates@thinkself.org&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;advocates@thinkself.org&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>609798</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-02-13T22:13:50Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Interpreting Forward Summit Opening Reception</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Icon of a winding road, ending underneath a rising sun. Accompanied by text, ‘Interpreting Forward Summit&apos; as well as the Commission logo and Dendros logo.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/interpreting-forward-summit-850_tcm1063-609626.jpg</Url></Image><title>2024-02-12-interpreting-forward-summit-reception</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-609627&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-02-12T22:13:04Z</Date><ShortDescription>The reception will take place between 5 - 8 pm, with a short program at 6 PM. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>You are invited to attend on Thursday, February 22, 2024</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please join us for an Interpreting Forward 2030 event! You are invited to attend a welcome reception on Thursday evening. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Meals and beverages will be provided. We will gather dietary information from those who confirm attendance.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A short program will begin at 6:00 PM, including comments from Executive Director Darlene Zangara and a request for your input.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thursday, February 22, 2024, from 5:00 - 8:00 PM&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dendros
&lt;br /&gt;
2642 University Ave West,
&lt;br /&gt;
St. Paul, MN 55114&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://form.asana.com/?k=B-p0J3aQLa_pD74wrmO3lQ&amp;amp;d=1203581002578198&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;complete this form&lt;/a&gt; and let us know if you can come.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is an ASL event with ASL/English interpreters as needed. CART is also provided. Other accommodations will be provided by request. Complete &lt;a href=&quot;https://form.asana.com/?k=B-p0J3aQLa_pD74wrmO3lQ&amp;amp;d=1203581002578198&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;this form&lt;/a&gt; to let us know you’re coming and any additional accommodations requests.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the Summit&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Interpreting Forward 2030 Summit is happening February 22-24, with the Thursday evening welcome open to the public.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For the working days of the Summit, working group participants and key stakeholders will:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;review the data that has been collected so far&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;develop criteria for ideal solutions to the problems identified&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;generate and review proposed solutions to the problems&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;provide for the evaluation of solutions proposed to date&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Interpreting Forward&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Interpreting Forward 2030 is an important initiative, led by stakeholders, supported by the Commission, and facilitated by the Dendros Group. Its mission? To address a big obstacle - almost half of all working interpreters imagine working less, leaving, or retiring in the next few years. Additionally, fewer new interpreters are joining the field. We need to increase the quality and availability of professional interpreting services for our diverse and large community in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>609627</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-02-13T22:17:22Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Our 2024 Legislative Agenda is Here!</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Outline of a person with a laptop, seated in a living room.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Zoom%20Education%20Series%20Rectangle%20850_tcm1063-475877.jpg</Url></Image><title>2024-01-24-legislative-agenda-is-here</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-607579&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-01-27T14:07:49Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Q&amp;A is taking place online on Saturday, January 27, 2024 from 10:00 - 11:30 AM. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Please join us at this Saturday&apos;s Q&amp;A and submit your questions in advance.</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Are you attending the Commission&apos;s 2024 Legislative Agenda Q&amp;amp;A this Saturday? While we&apos;ll also take questions during the live session, we can better prepare if we receive your questions about the legislative agenda in advance.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How to submit questions&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Two easy steps!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/legislation/legislative-agenda/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Review the 2024 legislative agenda.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7690364/e4c895232631&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Fill out the short question form.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;That&apos;s it! Questions must be received by 5:00 pm Friday, January 26, 2024.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saturday, January 27, 2024, from 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Join us on Zoom from the comfort of your home. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Be sure to register to attend so we have an accurate head count. Here is the registration link:  &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIkc-ihrjwoGNQ3RcaBfjSxAWtVFafAUdTs#/registration&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;2024 Legislative Agenda Q&amp;amp;A Session registration&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Calling in via phone is an option if preferred. First, register to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation via email. The confirmation will include information on how to call in by phone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and CART will be provided.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>607579</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-01-24T14:10:14Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Legislative Agenda Q&amp;A Online</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Outline of a person with a laptop, seated in a living room.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Zoom%20Education%20Series%20Rectangle%20850_tcm1063-475877.jpg</Url></Image><title>2024-01-12-legislative-agenda-qa-online</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-606520&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-01-12T16:18:14Z</Date><ShortDescription>The legislative agenda will be announced after the board completes its review.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Please join us on Saturday, January 27, 2024 from 10:00 - 11:30 AM</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our proposed 2024 legislative agenda covers the following areas:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Education&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Communication Access&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Hearing Technology&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Healthcare&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Government&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Once the Commission board completes its review, we will share this agenda with the community. Please watch for an invitation to submit questions and join us at a Q&amp;amp;A session to learn more about the Commission&apos;s goals for this upcoming legislative session. Our government relations director, Alicia Lane, will facilitate this Q&amp;amp;A session.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saturday, January 27, 2024, from 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Join us on Zoom from the comfort of your home. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Be sure to register to attend so we have an accurate head count. Here is the registration link:  &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIkc-ihrjwoGNQ3RcaBfjSxAWtVFafAUdTs#/registration&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;2024 Legislative Agenda Q&amp;amp;A Session registration&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Calling in via phone is an option if preferred. First, register to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation via email. The confirmation will include information on how to call in by phone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and CART will be provided. For additional accommodations, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; by Friday, January 19, 2024.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>606520</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-01-12T16:22:27Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>The Commission is Moving!</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Outside corner of the Elmer L. Andersen Human Services Building with parts of the nearby Metro Transit train station</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Elmer%20L%20Andersen%20Building%20850_tcm1063-606161.jpg</Url></Image><title>2024-01-09-commission-is-moving</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-606162&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-01-09T14:27:55Z</Date><ShortDescription>While the physical location has changed, our mailing address remains the same. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Starting on January 17, we will be housed in the Elmer L. Andersen Human Services Building</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing is moving from the Golden Rule Building to the Elmer L. Andersen Human Services Building. The new location is just three blocks north of the Golden Rule Building. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additionally, the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD), will also be moving to the Elmer L. Andersen Human Services Building.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Moving date&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Starting on January 17, 2024, we will be located at the Elmer L. Andersen Human Services Building. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Directions and transportation options&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Elmer L. Andersen Human Services Building address is 540 Cedar Street, St. Paul. You can find &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/dhs/general-public/about-dhs/contact-us/directions-and-parking/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;directions and parking&lt;/a&gt; on the DHS website.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It is located directly across the street from &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.metrotransit.org/route/green&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Metro Transit&apos;s Green Line&lt;/a&gt; 10th Street Station.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In-person meetings&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Elmer L. Andersen Human Services Building is a secure building and any visitors need to be scheduled in advance. Walk-ins are not an option. The majority of Commission staff continue to telework. Commission staff are available for pre-scheduled meetings, either in-person or online.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have a scheduled in-person meeting with a Commission staff member at the building, they will provide any instructions about what to do to check-in upon arriving at the building.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mailing address&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our mailing address has not changed and is different from our physical location. Please continue to send any mail to &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;(C/O staff name, if any)&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
444 Lafayette Rd. N
&lt;br /&gt;
St. Paul, MN 55155-3814&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>606162</id><Tag><Description/><Title>staff</Title><Id>317343</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-01-09T14:59:22Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Interpreting Forward 2030 Update: December 2023</Title><title>2023-12-21-interpreting-forward-update</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-604730&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-12-21T15:43:05Z</Date><ShortDescription>Our work to increase the availability and quality of interpreting services in Minnesota.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Recent activities and what to expect the next few months</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/EtJkT-slM4I&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. To adjust the video speed, use YouTube&apos;s playback speed tool.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/EG41ZuCHHz8?si=jFB6Y6ZAHj-thH8C&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with Albert Walla on the December 2023 Interpreting Forward updates&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing and the Dendros Group look forward to connecting with you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Over the past several months, the Interpreting Forward 2030 team has connected with Deaf, DeafBlind, Hard of Hearing, Deaf interpreters, hearing interpreters and other community members. Please visit the Commission’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/communication-access/interpreting-forward/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Interpreting Forward website&lt;/a&gt;, to learn more about activities to date.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Over the next few months, we want to connect more – with more of you and with more focused discussion about improving the availability and quality of signed language interpreters in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This message describes what to expect moving forward.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Anonymous Survey, Open Interviews and Process Feedback&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Focus groups&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Interpreting Forward 2030 Summit&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Post Summit&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anonymous Survey, Open Interviews and Process Questions and Feedback&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One way to share your thoughts is through our &lt;a href=&quot;https://dendros.limequery.com/843471?lang=en&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;online Anonymous Survey&lt;/a&gt;. This survey will be available through the end of the Summit.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are willing to have your individual comments published, please &lt;a href=&quot;https://dendros.limequery.com/866779?lang=en&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;contact us to participate in an Open Interview&lt;/a&gt;. One of the members of the Community Engagement Working Group will interview you, recording your responses to be published. You will have an opportunity to review your statements prior to being published.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have questions or feedback about the Interpreting Forward process, please reach out to Dendros Group by emailing &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:InterpretingForward@dendros.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;InterpretingForward@dendros.com&lt;/a&gt;. We’d love to get your feedback and address any questions you might have.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Focus Groups&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For months, we have been gathering information and working in groups with a mix of various stakeholders, including Deaf, DeafBlind, Hard of Hearing, Deaf interpreters, hearing interpreters, systems stakeholders, interpreting students, interpreter training program constituents, and interpreting referral company staff to name some roles that participants hold.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In January and February 2024, we are hosting focus groups dedicated to specific aspects of interpreting. If you are a professional in one of the areas below, consider participating in the focus groups. Reach out to &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:InterpretingForward@dendros.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;InterpretingForward@dendros.com&lt;/a&gt; to receive an invitation. We would love to know what you are thinking!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;DeafBlind community members&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Interpreting service manager/coordinator/agency owner that operates in Minnesota
&lt;br /&gt;
College level interpreter training program and ASL programs, as well as leads for professional development programs (such as grant centers, internship and mentorship programs for interpreters)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf interpreters&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Legal/court interpreters&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As we continue to organize the focus groups, there may be additional groups established, depending on any identified needs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Interpreting Forward 2030 Summit&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The dates for the Summit are scheduled for Friday and Saturday, February 23 - 24, to be held in St. Paul, Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During the Summit, members of the Working Groups will gather with Commission staff and Board members for a working session.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Working Groups will present the results of their work so far.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Criteria will be developed to evaluate the suggestions gathered from the community during community input sessions, surveys and interviews.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After the summit there will be more community engagement in further developing solutions to the problem of improving the quality and availability of interpreting in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Post Summit&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After the Summit, there may be more opportunities to collect information and suggestions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Working Group members may be asked to pursue activities to continue to fill in any gaps that were identified at the Summit.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A pool of Working Group members will be asked to work on a final set of recommendations after receiving the criteria developed at the Summit.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When the final set of recommendations are ready, they will be presented to the Commission Board as well as published to the public.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission and Dendros want to thank all the members of the community who have participated in Community Input Sessions, Working Groups, interviews and surveys. Together, we can address this challenge, increasing the availability and quality of interpreting services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Albert Walla for ASL talent&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dendros Group for Film Production&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;(Computer generated voiceover)&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>604730</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-12-21T15:54:15Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Ask the Commission: Hearing Loop Locator Tools</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>An outline of white lines that symbolizes a human ear with a slash going through it. On the bottom corner is a &quot;T&quot; and underneath is the following text, &quot;Hearing Loop. Switch hearing aid to T-coil.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/11953889-loop-logo_tcm1063-319757.jpg</Url></Image><title>2023-12-18-ask-the-commission-hearing-loop-locator-tools</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-604248&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-12-18T13:26:18Z</Date><ShortDescription>How does one find out which public venues such as theaters, auditoriums, churches, etc., have hearing loops compatible with telecoils installed on their premises?</ShortDescription><Subtitle>You ask, we answer</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Question&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How does one find out which public venues such as theaters, auditoriums, churches, etc., have hearing loops compatible with telecoils installed on their premises?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Answer&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you for your question. There are several ways to determine if a venue is equipped with hearing loops, and if they are compatible with your hearing devices. Do keep in mind that some venues use loops that are compatible with telecoils, while others utilize Bluetooth technology. Some venues offer both!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Before You Go - Online Look Up&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Check the venue’s accessibility page. They will list the various accessibility offerings available on location, including hearing loops in addition to other accessibility tools such as Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Check if the venue does have a loop setup through the &lt;a href=&quot;https://time2loopamerica.com/loop-locator/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Loop Locater&lt;/a&gt;, a website that allows users to look up venues that have loops utilized. Keep in mind that this may not be up to date nor list all venues that are already looped.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For venues specific to Minnesota, there is also the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.loopminnesota.org/list-of-loops/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;List of Loops – Loop Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;. A note from the website: “These lists are partial lists only. Venues and loop installers often do not report the locations of installed loops. You might call ahead and inquire if the venue that you plan to visit has a loop.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If you are a Google Map user, Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) shared an article on how to utilize this tool on the app: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.hearingloss.org/google-maps-now-includes-hearing-loops/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;HLAA article regarding Google Maps’ inclusion of hearing loop information&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Contact the venue and ask! Sometimes they do not have the information updated nor available on the website.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On location at the venue&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Look for the accessibility icon, which looks like an ear with a line going through it, and sometimes has a “T” next to it.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ask the front desk or information desk if available, and how to connect.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additionally, you can learn more about different kinds of &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-hard-of-hearing/assistive-technology/assistive-listening-devices/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;assistant listening devices (ALDs) on the website&lt;/a&gt; of our sister agency, the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD) under the Minnesota Department of Human Services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If the venue does not have a hearing loop installed, you can advocate for one! Educate the venue on how beneficial hearing loops can be to you and other guests and encourage them to set one up. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.hearingloss.org/programs-events/get-hearing-loop/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;HLAA has an online tool kit&lt;/a&gt; to help you convince the venue to set one up: These tools are downloadable and free to use.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>604248</id><Tag><Description/><Title>ask the commission</Title><Id>310292</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>accessible technology</Title><Id>310264</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>looping</Title><Id>310267</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-12-18T14:10:32Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Save the Date! Legislative Agenda Q&amp;A Online</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Outline of a person with a laptop, seated in a living room.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Zoom%20Education%20Series%20Rectangle%20850_tcm1063-475877.jpg</Url></Image><title>2023-12-15-save-the-date-leg-agenda-qa</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-604244&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-12-15T14:59:30Z</Date><ShortDescription>Learn more about what is planned for the 2024 legislative session.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Please join us on Saturday, January 27, 2024 from 10:00 - 11:30 AM</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You&apos;re invited to a 2024 Legislative Agenda Q&amp;amp;A session with the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During this session, you will have the opportunity to learn about the Commission&apos;s goals for this upcoming legislative session. You will also have an opportunity to ask questions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional information will be shared closer to the date.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saturday, January 27, 2024, from 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Join us on Zoom from the comfort of your home. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Be sure to register to attend so we have an accurate head count. Here is the registration link:  &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIkc-ihrjwoGNQ3RcaBfjSxAWtVFafAUdTs#/registration&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;2024 Legislative Agenda Q&amp;amp;A Session registration&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Calling in via phone is an option if preferred. First, register to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation via email. The confirmation will include information on how to call in by phone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and CART will be provided. For additional accommodations, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; by Friday, January 19, 2024.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>604244</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-12-15T15:01:46Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Apply to Join the Commission Board</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>&apos;Join the board&apos; text with MNCDHH&apos;s logo on a blue and marbled tone header</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Join%20the%20Board_tcm1063-455279.jpg</Url></Image><title>2023-12-14-join-the-board</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-603870&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-12-14T14:07:33Z</Date><ShortDescription>At least 50% of the board must be deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Open seats include member at large and regional representatives</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing serves as the principal agency of the state to advocate on behalf of Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. We work to ensure these community members have equal access to the services, programs, and opportunities available to others. (&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/what-we-do/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Learn more about what we do and how.&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Board members have an important role at the Commission by providing guidance and oversight to the executive director. At least 50% of the board must be deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. Board members are appointed by the Governor.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The following seats are currently open. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;At-large member (1 seat)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;East Central advisory committee (1 seat)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Metro advisory committee (1 seat)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Northeast advisory committee (1 seat)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Northwest advisory committee (1 seat)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Southeast advisory committee (1 seat)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Southwest advisory committee (1 seat)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;West Central advisory committee (1 seat)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anyone may apply for an at-large seat. To apply to be a regional representative, you must be a member of your region&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-hard-of-hearing/about-us/advisory-committees/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;DHHSD advisory committee&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Recommendations will be made to the Governor&apos;s Office by the Commission board for new members mid-January 2024.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://commissionsandappointments.sos.state.mn.us/Agency/Details/185?&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Learn more and apply.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>603870</id><Tag><Description/><Title>board</Title><Id>310266</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-12-14T14:50:27Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>News from Executive Director Darlene Zangara: November 2023</Title><title>2023-12-08-executive-director-updates</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-603482&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-12-08T21:55:21Z</Date><ShortDescription>Work that has been done in the fall of 2023</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Interpreting Forward 2030, expanded hearing aid insurance coverage, 2024 Collaborative Experience Conference, and more</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/xogeTjySHQA?si=eqC8cqV-0f9pmY1k&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. To adjust the video speed, use YouTube&apos;s playback speed tool.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/QiN8apoLV_o?si=77YfdLX3IJxytBlf&quot; title=&quot;Darlene&apos;s November 2023 updates&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello everyone! I am happy to be back with many updates to share with everyone. First, let me introduce myself. I am Dr. Darlene Zangara. I am a white woman. I have glasses, blonde hair, and I am wearing all black.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission team has been busy this fall, working on projects such as Interpreting Forward and language acquisition. We have also been working on improving the accessibility of programs for people who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I have an amazing team and we continue to look for ways to grow, learn, and positively impact the people of Minnesota. Recently, we received training on deafblindness and racial equity.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Interpreting Forward 2030&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We have been traveling to different areas of Greater Minnesota to host community input sessions. So far, we have had sessions in Rochester, Mankato, Bemidji, Duluth, Moorhead, and Sartell (near St. Cloud).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you to those who were able to join us, connect, share your experiences, and help shape the future of improving the quality and availability of interpreting services in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are still opportunities to share your thoughts! Additional sessions are planned &lt;em&gt;(at the time of this filming)&lt;/em&gt; for Thief River Falls, Brainerd, Faribault, the Metro Twin Cities area, and statewide on Zoom.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here is an update on what has been happening with the working groups under Interpreting Forward.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;1) Interpreter Pathways working group&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;They met over 10 weeks.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;More than 25 hours of group discussion and collaboration was done to develop a map of how interpreting happens.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As a result, we have a systems map of pathways in interpreting. A systems map is a visual graphic with lines and descriptions, which show how parts of the larger system are related to each other. In this case, the map shows the pathway on how people step on the path to become an interpreter and different stages in the system where they either stay on the path or leave the path.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are using this systems map to guide our discussion about how interpreting happens in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This group will reconvene after we have received more input and the other working groups have done their respective activities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2) Community Engagement working group&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We have received more than 350 interviews and survey responses so far.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This team is currently responsible to interview more people now through the end of December.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you would like to be interviewed, please sign up at the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/communication-access/interpreting-forward/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Commission’s website (Interpreting Forward)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;3) National Research working group&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This group is starting to meet. They will start their research on what is happening across the country in interpreting. They will compare that information with what we are learning in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;4) Data Analysis working group&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This group is starting to meet. They will analyze the survey responses and interview data that has been collected. They will also identify trends and prepare to analyze the data from the National Research working group.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Again, if you would like to be interviewed or participate in the online survey, visit the Commission’s website.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Expanded hearing aid insurance coverage&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One major accomplishment from the 2023 legislative session was removing the age limit in &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/62Q.675&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Minnesota Statute 62Q.675&lt;/a&gt;, which requires Minnesota health insurance plans to cover hearing aids for individuals who need them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Before, this statute only covered children from ages 0-18. By removing the age limitation, this now applies to all ages, and covers both children and adults.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This law only applies to group insurance plans based in Minnesota. It does not apply to self-insured plans or other states.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s expanded hearing aid insurance coverage law went into effect July of this year. There are still other barriers to getting hearing aids, however. For example, some audiology providers are having to turn away patients with certain insurance plans. We are seeking stories from people who have had trouble getting hearing aids on or after July 1, 2023.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2024 Collaborative Experience Conference&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Save the date! The 2024 Collaborative Experience Conference will take place on November 7-9, 2024. We will share more information as soon as possible.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Education Advocacy (EA) certificate from the NLTC&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I’m proud to share that Danelle Gournaris, Collaborative Plan Program Director, received her certificate in Education Advocacy (EA). This happened at the National Association of the Deaf’s (NAD) recent National Leadership Training Conference (NLTC).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Under the EA program, advocates are trained on federal and state education laws. They also receive training on various advocacy strategies and techniques. The purpose is to successfully address barriers to receiving quality education and language acquisition.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Congratulations, Danelle!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Language Acquisition workgroup&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Since this fall, the Commission has met three times with teachers, school administrators, and professionals responsible for data tracking and language acquisition in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During these meetings, we explored and learned more about Minnesota’s current system for language acquisition in deaf and hard of hearing children from birth to age 5. This includes what data is currently being collected and where it is being reported.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are learning how other states gather data as well. We appreciate the special presentation provided by the staff from Kansas’ Language Assessment Program.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While Minnesota does have a language acquisition system already, we are looking into ways we can enhance this system and ultimately benefit Minnesota&apos;s deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing children and their families.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;988 Lifeline&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In September, the national 988 suicide and crisis lifeline announced they added a direct calling service in American Sign Language to connect to crisis counselors fluent in ASL. This is in addition to other accessible ways to seek help, including online chat, 988 text, calling through an amplified or captioned phone, and the TTY. Visit &lt;a href=&quot;https://988lifeline.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;988lifeline.org&lt;/a&gt; to learn more and click on “For Deaf &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing” at the top of the page.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Risk Factors for Dementia workshop&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I am happy to share that Dr. Jaime Wilson will be presenting a workshop on dementia and how it impacts our deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing community in-person at St. Catherine University. It will take place on Saturday, December 9, 2023. The Commission is proud to be providing this workshop with our partner, the Minnesota Deaf Senior Citizens. We also appreciate the help of our sponsors, the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division, St. Catherine University, and the Minnesota Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. We are expecting members of the community, family members, caregivers, service providers, and state policymakers to attend. There is seating reserved for senior citizens and for deafblind community members. There will also be a book signing for Dr. Wilson’s book, “Preserving the Etchings of the Mind.” I hope you can join us! More information is available on the &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/deaf-commission/news/index.jsp?id=1063-600268&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Commission’s website (Risk Factors for Dementia)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Picture slideshow&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are pictures of recent events. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/NTLC%20Group%20Thumbs%20Up_tcm1063-603494.jpg&quot; title=&quot;racial equity&quot; alt=&quot;racial equity&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;racial equity&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/FB_IMG_1695579655008_tcm1063-603495.jpg&quot; title=&quot;MN in NM&quot; alt=&quot;MN in NM&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 337px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;MN in NM&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/danelle%20and%20award%20combo_tcm1063-603488.png&quot; title=&quot;danelle-award-combo&quot; alt=&quot;danelle-award-combo&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;danelle-award-combo&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_20230925_154549_913_tcm1063-603496.jpg&quot; title=&quot;PAH&quot; alt=&quot;PAH&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;PAH&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_20231129_151614_476_tcm1063-603502.jpg&quot; title=&quot;St. Cloud 1&quot; alt=&quot;St. Cloud 1&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;St. Cloud 1&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_20231129_151603_204_tcm1063-603501.jpg&quot; title=&quot;St Cloud 2&quot; alt=&quot;St Cloud 2&quot; style=&quot;width: 400px; height: 533px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;St Cloud 2&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_20231129_152054_674_tcm1063-603500.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Paul and Babe&quot; alt=&quot;Paul and Babe&quot; style=&quot;width: 400px; height: 533px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Paul and Babe&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_20231129_151901_721_tcm1063-603499.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Moorhead1&quot; alt=&quot;Moorhead1&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Moorhead1&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_20231129_151907_146_tcm1063-603498.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Moorhead2&quot; alt=&quot;Moorhead2&quot; style=&quot;width: 400px; height: 533px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Moorhead2&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/CDA%20filming%20-%202_tcm1063-603497.jpg&quot; title=&quot;CDA1&quot; alt=&quot;CDA1&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;CDA1&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_20231103_104636727_tcm1063-603503.jpg&quot; title=&quot;CDA2&quot; alt=&quot;CDA2&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;CDA2&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_20230918_154006_489_tcm1063-603492.jpg&quot; title=&quot;board meeting&quot; alt=&quot;board meeting&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;board meeting&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_20230915_120743366_HDR_tcm1063-603493.jpg&quot; title=&quot;msad tour&quot; alt=&quot;msad tour&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;msad tour&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Follow Ups&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have any questions, suggestions, or if there is something you would like me to include in a future update, please &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:darlene.g.zangara@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;email me&lt;/a&gt;. Thank you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Featuring Dr. Darlene G. Zangara, Executive Director. The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Daisy Jo Shuda for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>603482</id><Tag><Description/><Title>language acquisition</Title><Id>310294</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>hearing aids</Title><Id>310255</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>executive director updates</Title><Id>457794</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-07-10T23:28:14Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Special Message to Minnesota&apos;s DeafBlind Community</Title><title>2023-12-07-message-to-deafblind-community</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-604721&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-12-07T12:55:12Z</Date><ShortDescription>Please contact Darlene with any ideas, suggestions, or questions. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Darlene shares a bit about her background, work on DeafBlind issues, the Commission&apos;s accessibility practices, and welcomes feedback.</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/IazXsqQFf4U&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. To adjust the video speed, use YouTube&apos;s playback speed tool.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/CRMaU_VSANQ?si=3tF4oV6CXyQMgNz8&quot; title=&quot;Message to the DeafBlind Community from Darlene&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello, I&apos;m a white woman with blonde hair. I&apos;m wearing glasses and wearing all black. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;My name is Dr. Darlene Zangara. I am the executive director for the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing. This is a special message for our DeafBlind communities in Minnesota. This message is in both ASL and English.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For those who don’t know me, I have worked for the Commission for almost four years. I am Deaf and I was raised in a Deaf family and Deaf community in Ohio. I started working with our communities when I was 13-years-old. I often volunteered to interpret for a lifelong DeafBlind family friend at a deaf club where I spent all my weekends growing up.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After I completed my education at Gallaudet, I dedicated my life’s work to Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing communities. I have broad experience with DeafBlind communities, including&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I interpreted for DeafBlind individuals as a Deaf Interpreter &amp;amp; provided counseling as a therapist &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I participated and volunteered on DeafBlind organization, task forces, committees, and events, particularly in Ohio&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I offered services to the American Association of the Deaf-Blind (AADB) and Helen Keller Nation Center (HKNC) in the past&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I have an incredible team at the Commission. Our team members are committed to our communities as well and come with unique training and experiences.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission’s mission is to advocate for communication access and equal opportunity with the 20% of Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. We work with the Governor’s office, legislature, state agencies, and judicial system to create lasting policy change on better quality of life for all of us.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Examples of our recent work for and with the DeafBlind community are:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Overseeing the DeafBlind Children Study&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Advocating for legislation to benefit DeafBlind Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Advocating for advancement of emergency communications.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor appointed DeafBlind members for our board&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hosting DeafBlind focus group and DeafBlind town hall&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hired DeafBlind staff and contractors&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You are important to us. You are a big part of our work in Minnesota. We work very hard to recognize our diverse communities. We respect different life experiences and varying degrees of vision loss and hearing loss. We know DeafBlind is a spectrum, and the community is not one size fits all.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission has a diverse audience. To be accessible to all, we rely on the following:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Audio: An example of audio is voiceover in video.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Text: Examples of text include transcripts, descriptive transcripts, image descriptions, closed captions, open captions, etc.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visual: Examples of visual is sign language in videos, personal descriptions, supporting images or graphics with descriptions, strong color contrast, etc.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All of these are tools we consider as we create information to share with you and how we share the information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We want to hear from you. Please contact me or my team members any time if you have ideas, comments, or concerns. We learn from our community members every day and we appreciate receiving feedback. Thank you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact Darlene at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:darlene.g.zangara@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;darlene.g.zangara@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Featuring Dr. Darlene G. Zangara, Executive Director. The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Daisy Jo Shuda for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>604721</id><Tag><Description/><Title>deafblind</Title><Id>499876</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-12-21T12:59:15Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Risk Factors for Dementia Workshop is Happening this Saturday, December 9th</Title><title>2023-12-04-risk-factors-workshop-campus-directions-video</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-602421&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-12-04T22:14:38Z</Date><ShortDescription>Video describes parking, description of landmarks, and information about the free shuttle.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>New video describes where to find the auditorium on campus</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In this special presentation, Dr. Jaime A.B. Wilson embarks on a fascinating and entertaining journey on the what, how, and why of the dementia and hearing loss tie-in. People with hearing loss – along with their loved ones, healthcare providers and interpreters who work with them – must be aware of the 24% increased risk of dementia that comes with hearing loss. Dr. Wilson discusses what we can do to protect ourselves against the disease of dementia while maximizing the quality of our lives during the Golden Years.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn more at, &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/deaf-commission/news/index.jsp?id=1063-600268&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;&apos;Risk Factors for Dementia among our Deaf/Hard of Hearing Community&apos; Workshop&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cost&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Admission is free!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saturday, December 9, 2023
&lt;br /&gt;
10:30 am - 12:30 pm, Presentation
&lt;br /&gt;
12:30 - 1:30 pm, Book signing&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;St. Catherine University, Jeanne d&apos;Arc Auditorium (in Whitby Hall)
&lt;br /&gt;
2004 Randolph Ave
&lt;br /&gt;
St. Paul, MN 55105&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Note: The space sits 326 people. There is additional standing room in the back.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and real-time captioning (CART) will be provided. We have reserved seating for senior citizens and for DeafBlind community members.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where to Find the Jeanne d&apos;Arc Auditorium&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/UreaGuXrvFo?si=uwolE5nMV5qnSfXU&quot; title=&quot;Where to Find the Jeanne d&apos;Arc Auditorium with Jer Loudenback&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Descriptive transcript&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video opens with the MNCDHH logo zooming in on a white background. It transitions to a white slide with black text in center: “Where to Find the Jeanne d’Arc Auditorium at St. Catherine University.” Transition to a panoramic 350* view of the SCU campus. View stops on Jer Loudenback, standing outside in front of a red-bricked building and trees. He is dressed in black coat and beanie, and smiles. He signs.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jer: Dr. Jaime Wilson is coming to St. Catherine University to present on Saturday, December 9, from 10:30 am – 12:30 pm. There is a book signing after. The presentation is titled “Risk Factors for Dementia Among Our Deaf/Hard of Hearing Community.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video transitions to Jer standing in front of a glass-fronted doorway on the side of a red-bricked building. There are steps going up to the doorway. Jer points towards the doorway behind him. There is a plaque to the left of the doors named “Whitby Hall”.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jer: Inside Whitby Hall is where the presentation will take place, here at SCU. There will be ASL students standing at the doors to greet you as you come in. The wheelchair ramp is off to the left side of the stairway.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[He points to the side where the camera moves to show a metal railed ramp leading downwards. Video transitions to the top of the stairway leading to the doors into Whitby Hall.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jer: Follow me through the doors!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video transitions to inside the building, just past the interior pair of doors. Jer stands in the hallway.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jer: I’ll show you the way.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Jer walks down the hallway, passing a number of doorways and protruding light fixtures until he reaches a pair of brown double doors on the right side. Papers and notices cover the doors. Jer points to the sign to the left of the door: “150 Whitby: Jeanne d’Arc Auditorium.” There is also Braille on the sign. He passes through the door into the auditorium towards a second pair of double doors straight ahead. The interior doors lead to the left side of the auditorium, with a walkway lining the side towards the back row of seats. View pans through a pair of columns, showing the back of the auditorium towards the front where the stage is. Video transitions to Jer standing in the aisle, towards the back with the stage slightly behind him and to the right.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jer: Here we are, inside Whitby Hall, where the Jeanne d’Arc Auditorium is. The presenter will be onstage. There is plenty of seating. Space is reserved for DeafBlind and senior citizens. We will have interpreters and CART in this room. There will be light snacks, coffee, and water available for sale during the workshop.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video transitions to a panoramic view showing the Randolph Street entrance, with a pair of stone columns and a metal iron frame sign connecting the two overhead. Jer stands at the base of one of the columns.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jer: Randolph Street is to the left, with Cleveland. Gate number 2 is the corner where it crosses at. There is parking available in the lot here.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Jer points to the parking lot behind him. Camera pans to show Jer now standing in front of a building.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jer: Guest parking is available, There is also a shuttle van that can transport you to the presentation. If you find yourself lost, there is a map on the wall here. Follow me to learn the route!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Close-up of the campus map on the wall. There is glare on the glass, but Jer traces the path from the guest parking lot to Whitby Hall.] Video transitions to a view of Jer standing in front of O’Shaughnessy building.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jer: If the parking lot is full, there is additional parking at O&apos;Shaughnessy Auditorium You can park here, and take the shuttle or walk to Whitby Hall.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Jer shows the parking lot to the side.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jer: You can park here and meet us over at the Whitby Hall for the presentation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video transitions to Jer, now back at the entrance of Whitby Hall.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jer: I am looking forward to seeing you here for Dr. Janie Wilson’s presentation on Saturday, December 9th before 10:30 am. See you there!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video pans out to show a panoramic shot of the campus. Video transitions to a title card with text: “The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing thanks: Jer Loudenback for ASL talent. Line for voiceover. Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.” Video ends.]&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>602421</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>health care</Title><Id>310254</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>age-related hearing loss</Title><Id>310251</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>healthy aging</Title><Id>625841</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-05-29T21:44:40Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Risk Factors for Dementia Workshop, A Message from Karen Erickson</Title><title>2023-11-30-risk-factors-karen-erickson</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-602002&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-11-30T22:48:13Z</Date><ShortDescription>Be sure to join the Risk Factors for Dementia Among Our Deaf/Hearing Community workshop with Dr. Jaime Wilson. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Minnesota Deaf Senior Citizens &amp; Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing Announcement</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/tKxJb7SDuXg&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. To adjust the video speed, use YouTube&apos;s playback speed tool.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/Tou5gceRQHo?si=c2vCvMdQsQ_b7sOo&quot; title=&quot;Risk Factors for Dementia workshop message with Karen Erickson&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello! My name is Karen Erickson and I am with the Minnesota Deaf Senior Citizens (MDSC).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our organization has partnered with the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing to host a very special workshop.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dr. Jaime Wilson is coming to Minnesota to present on dementia and our deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After his presentation, he will be available for a book signing with his book on dementia.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please join us on December 9, 2023 from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm at St. Catherine University. Admission is free!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We also want to thank our sponsors, the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division, St. Catherine University, and the Minnesota Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the event&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/deaf-commission/news/index.jsp?id=1063-600268&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Risk Factors for Dementia Among Our Deaf/Hard of Hearing Community&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Presented by Dr. Jaime Wilson, Ph.D., ABN, ABPP, MSCP&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saturday December 9, 2023
&lt;br /&gt;
10:30 am – 12:30 pm, Presentation
&lt;br /&gt;
12:30 – 1:30 pm, Book Signing&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Free admission!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;St. Catherine University, Jeanne d’Arc Auditorium (Whitby Hall)
&lt;br /&gt;
2004 Randolph Ave
&lt;br /&gt;
St. Paul, MN 55105”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Logos for MNCDHH, DHHSD, SCU, MDSC, and MRID.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Karen Erickson, MDSC.
&lt;br /&gt;
Daisy Jo Shuda for voiceover.
&lt;br /&gt;
Keystone Interpreting Solution for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>602002</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>age-related hearing loss</Title><Id>310251</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>health care</Title><Id>310254</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>healthy aging</Title><Id>625841</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-05-29T21:44:29Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Upcoming Community Input Sessions for Interpreting Forward 2030</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Icon of a winding road, underneath the year, ‘2030’. Accompanied by text, ‘Interpreting Forward’.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/IF2030-rectangle_tcm1063-585618.jpg</Url></Image><title>2023-11-17-upcoming-community-input-sessions-if2030</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-600425&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-11-17T22:31:23Z</Date><ShortDescription>We already met with communities in Mankato, Rochester, Bemidji, Duluth, and Moorhead. Thank you for the warm welcome and helpful information! We are excited to meet with more people statewide. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>St. Cloud, Thief River Falls, Brainerd (new), Faribault, St. Paul (new), and an online session (new)</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you to all who attended the Community Input Sessions across Greater Minnesota! We have appreciated the discussions and input from each of you. We are now planning three more Community Input Sessions, including two sessions for the Twin Cities and one remote session.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What to expect&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What can you expect at the Community Input Session? This session is a platform for you to share your insights, ideas, and experiences related to interpreting. We will share information about the coming shortage of interpreters across the state (and country) and together we will generate ideas for improving the quality and availability of services. Together, we aim to shape the future of interpreting in our communities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Don’t worry about refreshments for the in-person sessions; we got you covered. Drinks and snacks will be provided to keep you energized throughout the sessions.
&lt;br /&gt;
We can’t wait to see you there and get your input. Together, we’re working to improve interpreting services across our state. We hope that you can join us at one of these last few Community Input Sessions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All sessions will be conducted in American Sign Language (ASL) with accommodations as requested. Please try to request accommodations at least ten days in advance. As we are aware that there is already a challenge for securing services, your assistance with requesting interpreters, CART providers, or other accommodations in advance is much appreciated.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register today&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please RSVP at &lt;a href=&quot;https://form.asana.com/?k=fajb8A1ynjpioV9MBfWZgw&amp;amp;d=1203581002578198&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Community Input Session RSVP&lt;/a&gt; so we know you are coming. Here are the remaining sessions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;St. Cloud (Sartell)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saturday, November 18, 2023
&lt;br /&gt;
11:30 am - 2:00 pm
&lt;br /&gt;
Benton Stearns Education District
&lt;br /&gt;
517 2nd St. S
&lt;br /&gt;
Sartell, MN 56377
&lt;br /&gt;
Special thanks to St. Cloud&apos;s Deaf Coffee &amp;amp; Chat for making this possible.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thief River Falls *Canceled due to low enrollment&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;del&gt;Saturday, December 2, 2023
&lt;br /&gt;
10 am - 12:30 pm
&lt;br /&gt;
2:00 pm - 4:30 pm
&lt;br /&gt;
Thief River Falls Public Library
&lt;br /&gt;
102 1st St. E
&lt;br /&gt;
Thief River Falls, MN 56701
&lt;br /&gt;
Upon arrival, go to the Fireside Meeting Room.&lt;/del&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Brainerd (Baxter)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sunday, December 3, 2023
&lt;br /&gt;
10:00 am - 12:30 pm
&lt;br /&gt;
Coco Moon
&lt;br /&gt;
14091 Baxter Drive, Suite 110
&lt;br /&gt;
Baxter, MN
&lt;br /&gt;
This is Coco Moon&apos;s newest location and is right behind Pizza Hut. Upon arrival, go to their meeting room.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Metro&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tuesday, December 5, 2023
&lt;br /&gt;
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
&lt;br /&gt;
Dendros Group
&lt;br /&gt;
2642 University Ave West
&lt;br /&gt;
St. Paul, MN 55114
&lt;br /&gt;
Doors open at 5:15 PM if you&apos;d like to arrive early to connect with others, get a snack and beverage prior to the discussion.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Faribault&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thursday, December 7, 2023
&lt;br /&gt;
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
&lt;br /&gt;
Faribault Community Center
&lt;br /&gt;
15 Division St. W
&lt;br /&gt;
Faribault, MN 55021
&lt;br /&gt;
Upon arrival, go to the Peterson Room. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Metro&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Wednesday, December 13, 2023
&lt;br /&gt;
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
&lt;br /&gt;
Dendros Group
&lt;br /&gt;
2642 University Ave West
&lt;br /&gt;
St. Paul, MN 55114
&lt;br /&gt;
Doors open at 5:15 PM if you&apos;d like to arrive early to connect with others, get a snack and beverage prior to the discussion.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Online&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Zoom (Virtual Meeting)
&lt;br /&gt;
Thursday, December 14, 2023
&lt;br /&gt;
5:30 pm - 8:00 pm
&lt;br /&gt;
After you register through the RSVP form, you will receive the link. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>600425</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-11-29T20:41:35Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Join us for &apos;Risk Factors for Dementia among our Deaf/Hard of Hearing Community&apos; Workshop</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The header includes Dr. Wilson&apos;s headshot, the logos for MNCDHH, MDSC, SCU, MRID, and DHHSD, and the workshop title, &quot;Risk Factors for Dementia Among Our Deaf/Hard of Hearing Community, presented by Dr. Jaime Wilson, Ph.D., ABN, ABPP, MSCP&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/header-dr-wilson-presentation-11-8-23_tcm1063-600269.jpg</Url></Image><title>2023-11-16-join-us-dr-wilson-workshop</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-600268&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-11-16T20:52:17Z</Date><ShortDescription>Free admission. Please join us in learning out this important topic on a critical issue for our deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing community.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>With Dr. Jaime Wilson, Ph.D., ABN, ABPP, MSCP</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In this special presentation, Dr. Jaime A.B. Wilson embarks on a fascinating and entertaining journey on the what, how, and why of the dementia and hearing loss tie-in. People with hearing loss – along with their loved ones, healthcare providers and interpreters who work with them – must be aware of the 24% increased risk of dementia that comes with hearing loss. Dr. Wilson discusses what we can do to protect ourselves against the disease of dementia while maximizing the quality of our lives during the Golden Years.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This special presentation offers a rare and unique perspective into the world of dementia through the lens of hearing loss.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Opening remarks will be provided by Karen Erickson, vice president of the Minnesota Deaf Senior Citizens and Dr. Darlene Zangara, executive director of the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hosted by the Minnesota Deaf Senior Citizens and the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing. Sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division, St. Catherine University, and the Minnesota Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Afterwards, Dr. Wilson will be available to sign his book, &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.savorywords.com/shop/p/1g73huyyiqa301oi5ngdclog7qnvdi&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Preserving the Etchings of the Mind: Aging, Dementia, and Hearing Loss&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;. You can purchase the book in advance online or you can purchase a copy onsite.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cost&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Admission is free! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saturday, December 9, 2023
&lt;br /&gt;
10:30 am - 12:30 pm, Presentation
&lt;br /&gt;
12:30 - 1:30 pm, Book signing&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;St. Catherine University, Jeanne d&apos;Arc Auditorium (in Whitby Hall)
&lt;br /&gt;
2004 Randolph Ave
&lt;br /&gt;
St. Paul, MN 55105 &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Note: The space sits 326 people. There is additional standing room in the back. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and real-time captioning (CART) will be provided. We have reserved seating for senior citizens and for DeafBlind community members. For additional accommodations, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; by Monday, December 4, 2023. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Dr. Wilson&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dr. Wilson is a prescribing medical psychologist and board-certified neuropsychologist in full-time private practice inside and outside Washington State, &lt;a href=&quot;https://wilsonclinical.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Wilson Clinical Services&lt;/a&gt;. He holds privileges at several area hospitals and has worked extensively with physicians, other healthcare providers, and forensic experts, providing neuropsychological evaluations across the U.S. The field of neuropsychology is dedicated to learning about and diagnosing conditions related to the brain and nervous system.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As a Past President of the Association of Medical Professionals with Hearing Losses, Dr. Wilson also serves on the Diversity Council for the Society of Prescribing Psychology and as Chair of the Diversity Committee for the American Board of Professional Neuropsychology.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dr. Wilson has also published a book on the what, how, and why of dementia and the hearing loss tie-in. In Preserving the Etchings of the Mind, Dr. Wilson discusses how we can protect ourselves against the disease of dementia while maximizing the quality of our lives during the Golden Years. This book offers a rare and unique perspective into the world of dementia through the lens of hearing loss.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Born with a profound hearing loss, Dr. Wilson grew up wearing bilateral hearing aids and primarily communicated using spoken language, although he is also an American Sign Language user. Dr. Wilson resides in Olympia, WA, with his wife (a registered nurse who is also deaf), three kids, and a King Charles Spaniel named Pepper Jack.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/ACET%20and%20RID%20logos_tcm1063-600266.png&quot; title=&quot;RID and ACET logos&quot; alt=&quot;RID and ACET logos&quot; style=&quot;width: 149px; height: 149px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;RID and ACET logos&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt; &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 23px; font-weight: 600; font-family: Verdana;&quot;&gt;CEU information&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf is an approved RID Certification Maintenance Program (CMP) sponsor for continuing education activities. This professional studies program is offered for .2 CEUs at the little to none content knowledge level.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Target audience: Members of the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing community, as well as family members, caregivers, and service providers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Educational objectives: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;List dementia prevalence statistics among our D/HH population. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;List the five areas of the brain that change as part of the “normal aging process”.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;List the “Big Seven&quot; risk factors.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;List at least three ways to obtain treatment and implement other protective factors to preserve brain longevity.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing prohibits discrimination in its public services because of race, color, creed, religion, political beliefs, national origin, sex, public assistance status, marital status, age, sexual orientation or disability. We expect all individuals present to conduct themselves in a manner that demonstrates respect for others.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>600268</id><Tag><Description/><Title>age-related hearing loss</Title><Id>310251</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>health care</Title><Id>310254</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>healthy aging</Title><Id>625841</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-05-29T21:44:20Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>&apos;Risk Factors for Dementia among our Deaf/Hard of Hearing Community&apos; Workshop</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The header includes Dr. Wilson&apos;s headshot, the logos for MNCDHH, MDSC, SCU, and DHHSD, and the workshop title, &quot;Risk Factors for Dementia Among Our Deaf/Hard of Hearing Community, presented by Dr. Jaime Wilson, Ph.D., ABN, ABPP, MSCP&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/header-dr-wilson-presentation_tcm1063-596808.jpg</Url></Image><title>2023-10-19-risk-factors-for-dementia-with-our-dhh-community-workshop</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-596811&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-10-19T16:11:49Z</Date><ShortDescription>Please join the Minnesota Deaf Senior Citizens, St. Catherine University, Minnesota Department of Human Services, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division, and the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing for this important presentation. Afterwards, Dr. Wilson will be available to sign his book, Preserving the Etchings of the Mind: Aging, Dementia, and Hearing Loss.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>With Dr. Jaime Wilson, Ph.D., ABN, ABPP, MSCP</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In this special presentation, Dr. Jaime A.B. Wilson embarks on a fascinating and entertaining journey on the what, how, and why of the dementia and hearing loss tie-in. People with hearing loss – along with their loved ones, healthcare providers and interpreters who work with them – must be aware of the 24% increased risk of dementia that comes with hearing loss. Dr. Wilson discusses what we can do to protect ourselves against the disease of dementia while maximizing the quality of our lives during the Golden Years.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This special presentation offers a rare and unique perspective into the world of dementia through the lens of hearing loss.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please join the Minnesota Deaf Senior Citizens, St. Catherine University, Minnesota Department of Human Services, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division, and the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing for this important presentation. Afterwards, Dr. Wilson will be available to sign his book, &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.savorywords.com/shop/p/1g73huyyiqa301oi5ngdclog7qnvdi&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Preserving the Etchings of the Mind: Aging, Dementia, and Hearing Loss&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;More information will be shared closer to the event date.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saturday, December 9, 2023
&lt;br /&gt;
10:30 am - 12:30 pm, Presentation
&lt;br /&gt;
12:30 - 1:30 pm, Book signing&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;St. Catherine University, Jeanne d&apos;Arc Auditorium (in Whitby Hall)
&lt;br /&gt;
2004 Randolph Ave
&lt;br /&gt;
St. Paul, MN 55105 &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and real-time captioning (CART) will be provided. We have reserved seating for senior citizens and for DeafBlind community members. For additional accommodations, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; by Monday, December 4, 2023. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Dr. Wilson&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dr. Wilson is a prescribing medical psychologist and board-certified neuropsychologist in full-time private practice inside and outside Washington State, &lt;a href=&quot;https://wilsonclinical.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Wilson Clinical Services&lt;/a&gt;. He holds privileges at several area hospitals and has worked extensively with physicians, other healthcare providers, and forensic experts, providing neuropsychological evaluations across the U.S. The field of neuropsychology is dedicated to learning about and diagnosing conditions related to the brain and nervous system.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As a Past President of the Association of Medical Professionals with Hearing Losses, Dr. Wilson also serves on the Diversity Council for the Society of Prescribing Psychology and as Chair of the Diversity Committee for the American Board of Professional Neuropsychology.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dr. Wilson has also published a book on the what, how, and why of dementia and the hearing loss tie-in. In Preserving the Etchings of the Mind, Dr. Wilson discusses how we can protect ourselves against the disease of dementia while maximizing the quality of our lives during the Golden Years. This book offers a rare and unique perspective into the world of dementia through the lens of hearing loss.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Born with a profound hearing loss, Dr. Wilson grew up wearing bilateral hearing aids and primarily communicated using spoken language, although he is also an American Sign Language user. Dr. Wilson resides in Olympia, WA, with his wife (a registered nurse who is also deaf), three kids, and a King Charles Spaniel named Pepper Jack.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>596811</id><Tag><Description/><Title>age-related hearing loss</Title><Id>310251</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>health care</Title><Id>310254</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>healthy aging</Title><Id>625841</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-05-29T21:44:08Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Interpreting Forward Update: October 2023</Title><title>2023-10-17-interpreting-forward-update</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-596659&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-10-18T16:33:32Z</Date><ShortDescription>Upcoming community input sessions are taking place in Bemidji, Duluth, Moorhead, Marshall, St. Cloud, Thief River Falls, and Faribault. We had a wonderful time meeting with the community in Mankato and Rochester. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Community Engagement work group, Interpreter Pathways work group, and community input sessions</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/Aj9CHO03x74?si=XqrRWTGfLjrqrbrh&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. To adjust the video speed, use YouTube&apos;s playback speed tool.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/e5mJk3xbpTI?si=0fQlTev9ajh5-By6&quot; title=&quot;ASL video on Oct 2023 Interpreting Forward Update with Albert Walla&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello, everyone. We&apos;re excited to share an update on the progress of our Interpreting Forward initiative.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Over the past several months, the participants and team have been hard at work with two dedicated working groups, Interpreter Pathways and Community Engagement. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Let&apos;s start with the Interpreter Pathways group. We&apos;ve been focusing on interpreting practices in Minnesota with a special emphasis on the growth and development of ASL interpreters, including hearing, deaf, CDI, and deafblind interpreters. We&apos;ve put together a diverse team comprised of deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing consumers,  
&lt;br /&gt;
interpreter training program professionals, Deaf and hearing interpreters, agency leaders, and other system stakeholders. It&apos;s been an amazing journey of collaboration and learning.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Next up, let&apos;s talk about our Community Engagement team. They&apos;ve been out there conducting interviews and running an anonymous survey. And guess what? We&apos;ve had an overwhelming response with over 280 participants already. We truly appreciate your involvement and input in shaping the future of interpreting services in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Through these working groups and interactions with stakeholders like you, we&apos;ve witnessed a genuine appreciation for the chance to discuss and shape the future of interpreting services. Your insights have been invaluable and are steering us in the right direction.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Based on your feedback, we&apos;ve got something exciting planned. We have begun a tour of communities in Greater Minnesota to connect, gather feedback on the experience of interpreting consumers in Greater Minnesota, and consider how to improve quality and availability of interpreting services across Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our team will be organizing and visiting the following communities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Rochester&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;St. Cloud&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Moorhead&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Bemidji&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Duluth&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Marshall&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Thief River Falls&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Faribault&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In most of these communities, there will be two sessions. Please come and join the discussion when we come to an area near you. We will have refreshments. It will also be a good time to connect with your friends and neighbors, discuss your experiences, and share your ideas on how to improve interpreting services in your community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On the Commission website, you can find links to more information, including how to RSVP for each of these community conversations. Also, sign up for the Commission&apos;s social media to keep on top of all that&apos;s going on.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Come share your ideas on improving the number and quality of interpreters for all of Minnesota. We hope to see you at one of these sessions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To each and every one of you., your support and contributions make this initiative possible. Together, we&apos;re going to make a positive impact, and we couldn&apos;t be more excited about the journey ahead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have any questions or ideas, please don&apos;t hesitate to reach out to us.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you for your continued dedication and commitment to Interpreting Forward. Until next time, stay awesome and we&apos;ll catch you in the next video. Bye.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Albert Walla for ASL talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The workgroup members and community members who contribute their time, ideas and energy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Dendros Group&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;(Computer generated voiceover)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;RSVP to attend a community input session&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We have traveled to Rochester and Mankato so far. Thank you to both communities for the wonderful welcome! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please join us in Bemidji, Moorhead, Marshall, St. Cloud, Thief River Falls, Duluth, and Faribault.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All sessions will be conducted in ASL. Let us know if you need any accommodations when you RSVP. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://form.asana.com/?k=fajb8A1ynjpioV9MBfWZgw&amp;amp;d=1203581002578198&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;RSVP to attend a Community Input session today!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Bemidji&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saturday, October 21, 2023
&lt;br /&gt;
9:00 am - 11 30 am or 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm
&lt;br /&gt;
Bemidji Public Library
&lt;br /&gt;
509 America Ave NW
&lt;br /&gt;
Bemidji, MN 56601
&lt;br /&gt;
Upon arrival, go to the Meeting Room.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Duluth&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are two options for Duluth.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sammy&apos;s Pizza&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thursday, October 26, 2023
&lt;br /&gt;
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
&lt;br /&gt;
Sammy&apos;s Pizza
&lt;br /&gt;
103 W 1st Street
&lt;br /&gt;
Duluth, MN 55802&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MADC&apos;s conference (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.minndeaf.org/conference&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;register to attend the conference&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Friday, October 27, 2023
&lt;br /&gt;
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm workshop session
&lt;br /&gt;
Holiday Inn &amp;amp; Suites Duluth - Downtown
&lt;br /&gt;
200 W 1st St,
&lt;br /&gt;
Duluth, MN 55802&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Moorhead&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saturday, November 4, 2023
&lt;br /&gt;
11:00 am - 1:00 pm or 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
&lt;br /&gt;
Boulder Tap House
&lt;br /&gt;
333 Highway 10 E
&lt;br /&gt;
Moorhead, MN 56560&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Marshall&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thursday, November 9, 2023
&lt;br /&gt;
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
&lt;br /&gt;
Marshall-Lyon County Library
&lt;br /&gt;
201 C St.
&lt;br /&gt;
Marshall, MN 56258
&lt;br /&gt;
Upon arrival, go to the Community Meeting Room (has double-doors).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;St. Cloud&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saturday, November 18, 2023
&lt;br /&gt;
11:30 am - 2:00 pm
&lt;br /&gt;
Benton Stearns Education District
&lt;br /&gt;
517 2nd St. S
&lt;br /&gt;
Sartell, MN 56377
&lt;br /&gt;
Special thanks to St. Cloud&apos;s Deaf Coffee &amp;amp; Chat for making this possible!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thief River Falls&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saturday, December 2, 2023
&lt;br /&gt;
10:00 am - 12:30 pm
&lt;br /&gt;
2:00 pm - 4:30 pm
&lt;br /&gt;
Thief River Falls Public Library
&lt;br /&gt;
102 1st St. E
&lt;br /&gt;
Thief River Falls, MN 56701
&lt;br /&gt;
Upon arrival, go to the Fireside Meeting Room.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Faribault&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thursday, December 7, 2023
&lt;br /&gt;
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
&lt;br /&gt;
Faribault Community Center
&lt;br /&gt;
15 Division St. W
&lt;br /&gt;
Faribault, MN 55021
&lt;br /&gt;
Upon arrival, go to the Peterson Room.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>596659</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-10-18T16:41:30Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Save the Date! Community Input Sessions Happening Statewide</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Icon of a winding road, underneath the year, ‘2030’. Accompanied by text, ‘Interpreting Forward’.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/IF2030-rectangle_tcm1063-585618.jpg</Url></Image><title>2023-10-10-statewide-interpreting-forward-tour</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-595673&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-10-10T12:40:49Z</Date><ShortDescription>Let&apos;s discuss the future of sign language interpreting services in Minnesota.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Bemidji, Moorhead, Marshall, St. Cloud &amp; Thief River Falls (More will be scheduled)</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;First, we would like to thank the Rochester, MN community for attending the Community Input Session on September 30, 2023. We had a great discussion, covering different aspects of sign language interpreting services provided in the Rochester area. Now we are ready to meet the rest of the state!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What to expect&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What can you expect at the Community Input Session? This session is a platform for you to share your insights, ideas, and experiences related to interpreting. We will share information about the coming shortage of interpreters across the state (and country) and together we will generate ideas for improving the quality and availability of services. Together, we aim to shape the future of interpreting in our communities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And don’t worry about refreshments-we got you covered. Drinks and snacks will be provided to keep you energized throughout the sessions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We can’t wait to see you there and get your input. Together, we’re working to improve interpreting services across our state. More locations across the state will be announced soon.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All sessions will be conducted in American Sign Language (ASL) with accommodations as needed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register today&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please RSVP at &lt;a href=&quot;https://form.asana.com/?k=fajb8A1ynjpioV9MBfWZgw&amp;amp;d=1203581002578198&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Community Input Session RSVP&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Bemidji_tcm1063-595669.png&quot; title=&quot;bemidji&quot; alt=&quot;bemidji&quot; style=&quot;width: 100px; height: 100px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;bemidji&quot; /&gt; Bemidji&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saturday, October 21, 2023&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;9:00 am - 11 30 am&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;or&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;1:00 pm - 3:30 pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Bemidji Public Library&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;509 America Ave NW&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Bemidji, MN 56601&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Upon arrival, go to the Meeting Room. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Moorhead_tcm1063-595668.png&quot; title=&quot;moorhead&quot; alt=&quot;moorhead&quot; style=&quot;width: 100px; height: 100px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;moorhead&quot; /&gt; Moorhead&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saturday, November 4, 2023&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;11:00 am - 1:00 pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;or&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;3:00 pm - 5:00 pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Boulder Tap House&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;333 Highway 10 E&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Moorhead, MN 56560&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Marshall_tcm1063-595671.png&quot; title=&quot;marshall&quot; alt=&quot;marshall&quot; style=&quot;width: 100px; height: 100px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;marshall&quot; /&gt; Marshall&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thursday, November 9, 2023&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;5:30 pm - 7:30 pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Marshall-Lyon County Library&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;201 C St.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Marshall, MN 56258&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Upon arrival, go to the Community Meeting Room (has double-doors).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/St%20Cloud_tcm1063-595670.png&quot; title=&quot;st-cloud-sartell&quot; alt=&quot;st-cloud-sartell&quot; style=&quot;width: 100px; height: 100px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;st-cloud-sartell&quot; /&gt; St. Cloud (Sartell)&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saturday, November 18, 2023&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;11:30 am - 2:00 pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Benton Stearns Education District&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;517 2nd St. S&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sartell, MN 56377&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Special thanks to St. Cloud&apos;s Deaf Coffee &amp;amp; Chat for making this possible!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Thief%20River%20Falls_tcm1063-595672.png&quot; title=&quot;thief-river-falls&quot; alt=&quot;thief-river-falls&quot; style=&quot;width: 100px; height: 100px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;thief-river-falls&quot; /&gt; Thief River Falls&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saturday, December 2, 2023&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;10:00 am - 12:30 pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2:00 pm - 4:30 pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thief River Falls Public Library&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;102 1st St. E&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thief River Falls, MN 56701&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Upon arrival, go to the Fireside Meeting Room.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>595673</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-10-10T14:16:32Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>In the News: Nearly half of Minnesota American Sign Language interpreters are expected to leave their profession by 2026</Title><title>2023-10-02-in-the-news-half-asl-interpreters-expected-to-leave</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-620772&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-10-02T15:32:50Z</Date><ShortDescription>By Brandon Cole</ShortDescription><Subtitle>KIMT3</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ROCHESTER, Minn. - The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, Deafblind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) is combating this shortage through it&apos;s Interpreting Forward 2030 initiative. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This initiative is investigating the cause of this shortage and is touring the state of Minnesota to obtain feedback from community members living in areas outside the Twin Cities. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;According to a Minnesota Minnesota Registry of Interpreters survey, 39% of Minnesota interpreters are leaving or decreasing their work load. Reasons for their departures are due to retirement, career changes, and burnout. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rural areas are taking the shortage the hardest as they lack interpreting training programs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Its really hard to recruit trained interpreters from the metro area to move out to greater Minnesota and so that&apos;s always been a challenge for us as well as the number of students entering the interpreting field,&quot; said Dr. Darlene Zangara, Executive Director of MNCDHH. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The commission says interpreters are essential for patients visiting the Med City for treatment. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;That is such a critical area that you need to have qualified interpreters for. They don&apos;t need to rely on the technology aspect, but to have somebody there in person is huge,&quot; said said Dr. Darlene Zangara.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>620772</id><Tag><Description/><Title>in the news</Title><Id>317336</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-04-17T15:40:04Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Community Input Session in Rochester, MN</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Icon of a winding road, underneath the year, ‘2030’. Accompanied by text, ‘Interpreting Forward’.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/IF2030-rectangle_tcm1063-585618.jpg</Url></Image><title>2023-09-27-community-input-session-rochester-mn</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-593376&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-09-27T18:04:16Z</Date><ShortDescription>Let&apos;s discuss the future of sign language interpreting services in Minnesota.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>With confirmed times and location!</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The location and times are now confirmed for the Interpreting Forward Community Input Session taking place in Rochester, MN on Saturday, September 30, 2023.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please note: the times have changed from the previous &apos;save the date&apos; announcement.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saturday, September 30, 2023&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Morning session: 10:15 am - 12:15 pm &lt;em&gt;(previously scheduled for 9 am - 11:30 am)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Afternoon Session: 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm &lt;em&gt;(previously scheduled for 1 pm - 3:30 pm&lt;/em&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rochester Public Library - Main Branch
&lt;br /&gt;
101 2nd St SE
&lt;br /&gt;
Rochester, MN 55904&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Upon arrival, go to the 2nd floor meeting room. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What to expect&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What can you expect at the Community Input Session? This session is a platform for you to share your insights, ideas, and experiences related to interpreting. We will share information about the coming shortage of interpreters across the state (and country) and together we will generate ideas for improving the quality and availability of services. Together, we aim to shape the future of interpreting in our communities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And don’t worry about refreshments-we got you covered. Drinks and snacks will be provided to keep you energized throughout the sessions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We can’t wait to see you there and get your input. Together, we’re working to improve interpreting services across our state. More locations across the state will be announced soon.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register today&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please RSVP at &lt;a href=&quot;https://form.asana.com/?k=fajb8A1ynjpioV9MBfWZgw&amp;amp;d=1203581002578198&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Community Input Session RSVP&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>593376</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-09-27T18:05:59Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Save the Date! 2024 Collaborative Experience Conference</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>&quot;Save the date&quot; text with the State of Minnesota logo, an image of a desktop with books, pencils, magnifying glass, and an apple, and the event title, &quot;2022 Collaborative Experience Conference for parents and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/2024%20Collaborative%20Experience%20Conference%20850_tcm1063-592551.jpg</Url></Image><title>2023-09-20-save-the-date-collaborative-experience-conference</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-592554&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-09-20T17:42:37Z</Date><ShortDescription>Hosted by the stakeholders of the Collaborative Plan for parents and professionals who work with students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Sixth biennial conference happening November 7-9, 2024</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We have received many questions about the next Collaborative Experience Conference. With pleasure, the stakeholders of the Collaborative Plan are pleased to ask you to save the date for the sixth biennial conference for parents and professionals who work with students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 23px; font-weight: 600; font-family: Verdana;&quot;&gt;When&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;November 7-9, 2024&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 23px; font-weight: 600; font-family: Verdana;&quot;&gt;Theme&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To be announced!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 23px; font-weight: 600; font-family: Verdana;&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To be announced! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Collaborative Experience will be an in-person event. It will offer the ability to network with others in your field. You will also be able to access the most recent research and developments relevant to our students, their families, teachers, and professionals. Further details will be released over the next few months.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For any questions, please reach out to Collaborative Plan Program Director Danelle Gournaris, &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:danelle.gournaris@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;danelle.gournaris@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>592554</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-09-20T17:47:47Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Interpreting Forward 2030 Community Input Session: Rochester</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Icon of a winding road, underneath the year, ‘2030’. Accompanied by text, ‘Interpreting Forward’.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/IF2030-rectangle_tcm1063-585618.jpg</Url></Image><title>2023-09-19-interpreting-forward-community-input-rochester</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-592463&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-09-19T20:48:59Z</Date><ShortDescription>Choose one of two sessions, 9 am - 11:30 am or 1 pm - 3:30 pm</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Save the date for September 30, 2023</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Greetings!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are thrilled to announce the kickoff of our statewide Community Input Sessions for the Interpreting Forward 2030 Project!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Coming to Rochester, MN!&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our first stop is Rochester, Minnesota and we want you to be a part of it. Save the date for Saturday, September 30th. We will be holding two sessions, each lasting 2.5 hours. Please join us for one of the sessions. All sessions will be conducted in American Sign Language (ASL) with accommodations as needed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Morning session: 10:15 am - 12:15 pm &lt;em&gt;(previously scheduled for 9 am - 11:30 am)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Afternoon Session: 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm &lt;em&gt;(previously scheduled for 1 pm - 3:30 pm)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The location details will be provided soon, so stay tuned!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Update! The confirmed location is the Rochester Public Library (101 2nd St, SE, Rochester, MN 55904) on the 2nd floor meting room.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 23px; font-weight: 600; font-family: Verdana;&quot;&gt;What to expect&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What can you expect at the Community Input Session? This session is a platform for you to share your insights, ideas, and experiences related to interpreting. We will share information about the coming shortage of interpreters across the state (and country) and together we will generate ideas for improving the quality and availability of services. Together, we aim to shape the future of interpreting in our communities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And don’t worry about refreshments-we got you covered. Drinks and snacks will be provided to keep you energized throughout the sessions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We can’t wait to see you there and get your input. Together, we’re working to improve interpreting services across our state. More locations across the state will be announced soon.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register today&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please RSVP at &lt;a href=&quot;https://form.asana.com/?k=fajb8A1ynjpioV9MBfWZgw&amp;amp;d=1203581002578198&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Community Input Session RSVP&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>592463</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-09-27T18:56:36Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Rethinking I-94: Why Your Feedback is Needed</Title><title>2023-09-11-rethinking-i94-why-your-feedback-is-needed</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-591530&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-09-11T18:03:06Z</Date><ShortDescription>Please join MnDOT and the Commission on September 18, 2023 from 6 – 7:30 pm.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Feedback will cover I-94&apos;s St. Paul - Minneapolis corridor</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/BIH0tS0Gcvw&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. To adjust the video speed, use YouTube&apos;s playback speed tool.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/44OeIdlgOi8?si=KqYmFKJzeHij1ce3&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about rethinking i-94&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Community members who live, work, commute, and play along I-94 between Minneapolis and St. Paul will be impacted by any changes made to I-94.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The whole section is 7.5 miles long and stretches between Hwy 55/Hiawatha Ave and Marion St. in St. Paul.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I-94 was first built in the 1960s. This is the first time an in-depth review is being done of I-94. The review will study how to make sure it benefits I-94 commuters and surrounding communities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) wants to make sure community members have a chance to give feedback on transportation needs and look at alternative ideas MnDOT is considering. Community members can also suggest new alternatives to the plan to update I-94.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On September 18, 2023, MnDOT and the Commission are hosting an online discussion. During this discussion, MnDOT will provide a presentation on the project and alternative ideas being considered. You will have opportunities to share what you like about the alternative ideas and if you think anything is missing or could be improved.
&lt;br /&gt;
We hope you will join us because we need your ideas and suggestions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We will send information to folks who sign up to attend the online discussion so you will have time to prepare and think in advance. In the meantime, more information about the &lt;a href=&quot;https://talk.dot.state.mn.us/rethinking-i94&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Rethinking I-94 project can be found online&lt;/a&gt;. The website includes a survey that anyone can fill out with their feedback.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is an ongoing project. As we gather feedback from the community, the feedback will be evaluated and considered as the new I-94 plan is finalized.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please join MnDOT and the Commission on September 18, 2023 from 6 – 7:30 pm. More information and the link to register via Zoom is available at the &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/deaf-commission/news/index.jsp?id=1063-586911&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Commission&apos;s website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Nic Zapko for ASL talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Patty McCutcheon for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Rethinking_I94_Study_Area_Map-850_tcm1063-586909.jpg&quot; title=&quot;rethinking-i-94&quot; alt=&quot;rethinking-i-94&quot; style=&quot;width: 450px; height: 282px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;rethinking-i-94&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Monday, September 18, 2023, 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Join us on Zoom from the comfort of your home. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and CART will be provided.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please register to attend so we have an accurate head count. The registration link is: &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwtceugrT4pEtIRHitQorjtv5cJ55XI4Udv#/registration&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Rethinking I-94 Input Session (September 18, 2023) signup&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Calling in via phone is an option if preferred. First, register to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation via email. The confirmation will include information on how to call in by phone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Recording&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please note, this public event will be recorded.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>591530</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-09-11T18:15:29Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Apply to join the Equitable Health Care Task Force</Title><title>2023-09-08-equitable-health-care-task-force</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-591350&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-09-08T20:28:13Z</Date><ShortDescription>Are you someone who is passionate about equitable health in Minnesota? The Equitable Health Care Task Force is currently accepting membership applications.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Task force under the Minnesota Department of Health</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Are you someone who is passionate about equitable health in Minnesota? The Equitable Health Care Task Force is currently accepting membership applications.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2023, the Minnesota Legislature established an &lt;strong&gt;Equitable Health Care Task Force&lt;/strong&gt;. The task force will examine inequities in how people experience health care based on race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, and disability. It will identify strategies for ensuring that all Minnesotans can receive care and coverage that is respectful and ensures optimal health outcomes. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) will convene this task force.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Membership includes representative of specific communities (examples include disability communities, LGBTQIA+ communities, Latina/o/x communities) as well as a general member. To apply, submit your cover letter and optional resume or letters of recommendations by &lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;text-decoration: underline;&quot;&gt;S&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;text-decoration: underline;&quot;&gt;eptember 11, 2023&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://commissionsandappointments.sos.state.mn.us/Agency/Details/336&quot;&gt;Apply for a position now.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/equitablehc/index.html&quot;&gt;Learn more about the Task Force and application process.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>591350</id><Tag><Description/><Title>health care</Title><Id>310254</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-09-08T20:51:39Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>In the News: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline adds video call option for deaf, hard of hearing callers</Title><title>2023-09-08-in-the-news-988-suicide-crisis-line</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-620762&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-09-08T15:29:14Z</Date><ShortDescription>By Alex Jokich</ShortDescription><Subtitle>KSTP</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline announced a ‘historic’ change Friday, with the addition of a video call option for the deaf and hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Callers can now connect with trained crisis counselors who are fluent in American Sign Language.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“I’m thrilled to see that there are other options for us,” said Dr. Darlene Zangara, executive director of the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, Deafblind and Hard of Hearing. “The direct connection in language will make a world of difference.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Previously, those with hearing loss who wanted to contact 988 had to communicate through an interpreter or via text chat.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Oftentimes, that leads to more frustration, especially when you’re emotional,” Zangara said. “It goes back to the basics of having that human factor, that human connection, someone who really understands me and can connect with me.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It is estimated that 20% of Minnesotans suffer from hearing loss, ranging from those who were born deaf to seniors who lose hearing as they age, according to the Minnesota Department of Human Services Deaf and Hard of Hearing Division.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“We want everyone, no matter their background, their disability, to be able to access crisis services,” said Sue Abderholden, executive director of NAMI Minnesota, the National Alliance on Mental Illness. “We know that people who are deaf and hard of hearing actually have a greater incidence of depression, especially in older adults because they become more isolated, but they haven’t had a way really to connect with crisis services.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2022, Minnesota 988 Lifeline Centers answered over 30,000 calls, a 154% increase from 2021, according to statistics from the Minnesota Department of Health.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mental health advocates hope the new ASL option will be a major breakthrough for callers who suffer from hearing loss, allowing them to express their thoughts and feelings more quickly and effectively in the language they are most comfortable.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“That’s the key, that’s what’s been missing, that’s the human connection without the struggle in between,” Zangara said.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can already use the new sign language option to video chat on your computer by clicking the “ASL Now” button on 988lifeline.org and following the prompts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the coming weeks, you will also be able to video dial 988 directly from a videophone. In the meantime, ASL callers can call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) from their videophone to reach ASL services.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>620762</id><Tag><Description/><Title>emergency management</Title><Id>310293</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>in the news</Title><Id>317336</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-04-17T15:40:17Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Accidental 9-1-1 Calls</Title><title>2023-08-30-accidental-911-calls</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-590418&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-08-30T23:47:39Z</Date><ShortDescription>What to do if you accidentally call 9-1-1</ShortDescription><Subtitle>&quot;Lock it before you pocket&quot;</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/03JyIkXnJP4?si=xaJSvfMqfZfu6fwk&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. To adjust the video speed, use YouTube&apos;s playback speed tool.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/-7KTjDNeIao?si=qqJM3n8LvqSYyCOH&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about what to do if you accidentally call 911&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English Version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Suppose you accidently hit the Emergency SOS button on your mobile device and realize that you’ve called 9-1-1. Do you know what to do next?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are a few tips.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are comfortable hearing and speaking on your device, stay on the line and let the dispatcher know it was an accidental call.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are not comfortable hearing and speaking on the device, use the same device to hang up and immediately text 9-1-1. Let them know there was an accidental call from this number. The text should reach the same 9-1-1 call center as the previous accidental call did.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Just to let you know, if you hang up without letting the dispatcher know it was an accident, the 9-1-1 call center is required to either call or text you from a 10 digit administrative number to see if you need help. If they cannot reach you, they will send law enforcement to try to find you to see if you need help. This means texting (or communicating with) 9-1-1 immediately is very important. Not being able to confirm an accidental 9-1-1 call and having to use resources that might be prevented from responding to a true emergency is a problem.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/%21911-Misdials_tcm1063-590419.png&quot; title=&quot;lock it before you pocket graphic&quot; alt=&quot;lock it before you pocket graphic&quot; style=&quot;width: 700px; height: 366px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;lock it before you pocket graphic&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are things you can do to reduce the possibility of accidently calling 9-1-1.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Lock your device before putting it in your pocket or bag.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Keep your device clean. Sometimes accidental 9-1-1 calls can be caused by lint or grease jamming the trigger.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Make sure you know how to activate the “Emergency SOS” feature on your phone. Not only will it help you be ready for an emergency, knowing and understanding this tool can help prevent accidents.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Content is approved by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Emergency Communication Networks. The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Nic Zapko for ASL talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tamajai Grady for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>590418</id><Tag><Description/><Title>emergency management</Title><Id>310293</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-08-31T00:12:03Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Share Your #CanDoAnything Story</Title><title>2023-08-24-share-your-candoanything-story</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-589115&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-08-24T12:16:11Z</Date><ShortDescription>Contact Anne Sittner Anderson to be connected to an interviewer. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Highlighting deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing people in the workplace</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/7olejuHzgi4&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. To adjust the video speed, use YouTube&apos;s playback speed tool.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/LSuxH6XgZXk?si=UvZBoAAOUqfhsf6y&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about Can Do Anything stories&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sharing your story is powerful.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing is interviewing people who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. The interviews are posted online (both on social media and on the Commission’s website) as part of the #CanDoAnything campaign, which highlights community members in the workplace, from teachers to mortgage lenders, to electricians, to lawyers, a NASA employee, and more. Over 100 Minnesotans have already been interviewed and we&apos;d love to see this campaign continue for a long time.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is a platform to share personal stories about experienced barriers to communication access, countered by strategies for success, and lessons learned along the way. It is also great exposure for our youth and young people entering the workforce as well as hiring managers and businesses.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are willing to share your story, or know of someone who should be spotlighted, please send interest to Anne Sittner Anderson by email, &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Nic Zapko for ASL talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tamajai Grady for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>589115</id><Tag><Description/><Title>employment</Title><Id>310253</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-08-24T06:21:35Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>The 2023 Minnesota State Fair Starts Tomorrow!</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Text reads 2023 Minnesota State Fair&quot; with the Commission logo. Pictures of Commission staff with MCD friends from last year&apos;s state fair booth</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/state-fair-2023-1_850_tcm1063-589057.jpg</Url></Image><title>2023-08-23-minnesota-state-fair</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-589060&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-08-23T20:23:28Z</Date><ShortDescription>ASL, captioning, booths, all on a stick</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Information about where to find the Commission, Accessibility, and Booths!</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing will be at the Minnesota State Fair on Thursday, August 31&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt; and Sunday, September 3&lt;sup&gt;rd&lt;/sup&gt;!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota State Fair will run from August 24&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; to September 4&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;, 2023. The fair is located at 1265 Snelling Ave. N., St. Paul, MN 55108. Find details about the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mnstatefair.org/general-info/hours-of-operation/&quot;&gt;hours of operations&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mnstatefair.org/transportation/&quot;&gt;transportation and parking options.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn more about all the opportunities at the State Fair and where to find us!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota State Fair offers a variety of accessibility services so everyone can enjoy the fair. Learn more about their accessibility offerings at their &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mnstatefair.org/general-info/accessibility-guide/&quot;&gt;Accessibility Guide.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL and Captioning&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During the fair, ASL interpreters are available to assist guests 9 AM to 5 PM daily. If you would like ASL interpretation during your visit, email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:accessibility@mnstatefair.org&quot;&gt;accessibility@mnstatefair.org&lt;/a&gt;, call 651-288-4448, or stop by Guest Relations at Visitors Plaza.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For Grandstand Concert Series, ASL interpreting is available upon request. To purchase Grandstand tickets in the ASL interpretation section, call Etix (800-514-3849) or the State Fair Ticket Office (651-288-4427), or purchase in-person at the State Fair Ticket Office beginning August 1st. Ticket purchases in the ASL interpretation section (Riser 1) must be made at least 14 days prior to the concert.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mnstatefair.org/general-info/accessibility-guide/#asl&quot;&gt;View the list of shows with already scheduled ASL interpretation.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mnstatefair.org/general-info/accessibility-guide/#captioning&quot;&gt;View the list of shows with captioning.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mnstatefair.org/general-info/accessibility-guide/#audio&quot;&gt;View the list of shows with audio descriptions.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Booths&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These booths may be of interest to you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visit with your legislators and learn about voting&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Fairvote Minnesota – Education Building, north center section&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MN House of Representatives – Education Building, east wall&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MN State Senate – Education Building, east wall&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Senator Amy Klobuchar - North side of Judson Ave. between Nelson and Underwood streets&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State – in the Grandstand, lower level, northeast section&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visit with your political party&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MN Democratic Farmer Labor Party – Northeast corner of Dan Patch Ave. &amp;amp; Copper St.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Republican Party of Minnesota – South side of Carnes Ave. between Nelson and Underwood streets&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Independence Party of Minnesota - South side of Dan Patch Ave. between Nelson &amp;amp; Underwood streets&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Libertarian Party of Minnesota – West side of Nelson St. between Carnes &amp;amp; Judson avenues&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Grassroots Party - Legalize Cannabis - West side of Clough St. between Carnes &amp;amp; Judson avenues&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visit your government agency&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Council on Disability – Education Building, northeast section&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Department of Agriculture – on Randall Ave. in the Eco Experience Progress Center&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Department of Corrections - Education Building, south center aisle&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Department of Education - Education Building, southwest corner&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Department of Public Safety - Education Building, south aisle&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Department of Revenue - Education Building, south aisle&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Department of Natural Resources - Department of Natural Resources Building, between Carnes &amp;amp; Judson avenues &amp;amp; Clough &amp;amp; Nelson streets&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs - Education Building, just inside the main entrance&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Department of Transportation - West side of Cosgrove street between Wright &amp;amp; Dan Patch avenues&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing Related Booths&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Disabled American Veterans of Minnesota - Education Building, center section&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Lions Vision, Diabetes and Hearing Center - Education Building, center aisle section&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Find the Commission&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Find us at the Minnesota Council on Disability&apos;s booth (Education Building, eortheast section) on Thursday, August 31&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt; from 9 AM to 1 PM and Sunday, September 3&lt;sup&gt;rd&lt;/sup&gt; from 9 AM to 1 PM. Board members and staff will be there to meet members of the public. We&apos;ll be ready to chat about voting, communication access, our legislative achievements, and more! &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>589060</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-08-23T20:45:01Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Rethinking I-94 Input Session on September 18, 2023</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>map of i-94 corridor between St. Paul and Minneapolis</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Rethinking_I94_Study_Area_Map-850_tcm1063-586909.jpg</Url></Image><title>2023-08-11-rethinking-i-94</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-586911&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-08-11T12:53:45Z</Date><ShortDescription>Input session provided in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Transportation</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Your virtual opportunity to learn about the I-94 project and how to provide feedback</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Join representatives from the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) to learn more about the alternatives that were recently released to the public as part of the Rethinking I-94 process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rethinking I-94 is a long-term effort to engage with those who live, work, and play along the corridor between Minneapolis and St. Paul. The alternative options are a combination of highway and transit ideas with limited details. Improvements along the corridor include preserving and repairing bridges, walls, and pavement and enhancing mobility, safety, and connectivity.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MnDOT is actively engaging with community members in the upcoming months to solicit input on the alternatives and to listen to what the community wants to be incorporated and if additional alternatives should be developed. Your feedback is needed to help MnDOT understand the needs and hopes of people, so their work also builds and sustains healthy, equitable communities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Monday, September 18, 2023, 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Join us on Zoom from the comfort of your home. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and CART will be provided. For additional accommodations, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; by Monday, September 11, 2023.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please register to attend so we have an accurate head count. The registration link is: &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwtceugrT4pEtIRHitQorjtv5cJ55XI4Udv#/registration&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Rethinking I-94 Input Session (September 18, 2023) signup&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Calling in via phone is an option if preferred. First, register to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation via email. The confirmation will include information on how to call in by phone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Recording&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please note, this public event will be recorded.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>586911</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-08-21T18:47:12Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Changes to Voting Rights Laws Workshop on August 31, 2023</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Vote 2023 logo with text, &quot;What&apos;s new&quot; and a patterned line on the bottom</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/whats-new-voting-2023-850_tcm1063-586908.jpg</Url></Image><title>2023-08-09-changes-to-voting-rights-laws-workshop</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-586910&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-08-09T22:40:57Z</Date><ShortDescription>Commission workshop provided in partnership with the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State</ShortDescription><Subtitle>How Minnesota voters are impacted</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please join the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing and our partners from the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State for a workshop on the new voting laws and how the changes impact voters. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Presenting will be Secretary Steve Simon and Melanie Hazelip, Voter Outreach Director.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thursday, August 31, 2023, 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Join us on Zoom from the comfort of your home. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and CART will be provided. For additional accommodations, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; by Thursday, August 24, 2023.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please register to attend so we have an accurate head count. The registration link is: &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0of-mtrTIiEtxvZx-JkF0_OYlOeNF20zeo#/registration&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Voters Workshop (August 31, 2023) signup&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Calling in via phone is an option if preferred. First, register to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation via email. The confirmation will include information on how to call in by phone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Recording&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please note, this public event will be recorded.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>586910</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-08-09T22:42:42Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Interpreting Forward: Sign up to be Interviewed</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Icon of a winding road, underneath the year, ‘2030’. Accompanied by text, ‘Interpreting Forward’.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/IF2030-rectangle_tcm1063-585618.jpg</Url></Image><title>2023-08-01-interpreting-forward-interview-signup</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-586170&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-08-01T11:58:19Z</Date><ShortDescription>Your perspectives matter</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Interviews will cover the future of sign language interpreting in Minnesota</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do you want to share your ideas and thoughts about the future of sign language interpreting in MN? Sign up to do an open interview! This is a great option if you are interested in sharing your thoughts, but don&apos;t have ability to commit your time to a working group. Your perspectives matter!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sign up: &lt;a href=&quot;https://dendros.limequery.com/866779?lang=en&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;dendros.com/signup&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn more about &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/communication-access/interpreting-forward/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Interpreting Forward 2030&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Further comments/questions? Email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:InterpretingForward@dendros.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;InterpretingForward@dendros.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;#InterpretingForward2030&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>586170</id><Tag><Description/><Title>survey</Title><Id>310297</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-08-01T12:59:10Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Interpreting Forward: Participate in an Anonymous Survey</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Icon of a winding road, underneath the year, ‘2030’. Accompanied by text, ‘Interpreting Forward’.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/IF2030-rectangle_tcm1063-585618.jpg</Url></Image><title>2023-07-25-if-participate-in-anonymous-survey</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-585619&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-07-26T00:39:27Z</Date><ShortDescription>We need you. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>An opportunity to share your perspectives about sign language interpreting services in Minnesota</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Interpreting Forward 2030 initiative is working on an important issue - almost half of all working sign language interpreters imagine working less, leaving, or retiring in a few years. At the same time, fewer new interpreters are joining the field. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Together, we need to increase the quality and availability of professional interpreting services in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please participate in an anonymous survey. You will be asked about your role in the community, your experiences with interpreting services, ideas you have to resolve the issue(s), and any other important things to consider. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Your feedback and ideas are important. Participate at &lt;a href=&quot;https://dendros.limequery.com/843471?lang=en&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Interpreting Forward survey link&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>585619</id><Tag><Description/><Title>survey</Title><Id>310297</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-07-26T00:50:28Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>In the News: With more neurodivergent or disabled workers, Minnesota employers add support</Title><title>2023-07-25-in-the-news-employers-support</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-620776&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-07-25T15:36:37Z</Date><ShortDescription>By Burl Gilyard</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Star Tribune</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Occupational therapist Elizabeth Duffy was diagnosed at 39 with autism and ADHD and soon found a huge void in support of neurodivergent people by providers and employers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Just a lot of adjustability in the environment can help,&quot; Duffy said. &quot;Having flexibility built in as much as possible.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;She also found a lack of education for those employers on what type of support is needed. Duffy founded the nonprofit Minnesota Neurodivergent Education, Advocacy and Therapy Services (MnNEAT) in 2021 to fill that need. For-profit companies like Twin Cities-based startup Joshin are also contracting with companies to help support employees.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As more neurodivergent adults and people with disabilities are hired, especially in the post-pandemic scramble to fill jobs, more companies are realizing the need to learn about how to support their new employees and then provide those services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;The companies we&apos;re partnering with really are focusing on ensuring that their employees have the right type of support,&quot; said Melissa Danielsen, co-founder and CEO of Joshin, which has contracts with Best Buy and Tyson Foods, among other companies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In September 2022, more than 35% of Americans with disabilities had jobs, a record in the 15 years the federal government has kept track.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As Minnesota faced a situation beginning last year of more open positions than available workers, the state Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) and Minnesota Chamber of Commerce launched an educational campaign encouraging employers to hire from nontraditional talent pools, including people with disabilities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;It&apos;s such a broad spectrum,&quot; said Whitney Harvey, senior director of workforce diversity and inclusion for the chamber. &quot;We&apos;ve got all of these different demographics that are really untapped in our workforce.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Gov. Tim Walz already had signed an executive order in 2019 to increase state agency employment of people with disabilities. Data from the Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) office shows that 11.7% of current state executive branch employees have disabilities, up from 7.1% in 2019.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Data from New York-based Coqual (formerly know as Center for Talent Innovation), a nonprofit think tank specializing in workplace diversity, found that 30% of employees have a disability or are neurodivergent. At the same time Coqual determined that 62% of employees with disabilities have what&apos;s called a nonvisible disability. That can be an issue for employers trying to offer inclusive benefits.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;That includes neurodivergent employees.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Neurodivergent&quot; is a nonmedical term that refers to people whose brains function differently. Being neurodivergent is most commonly associated with autism but includes many other conditions including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, Down syndrome, epilepsy and chronic mental health illnesses.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Duffy said that many neurodivergent people do not have a specific diagnosis.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;They know they&apos;re different. It can mean lots of different things,&quot; said Duffy, who is president of MnNEAT.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As a result, Duffy said employers can adjust to accommodate different ways of learning and absorbing information. That could include scheduling flexibility and making sure meetings aren&apos;t the only way to deliver updates and announcements to staffers. It also could include adjustable lighting and seating. Duffy added that workers may have differing communication preferences. Some might prefer emails while others would rather talk on the phone or meet face to face.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dacia VanAlstine, business services and employment program specialist for DEED&apos;s State Services for the Blind, said providing accommodations for employees is not as difficult as employers might think.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;It can be as simple as moving their computer away from the window. Most accommodations cost less than $500,&quot; said VanAlstine.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Reasonable Accommodation Program has $4 million in funding over the next two years to reimburse small- to midsize companies for expenses connected to providing reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The accommodations need to extend to the application process. Patrick Hogan, a spokesman for MMB, said the state has simplified its application process and added training for hiring managers, supervisors and recruiters.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;That&apos;s how Maya Larson, who is deafblind, got her job at the Minnesota Commission for the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing. After receiving her degree, Larson was having trouble finding a job because of the driver&apos;s license requirement.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;It felt so discouraging to be a person with disabilities, who wanted to work with people with disabilities, who couldn&apos;t work with people with disabilities because of my disability,&quot; Larson said.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;She learned of the state&apos;s Connect 700 program specifically designed to connect people with disabilities with state job opportunities that meet their qualifications. Now, in her job, her guide dog can stay with her and American Sign Language is used in the office.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;My favorite part of the job is using my communication and organizational skills to support the mission of advocating for communication access and equal opportunity for deaf, deafblind and hard-of-hearing Minnesotans,&quot; Larson said.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce offers resources including webinars for companies trying to build a more diverse workforce. Harvey said that it&apos;s important for business leaders to consider disability as part of their diversity, equity and inclusion strategies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Companies may need to assess their policies, procedures, job descriptions and guidelines for providing accommodations to see if they are using best practices, said Harvey.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Danielsen and twin sister Melanie Fountaine in 2009 founded Josh&apos;s Place, named after their brother, Josh, who had epilepsy and developmental disabilities and died that same year at 29. The company offered direct services for adults with disabilities, a business that the sisters sold after deciding to develop technology to help people find the services they need for family members.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The new company, Joshin, has since expanded its digital platform to offer training, education and live, virtual one-on-one coaching sessions for employees. It has so far raised $6 million in venture financing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Employers are really looking at how to remove stigma in the workplace,&quot; Danielsen said.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;That&apos;s true for Best Buy, said Charlie Montreuil, senior vice president of HR rewards for the company.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;We&apos;re constantly looking for new ways to break ground in caring for the needs of our employees,&quot; he said.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>620776</id><Tag><Description/><Title>employment</Title><Id>310253</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>in the news</Title><Id>317336</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-04-17T15:41:02Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Community Spotlight: Minnesota Deaf Queers</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Four picture collage. (left): Minnesota Deaf Queers logo, with the name inside an outline of the state of Minnesota with the LGBTQIA Progress Pride flag colors inside the state. (top, middle): A group shot showing about 30 members of MDQ standing and kneeling outside in front of a house. (top, right): Image of people gathered on either side of a table with MDQ swag under a tent canopy at Pride. (bottom, right): A group shot from Pride of about 40 members of MDQ standing and sitting on a grass lawn in front of several tents. A few hold a rainbow flag to the side with the MDQ logo on it.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/mdq-header-850_tcm1063-583316.jpg</Url></Image><title>2023-06-30-community-spotlight-mdq</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-583317&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-06-30T14:34:48Z</Date><ShortDescription>Interviewed by Kaitlin Mielke</ShortDescription><Subtitle>A conversation with Jessalyn Akerman-Frank, Co-founder and Member</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Interviewed by Kaitlyn Mielke.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tell us a bit about Minnesota Deaf Queers - what&apos;s the history behind the establishment of this organization?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jessalyn:&lt;/strong&gt; You may remember the LGBTQ+ Annual Awards Program, we just celebrated 12 years. That event, and the growth, membership and members of the group is what established the Minnesota Deaf Queers official organization. Thirteen years ago, there were community members who were looking for ways to connect, needing resources, many were coming out and needed support and connections and the Annual Deaf LGBTQ+ Awards program served that purpose. It started with 25 in the home of one of our allies, and grew to over 150-200 people. At these events, community. members expressed their needs for service gaps, to socialize, connect, volunteer, and be with people who were just like them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Over those years, we had small gatherings, events, developed relationships and partnerships which helped us cement Minnesota Deaf Queers. Minnesota Deaf Queers is an evolving organization that is made up of volunteers who give of their time to create opportunities, pursue personal passions and share it with like members, and to celebrate our existence. One of the biggest reasons that these events continued to succeed was not only our members who gave of their time but our allies! Our allies carried us all these years to continue to do this work, while our community was surviving in the world (13 years ago), where our rights to marry, get same sex benefits, adopt children, insurances, buying a home, resources and programs that supported us in daily life, or supported our kids in schools were non existing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tell us a bit more about community partnerships - what are some of the other organizations that Minnesota Deaf Queers has partnered with over the years?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jessalyn:&lt;/strong&gt; One of our strongest partners has been Twin Cities Pride. Since the Annual Awards Gala 13 years ago, Twin Cities Pride has sponsored and supported us. Through the years, they have given us support, resources and encouragement to continue to establish a strong organization that serves our community. Other partners, have been Smitten Kitten, Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing, Deaf Equity, Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens, ASLIS, KIS, and now more organizations have recognized our work, PFUND, Lavender, No Place Like Home Real Estate, Mitsubishi Bear, Dendros, and many personal sponsors and donors.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How can folks get involved with Minnesota Deaf Queers? How would you like the community to get involved with MDQ?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jessalyn:&lt;/strong&gt; Minnesota Deaf Queers is always looking for volunteers and people who want to take leadership roles to continue to evolve and cement MDQ as a strong organization for our future LGBTQ+ members. You can visit our website, subscribe, follow us on Instagram, follow us on Facebook, send us an email, sponsor our events, partner with us on upcoming events, we welcome it all.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What does the future look like for Minnesota Deaf Queers? Any projects or activities that you hope to do in the future?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jessalyn:&lt;/strong&gt; MDQ&apos;s future goals is to have more family friendly events for our LGBTQ+ parents, children who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. We are currently piloting a mentor project for Adults with Youth, or Adults with Adults who are coming out. We also want to be a resource for families who have children that have come out but are not sure what to do. Since we are a small organization and our community is small, we rely heavily on partnerships with hearing agencies who understand our community, language and can provide services to our members.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We would like to offer more support groups with trained facilitators, educational opportunities for our members to grow and learn, and work with policy to ensure that agencies who have a bigger capacity to provide services and resources also include our community by offering interpreters, direct communications with a deaf, deafblind or hard of hearing staff member or other accommodations as needed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What are some current issues and or hot topics that are affecting MDQ, and how can the community get involved with these?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jessalyn:&lt;/strong&gt; Hot topics in our community right now are securing funding for support groups, working on trans issues to be sure that our community has what they need, and being a resource for deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing members who want to escape their current state to be in Minnesota. How can you get involved? Help us with our fundraisers, know any funding, share it with us, support us with the small things such as Interpreting, web development, social media needs, and partner with us. As a small group, we rely on the capacity of partnership with larger scaled groups to be able to do all the work we need to do.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Is there anything else you would like to add to share with the community about Minnesota Deaf Queers?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jessalyn:&lt;/strong&gt; As we always tell people, we may be a small organization serving a smaller population (vs. hearing population) that are LGBTQ+ but we are a meaningful and purposeful group that serves our specific group in their native language, understanding their culture and needs. We are often overlooked for funding or sponsorship opportunities because you can&apos;t measure the impact, or you don&apos;t see 500 people instead you see 50-100. I can&apos;t tell you how many times the LGBTQ+ Annual Awards Program has saved a life. During many of those events, people were so scared to come out, seeing people on stage, showing their authentic self, seeing the community come together to support them, helped them come out. One year, a person who was thinking of ending their life, did not because of that community of LGBTQ+ and allies coming together validated their existence. The powerful work, the kindness of our community members, in this organization, partners, volunteers, and allies makes a difference in our lives every single day! So your support to our small organization is worth it. Our future generation deserves to have a space that they can check in with, get resources and support when needed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact Info:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Email: &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:mndeafqueers@gmail.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;mndeafqueers@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Website: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mndeafqueers.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;www.mndeafqueers.org&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Facebook: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/MNDeafQueers&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;@mndeafqueers&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Instagram: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.instagram.com/mndeafqueers/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;@mndeafqueers&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>583317</id><Tag><Description/><Title>community spotlight</Title><Id>432585</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-06-30T14:42:10Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>News from Executive Director Darlene Zangara: June 2023</Title><title>2023-06-28-executive-director-updates</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-582861&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-06-28T13:42:53Z</Date><ShortDescription>Work that has been done in May and early June</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Interpreting Forward updates, legislative session results, statewide community connections, and language acquisition</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/HCqndBJqTZk&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. To adjust the video speed, use YouTube&apos;s playback speed tool.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/Rdng4xT_f0c&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with the June 2023 executive director updates&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello everyone! I’m Darlene Zangara and I’m the Executive Director of the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing. I am a white woman with blond hair, glasses, and wearing all black.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Interpreting Forward Updates&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Soon the Interpreting Forward working group members will be launching interviews. If you would like to be interviewed about your knowledge or experience with interpreting in Minnesota, please email Dendros, &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:InterpretingForward@dendros.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;InterpretingForward@dendros.com&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are also recruiting more deaf and deafblind task force members. At the time of filming, we have 5 DeafBlind, 22 Deaf, and 51 hearing individuals signed up. We need more Deaf and DeafBlind participation. You may &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/communication-access/interpreting-forward/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;sign up online&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Legislative Session Results&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We had a successful legislative session! Together, with legislators, stakeholders, and partners, we achieved:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Requirements for closed captions to be enabled for TVs in public places.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Funding for upgrades made to Minnesota’s 911 system, called Next Generation 911, which will make more accessibility features available.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Changed education law so Certified Deaf Interpreters (CDIs) in the classroom without the Interpreting Training Program (ITP) requirements for CDIs. There is no ITP for CDIs. Additionally, school districts can be reimbursed for the salary of the CDI. &lt;em&gt;(Correction: Nationwide, there is only one ITP that accepts Deaf interpreters.)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Funding for a mental health day treatment center for youth who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Progress in affordable hearing health care. The age limit of 18 was removed for mandated hearing aid coverage so that all ages are now included. This also conforms with federal prohibitions against age discrimination.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There’s more! Our big legislative wrap up is coming so watch for it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you to everyone who helped this year, including, but not limited to: Rep Kim Hicks, Rep Brian Daniels, Rep Jamie Becker-Finn, Rep Ruth Richardson, Rep Ginny Klevorn, Sen Heather Gustafson, Sen Erin Maye Quade, Sen Jim Abeler, and Sen John Hoffman.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Statewide Community Connections&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are traveling statewide to connect with community members. Recently we met with community members in Owatonna and in St. Cloud. We also hosted an in-person town hall with the DeafBlind community. We enjoy fostering positive relationships with local community members statewide and will continue to arrange for more. Your feedback is essential to setting up and achieving goals. Thank you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Language Acquisition&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Language acquisition and language deprivation are important issues in which numerous stakeholders are invested, including parents, families, professionals, and community members who want the next generation to have a better experience.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In April 2017, we sent out a video newsletter titled “LEAD-K and Minnesota,” and we explained we received advice from stakeholders regarding our current kindergarten readiness system, which includes language acquisition. The stakeholders identified two issues:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Improve data collection&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Make sure appropriate assessment tools are being used to measure language acquisition.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During the 2017 Collaborative Experience Conference, Visual Communication and Sign Language (VCSL) Assessor trainer Dr. Laurene Simms provided the VCSL assessment training to 15 Deaf and Hard of Hearing teachers who work in the Early Childhood Education field and 15 Deaf Mentors statewide. Both teams continue using language assessment tools and giving parents the VCSL data result.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission board and staff continue to look into what Minnesota is doing to ensure deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing children are acquiring the language in any communication modality. What types of consistent language assessments are being used that we can monitor to ensure children who may be experiencing language delay are not falling through the cracks?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition, the Collaborative Plan Program has a new Language Acquisitions and tracking system workgroup.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The workgroup is working on identifying how children’s language is being assessed in Part C and Part B and what data is reported to the state. In addition, we are working on whether we need more language acquisition data. The workgroup expects the analysis of language acquisition data to be a long process. The Commission will keep the community informed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lastly, the Commission responded to the Perez v. Sturgis Public Schools ruling. Here is our statement.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;The Supreme Court’s decision in Perez v. Sturgis Public Schools supports the rights of students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing in regard to access to education opportunities and advancement. This landmark decision conveys a clear message to school districts, students, and their families; effective communication access is an essential component to learning.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Picture Slideshow&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are pictures of recent events.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_20230615_174351862_HDR_tcm1063-582857.jpg&quot; title=&quot;deafblind-th-3&quot; alt=&quot;deafblind-th-3&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;deafblind-th-3&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_20230615_182117448_HDR_tcm1063-582856.jpg&quot; title=&quot;deafblind-th-2&quot; alt=&quot;deafblind-th-2&quot; style=&quot;width: 450px; height: 600px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;deafblind-th-2&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_20230615_182909467_HDR_tcm1063-582854.jpg&quot; title=&quot;deafblind-th-1&quot; alt=&quot;deafblind-th-1&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;deafblind-th-1&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_4227%20%281%29_tcm1063-582853.JPG&quot; title=&quot;board-6&quot; alt=&quot;board-6&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;board-6&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Photo credit: Minnesota State Academies&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/board2023-83_tcm1063-582852.jpg&quot; title=&quot;board-5&quot; alt=&quot;board-5&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;board-5&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Photo credit: Riss Leitzke Photography&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/board2023-107_tcm1063-582851.jpg&quot; title=&quot;board-4&quot; alt=&quot;board-4&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;board-4&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Photo credit: Riss Leitzke Photography&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/board2023-144_tcm1063-582850.jpg&quot; title=&quot;board-3&quot; alt=&quot;board-3&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;board-3&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Photo credit: Riss Leitzke Photography&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/board2023-58_tcm1063-582849.jpg&quot; title=&quot;board-2&quot; alt=&quot;board-2&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;board-2&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Photo credit: Riss Leitzke Photography&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/board2023-23_tcm1063-582848.jpg&quot; title=&quot;board-1&quot; alt=&quot;board-1&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;board-1&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Photo credit: Riss Leitzke Photography&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/legislation_1-32_tcm1063-582847.jpg&quot; title=&quot;leg-award-8&quot; alt=&quot;leg-award-8&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;leg-award-8&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Photo credit: Riss Leitzke Photography&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/legislation_1-81_tcm1063-582846.jpg&quot; title=&quot;leg-award-7&quot; alt=&quot;leg-award-7&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;leg-award-7&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Photo credit: Riss Leitzke Photography&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/legislation_1-71_tcm1063-582845.jpg&quot; title=&quot;leg-award-6&quot; alt=&quot;leg-award-6&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;leg-award-6&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Riss Leitzke Photography&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/legislation_1-49_tcm1063-582844.jpg&quot; title=&quot;leg-award-5&quot; alt=&quot;leg-award-5&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;leg-award-5&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Photo credit: Riss Leitzke Photography&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/legislation_1-13_tcm1063-582843.jpg&quot; title=&quot;leg-award-4&quot; alt=&quot;leg-award-4&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;leg-award-4&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Photo credit: Riss Leitzke Photography&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Screenshot%202023-06-27%20175409_tcm1063-582837.png&quot; title=&quot;capitol-1&quot; alt=&quot;capitol-1&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 448px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;capitol-1&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Screenshot%202023-06-27%20175551_tcm1063-582838.png&quot; title=&quot;capitol-2&quot; alt=&quot;capitol-2&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 451px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;capitol-2&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/ASL%20Camp_tcm1063-582842.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Camp ASL&quot; alt=&quot;Camp ASL&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Camp ASL&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/DSC02258_tcm1063-582841.jpeg&quot; title=&quot;leg-award-3&quot; alt=&quot;leg-award-3&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;leg-award-3&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Photo credit: Keystone Interpreting Solutions&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/DSC02285_tcm1063-582840.jpeg&quot; title=&quot;leg-award-2&quot; alt=&quot;leg-award-2&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;leg-award-2&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Photo credit: Keystone Interpreting Solutions&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/DSC02328_tcm1063-582839.jpeg&quot; title=&quot;leg-award-1&quot; alt=&quot;leg-award-1&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;leg-award-1&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Photo credit: Keystone Interpreting Solutions&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Suggestions?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I will send out another update next month. Please let me know if there is any information you would like me to share in a future update. You can contact me by email, &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:darlene.g.zangara@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;darlene.g.zangara@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. Thank you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Featuring Dr. Darlene G. Zangara, Executive Director. The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hannah Merren for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>582861</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>language acquisition</Title><Id>310294</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>executive director updates</Title><Id>457794</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-07-10T23:28:13Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Webinar: Proposed Updates to ACL’s Older Americans Act Regulations</Title><title>2023-06-21-proposed-updates-acl-older-americans-act-regulations</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-582065&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-06-21T22:02:34Z</Date><ShortDescription>ASL interpreters and live captioning provided. A recording and transcript will be available after the fact. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Thursday, June 22, 2023, 12:30 PM ET</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing just learned about this webinar, Proposed Updates to ACL&apos;s Older American&apos;s Act Regulations. The webinar is happening tomorrow, Thursday, June 22, 2023, at 12:30 PM ET. The Commission is sharing the news in case others would like to join. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The National Association of State Agencies serving Deaf and Hard of Hearing (NASADHH), of which the Commission is a member, is leading a national push related to the Older Americans Act (OAA) reauthorization effort. This is a push for specific funding allocations to promote more services for seniors who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;More information is available about the webinar below. ASL interpreters and captions are provided. If you cannot attend, don&apos;t worry. A recording and transcript will be provided. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the webinar&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Webinar: Proposed updates to ACL’s Older Americans Act regulations&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Administration for Community Living invites you to a webinar about proposed updates to regulations for its Older Americans Act (OAA) programs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Date: Thursday, June 22, 2023
&lt;br /&gt;
Time: 12:30 p.m. (Eastern)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The last substantial update to most OAA program regulations was in 1988. Updates are needed to align regulations to the current statute and reflect the needs of today’s older adults. The proposed rule addresses issues that have emerged since the last update and clarifies a number of requirements. It aims to better support the national aging network that delivers OAA services and improve program implementation, with the ultimate goal of better serving older adults. More information about the proposed rule can be found at ACL.gov/OAArule&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The proposed rule is the culmination of many years of engagement with the national aging network. It also reflects input received through a formal request for information and a series of listening sessions, including formal tribal consultations and other engagement with tribal grantees.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ACL now seeks feedback on the proposed rule from all who are interested in improving implementation of OAA programs and services. Input from the aging and disability networks and the people served by OAA programs is particularly crucial.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The webinar will provide an overview of the proposed rule, as well as instructions for providing input.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Live captioning and ASL will be provided. A video replay and transcript will be made available following the event.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Speakers&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Alison Barkoff, Acting Administrator and Assistant Secretary for Aging, ACL&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Edwin Walker, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aging, ACL&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Amy Wiatr-Rodriguez, Director, Center for Regional Operations, ACL&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How to register&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://hhsacl.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_FBJjsv92Rd2bt81woU3Bfg&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Register to attend at this link.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>582065</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>age-related hearing loss</Title><Id>310251</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>healthy aging</Title><Id>625841</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-05-29T21:43:53Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Using Inverted Colors &amp; Dark Mode</Title><title>2023-06-21-inverted-colors-dark-mode</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-582053&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-06-21T21:20:12Z</Date><ShortDescription>Using ‘Dark Mode’ and/or ‘Inverted Colors’ can enhance your reading and browsing experiences.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Tools to help with color contrast</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/ERE0oRVml_I&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. To adjust the video speed, use YouTube&apos;s playback speed tool.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/arXd194boVE&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about inverted colors and dark mode with Nic Zapko&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Love to read MNCDHH’s newsletters, but want to see inverted colors or dark mode to make it easier to read? Here’s a tutorial on how to use tools to invert colors and activate dark mode on web browsers and email.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Activating Dark Mode:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For mobile Apple products, which include iPhones and iPads, you can activate ‘Dark Mode’ by going to your ‘Settings’ (depicted by the gear icon).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Click on ‘Display &amp;amp; Brightness,’ and toggle ‘Dark Mode.’&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This will turn the screen to ‘Dark Mode’ and adjust apps accordingly if they are set up for ‘Dark Mode.’ Please note that not all apps or websites have a ‘Dark Mode’ option.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For Apple computers, you can activate ‘Dark Mode’ by going to the Apple menu and selecting ‘System Preferences.’ Click on ‘General’ and select ‘Appearance.’ ‘Dark Mode’ will be one of the options available.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For non-Apple tablets and smartphones, you can activate ‘Dark Mode’ by going to your ‘Settings’ app (generally depicted by the gear icon). This will usually be under the ‘Display &amp;amp; Brightness’ heading. Alternatively, this may be under ‘Themes,’ especially for smartphones using the Android operating system, of which ‘Dark Mode’ will be an option.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For PCs that use the Windows operating system, you can activate ‘Dark Mode’ by selecting ‘Start,’ then go to ‘Settings.’ Select ‘Personalization’ and click on ‘Colors.’ In the list for ‘Choose your mode,’ select ‘Custom.’ In the list for ‘Choose your default Windows mode,’ select ‘Light’ or ‘Dark.’&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This will turn your screen to ‘Dark Mode.’ Again, not all apps or websites are set up for ‘Dark Mode.’&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Since not all apps, websites, and email providers have options to set up ‘Dark Mode,’ there is also the option to use ‘Inverted Colors,’ available on laptops and computers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Using Inverted Colors:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For Apple computers, you can set up ‘Inverted Colors’ by clicking on the Mac menu and going to ‘System Preferences.’ Click on the ‘Accessibility’ option and select ‘Display’ and check the ‘Invert colors’ option. There are several options available, select the mode that works best for you. You can also use Keyboard shortcuts or ask Siri to toggle between normal display and inverted color display.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Windows have a feature called ‘Color Filters,’ where users can change the colors of their system to inverted, grayscale or any other available option.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For PC computers using the Windows operating system (10 or newer), you can set up ‘Inverted Colors’ by holding down the Windows key and pressing the I key to open the Windows settings. Click on the ‘Ease of Access’ option in the settings. From here, select ‘Color &amp;amp; high contrast’ option from the list. Switch on the toggle under the ‘Apply color filter option.’ Next, click on the ‘Choose a filter’ menu and choose the ‘Invert’ option in the list that works for you (inverted colors, grayscale, etc). High contrast is another option that is also available to aid with ease of visibility and readability. You can also toggle the color options using the ‘Magnifier App’ as well.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Using ‘Dark Mode’ and/or ‘Inverted Colors’ can enhance your reading and browsing experiences. We hope these tools will improve your experience!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits:&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Nic Zapko for ASL talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Daria Goede for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for video production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>582053</id><Tag><Description/><Title>deafblind</Title><Id>499876</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>accessible technology</Title><Id>310264</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-06-21T21:27:13Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>A Brief Review of Image Description and Descriptive Transcript</Title><title>2023-06-12-review-image-description-descriptive-transcript</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-580685&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-06-12T11:58:10Z</Date><ShortDescription>They&apos;re not only for DeafBlind or anyone with vision loss. Sighted people benefit too. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>What&apos;s the difference between the two, the benefits of having them, and how to write good ones.</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/XZTik4nZLys&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. To adjust the video speed, use YouTube&apos;s playback speed tool.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/LiC9qnUYTv0&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with Nic Zapko on image descriptions and descriptive transcripts&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility is one of the main goals of the Commission, and we would like to share some tips on creating image descriptions and descriptive transcripts to help make your content accessible.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Let’s review the differences between the two:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Image description describes the content of images, photos, graphs, and infographics, for instance. Who’s in the picture? What is going on in the picture? These can also double as photo captions to inform viewers of the content inside the photos.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Descriptive transcripts are transcripts of not only the dialogue but also the visual descriptions. Think of it as a captioning transcript with audio description on top. While regular transcripts only convey what is said, descriptive transcript fill in with more information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are some tips to assist with creating image descriptions and descriptive transcripts:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Image descriptions:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Answer the basic questions of who, where, and what. Stick to the basics and try to avoid over-describing. Just give the nutshell of what’s in the picture. To help you describe the image, answer the following questions:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Who is in the photo? Name individuals if possible, or give a brief description if unknown.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Where was the photo taken? Outside? Inside? The Capitol building? A theater?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What is happening in the photo? Is the person shaking hands with the governor? Is the person signing a document? A group of individuals posing for Lobby Day?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These questions will help you narrow down information needed for the image descriptions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A word on alternate text, which is also available. Images can also have alt text embedded, which will show up to screen-readers. While they are useful, it is good to include image descriptions as well, as they provide more context information, and not every person can benefit from screen reader software. So it is good practice to provide both when possible.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Descriptive transcripts:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Describing the visual aspects of a video clip requires a few more steps but can be done! First of all, is there a caption file available? This will make the description-writing much easier and faster and save yourself some time. Download the caption file (if already made) and delete the timestamps.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Next, add the visual descriptions in between the dialogue. Not every line will need a description. Start the description with an overall summary of what is shown in the video, such as “Zoom meeting with twenty individuals with their video screens visible.” This helps set the context of the video - it is a zoom meeting. Some items to describe:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;changes in scenery&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;changes of who is shown on the screen&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;signed communications that might not show up in the captions, &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;text on screen (text overlay, PowerPoint slides, visual numbers and email addresses, etc).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In short, describe the focus point of the video and significant changes to the visual aspect. Avoid describing details that are not relevant to the message being shared. Think of the ‘W’ questions from image descriptions and apply them here as well.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Current best practices is to provide both alt text and image descriptions, and to provide descriptive transcripts over traditional transcripts. Not everyone is aware of the accessibility features and may overlook them for more traditional methods. For instance, Facebook has a feature where the poster can edit alternative text, which is only visible to screen readers and when images do not load up correctly. However, many folks still prefer to read the image/video description along with the photos themselves. This is especially true for those with low-vision and still benefit from seeing the pictures/videos themselves.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Benefits of image descriptions and descriptive transcripts:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use of image description and descriptive transcripts are not limited to individuals who have vision loss. &lt;span style=&quot;text-decoration-line: underline;&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Sighted&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt; individuals also benefit from image description and descriptive transcripts. With image descriptions, they provide context information that might be lost on the viewer - aiding with identification of persons, objects, or locations in the photo. They also help with finding photos in searches, either through search engines or social media posts. With descriptive transcripts, sometimes folks do not have time to watch the whole video, they can easily read through the transcript quickly. This is also helpful when captions are not available, and sound of voices or visuals of signers is not clear enough or cut off, transcripts help fill in that gap.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We hope these tips will help you in creating image descriptions and descriptive transcripts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Nic Zapko for ASL talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Daria Goede for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>580685</id><Tag><Description/><Title>accessible technology</Title><Id>310264</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>deafblind</Title><Id>499876</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-06-12T13:48:00Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>YouTube Accessibility Tools</Title><title>2023-06-08-youtube-accessibility-tools</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-580459&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-06-08T21:20:58Z</Date><ShortDescription>Get the most from watching videos on the YouTube platform.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Adjusting captions and speed</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/M8OvgGl_xjc&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. To adjust the video speed, use YouTube&apos;s playback speed tool.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/0o6qP9M3HV8&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with Nic Zapko about YouTube Accessibility Tools&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission has routinely shared videos on a variety of topics, which are viewable on YouTube. Did you know that there are tools available to enhance your viewing experience? You can adjust caption size for readability as well as the font style and color options. Here’s how:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Adjusting Caption Size, Font, and Color:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can adjust the way you see captions on YouTube. There are options to adjust the size, font, and color of the captions to meet your preference. Here are the steps to adjust the settings on YouTube:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Step 1: Go to any video on YouTube that has closed captions available.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Step 2: Click on the gear icon, which is next to the CC button, on the bottom right side of the video.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Step 3: Click on ‘Subtitles/CC’&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Step 4: Click on ‘Options’ on the top, right corner of the pop-up box&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Step 5: Make the changes you want. You can change the type of font, the font size, the font color, the background color, etc., until the CC looks the way that is best for you. A sample view is available to help you choose your best settings.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Now that you have adjusted your preferred settings to view captions, you can also adjust the speed that you view those videos at. You can slow them down or speed them up.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Adjusting Speed:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Step 1: Click on the gear icon (right next to the CC button at the bottom right side of the video)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Step 2: Click on ‘Playback Speed,” second item from top of dropdown list&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Step 3: Choose your favorite speed. Slow speeds are .25 (slowest), 0.5 (medium slow), and 075 (slightly slow). “Normal” is the original speed. If you would like the video to go faster, the fast speeds are 1.25 (slightly fast), 1.5 (medium fast), 1.75 (fast), and 2.0 (fastest).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If it is too hard to find the gear icon, you can use YouTube’s keyboard shortcuts to increase or decrease the speed by 25%. Here are the shortcuts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To slow down video speed: Press the &amp;lt; key by holding down the Shift key and then press the comma key, which will decrease video speed by 25%.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To speed up video speed: Press the &amp;gt; key by holding down the Shift key and then press the period key, which will increase speed by 25%.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Now you can watch any video at the speed that you are comfortable with. We hope these tools will enhance your viewing experience!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Nic Zapko for ASL talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Daria Goede for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>580459</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>hard of hearing</Title><Id>536211</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>deafblind</Title><Id>499876</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>accessible technology</Title><Id>310264</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-06-08T21:25:37Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>News from Executive Director Darlene Zangara: May 2023</Title><title>2023-06-07-news-from-executive-director</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-580310&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-06-07T23:42:30Z</Date><ShortDescription>Some of the Commission&apos;s work during April and May 2023.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>New staff, education conferences, mental health day treatment program, and more</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/Cocch4fix-c&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. To adjust the video speed, use YouTube&apos;s playback speed tool.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/tbxTcRvK7wg&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with May 2023 executive director updates&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello everyone! I’m Darlene Zangara and I’m the Executive Director of the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing. I am a white woman with blond hair, glasses, and wearing all black.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;New Business Operations Director&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I’m happy to announce that Keith Doane has been hired to be our new Business Operations Director. Keith is originally from Minnesota and graduated from Gallaudet University in 2014 with a degree in Government with a concentration in International Relations. He has extensive work experience and most recently worked with the Genius Bar team at Apple, Inc. Please join me in welcoming Keith back to Minnesota!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;More about CEC and EHDI Conferences&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Last March, I shared a little about Danelle Gournaris, the Collaborative Plan Program Director, attending two conferences related to Deaf Education. This month, I will share more about both conferences as well as a third conference.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The first conference was hosted by the Council of Exceptional Children, CEC. The CEC is the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving the success of children and youth with disabilities. Approximately 4,000 participants attended the in-person conference. Within CEC, there is a subgroup, the Division for Communication, Language, and Deaf/Hard of Hearing (DCD), in which Danelle participated in. DCD supports children with communication, language, and learning needs as well as the children’s families and service providers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The second conference Danelle attended was the National Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Conference (EHDI). Conference participants learned more about the successful strategies for implementing comprehensive state-based EHDI programs, including screening, audiology diagnosis, early intervention services, reporting, tracking, and other related components of EHDI.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;They also discuss the importance of creating new and ongoing working relationships among federal agencies, non-profit organizations, state health departments and educational agencies, advocacy groups, and families.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Danelle participated in an instructional session focusing on developing a coordinated Statewide System of Earliest Interactions for Families: A Family-centered Cyclical Approach. The development of this system required relationship building, thoughtful planning, coordination, and continuous reflection.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Through these activities, Danelle is happy to report that Minnesota is a progressive state with a great collaborative relationship with several different state departments, such as the Minnesota Department of Health, Minnesota Department of Education, etc. Most of the other topics that Danelle attended were related to language acquisition and tracking. She brought what she has learned back to Minnesota, and continues the relationship building, and making positive systemic changes with the Collaborative Plan group members.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In April, Danelle attended a third conference, the Conference of Educational Administrators of Schools and Programs for the Deaf (CEASD).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mental Health Day Treatment Program&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Mental Health Day Treatment Program hosted by the Commission, Volunteer of America, MN &amp;amp; WI DHH Program, and the Minnesota State Academy of the Deaf
&lt;br /&gt;
team sent out a statewide survey during January and February. At the end of February, the result of the survey was collected.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;According to the study, our team learned the top four mental health issues people who completed the survey are seeing in our DHH youth are:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Depression,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Anxiety,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;ADHD, and&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Trauma.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Most mental health issues are currently identified in the 11-14 age group. More than half use spoken English as a primary method of communication.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Currently, the team is discussing the implementation and curriculum of the program based on the results and will coordinate a program that is accessible to everyone, including consideration of communication modalities. The team continues to navigate the program planning and the educational components that fit the diverse needs of deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing students.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our goal is to open this program by the fall of 2023, but this initiative all depends on the funding, staffing, training, and the progress of the program’s implementation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On a side note, Mental Health Day Treatment Program for Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing Youth, is included in HF2497 and SF2684. This bill is part of the Governor’s proposed budget and will provide funding to create a sustainable statewide mental health day treatment program for deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing youth. &lt;em&gt;(Update: This was successfully passed into law since the date this video was recording. The Commission will send out a legislative wrap-up.)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Interpreting Forward&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I hope you’ve all seen recent information shared through email and seen videos regarding the Interpreting Forward 2030 Project! This initiative is laying the groundwork to improve the quality and availability of interpreting services in Minnesota. This is an exciting time for us as a community to come together and work collaboratively on this issue. The Commission has hired the Dendros Group to facilitate this project. This project will continue through the end of this year with implementation planned for that start of next year. Updates will be shared as the project progresses. Again, I invite each and every one of you to sign up for this project to be a part of the working groups or to be interviewed sharing your feedback and experiences about interpreting services in Minnesota. We need your perspective! Feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns to Dendros by email, &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:InterpretingForward@dendros.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;InterpretingForward@dendros.com&lt;/a&gt;. sign up for the Commission’s social media to always be kept informed. In the future I’ll be announcing additional opportunities for participation, including community interviews and a survey.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lunch &amp;amp; Learn with MN Olmstead Implementation Office (OIO)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Olmstead Implementation Office hosted a lunch and learn about Minnesota State Boards and Commissions on April 26th. They invited Rebecca Thomas (chair) and Michele Isham (vice-chair) to share information about their experience on serving on the board. Thank you OIO!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Community Events&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission was able to participate in two community events and had an exhibitor booth. The first event was the Deaf Culture Language and Careers event on April 13. The second event was the Deaf Awareness Day on April 29. We had a great time connecting with community members at both events. Thanks for stopping by our booth!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Picture Slideshow&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are pictures of the recent events.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_20230426_123334222_HDR_tcm1063-580311.jpg&quot; title=&quot;oio-webinar&quot; alt=&quot;oio-webinar&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;oio-webinar&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/ceasd2_tcm1063-580312.jpg&quot; title=&quot;CEASD-conference&quot; alt=&quot;CEASD-conference&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;CEASD-conference&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/ceasd1_tcm1063-580313.jpg&quot; title=&quot;CEASD-conference-2&quot; alt=&quot;CEASD-conference-2&quot; style=&quot;width: 450px; height: 600px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;CEASD-conference-2&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_20230419_095044_216_tcm1063-580314.jpg&quot; title=&quot;vets-1&quot; alt=&quot;vets-1&quot; style=&quot;width: 450px; height: 600px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;vets-1&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_20230419_095044_625_tcm1063-580315.jpg&quot; title=&quot;vets-2&quot; alt=&quot;vets-2&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 449px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;vets-2&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_20230419_095052_740_tcm1063-580316.jpg&quot; title=&quot;deaf-iftar&quot; alt=&quot;deaf-iftar&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;deaf-iftar&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/DCLC%203_tcm1063-580317.jpg&quot; title=&quot;dclc&quot; alt=&quot;dclc&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;dclc&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_20230420_182054694_HDR_tcm1063-580318.jpg&quot; title=&quot;workshop&quot; alt=&quot;workshop&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;workshop&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/DAD-%20group%203_tcm1063-580319.jpg&quot; title=&quot;dad&quot; alt=&quot;dad&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;dad&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Suggestions?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I will send out another update next month. Please let me know if there is any information you would like me to share in a future update. You can contact me by email, &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:darlene.g.zangara@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;darlene.g.zangara@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. Thank you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Featuring Dr. Darlene G. Zangara, Executive Director. The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Daria Goede for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>580310</id><Tag><Description/><Title>executive director updates</Title><Id>457794</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-06-13T12:52:57Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Commission Response to Perez v. Sturgis Public Schools Ruling</Title><title>2023-06-02-commission-response-perez-sturgis</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-579844&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-06-02T17:24:18Z</Date><ShortDescription>Statement from the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Effective communication access essential to education outcomes</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;St. Paul, MN&lt;/strong&gt; - The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) has issued the following statement regarding the March 21, 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/22pdf/21-887_k53m.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Perez v. Sturgis Public Schools (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot;&gt;&quot;The Supreme Court’s decision in Perez v. Sturgis Public Schools supports the rights of students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing in regards to access to education opportunities and advancement. This landmark decision conveys a clear message to school districts, students, and their families; effective communication access is an essential component to learning.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the Commission&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) is a governor-appointed Commission that advocates for communications access and equal opportunity with the 20% of Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing. MNCDHH works with the community to identify barriers to communication access and equal opportunity, develop solutions, empower by building community capacity, and advocate through civic engagement.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>579844</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>statement</Title><Id>579843</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-06-02T17:40:08Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>DeafBlind Town Hall</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Header with text, &quot;DeafBlind Town Hall&quot; and icon of a group of people in the bottom corner</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/DeafBlind%20Town%20Hall-850_tcm1063-579846.jpg</Url></Image><title>2023-06-02-deafblind-town-hall</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-579845&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-06-02T15:31:47Z</Date><ShortDescription>Collecting feedback from DeafBlind community members on DeafBlind issues. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>In-person, on June 15, 2023, from 5:00 - 8:00 PM</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is an in-person town hall event, hosted by the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing in partnership with DeafBlind community leaders. The Commission would like to meet with community members and learn more about any barriers to communication access and equal opportunity. We will have both 1:1 and group interaction during these three hours together. Pizza and salad will also be provided. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Intended audience&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Members of the culturally DeafBlind, hard of hearing blind, and speaking DeafBlind communities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Schedule&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;5:00 pm - 6:00 pm: Arrive anytime after 5 pm. This is the time to enjoy pizza and salad as well as visit different booth stations with staff.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;6:00 pm - 7:00 pm: Open forum where DeafBlind community members can share their experiences. This will be facilitated by Patrick Vellia, Sammie Porter, and Maya Larson. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;7:00 - 7:30 pm: Presentation on Interpreting Forward 2030 with Maya Larson and Dr. Darlene Zangara.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;7:30 - 8:00 pm: Time for questions and wrap up. The building closes at 8:00 pm. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thursday, June 15, 2023, from 5:00-8:00 PM&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Dendros Group&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2642 University Ave W #140&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;St Paul, MN 55114&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Transportation and Parking&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Right across the street from the METRO Green Line Westgate Station on University Ave. Walk to the south and approach the front door of the building. If locked, please knock and someone will come to open the door.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If using Metro Mobility or a ride share service, arrange to be picked up by 8:00 as the building closes promptly at 8:00 pm.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Free parking is available on the East side of the building. Pay parking is available on the West side of the building.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Interpreters and CART provided. We have interpreters ready to assign to you. To be assigned to an interpreting team or to request another accommodation, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; by Friday, June 9, 2023.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>579845</id><Tag><Description/><Title>deafblind</Title><Id>499876</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-06-02T17:38:26Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Town Hall in Owatonna with Board Member Chandra Petersen</Title><title>2023-05-08-town-hall-owatonna-with-board</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-576745&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-05-08T14:54:15Z</Date><ShortDescription>Southeast Minnesota includes the following counties: Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Houston, Mower, Olmstead, Rice, Steele, Wabasha, and Winona.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Join us in person on Monday, May 15th from 5:30 to 7:30 pm</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/kH2lAQSJg2o&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/-eldMXDpXwk&quot; title=&quot;Owatonna town hall ASL video with Chandra&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello! My name is Chandra Petersen. Name sign is ‘C’ on the chin. I am a white woman in my 30s. I have long blonde hair. I am wearing a black shirt and my nails are painted blue/green color. I’m on the SE Advisory committee on the Board with the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I want to let you know about an event that’s happening soon.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH is hosting a Southeast area town hall. Deaf, DeafBlind, hard of hearing community members, professionals, and families are all invited. MNCDHH reps will be there listening to you and you can share about what is happening in your community. MNCDHH gathers this information to help plan how to support you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When? Monday, May 15th&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Time? 5:30 to 7:30 pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where: Owatonna Public Library, Third Floor meeting room.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;See you there!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/opl_tcm1063-576749.jpg&quot; title=&quot;owatonna-public-library&quot; alt=&quot;owatonna-public-library&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;owatonna-public-library&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Owatonna Public Library&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Gainey%20Room_tcm1063-576748.jpg&quot; title=&quot;owatonna-library-meeting-room&quot; alt=&quot;owatonna-library-meeting-room&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;owatonna-library-meeting-room&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Third Floor meeting room&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Featuring Chandra Petersen, Board Member. The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Parking information&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The library has a limited number of parking spaces on its lot. Street parking is also available. There are signs on surrounding street that indicate any parking time limits. Parking is enforced year round. There is no parking from 2 AM to 5 AM for time limits less than 24 hours.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>576745</id><Tag><Description/><Title>board</Title><Id>310266</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-05-08T16:14:59Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Commission Board Town Hall Happening in Owatonna</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Graphic of a car in the corner. On the car door is MNCDHH&apos;s logo. Next to the car is text, &quot;Board Town Hall: A Statewide Tour, Southeast Minnesota, May 15, 2023, 5:30 - 7:30 pm, Owatonna Public Library, 105 N Elm Ave, Third Floor meeting room&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Board%20Town%20Hall-850_tcm1063-574688.jpg</Url></Image><title>2023-04-25-commission-board-town-hall-southeast</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-574689&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-04-25T14:40:03Z</Date><ShortDescription>Southeast Minnesota includes the following counties: Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Houston, Mower, Olmstead, Rice, Steele, Wabasha, and Winona.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>In-person, on May 15, 2023, from 5:30 - 7:30 PM</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Chandra Petersen, Southeast Representative on the board of the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH), is hosting a town hall meeting with residents in Southeast Minnesota. Chandra will facilitate the discussion on what is happening in your local community and how MNCDHH can best support your community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Members of the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing communities, as well as professionals and families, are all welcome to attend. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Southeast Minnesota includes the following counties: Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Houston, Mower, Olmstead, Rice, Steele, Wabasha, and Winona. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Monday, May 15, 2023, from 5:30-7:30 PM&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Owatonna Public Library&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;105 N Elm Ave&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Owatonna, MN 55&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Third floor meeting room&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and CART provided. For additional accommodations, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:maya.larson@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;maya.larson@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; by Monday, May 8, 2023.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>574689</id><Tag><Description/><Title>board</Title><Id>310266</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-04-25T15:57:09Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Today is the Last Day to Join the &apos;Interpreting Forward 2030&apos; Task Force</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>MNCDHH logo, Dendros logo, and text, &quot;Interpreting Forward 2030&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Interpreting%20Forward%202030-850_tcm1063-571650.jpg</Url></Image><title>2023-04-24-today-is-last-day</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-574583&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-04-24T18:03:12Z</Date><ShortDescription>Interpreting Forward 2030 is an initiative to address the need to increase the quality and availability of professional sign language interpreting services for our diverse and large community in Minnesota. Visit the website and learn how to be a part of the process.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>There are additional ways to participate in the process</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Interpreting Forward 2030 is an important initiative, led by stakeholders, supported by the Commission, and facilitated by the Dendros Group. It&apos;s mission? To address a big obstacle - almost half of all working interpreters imagine leaving the field or retiring in the next five years. Additionally, fewer new interpreters are joining the field.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We need to increase the quality and availability of professional interpreting services for our diverse and large community in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There is a seat at the table for anyone who wishes to be involved with the process. For example, you can apply to join a work group or be interviewed about your experience and expertise.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Today, April 24, 2023 is the last day to sign up to be part of the task force. If you decide not to sign up for the task force, you can still contribute in other ways. We will share more information about additional opportunities in a future announcement. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/communication-access/interpreting-forward/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Visit the website and learn more about how to get involved!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>574583</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-04-24T18:05:49Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Senate Hearing Action Alert: Closed Captioning in Public Places</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Legislative chamber with the words &quot;Action Alert&quot; Above it and MNCDHH&apos;s logo</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Action%20Alert-850_tcm1063-571966.jpg</Url></Image><title>2023-04-21-senate-hearing-action-alert</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-574441&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-04-21T22:04:03Z</Date><ShortDescription>Closed captioning in public places</ShortDescription><Subtitle>The Senate Judiciary policy-only omnibus will be heard this Monday, April 24, 9 am</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please contact the members of the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee and ask them to include closed captions in public places in the Senate Judiciary policy-only omnibus. We advise you to send your message no later than noon on Sunday, April 23, 2023. This will ensure they receive your message before the 9 am hearing on Monday.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The legislative committees are deciding which bills will be included in omnibus bills. An omnibus bill is several bills combined into one big bill. MNCDHH is asking community members to contact the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee and ask them to support communication access for all. Ask the committee to include closed captions in public places in the &lt;em&gt;Senate Judiciary policy-only omnibus&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/assets/Captioning%20in%20Public%20Places%20MNCDHH%20Explainer_tcm1063-571962.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Learn more about why it is important to support closed captioning in public places (PDF).&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sample letter &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dear Sen. &lt;em&gt;[Last Name]&lt;/em&gt;,&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;[If you live in the legislator&apos;s district, mention this now.]&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I am writing to ask you to support including the language in SF2044, the bill that requires closed captioning to be enabled for TVs displayed in public places, in the Senate Judiciary policy-only omnibus bill.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The House Judiciary omnibus already includes the House&apos;s closed captioning bill language.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Twenty percent of Minnesotans have some degree of hearing loss, yet do not have the same access to information that their family members, friends, coworkers, and neighbors enjoy in public places.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is a safety concern for emergency broadcasts, when it is essential to have access to time-sensitive public safety information. &lt;em&gt;[If you have a personal story related to this, we recommend sharing it here.] &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There is no cost to the business for turning on captions as all televisions have built in captioning technology. I urge to support communication access for everyone and include captioning in public spaces in the Senate Judiciary omnibus.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you,&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;[Your Name]&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Who to contact&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact any of the members of the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/committees/committee_bio.html?ls=93&amp;amp;cmte_id=3128&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee&lt;/a&gt;. If one of the members represents your district, be sure to mention this in your message!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sen. Ron Latz, Chair - &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/members/email-form/1102&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Sen. Latz&apos;s mail form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sen. Claire Oumou Verbeten, Vice Chair - &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/members/email-form/1274&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Sen. Oumou Verbeten&apos;s mail form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sen. Warren Limmer, Ranking Minority Member - &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/members/email-form/1032&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Sen. Limmer&apos;s mail form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sen. Jim Carlson - &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/members/email-form/1140&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Sen. Carlson&apos;s mail form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sen. Justin D. Eichorn - &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/members/email-form/1219&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Sen. Eichorn&apos;s mail form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sen. Jeff R. Howe - &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/members/email-form/1239&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Sen. Howe&apos;s mail form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sen. Michael E. Kreun - &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/members/email-form/1262&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Sen. Kreun&apos;s mail form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sen. Sandra L. Pappas - &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/members/email-form/1046&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Sen. Pappas&apos; mail form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sen. Judy Seeberger - &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/members/email-form/1265&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Sen. Seeberger&apos;s mail form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sen. Bonnie S. Westlin - &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/members/email-form/1266&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Sen. Westlin&apos;s mail form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; If you are not sure who your state senator is, you can use the &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.gis.lcc.mn.gov/iMaps/districts/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Who Represents Me&lt;/a&gt;&quot; tool.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>574441</id><Tag><Description/><Title>captioning</Title><Id>247356</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-04-21T22:06:35Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>March 21, 2023 Legislative Update</Title><title>2023-04-08-march-21-2023-legislative-update</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-572924&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-04-08T19:10:26Z</Date><ShortDescription>Status of bills as of March 21, 2023.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Record number of bills, including disability-related bills, this session</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/rLhOvfSNlsY&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. To adjust the video speed, use YouTube&apos;s playback speed tool.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/Xu7nsb9QBOM&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with the March 21, 2023 legislative update&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This session has seen record numbers of bills introduced and signed into law. Legislators have been working hard to complete unfinished bills from previous sessions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many more disability-related bills have received attention than usual this session, which means we have been very busy finding and monitoring them in addition to our own bills!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deadlines for committees to hear policy-only bills have passed. Several of our policy-only bills are ready to be voted on by the entire chamber and/or laid over for omnibus (several bills merged into one large bill).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This year is a budget year, so legislators are primarily working on bills that have a cost associated to them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some policy-only bills will be worked on next year as it will be a policy year.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our bills that have a cost linked to them have continued to progress.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;CDI in Classrooms (HF170/SF295)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;CDI in Classrooms, HF170 and SF295. This bill modifies language in educational interpreter law. Currently, the language requires that an educational interpreter complete an Interpreter Training Program (ITP). Nationwide, we are aware of only one ITP that is inclusive of Deaf Interpreters. The language in this bill would allow a CDI to work in schools without completing an ITP program and would allow school districts to be reimbursed for the salary of the CDI.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thanks to Dov and Galvin Nathanson, Nic Zapko, Trevor Turner, and Alicia Lane (on behalf of MNCDHH) for testifying in support at committee hearings.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Both House and Senate committees voted to include CDI in Classrooms in the education finance omnibus bill, which has not been released at this time. We are monitoring to make sure the language is included.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deaf Education Master’s Degree Tax Credit (HF2340/SF2583)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deaf Education Master’s Degree Tax Credit, HF2340 and SF2583. This bill adds ‘deaf education’ to the list of teacher licensure fields that qualify for a tax credit of up to $2,500 towards a master’s degree.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thanks to Audrey Kludtke, Stevie Middlebrook, and Metro Deaf School for sending letters of support. The Commission has also sent a letter of support.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The House Taxes committee voted to consider it for their omnibus, and we are monitoring for a Senate hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Metro Deaf School Enrollment Preference (HF59/SF1024)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Metro Deaf School Priority Admission, HF59 and SF1024. This bill protects MDS’s ability to give preferential enrollment to students with a primary disability of deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH submitted a letter of support. Thanks to Dr. Susan Outlaw, Sara Klarstrom, and Holly Barnett for testifying in support at committee hearings. Thanks also to Melissa Albert, Kathleen McKenna, and Isaac Roang for submitting letters of support.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Both chambers have included the bill language in their Education Policy omnibus, and the Senate has the bill on the list ready to be heard on the floor.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota State Academies Funding Requests (multiple bill numbers)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota State Academies have several funding requests as part of the Governor’s proposed budget. Here they are.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;HF669 and SF676 for dorm renovations/asset preservation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;HF2497 and SF2684 for the MSA operating budget and for a new audiology booth and equipment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;HF2497 and SF2684 for rental income.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;HF669 is ready to be voted on by the House floor, while we are monitoring HF2497/SF2684 for inclusion in the Education Finance omnibus.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mental Health Day Treatment Center for DDBHH Youth (HF2497/SF2684)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mental Health Day Treatment Center for Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing Youth, HF2497 and SF2684. This bill is part of the Governor’s proposed budget and will provide funding to establish a statewide mental health day treatment program for deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing youth. The program is to be housed at the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thanks to Superintendent Terry Wilding for testifying in support at committee hearings.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are monitoring for inclusion in the Education Finance omnibus in both chambers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Closed Captioning in Public Places (HF909/SF2044)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Closed Captioning in Public Places, HF909 and SF2044. This bill updates Minnesota&apos;s human rights statutes to clarify that not having captions displayed on TVs in public places is considered discrimination.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thanks to Keenan Gao, Sonny Wasilowski, and Alicia Lane for testifying in support at hearings. We also thank Laura Hagemann and Barbara Schneider for sending letters of support.
&lt;br /&gt;
The House committee unanimously supported this bill, and we are monitoring the House Judiciary and Civil Law omnibus to make sure the bill language is included. On the Senate side, it has been re-referred to another committee.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;(Update:&lt;/em&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/deaf-commission/news/index.jsp?id=1063-571967&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Visit the action alert we sent out on March 31, 2023!&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;IEP Process Accommodations for Parents (HF142/SF681)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;IEP Process Accommodations for Parents, HF142 and SF681. This bill requires school districts to establish a process for providing reasonable accommodations for parents to participate in developing their child’s Individualized Education Program.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This bill has not yet received a hearing, so it is unlikely move forward this year. However, we expect to work on this next year.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hearing Aid Coverage Specified (HF1480/SF2105)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hearing Aid Coverage Specified, HF1480 and SF2105. This bill removes the current age limit of 18 for mandated hearing aid coverage to include all ages. These updates will allow Minnesota statutes to conform with federal prohibitions against age discrimination.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thanks to Anne Sittner Anderson and Alicia Lane for testifying in support of the bill in Senate hearings. Thanks to the Minnesota Academy of Audiology and Peggy Nelson, an audiology professor at the University of Minnesota, for writing letters of support.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This bill has received unanimous committee support on the Senate site and is laid over for inclusion in the Senate Health omnibus. On the House side, there are some procedural questions we expect will be discussed when both chambers meet to discuss the omnibus.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Over the Counter Hearing Aids Updates (HF2038/SF2108)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids Updates, HF2038 and SF2108. This bill updates state law to comply with federal requirements for over-the-counter hearing aids.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission is monitoring this bill. An initial bill draft contained “hearing impairment” in the language but that has since been amended.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Grant Appropriation to Fund Physical Accessibility Improvements to Performance Art Spaces (HF1670/SF1387)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Grant Appropriation to Fund Physical Accessibility Improvements to Performance Art Spaces, HF1670 and SF1387. This bill provides grants for performing art spaces to install more accessibility improvements, such as installing hearing loop systems to feed clearer audio to hearing aids.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is being considered for the omnibus in both chambers and we will continue to monitor.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Communications Access During Emergencies – NG911 Upgrade (HF2890/SF2909)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Communication Access During Emergencies – Next Generation (NG) 911 Upgrade, HF2890 and SF2909. This is part of the governor’s proposed budget, which was requested by MNCDHH. This bill provides the funding to upgrade Minnesota’s 911 system to NG911. The upgrades will improve accessibility of communications during emergencies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission wrote letters of support. We are monitoring for inclusion in the omnibus.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Prescription Container Accessible Labels (HF2430/SF2266)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Prescription Container Accessible Labels, HF2430 and SF2266. This bill ensures that consumers can receive label information in Braille, large print, or audible format for their prescriptions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is viewed as a policy-only bill, so committee chairs have decided to wait until next year. However, the governor’s budget proposal includes increased funding for the State Services for the Blind (SSB), which potentially could support pharmacies in providing accessible prescription labels. We plan to continue discussions with SSB.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State Employees with Disabilities Recruitment and Retention (HF383/SF1261)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State Employees with Disabilities Recruitment and Retention, HF383 and SF1261. This bill updates and clarifies Minnesota statutes on hiring and keeping state employees with disabilities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are monitoring for inclusion in the House omnibus and for additional hearings on the Senate side.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;TEFRA Parental Fee Elimination (HF1434/SF1201)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Parental Fee Elimination for Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act (TEFRA), HF1434 and SF1201. This bill eliminates the often-high fee that parents must pay for their child with disabilities to receive medical assistance from the state. Medical assistance covers services that typical insurance providers do not. Minnesota is one of only five states that require this fee.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thanks to Amy Amundsen for submitting a letter in support.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Committees in both chambers are considering it for inclusion in the Human Services Finance omnibus.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ongoing legislative updates&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A lot can and will happen during these last days of session. Please subscribe to our newsletters or &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;follow our website and social media&lt;/a&gt; to stay up to date with our updates. Find our information on our website. If you would like to discuss any of the bills, please reach out to our government relations director, Alicia Lane, at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:alicia.lane-outlaw@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;alicia.lane-outlaw@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. Thank you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Diego Ozuna-Clark for ASL talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Daria Goede for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>572924</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-04-08T19:16:05Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Action Alert: Closed Captioning in Public Places</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Legislative chamber with the words &quot;Action Alert&quot; Above it and MNCDHH&apos;s logo</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Action%20Alert-850_tcm1063-571966.jpg</Url></Image><title>2023-03-31-action-alert-cc-public-places-senate-omnibus</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-571967&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-03-31T17:17:36Z</Date><ShortDescription>Please ask the committee to include the closed captions in public places language in the Senate Judiciary policy-only omnibus.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Please contact the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The legislative committees are deciding which bills will be included in omnibus bills. An omnibus bill is several bills combined into one big bill. MNCDHH is asking community members to contact the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee and ask them to support communication access for all. Ask the committee to include closed captions in public places in the &lt;em&gt;Senate Judiciary policy-only omnibus&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=Senate&amp;amp;f=SF2909&amp;amp;ssn=0&amp;amp;y=2023&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=Senate&amp;amp;f=SF2909&amp;amp;ssn=0&amp;amp;y=2023&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot; /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=Senate&amp;amp;f=SF2909&amp;amp;ssn=0&amp;amp;y=2023&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot; /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/assets/Captioning%20in%20Public%20Places%20MNCDHH%20Explainer_tcm1063-571962.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Learn more about why it is important to support closed captioning in public places (PDF).&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sample letter &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dear Sen. &lt;em&gt;[Last Name]&lt;/em&gt;,&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;[If you live in the legislator&apos;s district, mention this now.]&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I am writing to ask you to support including the language in SF2044, the bill that requires closed captioning to be enabled for TVs displayed in public places, in the Senate Judiciary policy-only omnibus bill.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The House Judiciary omnibus already includes the House&apos;s closed captioning bill language.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Twenty percent of Minnesotans have some degree of hearing loss, yet do not have the same access to information that their family members, friends, coworkers, and neighbors enjoy in public places.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is a safety concern for emergency broadcasts, when it is essential to have access to time-sensitive public safety information. &lt;em&gt;[If you have a personal story related to this, we recommend sharing it here.] &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There is no cost to the business for turning on captions as all televisions have built in captioning technology. I urge to support communication access for everyone and include captioning in public spaces in the Senate Judiciary omnibus.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you,&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;[Your Name]&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Who to contact&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact any of the members of the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/committees/committee_bio.html?ls=93&amp;amp;cmte_id=3128&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee&lt;/a&gt;. If one of the members represents your district, be sure to mention this in your message!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sen. Ron Latz, Chair - &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/members/email-form/1102&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Sen. Latz&apos;s mail form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sen. Claire Oumou Verbeten, Vice Chair - &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/members/email-form/1274&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Sen. Oumou Verbeten&apos;s mail form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sen. Warren Limmer, Ranking Minority Member - &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/members/email-form/1032&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Sen. Limmer&apos;s mail form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sen. Jim Carlson - &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/members/email-form/1140&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Sen. Carlson&apos;s mail form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sen. Justin D. Eichorn - &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/members/email-form/1219&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Sen. Eichorn&apos;s mail form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sen. Jeff R. Howe - &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/members/email-form/1239&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Sen. Howe&apos;s mail form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sen. Michael E. Kreun - &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/members/email-form/1262&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Sen. Kreun&apos;s mail form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sen. Sandra L. Pappas - &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/members/email-form/1046&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Sen. Pappas&apos; mail form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sen. Judy Seeberger - &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/members/email-form/1265&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Sen. Seeberger&apos;s mail form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sen. Bonnie S. Westlin - &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/members/email-form/1266&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Sen. Westlin&apos;s mail form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; If you are not sure who your state senator is, you can use the &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.gis.lcc.mn.gov/iMaps/districts/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Who Represents Me&lt;/a&gt;&quot; tool.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>571967</id><Tag><Description/><Title>captioning</Title><Id>247356</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-03-31T17:29:11Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>News from Executive Director Darlene Zangara (March 2023)</Title><title>2023-03-30-news-from-executive-director-darlene-zangara</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-571872&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-03-30T23:33:54Z</Date><ShortDescription>Work that has been done in February and early March.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Lobby Day, legislative updates, over-the-counter hearing aids ad, CEC and EHDI conferences</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/JOxwFBSow1o&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. To adjust the video speed, use YouTube&apos;s playback speed tool.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/mUNIA7yV4Ro&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with March 2023 executive director updates&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello everyone! I’m Darlene Zangara and I’m the Executive Director of the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing. I am a white woman with blond hair, glasses, and wearing all black.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2023 Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The 2023 Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day happened on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. The theme of the day was “Access Empowers Us!”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The civic engagement team, vendors, staff, and board members spent hours preparing for this important event. Thank you to everyone who helped! Thank you to the community members and organizations who came and advocated! Meeting with your legislator, writing a letter, talking with legislative staff, all of this went a long way in educating legislators about communication access and how the policies they make impact us.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Tim Walz, Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan, Secretary of State Steve Simon, and Senator John Hoffman, all spoke during the one-hour rally in the Capitol Rotunda.
&lt;br /&gt;
Governor Walz and Lt. Governor Flanagan reminded us there are only 9 weeks left in the legislative session and talking to your legislators make a difference.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Secretary Simon talked about the importance of access to the elections system, which he calls the democracy business.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Senator Hoffman encouraged the audience to remind their legislators of their obligation to do what’s right for all of Minnesota, including people with disabilities or need access.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I also want to congratulate the award winners who were recognized this year. Minnesota is a community with wonderful advocates, and it was challenging for the awards committee to decide which advocates to recognize.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you to the awards committee for their work. Visit our website to find the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/get-involved/lobby-day/awards/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;full list of award winners over the years&lt;/a&gt;, since 2003! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A new feature this year was having a Poster Session. Students from ThinkSelf, the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf, and Metro Deaf School created posters explaining why an issue is important for them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For example, several groups presented on captioning access in public places. A group presented on Certified Deaf Interpreters (CDIs). Another group presented on the need for hearing aid coverage at any age. I enjoyed visiting each poster and watching the students share their information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Legislative Updates&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alicia Lane, Government Relations Director, has been busy at the Capitol.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The first legislative deadline just happened on Friday, March 10, 2023. This is the deadline for a bill to be passed in their house of origin. For bills with an HF number, this is the House. For bills with a SF number, this is the Senate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So far, we are cautiously optimistic for a good session and are happy with how the bill hearings are going. As I film this, my team is working on a more in-depth legislative update so be on the lookout for that.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids Ad&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission has an ad running for three months on both radio and television about over-the-counter hearing aids. OTC hearing aids are for adults 18 and over with perceived mild-to-moderate hearing loss. If your hearing loss is more significant, OTC hearing aids might not work for you. We encourage individuals to get a hearing test. We also point to resources as a starting point so that individuals can feel ready to explore their options.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;CEC and EHDI Conferences&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Danelle Gournaris, the Collaborative Plan Program Director, recently attended two conferences related to the field of Deaf Education. One conference was hosted by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) in Louisville, KY. The second conference was the 2023 Early Hearing Detection &amp;amp; Intervention Conference (EHDI) in Cincinnati, OH. Other Minnesotans attended as well! We have pictures with more detail.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Picture Slideshow&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are pictures of the recent events.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_20230316_131956_010_tcm1063-571873.jpg&quot; title=&quot;1&quot; alt=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;1&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_20230316_133321_648_tcm1063-571874.jpg&quot; title=&quot;2&quot; alt=&quot;2&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_20230316_133442_315_tcm1063-571875.jpg&quot; title=&quot;3&quot; alt=&quot;3&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;3&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/4_tcm1063-571879.png&quot; title=&quot;4&quot; alt=&quot;4&quot; style=&quot;width: 599px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;4&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/5_tcm1063-571880.png&quot; title=&quot;5&quot; alt=&quot;5&quot; style=&quot;width: 400px; height: 598px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;5&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/6_tcm1063-571881.png&quot; title=&quot;6&quot; alt=&quot;6&quot; style=&quot;width: 400px; height: 609px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;6&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/7_tcm1063-571882.png&quot; title=&quot;7&quot; alt=&quot;7&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 398px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;7&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/8_tcm1063-571883.png&quot; title=&quot;8&quot; alt=&quot;8&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 401px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;8&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/9_tcm1063-571884.png&quot; title=&quot;9&quot; alt=&quot;9&quot; style=&quot;width: 599px; height: 402px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;9&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/10_tcm1063-571885.png&quot; title=&quot;10&quot; alt=&quot;10&quot; style=&quot;width: 599px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;10&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/11_tcm1063-571886.png&quot; title=&quot;11&quot; alt=&quot;11&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 397px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;11&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/12_tcm1063-571887.png&quot; title=&quot;12&quot; alt=&quot;12&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;12&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/13_tcm1063-571888.png&quot; title=&quot;13&quot; alt=&quot;13&quot; style=&quot;width: 599px; height: 398px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;13&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG-7272_tcm1063-571876.jpg&quot; title=&quot;14&quot; alt=&quot;14&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;14&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG-7323_tcm1063-571877.jpg&quot; title=&quot;15&quot; alt=&quot;15&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;15&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG-7317_tcm1063-571878.jpg&quot; title=&quot;16&quot; alt=&quot;16&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;16&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Suggestions?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I will send out another update next month. Please let me know if there is any information you would like me to share in a future update. You can contact me by email, &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:darlene.g.zangara@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;darlene.g.zangara@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. Thank you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Featuring Dr. Darlene G. Zangara, Executive Director. The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jamie Schumacher for voiceover.
&lt;br /&gt;
Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>571872</id><Tag><Description/><Title>executive director updates</Title><Id>457794</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>hearing aids</Title><Id>310255</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-03-31T00:05:40Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Be Part of &apos;Interpreting Forward 2030&apos;</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>MNCDHH logo, Dendros logo, and text, &quot;Interpreting Forward 2030&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Interpreting%20Forward%202030-850_tcm1063-571650.jpg</Url></Image><title>2023-03-29-be-part-of-interpreting-forward-2030</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-571654&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-03-29T20:04:51Z</Date><ShortDescription>Interpreting Forward 2030 is an initiative to address the need to increase the quality and availability of professional sign language interpreting services for our diverse and large community in Minnesota. Visit the website and learn how to be a part of the process.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>A new task force dedicated to ensuring the quality and availability of professional sign language interpreters</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Interpreting Forward 2030 is an important initiative, led by stakeholders, supported by the Commission, and facilitated by the Dendros Group. It&apos;s mission? To address a big obstacle - almost half of all working interpreters imagine working less, leaving, or retiring in the next five years. Additionally, fewer new interpreters are joining the field.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We need to increase the quality and availability of professional interpreting services for our diverse and large community in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There is a seat at the table for anyone who wishes to be involved with the process. For example, you can apply to join a work group or be interviewed about your experience and expertise.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/communication-access/interpreting-forward/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Visit the website and learn more about how to get involved!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>571654</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-03-31T00:11:00Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2023 Lobby Day: Live Recording Available of Rally</Title><title>2023-03-18-live-recording-available-lobby-day-rally</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-569927&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-03-19T02:05:04Z</Date><ShortDescription>Lobby Day was held on March 7, 2023</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Rally includes speeches and awards</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The 2023 Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day took place at the Minnesota State Capitol on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This year, we were able to livestream the midday rally with speeches and awards, so that community members can participate remotely. If you missed the livestream, here is the recording. The recording has voiceover, captions, ASL, and a descriptive transcript. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Recorded video&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/sHN5YoainW8&quot; title=&quot;live recording of the 2023 Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day rally&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Descriptive transcript&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video opens with a view of an empty stage with a podium off to the side. The front of the podium shows the government seal for the state of Minnesota. A dark cloth hangs behind it. Applause as the camera shifts to show Darlene Zangara on the stage, occasionally shifting the camera around to get the best view. Darlene signs.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt;  Darlene Zangara: Hello, hello. I can&apos;t wait to get started. Welcome to the program. I&apos;m going to introduce myself; my name is Darlene Zangara. The executive director for the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing. I want to welcome all of you to Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard-of-Hearing Lobby Day 2023. Here we are in person. Finally! So great to see you all and so excited to be here. We have a packed program today. I know we have competing schedules, we have a lot of important people coming here today so, first of all, I am going to introduce you to our first speaker, Cindi Martin.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Darlene looks behind her and beckons someone to join her on the stage.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Darlene:  How is everyone enjoying the day? Are we having a good day? Meeting your legislators, have you met your legislators? Are you learning about new bills? All right. Let&apos;s see, who do we have?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Camera shifts to show the podium, now with interpreter Nic Zapko standing next to it. Michelle joins them, standing behind the podium and adjusting the microphone that sits on it. Michelle waves to someone in the audience.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michele: Hello. My name is Michele, and I am the former chair of the Commission and current vice chair of the Commission. I&apos;m also hard of hearing as well as a teacher of the deaf and hard-of-hearing. The Commission believes that equitable access to the voting process is essential to our well-being and the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State has been an important partner in achieving equity. I would like to welcome Secretary of State Steve Simon to the stage.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Applause as Secretary of State Steve Simon walks onstage to join them. He stands behind the podium and speaks while Interpreter Nic signs.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Secretary Simon: Thank you so much for having me, a pleasure to be here with you today. I have Steve Simon, the Minnesota Secretary of State. I really want to emphasize how important it is that you are here physically on a day like today. I say that because before I had this job, as Secretary of State, I was in the Minnesota House of Representatives for ten years. And the one thing I always say, to anyone who wants to reach a legislator, is, based on my experience, it is far easier to do that than you might believe. It&apos;s easy to see the big white building and the marble and the fancy looking offices and believe that your state legislator is guarded behind layers of staff and security, but that&apos;s not the case. So I always tell people that it&apos;s easier than you think to introduce yourself to a legislator, to let that person know what your priorities are and I applaud you for coming here on a cold day and doing that very, very important work. So in this job, as Secretary of State, I like to say that I am in the democracy business. Because what we do at our office is we oversee the Minnesota election system. And in Minnesota, we have a lot to be proud of. As you may know, for three out of the last four elections, Minnesota has been number one in America in voter turnout.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; [Applause.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Secretary Simon: And I am here to thank you because you own a big piece of that success. The reason I say that is because we have collaborated closely on many projects over many years, and I want to thank the Commission for its leadership, its hard work, its intelligent organizing, and for always being a great partner in the democracy business. For example, Minnesota, we believe, is the first state in the country to do something that we worked on together over the last few years, which is an ASL call center for elections-related questions during election season. We&apos;re very proud of that.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; [Applause]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Secretary Simon:  And it&apos;s received national notice and attention, thanks to you. We&apos;re also really privileged to collaborate with the Commission on materials, both written materials and online materials for the deaf, deafblind and hard-of-hearing community. That, too, has been one piece of our great success in Minnesota. A third collaboration which I want to name, where we have partnered for many years, is with something in our office that we call our disability advisory council. We created that group, we meet at least quarterly, sometimes more during election season, in order to collaborate and exchange ideas across the community about how to make our election system more accommodating and more accessible to more Minnesotans. This is something I take personally. I have a young son who has a profound disability and although it is not a hearing-related disability, I want him when he&apos;s old enough to vote to be able to vote as smoothly and as trouble-free as possible. And so I am really privileged to collaborate with the Commission and with many other stakeholders throughout the state on this quarterly effort, and it&apos;s not just talking, it&apos;s not just a room where we get together and talk. This is about projects that really benefit people in their voting behaviors so, for example, one of the things that we do as a Commission is we send volunteers to polling places throughout Minnesota to make absolutely sure that they are in compliance with absolutely every aspect of the law when it comes to accommodating voters with disabilities. We have a lot more work to do. We have over 3,000 polling places in Minnesota, and we can&apos;t get to all of them all at once but you have my word as Secretary of State that I, and I think all of us, will not rest until we make sure that the voting experience for every single eligible Minnesotan is as trouble-free and hassle-free as it can possibility be. So I want to thank you for being here. I want to thank you for being great collaborators and great organizers, and for being a really trusted and valuable partner in the democracy business. Thank you so much for your efforts and your time. Thank you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; [Applause. Secretary of State Steve Simon smiles and waves to the audience as he leaves the stage, crossing paths with Darlene. They shake hands and Darlene goes to stand next to the podium. Interpreter Nic steps off to the side.] &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Darlene: Yay, wow, what a partnership. Doesn&apos;t that make you all want to vote? Yes, we have the right. All right. Well, I am so excited and honored to introduce someone very special.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Darlene looks at something on the podium.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Darlene:  It is my pleasure to introduce and welcome Governor Tim Walz.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Applause. Gov. Tim Walz steps on the stage and exchanges grins with Interpreter Nic who steps into position next to the podium. Cheering from the audience.] &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Darlene: Thank you. So, I want to say one quick thing really quick, come on up here. So, in 2011, way back when, on Lobby Day, Governor Walz, at the time Congressman Walz, while he was running, had an accessible campaign. And he won “most accessible campaign,” and now here we are to advocate for us and Lobby Day. Welcome. Thank you for being here.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Darlene steps off stage as Gov. Tim Walz stands behind the podium and adjusts the microphone. Interpreter Nic stands next to him.[&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Governor Walz:  Good afternoon and thank you, Dr. Zangara, for the kind words, and for the advocacy. I am Governor Tim Walz. I&apos;m 5 foot 11, balding, gray suit, white shirt, yellow and blue tie,... told the Lieutenant Governor a burly build. And I&apos;m just really honored to be with all of you today. I think when you enter this space, as the Lieutenant Governor often says, and will welcome you herself, she welcomes you to your home. The place where you belong. The place where Minnesota&apos;s communities come to make sure they are heard. And you may have heard, I talked a lot about One Minnesota, a place where every everybody belongs. There&apos;s plenty of room, plenty of jobs, plenty of space for everyone in Minnesota. But what we understand and your advocacy tells us so, feeling part of One Minnesota, accessing part of One Minnesota, being respected in all parts of One Minnesota, means that we need to be intentional to make sure that every single person feels that way. And when you come to the capitol, making sure that our budget, your budget, the taxes you pay are used in a way to make everyone feel a part of Minnesota is really, really important, and I would also say this, when we put a budget together, it is not just a fiscal or a money document, it is a moral document. What do we value? To our deaf, deafblind and hard-of-hearing neighbor, do they have the same access to the same services as each and every one of us? The answer must be yes, they need to. And when we fall short or when we see an area of technology that could make things better or changes to law, which have not only a moral responsibility, we have a fiscal responsibility. The contributions this community is making to our state is immense. The ability to thrive in Minnesota is dependent on that we get this right. So I have to tell you, it&apos;s a beautiful day out, you&apos;re busy people, there are many places you could be. You chose to come here. You chose to come here to make a difference not just for yourself or your family, although that&apos;s a good reason to come and an important one, but you know that it will have an impact on people who aren&apos;t here, who don&apos;t know about coming here, who maybe don&apos;t feel like it makes a difference. That&apos;s why it&apos;s so important you&apos;re here. We&apos;re going to decide what to do with the state&apos;s tax resources. And they&apos;re going to get divided up. And this space is occupied by a whole lot of people with really good causes. But fundamentally, you&apos;re here to ask that you just have access to the Minnesota that everyone else has access to. It&apos;s a pretty simple, eloquent and pretty hard-to-argue against message. So I want to ask you, as you are out talking to legislators, as you&apos;re making your case to the people in this building, to understand that we&apos;ve got about nine weeks before this session is ends, this is a year to make some big, fundamental changes, to invest in the things that make a difference, to change where we have not done as well in certain areas, and I know there&apos;s folks out there working and doing this. I’m going to give a shout-out to a couple people. I wanted to recognize -- excuse me again -- Mujahid for captioning advocacy and some of the things that we know, and with my friend, Nic here, we understood and found out during the COVID pandemic that it was critically important that life-saving and important information needed to get to everyone and we needed to use every tool at our disposal, just as you heard the Secretary of State talking about voting, public health is the same way, job opportunities, access to Minnesota&apos;s assets. So I can tell you, it does matter that you&apos;re here. This community has lifted up voices, has made it clear to Minnesotans that we have a fiscal and moral responsibility. We believe and you&apos;ll hear a little bit from the Lieutenant Governor, we believe we have a budget that will serve you and this community better and, by extension, will move us a little bit closer to One Minnesota, a little bit closer where everyone can participate to the fullest of their abilities. So I want to say thank you for being here. I want to say thank you for the advocacy that you&apos;ve been here. And know that this work will impact generations to come, and in this budget year, now is the moment. So thank you to each and every one of you. Thank you for the advocacy, and I&apos;m going to turn to another advocate of ours -- I believe Cindy Martin is following me up here but enjoy your time in your house, enjoy your time in the Capitol. Thank you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Applause Gov. Walz waves to the audience and steps off the stage, shaking hands with Cindi Martin as he departs. Interpreter Nic moves to stand behind the podium and holds a paper for Cindi for easy view to read from. Cindi stands next to the podium and signs.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Cindi: Hello. Hello, hello, &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[She steps up on a step platform and continues to sign.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Cindi: my name is Cindi Martin. And I&apos;m an outreach and civic engagement specialist with the Commission. As a member of the Red Lake band of Ojibwe, and a Deaf woman, I feel represented in the legislature when I see Indigenous elected officials. Today I am honored to introduce Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, a member of the White Earth band of Ojibwe. An advocate on issues that impact Minnesotans who have historically been underserved and underrepresented. Welcome.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Applause as Cindi extends an arm out to welcome them on the stage. She steps down and exits the stage as Interpreter Nic takes her place. Lt. Governor Flanagan steps behind the podium and adjusts the microphone to speak.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Lt. Governor Flanagan: Welcome. Good afternoon. Welcome to your house as the Governor would say. My name is Peggy Flanagan, I&apos;m your Lieutenant Governor, I am 5&apos;4, with brown hair, wearing a green plaid blazer and green dress and also wearing glasses, and I am Native American. So I want to just offer my incredible gratitude to the Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard-of-Hearing community at large for continuing to lead the way in improving equity and accessibility across our systems on behalf of all deaf, deafblind and hard-of-hearing Minnesotans. You know, as an elected official, I can tell you, I oftentimes call myself a recovering legislator. And now I am your Lieutenant Governor, but I can speak to the importance of showing up. The importance of engaging with our elected representatives and with our legislature, and here all of you are, students and advocates and community leaders, and educators, and I want to say a particular thank you to all of the young people who are here. You matter so much. And the fact that you are here and that you&apos;re advocating on your own behalf in this space matters. The first time that I ever came to the capitol to lobby, I was 23 years old. So for those of you who are here for the first time as young people and as students, you are wile on your way to be the Lieutenant Governor. Let me just say that. So thank you for showing up, for sharing your stories and for highlighting the issues that matter to you. We have a lot of important work that lies ahead for our administration and for lawmakers this session. As the Governor said, we&apos;ve got about nine weeks left, but we can get a lot of good work done in nine weeks, and this Lobby Day is your opportunity to hold our legislators -- our legislators accountable, to advocate for the changes that you wish to see in the State of Minnesota, and I know the Governor had mentioned some of our proposals but as a state and as an administration, we realize that there is still a lot of work that must be done to improve health equity, accommodations, and to expand our reach in the digital age. If living through the pandemic has taught us anything over the past three years, it is the importance of human connection. It is the importance of community. It&apos;s the importance of our ability to efficiently communicate and share information with each other. And we continue to leverage legislation that is going to do just that, to improve communications across platforms and our ability to share information across all public platforms to all Minnesotans, including our deaf, deafblind and hard-of-hearing friends, neighbors and loved ones, to ensure that everyone can access the information they need to stay safe and stay connected. Our administration continues to look to our proactive and collaborative community partnerships to lead the way. The same leaders that championed the theme of today&apos;s rally and the message that accessibility is empowering. Because I can say with great certainty that the Governor and I, that we want all Minnesotans to feel empowered to do and to be their own unique and beautiful selves, each and every day. And to know what it feels like to have an inclusive and accessible education, health care and employment system that was made for them. So the Governor and I will continue to work with you to stand with you, and to strive for a more inclusive and responsive Minnesota that better serves members of the deaf, deafblind and hard-of-hearing community. So I hope that for those of you that this is your first time here, this won&apos;t be your last time here. If you&apos;ve been here before, welcome back. There is incredibly good work to do here. Thank you so much for everything that you have done up to this point and for all of the good work that we will do together to make Minnesota more accessible. Thank you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; [Applause. Lt. Governor Flanagan smiles and departs the stage as Darlene steps back on stage. Camera view shifts around to follow Darlene as Interpreter Nic steps to the side. A line of students step up behind Darlene as she starts to sign.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Darlene: Everyone enjoying the program so far? What a wonderful day. Now we&apos;ve got these wonderful speakers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Darlene turns to the students  and beckons them up and forward.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Darlene:  I want to introduce you all to the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf, MSAD students. They are going to put on a show for you all.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Darlene steps back and encourages the students to step forward. They line up, four students in a row.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Beki Ohana: Access empowers us all. Barriers tell us what we can&apos;t do but when we break those barriers, we understand. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Salma Mougni: When there&apos;s no captioning on the television, we are able to understand.  -- we aren&apos;t able to understand, but when we can read the captions, there are no barriers to our understanding. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mackenzie Paulson: When people are talking around us, we don&apos;t understand but when an interpreter interprets for me, the barriers dissolve and I understand. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Javeson Johnson: Whether we&apos;re signing, talking, we&apos;re chatting, we all communicate differently but we all agree that with no barriers, access is possible for all of us. That is equity. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; All MSAD students: Access empowers us all.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; [Applause. Darlene rejoins the students on stage and congratulates them.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Darlene: Come on, come on, let&apos;s hear it. Wow, what a great job. This is our future. Wonderful job. Thank you so much. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[The students depart the stage, Darlene turns to the audience.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Darlene: Just love the kids. You know, we&apos;ve got to take care of our future, right? That&apos;s our future. Now, our next special group is from MDS, Metro Deaf School. Metro Deaf School is here in St. Paul and here are some students to perform for you all.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Applause. Darlene looks off stage and beckons a group of students to step up on stage. Four line up on the stage while a longer line joins them on the floor in front. The camera zooms out to fit them all in the frame. They start a rhythmic clapping routine.] &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; MDS students: Cheetahs, Cheetahs, Cheetahs, RRRR, orange and blue, polka dots on us. Beautiful, beautiful, walking proudly. Running, fast, we take them down. Go Cheetahs!! Go Cheetahs!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Resume rhythmic clapping followed by applause from the audience. Students depart from the stage. A pause.  Keenan Gao steps to the podium and speaks while Interpreter Nic stands next to her. Justin Smith, using a wheelchair, rolls onstage and waits to the side.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Keenan: Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to the awards ceremony!! Whew!! My name is Keenan Gao, I&apos;m a hard-of-hearing civic engagement specialist with the Commission.  We have seven award categories today: youth, civic advocate, civic engagement, education excellence, access, humanitarian and lifetime achievement. We have a limited time today, so we&apos;ll keep it brief. Summarize each accomplishment but I encourage you to look at your pamphlet or on our website for more details about the winners. I will begin with the youth award. This award recognizes the individual who uses his gift of writing to raise awareness about the need for accessibility. He is no stranger to house hearings and legislative forums. He travels to Washington, D.C., and has met with Senator Smith and Representative McCollum. On his blog, he documented snippets of his active life and how a person with auditory neuropathy uses assistive technology. Congratulations, Justin Smith!!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Cheering. Keenan steps down to join Justin by standing next  to him, holding a plaque. They hold a pose for a photo snap. They depart the stage together. They slightly drag a piece of the black curtain while starting down the ramp and Interpreter Nic steps in to disentangle the curtain.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Applause A pause before Jade Stephenson steps up, and stands next to the podium and signs. Interpreter Nic holds up their notes. The camera zooms out to show Mujahid Zafar standing off to the side, watching her.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jade: Hi, my name is Jade Stephenson. I&apos;m a student at Metro Deaf School. This is the youth award. And it is awarded to a person who is very passionate about open captioning movies. He set up several open captioning movie days over the years. And also notifying students and staff at Metro Deaf School of those days that captioning would be provided so we want to recognize his leadership, Mujahid Zafar.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; [Applause. Jade brings the plaque up to Mujahid and they pose for a photo snap. Mujahid signs ‘thank you’.  They depart the stage together. Darlene returns to the stage followed by Senator Hoffman behind her.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Darlene:  Hello, I am very excited for another special alley. We have John Hoffman with us, Senator Hoffman, to say a few words to everyone. Welcome.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; [Applause. Senator Hoffman copies the hand applause before stepping to the podium. Interpreter Nic stands next to him while Darlene departs the stage.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Senator Hoffman: Welcome to the Minnesota State Capitol. This is your house, this is what belongs to you. Remind us, the elected officials, that you are here to make sure that what we do is right for you, period. These are times where we talk about what&apos;s in the surplus, spend, spend, spend. I say wait. There&apos;s money that should have been spent in disability services, that should have been spent in human services, that should have been spent to equalize opportunities for people with disabilities to be employed, people with disabilities to have full access to what we do every day in the State of Minnesota. My challenge to you is this. When you&apos;re speaking with and meeting with your elected officials, remind them of their obligation to do what&apos;s right for all of Minnesota and when we talk about One Minnesota, let&apos;s make sure we include all people, including people with disabilities, including people that need access, including people that need us to level the playing field so that we are all fully participating in the rights of Minnesotans. And I thank you for your advocacy, I thank you for being here, and you know what? Let&apos;s get to work, folks, shall we? Thank you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Applause as Senator Hoffman departs the stage, crossing paths with Darlene. They share a hug.  Darlene turns to look off stage and walks down the ramp off-stage while Patrick Vellia and a SSP walk onstage. They are followed by Jessica Eggert and their SSP who stand off to the side. Patrick stands at the podium and locates the platform to step up on it. The SSP folds the microphone down. Patrick signs while Jessica’s SSP copy signs for them.] &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Darlene:  Thank you. Wow, are you ready for our next award?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Patrick:  Good afternoon, everyone. I&apos;m Patrick Vellia. I&apos;m a contractor with the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard-of-Hearing. And today, I am presenting an award, as an advocate in the deafblind community. This person has been advocating since 2007 to persuade Walgreens to provide accessible Braille labels for prescriptions. After advocating for 14 years, this person finally got their prescription label printed in Braille. Thanks to their advocacy, we now have a bill in session this season.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Cheers &amp;amp; Applause. Patrick adds foot-stopping and explains it is ProTactile cheering.] &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Patrick: So I am proud to congratulate, and if you would congratulate this person by stomping with me, Jessica Eggert.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Applause as Patrick steps down from the podium holding the award, before taking it over to Jessica and standing next to them. They hold the award together for a photo snap.The two SSPs rearrange their position for a better view. They are led off stage by the SSPs. Cindi steps onto the stage, and an interpreter  stands behind the podium  and holds her notes up.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Cindi: Hello again, my name is Cindi Martin. And I&apos;m a Deaf Indigenous woman. This award is for the citizen advocate award. This person has spent three years advocating within several hospital systems, including Fairview and HCMC, to provide accommodations to improve future outcomes regarding using clear masks, and then also to ensure that there are captions visible as well as visual descriptions on their website. So you can now check out a petition they started two years ago on change.org. Congratulations to Avi Rosen. Hello, congratulations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; [Applause. Avi Rosen steps onto the stage next to Cindi. Cindi presents them with the plaque. They stand together for a photo snap. They both depart the stage as the audience applauds. Chandra Petersen steps on stage and stands behind the podium, speaking. Interpreter Diego steps into position next to her, alongside two other women.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Chandra Petersen:  Hello. My name is Chandra Petersen and I am on the board --  the Commission Board. In 2021, the Minnesota legislature passed a law requiring the advisory committee on inheritable and congenital disorders, to include cCMV for possible inclusion in Minnesota&apos;s newborn screening. Sometimes babies born with cCMV sometimes develop hearing loss, if not at birth, then when they are a little older. Fortunately, the committee&apos;s decision was yes. This law was passed, thanks to the advocacy of parents and allies. Minnesota is the very first state to screen newborns for cCMV, which helps these babies and their families get the services and support they need. Today we recognize two of these parent advocates, Stephanie Steizl and Leah Henrikson.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; [Applause as Chandra presents them with the plaque and they pose together for a photo snap. Applause continues as they depart the stage. Jer Loudenback steps on the stage and stands next to the podium and signs. Debbie Golos stands next to him off to the side. Jer signs.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jer:  Good afternoon. My name is Jer Loudenback. I&apos;m a community engagement specialist for seniors and the LGBT community. This is the education excellence award. This person is known for her leadership at the University of Minnesota, coordinating Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing licensure and the MEd program. Her teaching style incorporates important principles of learning about identity development, engaging both deaf and hard-of-hearing students in opportunities, and applying the practice of self-care for teachers and students as a foundation. One unique thing about our award recipient is that in addition to teaching teachers about education, she emphasizes the need for self-care as a foundation. This is something unique to this program and so let us congratulate Debbie Golos.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; [Applause Debbie signs ‘thank you’ as Jer presents her with the plaque. They pose together for a photo snap before they both walk off the stage. Two young girls walk on stage accompanied by Michele Heise. The girls sign.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt;  Ariel Johnson: Hello, my name is Ariel.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Rebekah Hill: Hello, my name is Rebekah Hill. And –&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Ariel Johnson: I think we are going to give this award to a very special person who has helped us grow and is changing education.  She was always friendly and energetic.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Rebekah Hill: Michele values equitable treatment in her classroom and holds high expectations of her students, making sure the students love to read and write. Her classroom was engaging and students love being in her class. She was the example of educational excellence. Congratulations. Michele Heise. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Both girls congratulate Michele, Rebekah presents her with the plaque. The three pose for a photo snap together. Michele gets the girl’s attention, points to them, and points to the students and staff standing up on the balcony off-screen.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michele Heise: This is not only my award, this is really all educators awards here.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[All three sign thank you as they depart the stage together. Felicia Lee steps on the stage and stands behind the podium, while Kaylah Vogt stands off to the side. Felicia signs.] &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Felicia: Hi, my name is Felicia Lee, and I am a student at Metro State University. Hold on one second while we get situated. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Felicia pauses and steps down and moves to the side of the podium and signs.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Felicia Lee: Okay, I will start over. My name is Felicia Lee, I am a student at Metro State University and also an intern with the Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard-of-Hearing. And I am here to give an access award. This person actually won a federal lawsuit for employment discrimination. This resulted in an EEOC updating its guidelines on hearing disabilities in the workplace. In addition, she successfully advocated for a mural to be installed on the side of the Periscope headquarters building by a Deaf artist. Congratulations. The artist is YiQiao Wang and our award winner is Kaylah Vogt. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Kaylah: Thank you so much, everybody.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; [Applause. Felicia presents Kaylah with the plaque. They pose together for a photo snap. Kaylah signs ‘thank you’ and waves as the two of them depart the stage. Migdalia Rogers steps to the stage and stands next to the podium. She signs. Anne Strootman and Jodi Peterson from the Wilderness Inquiry stand next to her.] &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Migdalia: Hello. Hello. My name is Migdalia Rogers and I&apos;m a Latina civic engagement specialist. This organization provides outdoor adventure travel opportunities accessible to the deaf, deafblind and hard-of-hearing. They have one deafblind staff member and trips are led by individuals who identify as deaf, deafblind or hard-of-hearing, and/or communicate in ASL. We would like to congratulate Wilderness Inquiry, and the executive director, Erica Rivers. Congratulations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; [Applause Migdalia presents Anne and Jodi with the plaque, and they pose together for a photo snap before walking off the stage. Michele steps to the podium and asks Interpreter Diego to slide the step stool in for her. She steps up and speaks, while Interpreter Diego signs. A woman stands off to the side.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michele: Hello. Our next award is for the lifetime achievement awards. The first award is given to a person who has served rural Minnesota in the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Services Division as a DHH specialist. This person has made a difference in the Duluth community, including advocating for captions on the local news, accessible smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and more. Unfortunately, due to the weather, she could not join us in person, but she is watching on livestream so congratulations to Cheryl Blue, and we have Sherri Rademacher accepting her award.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; [Applause. Michele presents Sherri with the plaque. Sherri leans forward and signs on behalf of Cheryl Blue.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Sherri: Cheryl Blue did want to say hello and thank you all for this award. This is awesome. Thank you so much.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; [Applause Sherri leaves the stage, and Michele and Diego resume their positions for the next award.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Sherri:  Thank you, everyone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[A pause as they wait for Mary Bauer to join them on the stage, standing off to the side.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michele:  The second award is given to a person who retired after working at the state DHH Metro Division  as a hard of hearing specialist. During her career, she provided resources and support and helped improve the lives of people in the metro and Minnesota with varying hearing levels. This person did a lot of work on age-related hearing loss, the change of hearing loss and accessible venues for people with hearing loss. And very honored to give this award to Mary Bauer. Congratulations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; [Applause. Michele presents Mary with the plaque, they pose together for a photo snap. The two depart the stage as Darlene steps up. She stands next to the podium while Ralph Fuechtmann joins her onstage, standing off to the side.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Darlene:  Hello, everyone. Next, I have the lifetime -- the next lifetime achievement award, this is the third award, and is given to someone who is a community-centric person. Come on a little bit closer. This person is known for his commitment to the Deaf community for over 40-plus years. He was fondly known as the go-to for most needs in the Deaf community. He is known -- you know that you&apos;re the go-to person. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Ralph: Everyone knows Ralph never met a stranger. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Darlene: Everyone knows that he has a heart of gold, his valuable volunteerism and leadership is a model for others. And is said to have passed that value on to his children. Is that right?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Ralph: I sure did.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Darlene: And grandchildren?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Ralph: Not yet, but they will.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Darlene: Yeah, I disagree. Your grandchildren already have done some testifying. Ralph is an athlete and won gold at the Deaflympics for basketball in 1973. As well as in 1987. Congratulations, Ralph Fuechtmann.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; [Applause]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Ralph: Thank you, everyone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Darlene presents Ralph with the plaque. He starts to walk off but Darlene stops him.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Darlene: We got to take a photo.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; [They pose together for a photo snap. They depart the stage as Michele comes back onstage and resumes her place at the podium. Paul Deeming stands off to the side.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michele:  This person is known for his work with the deafblind community for over 30 years. He has been an advocate, communications and language specialist, independent living skills instructor, conference presenter, rehabilitation counselors, senior program manager, support services provider and interpreter. He also co-founded and has run the professionals serving deafblind consumers Listserv since 2006, so congratulations Paul Deeming.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; [Cheers &amp;amp; Applause. Michele presents Paul with the plaque, they pose together for a photo snap. Paul signs ‘thank  you’. They depart the stage together, and Darlene comes back onstage. She is joined by Amy McQuaid-Swanson, who stands off to the side.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Darlene:  Hello again. We have a wonderful -- another wonderful recipient for lifetime achievement award. This person has been with DHHSD for almost -- Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Services Division for almost 40 years. She is the glue that held things together through several transitions. There&apos;s been lots of organizational change through these transitions, and all kinds of things that this recipient has held the organization together through. She has also fought and overseen -- just overseen the distribution of millions of dollars of grants that serve the deaf, deafblind and hard-of-hearing community. She also ensured that the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Services Division stayed as its own division, separate from the Department of Human Services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; [Cheering]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Darlene: Congratulations, Amy McQuaid-Swanson. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Darlene presents Amy with the plaque. They pose together for a photo snap before Amy departs the stage. Darlene asks Diego to hold her notes as she signs ‘can’t memorize my lines, obviously!’.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Darlene: I almost lost my place in my script but now we are very fortunate to live in Minnesota. We have accomplished many wonderful things here. Within the community, we have all of these awards because of all of these accomplishments. And so, again, consider if there are other people who should be nominated for awards, again, next time for our Lobby Day. We do want to thank the committee who reviewed and selected the awardees, it is a very difficult job. We&apos;re not closing quite yet, we do want to also bring the team who has worked so diligently for this event. This is the civic engagement team. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Darlene extends an arm to the team walking up to join her on the stage. Applause.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Darlene: And their leader is Jessalyn Akerman-Frank. Also, if you wouldn&apos;t mind, later, we would like to get a picture so everyone will have you look up at some moment but not quite yet. Is everyone -- are we ready for that now or not yet? I&apos;m sorry, I messed it up. I messed up the program. If everyone could please look up, right behind me here, there&apos;s going to be a picture taken right now. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Darlene points up with both arms. The team looks up and smiles as the camera zooms out to show the audience looking up as well.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Darlene: All right, great. Now, I&apos;m going to turn it over to Jessalyn.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Applause. Jessalyn Akerman-Frank steps up and signs.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jessalyn:  Thank you, wow, thank you so much for coming. This event is successful because of all of you and all of the contractors who have worked so hard doing this work. Reaching out to various communities, reaching out to the deaf, deafblind, hard-of-hearing communities, the voters, the legislators, they&apos;ve worked so hard and we&apos;re so happy that all of you have shown up today. This is a year&apos;s worth of work. This event happens biennially but it takes a year to plan it so now you know where we&apos;ll be in two years. Thank you to my contractors. You made my life easy. You have worked so hard for so long; I so appreciate you. It&apos;s been a wonderful day so far. The day is not yet over. If you want to go on a tour, meet Mike Cashman, as well as Rachel Eggert, we have hard-of-hearing tours, we have deafblind tours, we have various tours, we have a walking captionist who will be a walking captioner during the tours. And if you want to join later, we will have a reception tonight at the Hotel Radisson. From 4:30 to 6:00, free food, if that&apos;s not reason enough, come on out. We will see you in two years. Unfortunately, this event is not yearly, it&apos;s every two years so we&apos;ll see you in 2025. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Applause. The team moves off stage while Darlene reappears.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Darlene:  Hold on, don&apos;t go. I want to say thank you to our CART providers, many, many interpreters who worked hard to make this day possible. Thank you all. Thank you for your patience, we have many volunteers, as well, we can&apos;t forget any of the volunteers. I want to make sure to not forget anyone, so I want to look at my list here. Oh, we also have SSPs, of course.  Support service people.  We have photographers, we have videographers, everyone that helped make this day possible. Thank you so much. And, again, I know some of you were wondering where we should go after, it&apos;s the Radisson hotel that&apos;s across the street. Directly across the street. And someone lost their keys. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Darlene holds up a set of keys.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Darlene Zangara: Who lost their keys? Have a wonderful evening. Thank you all for coming. I hope to see you again in two years.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Applause. The camera zooms out to show the audience before fading out. Video end.]&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>569927</id><pubdate>2023-03-18T12:00:33Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Bill Hearing Alert: SF2044 (Abeler) Today, March 13, 2023 at 12:30 PM</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Interior view of the brilliant blue and gold Capitol Rotunda ceiling with MNCDHH&apos;s logo and the text, &quot;Bill Hearing Alert&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Bill%20Hearing%20Alert-850_tcm1063-518245.jpg</Url></Image><title>2023-03-13-bill-hearing-alert-sf2044</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-569297&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-03-13T16:54:17Z</Date><ShortDescription>Come and show your support!</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Closed captioning in public places</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=Senate&amp;amp;f=SF2044&amp;amp;ssn=0&amp;amp;y=2023&quot;&gt;SF2044 (Abeler)&lt;/a&gt; will be heard by the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/committees/committee_bio.html?ls=93&amp;amp;cmte_id=3128&quot;&gt;Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This bill updates Minnesota&apos;s human rights statutes to clarify that not having captions displayed on TVs in public places is considered discrimination.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The following individuals are scheduled to testify in support of this bill.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Alicia Lane, Government Relations Director&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Keenan Gao&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Letters of support have been submitted by Laura Hagemann, Barbara Schneider, and Sonny Wasilowski. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please attend and show your support!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Monday, March 13, 2023 at 12:30 PM &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota State Capitol, Room G-15 online at the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/media/media_coming_up.html&quot;&gt;Senate Webcast Schedule&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Livestream captioning is available and ASL interpreting will be provided. To provide feedback on digital accessibility of meeting information, please submit comments through the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.leg.mn.gov/accessibility/&quot;&gt;Minnesota Legislature Accessibility &amp;amp; Usability Comment Form&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>569297</id><Tag><Description/><Title>captioning</Title><Id>247356</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-03-13T17:02:31Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Reminder! Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day is Happening Tomorrow!</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Full room of Lobby Day participants inside the Capitol rotunda</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/lobby_day-67_tcm1063-551930.jpg</Url></Image><title>2023-03-06-reminder-ddbhh-lobby-day-is-happening-tomorrow</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-567944&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-03-06T23:11:35Z</Date><ShortDescription>Access Empowers Us!</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Lobby Day is on March 7, 2023; information about speakers, award recipients, and onsite registration</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tomorrow, March 7, 2023, is Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing Lobby Day! The Commission has been preparing for this event for months and we are excited to spend this day with you. We would like to thank our outreach &amp;amp; civic engagement specialists, our partners, and our vendors for their work in making this day possible,.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is Lobby Day?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lobby Day happens when members of the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing communities and supporters will gather at the Minnesota State Capitol Complex. Together, we&apos;ll sit down with our legislators for a conversation to address pressing issues and concerns that impact our deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our day will be full of action items to tackle:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Meeting with our legislators&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Attending informative workshops on a variety of topics&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Explore booths set up by our community for networking opportunities&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Discover the inner workings of the Capitol via an accessible tour&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Get excited and pepped up for a rally in the Rotunda followed by community awards&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So who is speaking at the rally? &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The following individuals will be expected to make an appearance during the rally portion of the event, which will take place between 1:30-2:30 pm in the Capitol Rotunda:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Governor Tim Walz&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Secretary of State Steve Simon&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;We are also hoping that a few legislators will be able to make an appearance. The first legislative deadline is this Friday, March 10, 2023 so legislators are very busy this week.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Who is being recognized for their achievements at the rally?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The following individuals will be recognized at the 1:30 - 2:30 PM rally for their contributions to the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing communities through advocacy, community engagement, education, improving accessibility, among other activities to improve the lives of our community members:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Youth Award&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Mujahid Zafar for advocating for captions at a local movie theater&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Justin Smith for advocating for accessible housing&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Citizen Advocate Award&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Avi Rosen for advocating for improved hospital accessibility&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Jessica Eggert for advocating for Braille prescription labels at pharmacies&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Civic Engagement Award&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Stephanie Steidl and Leah Henrikson, on behalf of parents who advocated for the Vivian Act, which led Minnesota to become the first state to screen all newborn babies for congenital cytomegalovirus, which can cause hearing loss in babies.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Education Excellence Award&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Debbie Golos, a professor at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities and Deaf/Hard of Hearing licensure &amp;amp; M.Ed. coordinator&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Michele Heise, a teacher at the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf and sports coach&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Access Award&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Kaylah Vogt for advocating for equitable employment hiring and onboarding practices&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Humanitarian Award&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Wilderness Inquiry for the programs and opportunities provided to the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing community, connecting them to the outdoors as well as hiring deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing individuals.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lifetime Achievement Award&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Mary Bauer for longtime service to the community through her work at the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division, now retired&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Cheryl Blue for longtime service to the community through her work at the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division, now retired&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Paul Deeming for longtime service to the DeafBlind community&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Ralph Fuechtmann, for longtime service to community organizations such as Thompson Hall, Deaflympics, MinnePaul Athletic Association of the Deaf, Minnesota Deaf Senior Citizens, Minnesota Association of the Deaf, and more&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Amy McQuaid-Swanson for longtime service to the community through her work at the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Can I still register? &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Yes! We will be accepting onsite registrations in the Capitol Vault from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm on Lobby Day (Tuesday, March 7, 2023). After 1:00 PM, it will become too late to register. Come and find us.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are getting a lot of questions about parking. Here is information about &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/admin/citizen/buildings-grounds/parking/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;public parking at the Minnesota State Capitol&lt;/a&gt; and here is a &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/admin/assets/capitolvisitor.9_tcm36-206004.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;map with parking lots and Light Rail stations displayed (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;. The earlier you arrive, the better parking you will get. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>567944</id><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-03-07T01:05:12Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day Being Held at Minnesota State Capitol</Title><title>2023-03-06-press-release-ddbhh-lobby-day</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-567945&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-03-06T22:18:15Z</Date><ShortDescription>Press release</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Community advocates to share hearing loss issues with their legislators</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For Immediate Release&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact: Anne Sittner Anderson, &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(2, 120, 178); word-break: break-word; hyphens: none;&quot;&gt;anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Saint Paul, Minnesota (March 6, 2023) -&lt;/strong&gt; On Tuesday, March 7, 2023, hundreds of Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, and their family and friends, will gather at the Minnesota State Capitol to ask their legislators to support bills proposed or supported by the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing. The Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Secretary of State are expected to make an appearance during the one hour rally.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Community members will address issues and concerns and advocate for changes that would enhance the lives of deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Minnesotans across the state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Access Empowers Us” is the theme of our Lobby Day. Making access happen from the start and not as an afterthought, allows for individuals to fully participate in everyday activities and events. To do so, barriers need to be eliminated in order to make it inclusive for everyone regardless of ability.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 1.1; color: rgb(0, 56, 101); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Policy issues&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Community members and supporters will meet with their legislators to address pressing issues and concerns that impact our deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing community, such as&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; font-size: medium;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px 7px;&quot;&gt;closed captioning in public places,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px 7px;&quot;&gt;hearing aid affordability,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px 7px;&quot;&gt;accessible prescription container labels with either Braille, large print, or audible,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px 7px;&quot;&gt;Certified Deaf Interpreters (CDI) in the classroom,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px 7px;&quot;&gt;and more.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission&apos;s full legislative agenda can be found at &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/legislation/legislative-agenda/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(2, 120, 178); word-break: break-word; hyphens: none;&quot;&gt;2023 Legislative Agenda&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 1.1; color: rgb(0, 56, 101); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rally with speeches and awards&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The following individuals will be expected to make an appearance during the rally portion of the event, which will take place between 1:30-2:30 PM in the Capitol Rotunda:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; font-size: medium;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px 7px;&quot;&gt;Governor Tim Walz&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px 7px;&quot;&gt;Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px 7px;&quot;&gt;Secretary of State Steve Simon&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The following individuals will be recognized at the 1:30 - 2:30 PM rally for their contributions to the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing communities through advocacy, community engagement, education, improving accessibility, among other activities to improve the lives of our community members:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.1; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Youth Award&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; font-size: medium;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px 7px;&quot;&gt;Mujahid Zafar for advocating for captions at a local movie theater&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px 7px;&quot;&gt;Justin Smith for advocating for accessible housing&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.1; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Citizen Advocate Award&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; font-size: medium;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px 7px;&quot;&gt;Avi Rosen for advocating for improved hospital accessibility&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px 7px;&quot;&gt;Jessica Eggert for advocating for Braille prescription labels at pharmacies&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.1; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Civic Engagement Award&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; font-size: medium;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px 7px;&quot;&gt;Stephanie Steidl and Leah Henrikson, on behalf of parents who advocated for the Vivian Act, which led Minnesota to become the first state to screen all newborn babies for congenital cytomegalovirus, which can cause hearing loss in babies.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.1; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Education Excellence Award&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; font-size: medium;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px 7px;&quot;&gt;Debbie Golos, a professor at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities and Deaf/Hard of Hearing licensure &amp;amp; M.Ed. coordinator&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px 7px;&quot;&gt;Michele Heise, a teacher at the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf and sports coach&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.1; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Access Award&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; font-size: medium;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px 7px;&quot;&gt;Kaylah Vogt for advocating for equitable employment hiring and onboarding practices&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.1; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Humanitarian Award&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; font-size: medium;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px 7px;&quot;&gt;Wilderness Inquiry for the programs and opportunities provided to the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing community, connecting them to the outdoors.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.1; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lifetime Achievement Award&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; font-size: medium;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px 7px;&quot;&gt;Mary Bauer for longtime service to the community through her work at the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division, now retired&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px 7px;&quot;&gt;Cheryl Blue for longtime service to the community through her work at the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division, now retired&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px 7px;&quot;&gt;Paul Deeming for longtime service to the DeafBlind community&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px 7px;&quot;&gt;Ralph Fuechtmann, for longtime service to community organizations such as Thompson Hall, Deaflympics, MinnePaul Athletic Association of the Deaf, Minnesota Deaf Senior Citizens, Minnesota Association of the Deaf, and more&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px 7px;&quot;&gt;Amy McQuaid-Swanson for longtime service to the community through her work at the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The media is invited to join us at the rally. If you would like to interview any of the award recipients, a Lobby Day participant, or a Commission staff member, please contact Anne Sittner Anderson at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(2, 120, 178); word-break: break-word; hyphens: none;&quot;&gt;anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 1.1; color: rgb(0, 56, 101); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing Lobby Day will happen on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, starting at 8:30 am and continuing until 4:30pm. The event will take place in the Rotunda of the Minnesota State Capitol.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For further information about Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing Lobby Day, visit the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/get-involved/lobby-day/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(2, 120, 178); word-break: break-word; hyphens: none;&quot;&gt;Lobby Day website&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.1; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota State Capitol Rotunda, 1:30 - 2:30 PM
&lt;br /&gt;
75 Rev Dr. Martin Luther King Drive
&lt;br /&gt;
Saint Paul, MN 55117&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 1.1; color: rgb(0, 56, 101); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the Commission&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) is a governor-appointed Commission that advocates for communication access and equal opportunity with the 20% of Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing. We work with the community to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; font-size: medium;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px 7px;&quot;&gt;identify barriers to communication access and equal opportunity,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px 7px;&quot;&gt;develop solutions,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px 7px;&quot;&gt;empower by building community capacity, and&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px 7px;&quot;&gt;advocate through civic engagement.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: center; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>567945</id><Tag><Description/><Title>press release</Title><Id>320250</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-03-07T01:04:46Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Bill Hearing Alert: SF2105 (Boldon) Thursday, March 2, 2023 at 8:30 AM</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Interior view of the brilliant blue and gold Capitol Rotunda ceiling with MNCDHH&apos;s logo and the text, &quot;Bill Hearing Alert&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Bill%20Hearing%20Alert-850_tcm1063-518245.jpg</Url></Image><title>2023-03-01-bill-hearing-alert-hearing-aid</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-567271&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-03-01T20:38:18Z</Date><ShortDescription>Please attend and show your support!</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Coverage specification for hearing aids</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=Senate&amp;amp;f=SF2105&amp;amp;ssn=0&amp;amp;y=2023&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;SF2105 (Boldon)&lt;/a&gt; will be heard by the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/committees/committee_bio.html?ls=93&amp;amp;cmte_id=3123&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Senate Health and Human Services committee&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This bill will remove the current age limit of 18 for mandated hearing aid coverage to include all ages. These updates will allow Minnesota statutes to conform with federal prohibitions against age discrimination.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The following individuals will testify:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Alicia Lane, Government Relations Director&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Anne Sittner Anderson, hearing aid user&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;There may be additional testifiers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please attend and show your support!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thursday, March 2, 2023 at 8:30 AM &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota Senate Building, Room 1100 or online at the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/media/media_coming_up.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Senate Webcast Schedule&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Livestream captioning is available and ASL interpreting will be provided. To provide feedback on digital accessibility of meeting information, please submit comments through the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.leg.mn.gov/accessibility/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Minnesota Legislature Accessibility &amp;amp; Usability Comment Form&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>567271</id><Tag><Description/><Title>hearing aids</Title><Id>310255</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-03-01T20:41:58Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Bill Hearing Alert: SF1024 (Maye Quade) Today, February 27, 2023 at 12:30 PM</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Interior view of the brilliant blue and gold Capitol Rotunda ceiling with MNCDHH&apos;s logo and the text, &quot;Bill Hearing Alert&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Bill%20Hearing%20Alert-850_tcm1063-518245.jpg</Url></Image><title>2023-02-27-bill-hearing-sf1024</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-566814&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-02-27T16:22:25Z</Date><ShortDescription>Please attend and show your support!</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Charter school admission requirements</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?f=SF1024&amp;amp;y=2023&amp;amp;ssn=0&amp;amp;b=senate&quot;&gt;SF1024 (Maye Quade)&lt;/a&gt; will be heard by the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/committees/committee_bio.html?ls=93&amp;amp;cmte_id=3120&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Senate Education Policy committee&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This bill will protect Metro Deaf School’s ability to give preferential enrollment to students with a primary disability of deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Testifiers are being provided by Metro Deaf School. Sen. Maye-Quade also plans to do an author&apos;s amendment to add &apos;deafblind&apos; to the bill language. MNCDHH has submitted a letter of support.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please attend and show your support!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Monday, February 27, 2023 at 12:30 PM &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota Senate Building, Room 1200 or online at the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/media/media_coming_up.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Senate Webcast Schedule&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Livestream captioning is available and ASL interpreting will be provided. To provide feedback on digital accessibility of meeting information, please submit comments through the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.leg.mn.gov/accessibility/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Minnesota Legislature Accessibility &amp;amp; Usability Comment Form&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>566814</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-02-27T16:54:10Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>News from Executive Director Darlene Zangara (February 2023)</Title><title>2023-02-23-executive-director-updates</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-566352&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-02-23T19:04:45Z</Date><ShortDescription>Work that has been done in January and early February. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>cCMV newborn screening, mental health day treatment program survey, Lobby Day, HLAA-TC &amp; MNCDHH town hall, and more</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/9DFH43mey-E&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version instead&lt;/a&gt;. To adjust the video speed, use YouTube&apos;s playback speed tool.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/P0skWgxfhlk&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with the Feb 2023 executive director updates&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello everyone! I’m Darlene Zangara and I’m the Executive Director of the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing. I am a white woman with blond hair, glasses, and wearing all black.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I have a lot of great news to share with you today!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Newborn Screening for cCMV&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As of this month, Minnesota is the first state in the country to start screening all newborn babies for congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV). In Minnesota, it is estimated up to 300 babies born each year will have cCMV. Sometimes, babies will have hearing loss caused by cCMV, either at birth or when they are a little older. Early detection and support services for these babies and their families is an important step to give the babies access to language and a successful start to life. The Minnesota Department of Health has information about newborn screening &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.health.state.mn.us/people/newbornscreening/index.html&quot;&gt;on their website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mental Health Day Treatment Program Survey&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On February 6th, a statewide survey was sent out to give us an idea about what type of program or curriculum is needed for Minnesota students who are deaf, deafblind &amp;amp; hard of hearing and would benefit from a day treatment program for mental health services. We are collecting responses from parents and teachers or professionals who work with deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing children. We are partnering with VONA staff and the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf mental health team.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lobby Day and What&apos;s Happening at the Legislature&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day will happen on Tuesday, March 7, 2023! Please join us for a day of training, accessible Capitol tours, meaningful conversations with your legislators, and a rally with presentations and awards.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The board voted on this year’s legislative agenda at our January 20, 2023 meeting. The agenda is posted on our website and we are sending out legislative updates and information on hearings to attend. Please follow our newsletter, website, and social media to stay updated.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One legislative highlight so far was a tour at Metro Deaf School with Rep. Ruth Richardson, Rep. Leigh Finke, and Rep. Cheryl Youakim. Executive Director Susan Outlaw and the MDS community were warm and welcoming and provided a fantastic tour of their school and programs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;HLAA-TC and MNCDHH Town Hall&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission and the Hearing Loss Association of America – Twin Cities chapter are hosting a town hall meeting for people with hearing loss who use speaking and listening to communicate. It will happen on Saturday, February 25, 2023 from 10 am – 12 pm and it will be on Zoom. ASL interpreters and CART will be provided. We are looking forward to connecting more with members of the hearing loss community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DeafBlind Focus Group&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The most recent DeafBlind focus group met to review the Commission’s video accessibility policies. Many thanks to the community members who attended and shared their feedback. Now that the meeting has finished, we are doing a survey with DeafBlind community members to collect more feedback. If you are DeafBlind and want to participate in the survey, please email Anne Sittner Anderson, &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us,&lt;/a&gt; and let her know.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Picture Slideshow&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are pictures of the recent events.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_20230213_091916_414_tcm1063-566442.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Group photo for Lobby Day prep&quot; alt=&quot;Group photo for Lobby Day prep&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Group photo for Lobby Day prep&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_20230213_091900_069_tcm1063-566441.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Felicia, Patrick, Albert&quot; alt=&quot;Felicia, Patrick, Albert&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Felicia, Patrick, Albert&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/FullSizeRender_tcm1063-566440.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Alicia and Sen Westrom&quot; alt=&quot;Alicia and Sen Westrom&quot; style=&quot;width: 450px; height: 600px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Alicia and Sen Westrom&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_6752_tcm1063-566439.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Alicia, Sen. Gustafson, Nic&quot; alt=&quot;Alicia, Sen. Gustafson, Nic&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Alicia, Sen. Gustafson, Nic&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_6749_tcm1063-566438.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Senate hearing&quot; alt=&quot;Senate hearing&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Senate hearing&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/mds.1-4_tcm1063-566437.jpg&quot; title=&quot;MDS tour 4&quot; alt=&quot;MDS tour 4&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;MDS tour 4&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Riss Leitzke Photography&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/mds.1-12_tcm1063-566435.jpg&quot; title=&quot;MDS tour 3&quot; alt=&quot;MDS tour 3&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;MDS tour 3&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Riss Leitzke Photography&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/mds.1-8_tcm1063-566434.jpg&quot; title=&quot;MDS tour 2&quot; alt=&quot;MDS tour 2&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;MDS tour 2&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Riss Leitzke Photography&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/mds.1-19_tcm1063-566433.jpg&quot; title=&quot;MDS tour 1&quot; alt=&quot;MDS tour 1&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;MDS tour 1&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Riss Leitzke Photography&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/1-26%20Keenan_tcm1063-566432.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Keenan&quot; alt=&quot;Keenan&quot; style=&quot;width: 450px; height: 600px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Keenan&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/1-26%20Mig%2C%20Pam%2C%20and%20Jer_tcm1063-566431.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Lobby Day crew&quot; alt=&quot;Lobby Day crew&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Lobby Day crew&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Hearing%201-17-23%20NIc%202_tcm1063-566430.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Hearing testimony&quot; alt=&quot;Hearing testimony&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Hearing testimony&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Hearing%201-17-23%20group%203_tcm1063-566422.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Group of people&quot; alt=&quot;Group of people&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Group of people&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Hearing%201-17-23%20AL_tcm1063-566418.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Alicia testifying&quot; alt=&quot;Alicia testifying&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Alicia testifying&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Suggestions?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I will send out another update next month. Please let me know if there is any information you would like me to share in a future update. You can contact me by email, &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:darlene.g.zangara@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;darlene.g.zangara@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. Thank you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Featuring Darlene G. Zangara, Executive Director. The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jamie Schumacher for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>566352</id><Tag><Description/><Title>executive director updates</Title><Id>457794</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>hard of hearing</Title><Id>536211</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>deafblind</Title><Id>499876</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>language acquisition</Title><Id>310294</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-07-10T23:28:11Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Bill Hearing Alert: HF909 (Daniels) Today, February 21, 2023 at 8:30 AM</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Interior view of the brilliant blue and gold Capitol Rotunda ceiling with MNCDHH&apos;s logo and the text, &quot;Bill Hearing Alert&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Bill%20Hearing%20Alert-850_tcm1063-518245.jpg</Url></Image><title>2023-02-21-bill-hearing-alert-cc-public-places</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-565818&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-02-21T14:01:15Z</Date><ShortDescription>Come and show your support!</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Closed captioning in public places</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=House&amp;amp;f=HF909&amp;amp;ssn=0&amp;amp;y=2023&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;HF909 (Daniels)&lt;/a&gt; will be heard by the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.house.mn.gov/committees/home/93015&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;House Judiciary &amp;amp; Civil Law committee&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This bill updates Minnesota&apos;s human rights statutes to clarify that not having captions displayed on TVs in public places is considered discrimination.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The following individuals are scheduled to testify in support of this bill; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sonny Wasilowski&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Alicia Lane, Government Relations Director&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Keenan Gao&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please attend and show your support!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Monday, February 21, 2023 &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State Office Building, Room 5 or online at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.house.mn.gov/schedules/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Live Video&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Captioning is available on the live broadcast and ASL interpreters will be onsite. To provide feedback on digital accessibility of meeting information, please submit comments through the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.leg.mn.gov/accessibility/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Minnesota Legislature Accessibility &amp;amp; Usability Comment Form&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>565818</id><Tag><Description/><Title>captioning</Title><Id>247356</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-02-21T14:03:20Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Community Spotlight: Minnesota DeafBlind Association</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>MDBA logo in green with yellow outline of the state of Minnesota with a banner going across the middle with text inside: “MDBA since 1979”. Above, text inside the state outline: “Minnesota DeafBlind Association”. Icons inside the state outline: an ILY hand, a group of pine trees, and the Braille symbols for MDBA.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/MDBA%20logo_tcm1063-565566.jpg</Url></Image><title>2023-02-16-community-spotlight-mdba</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-565567&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-02-16T17:30:15Z</Date><ShortDescription>Interviewed by Kaitlyn Mielke.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>With Lindsey Moon, President</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A conversation with Lindsey Moon, President of the Minnesota DeafBlind Association. Interviewed by Kaitlyn Mielke.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hi Lindsey! Thank you for joining me for a conversation about the Minnesota DeafBlind Association. Can you share some history of the Minnesota DeafBlind Association? How did it start?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Lindsey:&lt;/em&gt; The Minnesota DeafBlind Association, MDBA, was established in 1979. It is the only organization in the state of Minnesota that provides socializing and networking opportunities for DeafBlind individuals. Historically, DeafBlind individuals did not have many options to socialize, and back in the days it was difficult to communicate and connect with one another. Back then, there was no Internet, no email, and TTYs weren’t accessible for the DeafBlind. The best route was for DeafBlind individuals to gather in-person together. Even today with those technological options to stay connected, DeafBlind find it better to touch one another in gatherings and hands-on activities by using tactile communication over visual communication. The association was also established to share and spread information, educate the DeafBlind community, provide support and advocacy for issues that pertain to DeafBlind individuals. We provide a wide variety of workshops and of course, the much-anticipated annual Thanksgiving banquet as well.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What kind of activities does MDBA do for the community?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Lindsey:&lt;/em&gt; Like I mentioned earlier, we have two workshops - I typically don’t choose the subject matter. Instead, I query the community to see what subject matter they would like to be covered in those workshops. The most requested workshops and activities have been crafts, educational-related like one workshop where we covered personal defense and how to protect ourselves when faced with danger, sexual education, among other subject matters. There have been many over the years, including educational field trips where we go out into the community and visit locations such as one favorite, the Amish community in southern Minnesota. We’d visit their farm, learn about their lifestyle, and purchase Amish-made foods and goods in their community. That one is always a highlight of our members’ experiences. We’d like to set up an excursion to the art museum, and this summer we will be teaming up with Wilderness Inquiry to provide a day of canoeing fun. That was originally planned for last summer but due to weather-related concerns, it was canceled. You know how unpredictable the Minnesota weather can be! And of course, we’re known for our annual Thanksgiving banquet where we have many folks attending, even a good number of them from out of state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Does MDBA do any collaborations with other Deaf/DB organizations in the community? What do they look like?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Lindsey:&lt;/em&gt; Currently, no. Mainly because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. It has had an impact on MDBA, and activity has been quiet for the past few years. This is due to the reason that DeafBlind use tactile communication mainly, so due to COVID and the social distancing requirements, we have had little activity. As for collaborations in the past, we have collaborated with the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing on a number of events and opportunities. We would love to see more collaborations happening in the near future!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What kind of community activities would you love to see MDBA take on in the future?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Lindsey:&lt;/em&gt; I would love to see some kind of a youth activity for those who are DeafBlind or low-vision where young folks can get together to socialize. One of the reasons we are pursuing the canoeing event is because of the emphasis on youth, not just making it open for the public. There’s no need to be a member to be involved with this activity. There has also been a return for the beading workshop as requested from the DeafBlind community. This was run by DeafBlind Services Minnesota (DBSM) in the past, but has paused due unavailability of grant funding, so we’d like to see that continue. We are also planning some kind of a game night for DeafBlind individuals. Sighted folks can attend in a separate capacity as SSPs, aiding with tactile communication, or transportation. So that’s one of our goals, hopefully this year!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How can folks get involved with MDBA? Who can be involved?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Lindsey:&lt;/em&gt; Currently we have - if I remember this correctly - we have a president, vice president, of which both must identify as DeafBlind - a treasurer which can be a sighted person due to the need to exchange money; a secretary who can be either DeafBlind, or low-vision, or sighted as well. The rest including the board of trustees - prefer that they be DeafBlind as well. We do need to set up committees to focus on specific tasks, such as a Bylaws Committee. Our Bylaws are old and need to be updated, and COVID put a pause on that for now. Anyone can be on the Bylaws committee - DeafBlind, sighted folks, Deaf - it doesn’t matter. Also, one of our pressing needs is a committee for the annual Thanksgiving Banquet. Our previous committee have all stepped back and retired, so we need to start afresh. At this time, we have vacancies for Vice President, Treasurer, and three Trustees that need to be filled.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As for the wider community, anyone can be involved in several capacities - volunteering for events and activities, serving as transportation guides to aid DeafBlind to/from events and activities; serving as support service providers (SSPs), interpreting for events (those are paid opportunities through MDBA). Anyone can become members. Members will receive the newsletters, get involved with the workshops and events, and be able to vote in our annual elections.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Is there anything else that you would like the community to know about MDBA?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Lindsey:&lt;/em&gt; As I mentioned earlier, we really do need more folks to become involved with MDBA. We currently have four board members, including myself. We need more community folks to get involved in various capacities including volunteering and contributing to activities. For instance, we would love to have someone type up the newsletters. Someone to kickstart the planning and execution of the annual Thanksgiving banquet would be wonderful. Then there’s the Bylaws committee that I mentioned earlier. Those are just a few examples of how folks can be involved, and for those who are interested and willing, please contact us and we’ll talk! We also need a treasurer - that’s one of our top priorities at the moment. With the coronavirus pandemic starting to slow down, we are slowly transitioning to more in-person activities and meetings. Then there&apos;s our fiscal year, which will be expiring soon, and we need to use up our allocated budget on activities for the community members. So we have plenty of resources to provide workshops and events, but we need folks to become involved and get them off the ground and running. One resource we do still need, is an accessible space to provide those meetings, elections, workshops, and activities. Historically, we have had over a hundred attend our elections and large events, so we’d like to make that space happen again. So an accessible space with flexible settings and plenty of room would be wonderful to have.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here is where you can contact MDBA.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mndeafblind.wordpress.com/info/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;MDBA&apos;s website&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/1979MDBA&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;MDBA&apos;s Facebook&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Email: &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:MDBA1979@gmail.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;MDBA1979@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDBA is a grant recipient from the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD). Learn more at &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/deaf-hard-of-hearing/about-us/grants/index.jsp?id=1121-495465&quot;&gt;DeafBlind education and community integration&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>565567</id><Tag><Description/><Title>community spotlight</Title><Id>432585</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>deafblind</Title><Id>499876</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-03-01T17:25:36Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2023 Lobby Day Awards Nominations: Deadline Extended!</Title><title>2023-02-13-lobby-day-awards-nominations-deadline-extended</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-565057&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-02-13T20:02:11Z</Date><ShortDescription>Send in your nominations right away! Make sure you explain why you are nominating the person or organization.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Now accepting nominations through Wednesday, February 15, 2023</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) has extended the deadline to &lt;a href=&quot;https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6991238/2021-Lobby-Day-Awards-Nomination&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;submit nominations for the 2023 Lobby Day Awards&lt;/a&gt;. The new deadline is Wednesday, February 15, 2023. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do you know of a person or organization in the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing community who does amazing work. Who may be overlooked? Who is making changes or inspiring others? &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Think about who you think should be recognized and nominate them. Be sure to explain why you think they qualify for an award. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here is the list of awards. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Youth Award&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Youth Award is awarded to youth who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing who have demonstrated strong leadership skills.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Citizen Advocate Award&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Citizen Advocate Award is awarded to individuals who have done exemplary work in advocating for and with deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Civic Engagement Award&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Civic Engagement Award is awarded to a person or an organization that has worked to increase the civic engagement of deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Education Excellence Award&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Education Excellence Award is awarded to individuals who work in an education setting with deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing students.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Access Award&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Access Award is 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 include captioning, interpreting, public access, or accessible technology.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Humanitarian Award&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Humanitarian Award recognizes the work of a deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing person or organization in our community who are devoted to the welfare of humanity.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lifetime Achievement Award&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Lifetime Achievement Award is awarded to those who have done distinctive work for and with deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Minnesotans that spans 20+ years of contributions. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6991238/2021-Lobby-Day-Awards-Nomination&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Submit nominations for awards&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 23px; font-weight: 600; font-family: Verdana;&quot;&gt;About Lobby Day&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day is on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, from 8:30 am - 4:30 pm. There will be training opportunities, appointments with legislators, a rally and awards ceremony in the Rotunda, Capitol tours, a poster session with students, and more! You will have the opportunity to meet with your legislator to explain which bills are important to you and why. Learn more about &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/get-involved/lobby-day/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Lobby Day&lt;/a&gt;!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/4756982/2023-Lobby-Day-Registration&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Sign me up for Lobby Day&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>565057</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-02-13T20:08:19Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>HLAA-TC and MNCDHH Town Hall</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Icons of people with hands raised on a green and blue striped background with MNCDHH&apos;s logo, HLAA-TC&apos;s logo, and text, &quot;HLAA-TC and MNCDHH Town Hall, Saturday, February 25, 2023, 10 am - 12 pm, on Zoom&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Town%20Hall%20w_%20HLAA-1-850_tcm1063-565040.jpg</Url></Image><title>2023-02-13-hlaa-tc-mncdhh-town-hall</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-565039&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-02-13T18:07:26Z</Date><ShortDescription>With HLAA-TC board members, Robin ‘Byrdie’ Coninx, President HLAATC; Signe Dysken, Vice President; Susan Arquette, Secretary; Laura Hagemann, Social Media Specialist, Director-at-Large; and Karla Sands, Director-at-Large.
</ShortDescription><Subtitle>For individuals with hearing loss, professionals, and families</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) and the Hearing Loss Association of America, Twin Cities Chapter (HLAA-TC) are hosting a town hall meeting centering on people with hearing loss who use speaking and listening to communicate. We invite all members of the hearing loss community, as well as professionals and families, are welcome to attend.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The main goal of the town hall is to gather suggestions from the public on what the Commission and HLAA-TC should focus on while working to advance the lives of Minnesotans who have hearing loss.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here is the board of HLAA-TC:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Robin ‘Byrdie’ Coninx, President 
&lt;br /&gt;
Signe Dysken, Vice President
&lt;br /&gt;
Susan Arquette, Secretary
&lt;br /&gt;
Laura Hagemann, Social Media Specialist, Director-at-Large
&lt;br /&gt;
Karla Sands, Director-at-Large&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saturday, February 25, 2023, from 10 am - 12 pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and CART will be provided. For additional accommodations, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; by Friday, February 17, 2023.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register to attend (or just show up a few minutes before the webinar begins).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Calling in via phone is an option if preferred. First, register to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation via email. The confirmation will include information on how to call in by phone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAtfuGurzMoGdCGnir8RZjW1lRscYI8AurY&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Register today!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>565039</id><Tag><Description/><Title>hard of hearing</Title><Id>536211</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-02-13T18:11:21Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Two Bill Hearings for CDI in Classrooms on Wednesday, February 8, 2023</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Interior view of the brilliant blue and gold Capitol Rotunda ceiling with MNCDHH&apos;s logo and the text, &quot;Bill Hearing Alert&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Bill%20Hearing%20Alert-850_tcm1063-518245.jpg</Url></Image><title>2023-02-07-two-bill-hearings-for-cdi-in-classrooms</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-563369&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-02-07T22:36:49Z</Date><ShortDescription>Senate hearing is at 8:30 am, House hearing is at 10:30 am</ShortDescription><Subtitle>SF295 (Gustafson) and HF170 (Becker-Finn)</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These bills will modify language in educational interpreter law. Currently, the language requires that an educational interpreter complete an Interpreter Training Program (ITP). Nationwide, there is no ITP for Certified Deaf Interpreters (CDIs). The language in this bill would allow a CDI to work in schools without completing an ITP program and would allow school districts to be reimbursed for the salary of the CDI.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The following individuals are scheduled to testify in support at both hearings; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Alicia Lane, Government Relations Director, Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Dov Nathanson, student (video testimony)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Galvin Nathanson, student (video testimony)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Nic Zapko, Certified Deaf Interpreter&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please attend and show your support!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Captioning is available on the live broadcast and ASL interpreters will be onsite. To provide feedback on digital accessibility of meeting information, please submit comments through the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.leg.mn.gov/accessibility/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Minnesota Legislature Accessibility &amp;amp; Usability Comment Form&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Senate bill hearing&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?f=SF295&amp;amp;y=2023&amp;amp;ssn=0&amp;amp;b=senate&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;F295 (Gustafson)&lt;/a&gt; will be heard by the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/committees/committee_bio.html?ls=93&amp;amp;cmte_id=3119&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Senate Education Finance Committee&lt;/a&gt; on Wednesday, February 8, 2023 at 8:30 am.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota Senate Building, Room 1150 or online at the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/media/media_coming_up.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Senate Webcast Schedule&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;House bill hearing&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?f=HF170&amp;amp;b=house&amp;amp;y=2023&amp;amp;ssn=0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;HF170 (Becker-Finn)&lt;/a&gt; will be heard by the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.house.mn.gov/committees/home/93016&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;House Education Finance Committee&lt;/a&gt; on Wednesday, February 8, 2023 at 10:30 am.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota State Capitol, Room 120 or online at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.leg.mn.gov/cal?type=single&amp;amp;mtgid=h_35271&amp;amp;d1=02/08/2023&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;HTV2&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>563369</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-02-07T22:46:42Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Survey to Plan Mental Health Day Treatment Program for Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing Youth</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Question marks and snowflakes scattered across in various shades of blue.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/My%20project-850_tcm1063-563066.jpg</Url></Image><title>2023-02-06-survey-to-plan-mh-day-treatment-program</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-563070&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-02-06T21:52:12Z</Date><ShortDescription>Seeking to fill gap in mental health services for deaf, deafblind &amp; hard of hearing students across Minnesota.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Intended for parents and teachers/professionals</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2019, the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) started looking into the gap in mental health services for deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing students across Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH developed a focus group meeting and invited the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Service Division (DHHSD) Mental Health Director, a psychologist from Launchpad, several other DHH mental health specialists, and school administrators to discuss the gap analysis.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This group agreed there is a need for a mental health day treatment program for deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing students in Minnesota. Through the process of searching for a potential site for the DHH Mental Health Day treatment program, the Minnesota State Academy of the Deaf (MSAD) volunteered to offer their site. MSAD used to have a mental health program called Impact, but it was designed to provide intensive outpatient service.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This discussion and plans were on pause during the pandemic. Since then, we recognize the increased need for mental health services for deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing children. Currently, we are looking into a “hybrid” day treatment program for deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing youth who are experiencing mental illnesses that interfere with their ability to successfully navigate the school day and home.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Day treatment is a higher level of care for children and adolescents struggling with mental health difficulties and who have not responded well to traditional mental health interventions such as school counseling, outpatient therapy, skills training and development, and medication management alone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We have a small group of the MSAD mental health team, VONA staff, and MNCDHH working on creating a realistic and sustainable program.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We have developed a statewide survey to give us an idea of what type of program or curriculum is needed for students who need mental health treatment care. There are only seven questions on the survey. Your feedback will help us determine what the current needs are.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This survey is intended for parents of deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing youth and for their teachers and other professionals serving these students. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7205266/Day-Treatment-Survey-combined&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Take the Day Treatment Program survey for parents and professionals&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>563070</id><Tag><Description/><Title>survey</Title><Id>310297</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-02-06T21:54:54Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2023 Legislative Agenda</Title><title>2023-2-03-2023-legislative-agenda</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-562770&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-02-03T06:01:37Z</Date><ShortDescription>A robust list of priorities that cover education, employment, communication access, technology, healthcare, and advocacy.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>This year&apos;s priorities and bills at the Capitol</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/ZdHRFTGzqvc&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/lzGEaBhyx7I&quot; title=&quot;ASL video on the 2023 legislative agenda&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing is pleased to share our 2023 legislative agenda.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;CDI in Classrooms (HF170/SF295)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;CDI in classrooms: The CDI in Classrooms bill will define Certified Deaf Interpreter requirements in education law to ensure CDIs in the classroom are an option for students. The House bill number is &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?f=HF170&amp;amp;y=2023&amp;amp;ssn=0&amp;amp;b=house&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;HF170&lt;/a&gt; and the chief author is Rep. Becker-Finn. The Senate bill number is &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?f=SF295&amp;amp;y=2023&amp;amp;ssn=0&amp;amp;b=senate&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;SF295&lt;/a&gt; and the chief author is Senator Gustafson. Both bills have already been heard in hearings. Many thanks to Dov Nathanson, Galvin Nathanson, Nic Zapko, Trevor Turner, and Alicia Lane for testifying in support of these bills.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deaf Education Master&apos;s Degree Tax Credit&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deaf Education Master’s Degree Tax Credit: This priority adds ‘deaf education’ to the list of teacher licensure fields that qualify for a tax credit of up to $2,500 towards a master’s degree.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Metro Deaf School Enrollment Preference (HF59)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Metro Deaf School Enrollment Preference: This bill protects Metro Deaf School’s ability to give preferential enrollment to students with a primary disability of deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing. The House bill number is &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?f=HF59&amp;amp;y=2023&amp;amp;ssn=0&amp;amp;b=house&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;HF59&lt;/a&gt; and the chief author is Rep. Richardson. &lt;em&gt;(Update: Since the time of this filming, there is now a bill in the Senate; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?f=SF1024&amp;amp;y=2023&amp;amp;ssn=0&amp;amp;b=senate&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;SF1024&lt;/a&gt;, authored by Senator Maye Quade.)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Educational Interpreter Database&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Educational Interpreter Database: This priority secures funding to create a public database listing interpreters who have satisfied Minnesota’s requirements for educational interpreters.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Birth-3 at Metro Deaf School&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Birth-Age 3 at Metro Deaf School: This priority fixes statutes to allow families to place children ages 0-3 at Metro Deaf School.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Language Acquisition Tracking&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Language Acquisition Tracking: This priority strengthens Minnesota’s tracking of language development in children identified as deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota State Academies Funding&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota State Academies Funding: This priority supports the Minnesota State Academies with their requests for funding. MSA has requested funding for their operating budget, funding for their safety-security technology initiative, funding for an audiology booth and equipment, funding for a mental health day treatment program, and the ability to retain rental income. The rental income will be used to cover professional development for MSA employees. MSA is also requesting 3 bonding proposals. They are for MSAB/MSAD dorm accessibility and renovations, MSAD student center pre-design, and asset preservation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Closed Captioning in Public Places&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Closed captioning in public places: This priority requires closed captioning to be enabled for TVs displayed in public places. &lt;em&gt;(Update: Since the time of filming, there is now a bill in the House; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=House&amp;amp;f=HF0909&amp;amp;ssn=0&amp;amp;y=2023&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;HF909&lt;/a&gt;, authored by Rep. Daniels.)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;IEP Process Accommodations for Parents (HF142)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;IEP Process Accommodations for Parents: This bill requires districts to establish a process for providing reasonable accommodations for parents to participate in developing their child’s Individualized Education Program. This is led by the Autism Society of Minnesota. The House bill number is &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?f=HF142&amp;amp;y=2023&amp;amp;ssn=0&amp;amp;b=house&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;HF142&lt;/a&gt; and the chief author is Rep. Freiberg. &lt;em&gt;(Update: Since the time of this filming, there is now a bill in the Senate; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?f=SF681&amp;amp;y=2023&amp;amp;ssn=0&amp;amp;b=senate&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;SF681&lt;/a&gt;, authored by Senator Hoffman.)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hearing Aid Affordability&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hearing Aid Affordability: This priority expands the existing mandate for hearing aid insurance coverage to all ages. An alternative is to establish a voucher or tax rebate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Acoustic Loops and Telecoil Access&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Acoustic Loops and Telecoil Access: This priority improves tracking of hearing loop locations and reduces barriers to patients receiving education about the telecoil features of their hearing devices.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Prescription Container Accessible Labels&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Prescription Container Accessible Labels: This priority ensures that consumers can receive label information via Braille or large print.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mental Health Day Treatment Center&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mental Health Day Treatment Center: This priority secures funding for a youth mental health day treatment center to be housed at MSAD facilities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State Employees with Disabilities Recruitment &amp;amp; Retention&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State Employees with Disabilities Recruitment &amp;amp; Retention: This bill updates and clarifies Minnesota statutes on hiring and keeping employees with disabilities. It is being led by the Minnesota Council on Disability. The House bill number is &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?f=HF383&amp;amp;y=2023&amp;amp;ssn=0&amp;amp;b=house&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;HF383&lt;/a&gt; and the chief author is Rep. Reyer.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commission Board Membership Requirements&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commission Board Membership Requirements: This priority updates statute requirements to allow more flexibility to appointment board members with relevant lived experiences.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ongoing Legislative Updates&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH will continue to share legislative updates during this session. Please subscribe to our newsletters or follow our website and social media to stay up to date. Find our information on our website. If you would like to discuss any of the bills, please reach out to me (&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:darlene.g.zangara@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;darlene.g.zangara@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;) or our government relations director, Alicia Lane (&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:alicia.lane-outlaw@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;alicia.lane-outlaw@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;). Thank you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Featuring Dr. Darlene G. Zangara, Executive Director.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jamie Schumacher for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>562770</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>captioning</Title><Id>247356</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>hearing aids</Title><Id>310255</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>health care</Title><Id>310254</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>hard of hearing</Title><Id>536211</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>deafblind</Title><Id>499876</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-02-03T16:10:58Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2023 Lobby Day Awards Nominations</Title><title>2023-02-01-lobby-day-award-nomination</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-562653&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-02-02T00:24:57Z</Date><ShortDescription>Currently accepting nominations through February 10, 2023. Send in your nominations right away! Make sure you explain why you are nominating the person or organization.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Accepting nominations through February 10, 2023</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/Uj4NSB-oZyU&quot; title=&quot;2023 Lobby Day Awards video&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Descriptive transcript&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[MNCDHH logo]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Title slide “Lobby Day Awards Nominations”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jer: &lt;em&gt;(signing with voiceover)&lt;/em&gt; Lobby Day 2023 Awards is open for nominations this week! Do you know someone in the community who does amazing work? Who may be overlooked? Do you know anyone or a young person who is making changes or inspiring others in our community? Who would you like to nominate for this award and why do they qualify for this award?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The deadline to send nominations is February 10, 2023.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Title slide with “Youth Award”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Keenan: &lt;em&gt;(voicing)&lt;/em&gt; The Youth Award is awarded to youth who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing who have demonstrated strong leadership skills.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Title slide with “Citizen Advocate Award”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jer: Citizen Advocate Award: The Citizen Advocate Award is awarded to individuals who have done exemplary work in advocating for and with deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Title slide with “Civic Engagement Award”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mig: &lt;em&gt;(signing with voiceover)&lt;/em&gt; Civic Engagement Award: The Civic Engagement Award is awarded to a person or an organization that has worked to increase the civic engagement of deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Title slide with “Education Excellence Award”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jer: Education Excellence Award: The Education Excellence Award is awarded to individuals who work in an education setting with deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing students.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Title slide with “Access Award”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Patrick: &lt;em&gt;(signing with voiceover)&lt;/em&gt; Access Award: The Access Award is 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 include captioning, interpreting, public access, or accessible technology.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Title slide with “Humanitarian Award”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Keenan: Humanitarian Award: The Humanitarian Award recognizes the work of a deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing person or organization in our community who are devoted to the welfare of humanity.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Title slide with “Lifetime Achievement Award”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jer: Lifetime Achievement Award: The Lifetime Achievement Award is awarded to those who have done distinctive work for and with deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Minnesotans that spans 20+ years of contributions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Slide with text, “Questions? Email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Closing credits below]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jer Loudenback, Migdalia Rogers, Keenan Gao, Patrick Vellia, and Jessalyn Akerman-Frank.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jamie Schumacher for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6991238/2021-Lobby-Day-Awards-Nomination&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Submit nominations for awards&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana; font-size: 23px; font-weight: 600;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
About Lobby Day&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day is on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, from 8:30 am - 4:30 pm. There will be training opportunities, appointments with legislators, a rally and awards ceremony in the Rotunda, Capitol tours, a poster session with students, and more! You will have the opportunity to meet with your legislator to explain which bills are important to you and why. Learn more about &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/get-involved/lobby-day/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Lobby Day&lt;/a&gt;!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/4756982/2023-Lobby-Day-Registration&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Sign me up for Lobby Day&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>562653</id><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-02-02T02:22:41Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Info Session for Teachers &amp; Organizations</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>State of MN border over a marbled background</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/my-post-copy-3-1_original_tcm1063-561550.jpg</Url></Image><title>2023-01-28-info-session-for-teachers-organizations</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-561863&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-01-28T15:02:01Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNCDHH will offer support to students/teachers and organizations who want to display a poster about an issue that is important to them. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>About the poster session at Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) invites you to sign up for a poster session.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Who?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Students/Teachers and Organizations&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tell me more about this project.&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH will offer support to students/teachers and organizations who want to display a poster about an issue that is important to them. You can do this as a school or organization project, or you can do it with our guidance. MNCDHH will provide 1:1 sessions with your group to help guide the creation of your poster. Posters can advocate for an issue that your school/organization or community is working on or educate people about an issue that is important.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This will be displayed during the Poster Session event on Lobby Day, 2023. You will have individuals standing with the poster and discussing this poster/issues with guests.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Who are the guests?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lobby Day participants, legislators, and legislative staff.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What are the benefits of the poster session?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visual support, community participation and engagement.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What do I do?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Attend one of our Zoom info sessions on January 31s, 2023. You can attend either the 3 pm session or the 6:00 pm session. ASL interpreters and CART provided Sign up below!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Any questions?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; with your questions or requests for additional accommodations. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Poster info session 3:00 pm&lt;/span&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Poster info session 6:00 pm&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/lobby_day-67_tcm1063-551930.jpg&quot; title=&quot;2023-lobby-day&quot; alt=&quot;2023-lobby-day&quot; style=&quot;width: 300px; height: 200px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2023-lobby-day&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2023 Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please join the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing for Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day! This is a great opportunity for you to share information with legislators about issues that are important to you. This year, the Commission is working on legislation related to communication access in our daily lives. Your participation will make a huge difference! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Theme&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;&lt;em&gt;Access Empowers Us&lt;/em&gt;&quot; is this year&apos;s Lobby Day theme. Think of all the ways that communication access benefits you, your community, and society at large and what we can do this session together to support communication access. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tuesday, March 7, 2023, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Schedule&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sign up for the activities you want to join. All activities are optional. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Morning/early afternoon activities&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;8:30 AM - 1:00 PM: Check in at the Vault (Capitol Basement)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;9:30 AM - 10:30 AM: Legislative training and workshop&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;9:30 AM - 12:30 PM: Meetings with your legislator&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;10:30 AM - 11:30 AM: Workshop session on bills with Alicia Lane, Government Relations Director&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;12:30 PM - 1:30 PM: Poster session with students&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;12:45 PM - 1:15 PM: Accessible Capitol tour&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Rally&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;1:30 PM - 2:30 PM: Rally in the Capitol Rotunda with guest speakers and award winners&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Afternoon activities&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2:45 PM - 3:45 PM: Accessible Capitol tour&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2:45 PM - 4:00 PM: Meetings with your legislator&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Where&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota State Capitol
&lt;br /&gt;
75 Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
&lt;br /&gt;
St. Paul, MN 55155&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Deadline&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please register by February 15, 2023. We need your registration in advance so we can schedule appointments with legislators and arrange for accommodations. Thank you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Sign me up for Lobby Day!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>561863</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-09-22T17:18:22Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>The Early Bird&apos;s Guide to Lobbying</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Illustration of a bird flying over the capitol building with a sign. On the sign is text, &quot;The Early Bird&apos;s Guide to Lobbying&quot; and MNCDHH&apos;s logo</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Early%20Bird%27s%20Guide%20to%20Lobbying-1_tcm1063-561548.jpg</Url></Image><title>2023-01-26-early-birds-guide-to-lobbying</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-561549&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-01-26T12:20:34Z</Date><ShortDescription>Sessions offered on how to get involved with meeting your legislator and advocating for bills. Customized training available. Reminder to sign up for Lobby Day! Teachers and organizations encouraged to sign up for info session about poster session.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Preparing for Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In preparation for the March 7, 2023 Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day, the Commission is offering sessions on how to get involved with meeting your legislator and advocating for bills.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Series 2 and 3 will take place online. We have also arranged for two hands on, in-person trainings at the Minnesota State Capitol Complex. &lt;em&gt;(Series 1 already took place on January 23, 2023.)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All trainings are free and open to the public. Sign-up for the trainings you are interested in attending (no prerequisites required).  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Art of Lobbying (Hands-On)&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;February 2, 2023, 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Description: Meet at the State Office Building, 1st floor. We will start training promptly at 3:15 pm so arrive on time. We will practice making appointments with legislators, requesting accommodations, and navigating the three buildings.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Signup for February 2, Hands-On, In-Person&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Art of Lobbying Series 2: Online&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;February 9, 2023, 6:00 - 7:00 pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Description: Learn how to find your legislator, how to find what committees your legislator serves in, how to find a bill you are interested in, and how to track those bills. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and CART provided. To request accommodations, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Signup for February 9, Series #2, Online&lt;/span&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Art of Lobbying (Hands-On)&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;February 16, 2023, 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Did you miss the training on February 2nd? Here is another chance!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Meet at the State Office Building, 1st floor. We will start training promptly at 3:15 pm so arrive on time. We will practice making appointments with legislators, requesting accommodations, and navigating the three buildings. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Signup for February 16, Hands-On, In-Person&lt;/span&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Art of Lobbying Series 3: Online&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;February 23, 2023, 6:00 - 7:00 pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Description: Learn how to create a testimony that tells your story. In this session, we will work on one specific bill, create a personal testimony, and practice it by sharing with our peers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and CART provided. To request accommodations, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Signup for February 23, Series #3, Online&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/img-1376_original_tcm1063-561551.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Lobby Tuesday Thursday participants&quot; alt=&quot;Lobby Tuesday Thursday participants&quot; style=&quot;width: 300px; height: 225px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Lobby Tuesday Thursday participants&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Customized training available!&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Does your organization or school want a coaching session on the Art of Lobbying? We provide customized and accessible trainings! Contact &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; to learn more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/lobby_day-67_tcm1063-551930.jpg&quot; title=&quot;2023-lobby-day&quot; alt=&quot;2023-lobby-day&quot; style=&quot;width: 300px; height: 200px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2023-lobby-day&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2023 Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please join the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing for Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day! This is a great opportunity for you to share information with legislators about issues that are important to you. This year, the Commission is working on legislation related to communication access in our daily lives. Your participation will make a huge difference! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Theme&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;&lt;em&gt;Access Empowers Us&lt;/em&gt;&quot; is this year&apos;s Lobby Day theme. Think of all the ways that communication access benefits you, your community, and society at large and what we can do this session together to support communication access. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tuesday, March 7, 2023, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Schedule&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sign up for the activities you want to join. All activities are optional. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Morning/early afternoon activities&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;8:30 AM - 1:00 PM: Check in at the Vault (Capitol Basement)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;9:30 AM - 10:30 AM: Legislative training and workshop&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;9:30 AM - 12:30 PM: Meetings with your legislator&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;10:30 AM - 11:30 AM: Workshop session on bills with Alicia Lane, Government Relations Director&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;12:30 PM - 1:30 PM: Poster session with students&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;12:45 PM - 1:15 PM: Accessible Capitol tour&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Rally&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;1:30 PM - 2:30 PM: Rally in the Capitol Rotunda with guest speakers and award winners&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Afternoon activities&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2:45 PM - 3:45 PM: Accessible Capitol tour&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2:45 PM - 4:00 PM: Meetings with your legislator&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Where&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota State Capitol
&lt;br /&gt;
75 Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
&lt;br /&gt;
St. Paul, MN 55155&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Deadline&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please register by February 15, 2023. We need your registration in advance so we can schedule appointments with legislators and arrange for accommodations. Thank you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Sign me up for Lobby Day!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/my-post-copy-3-1_original_tcm1063-561550.jpg&quot; title=&quot;State of MN design&quot; alt=&quot;State of MN design&quot; style=&quot;width: 300px; height: 157px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;State of MN design&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Info session about the poster session!&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Are you a teacher or organization who is interested in participating in the poster session for Lobby Day? Join the info session on January 31, 2023. You can join either the 3:00 pm session or the 6:00 pm session. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Poster info session 3:00 pm&lt;/span&gt;
&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Poster info session 6:00 pm&lt;/span&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>561549</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-09-22T17:07:37Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Bill Hearing Alert: SF295 (Gustafson) on Monday, January 23, 2023 at 12:30 PM</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Interior view of the brilliant blue and gold Capitol Rotunda ceiling with MNCDHH&apos;s logo and the text, &quot;Bill Hearing Alert&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Bill%20Hearing%20Alert-850_tcm1063-518245.jpg</Url></Image><title>2023-01-21-bill-hearing-cdi-senate</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-561045&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-01-21T16:39:49Z</Date><ShortDescription>Please attend and show your support!</ShortDescription><Subtitle>CDI in Classrooms</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?f=SF295&amp;amp;y=2023&amp;amp;ssn=0&amp;amp;b=senate&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(2, 120, 178); word-break: break-word; hyphens: none;&quot;&gt;SF295 (Gustafson)&lt;/a&gt; will be heard by the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/committees/committee_bio.html?ls=93&amp;amp;cmte_id=3120&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(2, 120, 178); word-break: break-word; hyphens: none;&quot;&gt;Senate Education Policy committee&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This bill will modify language in educational interpreter law. Currently, the language requires that an educational interpreter complete an Interpreter Training Program (ITP). Nationwide, there is no ITP for Certified Deaf Interpreters (CDIs). The language in this bill would allow a CDI to work in schools without completing an ITP program and would allow school districts to be reimbursed for the salary of the CDI.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The following individuals are scheduled to testify in support of this bill; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; font-size: medium;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px 7px;&quot;&gt;Alicia Lane, Government Relations Director, Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px 7px;&quot;&gt;Dov Nathanson, student&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px 7px;&quot;&gt;Galvin Nathanson, student&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px 7px;&quot;&gt;Nic Zapko, Certified Deaf Interpreter&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please attend and show your support!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 1.1; color: rgb(0, 56, 101); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Monday, January 23, 2023 at 12:30 PM &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 1.1; color: rgb(0, 56, 101); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota Senate Building, Room 1200 or online at the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/media/media_coming_up.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(2, 120, 178); word-break: break-word; hyphens: none;&quot;&gt;Senate Webcast Schedule&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 1.1; color: rgb(0, 56, 101); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Captioning is available on the live broadcast and ASL interpreting will be provided. To provide feedback on digital accessibility of meeting information, please submit comments through the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.leg.mn.gov/accessibility/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(2, 120, 178); word-break: break-word; hyphens: none;&quot;&gt;Minnesota Legislature Accessibility &amp;amp; Usability Comment Form&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>561045</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-01-21T16:43:27Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Registration is Open! Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Full room of Lobby Day participants inside the Capitol rotunda</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/lobby_day-67_tcm1063-551930.jpg</Url></Image><title>2023-01-18-lobby-day-registration-open</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-560459&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-01-18T15:25:03Z</Date><ShortDescription>At the Minnesota State Capitol.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Lobby Day is on Tuesday, March 7, 2023</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please join the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing for Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day! This is a great opportunity for you to share information with legislators about issues that are important to you. This year, the Commission is working on legislation related to communication access in our daily lives. Your participation will make a huge difference! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Theme&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;&lt;em&gt;Access Empowers Us&lt;/em&gt;&quot; is this year&apos;s Lobby Day theme. Think of all the ways that communication access benefits you, your community, and society at large and what we can do this session together to support communication access. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tuesday, March 7, 2023, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Schedule&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sign up for the activities you want to join. All activities are optional. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Morning activities&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;8:30 AM - 1:00 PM: Check in at the Vault (Capitol Basement)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;9:30 AM - 10:30 AM: Legislative training and workshop&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;9:30 AM - 12:30 PM: Meetings with your legislator&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;10:30 AM - 11:30 AM: Workshop session on bills with Alicia Lane, Government Relations Director&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;12:30 PM - 1:30 PM: Poster session with students&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;12:45 PM - 1:15 PM: Accessible Capitol morning tour&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rally&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;1:30 PM - 2:30 PM: Rally in the Capitol Rotunda with guest speakers and award winners&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Afternoon activities&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2:45 PM - 3:45 PM: Accessible Capitol afternoon tour&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2:45 PM - 4:00 PM: Meetings with your legislator&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota State Capitol&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;75 Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;St. Paul, MN 55155&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deadline&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please register by February 15, 2023. We need your registration in advance so we can schedule appointments with legislators and arrange for accommodations. Thank you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/4756982/2023-Lobby-Day-Registration&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Sign me up for Lobby Day!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>560459</id><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-02-01T01:03:19Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>News from Executive Director Darlene Zangara (January 2023)</Title><title>2023-01-17-executive-director-update</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-560394&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-01-17T23:44:33Z</Date><ShortDescription>Some of the work we did in December and early January.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Interpreting Forward 2030 launch, Collaborative Plan, legislative session, and more!</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/hKl80t5Gfs8&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/nMYfRUnGBZE&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with January 2023 executive director update&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello everyone! I’m Darlene Zangara and I’m the Executive Director of the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing. I am a white woman with blond hair, glasses, and wearing all black.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;My team and I are excited for 2023! The new year is a great time to make resolutions or goals. In 2023, our team wants to make a deeper commitment to racial equity and inclusion. Our team will continue our racial equity training. We are also looking for ways to ensure our work embraces diversity and is inclusive to BIPOC stakeholders.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Interpreting Forward 2030&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I’m excited to announce the launch Of Interpreting Forward 2030. Interpreter licensure has been a topic for a few years. Many of our colleagues and community members have laid a strong foundation for the future of interpreting in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When we look at trends in the field, thanks to MRID’s research, we learned that we will soon face a big obstacle – almost half of working interpreters imagine retiring or leaving the field in the next five years. This is a big issue!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We did more research and understand we have a complex problem. We need to increase the quality and availability of professional interpreting services for our diverse and large community in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Through this year, we will convene a task force with active working groups to study this problem and propose solutions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We will look at national trends in interpreter licensure and the impact licensure has had on consumer experience.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We will work with diverse stakeholders of interpreting services in our state to understand their perspectives and what they would like to see.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We will look at the process of becoming an interpreter in Minnesota, from interpreter training program recruitment to how interpreters grow their skills, experience, and competencies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We will also study the role of interpreter referral agencies and interpreter training programs in terms of quality and availability of services. We will study promising approaches to regulating the field that safeguards and centers the consumer experience.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There will be opportunities to be involved. We need your ideas, insights, and involvement. Your perspective matters!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Soon we will be sending out more information about Interpreting Forward 2030 with ways you can be involved.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Collaborative Plan&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Danelle Gournaris and the stakeholders of the Collaborative Plan have been hard at work. If you are not sure what the Collaborative Plan is, it is a network of agencies, schools, and organizations that work together to create positive, systemic changes to achieve better education and career outcomes for students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. In my October 2022 update, I mentioned a survey is being developed and will be distributed to identify the level of care needed for a day treatment program. The stakeholders have been revising and clarifying the questions. We hope it will be ready to go out soon.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The recordings of the conference keynotes and three of the most requested workshops from the 2022 Collaborative Experience Conference are almost ready to share. We will be releasing them this month so watch for them!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Starting the Legislative Session&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jessalyn Akerman-Frank attended the swearing-in ceremony for the constitutional officers, including Governor Tim Walz, Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan, Attorney General Keith Ellison, Secretary of State Steve Simon, and State Auditor Julie Blaha. Commission staff also attended inaugural celebrations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jessalyn and the outreach &amp;amp; civic engagement specialists recently toured the Capitol and began preparations to provide workshops on how to meet your legislator and prepare for Lobby Day.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day will happen on Tuesday, March 7, 2023.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alicia Lane is already attending meetings and networking at the Capitol.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The board will vote on the official legislative agenda at our meeting on January 20, 2023 on Zoom. As always, our meetings are open to the public. You are welcome to attend! All meetings are posted on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/get-involved/events/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Commission’s event calendar&lt;/a&gt; on our website.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Picture Slideshow&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are pictures of the recent events.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_20230104_120528_649_tcm1063-560399.jpg&quot; title=&quot;gov-walz-inauguration&quot; alt=&quot;gov-walz-inauguration&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;gov-walz-inauguration&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/FB_IMG_1672855701055_tcm1063-560398.jpg&quot; title=&quot;program-book&quot; alt=&quot;program-book&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 826px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;program-book&quot; /&gt;
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&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/FB_IMG_1672855717194_tcm1063-560397.jpg&quot; title=&quot;lt-gov-flanagan-inauguration&quot; alt=&quot;lt-gov-flanagan-inauguration&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;lt-gov-flanagan-inauguration&quot; /&gt;
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&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_20230104_120459_824_tcm1063-560396.jpg&quot; title=&quot;alicia-at-capitol&quot; alt=&quot;alicia-at-capitol&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 800px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;alicia-at-capitol&quot; /&gt;
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&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_20230104_120637_025_tcm1063-560395.jpg&quot; title=&quot;civic-engagement-team&quot; alt=&quot;civic-engagement-team&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;civic-engagement-team&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/imagejpeg_0_tcm1063-560400.jpg&quot; title=&quot;youth-event&quot; alt=&quot;youth-event&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;youth-event&quot; /&gt;
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&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/FB_IMG_1673162090973_tcm1063-560402.jpg&quot; title=&quot;maya-darlene-inauguration&quot; alt=&quot;maya-darlene-inauguration&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;maya-darlene-inauguration&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/FB_IMG_1673162128830_tcm1063-560401.jpg&quot; title=&quot;ag-keith-ellison-inauguration&quot; alt=&quot;ag-keith-ellison-inauguration&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;ag-keith-ellison-inauguration&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Suggestions?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I will send out another update next month. Please let me know if there is any information you would like me to share in a future update. You can contact me by email, &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:darlene.g.zangara@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;darlene.g.zangara@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. Thank you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dr. Darlene G. Zangara, Executive Director.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jamie Schumacher for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>560394</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>executive director updates</Title><Id>457794</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-01-18T15:40:31Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Bill Hearing Alert: HF170 (Becker-Finn) on Tuesday, January 17, 2023 at 3:00 PM</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Interior view of the brilliant blue and gold Capitol Rotunda ceiling with MNCDHH&apos;s logo and the text, &quot;Bill Hearing Alert&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Bill%20Hearing%20Alert-850_tcm1063-518245.jpg</Url></Image><title>2023-01-16-bill-hearing-cdi-classroom</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-560208&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-01-16T22:15:45Z</Date><ShortDescription>Please come and show your support. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>CDI in Classrooms</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=House&amp;amp;f=HF170&amp;amp;ssn=0&amp;amp;y=2023&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;HF170 (Becker-Finn)&lt;/a&gt; will be heard by the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/committees/home/93017&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Education Policy committee&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This bill will modify language in educational interpreter law. Currently, the language requires that an educational interpreter complete an Interpreter Training Program (ITP). Nationwide, there is no ITP for Certified Deaf Interpreters (CDIs). The language in this bill would allow a CDI to work in schools without completing an ITP program and would allow school districts to be reimbursed for the salary of the CDI.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The following individuals are scheduled to testify in support of this bill; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Dov and Galvin Nathanson&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Alicia Lane, Government Relations Director, Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Trevor Turner, Director of Public Policy, Minnesota Council on Disability&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;There may be additional testifiers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please attend and show your support!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tuesday, January 17, 2022 at 3:00 PM &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota State Capitol, Room 120 or online at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/live/1&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;HTV1&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Captioning and ASL interpreting will be provided. To provide feedback on digital accessibility of meeting information, please submit comments through the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.leg.mn.gov/accessibility/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Minnesota Legislature Accessibility &amp;amp; Usability Comment Form&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>560208</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-01-16T22:19:12Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>The Five Steps to Meeting Your Legislator</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Workshop title, &quot;The Five Steps to Meeting Your Legislator, presented by Keenan Gao and Jessalyn Akerman-Frank&quot; with their headshots and a image of the Minnesota State Capitol</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Five%20Steps%20to%20Meeting%20Your%20Legislator-850_tcm1063-560190.jpg</Url></Image><title>2023-01-13-the-five-steps-to-meeting-your-legislator</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-560191&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-01-14T00:06:20Z</Date><ShortDescription>Happening on Monday, January 23, 2023 from 6:30-7:30 pm</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Presented by Keenan Gao and Jessalyn Akerman-Frank</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have ever wondered how to meet with your legislator, we can help. Come and attend this free, one-hour interactive workshop. Together, we will go through the five steps to meeting with your legislator to discuss potential and current bills. You will have a chance to practice too! All participation is voluntary. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Presented by Keenan Gao and Jessalyn Akerman-Frank.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Monday, January 23, 2023 from 6:30 - 7:30 pm.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and CART provided. For additional accommodations, please email by Thursday, January 19, 2023.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register to attend (or just show up a few minutes before the webinar begins). &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Calling in via phone is an option if preferred. First, register to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation via email. The confirmation will include information on how to call in by phone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Recording&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This event will also be livestreamed on the Commission&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/MNCDHH&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Facebook account&lt;/a&gt;. A recording will be made available at a later date. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwpcOuqrDkuGdB-rfBstQhCUVjObdwHTt92&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Register today!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>560191</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-03-01T16:43:43Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Community Spotlight: Climb ASL</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Two photos side by side. Photo 1: (left) Keenan, a Chinese Hard of Hearing woman, standing on the blue rock climbing wall. (right) Shelby, a white Hard of Hearing woman, standing on the blue rock climbing wall. Both are smiling and looking at the camera. Photo 2: Two women sitting on a bench in front of a gray, white and blue wall with geometric shapes. Shelby (left) is a white, Hard of Hearing woman and Keenan (right) is a Chinese Hard of Hearing woman. Both a smiling and looking at the camera while showing the ILY sign.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Screenshot%202023-01-05%20153920_tcm1063-557776.png</Url></Image><title>2023-01-05-community-spotlight-climb-asl</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-557778&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-01-05T22:03:39Z</Date><ShortDescription>Interviewed by Kaitlyn Mielke.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>An interview with Keenan Gao and Shelby Geldon</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A conversation with Keenan Gao and Shelby Geldon, co-leads for Climb ASL, a local bouldering club. Interviewed by Kaitlyn Mielke.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hi Keenan and Shelby, thank you for joining me for this conversation. Would you share a bit about Climb ASL? How did it start? Where did the idea for it come from?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Shelby&lt;/em&gt;: Keenan and I had gone Rock Climbing at Minneapolis Bouldering Project (MBP). We both loved it and Keenan mentioned we should start an ASL event here because like socializing with others using ASL. We put up a Facebook group and invited anyone we thought might be interested in climbing and signing! Eventually we met Fonz, who runs the OutClimbMN club at MBP. Fonz saw us signing and waved us over. He knows ASL and helped us become an official club at MBP. MBP then reached out and took steps to learn more about how to make MBP more accessible for the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing (DDBHH) community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What kind of activities and events do you do at these meetups?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Shelby&lt;/em&gt;: Most days we just meet up and climb together. We will also teach you how to climb and fall if you have never been bouldering before. Other times, we bring food and drinks for everyone to eat after climbing and have some social time. We do this occasionally and we celebrate some holidays. We have had a Halloween meet up where we dressed up and climbed and had snacks after. Then we plan to have another holiday climb in December, a New Year&apos;s day climb and we will celebrate Chinese New Year as well by having some activities and food.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What types of folks do these meetups attract? Who can get involved?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Keenan&lt;/em&gt;: Short answer: If you consider yourself to be a person who tries to be kind and inclusive, then we want you no matter how you show up in life. If you aren’t sure if you’d fit in or have the ability to drive, one of our members will come pick you up. Otherwise, we do not have space for people who are uninterested in kindness/inclusion.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Long answer: Our membership is very intersectional: we intentionally create a safe space for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ individuals. We actively encourage families, young children, and grandparents to join us but the regulars tend to skew younger from teens to 30s. People can get involved regardless of their signing ability or climbing ability — we will work to actively include you in the conversation and root for your accomplishments.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The most interesting thing about our members is that many are in various stages of acceptance/comfort with their own identity. Not just their deafness or hearing loss, but also their own queer or questioning identities, their different stages of life (some members are middle schoolers, some are in their 70s). For many younger people, Climb ASL is the first space they’ve experienced where they are interacting regularly with other people close to their age or with a similar identity as them. For example, we have HoH people who’ve never learned ASL before, socializing regularly with other HoH people. We have members who are unsure about their pronouns, and we encourage them to use what feels right “that day.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We also have a range of signing abilities, from knowing zero ASL to fluent. For hearing people, we have many show up that had zero exposure to DDBHH people, never took an ASL class before, and didn’t know how to fingerspell their name. It is rewarding for them to experience our space and decide they want to keep coming back, and seeing their signing skills progress over the course of several months. For HoH people who sign, many will simcom with them (talk and sign at the same time) to ensure they can still access the conversation. People often pause the conversation to check if people are being left out, and take the time to individually explain jokes and recap what was said.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our climbing abilities are diverse too. We have people who are rock climbing instructors themselves scaling the hardest problems at MBP, to people who come for the community but don’t climb at all!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our members fall all over the spectrum for both deafness/hearing and vision spectrum.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Among our DDBHH regulars, we have many lesbian, gay, trans, non-binary, and queer members. Our queer members sometimes outnumber the straight members — we’re happy that they feel our space is safe/inclusive enough for them to keep showing up.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We also have diversity in terms of people’s relationship with their identities. Some are fully comfortable with their identity. Some HoH members have never learned ASL or never socialized regularly with other HoH people before, and are starting to learn how to be comfortable moving between the hearing and Deaf communities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Among our hearing regulars, we have interpreters, Teachers of the Deaf, people with auditory processing disorder, people who have a Deaf coworker or a friend and want to learn ASL, and even many people who had zero knowledge of ASL and never took ASL classes that just started showing up and slowly learning sign language and being able to converse over the course of a few months.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We also encourage newbies to join — regardless of bouldering experience, their comfort level with their own DHH identity, or their signing skill.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I see that Climb ASL has teamed up with several local nonprofit organizations - can you tell a bit more about those community collaborations?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Keenan&lt;/em&gt;: Yes! We have one collaboration with MBP themselves, and one hopefully future collaboration with the American Alpine Club.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With MBP, we began a summer camp for DDBHH youth at Minneapolis Bouldering Project. It was a 6-class series on how to boulder, split into two ages groups: younger kids (5 to 12yrs) and high schoolers. We had about 30 students join in total. Each age group had a team of two ASL interpreters and the climbing instructors also leveraged several iPads for auto-captioning.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With the American Alpine Club, they approached us with interest to train Deaf/HoH climbers to rock climb and ice climb. Shelby and I did not have outdoor or ice climbing experience, and the AAC expressed interest in training us and our Climb ASL members. We worked with AAC to set up an outdoor rock climbing class at Taylor Falls at the end of October, with volunteer ASL interpreters and tablets/phones for auto-captioning. Several of the AAC instructors ended up being sick and we unfortunately had to reschedule, but we hope to continue partnering with them to develop rock climbing expertise within the DHH community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How can new folks get involved with Climb ASL? Do they need to have experience in bouldering to join?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Keenan&lt;/em&gt;: The DDBHH community is historically marginalized from rock climbing, since many organizations are unwilling to help provide consistent accessibility. This includes the lack of willingness to provide interpreters or captioning for climbing classes, festivals, competitions, and events. As a result, we see that many DHH do not have any experience, and we also don’t expect people to be experienced!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Shelby&lt;/em&gt;: No experience is needed! We have had many new climbers come that have never climbed before. We show them how to fall safely and how to navigate the gym safely. Climbing is a dangerous sport so we start slow with the basics first and encourage new climbers to try the easier routes first until they feel comfortable falling and working with the wall. We also share climbing tips like keeping your arms extended to conserve energy and a lot of people think climbing involves just using your arms but really it&apos;s using your feet and legs too. I still can’t do a pull up or pull myself up well due to arm strength, but because I have a lot of muscle in my legs I can finish a lot of routes by using my legs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What does the future for Climb ASL look like? What are the goals you’re hoping to see happen?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Shelby&lt;/em&gt;: In the future we want to set up accessible outdoor rock climbs. We have been working with an organization to help us get outdoors, but we face some barriers such as funding for interpreters when we have hearing guides. We also hope to set up climbs at other climbing gyms or events and give people experience with Bouldering (which does not use ropes), Top Rope Climbing (uses a rope), and competition climbing with either Bouldering or Top Rope. In the past we have also helped set up a Deaf and Hard of Hearing Youth Summer Camp and we would like to continue doing that and seeing that improve.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Keenan&lt;/em&gt;: My ultimate vision is to develop an ecosystem of rock climbing expertise within the DDBHH community with the hope of our members eventually being able to teach classes. Just imagine… people joining rock climbing classes led by an instructor from their own community, in a way that is fully accessible to them. That is why we put in so much effort to tackle the entire pipeline: getting DHH kids and teenagers into accessible climbing classes early on, encouraging kids and families to join our weekly meetups, providing training opportunities for adults, and providing priority registration for BIPOC and DeafBlind individuals and want to be able to help put newbies through training/classes and encourage them to grow their love and&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In developing the pipeline, we recognize that we often need to train people from the very beginning. A pipeline means we recognize that we often need to train people from the very beginning in order to put them on a path to becoming future instructors. actively trying to encourage everyone&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please share any memorable moments or anecdotes that you remember from these meet-ups.&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Shelby&lt;/em&gt;: For me I just love seeing people connect. There have been times when our group was climbing at the gym and a DHH person saw our group and got excited to connect with other DHH climbers. We have had kids and their families that are DHH see us signing and come chat with us. We also see other people around the gym that are learning ASL. I love seeing how many people can connect over using ASL and our love for climbing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact Info&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Website/Facebook: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/groups/386290136546509&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;ClimbASL Facebook group page&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Instagram: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.instagram.com/climbasl/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;@ClimbASL&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Email: &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:climbaslmn@gmail.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;climbaslmn@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Phone: N/A&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>557778</id><Tag><Description/><Title>community spotlight</Title><Id>432585</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-01-05T22:05:26Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Equitable Communication Access for People with Hearing Loss Workshop</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Graphic of two people fitting puzzle pieces together, with MNCDHH&apos;s logo and the workshop title, &quot;Equitable Communication Access for People with Hearing Loss&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Equitable%20Communication%20Access-850_tcm1063-557492.jpg</Url></Image><title>2023-01-04-equitable-communication-access-for-people-with-hearing-loss</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-557497&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-01-04T19:11:10Z</Date><ShortDescription>Happening online on Wednesday, January 18, 2023 from 6-7:30 pm</ShortDescription><Subtitle>With Monique Hammond, Registered Pharmacist</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This presentation explores some of the ongoing access issues for those with hearing loss, especially people who describe themselves as hard-of-hearing. As hearing aids and cochlear implants are often not enough, it will also touch on the ever-changing domain of present and future Assistive Listening Technology. Questions and discussion at the end of the presentation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Presented by Monique Hammond, registered pharmacist. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;About Monique:&lt;/em&gt; Monique Hammond graduated with High Distinction from the University of Minnesota, College of Pharmacy. A sudden hearing loss became a life-changer. It marked the beginning of her struggles with communication and tinnitus issues.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Monique is a public speaker, hearing loss advocate, community educator and industry safety consultant. She is the Vice President of &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.loopminnesota.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Loop Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;. She is Past President of HLAA TC and has served 2 terms as an MNCDHH Board Member. Her mission is to keep people hearing better and longer. Visit her website at &lt;a href=&quot;https://hearing-loss-talk.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;hearing-loss-talk.com&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Facilitated by Keenan Gao.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Wednesday, January 18, 2023, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and CART provided. For additional accommodations, please email by Friday, January 13, 2023.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register to attend (or just show up a few minutes before the webinar begins).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Calling in via phone is an option if preferred. Please register to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation via email. The confirmation will include information on how to call in by phone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89853962804?pwd=WEdWUmZkN3kvV3BHbFQxYWltTExvdz09&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Register today!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>557497</id><Tag><Description/><Title>accessible technology</Title><Id>310264</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>hard of hearing</Title><Id>536211</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-03-01T16:44:05Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Apply to Join the MNCDHH Board</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>&apos;Join the board&apos; text with MNCDHH&apos;s logo on a blue and marbled tone header</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Join%20the%20Board_tcm1063-455279.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-12-21-join-the-board</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-552987&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-12-21T21:17:36Z</Date><ShortDescription>Board members have an important role at the Commission by providing guidance and oversight to the executive director. At least 50% of the board must be deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. Board members are appointed by the Governor.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Open seats include member at large, regional reps</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) serves as the principal agency of the state to advocate on behalf of Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. We work to ensure these communities have equal access to the services, programs, and opportunities available to others. (&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/what-we-do/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Learn more about what we do and how.&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Board members have an important role at the Commission by providing guidance and oversight to the executive director. At least 50% of the board must be deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. Board members are appointed by the Governor.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The following seats are currently open. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;At-large member (4 seats)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Northeast representative (1 seat)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Northwest Bemidji advisory council (1 seat)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Southwest representative (1 seat)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anyone may apply for an at-large seat. To apply to be a regional representative, you must be a member of your region&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-hard-of-hearing/about-us/advisory-committees/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;DHHSD advisory committee&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;https://commissionsandappointments.sos.state.mn.us/Agency/Details/185&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Learn more and apply!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>552987</id><Tag><Description/><Title>board</Title><Id>310266</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-12-21T21:24:44Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Captioning</Title><Id>247358</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Closed Captioning in Public Places: What Can I Do?</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The ornate ceiling inside the Minnesota State Capitol with text, &quot;Closed Captioning in Public Places: What Can I Do?&quot; and MNCDHH&apos;s logo</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Closed%20Captioning%20Webinar-850_tcm1063-552817.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-12-20-closed-captioning-in-public-places</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-552818&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-12-20T22:51:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Happening on Tuesday, January 10, 2023 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>An event in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p style=&quot;margin-top:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left: 0in&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size:10.5pt;font-family:&amp;quot;Arial&amp;quot;,sans-serif;color:black&quot;&gt;Please join the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) and the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) to learn:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul type=&quot;disc&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size:10.5pt;font-family: &amp;quot;Arial&amp;quot;,sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;&quot;&gt;When I walk into a restaurant or bar, and the TVs are not showing closed captions (CC), what can I do?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size:10.5pt;font-family: &amp;quot;Arial&amp;quot;,sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;&quot;&gt;Why does it matter if I file a complaint with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights? &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size:10.5pt;font-family: &amp;quot;Arial&amp;quot;,sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;&quot;&gt;How do I file a complaint with MDHR? &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size:10.5pt;font-family: &amp;quot;Arial&amp;quot;,sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;&quot;&gt;How might my complaint help push forward the CC in public places bill? &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size:10.5pt;font-family: &amp;quot;Arial&amp;quot;,sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;&quot;&gt;What else can I do to advocate for CC in public places? &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;color:black;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size:10.5pt;font-family: &amp;quot;Arial&amp;quot;,sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;&quot;&gt;How can my community organization help advocate for CC in public places?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0in; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size:10.5pt;font-family:&amp;quot;Arial&amp;quot;,sans-serif;color:black&quot;&gt;There will be a Q&amp;amp;A with Scott Beutel, Assistant Commissioner with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights. Damon Johnson, President of the Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens (MADC), will share how MADC approached MNCDHH about partnering on this issue and how MADC plans to advocate for it in 2023.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 style=&quot;margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left: 0in&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size:13.5pt;font-family:&amp;quot;Arial&amp;quot;,sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:#003865&quot;&gt;When&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0in; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size:10.5pt;font-family:&amp;quot;Arial&amp;quot;,sans-serif;color:black&quot;&gt;Tuesday, January 10, 2023, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 style=&quot;margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left: 0in&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size:13.5pt;font-family:&amp;quot;Arial&amp;quot;,sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:#003865&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0in; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size:10.5pt;font-family:&amp;quot;Arial&amp;quot;,sans-serif;color:black&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and CART provided. For additional accommodations, please email by Tuesday, January 3, 2023.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 style=&quot;margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left: 0in&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size:13.5pt;font-family:&amp;quot;Arial&amp;quot;,sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:#003865&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0in; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size:10.5pt;font-family:&amp;quot;Arial&amp;quot;,sans-serif;color:black&quot;&gt;Register to attend (or just show up a few minutes before the webinar begins).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0in; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size:10.5pt;font-family:&amp;quot;Arial&amp;quot;,sans-serif;color:black&quot;&gt;Calling in via phone is an option if preferred. Please register to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation via email. The confirmation will include information on how to call in by phone.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYofuurrjksHdMNxmAnxxvf-E087lJ381kR&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: black;&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Register today!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>552818</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>accessible technology</Title><Id>310264</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-03-01T16:44:44Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>MNCDHH is Seeking Candidates for a Business Operations Director</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>MNCDHH logo and text, &quot;The Commission is Hiring!&quot; on bubbly background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/were-hiring-850_tcm1063-540211.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-12-20-mncdhh-hiring</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-552782&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-12-20T18:36:39Z</Date><ShortDescription>Incumbent responsibilities include internal operations and board relations, program and administrative oversight, continuous improvement, and continuity of operations planning lead.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Application deadline extended to January 20, 2023!</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) has a position open for a Business Operations Director. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The deadline to apply is January 20, 2023. This position is also open to Connect 700 applicants.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To find the job posting, please visit &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mmb/careers/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Minnesota Careers&lt;/a&gt;. Once on the page, click on the &quot;Search open positions&quot; button.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Under &quot;Search jobs,&quot; search for job id &quot;61219.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Job Summary&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The incumbent will have broad decision-making authority and independence, planning and directing the business functions of the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing. As Business Operations Director, Financial Manager, and Agency Liaison to DHS Internal Resources including finance, MNIT, legal, and administrative services. To provide leadership, broad guidance and direction for the implementation of the day to day operational and programmatic activities with responsibility to advise employee as well as agency performance activities. To lead the management of the agency’s vision and strategic goals outcomes; and board operations. To develop and implement the strategic vision, planning and direction of the agency business operations. Conducts continuing and special studies of organizational development, methods and procedures to recommend solutions to clearly defined operating problems with broad scope and complexity in areas such as records and publications management, policy and procedures development/analyses, organization of office space, work and information flow, systems analysis/design, data processing; fiscal and budgetary tracking, and analysis of organizational structure. Lead and oversee activities of procurement, contracting management, budget development, internal/external and Board communications, data collection development and management and storage, information technology activities, accounting activities, and overarching compliance to state policies, procedures and laws and is the facilities management director.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Internal Operations and Board Relations;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Program and Administrative Oversight;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Continuous Improvement;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Continuity of Operations planning lead.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minimum Qualifications&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To facilitate proper crediting, please ensure that your resume clearly describes your experience in the areas listed and indicates the beginning and ending month and year for each job held.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are four (4) different ways to qualify for this position and you must have the required work experiences:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One (1) year of professional working experience with human services program supporting the deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing communities and the required work experiences listed below.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;OR&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Three (3) years of advance technical or paraprofessional experience working with human services program supporting the deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing communities and the required work experiences listed below.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;OR&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Bachelor’s degree in Business, Accounting, Finance, Human Services, or another closely related degree.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;AND&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Two (2) years of advanced technical or paraprofessional experience working with human services program supporting the deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing communities and the required work experiences listed below.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;OR&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Master’s Degree in Business, Accounting, Finance, Human Services, or another closely related degree and the required work experiences listed below.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Required work experiences must clearly demonstrate:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Expressive and receptive sign language and communication skills are crucial;
&lt;br /&gt;
Knowledge of and experience with communication technology used by deaf, late-deafened, deafblind, and hard of hearing persons;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Advanced administrative and services experience for human services and/or disability programs;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ability to give presentations and facilitate discussions to solicit and explore diverse perspectives;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Continuous improvement process tools and/or models to produce results-based metrics;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Budgeting, recordkeeping and contract management experience for federal and state compliance;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Competent at using MS Office Suite and other programs such as; MS Teams and Adobe Acrobat.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Preferred Qualifications&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Variety of experiences working effectively with others from different backgrounds and cultures;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Strong human relations and communication skills; communicate clearly and professionally both verbally and in writing; respond flexibly to requests and concerns;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Proficient in a wide range of technology including WebEx, MS Teams, videophones, and other video and communication technology platforms;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Bachelor’s Degree higher in Human Services, Business Administration, or related human services field.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional details are available in the job posting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mmb/careers/search-for-jobs/&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;View the job posting.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>552782</id><Tag><Description/><Title>staff</Title><Id>317343</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-12-20T20:34:14Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2023 Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day: Save the Date</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Full room of Lobby Day participants inside the Capitol rotunda</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/lobby_day-67_tcm1063-551930.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-12-14-lobby-day-save-the-date</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-551948&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-12-14T19:02:37Z</Date><ShortDescription>Please join us on this important day! We will be talking with legislators about deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing issues. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Lobby Day is on March 7, 2023</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing Day at the Capitol is a special day. Members of the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing communities and supporters will gather at the Minnesota State Capitol Complex and tell legislators about issues that are important to them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There will also be meetings with legislators, workshops, booths, an accessible Capitol tour, and a rally in the Capitol Rotunda with awards. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mark your calendar now for March 7, 2023 and plan to attend the 2023 Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Date/Time&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;March 7, 2023, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota State Capitol, 75 Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard, St. Paul, MN 55155&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration will be available in January. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;/deaf-commission/get-involved/lobby-day/index.jsp&quot; title=&quot;000 Lobby Day Page Intro&quot; xlink:title=&quot;000 Lobby Day Page Intro&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Learn more about Lobby Day
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>551948</id><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-12-14T19:09:36Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>News from Executive Director Darlene Zangara (December 2022)</Title><title>2022-12-13-news-executive-director</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-551866&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-12-14T00:42:29Z</Date><ShortDescription>Some of the work that has been done in October and November.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Collaborative Experience Conference, October Town Hall/Board and Staff Retreat, and more!</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/pRbLOaElAtI&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/vRdcKjkDjZM&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with Dec 2022 executive director updates&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello everyone! I am Darlene Zangara, Executive Director of the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing. I will describe myself. I am a white woman with blond hair, glasses, and wearing all black. Let’s discuss some of the work the Commission did in October and November.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Collaborative Experience Conference&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Over 300 people attended the 2022 Collaborative Experience Conference from November 3rd-5th. We had parents, teachers, professionals such as school counselors, VR counselors, interpreters, and others who work with deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing students, age 0-21. I want to thank the presenters, the Collaborative Experience Conference planning committee, the sponsors, the vendors, and everyone who worked together to make this conference happen. We are thinking ahead to the next conference and plan for it to happen, in-person, sometime in 2024.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;October Town Hall / Board and Staff Retreat&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On October 20th, we had a town hall with members of the community. Thank you to everyone who attended and shared information about barriers they experience and ideas on how to break some of those barriers down. It is helpful to the board and staff to learn from community members about what is happening.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On October 21st and 22nd, there was a board and staff retreat. While we covered many topics, I will share a few examples in this update.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We discussed what work has already been done as well as what work needs to be done.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We reviewed how public policy works.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We spent a lot of time discussing language deprivation and language acquisition.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Over-the-counter hearing aids was discussed and it is clear consumers, audiologists, and hearing instrument dispensers need more information about how OTC will affect us all.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We also provided onboarding, or training, for board members. The training covered how the board operates, board member roles and responsibilities, and the beginnings of developing a strategic plan for Fiscal Year (FY) 24 and 25.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We plan to host additional town halls, statewide. I will announce more information when details are ready.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Staff&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We have a new team member who started in October! Maya Larson is the new Administrative and Communications Specialist.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Katy Kelley-Rademacher left for an exciting new job in November. We are sad to see her leave but we are happy to know that she will continue to use her talents and knowledge to help other organizations thrive.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We have a &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/deaf-commission/news/index.jsp?id=1063-551345&quot;&gt;position open for a new Director of Business Operations&lt;/a&gt;. The job posting is open until December 27. Please share the job announcement with anyone you think would be a good fit!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Elections&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Once again, Minnesota hosted an ASL Hotline for voters! The Commission partnered with the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State to provide this service for deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Minnesotans. The hotline was staffed by Patrick Vellia, Keenan Gao, Jessalyn Akerman-Frank, Jer Loudenback, Migdalia Rogers, and Lilly Steinbruckner.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition to the hotline, the voting team, including Pamela Burry, provided several workshops to increase voter engagement, including an event in Hibbing and an event at the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf (MSAD) in Faribault.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We also hosted an accessible voting machine event in partnership with Dakota County, Hennepin County, and Ramsey County. Members of the DeafBlind community had an opportunity to try three different kinds of accessible voting machines.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you to Jessalyn and her team for advocating for accessible information about the voting process and our rights to vote.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Speaking DeafBlind Group&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alicia Lane had a meeting with the members of the Minnesota Speaking DeafBlind group, where they discussed hearing aid affordability, accessible Rx labels, and more. The Speaking DeafBlind group provides resources and community support to the unserved and underserved adults and family members who are Speaking DeafBlind (SDB).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you would like the Commission to present to your group or community organization, please contact me and we can make plans. We are a resource on many topics, including legislation and policy, how to successfully advocate, and more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MSAD Transition Fair&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anne Sittner Anderson and I went to Faribault to participate in the Minnesota State Academy of the Deaf’s Transition Fair for students who will soon graduate from high school. It was a wonderful experience to share information with students and we look forward to them becoming future advocates!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Photo Slideshow&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are some photos to share from our recent work.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_20221105_101815377_HDR_tcm1063-551848.jpg&quot; title=&quot;collaborative-experience-2&quot; alt=&quot;collaborative-experience-2&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;collaborative-experience-2&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_20221105_081430536_tcm1063-551847.jpg&quot; title=&quot;collaborative-experience-1&quot; alt=&quot;collaborative-experience-1&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;collaborative-experience-1&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/CEC%202022%20Second%20Lang_tcm1063-551849.PNG&quot; title=&quot;collaborative-experience-3&quot; alt=&quot;collaborative-experience-3&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 337px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;collaborative-experience-3&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/CEC%202022_SUnshine%204_tcm1063-551850.jpeg&quot; title=&quot;collaborative-experience-4&quot; alt=&quot;collaborative-experience-4&quot; style=&quot;width: 500px; height: 666px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;collaborative-experience-4&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/DG-CE-2_tcm1063-551851.jpg&quot; title=&quot;collaborative-experience-5&quot; alt=&quot;collaborative-experience-5&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;collaborative-experience-5&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_20221004_182030287_tcm1063-551846.jpg&quot; title=&quot;jamie-taylor-accessible-voting&quot; alt=&quot;jamie-taylor-accessible-voting&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;jamie-taylor-accessible-voting&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_20221004_182615676_tcm1063-551845.jpg&quot; title=&quot;jessica-eggert-accessible-voting&quot; alt=&quot;jessica-eggert-accessible-voting&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;jessica-eggert-accessible-voting&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/townhall.0-116_tcm1063-551857.jpg&quot; title=&quot;townhall-3&quot; alt=&quot;townhall-3&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;townhall-3&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;(Riss Leitzke Photography)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/townhall.0-101_tcm1063-551856.jpg&quot; title=&quot;townhall-2&quot; alt=&quot;townhall-2&quot; style=&quot;width: 500px; height: 750px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;townhall-2&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;(Riss Leitzke Photography)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/townhall.0-23_tcm1063-551853.jpg&quot; title=&quot;townhall-1&quot; alt=&quot;townhall-1&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;townhall-1&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;(Riss Leitzke Photography)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/retreat.0-150_tcm1063-551863.jpg&quot; title=&quot;retreat-5&quot; alt=&quot;retreat-5&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;retreat-5&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;(Riss Leitzke Photography)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/retreat.0-139_tcm1063-551862.jpg&quot; title=&quot;retreat-4&quot; alt=&quot;retreat-4&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;retreat-4&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;(Riss Leitzke Photography)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/retreat.0-136_tcm1063-551861.jpg&quot; title=&quot;retreat-3&quot; alt=&quot;retreat-3&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;retreat-3&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;(Riss Leitzke Photography)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/retreat.0-126_tcm1063-551860.jpg&quot; title=&quot;retreat-2&quot; alt=&quot;retreat-2&quot; style=&quot;width: 500px; height: 750px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;retreat-2&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;(Riss Leitzke Photography)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/retreat.0-70_tcm1063-551859.jpg&quot; title=&quot;retreat-1&quot; alt=&quot;retreat-1&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 400px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;retreat-1&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;(Riss Leitzke Photography)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_20221118_100215360_HDR_tcm1063-551864.jpg&quot; title=&quot;transition-fair-msad&quot; alt=&quot;transition-fair-msad&quot; style=&quot;width: 600px; height: 450px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;transition-fair-msad&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Suggestions?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I will send out another update next month. Please let me know if there is any information you would like me to share in a future update. You can contact me by email, &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:darlene.g.zangara@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;darlene.g.zangara@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. Thank you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dr. Darlene G. Zangara, Executive Director&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Patty McCutcheon for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>551866</id><Tag><Description/><Title>board</Title><Id>310266</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>language acquisition</Title><Id>310294</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>hearing aids</Title><Id>310255</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>executive director updates</Title><Id>457794</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>staff</Title><Id>317343</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-07-10T23:28:11Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>MNCDHH is Seeking Candidates for a Business Operations Director</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>MNCDHH logo and text, &quot;The Commission is Hiring!&quot; on bubbly background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/were-hiring-850_tcm1063-540211.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-12-08-business-operations-director</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-551345&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-12-08T21:04:57Z</Date><ShortDescription>Incumbent responsibilities include internal operations and board relations, program and administrative oversight, continuous improvement, and continuity of operations planning lead.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Deadline to apply is December 27, 2022</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) has a position open for a Business Operations Director. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The deadline to apply is December 27, 2022.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To find the job posting, please visit &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mmb/careers/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Minnesota Careers&lt;/a&gt;. Once on the page, click on the &quot;Search open positions&quot; button.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Under &quot;Search jobs,&quot; search for job id &quot;61219.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Job Summary&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The incumbent will have broad decision-making authority and independence, planning and directing the business functions of the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing. As Business Operations Director, Financial Manager, and Agency Liaison to DHS Internal Resources including finance, MNIT, legal, and administrative services. To provide leadership, broad guidance and direction for the implementation of the day to day operational and programmatic activities with responsibility to advise employee as well as agency performance activities. To lead the management of the agency’s vision and strategic goals outcomes; and board operations. To develop and implement the strategic vision, planning and direction of the agency business operations. Conducts continuing and special studies of organizational development, methods and procedures to recommend solutions to clearly defined operating problems with broad scope and complexity in areas such as records and publications management, policy and procedures development/analyses, organization of office space, work and information flow, systems analysis/design, data processing; fiscal and budgetary tracking, and analysis of organizational structure. Lead and oversee activities of procurement, contracting management, budget development, internal/external and Board communications, data collection development and management and storage, information technology activities, accounting activities, and overarching compliance to state policies, procedures and laws and is the facilities management director.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Internal Operations and Board Relations;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Program and Administrative Oversight;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Continuous Improvement;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Continuity of Operations planning lead.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minimum Qualifications&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To facilitate proper crediting, please ensure that your resume clearly describes your experience in the areas listed and indicates the beginning and ending month and year for each job held.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are four (4) different ways to qualify for this position and you must have the required work experiences:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One (1) year of professional working experience with human services program supporting the deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing communities and the required work experiences listed below.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;OR&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Three (3) years of advance technical or paraprofessional experience working with human services program supporting the deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing communities and the required work experiences listed below.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;OR&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Bachelor’s degree in Business, Accounting, Finance, Human Services, or another closely related degree.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;AND&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Two (2) years of advanced technical or paraprofessional experience working with human services program supporting the deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing communities and the required work experiences listed below.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;OR&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Master’s Degree in Business, Accounting, Finance, Human Services, or another closely related degree and the required work experiences listed below.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Required work experiences must clearly demonstrate:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Expressive and receptive sign language and communication skills are crucial;
&lt;br /&gt;
Knowledge of and experience with communication technology used by deaf, late-deafened, deafblind, and hard of hearing persons;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Advanced administrative and services experience for human services and/or disability programs;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ability to give presentations and facilitate discussions to solicit and explore diverse perspectives;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Continuous improvement process tools and/or models to produce results-based metrics;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Budgeting, recordkeeping and contract management experience for federal and state compliance;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Competent at using MS Office Suite and other programs such as; MS Teams and Adobe Acrobat.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Preferred Qualifications&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Variety of experiences working effectively with others from different backgrounds and cultures;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Strong human relations and communication skills; communicate clearly and professionally both verbally and in writing; respond flexibly to requests and concerns;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Proficient in a wide range of technology including WebEx, MS Teams, videophones, and other video and communication technology platforms;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Bachelor’s Degree higher in Human Services, Business Administration, or related human services field.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional details are available in the job posting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mmb/careers/search-for-jobs/&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;View the job posting.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>551345</id><Tag><Description/><Title>staff</Title><Id>317343</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-12-08T21:21:46Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2022 Voter Access Survey for Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing Minnesotans</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A screenshot of the MNVotes.org website with the words, &quot;Accessible voting.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/2020%20Voter%20Access%20Survey%20Resized_tcm1063-452235.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-11-09-voter-access-survey</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-547180&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-11-09T15:53:45Z</Date><ShortDescription>This survey is intended for Minnesota residents who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing, or is a person with a hearing loss AND voted in the 2022 General Election.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Let us know about your experience with voting</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Are you deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or are you a person with a hearing loss? Did you vote yesterday? If yes to both, please participate in the Voter Access Survey. MNCDHH wants to know what your experience was like and we will use that to prepare for the next Election. Thank you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7085239/Voting-Access-Survey-2022&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Fill out the Voter Access Survey&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>547180</id><Tag><Description/><Title>survey</Title><Id>310297</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-11-09T16:00:41Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>ASL Hotline Open for Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing Voters in Minnesota</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Headshots of the six ASL Hotline staff. Top row (L-R) are Patrick Vellia, Keenan Gao, and Jessalyn Akerman-Frank. Bottom row (L-R) are Jer Loudenback, Migdalia Rogers, and Lilly Steinbruckner.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/My%20project-850_tcm1063-545228.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-10-25-asl-voters-hotline-launch</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-545227&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-10-26T01:36:27Z</Date><ShortDescription>This hotline is also open to voters who identify as hard of hearing, as an individual with a hearing loss, or similar, and wish to connect to one of our experts.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Open from Wednesday, October 26 through Election Day</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Once more, the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) and the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State have partnered together to provide an ASL Hotline for Minnesota&apos;s deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hours&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The ASL Hotline is open from Wednesday, October 26 all the way through Election Day (Tuesday, November 8, 2022)!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The hotline is open, Monday-Friday, from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On Election Day, it will be open from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Number&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Call the ASL Hotline at 612-293-4288 (VP).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This hotline is also open to voters who identify as hard of hearing, as an individual with a hearing loss, or similar, and wish to connect to one of our experts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Who&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The following team members will be answering the ASL Hotline.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Patrick Vellia: DeafBlind community representative&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Keenan Gao: Hard of Hearing community representative and ASL community representative&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jessalyn Akerman-Frank: Team Lead&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jer Loudenback: ASL community representative&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Migdalia Rogers: ASL community representative&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Lilly Steinbruckner: ASL community representative&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional considerations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please email Jessalyn at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; for any of the following:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If you need to ask a voting question in the evening or on the weekend,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If you are a member of the deafblind community and wish to connect to Patrick.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If you are a member of the hard of hearing community and wish to connect to Keenan.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>545227</id><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-10-26T01:46:06Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2022 Collaborative Experience Conference Registration Deadline Approaching</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Conference theme text, &quot;Supporting the Whole Child: Reboot&quot; with the State of Minnesota logo, an image of a desktop with books, pencils, magnifying glass, and an apple, and the event title, &quot;2022 Collaborative Experience Conference for parents and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/2022-collaborative-experience-conference-header-850_tcm1063-525102.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-10-25-collaborative-experience-conference-registration-deadline-approaching</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-545220&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-10-25T20:34:38Z</Date><ShortDescription>In 2015, the stakeholders of the Collaborative Plan identified a need for professionals to have an opportunity to obtain information about the most recent research and practice in deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing education. We also recognized that parents need access to information relevant to their children&apos;s education and opportunities. The Collaborative Experience was first implemented in 2015 to serve this purpose. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>The last day to register is Friday, October 28, 2022</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you plan to attend the 2022 Collaborative Experience Conference for parents and professionals who work with students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing, be sure to register soon! The last day to sign up to attend the conference is Friday, October 28, 2022.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Collaborative Experience Conference will be held, through a virtual platform, from Thursday evening, November 3 to Saturday, November 5, 2022 at noon. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Professionals and parents will have the opportunity to obtain information about the most recent research and practices in deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing education. Through this virtual conference platform, they will also be able to network with peers representing the following fields:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Teachers D/HH&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Teachers D/B&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Educational Audiologists&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Educational Interpreters&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf Mentors&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Parent Guides&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Speech-Language-Pathologists&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Public Health Professionals&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Parents&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visit the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/collaborative-experience/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Collaborative Experience Conference page&lt;/a&gt; to access the conference schedule, information about workshops, CEUs/Clock Hours opportunities, virtual exhibitor opportunities, and more! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2022-collaborative-experience-conference-virtual-registration-392599775497&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Register today!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is the Collaborative Experience?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2015, the stakeholders of the Collaborative Plan identified a need for professionals to have an opportunity to obtain information about the most recent research and practice in deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing education. We also recognized that parents need access to information relevant to their children&apos;s education and opportunities. The Collaborative Experience was first implemented in 2015 to serve this purpose. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>545220</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-10-25T20:43:55Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Reminder! Town Hall Meeting is Happening Soon</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Icons of people with hands raised on a green and blue striped background with MNCDHH&apos;s logo and text, &quot;Town Hall October 20, 2022 6:00-8:00 pm&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/My%20project-1%20850_tcm1063-542804.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-10-19-reminder-town-hall-meeting-is-happening-soon</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-544291&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-10-19T16:25:42Z</Date><ShortDescription>Come ready to share your feedback on what the Commission should focus on while working to advance the lives of Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>In-person, on October 20, 2022 from 6-8 pm</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The board of the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) is hosting a town hall meeting. Members of the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing communities, as well as professionals and families, are all welcome to attend. We want you to have this opportunity to meet the Commission board members and staff.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The main goal of the town hall is to gather suggestions from the public on what the Commission should focus on while working to advance the lives of Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. This is also an opportunity for you to ask questions for the Commission board and staff to answer. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Light appetizers and refreshments will be provided. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;If you are a Greater Minnesota resident and cannot attend, don&apos;t worry. We are developing plans for an in-person statewide tour to take place from 2022-2023.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thursday, October 20, 2022, from 6-8 pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Bloomington - Minneapolis South
&lt;br /&gt;
7800 Normandale Blvd., Minneapolis, MN 55439&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and CART provided.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>544291</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>staff</Title><Id>317343</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>board</Title><Id>310266</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-10-19T16:31:56Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>News from Executive Director Darlene Zangara (October 2022)</Title><title>2022-10-17-news-from-ed-darlene-oct-2022</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-543958&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-10-17T19:45:32Z</Date><ShortDescription>October 2022 updates</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Collaborative Experience Conference, Interpreter Licensure task force, and more</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/VDdrlulQckw&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/EvDjr5Px_2U&quot; title=&quot;Oct 2022 executive director updates ASL video&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello everyone! I am Darlene Zangara, Executive Director of the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing. I will describe myself. I am a white woman with blond hair, glasses, and wearing all black. Can you believe it is already October? It feels like summer and the start of school went by fast. I’m sure you are wondering what the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing has been doing these last few months. Here are some updates.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Education&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Danelle Gournaris has been working with the stakeholders of the Collaborative Plan. If you are not sure what the Collaborative Plan is, here is a quick explanation. Under the Collaborative Plan, schools, state agencies, and organizations, including us, work together to make positive changes in the system.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Collaborative Experience Conference is a big Collaborative Plan project. The conference will happen online from November 3-5. Registration is open!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here is why the conference is important!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;1. It supports DHH teachers’ professional development and provides CEUs that goes towards their teacher licensure renewal.
&lt;br /&gt;
2. It provides valuable information and resources to parents, teachers, and other professionals working with deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing students.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We have two amazing keynote presenters! Dr. Peter Isquith will discuss “Executive Functioning: Enhancing Self-Regulation in Deaf &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Children.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dr. Amy Szarkowski will cover “Families, Adults who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, and Professionals Coming Together to Foster Joy.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Another thing that Collaborative Plan stakeholders have been working on, specifically the Commission, Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf, and VONA, is developing questionnaires for the statewide survey to identify the level of care for a day treatment program. This survey will be sent out sometime this fall.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Interpreter Licensure&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission has successfully contracted with a vendor, Dendros Group, LLC, to organize a task force to work on recommendations and endorsement for improving the quality of interpreting services throughout Minnesota, which include the topic of interpreter licensure.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please subscribe to Commission newsletters. We will send out updates about the task force and opportunities to participate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Separately, Dendros will be providing racial equity training to Commission staff.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Focus Groups&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Did you know that we host focus groups? We have several: BIPOC, LGBTQ+, Hard of Hearing, DeafBlind, and Speaking DeafBlind. The focus groups provide guidance and feedback to the Commission. Recently, the focus groups provided feedback on voting accessibility and legislative topics. If you are interested in joining a focus group, please contact Jessalyn Akerman-Frank (&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Community Engagement&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We have participating in more in-person events since the summer. There are good things about virtual events but there is no substitute for being in the same room.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We were at Pride as part of Minnesota Deaf Queers&apos; booth and participated in the parade.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We also worked at the Minnesota State Fair for a day at the Minnesota Council on Disability’s booth.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We volunteered at Minnesota Hands &amp;amp; Voices’ family event with interactive activities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Michele Isham, Board Chair, went to the national Hearing Loss Association of America conference.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The staff went to the National Association of the Deaf’s national conference. I presented with my National Association of State Agencies of Deaf and Hard of Hearing (NASADHH) on formulas for success for state government agencies. Jessalyn Akerman-Frank, Patrick Vellia, Migdalia Rogers, and Anne Sittner Anderson presented on civic engagement.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are a few photos from recent events!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/State%20Fair%2017_tcm1063-543952.jpg&quot; title=&quot;State Fair 17&quot; alt=&quot;State Fair 17&quot; style=&quot;width: 500px; height: 368px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;State Fair 17&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/State%20Fair%2015_tcm1063-543951.jpg&quot; title=&quot;State Fair 15&quot; alt=&quot;State Fair 15&quot; style=&quot;width: 500px; height: 375px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;State Fair 15&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/State%20Fair%203_tcm1063-543950.jpg&quot; title=&quot;State Fair 3&quot; alt=&quot;State Fair 3&quot; style=&quot;width: 500px; height: 375px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;State Fair 3&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/State%20Fair%208_tcm1063-543949.jpg&quot; title=&quot;State Fair 8&quot; alt=&quot;State Fair 8&quot; style=&quot;width: 500px; height: 375px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;State Fair 8&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/pridea_tcm1063-543948.jpg&quot; title=&quot;pridea&quot; alt=&quot;pridea&quot; style=&quot;width: 499px; height: 331px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;pridea&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/NAD-NASADHH%20%281%29_tcm1063-543947.jpg&quot; title=&quot;NAD-NASADHH (1)&quot; alt=&quot;NAD-NASADHH (1)&quot; style=&quot;width: 500px; height: 227px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;NAD-NASADHH (1)&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/NAD8%20%281%29_tcm1063-543945.jpg&quot; title=&quot;NAD8 (1)&quot; alt=&quot;NAD8 (1)&quot; style=&quot;width: 500px; height: 375px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;NAD8 (1)&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/NAD7%20%281%29_tcm1063-543946.jpg&quot; title=&quot;NAD7 (1)&quot; alt=&quot;NAD7 (1)&quot; style=&quot;width: 500px; height: 375px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;NAD7 (1)&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/2022-pride-booth-2-instagram%20%281%29_tcm1063-543944.jpg&quot; title=&quot;2022-pride-booth-2-instagram (1)&quot; alt=&quot;2022-pride-booth-2-instagram (1)&quot; style=&quot;width: 500px; height: 500px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2022-pride-booth-2-instagram (1)&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Michele-Isham-HLAA-National-2022_tcm1063-543943.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Michele-Isham-HLAA-National-2022&quot; alt=&quot;Michele-Isham-HLAA-National-2022&quot; style=&quot;width: 500px; height: 667px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Michele-Isham-HLAA-National-2022&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/2022-pride-group-picture%20%282%29_tcm1063-543942.jpg&quot; title=&quot;2022-pride-group-picture (2)&quot; alt=&quot;2022-pride-group-picture (2)&quot; style=&quot;width: 500px; height: 375px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2022-pride-group-picture (2)&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/DN1_tcm1063-543941.jpg&quot; title=&quot;DN1&quot; alt=&quot;DN1&quot; style=&quot;width: 500px; height: 375px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;DN1&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/DN2_tcm1063-543940.jpg&quot; title=&quot;DN2&quot; alt=&quot;DN2&quot; style=&quot;width: 500px; height: 666px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;DN2&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/DN3_tcm1063-543939.jpg&quot; title=&quot;DN3&quot; alt=&quot;DN3&quot; style=&quot;width: 360px; height: 480px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;DN3&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Getting Ready for Legislative Session&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alicia Lane and I have been getting ready for this upcoming legislative session. This means we have been meeting with stakeholder groups, state agencies, the Governor’s Office, and community organizations during this planning and research. Thank you to everyone who attended DeafNation and let us know which topics are important to you. It helps us to know on what policies we need to work on together.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Your Thoughts?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I will send out another update next month. Is there any topic you would like me to cover in my updates? Let me know by sending me an email (&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:darlene.g.zangara@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;darlene.g.zangara@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;). Thank you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dr. Darlene G. Zangara, Executive Director&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Patty McCutcheon for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>543958</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>board</Title><Id>310266</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>staff</Title><Id>317343</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>executive director updates</Title><Id>457794</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-01-05T18:48:47Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Town Hall Meeting with the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Icons of people with hands raised on a green and blue striped background with MNCDHH&apos;s logo and text, &quot;Town Hall October 20, 2022 6:00-8:00 pm&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/My%20project-1%20850_tcm1063-542804.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-10-06-town-hall</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-542805&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-10-06T23:00:14Z</Date><ShortDescription>The main goal of the town hall is to gather suggestions from the public on what the Commission should focus on while working to advance the lives of Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. This is also an opportunity for you to ask questions for the Commission board and staff to answer. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>In-person, on October 20, 2022 from 6-8 pm</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The board of the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) is hosting a town hall meeting. Members of the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing communities, as well as professionals and families, are all welcome to attend. We want you to have this opportunity to meet the Commission board members and staff.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The main goal of the town hall is to gather suggestions from the public on what the Commission should focus on while working to advance the lives of Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. This is also an opportunity for you to ask questions for the Commission board and staff to answer. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Light appetizers and refreshments will be provided. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;If you are a Greater Minnesota resident and cannot attend, don&apos;t worry. We are developing plans for an in-person statewide tour to take place from 2022-2023.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thursday, October 20, 2022, from 6-8 pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Bloomington - Minneapolis South
&lt;br /&gt;
7800 Normandale Blvd., Minneapolis, MN 55439&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and CART provided. For additional accommodations, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:katy.kelley@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;katy.kelley@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; by Monday, October 17, 2022.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>542805</id><Tag><Description/><Title>board</Title><Id>310266</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>staff</Title><Id>317343</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-10-06T23:03:56Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>DeafNation Expo is Coming to Minneapolis!</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>DeafNation logo with photos of presenters and logos of participating groups</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/DeafNation_tcm1063-542181.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-10-01-deafnation-expo-coming-minneapolis</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-542182&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-10-01T18:47:27Z</Date><ShortDescription>Dr. Darlene Zangara will present onstage from 12-12:30 with a fun, interactive voting activity. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Free admission with booths &amp; entertainment plus evening activities</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) will be at DeafNation Expo on Saturday, October 8, 2022, 9 am - 5 pm.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Stop by our table to discuss voting and communication access. You can also participate in an activity to let us know which legislative issues are important to you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Pick up materials such as stickers and brochures, including information from MNCDHH, the State Services of the Blind (SSB), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS), and the Minnesota Council on Disability (MCD). &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;From 12-12:30 pm, executive director Dr. Darlene Zangara will be presenting on the Main Stage. Join us for &quot;Your Vote Counts! Coke or Pepsi?&quot; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DeafNation is at the Minneapolis Convention Center (1301 2nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55404). Admission tickets are free!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;https://deafnation.com/expo/minneapolis/&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Sign up for free admission&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h1 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What are you doing after DeafNation?&lt;/h1&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are a few options for you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/BB%20Press%20Release%20Logo_tcm1063-542179.JPG&quot; title=&quot;B&amp;amp;B Theatres logo&quot; alt=&quot;B&amp;amp;B Theatres logo&quot; style=&quot;width: 250px; height: 97px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;B&amp;amp;B Theatres logo&quot; /&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Watch an Open Captioned Movie at B&amp;amp;B Theatres Bloomington 13 @ Mall of America - Level 4, South&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do you want an accessible and fun movie-going experience? On Saturday, October 8, 2022, B&amp;amp;B Theatres Bloomington 13 @ Mall of America is offering four (4) showtimes with open captions. Choose a movie and time that fits you best. The address is 401 S Ave, Bloomington, MN 55425. B7B Theatres Bloomington 13 is on Level 4, South. Purchase tickets at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.bbtheatres.com/bloomington-13-at-mall-of-america/showtimes/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;B&amp;amp;B Theatres website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile showtimes&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sat. Oct. 8 at 7 pm and 9:30 pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;PG, 1h 46m&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Amsterdam showtimes&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saturday, October 8 at 6:45 pm and 10 pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;R, 2h 14m&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/ASL-night-out_tcm1063-542180.jpg&quot; title=&quot;ASL Night Out group picture&quot; alt=&quot;ASL Night Out group picture&quot; style=&quot;width: 250px; height: 132px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;ASL Night Out group picture&quot; /&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Go to ASL Night Out at Charles Thompson Hall&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Come to ASL Night Out at Minnesota&apos;s oldest and local deaf community center, Charles Thompson Memorial Hall. There will be local craft beer at the pub and family-friendly socializing after DeafNation. The address for Thompson Hall is 1824 Marshall Ave, St. Paul, MN 55104.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>542182</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-10-01T19:02:51Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Sunshine 2.0: Conference Opening Night Entertainment</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Conference theme text, &quot;Supporting the Whole Child: Reboot&quot; with group picture of Sunshine 2.0 group mid-dance, and the event title, &quot;2022 Collaborative Experience Conference for parents and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/2022%20CE%20Sunshine%202.0-850_tcm1063-539604.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-09-30-sunshine-2-0</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-542144&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-09-30T18:20:39Z</Date><ShortDescription>Opening remarks will be provided by Dr. Darlene Zangara and Danelle Gournaris, M.A., M.S. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>2022 Collaborative Experience Conference for parents and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind &amp; hard of hearing</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are proud to share that Sunshine 2.0 will provide entertainment at the 2022 Collaborative Experience Conference opening night! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sunshine 2.0 is a professional traveling theater troupe based at Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf in Rochester, New York. The troupe provides performances and activities for deaf and hard-of-hearing children and adults that highlight the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM), as well as educational topics pertaining to the Deaf experience. The theater troupe travels to schools and programs serving deaf and hard-of-hearing students, colleges, museums, conferences, civic groups, festivals and other venues.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Performances are presented in voice and in American Sign Language, are accessible to all audience members, and cover subjects for people of all ages.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register today for the 2022 Collaborative Experience Conference for parents and professionals who work with students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing! The conference will be held, through a virtual platform, from Thursday, November 3 to Saturday, November 5, 2022 &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Professionals and parents will have the opportunity to obtain information about the most recent research and practices in deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing education. Through this virtual conference platform, they will also be able to network with peers representing the following fields:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Teachers D/HH&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Teachers D/B&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Educational Audiologists&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Educational Interpreters&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf Mentors&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Parent Guides&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Speech-Language-Pathologists&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Public Health Professionals&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Parents&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visit the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/collaborative-experience/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Collaborative Experience Conference page&lt;/a&gt; to access the conference schedule, information about workshops, CEUs/Clock Hours opportunities, virtual exhibitor opportunities, and more! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2022-collaborative-experience-conference-virtual-registration-392599775497&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Register today!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is the Collaborative Experience?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2015, the stakeholders of the Collaborative Plan identified a need for professionals to have an opportunity to obtain information about the most recent research and practice in deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing education. We also recognized that parents need access to information relevant to their children&apos;s education and opportunities. The Collaborative Experience was first implemented in 2015 to serve this purpose. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>542144</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-09-30T18:24:55Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2021-2022 Legislative Wrapup</Title><title>2022-09-29-2021-22-legislative-wrapup</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-542027&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-09-30T00:34:38Z</Date><ShortDescription>Summary of MNCDHH&apos;s legislative activity from 2021-2022</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Includes updates on newborn screening, education bills, caption bills, and more!  </Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/rO1OyZiW9J0&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/QgH5KE33aTM&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with the 2021-2022 legislative wrapup&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello, I’m Alicia. I’m the government relations director for the Commission. To describe my appearance, I’m a white Hispanic woman with dark wavy hair to my shoulders, with glasses. I’m wearing a black top with quarter sleeves and silver earrings, and the background behind me is black.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Regular legislative sessions are two years, restarting after each election. Bills introduced in the first year can be carried over to the second year for further action. Now that the legislature has completed the 2021-2022 legislative session, I will summarize the outcomes of the 2021-2022 legislature.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2021: Universal Newborn CMV Screening Review - Passed!&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Universal Newborn CMV Screening Review was passed. Legislators instructed an advisory committee to recommend whether to require universal newborn screening for congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV). CMV is a common cause of hearing loss in young children. Some legislators wanted to simply provide CMV education for certain families, but MNCDHH and allies successfully pushed for universal CMV screening.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2021: Guaranteed Access to a Landline - Protected!&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Guaranteed Access to a Landline was protected. The Senate attempted to remove the only statute that ensures every Minnesotan has access to telephone service. The loss of analog phone services would have disproportionately impacted hard of hearing Minnesotans, deaf seniors, and deaf people without access to high-speed internet. After urging from us and other advocates, the House and Senate agreed to preserve universal service protections.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2021: More Funds for Captioning Livestreams - Passed!&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;More funds for captioning livestreams was passed. During the pandemic, legislators switched to remote or hybrid hearings and increased internet livestream coverage. More livestreams meant the funds for captioning livestreams was no longer sufficient. The legislators agreed and increased funds for the captioning.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Other 2021 Bills of Interest&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Minnesota Special Education Recovery Services and Supports.&lt;/strong&gt; This law required all Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams to schedule a meeting no later than December 1, 2021, to review the impacts of the pandemic on the child and to discuss whether new or different special education services or supports are required.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Service animal protections.&lt;/strong&gt; The updated statutes limit when landlord can require documentation for a service animal and prohibits landlords from charging a fee for the service animal.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Applicant/employee accommodation needs.&lt;/strong&gt; The updated human right statutes clarify that when appropriate reasonable accommodations need to be determined, employers are to begin an informal, interactive process that includes the applicant or employee who is in need of the accommodation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2022: Universal Newborn CMV Screening - Now Policy!&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The 2021 Universal Newborn CMV Screening became policy in 2022. Remember the CMV bill that passed in 2021? The advisory committee recommended adding CMV screening, the health commissioner approved, and Minnesota became first state to require universal newborn screening for CMV. Now more babies born with CMV will be identified and monitored for hearing loss.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2022 Legislature Historic $9B Budget Surplus - What Happened?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What happened with the 2022 Legislature Historic $9B Budget Surplus?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many of the bills we were supporting were on track to be included in end-of-session omnibus bills. Omnibus bills are the large bills that committees create from the many smaller bills they discuss during the year. Despite having a historic projected surplus of $9 billion, legislators failed to reach agreement on almost all omnibus bills. Therefore the provisions we were supporting in these omnibus bills, along with many others, did not pass. The legislature adjourned with much work unfinished.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Despite not passing, some bills made more progress than others, which means they may have the support to pass if reintroduced in 2023. For the following bills, the Commission successfully advanced them through means such as urging committee chairs to give bills hearings, writing letters of support, testifying, recruiting and working with community testifiers, hosting a community Q&amp;amp;A with a bill&apos;s chief author, and meeting with legislators.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2022: CDI in Educational Interpreter Statute&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;CDIs in educational interpreter statute. This bill would have updated Minnesota&apos;s educational interpreter requirements to include Certified Deaf Interpreters (CDIs). The bill was closely watched by other states, and after listening to our testifiers, a reporter from the House&apos;s Session Daily decided to spotlight it in an article. We were pleased to see increased awareness of the benefits of deaf interpreters in educational settings, and look forward to revisiting this issue in 2023.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2022: Captions in Public Places&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Captions in public places. This bill would have updated Minnesota&apos;s human rights statutes to clarify that not having captions displayed on TVs in public places is considered discrimination. We assembled a large and varied lineup of testifiers whose testimony was well-received, and we hope to try again in 2023.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2022: MDS Priority Admission for Students Who Have Hearing Loss as their Primary Disability&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDS priority admission for students who have hearing loss as their primary disability. Intended to protect MDS&apos; ability to continue its focus on deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing students, this bill passed the Senate unanimously and had broad support in the House. We look forward to advocating for it again in 2023.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2022: IEP Process Accommodations for Parents with Disabilities&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;IEP Process Accommodations for Parents with Disabilities. In partnership with the Autism Society of Minnesota, we supported requiring school districts to develop a clear process for providing accommodations for parents with disabilities to be part of their child&apos;s Individual Education Program development.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2022: Disability Services Accessibility Task Force&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Disability services accessibility task force. Had this bill become law, the Commission would have had a seat on a task force to review the accessibility of disability services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2022: State Employees with Disabilities Recruitment and Retention&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State employees with disabilities recruitment and retention. This bill sought to increase awareness of accommodation funds, increase the number of ADA coordinators, and shorten the time for state employees with disabilities to begin receiving the same benefits as other employees. We hope to support it again in 2023.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2022: Bus Driver Accessibility Training&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Bus driver accessibility training. This bill had broad support and would have required the Metropolitan Council to provide training to all bus drivers on how to help passengers with disabilities safely get on or off a bus. We look forward to advocating for it in 2023.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2022: Prescription Container Accessible Labels&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Prescription container accessible labels. Pharmacies would have been required to provide customers the option of prescription container labels in large print, Braille, or audible format. We are already working with potential bill authors for reintroduction in 2023.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In total, we closely tracked more than 50 bills.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Other 2022 Bills of Interest&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2022, there were other bills that may be of interest. Out of the few bills that did become law, the following may be of special interest to our community:
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Border-to-border broadband.&lt;/strong&gt; This new law increases funding to expand broadband infrastructure to every part of Minnesota, with the goal of ensuring every resident has access to high-speed internet. We will monitor progress as more specifics become available.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mental health for youth.&lt;/strong&gt; The past several years have been challenging especially for children. Legislators made many changes to the law to allow more youth to receive mental health services. These include changes such as approving more crisis stabilization and inpatient beds for children and changing requirements to allow more children to become eligible for intensive behavioral health treatment services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Foster youth ombudsperson board.&lt;/strong&gt; Legislators created a foster youth ombudsperson board, which means children and teens in foster care will now have access to advocates to help them resolve issues with the foster care system.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alicia Lane, Government Relations Director.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rita Van Der Puije for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for video production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>542027</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-09-30T00:48:20Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>In the News: More options for people with hearing loss</Title><title>2022-09-28-more-options-for-people-with-hearing-loss</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-542183&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-09-29T02:14:34Z</Date><ShortDescription>By Angela Davis</ShortDescription><Subtitle>MPR News</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A board member, Dr. Peggy Nelson, was interviewed along with Dr. Rachel Allgor in this story about over-the-counter hearing aids as well as affordability and access to hearing health care. Dr. Nelson also mentioned the Commission as one of several resources at the end of the interview; &lt;a href=&quot;http://&quot;&gt;More options for people with hearing loss&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The full transcript of the on-air interview is available. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>542183</id><Tag><Description/><Title>health care</Title><Id>310254</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>in the news</Title><Id>317336</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>hearing aids</Title><Id>310255</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-10-02T02:20:44Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2022 Collaborative Experience Conference: Registration is Open!</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Conference theme text, &quot;Supporting the Whole Child: Reboot&quot; with the State of Minnesota logo, an image of a desktop with books, pencils, magnifying glass, and an apple, and the event title, &quot;2022 Collaborative Experience Conference for parents and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/2022-collaborative-experience-conference-header-850_tcm1063-525102.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-09-19-collaborative-experience-conference-registration-open</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-540939&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-09-19T20:53:05Z</Date><ShortDescription>In 2015, the stakeholders of the Collaborative Plan identified a need for professionals to have an opportunity to obtain information about the most recent research and practice in deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing education. We also recognized that parents need access to information relevant to their children&apos;s education and opportunities. The Collaborative Experience was first implemented in 2015 to serve this purpose. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Join your peers to learn about recent research and practice in the field of DDBHH education</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration is now open for the 2022 Collaborative Experience Conference for parents and professionals who work with students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing! The conference will be held, through a virtual platform, from Thursday, November 3 to Saturday, November 5, 2022 &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Professionals and parents will have the opportunity to obtain information about the most recent research and practices in deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing education. Through this virtual conference platform, they will also be able to network with peers representing the following fields:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Teachers D/HH&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Teachers D/B&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Educational Audiologists&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Educational Interpreters&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf Mentors&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Parent Guides&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Speech-Language-Pathologists&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Public Health Professionals&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Parents&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visit the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/collaborative-experience/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Collaborative Experience Conference page&lt;/a&gt; to access the conference schedule, information about workshops, CEUs/Clock Hours opportunities, virtual exhibitor opportunities, and more! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2022-collaborative-experience-conference-virtual-registration-392599775497&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Register today!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is the Collaborative Experience?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2015, the stakeholders of the Collaborative Plan identified a need for professionals to have an opportunity to obtain information about the most recent research and practice in deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing education. We also recognized that parents need access to information relevant to their children&apos;s education and opportunities. The Collaborative Experience was first implemented in 2015 to serve this purpose. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Conference at a Glance: Keynote Presenters&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/peter-isquith-square_tcm1063-540938.jpg&quot; title=&quot;peter-isquith-headshot&quot; alt=&quot;peter-isquith-headshot&quot; style=&quot;width: 180px; height: 180px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;peter-isquith-headshot&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Executive Functioning: Enhancing Self-Regulation in Deaf &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Children&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Friday, November 4, 2022, 9:20-10:50 am&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We have learned much about the development and disorders of executive function, or self-regulation, in children over the past quarter century. More recently, researchers have focused on relationships between self-regulation and language in Deaf and hard of hearing children, who show greater variability in executive function that is often associated with language development. Given that these essential self-regulatory functions are related to most aspects of living, including communication and social, academic, attentional, behavioral, and adaptive functioning, it is important to support their development beginning in early childhood and continuing into adolescence. In just the past few years, we have turned our attention from understanding and measuring executive function to what we can do to enhance these self-regulatory functions in all children. The wealth of evidence shows that a collaborative problem-solving model with everyday routines and language “scripts” using every day “coaches” are the most effective for helping children develop better self-regulation. This presentation will review the most common model of executive function that leads to parent and teacher-supported development of self-regulation in the child’s everyday real-world environment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the presenter &lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Peter K. Isquith, Ph.D., is a Licensed Psychologist with a specialty in developmental neuropsychology who evaluates students in schools across New England. He is a Senior Attending Neuropsychologist with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program at Boston Children’s Hospital, where he is an Instructor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;His research focuses on the development and disorders of self-regulation across the lifespan. Peter is the author of numerous works on assessment with Deaf and hard of hearing individuals and on executive function and is co-author of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) family of instruments and the PostConcussion Executive Inventory (PCEI). Most importantly, he is a SODA.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/amy-szarkowski-square_tcm1063-540937.jpg&quot; title=&quot;amy-szarkowski-headshot&quot; alt=&quot;amy-szarkowski-headshot&quot; style=&quot;width: 180px; height: 180px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;amy-szarkowski-headshot&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Collaborative Experiences: Families, Adults who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, and Professionals Coming Together to FOSTER JOY&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Saturday, November 5, 2022, 10:15-11:45 am&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Join this presentation to learn about Fostering Joy movement. This movement aims to shift the conversation from remediation of challenges to celebration of the positive, everyday experiences of raising, teaching, and supporting children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) or DHH with disabilities. The rationale for “embracing joy” will be emphasized. Drawing from the science of positive psychology, it will highlight strategies for promoting joyfulness and ideas for incorporating joyfulness in your life. Presented by Amy Szarkowski, PhD, psychologist and member of the Core Team for Fostering Joy, this session will also emphasize how collaborative experiences can lead to improved, positive, and joyful experiences for all conference attendees.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the presenter&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dr. Szarkowski is a Core Team member for Fostering Joy. Fostering Joy – Families, sponsored by Hands &amp;amp; Voices, and Fostering Joy – Professionals, sponsored by The Institute at CCCBSD (Children&apos;s Center for Communication/Beverly School for the Deaf), jointly strive to shift the conversation from remediation of challenges in raising deaf and hard of hearing children to celebrating the joys in that journey. Dr. Szarkowski is Director of The Institute and Director of The Clinic at the Children’s Center for CCCBSD, faculty in the LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities) program at Boston Children’s, and Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Szarkowski obtained bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and a Health Promotion/Fitness Management; three master’s in Clinical Psychology, Developmental Psychology, and Administration &amp;amp; Supervision; and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>540939</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-09-19T21:09:18Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>MNCDHH is Seeking Candidates for an Experienced Office &amp; Admin Specialist</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>MNCDHH logo and text, &quot;The Commission is Hiring!&quot; on bubbly background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/were-hiring-850_tcm1063-540211.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-09-09-mncdhh-seeking-candidates-admin</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-540212&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-09-09T21:47:24Z</Date><ShortDescription>Responsibilities include administration support and communications support. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Deadline to apply is September 21, 2022</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) has a position open for an Office &amp;amp; Admin Specialist Sr. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The deadline to apply is September 21, 2022.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To find the job posting, please visit &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mmb/careers/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Minnesota Careers&lt;/a&gt;. Once on the page, click on the &quot;Search open positions&quot; button.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Under &quot;Search jobs,&quot; search for job id &quot;58902.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Job Summary&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This position supports the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH). Incumbent organizes and provides varied and often complex administrative and communication support for internal and external customers following established guidelines, rules, and statutes in a fast-paced multilingual environment. Tasks are often complicated, and at times, confidential. Responds to assigned administrative tasks that have no immediate solutions within established procedures and guidelines by researching and proposing alternatives. This position requires the ability to work independently, managing multiple priorities to accomplish tasks within a required time frame.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some responsibilities include but are not limited to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Administration Support: Provide general administrative support service for MNCDHH staff so that operations are consistent with the goals and objectives of the department/commission. Maintains confidentiality of staff, board, and participants. Anticipates next steps and prepares in advance for all aspects of simple to complex meetings.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Communications Support: Provides administrative support to the Director of Communications and creates interesting, relevant, and accessible content that will be distributed on social media, the website, and other platforms.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Processing: Follows financial and administrative procedures and statutes for initiating and processing payments to vendors’ expenses for staff and maintains budget records. Communicates business needs to vendors and staff. Assists with basic contracts with vendors;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Technology: Provides support for technical and support MNCDHH team. Provides backup support for Technical Service Liaison.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is an in-person office position, however, there will be times that telework is available.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Flexible Hours Option is Available.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minimum Qualifications&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To facilitate proper crediting, please ensure that your resume clearly describes your experience in the areas listed and indicates the beginning and ending month and year for each job held.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One (1) year of experience performing administrative functions, including writing and/or editing communication documents.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Experience must include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Understanding of sign language skills at the intermediate or higher level sufficient to being able to follow directions, understand figurative language and encompass the many ways of conveying a message in sign language;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Customer Services skill sufficient to be sensitive to and respectful of any cultural and other differences that you will encounter in interacting with employees and in serving our customers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Knowledge of and experience with creating accessible documents and state accessibility technology standards.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;English spelling, grammar and typing sufficient to edit and compose a variety of documents and online content.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Math skills sufficient to maintain accurate financial information, verify and process invoices &amp;amp; data in Excel.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Proficient skills within Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel; and medium level skills in PowerPoint;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Technology skills to operate video conferencing software and understanding of computer setup and office equipment management.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Preferred Qualifications&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Variety of experiences working effectively with others from different backgrounds and cultures;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Experience with Adobe Acrobat;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Experience with content management systems for web content;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Experience writing for a wide variety of communications media, including newsletters and social media for professional purposes;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Knowledge of communication equity and advocacy issues in Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing communities.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional details are available in the job posting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;https://careers.mn.gov/psc/mnjob/MNCAREERS/HRCR/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&amp;amp;FOCUS=Applicant&amp;amp;SiteId=1001&amp;amp;JobOpeningId=58902&amp;amp;PostingSeq=1&amp;amp;languageCd=ENG&amp;amp;PortalActualURL=https%3a%2f%2fcareers.mn.gov%2fpsc%2fmnjob%2fMNCAREERS%2fHRCR%2fc%2fHRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL%3fPage%3dHRS_APP_JBPST_FL%26FOCUS%3dApplicant%26SiteId%3d1001%26JobOpeningId%3d58902%26PostingSeq%3d1%26languageCd%3dENG&amp;amp;PortalRegistryName=MNCAREERS&amp;amp;PortalServletURI=https%3a%2f%2fcareers.mn.gov%2fpsp%2fmnjob%2f&amp;amp;PortalURI=https%3a%2f%2fcareers.mn.gov%2fpsc%2fmnjob%2f&amp;amp;PortalHostNode=HRMS&amp;amp;NoCrumbs=yes&amp;amp;PortalKeyStruct=yes&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;View the job posting&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>540212</id><Tag><Description/><Title>staff</Title><Id>317343</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-09-09T21:54:23Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Discuss Voting with the Secretary of State&apos;s Office Tonight</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Word cloud with prominent words such as elections, accessibility, ballot, registration, absentee, office, turnout, poll, candidates, voting, etc. MNCDHH and the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State logos are also present.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Voting%20in%20Minnesota-850_tcm1063-539219.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-09-08-discuss-voting-oss-office-tonight</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-540025&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-09-08T16:20:27Z</Date><ShortDescription>With Steve Simon, Minnesota Secretary of State, Melanie Hazelip, Voter Outreach Director, and Nicole Freeman, Government Relations Director.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Topics include voters engagement, what to expect this election, voter fraud and more</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Did you know the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State is responsible for making sure Minnesota&apos;s election system is fair, open, impartial, and secure in all 87 counties in Minnesota?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Secretary of State Steve Simon and two of his staff, Melanie Hazelip and Nicole Freeman, will join MNCDHH on Zoom this Thursday, September 8, 2022. They will talk about Minnesota&apos;s strong voter engagement rate, what to expect for the upcoming elections this fall, myths of voter fraud, accessibility tools and strategies, and more!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By joining us at the live event, you will be able to ask questions directly to those responsible for the election process and learn more about Minnesota&apos;s elections system.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Intended audience&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anyone, including Minnesota&apos;s deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing community, who is interested in learning more about their voting rights and accessible voting in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thursday, September 8, 2022, from 6:00 - 7:00 pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and CART provided. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register to attend (or just show up a few minutes before the webinar begins).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Calling in via phone is an option if preferred. Please register to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation via email. The confirmation will include information on how to call in by phone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUvdeirrD0jH9z6Uhp21nt-XiYjg339TGLd&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Register today!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/steve-simon-official-portrait-fb2_tcm1063-538031.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Steve Simon MN Secretary of State&quot; alt=&quot;Steve Simon MN Secretary of State&quot; style=&quot;width: 180px; height: 180px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Steve Simon MN Secretary of State&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Steve Simon, Minnesota Secretary of State&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Steve Simon is Minnesota’s 22nd Secretary of State. He was sworn into office on January 5, 2015, and as Minnesota’s chief elections administrator pledged in his inaugural address to “work with anyone, of any political affiliation, from any part of our state” to protect, defend, and strengthen the right to vote in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As Secretary of State, he partners with township, city, and county officials to organize elections on behalf of Minnesota’s nearly four million eligible voters, and to ensure that the election system is fair.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Simon also oversees a wide range of services for Minnesota businesses and administers the “Safe at Home” address confidentiality program for people whose personal safety is at risk, often due to physical abuse or threats.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;His goals as Minnesota’s Secretary of State are straightforward: expand access to voting, remove barriers to voting, make business services as streamlined as possible, strengthen protections for victims of domestic violence and, most importantly, be a Secretary of State for all Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Before being elected Minnesota’s Secretary of State, Simon served in the Minnesota House of Representatives for ten years representing the communities of St. Louis Park and Hopkins. Simon and his wife Leia live in Hopkins with their two children, Hannah and Noah.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Headshot-Melanie-Hazelip-profile_tcm1063-539198.jpg&quot; title=&quot;melanie-hazelip&quot; alt=&quot;melanie-hazelip&quot; style=&quot;width: 180px; height: 180px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;melanie-hazelip&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Melanie Hazelip, Voter Outreach Director&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Melanie Hazelip is the Voter Outreach Director for the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State. She is new to the office but has done this work for six years, in a variety of capacities. She believes democracy is not a spectator sport, we all must participate. In her work she tries to make voting accessible to all Minnesotans. She spends her days talking to advocates around the state who share the same goal.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;She lives in Saint Paul with her husband, three kids, and two black cats.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Nicole-Freeman-profile_tcm1063-539199.jpg&quot; title=&quot;nicole-freeman&quot; alt=&quot;nicole-freeman&quot; style=&quot;width: 180px; height: 180px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;nicole-freeman&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Nicole Freeman, Government Relations Director&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Nicole Freeman is the Government Relations Director for the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State. She joined the office last fall after administering elections for Washington County for over four years. Prior to that, she served in both state and municipal government. She spends her days working with local governments, partner organizations and legislators to further policy that enhances our fair, secure and free elections.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;She lives in St. Paul with her husband and son.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>540025</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-09-08T16:30:39Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Voters Engagement Discussion</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Word cloud with prominent words such as elections, accessibility, ballot, registration, absentee, office, turnout, poll, candidates, voting, etc. MNCDHH and the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State logos are also present.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Voting%20in%20Minnesota-850_tcm1063-539219.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-08-30-voters-engagement-discussion</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-539220&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-08-30T12:51:54Z</Date><ShortDescription>Learn about Minnesota&apos;s strong voter engagement rate, what to expect for the upcoming elections this fall, myths of voter fraud, accessibility tools and strategies, and more!</ShortDescription><Subtitle>A conversation with the Secretary of State&apos;s Office</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Did you know Minnesota has placed in the top three for &quot;highest voter turnout&quot; compared to other states in the last three elections? We expect the same for the upcoming 2022 elections. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please join the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing as we host a conversation with Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon as well as his team members, Melanie Hazelip (voters outreach director), and Nicole Freeman (government relations director). This conversation will cover:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;why Minnesota has such a strong voter engagement rate,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;what to expect for the upcoming elections this fall, with helpful tools and tips to vote successfully,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;myths of voter fraud,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;accessibility tools and strategies such as access at the polls, the ASL voters hotline, accessible voting machines, and absentee voting.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;and more!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Intended audience&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anyone, including Minnesota&apos;s deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing community, who is interested in learning more about their voting rights and accessible voting in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thursday, September 8, 2022, from 6:00 - 7:00 pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and CART provided. For additional accommodations, please email by Monday, September 5, 2022. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register to attend (or just show up a few minutes before the webinar begins).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Calling in via phone is an option if preferred. Please register to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation via email. The confirmation will include information on how to call in by phone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUvdeirrD0jH9z6Uhp21nt-XiYjg339TGLd&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Register today!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/steve-simon-official-portrait-fb2_tcm1063-538031.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Steve Simon MN Secretary of State&quot; alt=&quot;Steve Simon MN Secretary of State&quot; style=&quot;width: 180px; height: 180px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Steve Simon MN Secretary of State&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Steve Simon, Minnesota Secretary of State&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Steve Simon is Minnesota’s 22nd Secretary of State. He was sworn into office on January 5, 2015, and as Minnesota’s chief elections administrator pledged in his inaugural address to “work with anyone, of any political affiliation, from any part of our state” to protect, defend, and strengthen the right to vote in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As Secretary of State, he partners with township, city, and county officials to organize elections on behalf of Minnesota’s nearly four million eligible voters, and to ensure that the election system is fair.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Simon also oversees a wide range of services for Minnesota businesses and administers the “Safe at Home” address confidentiality program for people whose personal safety is at risk, often due to physical abuse or threats.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;His goals as Minnesota’s Secretary of State are straightforward: expand access to voting, remove barriers to voting, make business services as streamlined as possible, strengthen protections for victims of domestic violence and, most importantly, be a Secretary of State for all Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Before being elected Minnesota’s Secretary of State, Simon served in the Minnesota House of Representatives for ten years representing the communities of St. Louis Park and Hopkins. Simon and his wife Leia live in Hopkins with their two children, Hannah and Noah.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Headshot-Melanie-Hazelip-profile_tcm1063-539198.jpg&quot; title=&quot;melanie-hazelip&quot; alt=&quot;melanie-hazelip&quot; style=&quot;width: 180px; height: 180px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;melanie-hazelip&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Melanie Hazelip, Voter Outreach Director&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Melanie Hazelip is the Voter Outreach Director for the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State. She is new to the office but has done this work for six years, in a variety of capacities. She believes democracy is not a spectator sport, we all must participate. In her work she tries to make voting accessible to all Minnesotans. She spends her days talking to advocates around the state who share the same goal.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;She lives in Saint Paul with her husband, three kids, and two black cats.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Nicole-Freeman-profile_tcm1063-539199.jpg&quot; title=&quot;nicole-freeman&quot; alt=&quot;nicole-freeman&quot; style=&quot;width: 180px; height: 180px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;nicole-freeman&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Nicole Freeman, Government Relations Director&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Nicole Freeman is the Government Relations Director for the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State. She joined the office last fall after administering elections for Washington County for over four years. Prior to that, she served in both state and municipal government. She spends her days working with local governments, partner organizations and legislators to further policy that enhances our fair, secure and free elections.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;She lives in St. Paul with her husband and son.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>539220</id><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-03-01T16:45:21Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>The 2022 Minnesota State Fair is Almost Here!</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>MNCDHH&apos;s logo with a Ferris wheel and text, &quot;at the State Fair&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/MN%20State%20Fair%20850_tcm1063-538584.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-08-24-mn-state-fair</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-538583&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-08-24T11:16:25Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNCDHH will be at the State Fair on Monday, August 29th from 9 am to 9 pm.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Information about where to find MNCDHH, Accessibility, Safety &amp; Booths</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After a long hiatus, the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing is returning to the Minnesota State Fair! We are excited to be able to see people in the community again. Here are the details.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Find MNCDHH&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Find us at the Minnesota Council on Disability&apos;s booth. Thirteen board members, staff, and contractors will be taking turns meeting members of the public. We&apos;ll be ready to chat about voting and communication access technology. We will also pass out stickers and info cards!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Booth location&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Education Building (Northeast section)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Monday, August 29, 2022 from 9 am - 9 pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota State Fair offers a variety of services so that their guests can make the most of their visit to the 12 best days of summer. This guide applies to the 2022 Minnesota State Fair, Aug. 25 through Labor Day, Sept. 5. (All information subject to change.) Please visit the Minnesota State Fair’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mnstatefair.org/general-info/accessibility-guide/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;webpage for more information on accessibility&lt;/a&gt;. Some of the resources available are:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreting&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During the fair, ASL interpreters are available to assist guests 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. If you would like ASL interpretation during your visit, please contact [the State Fair] by email at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:accessibility@mnstatefair.org&quot;&gt;accessibility@mnstatefair.org&lt;/a&gt;, by phone at 651-288-4448, or stop by Guest Relations at Visitors Plaza. (Advance arrangements are recommended. Requests for interpreter services will be accommodated based on interpreter availability.) Some free shows already have interpreters scheduled. Here is the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mnstatefair.org/general-info/accessibility-guide/#asl&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;list of shows that are already scheduled to be interpreted&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Captioning&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Open captioning for guests who are deaf or hard of hearing will be offered at these free performances, no reservations required. A monitor displaying the captioning will be positioned near the stage.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNHS Presents History On-A-Schtick
&lt;br /&gt;
Located at the Schell’s Stage at Schilling Amphitheater
&lt;br /&gt;
10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 27; Sunday, Aug. 28; Wednesday, Aug. 31; Thursday, Sept. 1&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Audio description&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Audio description for guests who are blind or have low vision will be offered at these free shows, no reservations required. Headsets for audio description can be picked up from the audio describer, who will be located near the stage prior to the show.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNHS Presents History On-A-Schtick
&lt;br /&gt;
Located at the Schell’s Stage at Schilling Amphitheater
&lt;br /&gt;
11 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 27; Sunday, Aug. 28; Wednesday, Aug. 31; Thursday, Sept. 1&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All-Star Stunt Dogs Splash
&lt;br /&gt;
Located at The North Woods stage
&lt;br /&gt;
2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 27; Sunday, Aug. 28; Wednesday, Aug. 31; Thursday, Sept. 1&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Assistive Listening Devices&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Assistive listening devices are available free for use during Grandstand shows. Receivers and headsets are available from the guest services desk on the east side of the Grandstand Plaza. A valid driver’s license or state ID and a credit card are required for check-out. (The credit card will only be charged if the receiver and headset are not returned or are damaged.)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A &lt;a href=&quot;https://assets.mnstatefair.org/pdf/22-AccessGuide.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;printable accessibility guide (PDF)&lt;/a&gt; is available with additional details.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Health and Safety&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For health and safety information, the State Fair has a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mnstatefair.org/faq/health-and-safety/&quot;&gt;page dedicated to the topic&lt;/a&gt;.  Additionally, please make sure your mobile phone has Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) emergency alerts turned on, in case of inclement weather. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety has more &lt;a href=&quot;https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/hsem/weather-awareness-preparedness/Pages/alerts-warnings-personal-alerts.aspx&quot;&gt;information about WEA&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Find it at the Fair: Booths&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These booths may be of special interest. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visit Legislators and Voting Resources&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Fairvote Minnesota - Education Building, north center&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Minnesota House of Representatives - Education, east wall&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Minnesota State Senate - Education, east wall&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Senator Amy Klobuchar - North side of Judson Ave. between Nelson &amp;amp; Underwood streets&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visit your Political Party&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Libertarian Party of Minnesota - West side of Nelson St. between Carnes &amp;amp; Judson avenues&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Minnesota Democratic Famer Labor Party -  Northeast corner of Dan Patch Ave. &amp;amp; Cooper St.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Republican Party of Minnesota - South side of Carnes Ave. between Nelson &amp;amp; Underwood streets&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Independence Party of Minnesota - South side of Dan Patch Ave. between Nelson &amp;amp; Underwood streets&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Grassroots Party - Legalize Cannabis - West side of Clough St. between Carnes &amp;amp; Judson avenues&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visit your Government Agency&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Minnesota State Council on Disability – Education Building, Northeast, Remember, MNCDHH will be there on Monday, August 29th! The Minnesota Department of Human Services, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division will be at MCD&apos;s booth on Wednesday, August 31st.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Minnesota Department of Agriculture - Agriculture Horticulture Building, north side&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Minnesota Department of Commerce, Energy - Education Building, south wall&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Minnesota Department of Corrections - Education, south center aisle&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Minnesota Department of Education - Education, southwest corner&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Minnesota Department of Public Safety - Education, south aisle&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Minnesota Department of Revenue - Education, south aisle&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Minnesota Department of Natural Resources - Department of Natural Resources Building, between Carnes &amp;amp; Judson avenues &amp;amp; Clough &amp;amp; Nelson streets&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs - Education, just inside the main entrance&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Minnesota Department of Transportation - West side of Cosgrove street between Wright &amp;amp; Dan Patch avenues&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Related Booths&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Disabled American Veterans of Minnesota - Education Building, center&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions - Education Building, southeast&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Lions Vision, Diabetes and Hearing Center - Education, center aisle&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Your Ears Rock - At the North End, west section&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>538583</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-08-24T12:48:42Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Captioning of Campaign Advertisements</Title><title>2022-08-19-captioning-campaign-ads</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-538366&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-08-19T22:43:45Z</Date><ShortDescription>On August 19, 2022, the Commission sent a letter reminding state-level candidates who signed the public subsidy agreement about the requirements to caption their campaign ads (Minnesota Statutes 10A.38).</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Benefiting deaf, deafblind &amp; hard of hearing voters</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dear Candidate,&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As the General Election approaches, the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing would like to remind you of the legal requirements to make your campaign videos and radio ads accessible to the 20% of the electorate with varying degrees of hearing loss. Nearly two-thirds of the elderly population are in this demographic.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Not only is it law, but it will also allow candidates, such as yourself, to increase the number of voters who will access and understand your advertisements.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/10A.38&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(2, 120, 178); word-break: break-word; hyphens: none;&quot;&gt;Minnesota Statutes 10A.38&lt;/a&gt; requires legislative candidates who agree to spending limits to make their ads accessible as follows:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 1.1; color: rgb(0, 56, 101); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Broadcast or cable campaign ads&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“A campaign advertisement that is disseminated as an advertisement by broadcast or cable television must include closed captioning for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers unless the candidate has filed with the board before the advertisement is disseminated a statement setting forth the reasons for not doing so.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 1.1; color: rgb(0, 56, 101); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ads on a candidate’s website&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“A campaign advertisement that is disseminated as an advertisement to the public on the candidate&apos;s Web site must include closed captioning for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers, unless the candidate has posted on the Web site a transcript of the spoken content of the advertisement or the candidate has filed with the board before the advertisement is disseminated a statement setting forth the reasons for not doing so.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 1.1; color: rgb(0, 56, 101); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Radio ads&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“A campaign advertisement must not be disseminated as an advertisement by radio unless the candidate has posted on the candidate&apos;s Web site a transcript of the spoken content of the advertisement or the candidate has filed with the board before the advertisement is disseminated a statement setting forth the reasons for not doing so.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can find more information and resources for making your ads accessible on our website at &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/get-involved/voting/candidate-campaign-ad-captioning/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(2, 120, 178); word-break: break-word; hyphens: none;&quot;&gt;Candidate Campaign Ads: Captioning is the Law&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please let us at the Commission know if you have questions or need additional information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our email address is &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(2, 120, 178); word-break: break-word; hyphens: none;&quot;&gt;mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Taking this step will demonstrate that you want to communicate with this demographic group. Not surprisingly, deaf and hard of hearing individuals have told us that they have an improved perception of the candidates who have captioned campaign advertisements and are more inclined to vote for these candidates.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you in advance for making your campaign messages accessible to Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sincerely,&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Darlene G. Zangara, Ph.D.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Executive Director&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>538366</id><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-08-19T22:46:14Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Hard of Hearing Panel Discussion: Live Recording Available</Title><title>2022-08-18-hh-panel-discussion-live-recording-available</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-538181&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-08-18T23:48:57Z</Date><ShortDescription>With panelists Sophia Barr, Jen Edwards, Monique Hammond, Shaun Riffe, and Mark Zangara.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Moderated by Andrea Riffe and Keenan Gao</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On August 4, 2022, the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) hosted a panel discussion with the following individuals who are hard of hearing. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sophia Barr, a graduate student studying rehabilitation counseling and also works two jobs; one at MN Hands &amp;amp; Voices and one at Arch.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jen Edwards, an individual who has worked for U.S. Bank in Public Finance for the past 28 years.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Monique Hammond, a registered pharmacist, a public speaker and educator, and an advocate for hearing loops, telecoils, and other assistive technologies.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Shaun Riffe, a veteran who continues to serve veterans as a development officer at MACV, which works on ending veteran homelessness.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mark Zangara, a licensed professional counselor and American Sign Language (ASL) teacher at Prior Lake High School.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The panel was moderated by Andrea Riffe, hard of hearing specialist, and Keenan Gao, outreach &amp;amp; civic engagement specialist. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission thanks the panelists and moderators for their participation in this recording. We also thank the interpreters and CART provider for their work. Last, but not least, we thank the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD) for sharing information about the services they provide at the beginning of the panel.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Authentic diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) includes hard of hearing individuals.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Access the recording!&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/BGzaUtb0nDg&quot; title=&quot;hard of hearing panel discussion live recording&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Access the descriptive transcript&lt;/h2&gt;
The almost 90-minute recording yielded a 25-page descriptive transcript. Check it out! &lt;a href=&quot;https://docs.google.com/document/d/1N36xZWkB5D2gazpKNsMI2gsekaTxaxpWHxIKGH5mGe8/edit?usp=sharing&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Access the full descriptive transcript.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>538181</id><Tag><Description/><Title>hard of hearing</Title><Id>536211</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-08-18T23:53:43Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Serving as an Election Judge Panel Discussion</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Outline of the Minnesota State Capitol with MNCDHH logo and text, &quot;Election Judge Panel Discussion. Special guest appearance from Steve Simon, Minnesota Secretary of State. Moderated by Jessalyn Akerman-Frank with panelists Emory K. Dively, Karla Sand, Kelsey Dahl, and Lilly Steinbruckner.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Election%20Judge%20Panel-850_tcm1063-538039.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-08-17-election-judge-panel-discussion</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-538030&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-08-17T19:12:23Z</Date><ShortDescription>Moderated by Jessalyn Akerman-Frank with panelists Emory K. Dively, Karla Sand, Kelsey Dahl, and Lilly Steinbruckner.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>with special guest Steve Simon, Minnesota Secretary of State</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Did you know Minnesota has deaf and hard of hearing election judges? We do! Please join MNCDHH for an evening with a few of the individuals who have served as election judges. They will share their experiences with the process and accessibility. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Steve Simon, Minnesota Secretary of State, will join us at 7:00 pm and share information on the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State&apos;s endorsement of inclusion for election judges who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There will be a Q&amp;amp;A at the end. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Moderated by Jessalyn Akerman-Frank, director of community and civic engagement at MNCDHH. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Intended audience&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anyone, including Minnesota&apos;s deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing community, who is interested in learning more about serving as an election judge in Minnesota. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Monday, August 22, 2022, from 6:00 - 7:30 pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and CART provided. For additional accommodations, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register to attend (or just show up a few minutes before the webinar begins).&lt;/p&gt;
Calling in via phone is an option if preferred. Please register to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation via email. The confirmation will include information on how to call in by phone. &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYoduCgrTotG9M_5df3SJM8gJKfqlizGrPk&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Register today!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Steve Simon, Minnesota Secretary of State&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/steve-simon-official-portrait-fb2_tcm1063-538031.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Steve Simon MN Secretary of State&quot; alt=&quot;Steve Simon MN Secretary of State&quot; style=&quot;width: 180px; height: 180px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Steve Simon MN Secretary of State&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Steve Simon is Minnesota’s 22nd Secretary of State. He was sworn into office on January 5, 2015, and as Minnesota’s chief elections administrator pledged in his inaugural address to “work with anyone, of any political affiliation, from any part of our state” to protect, defend, and strengthen the right to vote in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As Secretary of State, he partners with township, city, and county officials to organize elections on behalf of Minnesota’s nearly four million eligible voters, and to ensure that the election system is fair.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the panelists&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/MNCDHH_Headshot-34_tcm1063-538035.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Emory K Dively&quot; alt=&quot;Emory K Dively&quot; style=&quot;width: 180px; height: 180px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Emory K Dively&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Emory K. Dively&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Emory Kevin is the current co-pastor of Deaf Life Church, serving a DeafBlind congregation, and communities in St. Paul, Faribault, and Rochester since 1997. He has served as an election judge for Ramsey County in the past. He also serves as a treasurer for both the Minnesota DeafBlind Association (MDBA) and Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens (MADC). Emory is a former MADC president. He is also the president of the World Deaf Assemblies of God Fellowship. Mark Ritchie, then Minnesota Secretary of State, awarded Emory with the 2009 National Association of Secretaries of State Medallion Award for his enthusiastic work on voting and civic engagement. Emory has traveled internationally to over 27 countries. His favorite things about traveling are trying new food, learning different signed languages, and making new friends. Emory and his wife have four grandchildren.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_1427_tcm1063-538032.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Kelsey Dahl&quot; alt=&quot;Kelsey Dahl&quot; style=&quot;width: 180px; height: 180px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Kelsey Dahl&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kelsey Dahl&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kelsey Dahl is a native Deaf Minnesotan, who grew up in Golden Valley and New Hope of Hennepin county. She currently lives in Athens township but Athens township doesn’t have a postal office; that’s why it’s been listed as Isanti in Isanti County since April 2016.  She is currently working for the State of Minnesota under Minnesota State-Operated Community Services (MSOCS) Direct care and community-based treatment in Washington County as Behavioral Modification Assistant part-time. Serving as Treasurer for MADC (Minnesota Association for Deaf Citizens) and Vice President for Charles Thompson Memorial Hall. Kelsey does a lot of volunteering work within in Deaf/Hard of hearing/DeafBlind community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/SilhouettePhotoPending%20v2_tcm1063-326864_tcm1063-538033.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Square Silhouette&quot; alt=&quot;Square Silhouette&quot; style=&quot;width: 180px; height: 180px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Square Silhouette&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Karla Sand&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Karla V. Sand is a retired human resource professional. In the past, she has served as a full-day election judge and currently serves as a half-day election judge. She has hearing loss and wears hearing aids as well as glasses. She is an active political advocate for seniors and people with disabilities. She is a member of Healthcare for All Minnesota, Gray Panthers MN, Elder Justice for All, Age-Friendly Ramsey County, and serves on several environmental issues committees.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_3115_tcm1063-538034.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Lilly Steinbruckner&quot; alt=&quot;Lilly Steinbruckner&quot; style=&quot;width: 180px; height: 180px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Lilly Steinbruckner&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lilly Steinbruckner&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Phillina Lilly Steinbruckner was born and raised in Minnesota. She graduated from Minnesota North Star Academy (currently Metro Deaf School). During this time, Lilly joined junior and senior students traveling to Paris, where she learned about their food, culture, and people. It gave her a rich experience to understand diversity. Lilly attended Minneapolis Community and Technical College for Liberal Arts in Political Science and she also completed Certified Massage Therapy from Aveda Institute of Minneapolis.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>538030</id><Tag><Description/><Title>citizen advocate</Title><Id>310308</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-08-17T20:03:12Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>In the News: Hearing aids to be made available without a prescription this fall</Title><title>2022-08-16-hearing-aids-to-be-made-avail-without-prescription</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-538367&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-08-17T02:37:49Z</Date><ShortDescription>By Rose Schmidt</ShortDescription><Subtitle>FOX 9</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission was quoted in this story about over-the-counter hearing aids, &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.fox9.com/news/hearing-aids-to-be-made-available-without-a-prescription-this-fall&quot;&gt;Hearing aids to be made available without a prescription this fall.&lt;/a&gt;&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;The Minnesota Commission for the Deaf, Deafblind and Hard of Hearing told FOX 9 in a statement, &quot;the Commission supports OTC hearing aids and believes this will increase access to hearing health care coverage for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss. We are thrilled that the FDA has finalized their rule.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;The commission told FOX 9 it hopes the FDA’s ruling also continues the trend of improved access to health care, including urging Medicare to cover the costs of hearing aids and expanded insurance coverage on hearing aids.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>538367</id><Tag><Description/><Title>accessible technology</Title><Id>310264</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>in the news</Title><Id>317336</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>hearing aids</Title><Id>310255</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-08-20T02:49:01Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Reminder! Tomorrow (Wednesday) is the Hard of Hearing Panel Discussion</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Text in header, &quot;Hard of Hearing Panel Discussion: Moderated by Andrea Riffe and Keenan Gao&quot; along with Andrea&apos;s and Keenan&apos;s headshots and MNCDHH&apos;s logo.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/HH%20Panel%20850_tcm1063-534499.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-08-02-reminder-tomorrow-hh-panel-discussion</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-536249&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-08-02T13:54:32Z</Date><ShortDescription>With panelists Sophia Barr, Jen Edwards, Monique Hammond, Shaun Riffe, and Mark Zangara.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Moderated by Andrea Riffe &amp; Keenan Gao</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In this panel discussion, panelists will share their journey with hearing loss and provide an overview of barriers they experience and the accommodations they prefer for various situations. Panelists will also describe systemic changes they would like to see in the future regarding employment, human services, and communication access. Authentic Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) includes people who are hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Moderated by Andrea Riffe and Keenan Gao.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Services, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD) will briefly discuss the services they provide, including mental health services, providing information and resources, advocating for and navigating communication access needs, and finding appropriate assistive technology.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Intended audience&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State of Minnesota employees, hiring entities, and anyone who is interested in learning more about life experience for individuals who are hard of hearing, either from early childhood or as they age.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Wednesday, August 3, 2022 from 6:00 - 7:30 pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and CART provided.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register to attend (or just show up a few minutes before the webinar begins).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Calling in via phone is an option if preferred. Please register to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation via email. The confirmation will include information on how to call in by phone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUtcO2rrzIiE9SWwJ7qdLOV1cYLVwQqBUc6&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Register today!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the panelists&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/sophia-barr-square_tcm1063-534502.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Sophia Barr headshot&quot; alt=&quot;Sophia Barr headshot&quot; style=&quot;width: 150px; height: 150px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Sophia Barr headshot&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sophia Barr&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sophia Barr is a graduate student studying rehabilitation counseling. She was diagnosed at the age of three. she is profoundly deaf in her right ear and has a severe hearing loss in her left ear. She moved from Wisconsin to Minnesota in 2018. Her day job role is administrator assistant and deaf and hard of hearing guide at MN Hands and Voices and her evening job is quality inspector at Arch. Sophia enjoys spending her free time hiking with her dog, traveling, painting, kayaking, and spending time with friends and family.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Jen-Edwards-Square_tcm1063-534503.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Jen Edwards headshot&quot; alt=&quot;Jen Edwards headshot&quot; style=&quot;width: 150px; height: 150px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Jen Edwards headshot&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jen Edwards&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jen is 49 years old. She was born in New York and moved to Minnesota at age four. She currently lives in Rosemount with her husband, 17-year-old daughter (who is also hard of hearing), and their two dogs. She has worked for U.S. Bank in Public Finance for the past 28 years, and she loves her job. She enjoys spending time with her family, playing with her dogs, volunteering for Minnesota Basset Rescue, and hanging out with friends.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Monique-Hammond-Square_tcm1063-534512.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Monique Hammond headshot&quot; alt=&quot;Monique Hammond headshot&quot; style=&quot;width: 150px; height: 150px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Monique Hammond headshot&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Monique Hammond&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Monique Hammond is a registered pharmacist. She graduated with high distinction from the University of Minnesota, College of Pharmacy. She describes herself as hard-of-hearing. Monique entered the World of Hearing Loss when she suddenly went deaf in her left ear in a matter of 4 hours. This life-changing experience contributed to the premature end of her hospital pharmacy job. Her life mission is to “Keep People of All Ages Hearing Better and Longer.” Monique is a public speaker and educator. She focuses especially on Noise-induced Hearing Loss Prevention. As Vice President of Loop Minnesota, Monique advocates for equitable access to communication for those with hearing loss. She educates on hearing loops and telecoils as well as on other assistive technologies. She is a member and Past President of HLAA TC and served two terms with the MNCDHH. Read her blogs on her website &lt;a href=&quot;https://hearing-loss-talk.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;hearing-loss-talk.com&lt;/a&gt; and at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.loopminnesota.org&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;loopminnesota.org&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Shaun-Riffe-Square_tcm1063-534513.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Shaun Riffe headshot&quot; alt=&quot;Shaun Riffe headshot&quot; style=&quot;width: 150px; height: 150px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Shaun Riffe headshot&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shaun Riffe&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shaun Riffe grew up in North Dakota and currently lives in St. Paul, MN with his wife Andrea and youngest son Asher. Shaun enjoys photography, camping, brewing beer, and traveling with his family. Shaun and his wife are active foster parents and advocates for system improvements to child protection services. Shaun served for 25 years in the Army serving both enlisted and as an Engineering Officer. After his active-duty service, Shaun started a hauling business with a focus on employing Veterans. Shaun continues to serve Veterans as a Development Officer at MACV. Shaun finds value in his unique opportunity to share a Veteran’s story and connecting his community to supporting Veterans issues. He is also an active member of his local VFW.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Mark-Zangara-Square_tcm1063-534514.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Mark Zangara&quot; alt=&quot;Mark Zangara&quot; style=&quot;width: 150px; height: 150px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Mark Zangara&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mark Zangara&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mark learned ASL as an undergraduate and continued to Gallaudet blending his ASL and psychology degree into a Masters in Counseling for the Deaf. He has been a Licensed Professional Counselor since his graduation. He worked at the School for the Deaf in Ohio as their mental health counselor for 14 years. Since moving to Minnesota, Mark has been teaching American Sign Language &amp;amp; Deaf culture at the High School level. His wife of 32 years and her family are Deaf, so he signs all the time. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>536249</id><Tag><Description/><Title>hard of hearing</Title><Id>536211</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-08-02T14:01:13Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>DeafBlind Panel Discussion: Live Recording Available</Title><title>2022-07-26-deafblind-panel-discussion-live-recording</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-535796&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-07-26T18:51:51Z</Date><ShortDescription>Featuring Jon L., Erin Bradford, Lolly Lijewski, Kaitlyn Mielke, and Patrick Vellia. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Includes a Q&amp;A resource</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On May 24, 2022, the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) hosted a panel discussion with DeafBlind individuals from all walks of life. Deafblindness is a spectrum; no two individuals have the same life experiences. Whether you attended the original panel or if you are watching the recording for the first time, you will learn more about communication strategies, technologies, and the panelists&apos; ideas on improving overall quality of life. Authentic diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) includes DeafBlind individuals.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission thanks the panelists and moderators for their participation in this recording. We also thank the interpreters and CART provider for their work.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The panelists were&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jon L., a DeafBlind young adult with Usher syndrome.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Erin Bradford, a DeafBlind librarian who grew up hard of hearing before becoming legally blind as an adult.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Lolly Lijewski, a human services professional who was born with a congenital eye disease, and has recently acquired moderate hearing loss.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kaitlyn Mielke, a DeafBlind writer, performing arts and theater accessibility consultant, and Commission communications specialist. (moderator and panelist)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Patrick Vellia, a DeafBlind catering cook, web developer, nonprofit cofounder, and Commission outreach &amp;amp; civic engagement specialist. (moderator and panelist)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Access the recording!&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/UK-TQfcVzEw&quot; title=&quot;DeafBlind Panel Discussion Live Recording&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Access the descriptive transcript.&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The two-hour recording yielded a 52-page descriptive transcript. Check it out!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BfGV_pTgXiKO62aQ_JYD92ujDc668Hw87GSQZ_cYkbA/edit?usp=sharing&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Access the full descriptive transcript&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Access the answers to questions sent by audience members during recording.&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The audience had a lot of great questions. Unfortunately, we did not have time to answer them all. Here are the answers to questions submitted by the audience.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UX4m9jLJX3YuYuOuGyl40IXApV4y7yJD6DRx2rTuE-M/edit?usp=sharing&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Access the Q&amp;amp;A&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>535796</id><Tag><Description/><Title>deafblind</Title><Id>499876</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-07-26T19:04:24Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Hard of Hearing Panel Discussion</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Text in header, &quot;Hard of Hearing Panel Discussion: Moderated by Andrea Riffe and Keenan Gao&quot; along with Andrea&apos;s and Keenan&apos;s headshots and MNCDHH&apos;s logo.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/HH%20Panel%20850_tcm1063-534499.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-07-21-hard-of-hearing-panel</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-534500&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-07-21T14:29:55Z</Date><ShortDescription>With panelists Sophia Barr, Jen Edwards, Monique Hammond, Shaun Riffe, and Mark Zangara.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Moderated by Andrea Riffe &amp; Keenan Gao</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In this panel discussion, panelists will share their journey with hearing loss and provide an overview of barriers they experience and the accommodations they prefer for various situations. Panelists will also describe systemic changes they would like to see in the future regarding employment, human services, and communication access. Authentic Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) includes people who are hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Moderated by Andrea Riffe and Keenan Gao.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Services, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD) will briefly discuss the services they provide, including mental health services, providing information and resources, advocating for and navigating communication access needs, and finding appropriate assistive technology.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Intended audience&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State of Minnesota employees, hiring entities, and anyone who is interested in learning more about life experience for individuals who are hard of hearing, either from early childhood or as they age.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Wednesday, August 3, 2022 from 6:00 - 7:30 pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and CART provided. For additional accommodations, please email at least 5 business days in advance.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register to attend (or just show up a few minutes before the webinar begins).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Calling in via phone is an option if preferred. Please register to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation via email. The confirmation will include information on how to call in by phone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUtcO2rrzIiE9SWwJ7qdLOV1cYLVwQqBUc6&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Register today!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the panelists&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/sophia-barr-square_tcm1063-534502.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Sophia Barr headshot&quot; alt=&quot;Sophia Barr headshot&quot; style=&quot;width: 150px; height: 150px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Sophia Barr headshot&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sophia Barr&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sophia Barr is a graduate student studying rehabilitation counseling. She was diagnosed at the age of three. she is profoundly deaf in her right ear and has a severe hearing loss in her left ear. She moved from Wisconsin to Minnesota in 2018. Her day job role is administrator assistant and deaf and hard of hearing guide at MN Hands and Voices and her evening job is quality inspector at Arch. Sophia enjoys spending her free time hiking with her dog, traveling, painting, kayaking, and spending time with friends and family.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Jen-Edwards-Square_tcm1063-534503.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Jen Edwards headshot&quot; alt=&quot;Jen Edwards headshot&quot; style=&quot;width: 150px; height: 150px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Jen Edwards headshot&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jen Edwards&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jen is 49 years old. She was born in New York and moved to Minnesota at age four. She currently lives in Rosemount with her husband, 17-year-old daughter (who is also hard of hearing), and their two dogs. She has worked for U.S. Bank in Public Finance for the past 28 years, and she loves her job. She enjoys spending time with her family, playing with her dogs, volunteering for Minnesota Basset Rescue, and hanging out with friends.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Monique-Hammond-Square_tcm1063-534512.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Monique Hammond headshot&quot; alt=&quot;Monique Hammond headshot&quot; style=&quot;width: 150px; height: 150px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Monique Hammond headshot&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Monique Hammond&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Monique Hammond is a registered pharmacist. She graduated with high distinction from the University of Minnesota, College of Pharmacy. She describes herself as hard-of-hearing. Monique entered the World of Hearing Loss when she suddenly went deaf in her left ear in a matter of 4 hours. This life-changing experience contributed to the premature end of her hospital pharmacy job. Her life mission is to “Keep People of All Ages Hearing Better and Longer.” Monique is a public speaker and educator. She focuses especially on Noise-induced Hearing Loss Prevention. As Vice President of Loop Minnesota, Monique advocates for equitable access to communication for those with hearing loss. She educates on hearing loops and telecoils as well as on other assistive technologies. She is a member and Past President of HLAA TC and served two terms with the MNCDHH. Read her blogs on her website &lt;a href=&quot;https://hearing-loss-talk.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;hearing-loss-talk.com&lt;/a&gt; and at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.loopminnesota.org&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;loopminnesota.org&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Shaun-Riffe-Square_tcm1063-534513.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Shaun Riffe headshot&quot; alt=&quot;Shaun Riffe headshot&quot; style=&quot;width: 150px; height: 150px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Shaun Riffe headshot&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shaun Riffe&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shaun Riffe grew up in North Dakota and currently lives in St. Paul, MN with his wife Andrea and youngest son Asher. Shaun enjoys photography, camping, brewing beer, and traveling with his family. Shaun and his wife are active foster parents and advocates for system improvements to child protection services. Shaun served for 25 years in the Army serving both enlisted and as an Engineering Officer. After his active-duty service, Shaun started a hauling business with a focus on employing Veterans. Shaun continues to serve Veterans as a Development Officer at MACV. Shaun finds value in his unique opportunity to share a Veteran’s story and connecting his community to supporting Veterans issues. He is also an active member of his local VFW.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Mark-Zangara-Square_tcm1063-534514.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Mark Zangara&quot; alt=&quot;Mark Zangara&quot; style=&quot;width: 150px; height: 150px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Mark Zangara&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mark Zangara&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mark learned ASL as an undergraduate and continued to Gallaudet blending his ASL and psychology degree into a Masters in Counseling for the Deaf. He has been a Licensed Professional Counselor since his graduation. He worked at the School for the Deaf in Ohio as their mental health counselor for 14 years. Since moving to Minnesota, Mark has been teaching American Sign Language &amp;amp; Deaf culture at the High School level. His wife of 32 years and her family are Deaf, so he signs all the time. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>534500</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>hard of hearing</Title><Id>536211</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-03-01T16:46:31Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Happening this Thursday! Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing LGBTQ+ Panel Discussion</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A rainbow with multi-colored marble effect along with Jer and Lilly&apos;s headshots and the text, &quot;LGBTQ+ Panel Discussion, Moderated by Lilly Steinbruckner &amp; Jer Loudenback&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/lgbtq-plus-panel-discussion-header-850_tcm1063-531933.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-07-12-happening-this-thursday-lgbtqplus-panel-discussion</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-533771&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-07-12T16:40:16Z</Date><ShortDescription>Panelists are Alicia Lane-Outlaw, Anna Dudda, Cookie J Brand, Eric Van Dam, and Riss Leitzke.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Moderated by Jer Loudenback and Lilly Steinbruckner</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Come and attend a panel on Minnesota&apos;s LGBTQ+ community members who also happen to be deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. Panelists will cover their personal identity journey and their quest for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA). Audience members will have an opportunity to ask questions. Moderated by Lilly Steinbruckner and Jer Loudenback, MNCDHH outreach &amp;amp; civic engagement specialists.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Services, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD) will briefly discuss the services they provide, including mental health services with LGBTQI+ allied therapists, providing information and resources, advocating for and navigating communication access needs, and finding appropriate assistive technology.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Resources from community organizations will also be shared.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Intended audience&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State of Minnesota employees, hiring entities, and anyone who is interested in learning more about LGBTQ+ in the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thursday, July 14, 2022 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Panelists will present in either American Sign Language or English voicing. ASL interpreters and CART provided.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register to attend (or just show up a few minutes before the webinar begins).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Calling in via phone is an option if preferred. Please register to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation via email. The confirmation will include information on how to call in by phone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEvdu6gqzwjE9FaqVPfFJ8F8KUcL3BRyXhX&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Register today!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the panelists&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Alicia%20Lane-Outlaw%20%28Directory%29_tcm1063-509069_tcm1063-531939.jpg&quot; title=&quot;ALO-thumbnail&quot; alt=&quot;ALO-thumbnail&quot; style=&quot;width: 150px; height: 150px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;ALO-thumbnail&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alicia Lane-Outlaw&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As government relations director for the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing, Alicia Lane-Outlaw advocates for systemic change through Minnesota’s legislation and public policy. She has been public about her identity since 2002, and in 2006 she married another woman. They are now raising the daughter they conceived in 2008. Alicia has also served on boards such as the National Association of the Deaf and the Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens, often with no or only one other person openly identifying as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Anna_Dudda_headshot_tcm1063-531937.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Anna_Dudda_headshot&quot; alt=&quot;Anna_Dudda_headshot&quot; style=&quot;width: 150px; height: 150px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Anna_Dudda_headshot&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anna Dudda&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anna Dudda is a Deaf transgender immigrant from Germany. She grew up in the Twin Cities area, and currently lives in Saint Paul, MN. She works as a Grants Manager at ASLIS and enjoys advocating for the rights of marginalized communities through systemic change. She has spoken on a variety of topics, such as disability inclusion, LGBT+ experiences, and a discussion of anthropology in science fiction. For fun, she reads science fiction and putters in the garden.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/cookie-j-brand_tcm1063-531936.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Cookie J Brand&quot; alt=&quot;Cookie J Brand&quot; style=&quot;width: 150px; height: 150px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Cookie J Brand&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cookie J. Brand&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cookie J. Brand (she/her) is a BlackDeaf Pansexual woman who was born and raised in Aurora, IL. After graduating from the Illinois School for the Deaf, Cookie went on to Gallaudet and earned her Psychology degree. Cookie is also a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer where she taught deaf children in Kenya, East Africa for two years. After establishing a support group for deaf Kenyan girls; Cookie found a love for supporting people as whole persons.   Cookie had always questioned her sexuality for several years and after her divorce, she discovered her identity. Currently, Cookie is a mother,  a school counselor, a still-life photographer and president of the St. Paul &amp;amp; Minneapolis Black Deaf Advocates. Since officially coming out in 2020, she has felt intuned with her true self. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/eric-van-dam_tcm1063-531935.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Eric Van Dam&quot; alt=&quot;Eric Van Dam&quot; style=&quot;width: 150px; height: 150px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Eric Van Dam&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Eric Van Dam&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Eric is a 29 year old Deaf trans masculine person (they/them) with other &quot;invisible&quot; disabilities. They have attended Rochester Institute of Technology (in NY) for biochemistry and are currently enrolled at the University of Minnesota, studying Family Social Sciences with a goal of social work licensure. They have worked in multiple industries, including science and healthcare, but primarily human services. They are joining this panel to convey their experiences as a Deaf trans person in the workforce.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/riss_tcm1063-531938.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Riss Leitzke&quot; alt=&quot;Riss Leitzke&quot; style=&quot;width: 150px; height: 150px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Riss Leitzke&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Riss Leitzke&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Riss Leitzke is a DeafBlind person and currently working at Wilderness Inquiry as a program coordinator. Riss’s pronouns are they/them/their. They love outdoor activities, photography, baking, hanging out with friends and family, and exploring places. They are passionate about connecting with people and nature - their goal is to break the barriers in the wilderness. Accessibility is their top priority for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind communities.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>533771</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-08-01T20:45:57Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing LGBTQ+ Panel Discussion</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A rainbow with multi-colored marble effect along with Jer and Lilly&apos;s headshots and the text, &quot;LGBTQ+ Panel Discussion, Moderated by Lilly Steinbruckner &amp; Jer Loudenback&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/lgbtq-plus-panel-discussion-header-850_tcm1063-531933.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-06-23-DDBHH-LGBTQ-plus-panel-discussion</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-531934&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-06-23T21:12:53Z</Date><ShortDescription>Happening on Thursday, July 14, 2022.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Moderated by Jer Loudenback and Lilly Steinbruckner</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Come and attend a panel on Minnesota&apos;s LGBTQ+ community members who also happen to be deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. Panelists will cover their personal identity journey and their quest for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA). Audience members will have an opportunity to ask questions. Moderated by Lilly Steinbruckner and Jer Loudenback, MNCDHH outreach &amp;amp; civic engagement specialists.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Services, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD) will briefly discuss the services they provide, including mental health services with LGBTQI+ allied therapists, providing information and resources, advocating for and navigating communication access needs, and finding appropriate assistive technology.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Resources from community organizations will also be shared.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Intended audience&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State of Minnesota employees, hiring entities, and anyone who is interested in learning more about LGBTQ+ in the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thursday, July 14, 2022 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Panelists will present in either American Sign Language or English voicing. ASL interpreters and CART provided. For additional accommodations, please email at least 5 business days in advance.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register to attend (or just show up a few minutes before the webinar begins).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Calling in via phone is an option if preferred. Please register to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation via email. The confirmation will include information on how to call in by phone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEvdu6gqzwjE9FaqVPfFJ8F8KUcL3BRyXhX&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Register today!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the panelists&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Alicia%20Lane-Outlaw%20%28Directory%29_tcm1063-509069_tcm1063-531939.jpg&quot; title=&quot;ALO-thumbnail&quot; alt=&quot;ALO-thumbnail&quot; style=&quot;width: 150px; height: 150px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;ALO-thumbnail&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alicia Lane-Outlaw&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As government relations director for the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing, Alicia Lane-Outlaw advocates for systemic change through Minnesota’s legislation and public policy. She has been public about her identity since 2002, and in 2006 she married another woman. They are now raising the daughter they conceived in 2008. Alicia has also served on boards such as the National Association of the Deaf and the Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens, often with no or only one other person openly identifying as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Anna_Dudda_headshot_tcm1063-531937.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Anna_Dudda_headshot&quot; alt=&quot;Anna_Dudda_headshot&quot; style=&quot;width: 150px; height: 150px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Anna_Dudda_headshot&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anna Dudda&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anna Dudda is a Deaf transgender immigrant from Germany. She grew up in the Twin Cities area, and currently lives in Saint Paul, MN. She works as a Grants Manager at ASLIS and enjoys advocating for the rights of marginalized communities through systemic change. She has spoken on a variety of topics, such as disability inclusion, LGBT+ experiences, and a discussion of anthropology in science fiction. For fun, she reads science fiction and putters in the garden.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/cookie-j-brand_tcm1063-531936.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Cookie J Brand&quot; alt=&quot;Cookie J Brand&quot; style=&quot;width: 150px; height: 150px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Cookie J Brand&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cookie J. Brand&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cookie J. Brand (she/her) is a BlackDeaf Pansexual woman who was born and raised in Aurora, IL. After graduating from the Illinois School for the Deaf, Cookie went on to Gallaudet and earned her Psychology degree. Cookie is also a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer where she taught deaf children in Kenya, East Africa for two years. After establishing a support group for deaf Kenyan girls; Cookie found a love for supporting people as whole persons.   Cookie had always questioned her sexuality for several years and after her divorce, she discovered her identity. Currently, Cookie is a mother,  a school counselor, a still-life photographer and president of the St. Paul &amp;amp; Minneapolis Black Deaf Advocates. Since officially coming out in 2020, she has felt intuned with her true self. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/eric-van-dam_tcm1063-531935.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Eric Van Dam&quot; alt=&quot;Eric Van Dam&quot; style=&quot;width: 150px; height: 150px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Eric Van Dam&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Eric Van Dam&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Eric is a 29 year old Deaf trans masculine person (they/them) with other &quot;invisible&quot; disabilities. They have attended Rochester Institute of Technology (in NY) for biochemistry and are currently enrolled at the University of Minnesota, studying Family Social Sciences with a goal of social work licensure. They have worked in multiple industries, including science and healthcare, but primarily human services. They are joining this panel to convey their experiences as a Deaf trans person in the workforce.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/riss_tcm1063-531938.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Riss Leitzke&quot; alt=&quot;Riss Leitzke&quot; style=&quot;width: 150px; height: 150px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Riss Leitzke&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Riss Leitzke&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Riss Leitzke is a DeafBlind person and currently working at Wilderness Inquiry as a program coordinator. Riss’s pronouns are they/them/their. They love outdoor activities, photography, baking, hanging out with friends and family, and exploring places. They are passionate about connecting with people and nature - their goal is to break the barriers in the wilderness. Accessibility is their top priority for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind communities.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>531934</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-03-01T16:47:07Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2022 Primary Elections</Title><title>2022-06-22-primary-elections</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-531823&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-06-22T21:05:12Z</Date><ShortDescription>Through a primary election, voters choose which candidates will be on the ballot in the upcoming general election. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Election Day is August 9th, early voting begins June 24th</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/lqB8H0XdPIs&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/oYU0E9kohOQ&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about the 2022 Primary Elections in Minnesota&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The primary elections are coming up soon. A primary election determines which candidates will be on the ballot in the November general election.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For example, five candidates from one political party might run for governor. Only one candidate can be on the ballot in November. The winner of the August primary election will represent their party on the November election ballot.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There may be two kinds of offices on your primary ballot: partisan offices and nonpartisan offices.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Partisan offices&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Partisan offices will list a political party next to a candidate’s name on the ballot. All state and federal offices—such as U.S. representative or Minnesota senator—are partisan offices.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Partisan candidates will be listed in multiple columns on the primary ballot. Each column will list the candidates for one major party.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can only vote for candidates from one political party. If you vote for candidates from more than one political party, your votes will not count. You decide when you vote which one of the parties you will vote for—Minnesota does not have political party registration.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Nonpartisan offices&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Nonpartisan offices will not list a political party next to a candidate’s name on the ballot. For example, county, city, township, and school board offices are nonpartisan.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Nonpartisan offices will be listed on the back side of the primary ballot. You can vote for any candidate. The candidates who get the most votes will be on the November general election ballot.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When is Primary Election Day?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Primary Election Day is on Tuesday, August 9. Individuals may vote by mail or in-person between June 24 through August 8. Individuals can register in advance by July 19 to save time on Election Day.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For further information including registering in advance, please visit the website, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Elections-Voting&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:
&lt;br /&gt;
James Paul Beldon for ASL talent.
&lt;br /&gt;
Rita Van Der Puije for voiceover.
&lt;br /&gt;
Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>531823</id><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-06-22T21:13:36Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Saturday is the Last Day to Send Collaborative Experience Conference Proposals</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Conference theme text, &quot;Supporting the Whole Child: Reboot&quot; with the State of Minnesota logo, an image of a desktop with books, pencils, magnifying glass, and an apple, and the event title, &quot;2022 Collaborative Experience Conference for parents and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/2022-collaborative-experience-conference-header-850_tcm1063-525102.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-06-09-saturday-last-day-send-collaborative-experience-conference-proposals</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-530538&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-06-09T18:14:58Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Collaborative Experience Conference for parents and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing will take place, virtually, on November 3-5, 2022. The conference theme is &quot;Supporting the Whole Child: Reboot.&quot;</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Submit your proposal by Saturday, June 11, 2022</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The planning committee for the 2022 Collaborative Experience Conference invites you to submit a proposal to present at the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/collaborative-experience/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Collaborative Experience Conference&lt;/a&gt; for parents and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. The conference will take place, virtually, on November 3-5, 2022. The conference theme is &quot;Supporting the Whole Child: Reboot.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Topics&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Proposals are for workshops of approximately 60 minutes. We are searching for presenters on the following topics:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Accommodations, modification, and adaption of curriculum, material, and instruction&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Cultural Competency&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf/Hard of Hearing with diverse/multiple cultural and linguistic backgrounds&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf, Deafblind and hard of hearing with multiple disabilities&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;DeafBlind topics&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Educational interpreting&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;LGBTQIA+&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Positive Behavior Intervention&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Racial issues related to equity, racism, ableism, audism&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reading Preparation&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Specific workshops for parents&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Strategies/Resources for Mental Health needs for teachers&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Strategies/Resources for Mental Health needs for parents&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Strategies/Resources for Social-Emotional Supports/Development&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Suicide Prevention&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Selected presenters will receive complimentary admission to all general, breakout sessions, and networking opportunities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Submission guidelines&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The deadline to submit your proposal is Saturday, June 11, 2022.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Questions about the conference or proposals can be directed to Danelle Gournaris at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:danelle.gournaris@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;danelle.gournaris@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the Collaborative Experience&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The 2022 Collaborative Experience Conference is to be held virtually this year. It is the go-to event for professionals who work with deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing from early childhood to high school/transition seeking to advance their knowledge and practice through a range of online learning experiences designed to offer them the very latest research, practices, and teaching strategies. Parents of deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing children are encouraged to participate in this virtual conference.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6811954/2022-Collaborative-Experience-Conference-CALL-FOR-PROPOSALS&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Submit conference proposal&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>530538</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-06-09T18:20:02Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>DeafBlind Panel Discussion is Tonight</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Patrick and Kaitlyn&apos;s headshots along with MNCDHH&apos;s logo and the text, &quot;DeafBlind Panel Discussion, Moderated by Patrick Vellia and Kaitlyn Mielke&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/DeafBlind%20Panel%20Discussion%20850_tcm1063-526903.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-05-24-deafblind-panel-discussion-tonight</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-528786&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-05-24T20:43:08Z</Date><ShortDescription>Moderated by Kaitlyn Mielke and Patrick Vellia, along with panelists Jon L, Erin Bradford, and Lolly Lijewski.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Join us for a discussion on deafblindness and communication access</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Come and attend this panel discussion where panelists will each share information about daily living as a DeafBlind individual (no two stories are alike). There are challenges and barriers when it comes to communicating. The panelists will share how they communicate with people out in the community as well as what others can do when they meet a DeafBlind individual, often for the first time ever. If you work for a government agency on the state, county, and city level, our panelists have ideas on how to improve quality of life for your residents with dual hearing and vision loss. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Panelists&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The panelists are&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Jon L., a DeafBlind young adult with Usher syndrome. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Erin Bradford, a DeafBlind librarian who grew up hard of hearing before becoming legally blind as an adult. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Lolly Lijewski, a human services professional who was born with a congenital eye disease, and has recently acquired moderate hearing loss.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Kaitlyn Mielke, a DeafBlind writer, performing arts and theater accessibility consultant, and MNCDHH communications specialist. (moderator and panelist)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Patrick Vellia, a DeafBlind catering cook, web developer, nonprofit cofounder, and MNCDHH outreach &amp;amp; civic engagement specialist. (moderator and panelist)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Intended audience&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State of Minnesota employees and anyone who is interested in learning more about deafblindness.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tuesday, May 24, 2022 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm (CST).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Panelists will present in either American Sign Language or English voicing. ASL interpreters and CART provided.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register to attend (or just show up a few minutes before the webinar begins).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Calling in via phone is an option if preferred. Please register to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation via email. The confirmation will include information on how to call in by phone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMld-mhqjspHtbekpDEo3lXs-m94G5KipDd&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Register today!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>528786</id><Tag><Description/><Title>deafblind</Title><Id>499876</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-05-24T21:20:05Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Deadline Extended for Collaborative Experience Conference Proposals</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Conference theme text, &quot;Supporting the Whole Child: Reboot&quot; with the State of Minnesota logo, an image of a desktop with books, pencils, magnifying glass, and an apple, and the event title, &quot;2022 Collaborative Experience Conference for parents and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/2022-collaborative-experience-conference-header-850_tcm1063-525102.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-05-20-deadline-extended-collaborative-experience-conference-proposals</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-528555&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-05-20T11:48:51Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Collaborative Experience Conference for parents and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing will take place, virtually, on November 3-5, 2022. The conference theme is &quot;Supporting the Whole Child: Reboot.&quot;</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Send your presenter proposal by Saturday, June 11, 2022</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We know that teachers and school professionals are busy this time of the year, so we are extending the deadline to give presenters more time to submit their proposal! The new deadline for prospective presenters for the upcoming Collaborative Experience Conference is June 11, 2022. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/collaborative-experience/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Collaborative Experience Conference&lt;/a&gt; for parents and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing will take place, virtually, on November 3-5, 2022. The conference theme is &quot;Supporting the Whole Child: Reboot.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Topics&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Proposals are for workshops of approximately 60 minutes. We are searching for presenters on the following topics:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Accommodations, modification, and adaption of curriculum, material, and instruction&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Cultural Competency&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf/Hard of Hearing with diverse/multiple cultural and linguistic backgrounds&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf, Deafblind and hard of hearing with multiple disabilities&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;DeafBlind topics&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Educational interpreting&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;LGBTQIA+&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Positive Behavior Intervention&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Racial issues related to equity, racism, ableism, audism&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reading Preparation&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Specific workshops for parents&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Strategies/Resources for Mental Health needs for teachers&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Strategies/Resources for Mental Health needs for parents&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Strategies/Resources for Social-Emotional Supports/Development&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Suicide Prevention&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Selected presenters will receive complimentary admission to all general, breakout sessions, and networking opportunities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Submission guidelines&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The new deadline to submit your proposal is Saturday, June 11, 2022 (formerly May 21, 2022).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Questions about the conference or proposals can be directed to Danelle Gournaris at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:danelle.gournaris@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;danelle.gournaris@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the Collaborative Experience&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The 2022 Collaborative Experience Conference is to be held virtually this year. It is the go-to event for professionals who work with deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing from early childhood to high school/transition seeking to advance their knowledge and practice through a range of online learning experiences designed to offer them the very latest research, practices, and teaching strategies. Parents of deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing children are encouraged to participate in this virtual conference.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6811954/2022-Collaborative-Experience-Conference-CALL-FOR-PROPOSALS&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Submit conference proposal&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>528555</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-05-20T11:55:43Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>DeafBlind Panel Discussion: Five Days Away</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Patrick and Kaitlyn&apos;s headshots along with MNCDHH&apos;s logo and the text, &quot;DeafBlind Panel Discussion, Moderated by Patrick Vellia and Kaitlyn Mielke&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/DeafBlind%20Panel%20Discussion%20850_tcm1063-526903.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-05-19-deafblind-panel-five-days-away</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-528518&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-05-19T18:39:16Z</Date><ShortDescription>The panel will take place on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm (CST)</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Join us for a discussion on deafblindness and communication access</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Come and attend this panel discussion where panelists will each share information about daily living as a DeafBlind individual (no two stories are alike). There are challenges and barriers when it comes to communicating. The panelists will share how they communicate with people out in the community as well as what others can do when they meet a DeafBlind individual, often for the first time ever. If you work for a government agency on the state, county, and city level, our panelists have ideas on how to improve quality of life for your residents with dual hearing and vision loss. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Panelists&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The panelists are&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Jon L., a DeafBlind young adult with Usher syndrome. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Erin Bradford, a DeafBlind librarian who grew up hard of hearing before becoming legally blind as an adult. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Lolly Lijewski, a human services professional who was born with a congenital eye disease, and has recently acquired moderate hearing loss.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Kaitlyn Mielke, a DeafBlind writer, performing arts and theater accessibility consultant, and MNCDHH communications specialist. (moderator and panelist)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Patrick Vellia, a DeafBlind catering cook, web developer, nonprofit cofounder, and MNCDHH outreach &amp;amp; civic engagement specialist. (moderator and panelist)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Intended audience&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State of Minnesota employees and anyone who is interested in learning more about deafblindness.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tuesday, May 24, 2022 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm (CST).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Panelists will present in either American Sign Language or English voicing. ASL interpreters and CART provided. For additional accommodations, please email at least 5 business days in advance.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register to attend (or just show up a few minutes before the webinar begins).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Calling in via phone is an option if preferred. Please register to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation via email. The confirmation will include information on how to call in by phone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMld-mhqjspHtbekpDEo3lXs-m94G5KipDd&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Register today!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>528518</id><Tag><Description/><Title>deafblind</Title><Id>499876</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-03-01T16:47:36Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2022 State of the State Address with ASL and Captions</Title><title>2022-05-12-2022-state-of-the-state-address-with-asl-and-captions</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-527922&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-05-12T13:15:21Z</Date><ShortDescription>Address by Governor Tim Walz on April 24, 2022</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Where you can access the recording</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/1mqOOMuhzQU?start=925&quot; title=&quot;2022 State of the State Address with MN Governor Tim Walz with ASL and captions&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Did you watch the Governor&apos;s State of the State Address, which aired on Sunday, April 24, 2022? TPT NOW broadcasted it with ASL interpretation and captions. In case you missed it, or if you would like to watch the address again, click on the video above.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The full transcript of the address can be found at &lt;a href=&quot;https://mshale.com/2022/04/25/full-transcript-gov-walzs-remarks-state-state-address/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Full transcript of Gov. Walz’s remarks for his State of the State address.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>527922</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-05-12T13:50:24Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Ten Days Left to Propose Workshops for the 2022 Collaborative Experience Conference</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Conference theme text, &quot;Supporting the Whole Child: Reboot&quot; with the State of Minnesota logo, an image of a desktop with books, pencils, magnifying glass, and an apple, and the event title, &quot;2022 Collaborative Experience Conference for parents and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/2022-collaborative-experience-conference-header-850_tcm1063-525102.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-05-11-ten-days-left-to-propose-workshops</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-527902&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-05-11T19:20:50Z</Date><ShortDescription>Deadline to submit a presenter proposal is May 21, 2022</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Conference presenters will receive complimentary admission</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/collaborative-experience/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Collaborative Experience Conference&lt;/a&gt; for parents and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing will take place, virtually, on November 3-5, 2022. The conference theme is &quot;Supporting the Whole Child: Reboot.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Topics&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Proposals are for workshops of approximately 60 minutes. We are searching for presenters on the following topics:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Accommodations, modification, and adaption of curriculum, material, and instruction&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Cultural Competency&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf/Hard of Hearing with diverse/multiple cultural and linguistic backgrounds&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf, Deafblind and hard of hearing with multiple disabilities&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;DeafBlind topics&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Educational interpreting&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;LGBTQIA+&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Positive Behavior Intervention&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Racial issues related to equity, racism, ableism, audism&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reading Preparation&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Specific workshops for parents&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Strategies/Resources for Mental Health needs for teachers&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Strategies/Resources for Mental Health needs for parents&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Strategies/Resources for Social-Emotional Supports/Development&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Suicide Prevention&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Selected presenters will receive complimentary admission to all general, breakout sessions, and networking opportunities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Submission guidelines&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The deadline to submit your proposal is May 21, 2022.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Questions about the conference or proposals can be directed to Danelle Gournaris at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:danelle.gournaris@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;danelle.gournaris@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the Collaborative Experience&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The 2022 Collaborative Experience Conference is to be held virtually this year. It is the go-to event for professionals who work with deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing from early childhood to high school/transition seeking to advance their knowledge and practice through a range of online learning experiences designed to offer them the very latest research, practices, and teaching strategies. Parents of deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing children are encouraged to participate in this virtual conference.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6811954/2022-Collaborative-Experience-Conference-CALL-FOR-PROPOSALS&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Submit conference proposal&lt;/a&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>527902</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-05-11T19:21:02Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>April 27, 2022 Legislative Update</Title><title>2022-05-04-april-27-2022-legislative-updated</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-527171&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-05-04T22:51:05Z</Date><ShortDescription>In this update, we share information about bill status in regards to committee hearings and omnibus bills. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Includes information about committee hearings &amp; omnibus bills</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/1F4SMr0u7CE&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/S7L3Gvxge7s&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with the April 27, 2022 legislative update&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Every year, the legislature sets deadlines for all committees to finish looking at and discussing many small bills. Since this legislature&apos;s first meeting in 2021, over 4,000 bills have been introduced in the House, with most bills also having a companion bill in the Senate, for a total of over 8,000 bills.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The committees review those bills and decide which ones will move forward. They must make those decisions by specific deadlines each year. This year, the last deadline was April 8. Once this work is done, legislators go on a one-week break.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Now that legislators have returned from break, the committees are working on merging all those small bills into larger &quot;omnibus&quot; bills. These omnibus bills usually group bills by broad topics, such as Health and Human Services, E-12 Education, and so forth. Some smaller omnibus bills get merged into even bigger ones.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We have several bills that were successfully merged into omnibus bills. We are carefully tracking each of these omnibus bills, to make sure the parts we want are not deleted.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This year, the House and Senate omnibus bills are very different. This means the next phase is even more important: when omnibus bills are brought to “conference” committees. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These conference committees have members from both the House and Senate, and for each omnibus bill, they spend many hours negotiating which parts to merge into a final joint omnibus for the House and Senate to vote on. This work must be completed before the legislative session ends, no later than May 23, 2022.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We will be urging these conference committee members to keep the parts we want. Please keep an eye out for possible action alerts in the coming weeks.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alicia Lane-Outlaw, government relations director for MNCDHH, has been closely tracking the bills MNCDHH supports. Let’s discuss updates on each bill, as of April 27, 2022.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Interpreter Licensure Board (HF3144/SF4132)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This bill‘s goal was to establish an interpreter licensure board. The bill did not receive a hearing in either the House or Senate, which means it did not move forward this year. Advocates are interested in trying again next year.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Recruitment &amp;amp; Retention of State Employees with Disabilities (HF2017/SF1570)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This bill updates and clarifies Minnesota statutes on hiring and keeping state employees with disabilities. Currently, these proposed statutes are included in a House omnibus (HF4293) but did not receive a hearing in the Senate. Legislators will decide whether it stays in the final omnibus during conference committee.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;CDI in Classrooms (HF1408/SF2291)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This bill updates education law so that Certified Deaf Interpreters (CDIs) can be considered educational interpreters by the Minnesota Department of Education, which gives school district more funding options. MNCDHH testified in support and brought in additional testifiers to share their stories. Both House and Senate committees voted unanimously to advance the bill. Currently, this bill is included in the House E-12 Education omnibus (HF4300). Though the Senate committee ultimately did not include it in their education omnibus, MNCDHH will be urging conference committee members to include it in the final omnibus.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota State Academies Rental Income (HF3290/SF3303)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This bill will allow MSA to keep any rental income from land and living residences. MSA could earn an additional $3,000 per year from the land rental payments and possibly another $3,000 per year from leasing resident spaces when students are not present. MSA plans for the revenue to go towards staff professional development. These provisions are included in the House’s E-12 Education omnibus (HF4300). While it was not heard by a Senate committee, we will be urging conference committee members to include it in the final omnibus.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Metro Deaf School Enrollment Preference (HF3251/SF3534)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This bill protects Metro Deaf School’s ability to give preferential enrollment to students who have a primary disability of deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing. These proposed statutes are included in the House’s E-12 Education omnibus (HF4300). While the Senate did not include it in their education omnibus, the original bill itself was put on the Senate’s consent calendar, which is a short list of bills most likely to be passed. It is also on the House’s general register, which is like a “waiting list” for bills, so it has two possible paths: 1) be included in the education omnibus during conference committee, or 2) be passed on both the House and Senate floors as a standalone bill.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;IEP Process Accommodations for Parents (HF1362/SF1961)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This bill requires school districts to establish a process for providing reasonable accommodations for parents to participate in developing their child’s Individualized Education Program. The bill was heard by a House committee, but not by a Senate committee, and it has not been included in any omnibus bills. It is unlikely to pass this year. Bill authors and advocates are interested in trying again next year.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Closed Captioning in Public Places (HF1134/SF1136)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This bill expands the list of general prohibitions against disability discrimination to include the refusal to provide closed captioning in public places of accommodation. We would like to thank the following individuals for their in-person and written testimony in support of the bill:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Shaun Riffe, a veteran and advocate for veterans with service-related hearing loss,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Laura Hagemann, a person with hearing loss who also relies on captions because of a traumatic brain injury, and a representative of the Hearing Loss Association of America, Twin Cities Chapter,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;JaNahne McCready-Johnson and Neil Johnson, who are culturally Deaf and the original advocates for this bill,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Waymon Hudson, a community advocate who is late-deafened,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Barbara Schneider, a community advocate with age-related hearing loss and (acting) vice-president of the Hearing Loss Association of America, Twin Cities Chapter&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;and Sonny Wasilowski, a culturally Deaf community member.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Currently, this bill is included in a House omnibus bill (HF4608). While the bill was not heard by a Senate committee, we will be urging conference committee members to include it in the final omnibus.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Local Government Website Accessibility (HF35/SF0416)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This bill creates a website accessibility grant program for local governments, to be administered by the Minnesota Council on Disability. This bill, however, was not included in House or Senate omnibus bills. MNCDHH is following up with MCD on whether they will try again next year.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Disability Services Accessibility Task Force (HF3896/SF3705)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This bill establishes a task force on Disability Services Accessibility. The task force will evaluate the accessibility of current state and county disability services and create a plan to address any barriers. Currently, this bill is included in a House omnibus bill (HF4706). MNCDHH was able to amend the bill to ensure that deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing people are represented on the task force. While the bill was not heard by a Senate committee, we will be urging conference committee members to include it in the final omnibus.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Transit Driver Accessibility Training (HF3635/SF2910)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This bill will require training for transit operators, such as bus drivers, on how to assist passengers with disabilities. The training must cover what to do in circumstances with regular access as well as how to safety enter and exit the bus when there are barriers such as snow, ice, and other obstructions. This bill’s proposed statutes made it into both House and Senate omnibus bills (HF4293/SF3975), which means it is likely to pass.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Performing Art Spaces Accessibility (HF2579/SF2500)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This bill establishes a grant to improve accessibility for performing art spaces. MNCDHH verified with bill authors that the installation of hearing loops would be eligible under the grant. This bill, however, was not included in House or Senate omnibus bills. MNCDHH is reaching out to bill authors and advocates about the possibility of trying again next year.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ongoing legislative updates&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A lot can and will happen during these last days of session. Please subscribe to our newsletters or follow our website and social media to stay up to date with our updates. Find our information at &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;mn.gov/deaf-commission&lt;/a&gt;. If you would like to discuss any of the bills, please reach out to our government relations director, Alicia Lane-Outlaw, at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:alicia.lane-outlaw@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;alicia.lane-outlaw@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. Thank you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;James Paul Beldon for ASL talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rita Van Der Puije for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>527171</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>captioning</Title><Id>247356</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>looping</Title><Id>310267</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-05-04T23:35:18Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>DeafBlind Panel Discussion: Communicating Our Way</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Patrick and Kaitlyn&apos;s headshots along with MNCDHH&apos;s logo and the text, &quot;DeafBlind Panel Discussion, Moderated by Patrick Vellia and Kaitlyn Mielke&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/DeafBlind%20Panel%20Discussion%20850_tcm1063-526903.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-05-02-deafblind-panel-discussion</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-526905&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-05-02T19:31:32Z</Date><ShortDescription>Happening on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm (CST)</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Moderated by Kaitlyn Mielke and Patrick Vellia</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Come and attend this panel discussion where panelists will each share information about daily living as a DeafBlind individual (no two stories are alike). There are challenges and barriers when it comes to communicating. The panelists will share how they communicate with people out in the community as well as what others can do when they meet a DeafBlind individual, often for the first time ever. If you work for a government agency on the state, county, and city level, our panelists have ideas on how to improve quality of life for your residents with dual hearing and vision loss. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Panelists&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The panelists are&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Jon L., a DeafBlind young adult with Usher syndrome. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Hannah Furney, a DeafBlind recent college graduate who is searching for employment opportunities. Hannah’s degree is in advocacy, accessibility, and minority studies (individualized studies).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Erin Bradford, a DeafBlind librarian who grew up hard of hearing before becoming legally blind as an adult. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Lolly Lijewski, a human services professional who was born with a congenital eye disease, and has recently acquired moderate hearing loss.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Kaitlyn Mielke, a DeafBlind writer, performing arts and theater accessibility consultant, and MNCDHH communications specialist. (moderator and panelist)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Patrick Vellia, a DeafBlind catering cook, web developer, nonprofit cofounder, and MNCDHH outreach &amp;amp; civic engagement specialist. (moderator and panelist)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Intended audience&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State of Minnesota employees and anyone who is interested in learning more about deafblindness.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tuesday, May 24, 2022 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Panelists will present in either American Sign Language or English voicing. ASL interpreters and CART provided. For additional accommodations, please email at least 5 business days in advance.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register to attend (or just show up a few minutes before the webinar begins).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Calling in via phone is an option if preferred. Please register to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation via email. The confirmation will include information on how to call in by phone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMld-mhqjspHtbekpDEo3lXs-m94G5KipDd&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register today!&lt;/a&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>526905</id><Tag><Description/><Title>deafblind</Title><Id>499876</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-03-01T16:48:06Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Seeking Presenters for the 2022 Collaborative Experience Conference</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Conference theme text, &quot;Supporting the Whole Child: Reboot&quot; with the State of Minnesota logo, an image of a desktop with books, pencils, magnifying glass, and an apple, and the event title, &quot;2022 Collaborative Experience Conference for parents and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/2022-collaborative-experience-conference-header-850_tcm1063-525102.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-05-02-seeking-presenters-2022-collaborative-experience-conference</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-526855&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-05-02T16:00:26Z</Date><ShortDescription>Presenter proposals are due by May 21, 2022.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Conference presenters will receive complimentary admission</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/collaborative-experience/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Collaborative Experience Conference&lt;/a&gt; for parents and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing will take place, virtually, on November 3-5, 2022. The conference theme is &quot;Supporting the Whole Child: Reboot.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Topics&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Proposals are for workshops of approximately 60 minutes. We are searching for presenters on the following topics:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Accommodations, modification, and adaption of curriculum, material, and instruction&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Cultural Competency&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf/Hard of Hearing with diverse/multiple cultural and linguistic backgrounds&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf, Deafblind and hard of hearing with multiple disabilities&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;DeafBlind topics&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Educational interpreting&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;LGBTQIA+&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Positive Behavior Intervention&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Racial issues related to equity, racism, ableism, audism&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reading Preparation&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Specific workshops for parents&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Strategies/Resources for Mental Health needs for teachers&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Strategies/Resources for Mental Health needs for parents&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Strategies/Resources for Social-Emotional Supports/Development&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Suicide Prevention&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Selected presenters will receive complimentary admission to all general, breakout sessions, and networking opportunities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Submission guidelines&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The deadline to submit your proposal is May 21, 2022.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Questions about the conference or proposals can be directed to Danelle Gournaris at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:danelle.gournaris@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;danelle.gournaris@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the Collaborative Experience&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The 2022 Collaborative Experience Conference is to be held virtually this year. It is the go-to event for professionals who work with deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing from early childhood to high school/transition seeking to advance their knowledge and practice through a range of online learning experiences designed to offer them the very latest research, practices, and teaching strategies. Parents of deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing children are encouraged to participate in this virtual conference.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6811954/2022-Collaborative-Experience-Conference-CALL-FOR-PROPOSALS&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Submit conference proposal&lt;/a&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>526855</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-05-02T19:54:56Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Call for Presenters! 2022 Collaborative Experience Conference</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Conference theme text, &quot;Supporting the Whole Child: Reboot&quot; with the State of Minnesota logo, an image of a desktop with books, pencils, magnifying glass, and an apple, and the event title, &quot;2022 Collaborative Experience Conference for parents and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/2022-collaborative-experience-conference-header-850_tcm1063-525102.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-04-21-call-for-presenters-collaborative-experience</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-525796&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-04-21T15:04:47Z</Date><ShortDescription>Fifth biennial conference for parents and professionals who work with students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Deadline is May 21, 2022</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/collaborative-experience/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Collaborative Experience Conference&lt;/a&gt; for parents and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing will take place, virtually, on November 3-5, 2022. The conference theme is &quot;Supporting the Whole Child: Reboot.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Topics&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are searching for presenters on the following topics:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Accommodations, modification, and adaption of curriculum, material, and instruction&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Cultural Competency&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf/Hard of Hearing with diverse/multiple cultural and linguistic backgrounds&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf, Deafblind and hard of hearing with multiple disabilities&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;DeafBlind topics&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Educational interpreting&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;LGBTQIA+&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Positive Behavior Intervention&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Racial issues related to equity, racism, ableism, audism&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reading Preparation&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Specific workshops for parents&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Strategies/Resources for Mental Health needs for teachers&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Strategies/Resources for Mental Health needs for parents&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Strategies/Resources for Social-Emotional Supports/Development&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Suicide Prevention&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Submission guidelines&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The deadline to submit your proposal is May 21, 2022.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Questions about the conference or proposals can be directed to Danelle Gournaris at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:danelle.gournaris@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;danelle.gournaris@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Submit today!&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To submit your proposal, please go to: &lt;a href=&quot;https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6811954/2022-Collaborative-Experience-Conference-CALL-FOR-PROPOSALS&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Yes, I would like to submit a presenter proposal.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the Collaborative Experience&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The 2022 Collaborative Experience Conference is to be held virtually this year. It is the go-to event for professionals who work with deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing from early childhood to high school/transition seeking to advance their knowledge and practice through a range of online learning experiences designed to offer them the very latest research, practices, and teaching strategies. Parents of deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing children are encouraged to participate in this virtual conference.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>525796</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-04-21T21:51:32Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Save the Date! 2022 Collaborative Experience Conference</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Conference theme text, &quot;Supporting the Whole Child: Reboot&quot; with the State of Minnesota logo, an image of a desktop with books, pencils, magnifying glass, and an apple, and the event title, &quot;2022 Collaborative Experience Conference for parents and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/2022-collaborative-experience-conference-header-850_tcm1063-525102.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-04-13-save-the-date-collaborative-experience-conference</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-525121&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-04-13T19:00:48Z</Date><ShortDescription>Fifth biennial conference for parents and professionals who work with students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Fifth biennial conference happening November 3-5, 2022</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The stakeholders of the Collaborative Plan are pleased to ask you to save the date for the fifth biennial conference for parents and professionals who work with students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;November 3-5, 2022&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Theme&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Supporting the Whole Child: Reboot&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The conference will be a virtual experience. More details will be shared as soon as they are available. In the meantime, visit the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/collaborative-experience/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Collaborative Experience website&lt;/a&gt; to stay up to date.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>525121</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-04-13T19:03:22Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Governor Walz Recognizes Deaf History Month</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The State of Minnesota&apos;s seal with the text, &quot;State of Minnesota Proclamation&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Proclamation-header-850_tcm1063-472050.png</Url></Image><title>2022-04-01-deaf-history-month</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-523625&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-04-01T13:05:35Z</Date><ShortDescription>Celebrating the rich history of all communities within the larger community. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Deaf History Month is from April 1-30, 2022</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Happy Deaf History Month!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Starting this year (2022), National Deaf History Month is now celebrated during the entire month of April (see the National Association of the Deaf&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nad.org/2022/01/31/national-deaf-history-month-dates/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;announcement about the change of dates&lt;/a&gt;). In addition, Governor Tim Walz has proclaimed the month of April to be &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/assets/04.01.22%20Deaf%20History%20Month%20Signed_tcm1055-522417.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Deaf History Month (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Proclamation language&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;WHEREAS: Minnesota has served as the home for several historic Deaf changemakers, including Olof Hanson (1862-1933), the first deaf architect; Agatha Tiegel Hanson (1893), first female graduate of Gallaudet University; Cadwallader Lincoln Washburn (1866-1965), a well-known Deaf artist; Gerald “Bummy” Burstein (1926-2018), a notable teacher and parliamentarian; Doug Bahl (1950-2014), a famous deaf historian; and Blanche Wilkins
&lt;br /&gt;
Williams (1876-1936), the first African American woman to graduate from the Minnesota State Academy of the Deaf; and &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;WHEREAS: Minnesota is proud to be the home of historic national landmark Charles Thompson Memorial Hall, built in 1916 by Margaret Brooks Thompson in memory of her husband, both of whom were Deaf, and designed by architect Olof Hanson, a family friend, to be a space where Deaf Minnesotans and friends could gather, free of
&lt;br /&gt;
charge; and&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;WHEREAS: The Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf (MSAD), established in 1863 in Faribault, serves students who are Deaf, DeafBlind, or hard of hearing from early childhood to twelfth grade and has two buildings that are listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the Administration/Girl’s Dormitory and Noyes Hall; and &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;WHEREAS: Metro Deaf School, a free public charter school serving preschool through twelfth grade in St. Paul, was established in 1992 under Minnesota’s then-new charter school law, becoming the second charter school to officially open in the United States; and&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;WHEREAS: Organizations serving the Deaf community include the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD), the Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens, the Minnesota DeafBlind Association, the Hearing Loss Association of America – Twin Cities Chapter, the St. Paul/Minneapolis Black Deaf Advocates, the Minnesota Deaf Muslim Community, Deaf Women of Minnesota,
&lt;br /&gt;
Minnesota Deaf Queers, Minnesota Deaf Senior Citizens, Deaf Equity, ThinkSelf, and others; and&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;WHEREAS: The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing’s website hosts several collections of oral-visual history interviews with Minnesota advocates who are Deaf, DeafBlind, or hard of hearing; and &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;WHEREAS: The Minnesota Digital Library hosts an archive of 173 historical photos and documents donated from the Charles Thompson Memorial Hall, the Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens, and the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf Alumni Association Museum, under their Minnesota Reflections collection. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;NOW, THEREFORE, I, TIM WALZ, Governor of Minnesota, do hereby proclaim the month of April 2022, as: DEAF HISTORY MONTH in the State of Minnesota. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Minnesota to be affixed at the State Capitol this 4th day of March.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>523625</id><Tag><Description/><Title>heritage</Title><Id>310257</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-04-01T13:09:48Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Captioning</Title><Id>247358</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Bill Hearing Alert: HF1134 (Daniels) on Tuesday, March 29, 2022 at 5:00 PM</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Interior view of the brilliant blue and gold Capitol Rotunda ceiling with MNCDHH&apos;s logo and the text, &quot;Bill Hearing Alert&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Bill%20Hearing%20Alert-850_tcm1063-518245.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-03-28-bill-hearing-alert-hf1134-closed-captioning-public-places</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-523181&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-03-28T22:03:35Z</Date><ShortDescription>Please attend and support this bill. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Closed captioning in public places</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=house&amp;amp;f=HF1134&amp;amp;ssn=0&amp;amp;y=2021&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;HF1134&lt;/a&gt; will be heard by the Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee. This bill will add the refusal to provide closed captioning to the list of prohibitions against discrimination on the basis of disability.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The following individuals are testifying in support of HF1134.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Shaun Riffe, a veteran and advocate for veterans with service-related hearing loss,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Laura Hagemann, a person with hearing loss who also relies on captions because of a traumatic brain injury, and a representative of the Hearing Loss Association of America, Twin Cities Chapter,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;JaNahne McCready-Johnson and Neil Johnson, who are culturally Deaf and the original advocates for this bill,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;and Waymon Hudson, a community advocate who is late-deafened. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please attend and support this bill.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tuesday, March 29, 2022 at 5:00 PM &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The hearing will be streamed live and the link is available at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/htv/schedule.asp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;House Television Webcast and Mobile Streaming Schedule&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All events are closed-captioned. To provide feedback on digital accessibility of meeting information, please submit comments through the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.leg.mn.gov/accessibility/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Minnesota Legislature Accessibility &amp;amp; Usability Comment Form&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>523181</id><Tag><Description/><Title>captioning</Title><Id>247356</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-03-28T22:07:12Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Personal Experiences on Serving as an Election Judge</Title><title>2022-03-24-personal-experienes-on-serving-as-an-election-judge</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-522415&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-03-24T21:20:28Z</Date><ShortDescription>Kelsey Dahl and Emory K. Dively were interviewed by Jaemi Hagen in October 2020 to share their personal experiences serving as election judges. In this interview, Kelsey and Emory answer questions about how they decided to become an election judge and what their experiences were like during this process. We hope that by learning through their first-hand experiences, more people who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing will decide to serve their local communities by also becoming election judges.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>An interview with Kelsey Dahl &amp; Emory K. Dively by Jaemi Hagen</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/vUGFiAcAlGA&quot; title=&quot;ASL video on interview with election judges Emory K Dively and Kelsey Dahl&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Descriptive transcript&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[MNCDHH logo appears]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Title page appears with text, “Serving as an Election Judge: Interview with Kelsey Dahl &amp;amp; Emory K. Dively&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Interviewed by Jaemi Hagen on October 1, 2020”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Scene changes. Jaemi Hagen appears and begins to sign. Voiceover and captions are present throughout the film.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jaemi Hagen: Hello. I&apos;m Jaemi Hagen. And I&apos;m a contractor with the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing. My work here includes voter outreach, Census 2020 outreach, preparations for Lobby Day 2021, and doing interviews for the #CanDoAnything campaign. Today I&apos;m here with Kelsey Dahl and Emory Kevin Dively to talk about their election judge experience.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We will start with the first question. Emory and Kelsey, can you share a little bit more information about yourselves, and please share your name, where you&apos;re from, and why you feel that voting is important.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Emory comes onscreen.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Emory K. Dively: Thank you, Jaemi. My name is Emory Kevin Dively. I live in St. Paul, Minnesota. As for why voting is important to me. I don’t want my decisions made by the government or other people. I feel strongly about making decisions for myself. For example, I care where our tax dollars go, what the government does, what our legislature does. I want to make sure that I am involved in the decision-making on what goes around me. So that is how I am involved. I vote. For example, issues related to the Deaf community, I want to make sure that I speak out and impact how decisions are made. If I don&apos;t vote, then my opinion won&apos;t be involved with making decisions going forward. That’s why I feel strongly about voting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Kelsey comes onscreen.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Kelsey Dahl: Hello. My name is Kelsey Dahl. I am from Minnesota, born and raised here. I lived in Golden Valley while growing up and then I moved to Isanti. Really the Post Office recognizes Isanti but the township I live in is really Athens Township. I’ve lived here since 2016, in Isanti County. I feel voting is very important because I want deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing people have more access to things that really impact us. It’s really important to vote. It helps us increase our influence on how the country is run including locally (at home), with everything related to money, civil rights, discrimination, and many other topics. It’s so important to be involved.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[Jame returns onscreen.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jaemi Hagen: Thank you, Emory and Kelsey, for sharing your experiences and who you are. Now, let&apos;s talk about serving as an election judge. What are your duties, tasks, and responsibilities? What does an election judge actually do?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Kelsey comes onscreen.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Kelsey Dahl: You will see election judges when you go to your polling place. They are lined up and help you register, verify your address. When you go up to an election judge, you&apos;re going to give them your name and which party is going to be voted for. They give you your ballot information. After you are finished with voting you put the ballot in the machine. That is our role, we monitor the voting process. At the same time, if anyone needs any help, we are here to help fix any errors such as with the machines. We have a lot of different duties during the elections process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Emory comes onscreen.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Emory K. Dively: So for the past six years, I have served as an election judge. My experience is a bit different. Kelsey shared a long list of responsibilities. I specifically did one of those responsibilities and have been what is called a ballot judge. Let me explain what a ballot judge does. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When people enter the polling place to register, they then receive a blue or yellow card which means they can vote. Then I give them a ballot and show them how to fill it out properly to prevent any errors or mistakes while they are filling it out. Every hour, we typically pause and check how many ballots we&apos;ve received thus far. Then it is our responsibility to check the machine and count how many ballots the machine has received, to make sure that our numbers and the machine&apos;s numbers match. We’re strict and we don&apos;t want any errors. We need to make sure that voting is correct. I have the authority to pause the voting in that area and say, “there&apos;s a mistake. There&apos;s a number off.” and find the mistake. I don’t do this alone. There is a team of us working together. We count everything and compare numbers and make sure everything is right before we can go forward. That protects the integrity of the voting process. It matters because you&apos;d be surprised how many votes are decided or how many elections are decided by just one vote. You think it might not be a big deal, but it does happen often. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So that&apos;s my responsibility, and I thoroughly enjoy it. I have no problems communicating with folks there. We&apos;re just working with numbers and counting, and so people are good about communicating with me and I&apos;ve thoroughly enjoyed it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Scene changes to Jaemi.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jaemi Hagen: Thank you, Kelsey and Emory, for sharing your thoughts. Why did you personally decide to serve as an election judge? What was your motivation?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Scene changes to Emory.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Emory K. Dively: That&apos;s a good question, and for me it&apos;s a funny story. It actually just happened by mistake. It was not pre-planned. One day, I went to a nearby gas station. And I was getting gas. There were some people there who were waving at me and I, you know, kind of waved back, a little confused. I didn&apos;t know who they were. However, I had sensed that they recognized me because I ran for House Representative in 2006 and 2008 and in 2016 (I ran three times). They recognized me from my campaign. The problem was, I didn&apos;t know who they were. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At first I thought, “how am I going to communicate with them?” Then I thought, “I need to find a way to maintain my communication skills in case I ever decide to run again in the future.” Then I had a great idea, “I should become an election judge.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I researched online to learn the process on how to do that. However, one requirement said that you had to speak English, read and write English. I have no problem reading English, but I&apos;m Deaf, and so I don&apos;t speak. I then told myself, “you know, I can communicate.” I called and they often would hang up on me. I asked to have interpreters, things like that, they would often hang up on me. So next I tried email. I emailed back and forth with that contact person. They approved me to get training. However, they didn&apos;t know that I was Deaf. It was a game I had to play. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So as we got closer to that election judge training, there was a required two hour training that I had to go through. I emailed and I said I need a sign language interpreter for my election judge training. They immediately called and said “I didn&apos;t realize you have a lot of Deaf people in your area.” No, you misunderstood. This request is for me. And they said, “what? No. You cannot apply because you&apos;re Deaf.” I said, “oh no, don’t worry.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;They were a bit upset but that did not stop me or make me give up. I broke through the barriers that they set in front of me. Now I want to open that process for other Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing people to exercise their civil right for access. Next I said, “oh, you know, don’t worry.” I was thinking, you know, be positive. I said, “I have a good friend at the Secretary of State&apos;s office. They&apos;d be happy to help you explain how to provide interpreters.” They hung up on me. And I was like okay, we&apos;ll see what happens. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Two weeks before that training, they called back, and said, “oh, yeah, we&apos;ll have an interpreter for you.” I was like, finally! The doors are opening! So that&apos;s how I got through and I got the training. I just think it&apos;s a funny story that just happened. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I had interpreters there on Election Day. People would often sign to me, &quot;thank you&quot; because I would sign to them, “thank you for turning in your ballot.” So they would sign back to me. I have to thank that big yellow bird on Sesame Street. People grew up as kids watching TV. A lot of folks watched Sesame Street and they did teach some sign language on that show, and so it was neat to have people sign “thank you” to me and give me the thumbs up. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;That&apos;s how I became an election judge and it was a wonderful experience. They realized, “oh, having a deaf person really helped us.” We really worked together to make it all happen. So I was honored and it was a wonderful experience.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Scene changes to Kelsey.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Kelsey Dahl: I became an election judge fairly similar to Emory, in which it was an
&lt;br /&gt;
accidental situation. In 2021, I was curious what the election process would look like. And so I decided to go ahead and get an interpreter and go to the local Athens township where I live. It is a small town, there&apos;s only about 2,000 people that live in this area. I went in and greeted everyone. I seemed to be the youngest person in the room. There were several senior citizens. There were two couples who were in their 40s. Most of them were older than I. I was definitely the youngest in the room. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Through the discussion, and learning about the event. They explained we needed to have eight election judges within that area, and there were a total of eight of us there, so automatically, I became an election judge. It was completely unexpected. I didn&apos;t ask for that or anything. It just happened so that was just the right time. They already knew that I’m Deaf. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Now though, because of COVID-19, everything has changed. My experience was a little bit different because all of the training, everything had to happen online. All the meetings, emails, texts and et cetera, everything was happening online, which was fine. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Then on the day of the primary election, just recently, I went in person. I met people, and at the same time, you know, they all live in this town, and it&apos;s such a small town, and I didn&apos;t even know who everyone was. I met people who actually lived on my street. It was really lovely. There was a lot of cleaning that had to be done, because with eight people, we weren&apos;t so busy. We never had to rush or anything. It was just a fairly slow, steady stream of people who came in. We did quite a bit of cleaning, sanitizing surfaces, removing used pens that were thrown away, making sure the ballots went through the machine. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It was an enjoyable experience. We were able to communicate. The other election judges were texting me and they were curious about American Sign Language and signing. It was really nice to get to know my neighbors in this town where I live. So that’s how it happened and I&apos;ve really enjoyed it. Soon we&apos;re going to be doing the absentee ballots as a temporary job. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Actually tomorrow, I’m going to start working in person to open the absentee ballots and feeding them into the machine. That&apos;s going to be another duty also. I&apos;ve enjoyed it very much and I&apos;m learning so much through this journey. I&apos;ve met many people. At the same time, they&apos;re learning about me. Being Deaf in my area and what those struggles can look like, especially as a Deaf person living in a rural setting, lots of farms. They didn&apos;t realize there were barriers, and we don&apos;t have as much access compared to the Twin Cities. Minneapolis and St. Paul have more resources. Our small town, not as much. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So it&apos;s been a very motivating, positive experience and really, people are very understanding and supportive, especially with me being Deaf. Even in 2021 now, even though we&apos;re dealing with COVID-19, and it&apos;s a different experience, really, everything is still working out for the most part.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Scene changes to Jaemi.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jaemi Hagen: Thank you, Kelsey, and Emory, for sharing your experiences and stories. Thank you. Now as deaf or hard of hearing election judges, what was your experience like working with hearing election judges or members of the general public who approached you for help with voting. How was training? How did it all work out for you? You can provide examples of communication barriers or types of accommodations there were provided during your work as an election judge.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Scene changes to Kelsey.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Kelsey Dahl: My communication strategies included emails that I sent and and let them know that I was Deaf and that I would need an interpreter. They worked everything out very nicely. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During the recent Election Day, there was no interpreter there because I felt it wasn&apos;t really necessary for me to have an interpreter with me because it was not going to be busy. I can communicate with my voice as well as writing and signing. I’m proactive with communication and I figured they could learn how to interact with me, or force them to learn. With our group seated there, we interacted by texting, speaking, and reading lips. When hearing people came in to vote, they would come over and there wasn’t a whole lot of communication that was needed. It was interesting. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many people who lived in the country were not familiar with the voting process. There were many new faces. They didn’t know how to vote and made some mistakes. We helped them with the process. The other election judges were helping them fix the errors and kept me aware of what was happening with the communication. I helped with recording incidents by verifying errors and documenting or tracking this. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There were even some people who came to me and signed a bit like “Hi, how are you?” They would fingerspell a bit or ask me how to sign something. So it was very interactive, but at the same time, it was not busy. You know, I would say we had maybe 50 people at least who came in that day. So it really was not that busy. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We had opportunities to have side conversations as well. They asked me about the upcoming presidential election if I wanted to have the same duties of cleaning and everything. I&apos;m really open to whatever the work is going to be because it seems that with the election coming, we are going to be busier. Also, we&apos;re going to have more seniors who will come and park and wait. We will have to go outside and ask which parties they will be voting for, then give a ballot in the car for them to fill out, then give it to the election judge to bring inside to feed the machine. So we are going to have that system ready. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At the same time, they do have the option of absentee ballots. If people want to come in, we do have separate areas to be sure that everyone is socially distant. People are not going to accidentally get too close to each other, et cetera. For me, it&apos;s not such a challenge because it&apos;s a smaller place. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;However, because of COVID-19 and with all of our customers that are coming, you know, we&apos;re going to have to work really hard to be socially distanced as well as wearing masks. With the pens, we have to throw them afterward. We&apos;re not reusing them. There&apos;s quite a bit of cleaning and sanitizing to be done. So that&apos;s pretty much what my experience has been so far and what I&apos;m looking forward to. And it&apos;s also really nice for me being a deaf person in this town to have this interaction.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Scene changes to Emory.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Emory K. Dively: Because of COVID, I decided to pause my work as an election judge this year. I want to be more involved in the voting. Once COVID is done, then I will definitely be involved in future years. However, my first experience as an election judge, I can talk about that. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;They told me that they would find volunteers. They asked people to arrive at 6:00 or 7:00 in the morning and be done at between 8:00 and 9:00 at night. That&apos;s 15 hours of having interpreters. Could you imagine that as an interpreter? I held back because this was their first time working with a Deaf election judge. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On that day, I showed up to do my duty, the first day of work. No interpreter showed up. I wasn&apos;t very surprised. They all looked at me like, “how are we supposed to communicate?” I&apos;m like yep. So I contacted the Election Judge Office, and I said, “there&apos;s no interpreter.” They said, “oh, but I tried and tried. I&apos;m so sorry, I tried.” I said, “okay, so can I contact an interpreting agency?” They said “sure, no problem.” So it was off to a rough start but we had no time to negotiate. We needed an interpreter here. In one day, 2,000 people were coming to vote in how many hours. That was a long day. There was almost no break. And we had a lot of people there working. So we had -- tried to have interpreters there to work. And so we called the interpreting agency, very last minute, literally the same day. That&apos;s not an ideal situation of course. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The agency frantically worked to book and send interpreters. There was a lot of turnover as interpreters took shifts but I did have interpreters come that day. It was wonderful. We had two interpreters work with me, alternate and work together all day. I noticed that by having the interpreters there, I made good friends working. I know most election judges are senior citizens and retirees. I know this year it&apos;s challenging to find election judges because a lot of those folks need to stay home for health reasons to prevent COVID. That experience was great with having interpreters there and communicating with folks. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota really is a great place for providing accommodations, making sure the access is there. They have machines for blind, deafblind can bring an interpreter, et cetera. The point is that election judges can be deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing. And so the chief, I was able to communicate with them, because we had to talk numbers, right? And ballots and the process. And so it was great. And I know the process now is more electronic, compared to when I was there (with the process mostly on paper). It depends on your location (city or county), of how and which technology will be available. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;However, everything is getting switched to touchscreen machines. And so now because of COVID, they have a lot more rules in place. They have electronic ID verification, they have the glass to prevent folks from getting close to each other. One example is that some deaf people do not know that they do not need to provide government-issued photo ID if they register in advance. So as an election judge, I let them know that they do not need to share their ID. Hearing folks don’t have to, you don’t have to unless this is the first time you are registering. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It&apos;s important to utilize the interpreter if they are there instead of just taking the easy way out and showing your ID. Making sure folks register ahead of time. Through the honor system, they don&apos;t have to show their ID. Now we just verify that their name and address matches the list we have. The point is communication is there. It&apos;s not perfect of course. All over Minnesota, there&apos;s a long way to go. But I believe that here in Minnesota, compared to other states, I feel like we are a leader. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I know that some counties are trying to save money because they are bringing in interpreters as election judges to perform dual roles. I&apos;m not a fan of that. They need to hire professional interpreters to serve as interpreters. They want interpreters to volunteer as interpreters and election judges, and I don&apos;t feel that&apos;s right. I want our community members to have the experience serving as election judges. They view it as providing a community service while I perceive it as a more person-centered approach instead. So we need to make sure interpreters are hired for people who are election judges and they are paid as professional interpreters. And I don&apos;t want cities to get into that bad habit. And so that&apos;s why I try to make sure when they request interpreters. And I remain firm on what I believe in, equal access, hiring professional interpreters, and letting us Deaf community serve as election judges. And we want to make sure that they&apos;re there, that our communication goes through the interpreters and that the interpreters are not doing dual roles. It&apos;s not perfect. But we need to make sure and keep our stance that it&apos;s our right to serve as election judges and not let them make decisions for us. We need to educate them and educate them that we deserve equal access. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Nevertheless, it was a great experience and I am looking forward to serving again in the future. I&apos;m hoping that more Deaf community members become election judges and that we grow that number. Just like what Kelsey said, building those relationships with our neighbors and with our area, through the interpreters, communicating with interpreters, and we want to build those bonds with our neighbors. I don&apos;t want any more of merely smiling and nodding. I want to be able to communicate with people and build those relationships and get to know our neighbors more so when we see them on election day, we can have those good in-depth conversations. So it really has been a great, positive experience for me. This is a presidential year. What Kelsey said, there&apos;s going to be a lot of people voting. It&apos;s going to be busy. But I&apos;m thrilled to see that. Because I&apos;m thrilled to see a lot of people vote, even during COVID-19. We know things are changing, but we want people to go out and vote.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Scene changes to Jaemi.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jaemi Hagen: Thank you, Emory and Kelsey, for sharing your experiences again. So we are now out of time. So we&apos;re going to go ahead and wrap up. I want to thank you again for sharing of your stories and your experiences serving as an election judge. And thank you again for your time today as well as volunteering. So if you&apos;d like more information on how to become an election judge and about being involved with local parties, you can find that on the office of Minnesota Secretary of State website at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting/&quot;&gt;www.mnvotes.org&lt;/a&gt;. You can also contact the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing, voter outreach team, for any questions for us as well. So please feel free to contact us any time with your questions if you&apos;d like any clarification about voting, ballots, et cetera. Thank you so much for your time. And thank you again, Emory and Kelsey, for sharing your stories. And have a great day, everyone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:
&lt;br /&gt;
Kelsey Dahl &amp;amp; Emory K. Dively for sharing their experiences.
&lt;br /&gt;
Jaemi Hagen for asking excellent questions.
&lt;br /&gt;
Patty McCutcheon for voiceover.
&lt;br /&gt;
Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>522415</id><Tag><Description/><Title>citizen advocate</Title><Id>310308</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-03-24T13:57:27Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Upcoming Bill Hearings: Please Attend and Show Your Support</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Interior view of the brilliant blue and gold Capitol Rotunda ceiling with MNCDHH&apos;s logo and the text, &quot;Bill Hearing Alert&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Bill%20Hearing%20Alert-850_tcm1063-518245.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-03-22-upcoming-bill-hearings-please-attend-and-show-your-support</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-522252&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-03-22T18:34:49Z</Date><ShortDescription>This announcement includes the date and times for the hearings as well as how to access the hearings. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>CDI in classrooms, local government website accessibility</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are several hearings coming up this week. Please attend and show your support!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h1 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;CDI in Classrooms&lt;/h1&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?f=SF2291&amp;amp;b=senate&amp;amp;y=2022&amp;amp;ssn=0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;SF2291 (Duckworth)&lt;/a&gt; will be heard by the Senate Education Finance and Policy Committee. This bill will update educational interpreter statutes to include Certified Deaf Interpreters (CDIs). &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A member of the Nathanson family, Jimmy Beldon (CDI and co-owner of Keystone Interpreting Solutions), and Alicia Lane-Outlaw (government relations director at the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing) will be testifying to support SF2291.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Wednesday, March 23, 2022, 3:00 PM&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hybrid hearing: Room 1100 Minnesota Senate Bldg. and Livestream YouTube. The hearing will be streamed live and the link is available at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.senate.mn/media/media_coming_up.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Senate Webcast Schedule&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All events are closed-captioned. To provide feedback on digital accessibility of meeting information, please submit comments through the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.leg.mn.gov/accessibility/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Minnesota Legislature Accessibility &amp;amp; Usability Comment Form&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h1 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Local Government Website Accessibility&lt;/h1&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?f=HF35&amp;amp;b=house&amp;amp;y=2022&amp;amp;ssn=0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;HF35 (Elkins)&lt;/a&gt; will be heard by the Human Services Finance and Policy Committee. This bill will establish a grant program and a grant advisory council to assist the Minnesota Council on Disability with awarding grants to cities and counties to improve website accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Trevor Turner (from the Minnesota Council on Disability) and Noah McCourt (a neurodivergent self-advocate) will be testifying in support of HF35.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Wednesday, March 23, 2022 at 10:30 AM &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The hearing will be streamed live and the link is available at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/htv/schedule.asp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;House Television Webcast and Mobile Streaming Schedule&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All events are closed-captioned. To provide feedback on digital accessibility of meeting information, please submit comments through the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.leg.mn.gov/accessibility/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Minnesota Legislature Accessibility &amp;amp; Usability Comment Form&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>522252</id><Tag><Description/><Title>accessible technology</Title><Id>310264</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-03-22T22:08:20Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Captioning</Title><Id>247354</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>In the News: Minneapolis Woman Advocates for Open Captions at MSP Film at The Main</Title><title>2022-03-15-minneapolis-woman-advocates-for-open-captions</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-538368&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-03-16T02:42:13Z</Date><ShortDescription>By Heidi Wigdahl</ShortDescription><Subtitle>KARE 11</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keenan Gao, a community advocate, and Dr. Darlene Zangara, executive director at the Commission, were interviewed about open captions at the movies. The full story can be found at, &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/breaking-the-news/minneapolis-woman-advocates-for-open-captions-at-msp-film-at-the-main/89-476e2928-3762-450c-99f2-f60de058b9d3&quot;&gt;Minneapolis woman advocates for open captions at MSP Film at The Main.&lt;/a&gt;&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Because having captions on all movies isn&apos;t the norm, there will be growing pains as we advocate for caption quality to improve. But the reality is we have to start somewhere and if we never even advocate for captions to be in the movies, why would they ever try and improve our experience?&quot; Gao said. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Gao worked closely with Darlene Zangara, executive director for the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Captioning really is becoming a way of life for many of us who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing and so meaning that in Minnesota that 20% of the population has a hearing loss,&quot; Zangara said. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Zangara also noted that open captions are not just for those in her community. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Veterans and many people who are aging, many people with other disabilities, as well as those who are learning English as a second language. It could benefit so many people,&quot; Zangara said. &quot;So we just want to be equal  citizens and to do that we need full access. Not only for emergent news or emergency news but also to be able to enjoy movies in a theater.&quot; &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>538368</id><Tag><Description/><Title>captioning</Title><Id>247356</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>in the news</Title><Id>317336</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>accessible technology</Title><Id>310264</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-08-20T02:58:12Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Last Day to Fill Out the Interpreter Licensure Task Force Survey</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>MNCDHH&apos;s logo with the words, &quot;Help to Plan the Interpreter Licensure Task Force&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Screenshot%202022-02-14%20162511_tcm1063-518744.png</Url></Image><title>2022-03-14-last-day-interpreter-licensure-task-force-survey</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-521427&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-03-14T17:10:58Z</Date><ShortDescription>Working together to ensure the community at large is informed and engaged.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Today is the last day to share your feedback</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Today, Monday, March 14, 2022 is the last day to submit feedback through the Interpreter Licensure Task Force Survey. After reviewing the results, the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) will then share the next steps in this process for forming the task force.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is your opportunity to share your recommendations on:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;the composition of the task force (how many seats, who should be represented), and&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;what goals the task force should accomplish, including any important questions or concerns from the general community.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The survey questions are available in both American Sign Language (ASL) and English. You can send your answers in either ASL or English.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please send your feedback today!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6718835/Who-Should-Serve-on-the-Interpreter-Licensing-Task-Force&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Yes, I will participate in the Interpreter Licensure Task Force Survey.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>521427</id><pubdate>2022-03-14T17:20:31Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>DeafBlind 101 Workshop is Happening Tonight</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Patrick holding an award he received and standing next to MNCDHH&apos;s logo and the text, &quot;DeafBlind 101&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/DeafBlind%20101%20Training%20850w_tcm1063-517317.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-03-10-deafblind-101-workshop-happening-tonight</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-521138&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-03-10T14:50:28Z</Date><ShortDescription>Have you ever noticed a person with hearing and vision loss in the community and wondered how to interact properly with them? For one size does NOT fit all, DeafBlind are from all walks of life and communicate in various ways. Come and find out more.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Presented by Patrick Vellia</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Missed the first DeafBlind 101 virtual workshop? Due to high demand, we&apos;re offering this workshop once again! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Workshop description&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Have you ever noticed a person with hearing and vision loss in the community and wondered how to interact properly with them? For one size does NOT fit all, DeafBlind are from all walks of life and communicate in various ways. Come and find out more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Presenter&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This workshop is presented by Patrick Vellia, a DeafBlind catering cook, web developer, nonprofit cofounder, and MNCDHH outreach &amp;amp; civic engagement contractor. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Intended audience&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State of Minnesota employees and anyone who is interested in learning more about deafblindness.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thursday, March 10, 2022 from 6-7:30 pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register to attend (or just show up a few minutes before the webinar begins) at: &lt;a href=&quot;https://events.zoom.us/ev/ADjTtSHL2kqS8uTBo5emlDVaUSWEOVu6dc-JRJQ4cOfzLkzsQ4sDW3EmxlKunbvWxCD7uKs?lmt=1646242180000&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Register for Thursday, March 10, 2022, 6-7:30 pm.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Calling in via phone is an option if preferred. Please register to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation via email. The confirmation will include information on how to call in by phone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This workshop will be presented in American Sign Language (ASL) with CART captioning and English voicing.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>521138</id><Tag><Description/><Title>deafblind</Title><Id>499876</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-03-10T14:55:07Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Action Alert for SF1570</Title><title>2022-03-08-action-alert-sf1570</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-520739&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-03-08T22:22:48Z</Date><ShortDescription>Please contact Senator Kiffmeyer and ask her to give SF1570 a hearing in the Senate State Government Finance and Policy and Elections Committee.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Bill to update and clarify Minnesota statutes on hiring and keeping employees with disabilities</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/152veQhk-Z0&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/dX3VG1Vp8Qo&quot; title=&quot;ASL video on action alert sf1570&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; /&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please contact Senator Mary Kiffmeyer and ask her to hear &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?f=SF1570&amp;amp;b=senate&amp;amp;y=2022&amp;amp;ssn=0&quot;&gt;SF1570&lt;/a&gt;, the bill to update and clarify Minnesota statutes on hiring and keeping employees with disabilities, in the Senate State Government Finance and Policy and Elections Committee. SF1570 will help to make sure hiring agencies are aware of the accommodation fund, increase the number of ADA coordinators, and to shorten the average time for employees hired through Connect 700 (a trial work program) to begin receiving the same benefits as other employees.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You may either call or email Senator Kiffmeyer at 651-296-5655 / &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:sen.mary.kiffmeyer@senate.mn&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;sen.mary.kiffmeyer@senate.mn&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sample message&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Council on Disability has provided a sample message.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dear Chair Kiffmeyer,&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;My name is &lt;em&gt;[Insert Name]&lt;/em&gt; and I live in &lt;em&gt;[City, State]&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I am contacting you to urge you to give Senate File 1570 a hearing in the Senate State Government Finance and Policy and Elections Committee.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The state of Minnesota should be a model employer. We must do more to hire and retain people with disabilities. Senate File 1570 improves the hiring and retention of Minnesotans with disabilities among our state government.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This bill ensures that Minnesotans with disabilities are better represented in our government. It creates a pipeline to advance state leaders. These leaders will use their professional and lived experiences to craft better disability-related policies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sincerely,
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;[Your name here]&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;James Paul Beldon for ASL talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rita Van Der Puije for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>520739</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>employment</Title><Id>310253</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-03-08T14:32:18Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>February 28, 2022 Legislative Update</Title><title>2022-03-07-feb-28-2022-legislative-update</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-520745&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-03-07T21:10:05Z</Date><ShortDescription>In this update, we cover the new eight congressional districts map as well as bills on interpreter licensure board, the recruitment &amp; retention of state employees with disabilities, CDI in the classrooms, the Minnesota State Academies bonding requests and rental income, and Metro Deaf School enrollment preference.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>New congressional districts &amp; recent hearings </Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/bgBC2HunraQ&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/UTAc2bgWgqc&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with the February 28, 2022 legislative udpates&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/C2022-Congressional-District-Map-Statewide_tcm1063-520810.jpg&quot; title=&quot;2022-congressional-districts-february-15-2022-map&quot; alt=&quot;2022-congressional-districts-february-15-2022-map&quot; style=&quot;width: 250px; height: 269px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2022-congressional-districts-february-15-2022-map&quot; /&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Have you seen the announcements about the new eight congressional districts map in Minnesota? This is called redistricting. Perhaps you are not sure what redistricting is and what it means for you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do you remember filling out the 2020 Census form or attending one of MNCDHH’s civic engagement events about the census in 2020?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As the population changes in Minnesota, so does the district lines. The lines are redone every 10 years after the census to ensure that the people of each district of equally represented. In other words, the redistricting makes sure that each Minnesota legislator represents the same number of people.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We have some good news as a result of the 2020 Census! We did not lose any congressional seats so Minnesota still has 8 seats. Thank you to everyone who participated in the census!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Are you ready for updates about this legislative session? Let’s go!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Interpreter Licensure Board (HF3144)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We have been working with Rep. Daniels to prepare to successfully advocate for the interpreter licensure bill in future House and Senate hearings. MNCDHH hopes to schedule an info session with bill authors so community members have the opportunity to discuss the bill with legislators.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Recruitment &amp;amp; Retention of State Employees with Disabilities (HF2017/SF1570)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We joined the Minnesota Council on Disability for House committee hearings for HF2017, a bill designed to improve the state’s hiring and managing practices for employees with disabilities. Many thanks to Eric Nooker and Mohamed Mourssi Alfash for their verbal and written testimonies in support of this bill. Now we are preparing for Senate hearings for SF1570.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;CDI in Classrooms (HF1408/SF2291)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are preparing for an upcoming hearing to advocate for updating educational interpreter statutes to include certified deaf interpreters. Testimony is being prepared in support of this bill.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additionally, MNCDHH is hosting an info session with Rep. Becker-Finn on March 8, 2022, from 6-7 pm. It will be livestreamed on MNCDHH’s YouTube account. We hope you can join us, with your questions. (&lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/deaf-commission/news/index.jsp?id=1063-520283&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Update: HF1408 was heard in a hearing on March 3, 2022. Thanks to the Nathanson family, Jimmy Beldon, Alicia Lane-Outlaw, and Trevor Turner for testifying in support of this bill.&lt;/a&gt;) &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota State Academies Bonding Requests&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Governor’s 2022 capital budget recommendations included three of MSA’s bonding requests. The three requests are&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Funding for renovations to dorms on both the Minnesota State Academy for the Blind (MSAB) and Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf (MSAD) campuses&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Design funds to assess and recommend a new student center on the MSAD campus to replace aging and outdated buildings&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Asset preservation funds to maintain and improve both campuses and buildings to ensure safety, accessibility, and use of student buildings.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Superintendent Terry Wilding said,&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;“We are thankful that those three requests are being considered and hope that the legislature will include all 3 requests into the final bonding bill during this legislative session.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota State Academies Rental Income (HF3290/SF3303)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This bill will allow MSA to keep any rental income from farm land and living residences. MSA could earn an additional $3,000 per year from the farm land rental payments and possibly another $3,000 per year from leasing resident spaces when students are not present. Superintendent Wilding testified in support of the bill at an Education Finance committee hearing on February 24.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Metro Deaf School Enrollment Preference (HF3251/SF3534)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This bill will modify charter school admission law to ensure that Metro Deaf School can continue giving enrollment preference to students who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing. HF3251 was heard by the Education Policy committee on February 28. Thanks to Dr. Susan Lane-Outlaw, executive director at MDS, and Sara Klarstrom, a parent &amp;amp; MDS board member, for their testimony in support of this bill.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ongoing Legislative Updates&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH will continue to share legislative updates during this session. Please subscribe to our newsletters or follow our website and social media to stay up to date. Find our information at mn.gov/deaf-commission. If you would like to discuss any of the bills, please reach out to our government relations director, Alicia Lane-Outlaw, at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:alicia.lane-outlaw@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;alicia.lane-outlaw@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. Thank you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;James Paul Beldon for ASL talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rita Van Der Puije for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>520745</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>employment</Title><Id>310253</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-03-08T00:05:32Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>One Week Left to Fill Out the Interpreter Licensure Task Force Survey</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>MNCDHH&apos;s logo with the words, &quot;Help to Plan the Interpreter Licensure Task Force&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Screenshot%202022-02-14%20162511_tcm1063-518744.png</Url></Image><title>2022-03-07-one-week-left-to-fill-out-the-interpreter-licensure-task-force-survey</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-520675&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-03-07T15:57:24Z</Date><ShortDescription>Working together to ensure the community at large is informed and engaged. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Share your feedback by the end of Monday, March 14</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) is making preparations to form an Interpreter Licensure Task Force. We want your feedback to help with the planning. This is your opportunity to share your recommendations on:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;the composition of the task force (how many seats, who should be represented), and&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;what goals the task force should accomplish, including any important questions or concerns from the general community.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The survey questions are available in both American Sign Language (ASL) and English. You can send your answers in either ASL or English.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please send your feedback today! The last day to fill out the survey is Monday, March 14, 2022.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6718835/Who-Should-Serve-on-the-Interpreter-Licensing-Task-Force&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Yes, I will participate in the Interpreter Licensure Task Force Survey.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>520675</id><pubdate>2022-03-07T16:01:47Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Have Questions about the CDI in Classroom Bill?</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Rep. Becker-Finn&apos;s headshot with her name and the text, &quot;Info session: CDIs in Classrooms Bill&quot;. The background is an exterior view of the Minnesota State Capitol building.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Info%20Session_%20CDI%20in%20Classrooms%20Bill-850_tcm1063-518991.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-03-04-have-questions-about-cdi-info-session</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-520503&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-03-04T15:33:54Z</Date><ShortDescription>HF1408 is a bill to modify requirements for Certified Deaf Interpreters (CDIs) in classrooms.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Join Rep. Becker-Finn and MNCDHH for an info session</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;House Representative Jamie Becker-Finn will be answering questions about her bill (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?f=HF1408&amp;amp;b=house&amp;amp;y=2022&amp;amp;ssn=0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;HF1408&lt;/a&gt;) to modify requirements for Certified Deaf Interpreters (CDIs) in classrooms.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One hour can go by fast. When registering to attend this webinar, please send your questions about CDIs in the classroom in advance. This will help Rep. Becker-Finn be ready to answer as many questions as possible. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tuesday, March 8, 2022, 6-7 PM&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register to attend (or just show up a few minutes before the webinar begins) at: &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUrdOmgqDgqGtK0fNEfb_-4G6oNV38jnCBB&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Register for Info Session on CDIs in Classrooms (3/8/2022).&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Calling in via phone is an option if preferred. Please register to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation via email. The confirmation will include information on how to call in by phone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and CART (captioning) provided.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>520503</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-03-04T15:34:43Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Here&apos;s Another Chance to Attend DeafBlind 101</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Patrick holding an award he received and standing next to MNCDHH&apos;s logo and the text, &quot;DeafBlind 101&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/DeafBlind%20101%20Training%20850w_tcm1063-517317.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-03-02-heres-another-chance-to-attend-deafblind-101</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-520324&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-03-02T23:22:54Z</Date><ShortDescription>Presented by Patrick Vellia</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Happening on March 10, 2022 from 6-7:30 PM</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Missed the first DeafBlind 101 virtual workshop? Due to high demand, we&apos;re offering this workshop once again! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Workshop description&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Have you ever noticed a person with hearing and vision loss in the community and wondered how to interact properly with them? For one size does NOT fit all, DeafBlind are from all walks of life and communicate in various ways. Come and find out more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Presenter&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This workshop is presented by Patrick Vellia, a DeafBlind catering cook, web developer, nonprofit cofounder, and MNCDHH outreach &amp;amp; civic engagement contractor. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Intended audience&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State of Minnesota employees and anyone who is interested in learning more about deafblindness.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thursday, March 10, 2022 from 6-7:30 pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register to attend (or just show up a few minutes before the webinar begins) at: &lt;a href=&quot;https://events.zoom.us/ev/ADjTtSHL2kqS8uTBo5emlDVaUSWEOVu6dc-JRJQ4cOfzLkzsQ4sDW3EmxlKunbvWxCD7uKs?lmt=1646242180000&quot;&gt;Register for Thursday, March 10, 2022, 6-7:30 pm.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Calling in via phone is an option if preferred. Please register to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation via email. The confirmation will include information on how to call in by phone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This workshop will be presented in American Sign Language (ASL) with CART captioning and English voicing. For additional accommodations, please email at least 3 business days in advance.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>520324</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>deafblind</Title><Id>499876</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-03-01T16:48:38Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Bill Hearing Alert: HF1408 (Becker-Finn) on Thursday, March 3, 2022 at 10:30 AM</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Interior view of the brilliant blue and gold Capitol Rotunda ceiling with MNCDHH&apos;s logo and the text, &quot;Bill Hearing Alert&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Bill%20Hearing%20Alert-850_tcm1063-518245.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-03-02-bill-hearing-alert-cdi</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-520283&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-03-02T19:21:54Z</Date><ShortDescription>Please come and support this bill. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>CDI in Classrooms</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?f=HF1408&amp;amp;b=house&amp;amp;y=2022&amp;amp;ssn=0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;HF1408&lt;/a&gt; will be heard by the Education Finance committee. This bill will modify language in educational interpreter law. Currently, the language requires that an educational interpreter must complete an Interpreter Training Program (ITP). Nationwide, there is no ITP for Certified Deaf Interpreters (CDIs). The language in this bill would allow a CDI to work in schools without completing an ITP program and would allow school districts to be reimbursed for the salary of the CDI.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH&apos;s government relations director, Alicia Lane-Outlaw, members of the Nathanson family, Jimmy Beldon, CDI and interpreting agency co-owner, and Trevor Turner from the Minnesota Council on Disability will be testifying to support this bill. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please attend and support this bill.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thursday, March 3, 2022 at 10:30 AM &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The hearing will be streamed live at the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/htv/schedule.asp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;House Television Webcast and Mobile Streaming Schedule&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All events are closed-captioned. To provide feedback on digital accessibility of meeting information, please submit comments through the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.leg.mn.gov/accessibility/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Minnesota Legislature Accessibility &amp;amp; Usability Comment Form&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>520283</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-03-02T19:29:29Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>DeafBlind 101 Virtual Workshop is Happening Tonight</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Patrick holding an award he received and standing next to MNCDHH&apos;s logo and the text, &quot;DeafBlind 101&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/DeafBlind%20101%20Training%20850w_tcm1063-517317.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-02-28-deafblind-101-tonight</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-519977&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-02-28T17:50:44Z</Date><ShortDescription>Presented by Patrick Vellia</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Over 150 people registered. Join us!</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Have you ever noticed a person with hearing and vision loss in the community and wondered how to interact properly with them? For one size does NOT fit all, DeafBlind are from all walks of life and communicate in various ways. Come and find out more.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Intended audience&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State of Minnesota employees and anyone who is interested in learning more about deafblindness.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Monday, February 28, 2022 from 6-7:30 pm&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register to attend (or just show up a few minutes before the webinar begins) at: &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIoc-yprTsqGdM09H1W2NKQIy3cRvGEN8HL&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Register for Monday, February 28, 2022, 6-7:30 pm.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Calling in via phone is an option if preferred. Please register to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation via email. The confirmation will include information on how to call in by phone.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;


&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This workshop will be presented in American Sign Language (ASL) with CART captioning and English voicing.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>519977</id><Tag><Description/><Title>deafblind</Title><Id>499876</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-02-28T17:54:48Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Bill Hearing Alert: HF3251 (Richardson) on Monday, February 28, 2022 at 1:00 PM</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Interior view of the brilliant blue and gold Capitol Rotunda ceiling with MNCDHH&apos;s logo and the text, &quot;Bill Hearing Alert&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Bill%20Hearing%20Alert-850_tcm1063-518245.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-02-27-bill-hearing-alert-hf3251-richardson-mds</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-519933&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-02-28T00:19:26Z</Date><ShortDescription>Please attend and support this bill.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Metro Deaf School Enrollment Preference</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=House&amp;amp;f=HF3251&amp;amp;ssn=0&amp;amp;y=2021&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;HF3251&lt;/a&gt; will be heard by the Education Policy committee. This bill will modify charter school admission law to ensure that Metro Deaf School can continue giving enrollment preference to students with a primary disability of deaf or hard of hearing. MNCDHH has requested that &quot;deafblind&quot; be added to the language. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dr. Susan Lane-Outlaw, executive director of Metro Deaf School, will testify in support of HF3251. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please attend and support this bill.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Monday, February 28, 2022 at 1:00 PM &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The hearing will be streamed live at the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/htv/schedule.asp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;House Television Webcast and Mobile Streaming Schedule&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All events are closed-captioned. To provide feedback on digital accessibility of meeting information, please submit comments through the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.leg.mn.gov/accessibility/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Minnesota Legislature Accessibility &amp;amp; Usability Comment Form&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>519933</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-02-28T00:36:00Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Today&apos;s Interpreter Licensure Info Session - Canceled</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Rep. Daniel&apos;s headshot with his name and the text, &quot;Info session: Interpreter Licensure Bill&quot;. The background is an exterior view of the Minnesota State Capitol building. In center is the word &quot;canceled&quot; in a bubble.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Info%20Session_%20Interpreter%20Licensure%20Bill%20Canceled_850_tcm1063-519825.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-02-26-interpreter-licensure-info-session-canceled</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-519826&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-02-26T16:27:18Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNCDHH is grateful for the questions received so far and will continue to work on getting your questions answered by the bill authors. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Watch for additional updates on this bill</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you to everyone who registered for today&apos;s 1 pm info session on the interpreter licensure bill with Rep. Brian Daniels. Unfortunately, Rep. Daniels is not feeling well today and is unable to present. We hope he feels better soon. Today&apos;s info session is now canceled. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are grateful for the questions we received so far and will continue to work on getting your questions answered by the bill authors. Please watch for future updates on this bill.  We hope to schedule a new info session.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>519826</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-02-26T16:30:58Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Have Questions about the Interpreter Licensure or CDI in Classroom Bills?</Title><title>2022-02-16-have-questions-about-interpreter-licensure-cdis-in-classrooms</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-518989&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-02-16T22:19:26Z</Date><ShortDescription>Rep. Daniels will present on February 26th and Rep. Becker-Finn will present on March 8th.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Join legislators and MNCDHH for an info session</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To answer your questions, MNCDHH has invited two legislators, Rep. Brian Daniels and Rep. Becker-Finn, to chat with you about their respective bills. The bills are:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;interpreter licensure (HF3144 Daniels), and&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;CDI in the classrooms (HF1408 Becker-Finn).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We hope you can join us.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Interpreter Licensure Info Session - Canceled&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Info%20Session_%20Interpreter%20Licensure%20Bill-850_tcm1063-518990.jpg&quot; title=&quot;info-session-interpreter-licensure-bill&quot; alt=&quot;info-session-interpreter-licensure-bill&quot; style=&quot;width: 700px; height: 366px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;info-session-interpreter-licensure-bill&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;House Representative Brian Daniels will be answering questions about his bill (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?f=HF3144&amp;amp;b=house&amp;amp;y=2022&amp;amp;ssn=0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;HF3144&lt;/a&gt;) to create a sign language interpreter licensure board.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We know that many in the community have been discussing this bill. Rep. Daniels is available for one hour with us, and we want to make the best use of his time. On the registration form, please share your questions about Rep. Daniels’ bill. Your submitted questions will help Rep. Daniels be ready to answer as many questions as possible during this short time.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saturday, February 26, 2022, 1-2 PM&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register to attend (or just show up a few minutes before the webinar begins).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Calling in via phone is an option if preferred. Please register to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation via email. The confirmation will include information on how to call in by phone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and CART (captioning) provided. For additional accommodations, please email at least 5 business days in advance.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;CDI in Classrooms Info Session&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Info%20Session_%20CDI%20in%20Classrooms%20Bill-850_tcm1063-518991.jpg&quot; title=&quot;info-session-cdis-in-classrooms-bill&quot; alt=&quot;info-session-cdis-in-classrooms-bill&quot; style=&quot;width: 700px; height: 366px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;info-session-cdis-in-classrooms-bill&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;House Representative Jamie Becker-Finn will be answering questions about her bill (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?f=HF1408&amp;amp;b=house&amp;amp;y=2022&amp;amp;ssn=0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;HF1408&lt;/a&gt;) to modify requirements for Certified Deaf Interpreters (CDIs) in classrooms.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One hour can go by fast. When registering to attend this webinar, please send your questions about CDIs in the classroom in advance. This will help Rep. Becker-Finn be ready to answer as many questions as possible. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tuesday, March 8, 2022, 6-7 PM&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register to attend (or just show up a few minutes before the webinar begins) at: &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUrdOmgqDgqGtK0fNEfb_-4G6oNV38jnCBB&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Register for Info Session on CDIs in Classrooms (3/8/2022).&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Calling in via phone is an option if preferred. Please register to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation via email. The confirmation will include information on how to call in by phone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and CART (captioning) provided. For additional accommodations, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; at least 5 business days in advance.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>518989</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-03-01T16:35:39Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota Interpreter Licensure: Who Should be on the Task Force?</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>MNCDHH&apos;s logo with the words, &quot;Help to Plan the Interpreter Licensure Task Force&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Screenshot%202022-02-14%20162511_tcm1063-518744.png</Url></Image><title>2022-02-14-mn-interpreter-licensure-task-force-survey</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-518745&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-02-14T23:50:41Z</Date><ShortDescription>Working together to ensure the community at large is informed and engaged. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Please fill out the task force survey</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) is making preparations to form an Interpreter Licensure Task Force. We want your feedback to help with the planning. This is your opportunity to share your recommendations on:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;the composition of the task force (how many seats, who should be represented), and&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;what goals the task force should accomplish, including any important questions or concerns from the general community.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The survey questions are available in both American Sign Language (ASL) and English. You can send your answers in either ASL or English.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please send your feedback today!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6718835/Who-Should-Serve-on-the-Interpreter-Licensing-Task-Force&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Yes, I will participate in the Interpreter Licensure Task Force Survey.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>518745</id><Tag><Description/><Title>survey</Title><Id>310297</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-02-15T22:21:14Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2022 Legislative Agenda</Title><title>2022-02-11-2022-legislative-agenda</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-518468&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-02-11T19:49:53Z</Date><ShortDescription>Telecoil education, DeafBlind intervener in classrooms, and inclusive requirements for Commission board appointments are top priorities for us this year. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Leading up to three bills and supporting six bills led by others</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/LYLVTtZmyuU&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/V-eTafhBgOU&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with the 2022 legislative agenda&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The 2022 legislative session began on Monday, January 31. MNCDHH has a robust agenda and we are excited to share it with you. This year we are leading up to three bills and supporting six bills led by others.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Telecoil Education - Lead&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A solution is needed to require hearing aid providers to educate consumers on telecoils (t-coils) in hearing aids. People have the right to be informed when they purchase hearing aids. Unfortunately, most do not know telecoils exist or how to use them. Some people are even told that telecoils are outdated technology. The truth is that Bluetooth technology is technology that is best used in certain situations such as one-on-one conversations. Telecoils, in contrast, can also be used in different situations such as a large meeting or event. In a perfect world, all hearing aids would have both Bluetooth and telecoil capabilities. Hearing aid user Jeanne Kolo-Johnson compares both technologies to purchases for her kitchen.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot;&gt;“I’II have a microwave that&apos;s a newer technology, but I&apos;m not going to get rid of my stove because they do two different jobs. Bluetooth and t-coils are kind of the same thing, they do two different jobs and they&apos;re equally important.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The goal is to ensure that the people who buy hearing aids are given complete and accurate information during their purchase.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DeafBlind Intervener in Classrooms - Lead&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sometimes school districts are not aware that interveners provide a different service from paraprofessionals. A clear definition in education law will help. In 2019, MNCDHH successfully added intervener language that applies to anyone who is DeafBlind, including adults. However, we are still missing the definition of interveners for students who are DeafBlind in the education system. MNCDHH is working to resolve this gap. In MNCDHH’s 2021 study on services for DeafBlind children and youth in Minnesota, families reported that they&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot;&gt;“experienced challenges with helping school based professionals to understand the critical role that interveners play in their child’s education.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Inclusive Requirements for Commission Board Appointments - Lead&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This bill will update the language in MNCDHH’s statute. The language will give the Governor’s Office more flexibility to appoint board members with lived experiences that align with the issues worked on by MNCDHH. For example, if MNCDHH needs a board member with lived experience regarding age-related hearing loss, DeafBlind access, or deaf education, etc., the language in the statute needs to give the Governor’s Office more flexibility to accommodate our needs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Interpreter Licensure Board - Support&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The bill number is HF3144. At this time, we are waiting for the Senate bill number. This is a different bill than before. The new bill includes recommendations from the Interpreter Licensure work group led by the Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens, which had representatives from the Minnesota Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (MRID) and a DeafBlind individual. This bill is to establish an interpreter licensure board. The licensure board will be responsible for establishing a licensing process and a grievance process. The licensure board will follow a rulemaking process. The State of Minnesota has a detailed and lengthy process for rulemaking, which includes public comments for possible rules and public hearings.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;IEP Process Accommodations for Parents - Support&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The bill numbers are HF1362 and SF1961. This bill will require school districts to establish a process for providing reasonable accommodations for parents to participate in developing their child’s Individualized Education Program. The district will also be required to make sure that their process is easily understandable and inform parents of the process, in their native language if appropriate. School districts will need to respond to accommodations requests within five school days.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Closed Captioning in Public Places - Support&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The bill numbers are HF1134 and SF1136. This bill adds new language under Human Rights to a list of general prohibitions against disability discrimination. If passed, the language requires that when television services are provided to other individuals, then it unlawful to not provide closed captioning to deaf and hard of hearing individuals.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Recruitment &amp;amp; Retention of State Employees with Disabilities - Support&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The bill numbers are HF2017 and SF1570. This bill will strengthen Minnesota statutes concerning employees with disabilities. The new language makes improvements such as ensuring hiring agencies are aware of the accommodation fund, increasing the number of ADA coordinators, and shortening the average time for employees hired through Connect 700 (a trial work program) to begin receiving the same benefits as other employees. In 2019, MNCDHH successfully passed a bill that established an advisory group that would study and submit recommendations to the legislature and Minnesota Management &amp;amp; Budget on how to improve the recruitment and retention of state employees with disabilities. MNCDHH served on the advisory group, which convened from September 2019 to January 2021. In 2021, the advisory group submitted a report with recommendations to the legislature. This bill reflects those recommendations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;CDI in Classrooms - Support&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The bill numbers are HF1408 and SF2291. This bill modifies language in educational interpreter law. Currently, the language requires that an educational interpreter must complete an Interpreter Training Program (ITP). Nationwide, there is no ITP for Certified Deaf Interpreters (CDIs). The language in this bill would allow a CDI to work in schools without completing an ITP program and would allow school districts to be reimbursed for the salary of the CDI.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Local Government Website Accessibility - Support&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The bill numbers are HF35 and SF0416. This bill was introduced last year and gives the Minnesota Council on Disability the ability to provide grants for city and county governments to make their websites accessible. Supporting this bill continues MNCDHH’s long tradition in advocating for digital accessibility. In 2005, we passed a captioning bill that provides grants coordinated by the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD) for live news programs in Greater Minnesota. In 2009, we passed a bill requiring that state agencies follow the digital accessibility standards established by the State Chief Information Officer.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ongoing Legislative Updates&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH will continue to share legislative updates during this session. Please subscribe to our newsletters or follow our website and social media to stay up to date. &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Find our information on our website&lt;/a&gt;. If you would like to discuss any of the bills, please reach out to our government relations director, Alicia Lane-Outlaw, at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:alicia.lane-outlaw@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;alicia.lane-outlaw@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. Thank you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;James Paul Beldon for ASL talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Patty McCutcheon for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>518468</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>looping</Title><Id>310267</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>hearing aids</Title><Id>310255</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>deafblind</Title><Id>499876</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-02-12T15:26:57Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Bill Hearing Alert: HF2017 (Reyer) on Thursday, February 10, 2022 at 8:30 AM</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Interior view of the brilliant blue and gold Capitol Rotunda ceiling with MNCDHH&apos;s logo and the text, &quot;Bill Hearing Alert&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Bill%20Hearing%20Alert-850_tcm1063-518245.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-02-09-bill-hearing-alert-hf2017</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-518247&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-02-09T23:19:22Z</Date><ShortDescription>Please attend and support this bill. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Recruitment &amp; retention of state employees with disabilities</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;HF2017 will be heard by the State Government Finance and Elections committee. This bill will strengthen Minnesota statutes concerning employees with disabilities. The new language aims to ensure hiring agencies are aware of the accommodation fund, increase the number of ADA coordinators, and to shorten the average time for employees hired through Connect 700 (a trial work program) to begin receiving the same benefits as other employees.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Eric Nooker, a deaf state employee, will be testifying at the hearing in support of the bill. Another state employee, Dr. Mohamed (Mourssi) Alfash, submitted a letter in support of the bill. Dr. Alfash also serves on the MNCDHH board. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please attend and support this bill.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thursday, February 10, 2022 at 8:30 AM &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The hearing will be streamed live at the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/htv/schedule.asp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;House Television Webcast and Mobile Streaming Schedule&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All events are closed-captioned. To provide feedback on digital accessibility of meeting information, please submit comments through the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.leg.mn.gov/accessibility/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Minnesota Legislature Accessibility &amp;amp; Usability Comment Form&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>518247</id><Tag><Description/><Title>employment</Title><Id>310253</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-02-09T23:52:18Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>DeafBlind 101 Virtual Workshop</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Patrick holding an award he received and standing next to MNCDHH&apos;s logo and the text, &quot;DeafBlind 101&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/DeafBlind%20101%20Training%20850w_tcm1063-517317.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-02-03-deafblind-101-virtual-workshop</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-517316&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-02-03T19:38:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Learn about the diverse world of deafblindness. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Presented by Patrick Vellia</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Have you ever noticed a person with hearing and vision loss in the community and wondered how to interact properly with them? For one size does NOT fit all, DeafBlind are from all walks of life and communicate in various ways. Come and find out more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Intended audience&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State of Minnesota employees and anyone who is interested in learning more about deafblindness.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Monday, February 28, 2022 from 6-7:30 pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register to attend (or just show up a few minutes before the webinar begins) at: &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIoc-yprTsqGdM09H1W2NKQIy3cRvGEN8HL&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Register for Monday, February 28, 2022, 6-7:30 pm.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Calling in via phone is an option if preferred. Please register to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation via email. The confirmation will include information on how to call in by phone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This webinar will be presented in American Sign Language (ASL) with CART captioning and English voicing. For additional accommodations, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; at least 5 business days in advance.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>517316</id><Tag><Description/><Title>deafblind</Title><Id>499876</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-02-03T21:01:05Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Would You Like to Become a Teacher of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing?</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Two pictures. Left shows two UMN program students (Christina Skahen and Robin Johnson) on campus signing to each other. Right shows two UMN program students (Jesse Lee and Sarah Boritske) in the classroom discussing the class schedule.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/UMN-TOD-Program-Header_tcm1063-516143.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-01-24-would-you-like-to-become-a-teacher-dhh</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-516144&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-01-24T23:34:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Learn about the MEd/teaching licensure programs at the University of Minnesota. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Please join a free info session hosted by the University of Minnesota</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Considering graduate school and becoming a teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing starting fall 2022? The University of Minnesota invites you at attend an info session on their MEd/teaching licensure programs, including the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) program, to learn more about earning your graduate degree in special education and DHH teacher preparation at the University of Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What else will be covered?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Funding opportunities&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A housing opportunity through the Minnesota State Academies. MSA is offering free housing to a limited number of students accepted into the University of Minnesota&apos;s DHH teacher preparation program to begin the 2022-2023 academic year. Requirements: The MSA awards will prioritize students who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color, Deaf and Hard of Hearing. As part of these awards, students must participate in enrichment activities that support MSA students (i.e. tutoring, providing workshops or other enrichment experiences, supporting after-school programming, etc.)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tuesday, January 25, 2022 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;OR&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tuesday, February 1, 2022 from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://view.ecommunications2.umn.edu/?qs=fdee9c75eebcae3b66bad0edaac7e5edb5cbc4881294663f32ae9526ed26e2c60b2862f9e04c3c127435a53433c47e7ea4cf8bc4db634bb2c0bc992ba7fabe613ef15c0eb36611ea0706fc130392520c&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Register for one of the two dates at Upcoming Special Education Info Sessions.&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Questions?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact DHH Program Coordinator Debbie Golos at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:dgolos@umn.edu&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;dgolos@umn.edu&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>516144</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-01-24T23:38:29Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Application Deadline Extended for Pathways to Life</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Group of students and teachers wearing hard hats and bright reflective vests and the text, &quot;Pathways to Life Deaf/Hard of Hearing Summer Transition Program (9th Grade and Above)&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/pathways-to-life-850_tcm1063-515117.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-01-11-application-deadline-extended-pathways-to-life</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-515116&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-01-11T18:48:29Z</Date><ShortDescription>New deadline is January 21, 2022</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Summer transition program for Deaf, Hard of Hearing or DeafBlind youth</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;*new*&lt;/strong&gt; application deadline is January 21, 2022. The previous deadline was January 11, 2022.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Pathways to Life description&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Explore countless career opportunities. Learn independent living skills and self-advocacy. Study post-secondary options. Develop job seeking and employment skills. Network with professionals. Find out about community resources. Participate in over 50 unique transition activities. Make new friends. All in one fun summer program!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At PTL, Students Will...&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Practice independent living skills through supervised apartment living, planning and
&lt;br /&gt;
preparing meals, and budgeting &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Explore potential careers through job shadowing opportunities &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Discover community resources designed to meet employment, recreation and leisure needs&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Explore post-secondary training opportunities &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Address unique social and emotional issues &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Access disability-specific technology &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Practice work readiness skills through volunteer opportunities &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Receive self-advocacy instruction &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Participate in fun teambuilding activities with their peers and learn more about
&lt;br /&gt;
themselves.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;615 Olof Hanson Dr.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Faribault, MN 55021&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;June 12 - 24, 2022&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cost&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Program is at no cost to students or families! Districts will be responsible for funding services covered by student IEPs. However, the cost of transportation to and from needs to be worked out by families and their district.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Eligibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing or DeafBlind are eligible for PTL if they...&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Have Extended School Year (ESY) Services indicated on their IEP (including a statement that the student will receive summer transition services, room and board)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Are in 10th, 11th or 12th grade (as of the 2022-2023 school year) or are entering the first year of a transition program.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Plan to attend postsecondary education or enter competitive employment upon
&lt;br /&gt;
graduation&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Plan to live independently&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn more or apply&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information, you can do the following:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:pathwaystolife@msa.state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;pathwaystolife@msa.state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Visit the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.msa.state.mn.us/1/Content2/summer-transition-program&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Pathways To Life website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Fill out the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.msa.state.mn.us/userfiles/2/my%20files/pathways%20to%20life/2022%20pathways%20to%20life%20application.pdf?id=1590&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Application form (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Partners&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Pathways to Life is made possible through collaboration with the following partners:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota teachers and staff working with students who are D/HH.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Department of Education, Division of Special Education&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota State Services for the Blind&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VR)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>515116</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-01-11T20:32:59Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>New Date and Time for &quot;Protecting Our Vote&quot; Event</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Senator Klobuchar&apos;s headshot and Secretary of State Simon&apos;s headshot along with the words, &quot;Join a Conversation with Special Guests U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar and Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Screenshot%202022-01-03%20114626_tcm1063-514435.png</Url></Image><title>2022-01-10-new-date-time-protecting-our-vote-event</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-515048&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-01-10T23:32:12Z</Date><ShortDescription>When: Wednesday, January 12, 2022 at 6:00 pm (previously scheduled for January 11)</ShortDescription><Subtitle>A conversation with special guests: U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar and Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;When:&lt;/strong&gt; Wednesday, January 12, 2022 at 6:00 pm (previously scheduled for January 11)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Join a Conversation with Special Guests:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;U. S. Senator Amy Klobuchar and Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon----influential national leaders in protecting voting rights.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Moderated by Dave Hage, former Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial writer and reporter for the Star Tribune.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn what’s happening in Congress, in Minnesota, and around the country and how you can help protect voting rights.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hosted by Clean Elections MN with co-hosts: Minnesota League of Women Voters, Common Cause MN, RepresentUs MN, American Promise MN, Plymouth Area Indivisible, and Indivisible CD3, Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_3OQxSsmsS4-EwfdY9_G5WA&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Registration is required - Register now to attend &quot;Protecting Our Vote in Minnesota and Nationwide&quot;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;CART and ASL Provided&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>515048</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-01-11T00:25:56Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Do You Have Questions about MNCDHH&apos;s 2022 Legislative Agenda?</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>design with question marks all over the graphic</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Questions_tcm1063-514448.jpg</Url></Image><title>2022-01-03-do-you-have-questions-about-mncdhh-leg-agenda</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-514449&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-01-04T00:54:06Z</Date><ShortDescription>You are invited to join MNCDHH for a question and answer session.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Send your questions now. Here&apos;s how.</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Are you attending MNCDHH&apos;s 2022 Legislative Agenda Q&amp;amp;A either Wednesday or Saturday? While we&apos;ll also take questions during the live session, it would be helpful to receive your questions about the legislative agenda in advance. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How to submit questions&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It&apos;s simple and quick to send in questions. Just two steps.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/legislation/legislative-agenda/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Review the 2022 legislative agenda.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6677081/Questions-About-the-2022-Legislative-Agenda&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Fill out the short question form&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;That&apos;s it! Questions must be received by Tuesday, January 4, 2021 at noon. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Legislative Agenda Q&amp;amp;A registrations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There is still time to sign up to attend either session of the Q&amp;amp;A. We are providing the same session twice so you can choose the time that fits your schedule the best.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please note that the Saturday session will be recorded and distributed to the public. If you do not want to be recorded, you may either attend Wednesday&apos;s session or attend Saturday&apos;s session with your video turned off. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Both sessions will be presented in American Sign Language (ASL) with closed captions and English voicing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83725387177?pwd=ditKbjNYeWRhanFxSzFzVExpUXh1QT09&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Register for Wednesday, January 5, 2022, 6 - 7:30 pm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;or&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88979799199?pwd=Z25uRzVrRTkyWEtrM3BzVU9qanRZdz09&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Register for Saturday, January 8, 2022, 10 - 11:30 am&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>514449</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-01-04T01:28:18Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Protecting Our Vote in Minnesota and Nationwide</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Senator Klobuchar&apos;s headshot and Secretary of State Simon&apos;s headshot along with the words, &quot;Join a Conversation with Special Guests U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar and Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Screenshot%202022-01-03%20114626_tcm1063-514435.png</Url></Image><title>2022-01-03-protecting-our-vote-in-minnesota-and-nationwide</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-514436&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-01-03T21:33:52Z</Date><ShortDescription>Hosted on Zoom with both ASL and CART provided.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>A conversation with special guests: U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar and Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Join a Conversation with Special Guests:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;U. S. Senator Amy Klobuchar and Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon----influential national leaders in protecting voting rights.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Moderated by Dave Hage, former Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial writer and reporter for the Star Tribune.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn what’s happening in Congress, in Minnesota, and around the country and how you can help protect voting rights.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hosted by Clean Elections MN with co-hosts: Minnesota League of Women Voters, Common Cause MN, Represent Us MN, American Promise MN, Plymouth Area Indivisible, and Indivisible CD3, Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;When:&lt;/strong&gt; Wednesday, January 12, 2022 at 6:00 pm (previously scheduled for January 11)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_3OQxSsmsS4-EwfdY9_G5WA&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Registration is required - Register now to attend &quot;Protecting Our Vote in Minnesota and Nationwide&quot;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;CART and ASL Provided -- To request additional accommodations contact us by 1/6/22.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>514436</id><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-03-01T16:50:01Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>New Features on Commission&apos;s Website</Title><title>2021-12-29-new-features-on-mncdhh-website</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-514305&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-12-29T19:17:17Z</Date><ShortDescription>What&apos;s new and where to find them.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Board meetings &amp; documents, compliments &amp; complaints, and respect for identities</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing would like to thank you for subscribing and following our news and announcements. We are pleased to share three new features that have recently been added to the website. The new features are:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Including a list of board motions and votes on the Board Documents page,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Forms to submit compliments and complaints about an interaction with a board member, staff, or contractor,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Statement on respect for identities. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you would like to chat about any of the features, please contact our executive director, Dr. Darlene G. Zangara, at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:darlene.g.zangara@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;darlene.g.zangara@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Screenshot%202021-12-28%20151507_tcm1063-514307.png&quot; title=&quot;board-meetings-screenshort&quot; alt=&quot;board-meetings-screenshort&quot; style=&quot;width: 404px; height: 278px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;board-meetings-screenshort&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Board Meetings &amp;amp; Documents &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What&apos;s new:&lt;/strong&gt; This page has been available for years but there is one new feature. We have added a list of board motions and votes, starting with the May 2021 board meeting. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Description:&lt;/strong&gt; Board meetings are open to the public. ASL interpreters and CART services are provided at all meetings. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Board documents, including meeting minutes, agenda, and monitoring reports, can be found on the Board Meetings page. Also included are the following:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Link to the board meeting calendar&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Statement on &quot;Our commitment to respectful communication and civility of relationships&quot;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Statement on &quot;Meeting by telephone or other electronic means&quot;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Opportunities for public comments explanation&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;List of board motions &lt;em&gt;*new*&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Where to find:&lt;/strong&gt; The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/about/board-meetings/&quot;&gt;&apos;Board Meetings&apos;&lt;/a&gt; page is available under &quot;About Us.&quot; Scroll down to the section titled &quot;List of board motions.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Screenshot%202021-12-28%20143737_tcm1063-514308.png&quot; title=&quot;compliments-complaints-screenshot&quot; alt=&quot;compliments-complaints-screenshot&quot; style=&quot;width: 333px; height: 104px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;compliments-complaints-screenshot&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Compliments &amp;amp; Complaints &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What&apos;s new:&lt;/strong&gt; We&apos;ve created a formal process for gathering complaints and compliments as well as responding to them appropriately. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Description:&lt;/strong&gt; The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing wants to know how we are doing.&quot; Do you have a compliment or complaint about an interaction you had with MNCDHH board members, contractors, or staff? Please let MNCDHH know. We appreciate hearing when we’ve done a good job, and we want to know when we got it wrong.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Where to find:&lt;/strong&gt; The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/about/who-we-are/compliments-complaints/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;&apos;Compliments &amp;amp; Complaints&apos;&lt;/a&gt; link is available in the footer and is available on all web pages. It is specifically housed under &quot;About Us - Who We Are.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Screenshot%202021-12-28%20144505_tcm1063-514306.png&quot; title=&quot;respect-for-identities-screenshot&quot; alt=&quot;respect-for-identities-screenshot&quot; style=&quot;width: 440px; height: 215px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;respect-for-identities-screenshot&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Respect for Identities &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What&apos;s new:&lt;/strong&gt; We&apos;ve added a statement explaining how we use &apos;deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing&apos; as an all-inclusive term. We also explain our acronym. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Description:&lt;/strong&gt; The Commission is composed of (board, staff, contractors) and works with individuals (the general public) who all have their unique identities. They may self-identify as deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, a person with hearing loss, DeafPlus, hearing differences, DeafDisabled, etc. The Commission uses “deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing,” in an all-inclusive manner. The phrase is included in our organization&apos;s name, tagline, and mission statement.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission&apos;s acronym is as short as possible to help people remember. &apos;MN&apos; is for Minnesota (two other state commissions have &apos;M&apos; so adding the &apos;N&apos; makes us distinctive and reduces confusion). &apos;CDHH&apos; is traditionally used by commissions across the country. This is only an acronym and does not replace the Commission&apos;s full name.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We believe that everyone has a place at this table. We believe different identities can come together and collaboratively work on systemic improvements. Together, we can improve our quality of life.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Where to find:&lt;/strong&gt; The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/what-we-do/respect-identities/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;&apos;Respect for Identities&apos;&lt;/a&gt; link is under the &quot;What We Do&quot; section. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>514305</id><Tag><Description/><Title>board</Title><Id>310266</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>staff</Title><Id>317343</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-03-01T16:52:42Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>You&apos;re Invited to a 2022 Legislative Agenda Q&amp;A Session with MNCDHH</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Outline of a person with a laptop, seated in a living room.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Zoom%20Education%20Series%20Rectangle%20850_tcm1063-475877.jpg</Url></Image><title>2021-12-28-reminder-22-legislative-agenda-qa-happening-soon</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-514015&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-12-28T20:14:03Z</Date><ShortDescription>You are invited to join MNCDHH for a question and answer session.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Got questions? Review the legislative agenda first and send your questions to us.</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) has been preparing for the 2022 legislative session. As part of the preparation, MNCDHH has met with community advocates and professionals, hosted focus groups, and sent out a statewide survey.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You are invited to join MNCDHH for a question and answer session to learn about our plans for the upcoming legislative session.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The session will be led by Alicia Lane-Outlaw, government relations director, with comments from Dr. Darlene Zangara, executive director, and Jessalyn Akerman-Frank, community and civic engagement director.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Choose one of two sessions. We are providing the same session twice so that you can choose the time that fits your schedule the best. Be sure to register in advance. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Legislative Agenda Q&amp;amp;A&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83725387177?pwd=ditKbjNYeWRhanFxSzFzVExpUXh1QT09&quot;&gt;Register for Wednesday, January 5, 2022, 6 - 7:30 pm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;or&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88979799199?pwd=Z25uRzVrRTkyWEtrM3BzVU9qanRZdz09&quot;&gt;Register for Saturday, January 8, 2022, 10 - 11:30 am&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Review MNCDHH&apos;s legislative agenda&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH&apos;s 2022 legislative agenda with our public policy goals is now available! The current top priorities are telecoil education, DeafBlind intervener in classrooms, and inclusive requirements for Commission board appointments. We are also supporting several bills led by others. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/legislation/legislative-agenda/&quot;&gt;Review the 2022 legislative agenda now.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Send Your Questions in Advance&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please submit your questions using our questions form. We&apos;ll also take questions during the live sessions but getting your questions in advance will help MNCDHH understand what you want to know. We can&apos;t promise we&apos;ll have enough time to answer every question but questions are welcome and encouraged. Please make sure that your questions are specifically about the 2022 legislative agenda. We have a limited amount of time and want to stay on topic.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6677081/Questions-About-the-2022-Legislative-Agenda&quot;&gt;Submit questions to question form.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Both sessions will be presented in American Sign Language (ASL) with closed captions and English voicing. For additional accommodations, please email or call 612-999-2592 at least 4 business days in advance. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Recording&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please note that the Saturday, January 8, 2022 session will be recorded and distributed to the public. If you do not want to be recorded, you may either attend Wednesday&apos;s session or attend Saturday&apos;s session with your video turned off. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>514015</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-03-01T16:50:32Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2022 Legislative Agenda Q&amp;A</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Outline of a person with a laptop, seated in a living room.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Zoom%20Education%20Series%20Rectangle%20850_tcm1063-475877.jpg</Url></Image><title>2021-12-14-2022-legislative-agenda-qa</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-512848&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-12-14T15:01:52Z</Date><ShortDescription>You are invited to join MNCDHH for a question and answer session. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Learn about MNCDHH&apos;s plans for the upcoming legislative session</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing has been preparing for the 2022 legislative session. As part of the preparation, MNCDHH has met with community advocates and professionals, hosted focus groups, and sent out a statewide survey.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You are invited to join the Commission for a question and answer session to learn about our plans for the upcoming legislative session.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The session will be led by Alicia Lane-Outlaw, government relations director, with comments from Dr. Darlene Zangara, executive director, and Jessalyn Akerman-Frank, community and civic engagement director.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Choose one of two sessions. We are providing the same session twice so that you can choose the time that fits your schedule the best. Be sure to register in advance. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Legislative Agenda Q&amp;amp;A&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83725387177?pwd=ditKbjNYeWRhanFxSzFzVExpUXh1QT09&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Register for Wednesday, January 5, 2022, 6 - 7:30 pm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;or&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88979799199?pwd=Z25uRzVrRTkyWEtrM3BzVU9qanRZdz09&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Register for Saturday, January 8, 2022, 10 - 11:30 am&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Both sessions will be presented in American Sign Language (ASL) with closed captions and English voicing. For additional accommodations, please email at least 5 business days in advance. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Recording&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please note that the Saturday, January 8, 2022 session will be recorded and distributed to the public. If you do not want to be recorded, you may either attend Wednesday&apos;s session or attend Saturday&apos;s session with your video turned off. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>512848</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-03-01T16:51:08Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Serve on a Board or Commission Affecting Minnesotans with Disabilities</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Header with the Minnesota state outline and text, &quot;Hundreds of Boards, One Minnesota&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Hundreds800_tcm1063-512261.jpg</Url></Image><title>2021-12-07-serve-on-a-board-or-commission</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-512262&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-12-07T20:36:44Z</Date><ShortDescription>List of vacancies and where to apply.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Make your voice count</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing would like to encourage members of the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing communities to join boards and commissions and make a difference. Here is information about current vacancies that are accepting applications.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/job-seekers/disabilities/councils/silc.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;The Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC)&lt;/a&gt; advances the philosophy of independent living and promotes the integration and full inclusion of people with disabilities into Minnesota communities. &lt;a href=&quot;https://commissionsandappointments.sos.state.mn.us/Agency/Details/152&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;See open SILC positions.&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/job-seekers/disabilities/councils/rehab-council.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;The State Rehabilitation Council-General (SRC)&lt;/a&gt; advises and monitors Minnesota’s Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS) program, which serves thousands of people with disabilities statewide by helping them reach their vocational goals. &lt;a href=&quot;https://commissionsandappointments.sos.state.mn.us/Agency/Details/150&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;See open SRC positions.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/ssb/about/srcb/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;The State Rehabilitation Council for the Blind (SRC-B)&lt;/a&gt; Guides and monitors the programs and services of State Services for the Blind. The council ensures that Minnesotans who are blind, DeafBlind, visually impaired, or who have a print-related disability have the resources they need for employment, living independently, and accessing the printed word in alternative formats. &lt;a href=&quot;https://commissionsandappointments.sos.state.mn.us/Agency/Details/151&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;See open SRC-B positions.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.disability.state.mn.us/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Council on Disability (MCD)&lt;/a&gt; serves people with disabilities in Minnesota through development of effective policy, training, technical resources and collaborations with public and private stakeholders. &lt;a href=&quot;https://commissionsandappointments.sos.state.mn.us/Agency/Details/54&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;See open MCD positions.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH)&lt;/a&gt; serves as the principal agency of the state to advocate on issues impacting the 20% of Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing. The Commission identifies barriers to communication access and equal opportunity, develops public policy solutions, and advocates through civic engagement. &lt;a href=&quot;https://commissionsandappointments.sos.state.mn.us/Agency/Details/185&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;See open MNCDHH positions.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>512262</id><Tag><Description/><Title>board</Title><Id>310266</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-12-07T20:55:43Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Survey Reminder: What&apos;s Important to You in 2022?</Title><title>2021-12-01-survey-reminder-whats-important-to-you</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-511508&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-12-02T00:16:26Z</Date><ShortDescription>Help us decide what will be part of our 2022 legislative agenda.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Deadline to participate is Wednesday, December 8, 2021</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing is in the process of deciding what to focus on for the 2022 legislative agenda. We have gathered ideas for possible action items from many people, including community leaders, educators, legislators, state agencies, and advocates.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To help us decide which action items to prioritize in 2022, we want to learn about which issues are most important to you. The last day to participate in the survey is Wednesday, December 8, 2021. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Estimated time to complete this anonymous survey is around 6-10 minutes. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6620619/2022ActionItems&quot;&gt;Take the &quot;MNCDHH 2022 Action Items Survey&quot; now.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>511508</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>survey</Title><Id>310297</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-12-02T00:18:36Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Survey: What&apos;s Important to You in 2022?</Title><title>2021-11-19-survey-whats-important-to-you-in-2022</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-509977&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-11-19T21:55:51Z</Date><ShortDescription>Help us decide which action items to prioritize in 2022.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Feedback needed on possible legislative agenda items</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing is in the process of deciding what to focus on for the 2022 legislative agenda. We have gathered ideas for possible action items from many people, including community leaders, educators, legislators, state agencies, and advocates.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To help us decide which action items to prioritize in 2022, we want to learn about which issues are most important to you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Estimated time to complete this anonymous survey is around 6-10 minutes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6620619/2022ActionItems&quot;&gt;Take the &quot;MNCDHH 2022 Action Items Survey&quot; now.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>509977</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>survey</Title><Id>310297</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-11-19T21:58:42Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Contractor Wanted for Hard of Hearing Project</Title><title>2021-11-15-contractor-wanted-hard-of-hearing-project</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-508912&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-11-16T00:40:51Z</Date><ShortDescription>Contract opportunity</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Responder will develop and implement outreach &amp; engagement resources</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Services, through its Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, Deafblind and Hard of Hearing (“STATE”), seeks proposals from qualified responders to provide outreach development, capacity building resources and prepare civic engagement support to work in partnership with STATE, representatives, and community organizations. For the complete Solicitation please see the contact information below.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission advocates for communication access, employment access, education access and quality, and rights of people who are Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing with a variety of stakeholders, including: State Legislators and legislative staff, Governor’s Office, Minnesota Department of Education, Minnesota Department of Administration, Minnesota Department of Commerce, Minnesota Department of Health, and other partners.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The responder will develop and implement outreach and engagement resources designed to include hard of hearing, individuals with age-related hearing loss, and their families in civic engagement activities; including but not limited to voters outreach, meet your legislators, and collecting input on MNCDHH Legislative Agenda. The responder will also work closely with Hearing Loss Association of America – Twin Cities to build capacity within their organization. This will include a strategic plan; communication and outreach strategy; and sustainability plan.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Work will be collaborated with Community &amp;amp; Civic Engagement Director and HLAA-Twin Cities Board. The responder will be asked to attend or host community events, across Minnesota, and/or sites assigned by Community &amp;amp; Civic Engagement Director. Meetings may also be hosted at the Golden Rule Building at 85 E. 7th Place, Suite 105, Saint Paul, MN 55101, but may require travel to other locations within the state. There will also be remote work, including over Zoom and other video conferencing programs, as well as using social media to engage with the communities the Commission serves.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH is looking for responders who reflect the racial, indigenous, ethnic, gender and cultural diversity of Minnesota. We strongly encourage individuals with hearing loss and who may use different kinds of communication modalities to apply for this RFP.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please see contact information below to request the complete solicitation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minimum Qualifications Required&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Experience and knowledge of the Hard of Hearing community, or individuals with Hearing Loss and the challenges to communication access experienced by Hard of Hearing or individuals with Hearing Loss.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Professional communication skills via email, in-person/virtual conversation, and phone/videophone.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ability to quickly master a lot of complex information.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Understanding of organization development and capacity building.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Persuasive communication skills and an understanding of how groups with hearing loss advocate for their needs.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Flexibility and ability to work in a fast-paced environment with continually competing priorities.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Comfortable with presenting in front of an audience.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Collaborative spirit that thrives in working with teams.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Experience with social media platforms.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the RFP&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Estimated Cost: $25,001 - $50,000&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contracting Agency: Department of Human Services /Commission of the Deaf, Deafblind, Hard of Hearing&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Location of Work: Minnesota statewide&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Response to this solicitation is due no later than 11/22/21 at 12:00 PM CENTRAL TIME.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Request copy of RFP&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please contact Katy Kelley-Rademacher at 612.999.2592 or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Katy.Kelley@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Katy.Kelley@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. For TTYs, please use 711 or 1.800.627.3529 (MN Relay Service for persons with speech or hearing disabilities)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visit: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mmd.admin.state.mn.us/process/admin/ptlist.asp&quot;&gt;Professional/Technical Service Contracting Opportunities&lt;/a&gt;. (Reference number: PT3638)&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>508912</id><Tag><Description/><Title>contract opportunities</Title><Id>489191</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>hard of hearing</Title><Id>536211</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-08-01T20:43:53Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>MNCDHH Strategic Goals - Share Your Feedback</Title><title>2021-10-14-mncdhh-strategic-goals-share-your-feedback</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-502680&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-10-14T14:08:22Z</Date><ShortDescription>Your answers will help MNCDHH establish priorities. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Please review the drafted goals and let us know what you think</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) has drafted Strategic Goals, which are based on the large picture goals (Ends) set by the Board.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There is a link to the goals along with a short survey. Your feedback is an important part to help us finalize the strategic goals. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Let us know what you think at this link, &lt;a href=&quot;https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6507911/MNCDHH-Strategic-Goals-Feedback-Needed&quot;&gt;MNCDHH Strategic Goals - Share Your Feedback&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>502680</id><Tag><Description/><Title>survey</Title><Id>310297</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-10-14T14:12:34Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Contractor Wanted for Citizen Advocate Campaign</Title><title>2021-10-13-contractor-wanted-for-citizen-advocate-campaign</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-502653&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-10-13T18:17:59Z</Date><ShortDescription>Contract opportunity. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Communications Outreach: Citizen Advocate video campaign series</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH seeks responders to conduct the upcoming Citizen Advocate video campaign series, which is designed to highlight stories of Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing, who are advocating for change. All videos will include tips on how to advocate effectively.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;5-10 videos, scattered release throughout the year&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Interviewees from all walks of life&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Very specific advocacy story&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Includes tips from interviewees on effective advocacy&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;All videos must have ASL, English, captions, descriptive transcripts and voiceover&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Will work in conjunction with MNCDHH&apos;s Communication Director and with our existing video vendor.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH is looking for representatives who reflect the racial, indigenous, ethnic, gender and cultural diversity of Minnesota. Individuals who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing who use different kinds of communication modalities are welcome to apply for this RFP.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please see contact information below to request the complete solicitation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minimum Qualifications Required&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Experience and knowledge of the Deaf, DeafBlind, and hard of hearing communities of Minnesota and the challenges to communication access experienced by Deaf, DeafBlind and hard of hearing people.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Professional communication skills via email, in-person/virtual conversation, and (video)phone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The ability to tell a story.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Knowledge on how to create descriptive transcripts and caption files.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the RFP&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Estimated Cost: $25,001 - $50,000&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contracting Agency: Department of Human Services&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Location of Work: Anywhere in the state of Minnesota&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Response to this solicitation is due no later than 10/26/21 at 12:00 PM CENTRAL TIME.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Request copy of RFP&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please contact Katy Kelley-Rademacher at 612.999.2592 or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Katy.Kelley@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Katy.Kelley@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. For TTYs, please use 711 or 1.800.627.3529 (MN Relay Service for persons with speech or hearing disabilities)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visit: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mmd.admin.state.mn.us/process/admin/ptlist.asp&quot;&gt;Professional/Technical Service Contracting Opportunities&lt;/a&gt;. (Reference number: PT3620)&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>502653</id><Tag><Description/><Title>citizen advocate</Title><Id>310308</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-10-13T18:27:34Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing Releases Strategic Plan for Systemic Improvements in DeafBlind Education</Title><title>2021-10-07-press-release-mncdhh-release-strategic-plan-systeic-improvements-deafblind-education</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-538372&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-10-07T13:46:10Z</Date><ShortDescription>Press release</ShortDescription><Subtitle>2021 statewide Needs Assessment reveals critical gaps for DeafBlind children and youth as well as their families</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h1 align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.1; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 24px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Press Release: Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Releases Strategic Plan for Systemic Improvements in DeafBlind Education&lt;/h1&gt;
&lt;h2 align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 1.1; color: rgb(0, 56, 101); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2021 statewide Needs Assessment reveals critical gaps for DeafBlind children and youth as well as their families&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For Immediate Release&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Contact: Anne Sittner Anderson, 612-404-2441, &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(2, 120, 178); word-break: break-word; hyphens: none;&quot;&gt;anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 1;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;&quot;&gt;Saint Paul, Minnesota (October 7, 2021) –&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;&quot;&gt; The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) announced today the results of the 2021 Needs Assessment for children and youth (ages birth-21) with combined hearing and vision loss (DeafBlind).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At any given time, Minnesota has approximately 350-375 children identified with combined hearing and vision loss (DeafBlind). The children included in the child count are typically identified after the age of five.  The total number of children and youth who have combined hearing and vision loss is most likely higher. Of the identified children, 1/3 have “DeafBlind” as their primary disability in their Individualized Education Program (IEP) and 83% of the children have additional disabilities, including physical, complex health, or intellectual disabilities. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In early 2021, the members of the Collaborative Plan DeafBlind workgroup recognized that a needs assessment was necessary to fully identify all gaps experienced by DeafBlind children and youth as well as their families.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“The Collaborative Plan stakeholders works together to make data-informed, systemic children for students who are deaf or hard of hearing,”&lt;/strong&gt; explains Danelle Gournaris, M.A., M.S., Collaborative Plan Program Director. &lt;strong&gt;“The DeafBlind student population has been included in this work but never separated into their own low incidence category. Since we did not have data specifically about this sub-group, historically we have been unable to make specific changes to improve outcomes. This has now changed.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission contracted with Wilder Research to do the study.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Wilder Research interviewed 45 DeafBlind young adults, families with children and youth with combined hearing and vision loss, and professionals serving the families. The findings were used to create a data-informed strategic plan report as well as a visual summary.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The results can be found at&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; font-size: medium;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px 7px;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/assets/MNCDHH_SupportingDeafBlindChildrenAndYouth_Report_6-21%20%28003%29_tcm1063-499974.pdf&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(2, 120, 178); word-break: break-word; hyphens: none;&quot;&gt;Supporting DeafBlind Children and Youth in Minnesota: A Strategic Plan to Move Forward (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px 7px;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/assets/MNCDHH_SupportingDeafBlindChildrenAndYouth_Summary_6-21%20%28002%29_tcm1063-499975.pdf&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(2, 120, 178); word-break: break-word; hyphens: none;&quot;&gt;Supporting DeafBlind Children and Youth Overview in Minnesota (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px 7px;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/deafblind-children-youth/&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(2, 120, 178); word-break: break-word; hyphens: none;&quot;&gt;Learn more about the project&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are six identified action items stemming from the study.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; font-size: medium;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px 7px;&quot;&gt;Promote coordinated services and the sharing of information among service providers&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px 7px;&quot;&gt;Help DeafBlind children and their families coordinate their services&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px 7px;&quot;&gt;Provide education about deafblindness to parents and providers&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px 7px;&quot;&gt;Offer social connection and emotional support to DeafBlind children and their families&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px 7px;&quot;&gt;Prepare DeafBlind youth for the transition to community-based services at age 21&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; margin: 0px 0px 7px;&quot;&gt;Contribute to legislative and policy-focused activities that could improve the lives of DeafBlind children&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The DeafBlind workgroup will use this study to make data-informed plans for the future. One important task for the workgroup is to leverage the already-existing network of service providers, including schools, nonprofits, medical providers, and government programs so that they can streamline services together instead of working in silos.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Separately, the Commission is exploring possible legislative and public policy solutions such as establishing a DeafBlind waiver program, which would provide funding for case management, medical and therapeutic services, and more. Another possible policy solution is to add intervener language into the education statute as a first step in insuring appropriate support services for students with combined hearing and vision loss. Interveners are trained professionals who provide students with information adapted to the student’s unique needs, including environmental, visual, auditory, and conceptual information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A note for reporters and editors: the Commission has a list of individuals available for interviews about the strategic plan and needs assessment. Contact Anne Sittner Anderson to help coordinate and schedule interviews at 612-404-1441 or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(2, 120, 178); word-break: break-word; hyphens: none;&quot;&gt;anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.1; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the Commission&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) is a governor-appointed Commission that advocates for communications access and equal opportunity with the 20% of Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing. MNCDHH works with the community to: identify barriers to communication access and equal opportunity, develop solutions, empower by building community capacity, and advocate through civic engagement&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.1; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the Collaborative Plan&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Collaborative Plan is a network of agencies, schools, and organizations that work together to create positive, systemic changes to achieve better education and career outcomes for students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. The Commission serves as the host but all stakeholder members are equal partners. There are five workgroups under the Plan; Birth-Age 5, Kindergarten-Grade 4, Grades 5-8, Transition (Grade 9-Age 21), and DeafBlind.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.1; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Wilder Research&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Wilder Research, a division of Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, is a nationally respected nonprofit research and evaluation group. For more than 100 years, Wilder Research has gathered and interpreted facts and trends to help families and communities thrive, get at the core of community concerns, and uncover issues that are overlooked or poorly understood.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot; style=&quot;text-size-adjust: 100%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: center; line-height: 1.4; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>538372</id><Tag><Description/><Title>deafblind</Title><Id>499876</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>press release</Title><Id>320250</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-08-20T13:49:22Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Key Findings from the DeafBlind Needs Assessment</Title><title>2021-10-07-key-findings-from-the-deafblind-needs-assessment</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-501908&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-10-07T12:40:12Z</Date><ShortDescription>The members of the Collaborative Plan’s DeafBlind workgroup, the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH), and Wilder Research would like to share the results of the 2021 Needs Assessment on children and youth (age birth-21) with combined hearing and vision loss (DeafBlind) in Minnesota.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Strategic Plan for children &amp; youth with combined hearing and vision loss</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The members of the Collaborative Plan’s DeafBlind workgroup, the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH), and Wilder Research would like to share the results of the 2021 Needs Assessment on children and youth (age birth-21) with combined hearing and vision loss (DeafBlind) in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A&lt;a href=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/MNCDHH_SupportingDeafBlindChildrenAndYouth_Report_6-21%20%28003%29_tcm1063-499974.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Supporting DeafBlind Children and Youth Strategic Plan Report&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Supporting DeafBlind Children and Youth Strategic Plan Report&quot;&gt;ccess the Supporting DeafBlind Children and Youth in Minnesota: A Strategic Plan to Move Forward (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/MNCDHH_SupportingDeafBlindChildrenAndYouth_Summary_6-21%20%28002%29_tcm1063-499975.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Supporting DeafBlind Children and Youth Summary&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Supporting DeafBlind Children and Youth Summary&quot;&gt;Access the Supporting DeafBlind Children and Youth Overview in Minnesota (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/deafblind-children-youth/&quot;&gt;Learn more about the project&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We have identified six action items to work on together.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Promote coordinated services and the sharing of information among service providers &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Help DeafBlind children and their families coordinate their services&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provide education about deafblindness to parents and providers&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Offer social connection and emotional support to DeafBlind children and their families&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Prepare DeafBlind youth for the transition to community-based services at age 21&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Contribute to legislative and policy-focused activities that could improve the lives of DeafBlind children&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The DeafBlind workgroup has been busy discussing the findings and making plans for the future. For more information or if you have any questions, please contact Danelle Gournaris at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:danelle.gournaris@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;danelle.gournaris@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Supporting DeafBlind Children and Youth in Minnesota video with workgroup member Jessica Eggert&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/suHeMIFWy7o&quot; title=&quot;deafblind needs assessment study results&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Descriptive transcript&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Title slide with Wilder&apos;s logo and MNCDHH&apos;s logo. Title is &quot;Supporting DeafBlind Children and Youth in Minnesota: A Strategic Plan for Moving Forward&quot; ASL talent Jessica Eggert is signing throughout the video in a PIP in the top, right corner.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Hello! This video presents the key findings and recommendations from our recent project with the Minnesota Commission for the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing. We partnered with the Commission to create a data-informed strategic plan to better support DeafBlind children and youth in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Next slide appears, &quot;DeafBlind children and youth in Minnesota. * 379 children and youth in Minnesota * Each are unique individuals with different needs and strengths&quot;]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; A 2019 census by the National Center on Deaf-Blindness identified 379 DeafBlind children and youth in our state. These children and youth are all unique individuals with different needs and strengths. Some have serious health conditions or developmental delays in addition to being DeafBlind. These children and their families may need significant medical, educational, and social support, whereas other DeafBlind children and their families can achieve their goals with less support.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Next slide appears, &quot;45 interviews. 23 interviews with parents of DeafBlind children and youth, 17 interviews with professionals who serve DeafBlind children and youth, 5 interviews with DeafBlind young adults.&quot; A pie graph with the 23-17-5 data is also onscreen.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; We identified the six action items that appear in the strategic plan by interviewing 45 DeafBlind young adults, parents of DeafBlind children, and professionals who serve DeafBlind children and their families.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Next slide appears, &quot;Key findings 1. Minnesota lacks a cohesive system for supporting DeafBlind children and youth 2. Parents feel over-extended, want more support, and often act as their child&apos;s services coordinator.&quot;]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; The key findings from these interviews include: • Minnesota lacks a cohesive system for supporting DeafBlind children and youth • As a result, parents feel over-extended, want more support, and often act as their child’s services coordinator.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Next slide appears, &quot; Key findings 3. Professionals recommended a number of system and practice improvements - Improved coordination and communication among service providers - More and better training for professionals who serve DeafBlind children and youth - More professional support and guidance for DeafBlind children and youth and their loved ones&quot;]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Professionals recommended a number of system and practice improvements, including: - Improved coordination and communication among service providers - More and better training for professionals who serve DeafBlind children and youth - More professional support and guidance for DeafBlind children and youth and their loved ones.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Next slide appears, &quot;This mimics everything I experienced as a young person growing up DeafBlind.&quot; - Advisory group member.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; We shared these key findings with our advisory group, which included 22 DeafBlind adults, parents of DeafBlind children, and professionals who serve DeafBlind children and their families. After seeing the findings, one advisory group member said, “This mimics everything I experienced as a young person growing up DeafBlind.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Next slide appears, &quot;Action items. 1. Promote coordinated services and the sharing of information among service providers 2. Help DeafBlind children and their families coordinate their services 3. Provide education about deafblindness to parents and providers&quot;]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Based on the key findings, our advisory group identified six action items to better support DeafBlind children and youth in Minnesota: • Promote coordinated services and the sharing of information among service providers • Help DeafBlind children and their families coordinate their services • Provide education about deafblindness to parents and providers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Next slide appears, &quot;Action items. 4. Offer social connection and emotional support to DeafBlind children and their families 5. Prepare DeafBlind youth for the transition to community-based services at age 21 6. Contribute to legislative and policy-focused activities that could improve the lives of DeafBlind children&quot;]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; • Offer social connection and emotional support to DeafBlind children and their families • Prepare DeafBlind youth for the transition to community-based services at age 21 • Contribute to legislative and policy-focused activities that could improve the lives of DeafBlind children.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Next slide appears, &quot;Next steps. * The Commission will set a framework for accomplishing the six action items. * They will set this framework with the guidance of the DeafBlind workgroup * The DeafBlind workgroup served as the advisory group for this project&quot;]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; The next steps for this project include the Commission setting a framework for accomplishing the six action items. The Commission will do this with the guidance of the DeafBlind workgroup, which served as the advisory group for this project.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Last slide appears, &quot;Want to learn more? &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/&quot;&gt;mn.gov/deaf-commission&lt;/a&gt;&quot;]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; If you want to learn more about the project or read the full report, please visit the Commission&apos;s website. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ryan Evans, M.A., Wilder Foundation research scientist, for presentation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jessica Eggert, Collaborative Plan DeafBlind workgroup member, for ASL talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Patty McCutcheon for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Amherst H. Wilder Foundation and Keystone Interpreting Solutions for video production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>501908</id><Tag><Description/><Title>deafblind</Title><Id>499876</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-10-07T19:25:56Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens (MADC) Hosting 64th Biennial Conference!</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>On the top left, the yellow text: &quot;Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens.&quot; In the top middle, large yellow text slightly slanted upward from left to right: &quot;Move toward the future.&quot; Under the word &quot;future,&quot; blue text says &quot;64th Biennial Conference.&quot; The background is dark blue with white torn edge on top.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Screenshot%202021-09-28%20132015_tcm1063-500914.jpg</Url></Image><title>2021-09-29-madc-biennial-conference-64</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-500917&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-09-29T13:50:46Z</Date><ShortDescription>This is where you as a member can help shape MADC&apos;s bylaws, priorities, and vote on board members. Community awards will also be given. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Become a member and participate! Conference happening Oct 8-9, 2021</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens (MADC) needs you! MADC is the community organization that &quot;preserves, protects, and promotes American Sign Language and political, educational, economic, and social equality for Deaf Minnesotans.&quot; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MADC has been working to make changes to welcome everyone. More work is still needed to be done. Please join and add your voice to help shape the future for Deaf Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Friday, October 8 and 9, 2021. This conference is virtual and will take place over Zoom.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here is the &lt;a href=&quot;https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSelujv7xi7odvLx9V-opcACxf565QIlk_UspBhDcEshxBz5BA/viewform&quot;&gt;registration form for MADC&apos;s 64th Biennial Conference&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The registration deadline is Oct. 5th.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You will need to become a member before the conference so you can vote!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MADC membership&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here is the link to sign up: &lt;a href=&quot;https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScHNbYgMBRtVt58T7mvW9KXZvadr5Vbw6aU9SIkl58H4l6kMw/viewform&quot;&gt;Membership&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cost&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Free!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Conference schedule&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Friday, October 8th&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;3 pm to 6:45 pm: Business meeting (reports, old/new business, budget proposal)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;7 pm to 8 pm: Awards&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Saturday, October 9th&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;8 am to 12 pm: Bylaws&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;1 pm to 3:30 pm: Priorities&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;4 pm to 5:30 pm: Elections&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This conference will be conducted in American Sign Language (ASL). CART is being provided. The deadline to request additional accommodations such as deafblind interpreters was September 25, 2021. However, if you still need a reasonable accommodation, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:conference@minndeaf.org&quot;&gt;conference@minndeaf.org&lt;/a&gt;, and they will do their best to fulfill your request. They cannot guarantee success due to the short time frame.   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;More information&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MADC will be sending an agenda and more materials soon. Members will receive additional emails from MADC so keep an eye on your email. If you have any questions, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:conference@minndeaf.org&quot;&gt;conference@minndeaf.org&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>500917</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-09-29T14:18:05Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Action Alert: Cogswell-Macy Act</Title><title>2021-08-11-action-alert-cogswell-macy-act</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-493575&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-08-11T17:00:56Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNCDHH encourages you to take action and contact your legislators to improve services and educational opportunities for students who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, and blind.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Write to legislators about education legislation</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Recently, the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nad.org/2021/07/27/cogswell-macy-act-update-2021/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;sent out a call to action&lt;/a&gt; encouraging individuals to contact their legislators and ask them to support the Cogswell-Macy Act, which is designed to improve services and educational opportunities for students who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, and blind. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are key pieces of the legislation currently in the bill.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Increase training for teachers and other special education professionals, so they are qualified to work with deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing students.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Require more appropriate and specific data tracking through appropriate evaluations and assessments, which will give us better data and information to best support our students.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Encourage states to develop quality improvement services, such as requiring language goals to include measured progress in acquiring American Sign Language (ASL) and English, which leads to national expectations for quality services for students.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Protection for special education placements for the students, including deaf schools and deaf programs for DHH students.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Require interpreter training programs to prepare students for the educational interpreting field and move them towards educational interpreting licensure.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Change outdated terminology in current educational law from “hearing impaired” to “deaf, hard of hearing, and DeafBlind.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sample script &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visit &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://cogswellmacyact.org/ways-to-get-involved/#call&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Alice Cogswell and Anne Sullivan Macy Act, H.R. 1959, S. 813&lt;/a&gt;&quot; for a sample script you can use for your letter(s) or phone call(s). &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Who to contact&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here is the list of Minnesota senators. You may contact both:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sen. Amy Klobuchar - &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/email-amy&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Sen. Klobuchar&apos;s email form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sen. Tina Smith - &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.smith.senate.gov/share-your-opinion&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Sen. Smith&apos;s email form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here is the list of Minnesota representatives. You may contact the representative for your district.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rep. Jim Hagedorn (1st District) - &lt;a href=&quot;https://hagedorn.house.gov/contact&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Rep. Hagedorn&apos;s email form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rep. Angie Craig (2nd District) - &lt;a href=&quot;https://craig.house.gov/contact&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Rep. Craig&apos;s email form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rep. Dean Phillips (3rd District) - &lt;a href=&quot;https://phillips.house.gov/zip-code-lookup?form=/contact/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Rep. Phillip&apos;s email form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rep. Betty McCollum (4th District) - &lt;a href=&quot;https://mccollum.house.gov/contact/email&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Rep. McCollum&apos;s email form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rep. Ilham Omar (5th District) - &lt;a href=&quot;https://omar.house.gov/zip-code-lookup?form=/contact/email-me&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Rep. Omar&apos;s email form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rep. Tom Emmer (6th District) - &lt;a href=&quot;https://emmer.house.gov/contact&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Rep. Emmer&apos;s email form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rep. Michelle Fischbach (7th District) - &lt;a href=&quot;https://fischbach.house.gov/contact&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Rep. Fischbach&apos;s email form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rep. Pete Stauber (8th District) - &lt;a href=&quot;https://stauber.house.gov/contact/email-me&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Rep. Stauber&apos;s email form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are not sure which congressional district you are in, please use the &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Find Your Representative&lt;/a&gt;&quot; tool.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>493575</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-08-11T17:04:39Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Traveling Tuesdays with Darlene G. Zangara, Ph.D.: Metro Region</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>MNCDHH&apos;s Executive Director, Darlene G. Zangara, Ph.D., is shown on a person&apos;s laptop. The laptop is placed on a deck railing along with a blanket, books, and mug. In the distance are tall green trees and a lake.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/traveling-tuesdays-with-darlene_tcm1063-455137.jpg</Url></Image><title>2021-07-22-traveling-tuesday-metro</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-490840&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-07-22T18:48:13Z</Date><ShortDescription>This visit is for the Metro Region, which covers the following counties: Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNCDHH visits different regions online in Minnesota</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Traveling Tuesdays is a virtual meet and greet with Darlene G. Zangara, Ph.D., Executive Director of MNCDHH. Darlene will introduce herself to your community, share some of MNCDHH&apos;s recent activities, describe her vision for the future, and answer your questions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do you have questions about what MNCDHH does and can do for you? Do you have ideas for public policy that impacts community members who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or people with hearing loss, their families, coworkers, and friends?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH has booked the last virtual stop for the &apos;Traveling Tuesdays&apos; tour! Along the way, we have visited &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Southeast Region,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Northwest Region,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Northeast Region,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Central Region,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;and Southwest Region.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We will wrap up the tour by visiting the Metro Region.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Depending on how things with the COVID-19 pandemic go, we plan to visit each region in person in the near future. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Metro regional counties&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are a resident of the following counties in the Metro Region, we hope you can join us:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Anoka&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Carver&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Dakota&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Hennepin&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ramsey&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Scott&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Washington&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tuesday, August 24, 2021 at 6:00 p.m.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Workshop will be provided online through Zoom. Register in advance at &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEvf-uqpjwjHtMKkKeqw1uWURHIkHX42Xzt&quot;&gt;Traveling Tuesday: Metro Region&lt;/a&gt;. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Presented and discussed in both spoken English and American Sign Language (ASL). CART and ASL interpreters have been scheduled. If you need another reasonable accommodation such as a deafblind interpreter, please email your request to &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;, at least 5 business days before the event.  &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>490840</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-07-22T18:39:57Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Action Alert: Medicare Cover Costs of Hearing Aids</Title><title>2021-07-21-action-alert-medicare-cover-costs-hearing-aids</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-490881&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-07-21T21:24:55Z</Date><ShortDescription>On July 20, 2021, the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) sent out an action alert regarding &quot;Medicare Coverage of Hearing Aids.&quot; MNCDHH encourages you to take action and contact your legislators. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Please contact Congress about this important issue</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On July 20, 2021, the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) sent out an action alert regarding &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.hearingloss.org/action-alert-medicare-coverage-of-hearing-aids/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Medicare Coverage of Hearing Aids.&lt;/a&gt;&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Medicare is the federal health insurance for:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;People who are 65 or older&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Certain younger people with disabilities&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;People with End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a transplant, sometimes called ESRD)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Since the passage of the Medicare Act of 1965, Medicare has not covered the cost of hearing aids. This is a barrier to getting hearing health care for seniors. Fortunately, there are legislators and advocates who recognize this pressing issue. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH encourages you to contact your legislators and ask them to support Medicare coverage of hearing aids. In &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.hearingloss.org/action-alert-medicare-coverage-of-hearing-aids/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;HLAA&apos;s action alert&lt;/a&gt;, they include a sample email and tips you can use to craft your message.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here is the list of Minnesota senators. You may contact both: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Sen. Amy Klobuchar - &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/email-amy&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Sen. Klobuchar&apos;s email form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Sen. Tina Smith - &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.smith.senate.gov/share-your-opinion&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Sen. Smith&apos;s email form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here is the list of Minnesota representatives. You may contact the representative for your district. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Rep. Jim Hagedorn (1st District) - &lt;a href=&quot;https://hagedorn.house.gov/contact&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Rep. Hagedorn&apos;s email form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Rep. Angie Craig (2nd District) - &lt;a href=&quot;https://craig.house.gov/contact&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Rep. Craig&apos;s email form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Rep. Dean Phillips (3rd District) - &lt;a href=&quot;https://phillips.house.gov/zip-code-lookup?form=/contact/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Rep. Phillip&apos;s email form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Rep. Betty McCollum (4th District) - &lt;a href=&quot;https://mccollum.house.gov/contact/email&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Rep. McCollum&apos;s email form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Rep. Ilham Omar (5th District) - &lt;a href=&quot;https://omar.house.gov/zip-code-lookup?form=/contact/email-me&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Rep. Omar&apos;s email form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Rep. Tom Emmer (6th District) - &lt;a href=&quot;https://emmer.house.gov/contact&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Rep. Emmer&apos;s email form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Rep. Michelle Fischbach (7th District) - &lt;a href=&quot;https://fischbach.house.gov/contact&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Rep. Fischbach&apos;s email form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Rep. Pete Stauber (8th District) - &lt;a href=&quot;https://stauber.house.gov/contact/email-me&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Rep. Stauber&apos;s email form&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are not sure which congressional district you are in, please use the &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Find Your Representative&lt;/a&gt;&quot; tool. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>490881</id><Tag><Description/><Title>age-related hearing loss</Title><Id>310251</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>health care</Title><Id>310254</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>hearing aids</Title><Id>310255</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-07-21T21:31:57Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Two Opportunities to Contract with MNCDHH</Title><title>2021-07-09-opportunities-to-contract-with-mncdhh</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-489190&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-07-09T18:08:06Z</Date><ShortDescription>Learn more about the opportunities. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Contractors will help with civic engagement and communication outreach</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/AdobeStock_348926864_tcm1063-489192.jpeg&quot; title=&quot;hands-on-teamwork&quot; alt=&quot;hands-on-teamwork&quot; style=&quot;width: 150px; height: 100px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;hands-on-teamwork&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt; Civic Engagement Contractors (1st RFP)&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH seeks responders to provide civic engagement support to work in partnership with state employees, representatives, and community organizations. The responder will be doing community outreach and engagement activities designed to include deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, individuals with age-related hearing loss, and deaf plus (and their families) in civic engagement activities; including but not limited to voters outreach, meet your legislator, and support community event planning. Please see contact information below to request the complete solicitation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sample tasks&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Gather community input about needs, gaps, and what community members want the MNCDHH to work on.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Give presentations to share information about voting and encourage people to vote.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provide training on how to meet with their legislators&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Coach community members on the Art of Lobbying&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Special projects as requested by the Commission&apos;s Executive Director&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the RFP&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Estimated Cost: Up to $50,000 in total. Winning bids will be awarded a portion.
&lt;br /&gt;
Contracting Agency: Human Services/MN Comm of the Deaf, Deafblind, &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing
&lt;br /&gt;
Location of Work: Throughout the state of Minnesota.
&lt;br /&gt;
Response to this solicitation is due no later than 07/23/21 at 12:00 PM Central Time&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Request copy of RFP&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please contact Katy Kelley-Rademacher at 612.999.2592 or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Katy.Kelley@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Katy.Kelley@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. For TTYs, please use 711 or 1.800.627.3529 (MN Relay Service for persons with speech or hearing disabilities)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visit: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mmd.admin.state.mn.us/process/admin/ptlist.asp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Professional/Technical Service Contracting Opportunities&lt;/a&gt;. (Reference number: PT3572)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Responders Conference for Civic Engagement&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do you have questions about this RFP or need information in American Sign Language (ASL)? Please join MNCDHH for an info session, which is also called a Responders Conference. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When: Tuesday, July 20, 2021, at 1:00 pm to 2:15 pm (CST)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Zoom videoconference platform: &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82130140299?pwd=cUJiazVBdkZTdVgzNk5ENGErREsrdz09&quot;&gt;Responders Conference Zoom link&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Meeting ID: 821 3014 0299, Passcode: RFP&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Interpreters and CART have been scheduled. To request deafblind interpreters, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:katy.kelley@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;katy.kelley@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; by July 14, 2021. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/AdobeStock_115638671_tcm1063-489193.jpeg&quot; title=&quot;Word cloud related to great content&quot; alt=&quot;Word cloud related to great content&quot; style=&quot;width: 150px; height: 100px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Word cloud related to great content&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt; Communications Outreach (2nd RFP)&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH seeks responders to provide Communications Outreach Support. We&apos;d like to continue and grow our communications outreach. MNCDHH is looking for representatives who reflect the racial, indigenous, ethnic, gender and cultural diversity of Minnesota. Individuals who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing who use different kinds of communication modalities are welcome to apply for this RFP. Please see contact information below to request the complete solicitation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sample tasks&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Conduct #CanDoAnything interviews, Community Spotlight interviews, draft scripts for videos, help with captioning files and descriptive transcripts.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Conduct the new Citizen Advocate campaign, which will include interviews, media gathering, and creating the captions and transcript files.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Work closely with Communications Director to develop a special communication plan and then help carry out the plan. The plan will focus on reaching groups that are harder for us to reach, including but not limited to, 1. Greater Minnesota residents who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing and 2. reaching individuals who self-identify as having a hearing loss, age-related hearing loss, or hard of hearing.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Special Projects as requested by Commission’s Executive Director.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the RFP&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Estimated Cost: $5,001 - $25,000
&lt;br /&gt;
Contracting Agency: Human Services/MN Comm of the Deaf, Deafblind, &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing
&lt;br /&gt;
Location of Work: Throughout the state of Minnesota.
&lt;br /&gt;
Response to this solicitation is due no later than 07/19/21 at 12:00 PM Central Time&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Request copy of RFP&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please contact Katy Kelley-Rademacher at 612.999.2592 or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Katy.Kelley@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Katy.Kelley@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. For TTYs, please use 711 or 1.800.627.3529 (MN Relay Service for persons with speech or hearing disabilities)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visit: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mmd.admin.state.mn.us/process/admin/ptlist.asp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Professional/Technical Service Contracting Opportunities&lt;/a&gt;. (Reference number: PT3573)&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>489190</id><Tag><Description/><Title>contract opportunities</Title><Id>489191</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-07-12T17:11:37Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>June 17, 2021 Legislative Update</Title><title>2021-06-30-june-17-legislative-update</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-487992&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-06-30T20:07:56Z</Date><ShortDescription>In this update, we cover the work of the conference committees, captioning for livestreams at the legislature, CMV testing in babies, and landlines. The special session ended today, June 30th, MNCDHH will send a new update to wrap up this year at the Capitol.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>What we did during this legislative session and what is left to do</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/-F5bHrRk8kA&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/BL0JSikWSrY&quot; title=&quot;June 21, 2021 legislative update&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello, I’m Alicia. I’m the government relations director for the Commission. To describe my appearance, I’m a white Hispanic woman with dark wavy hair to my shoulders, with glasses. My black jacket has white flower illustrations at bottom. I’m standing in front of a black background.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I started my position in April, and I’m here now to share our most recent legislative updates.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So, Minnesota has a House and Senate, and they’ve already passed many bills. Now, select members from each have come together to form what’s called conference committees. Those committees are responsible for comparing the House and Senate versions of each bill to identify the similarities and differences, then negotiating to merge the two into one bill. This merged bill then goes back to the House and Senate for another vote. That’s the goal being worked on now.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission keeps an eye on multiple issues to improve the quality of life for deaf, hard of hearing, and deafblind people in Minnesota. Right now, because the conference committees are happening, we are focusing on the three issues in bills actively being discussed by these committees. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Captions for added legislative livestreams&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;First, captioning for new livestreams of the legislature.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota provides livestreams of House debates, Senate debates, and committee discussions. It’s nice, you can go to leg.mn.gov to see what’s happening live, and they’re captioned. When the pandemic hit, they decided to add more livestreams so that more people could watch from home. Nice, but one problem: the captioning funds were maxed out and they couldn’t add captions for the new livestreams.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A bill was brought to the House that proposed a fund increase of 172% for the livestream captioning. Meanwhile, the Senate’s bill kept the funding the same, with no increase.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Of course, the Commission sent a letter to the conference committee and requested that they go with the House’s 172% increase. At this time, it looks like the committee agrees and has put the language into the final merged bill that they are recommending to the legislature.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keep in mind, this increase isn’t official just yet. They are almost finished putting together the merged bill and will bring it to the House and Senate for another vote. Once they vote to adopt, the bill then goes to governor, who then needs to approve and sign it into law. Those haven’t happened yet, but looks like we’re getting there.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Newborn CMV screening&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The second issue: CMV testing in babies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So, what’s CMV? That’s cytomegalovirus, a fairly common virus. If an adult becomes infected, their symptoms tend not to be serious. But if a pregnant individual becomes infected and passes it to the baby, when the baby is born, they often have a number of issues that need support services. Those issues include hearing loss.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some of you may recall that Minnesota already has a law that requires that all babies born be tested for hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So, if we already have this testing, why do we need to add CMV? Well, when babies are born with CMV often their hearing test results don’t show anything unusual. It’s not until later that their hearing loss shows up, typically between birth and approximately age two.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;That means the family of a baby born with CMV may be unaware and when the baby is identified as having typical hearing, the family goes home to their routine everyday lives. When the baby does develop hearing loss, the family is unaware and moves on without realizing their deaf or hard of hearing child is now at risk for delays in language development.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If we were to check for CMV, then that would help us catch these babies and make sure they don’t fall through the cracks.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Senate’s bill has money set aside for adding CMV screening plus distributing information and resources to families. The House’s version does not include those provisions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So we sent a letter urging the conference committee to adopt the Senate language.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Although there was a lot of different views on this issue, it seems the committee worked out an agreement to include the Senate language, with one change. They agreed to delegate the final recommendation to Minnesota’s NSAC, Newborn Screening Advisory Committee. The agreement is to task the NSAC with making the final recommendation as to whether CMV screening should be added. If the NSAC agrees to add CMV screening, the money will be ready to go. That’s a good thing. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Again, it won’t become official until after the House and Senate vote again and the governor signs it. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Landline access&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Now, the third issue is related to phones, specifically “landlines.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Currently Minnesota has a law that requires phone companies, which they call “local exchange carriers,” to guarantee access to basic phone services for any resident. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If, for example, a customer lives in a remote area with no overhead or in-ground telephone wires and wants basic phone service, the phone company is required to add the necessary facilities to reach that customer. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;That added line is typically a landline. So, we have that “obligation to serve” in current statutes. The Senate bill proposes to remove that guarantee.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When we looked into this, we realized this could have a disproportionate impact on multiple groups. The first group includes people with age-related hearing loss, hard of hearing individuals, and deaf seniors. This group is more likely to be using specialized assistive equipment with phones. That equipment often is most compatible with analog phones. As opposed to digital, such as internet and mobile services, which do not work as well as analog landlines.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Another group is deaf individuals who live in rural parts of Minnesota. Those areas often have slow internet speeds and spotty cellular coverage. This means residents may not be able to access tools like VRS, IP-Relay, or mobile texting. That leaves them with the analog TTY. Which requires a landline.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission sent a letter asking that this proposed language be rejected, to leave the guarantee in place.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Again, looks like good news. The most recent merged draft does not touch that guarantee, leaves it in place. That’s what we want. We will continue to monitor this bill until the final vote is taken by the House and Senate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL by Alicia Lane-Outlaw, Government Relations Director &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jamie Schumacher for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>487992</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-07-01T00:43:41Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2021 Special Session Explainer</Title><title>2021-06-30-special-session-explainer</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-487972&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-06-30T18:48:39Z</Date><ShortDescription>Today (June 30) is the last day of the special session. MNCDHH is optimistic as signs are good. We will provide another update soon.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Brief explanation about the purpose of having a special session</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/ZDQMWbfZY6Y&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/wFTeygT8G5Y&quot; title=&quot;ASL video on 2021 special session explainer&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello! Maybe you noticed in the news that the regular legislative session ended May 17, but now they’re talking about a special session. Why? &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota is unique in the nation as the only state to have a politically divided House and Senate. What that means is that the House is controlled by the majority of one political party, while the Senate is controlled by the majority of a different political party. That usually results in longer debates and more time needed to agree on hot issues. With all the different perspectives being considered.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Plus, we had an unusual development this year. Originally, Minnesota was facing a deficit, like other states, due to increased spending on managing the COVID-19 pandemic.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Then, recently the federal government announced that it’d be distributing funds to help states recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;That means Minnesota is now looking at a surplus. Great! Thing is, the federal government did not communicate exact amounts to Minnesota until one week before May 17. What’s the significance of that date? May 17 is when the Minnesota constitution required that the regular legislative session adjourn this year. Legislators were left with one week, clearly not enough time to discuss and agree on all the hot issues.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The governor has since reconvened legislators for a special session, so they will continue to discuss the issues until they reach a budget agreement and the governor signs it. Right now nobody knows for sure how long the special session will last. We’ll continue to monitor issues in active bills until the special session adjourns.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thanks for watching!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL by Alicia Lane-Outlaw, Government Relations Director&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jamie Schumacher for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>487972</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-07-01T00:43:41Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Traveling Tuesdays with Darlene G. Zangara, Ph.D.: Southwest Region</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>MNCDHH&apos;s Executive Director, Darlene G. Zangara, Ph.D., is shown on a person&apos;s laptop. The laptop is placed on a deck railing along with a blanket, books, and mug. In the distance are tall green trees and a lake.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/traveling-tuesdays-with-darlene_tcm1063-455137.jpg</Url></Image><title>2021-06-04-traveling-tuesday-southwest</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-484028&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-06-04T17:10:29Z</Date><ShortDescription>This visit is for the Southwest Region, which covers the following counties: Blue Earth, Brown, Cottonwood, Faribault, Jackson, Le Sueur, Lincoln, Lyon, Martin, Murray, Nicollet, Nobles, Pipestone, Redwood, Rock, Sibley, Waseca, and Watonwan. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNCDHH visits different regions online in Minnesota</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Traveling Tuesdays is a virtual meet and greet with Darlene G. Zangara, Ph.D., Executive Director of MNCDHH. Darlene will introduce herself to your community, share some of MNCDHH&apos;s recent activities, describe her vision for the future, and answer your questions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do you have questions about what MNCDHH does and can do for you? Do you have ideas for public policy that impacts community members who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or people with hearing loss, their families, coworkers, and friends?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH has booked the Southwest virtual stop for the &apos;Traveling Tuesdays&apos; tour! Along the way, we have visited &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Southeast Region,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Northwest Region,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Northeast Region, and&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Central Region.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After the Southwest stop, we will wrap up the tour by visiting the Metro Region. Watch for a separate announcement for Metro residents.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Depending on how things with the COVID-19 pandemic goes, we plan to visit each region in person in the near future. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Southwest regional counties&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are a resident of the following counties in the Southwest Region, we hope you can join us:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Blue Earth&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Brown&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Cottonwood&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Faribault&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jackson&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Le Sueur&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Lincoln&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Lyon&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Martin&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Murray&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Nicollet&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Nobles&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Pipestone&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Redwood&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rock&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sibley&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Waseca&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Watonwan&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tuesday, July 20, 2021 at 6:00 p.m.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Workshop will be provided online through Zoom. Register in advance at &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0ldu6rqzMiHtJ1dx7jRpJT42svGsUCczmE&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Traveling Tuesday: Southwest Region&lt;/a&gt;. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Presented and discussed in both spoken English and American Sign Language (ASL). CART and ASL interpreters have been scheduled. If you need another reasonable accommodation such as a deafblind interpreter, please email your request to &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;, at least 5 business days before the event.  &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>484028</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-06-04T17:33:49Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Language Acquisition Professional Hired for Minnesota&apos;s Statewide Education Collaborative</Title><title>2021-06-02-language-acquisition-professional-hired-for-mn-statewide-education-collbaborative</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-483520&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-06-02T13:29:01Z</Date><ShortDescription>Danelle will serve as the Collaborative Plan Program Director at the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Please welcome Danelle Gournaris, MA, MS</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/danelle-gournaris-cropped_tcm1063-483521.jpg&quot; title=&quot;danelle-gournaris-headshot&quot; alt=&quot;danelle-gournaris-headshot&quot; style=&quot;width: 150px; height: 192px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;danelle-gournaris-headshot&quot; /&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) is pleased to announce that we have hired Danelle Gournaris, MA, MS as the statewide Collaborative Plan Program Director. Her first day will be Monday, June 28, 2021.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Collaborative Plan is a network of agencies, schools, and organizations that work together to create positive, systemic changes to achieve better education and career outcomes for students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As the program director, Danelle will manage the Collaborative Plan goals, responsibilities, and workflow established by the stakeholders. She will also advise our Executive Director and staff on the needs and trends in deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing education.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With her past work experience, Danelle has in-depth knowledge of both Minnesota and federal education programs providing services to children with disabilities, including students who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing. She has proven success in collaboration and alliance building with parents, professionals, school administrators, and teachers. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Danelle has the ability to work with others, including people with different perspectives, and keep her eyes on the ultimate prize; making improvements to a system to yield better outcomes for our children and future generations,&quot; explains Dr. Darlene G. Zangara, executive director. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Previously, Danelle served as the Deaf Mentor Family Program Manager at Lifetrack, Inc. The Deaf Mentor Family Program (DMFP) is a statewide program that provides Deaf Mentors who are language role models to hearing families with deaf and hard of hearing children. During her time at Lifetrack, Danelle developed the program while supervising 30 Deaf Mentors. Over 325 families were served. In addition, Deaf Mentors and Teachers DHH have worked together in several instances to track their students&apos; language milestone benchmarks.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As a representative of Lifetrack, Danelle has served on four out of five work groups under the Collaborative Plan;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Birth - Age 5,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kindergarten - Grade 4,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Grades 5 -8, and&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Transition (Grade 9 - Age 21).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Danelle will carry her stakeholder experience into her new role. She understands that while MNCDHH is the host of the Collaborative Plan, all stakeholders have equal power and influence in this collaborative environment. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Prior to Lifetrack, Danelle has worked as a family counselor at a school district, as a deaf mentor for families, and as a mental health counselor. Danelle has a Masters of Arts in School Counseling and a Masters of Science in Administration from Gallaudet University. She is also a National Certified Deaf Mentor Trainer with the SKI-HI Institute at Utah State University.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>483520</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>staff</Title><Id>317343</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-06-02T14:57:13Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Film Premiere &quot;Tearing Down Barriers: 36 Years of Advocacy&quot;</Title><title>2021-05-28-film-premiere-tearing-down-barriers-36-years</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-483433&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-05-28T17:43:13Z</Date><ShortDescription>In 1985, MNCDHH opened its doors. Community advocates had accomplished their goal of having a governor-appointed, board-led Commission with the ability to influence laws and public policy. Over the years, we&apos;ve benefited from the leadership of our board members and executive directors. Through personal interviews, a few past board members and executive directors share their experiences in advocating for communication access and equal opportunity with the 20% of Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. Featuring Kim Wassenaar, Monique Hammond, Jeffrey Moen, Dr. Mohamed Mourrsi-Alfash, Jamie Taylor, Jason Valentine, Sharaine Rawlinson Roberts, Elise Knopf, Cuong Nguyen, Curt Micka, Mike Cashman, Mary Hartnett, Michele Isham, and Dr. Darlene G. Zangara.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>In honor of MNCDHH&apos;s 36th Anniversary</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You&apos;re invited to join the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) as we celebrate 36 years of advocacy. Just make a bowl of popcorn, settle on the couch, and watch from the comfort of home.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About this film&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 1985, MNCDHH opened its doors. Community advocates had accomplished their goal of having a governor-appointed, board-led Commission with the ability to influence laws and public policy. Over the years, we&apos;ve benefited from the leadership of our board members and executive directors. Through personal interviews, a few past board members and executive directors share their experiences in advocating for communication access and equal opportunity with the 20% of Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Featuring Kim Wassenaar, Monique Hammond, Jeffrey Moen, Dr. Mohamed Mourrsi-Alfash, Jamie Taylor, Jason Valentine, Sharaine Rawlinson Roberts, Elise Knopf, Cuong Nguyen, Curt Micka, Mike Cashman, Mary Hartnett, Michele Isham, and Dr. Darlene G. Zangara.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thursday, June 10, 2021 at 6 pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;6:00 pm: Opening remarks by Dr. Darlene G. Zangara&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;6:05 pm: Film begins &lt;em&gt;(65 minutes in duration)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li class=&quot;gd_p&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;7:10 pm: Film ends&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How to connect&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Simply click on &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/j/87812006318&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Tearing Down Barriers film premiere&lt;/a&gt;&quot; between 5:30 - 6 pm on June 10th. This link will not be active before then.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Meeting ID: 878 1200 6318&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Password: mncdhh36&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This will also be live-streamed on &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/MNCDHH&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;MNCDHH&apos;s Facebook account&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This film is available in both American Sign Language (ASL) and English along with captions and a descriptive transcript. For DeafBlind interpreters, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; by Monday, June 7, 2021. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Film trailer&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Don&apos;t forget to check out the film trailer below!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/datbVXpwo7o&quot; title=&quot;36th anniversary trailer&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Descriptive transcript for trailer&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Two screens appear. To the left is Jamie Taylor’s picture. To the right is Jaemi Hagen who is providing the ASL translation. An off-screen voice reads aloud Jamie’s sentence.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jamie: The emphasis was on data.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to show Jeffrey Moen who is verbally sharing his story. To his right is Jimmy Beldon who is providing the ASL translation.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jeffrey: … such as acoustics and loop systems in new schools…&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to Kim Wassenaar, who is signing her story.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Kim: At the time, we had nine bills and when they all passed, we referred to it as Cloud Nine.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to Monique Hammond who is voicing her story. To her right is Jaemi Hagen who is providing the ASL translation.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Monique: …that public policy changes when people take action.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to Mike Cashman who is signing his story.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mike: And it was that sense of empowerment and empowering the community to be actively engaged in the legislative process that was so important.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to Sharaine Rawlinson Roberts who is signing her story.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Sharaine: We would go and testify at the legislature…&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to Curt Micka who is voicing his story. To his right is Megan Bolduc who is providing the ASL translation.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Curt: And it was very controversial. And yeah, it was a lot of fun, (laughs) but it was also very, very difficult.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to Cuong Nguyen who is signing his story.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Cuong: The hospital responded quickly and changed their system to provide better equal access.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to Elise Knopf who is signing her story.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Elise: And Lobby Day brought people together.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to Mary Hartnett who is voicing her story.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mary: So the wisdom lies from the group, from the community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to Mohamed Mourssi-Alfash who is voicing his story. To his right is Megan Bolduc who is providing the ASL translation.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mohamed: We need to continue working together.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;gd_p&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video switches to a slide with the following text, “The History of MNCDHH. Watch on June 10, 2021 at 6:00 PM, mn.gov/deaf-commission” (MNCDHH logo)]&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>483433</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>heritage</Title><Id>310257</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-05-28T17:56:01Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Reminder! MNCDHH Hosting Two Free Webinars Tomorrow (May 20, 2021)</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Picture collage with five images. Left: Presenter Andrew Palmberg, who is wearing a hard hat and yellow vest and is standing on one of the buildings he worked on. Top middle: A man and a service dog are walking towards a Service Animal Relief Station. Central middle: VRI on an iPad. Bottom middle: TDAC members are in a meeting. Right: MSP Airport Assistant Director of Customer Experience, Phil Burke, who is wearing business attire and smiling directly at the camera.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/TDAC-webinar-850%20%281%29_tcm1063-480287.jpg</Url></Image><title>2021-05-19-reminder-two-webinars-happening-tomorrow</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-482606&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-05-19T22:55:35Z</Date><ShortDescription>Andrew Palmberg, chair of the MSP Airport&apos;s Travelers with Disabilities Advisory Committee (TDAC), and Phil Burke, Assistant Director of Customer Experience at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) will present on TDAC&apos;s work on airport accessibility. Dr. Jolene A. Ogunjirin, DrPH, MPH, will present on the COVID-19 pandemic, emerging variant cases, and the vaccinations. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Airport accessibility at 12 pm &amp; COVID-19 vaccine at 5 pm</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Travelers with Disabilities Advisory Committee: Journey to Equitable Access Webinar by Andrew Palmberg and Phil Burke&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Travelers with Disabilities Advisory Committee (TDAC) is composed of volunteer representatives from local Minnesota disability organizations as well as representatives from the Metropolitan Airport Committee (operator of MSP Airport) and airport users.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;TDAC is used to gather and construct feedback to improve accessibility at MSP airport and to become the most accessible airport in North America and the world. TDAC was founded in 2014 and huge progress has been made since then.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Phil and Andrew&apos;s presentation will cover and recap the progress in accessibility that has been made so far. They will also present about TDAC history and how TDAC has improved accessibility at MSP airport for our Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There will be time at the end for questions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thursday, May 20, 2021 from 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm CST.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register in advance for this webinar at &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMrdeusqjwiHNNQw0hENRNMIXdDhHOSoIqw&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Travelers with Disabilities Advisory Committee Webinar&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This webinar will be presented in American Sign Language (ASL) with closed captions and English voicing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/My%20Post%20Copy%20%281%29_tcm1063-482605.png&quot; title=&quot;updated-coronavirus-vaccine-webinar-header&quot; alt=&quot;updated-coronavirus-vaccine-webinar-header&quot; style=&quot;width: 850px; height: 444px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;updated-coronavirus-vaccine-webinar-header&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Coronavirus: Vaccination and Resilience by Dr. Jolene A. Ogunjirin&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please join Dr. Jolene A. Ogunjirin and MNCDHH for this special webinar. Dr. Ogunjirin will cover the current COVID-19 pandemic and emerging variant cases. This webinar is designed to explain why it is essential to protect yourself and your family in reducing vaccine hesitancy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Vaccine hesitancy occurs when individuals delay or decide not to get a vaccine, despite availability, for different reasons.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thursday, May 20, 2021 from 5:00 pm - 7:30 pm CST.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register in advance for this webinar at &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAtceypqD4qGNaoiwfuBc3qZMe8VKq0FH8K&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;&apos;Coronavirus: Vaccination and Resilience&apos; registration.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This webinar will be presented in American Sign Language (ASL) with closed captions and English voicing.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>482606</id><Tag><Description/><Title>airport</Title><Id>317204</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>health care</Title><Id>310254</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-05-19T23:05:37Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Travelers with Disabilities Advisory Committee: Journey to Equitable Access Webinar</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Picture collage with five images. Left: Presenter Andrew Palmberg, who is wearing a hard hat and yellow vest and is standing on one of the buildings he worked on. Top middle: A man and a service dog are walking towards a Service Animal Relief Station. Central middle: VRI on an iPad. Bottom middle: TDAC members are in a meeting. Right: MSP Airport Assistant Director of Customer Experience, Phil Burke, who is wearing business attire and smiling directly at the camera.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/TDAC-webinar-850%20%281%29_tcm1063-480287.jpg</Url></Image><title>2021-05-05-travelers-with-disabilities-advisory-committee</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-480286&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-05-05T20:01:55Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Travelers with Disabilities Advisory Committee (TDAC) is composed of volunteer representatives from local Minnesota disability organizations as well as representatives from the Metropolitan Airport Committee (operator of MSP Airport) and airport users.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Webinar is on MSP Airport&apos;s work on inclusion and accessibility and will be led by Phil Burke and Andrew Palmberg</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Travelers with Disabilities Advisory Committee (TDAC) is composed of volunteer representatives from local Minnesota disability organizations as well as representatives from the Metropolitan Airport Committee (operator of MSP Airport) and airport users.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;TDAC is used to gather and construct feedback to improve accessibility at MSP airport and to become the most accessible airport in North America and the world. TDAC was founded in 2014 and huge progress has been made since then.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Phil and Andrew&apos;s presentation will cover and recap the progress in accessibility that has been made so far. They will also present about TDAC history and how TDAC has improved accessibility at MSP airport for our Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There will be time at the end for questions. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thursday, May 20, 2021 from 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm CST.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register in advance for this webinar at &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMrdeusqjwiHNNQw0hENRNMIXdDhHOSoIqw&quot;&gt;Travelers with Disabilities Advisory Committee Webinar&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This webinar will be presented in American Sign Language (ASL) with closed captions and English voicing. For additional accommodations, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; at least 2 business days in advance.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Phil Burke&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Phil Burke is the Assistant Director of Customer Experience at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP), the largest of seven airports owned and operated by the Metropolitan Airports Commission.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Phil joined the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) in 2001 in the Commercial Management and Airline Affairs department. Three years later, he was named the Assistant Director of MSP Operations/Facilities. In 2013 Phil was promoted to the Director of Operations at MSP and in late 2018 transitioned to a new role for MAC to lead the development of a new department – Customer Experience. Prior to joining the MAC, Phil worked for Mesaba Airlines.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;He earned a Business Administration degree from the University of North Dakota with a major in Airport Administration. Phil also earned a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership at Bethel University in June 2014.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Andrew Palmberg&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Andrew Palmberg serves as the representative for the Commission for the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing Minnesotans (MNCDHH) on the Travelers with Disabilities Advisory Committee (TDAC). He is also the current chairperson of the TDAC committee and has served on the committee since its inception in 2014.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Andrew currently works for Doran Architecture &amp;amp; Construction where he is an architectural drafter. He brings his architecture experience and feedback to the TDAC committee alongside with his experience as a Deaf individual. Andrew enjoys and has passion for the topic of transportation combined with architecture so when the opportunity came up to represent MNCDHH on the TDAC committee by the former MNCDHH director, Mary Hartnett, Andrew jumped at the opportunity to serve as a volunteer representative to advise the MAC board on improving accessibility of Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the Travelers with Disabilities Advisory Committee&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Travelers with Disabilities Advisory Committee (TDAC) is made up of representatives from several of local Minnesota disability organizations such as United Blind of Minnesota, Hearing Loss Association of America, Parkinson Foundation, State Services for the Blind, Open Doors Organizations, and more. Representatives from the Metropolitan Airport Commission, Delta Airlines, Prospect Air, Transportation Security Agency, and more also attends our meetings to listen and hear from our disability group on concerns as well as how to improve accessibility at MSP Airport.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>480286</id><Tag><Description/><Title>airport</Title><Id>317204</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-05-05T20:13:31Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>MNCDHH Providing a Special Webinar, &quot;Coronavirus: Vaccination and Resilience&quot;</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Dr. Ogunjirin&apos;s headshot and MNCDHH&apos;s logo with a graphic of a person with vaccination band aid and the text &quot;every Minnesotan age 16 and older is now eligible to get their shot&quot; and stay safe MN logo</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/corronavirus-vaccine-workshop-850_tcm1063-480141.jpg</Url></Image><title>2021-05-03-mncdhh-providing-a-special-webinar-coronavirus-vaccination-resilience</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-480142&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-05-03T23:19:30Z</Date><ShortDescription>Learn why it is important to protect you and your family in reducing vaccine hesitancy.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Taught by Dr. Jolene A. Ogunjirin, DrPH, MPH</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please join Dr. Jolene A. Ogunjirin and MNCDHH for this special webinar. Dr. Ogunjirin will cover the current COVID-19 pandemic and emerging variant cases. This webinar is designed to explain why it is essential to protect yourself and your family in reducing vaccine hesitancy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Vaccine hesitancy occurs when individuals delay or decide not to get a vaccine, despite availability, for different reasons. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thursday, May 20, 2021 from 5:00 pm - 7:30 pm CST.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register in advance for this webinar at &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAtceypqD4qGNaoiwfuBc3qZMe8VKq0FH8K&quot;&gt;&apos;Coronavirus: Vaccination and Resilience&apos; registration&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This webinar will be presented in American Sign Language (ASL) with closed captions and English voicing. For additional accommodations, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; at least 2 business days in advance.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Dr. Ogunjirin&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dr. Jolene A. Ogunjirin, a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH), is the founding director of a small woman-owned business called Diversity Health, Education &amp;amp; Outreach (DHEO, LLC), based in Northern Virginia. DHEO, LLC service focuses on promoting health education to the Deaf &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing and hearing populations in developed and developing nations. In developing countries, DHEO, LLC contracts with global medical &amp;amp; surgical outreach organizations to ensure persons with disabilities are included in the medical treatment provisions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Retrospectively, Dr. Jolene spent nearly a decade as a public health promoter with the African American Health Program of Montgomery County, Maryland. A community-based program that collaborates with other health specialists and civic groups to ascertain community health needs. She facilitated strategic planning of health education that is not limited to HIV &amp;amp; AIDS, infant mortality, cancer education, and cardiovascular disease health screenings. Despite her deafness, she has had the opportunity to lead preventative health discussion sessions to county residences at adult correctional facilities and juvenile detention centers. She has a Master’s in Public Health (MPH) degree that focuses on cardiovascular disease risk factors: health disparities, and a Bachelor&apos;s in chemistry.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>480142</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>health care</Title><Id>310254</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-05-03T23:24:27Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>MNCDHH is Hiring! High-Level Education Position Open</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The following text &quot;Collaborative Plan Program Director,&quot; along with MNCDHH&apos;s logo.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/collaborative-plan-program-director-850_tcm1063-479775.jpg</Url></Image><title>2021-04-29-mncdhh-hiring-collaborative-plan-program-director</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-479778&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-04-29T21:02:54Z</Date><ShortDescription>Collaborative Plan Program Director</ShortDescription><Subtitle>New hire responsible for hosting stakeholder groups working to improve outcomes for deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing children age 0-21</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) has a position open for a Collaborative Plan Program Director. The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/collaborative-plan/&quot;&gt;Collaborative Plan&lt;/a&gt; is a network of agencies, schools, and organizations that work together to create positive, systemic changes to achieve better education and career outcomes for students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The deadline to apply is May 11, 2021.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To find the job posting, please visit &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mmb/careers/&quot;&gt;Minnesota Careers&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Under &quot;External Applicants,&quot; click on &quot;Search for jobs now.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Then, search for job id &quot;45524.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Job Summary&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This position exists to coordinate and manage the development, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and continuous improvement of a statewide, multi-agency, multi-organizational education plan for students who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing (D/DB/HH). Under administrative direction, this position directs, manages, and builds capacity for the development and implementation of a statewide Collaborative Plan; provides state and national leadership in Collaborative Plan implementation; and provides other specialized consultation to the agency.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Collaborative Plan refers to the Minnesota Collaborative Plan for Maximizing and Monitoring Learner Progress for Children who are Deaf, Deafblind, and Hard of Hearing and their Families. This Plan seeks to create statewide, systemic change in how D/DB/HH students are educated. This position advises and works closely with the Collaborative Plan Steering Committee and approximately 50 collaborative partners (i.e., state-level agencies, statewide advocacy and educational organizations, and consumer organizations, parents, and students), working in a highly sensitive and political environment. Managing the Plan is the primary, but not sole, responsibility of this position.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minimum Qualifications&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;3 years of specialized professional experience implementing educational programs for children who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing or have multiple disabilities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Experience must include&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deep knowledge and technical understanding of statewide policies, procedures, and plans regarding educational programs for children who are D/HH/DB or have multiple disabilities&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Educational program evaluation theory and practices&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Knowledge of state and federal educational programs that provide services to children with disabilities; and advocacy and support systems&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Preferred Qualifications&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Variety of experiences working effectively with others from different backgrounds and cultures&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Bachelor’s degree or higher in Education or related field &lt;strong&gt;and&lt;/strong&gt; current Minnesota teaching license&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>479778</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>staff</Title><Id>317343</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-04-29T21:30:22Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>What to Expect Getting Your COVID-19 Vaccine</Title><title>2021-04-22-what-to-expect-getting-your-covid-19-vaccine</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-477201&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-04-22T14:46:38Z</Date><ShortDescription>Sourced from the Minnesota Department of Health</ShortDescription><Subtitle>In American Sign Language (ASL) with captions, audio description, and descriptive transcript</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This video was provided by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). If you prefer to watch the video with English voiceover and captions, please watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/MenQyoJ8_U8&quot;&gt;video with spoken English&lt;/a&gt; instead. MDH has also created an &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/QxtIVzAIN_w&quot;&gt;audio-described version&lt;/a&gt; of this video.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/mG8FDzg_3cU&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about what to expect when getting your covid-19 vaccine&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Descriptive transcript&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[upbeat music]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; A cartoon woman in a purple shirt looks around as a thought bubble with the text “What to expect getting your COVID-19 vaccine.” emerges above her.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are getting or thinking about getting a COVID-19 vaccine, here is what you should know before and after you get vaccinated.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; The text in the thought bubble slides out of frame, and the same woman wearing a purple shirt slides in. She is smiling with a bandaid on her upper arm. She has been vaccinated. The thought bubble expands to the entire screen. A bubble symbolizing protection from COVID-19 appears around the smiling woman. A green check mark appears next to her bandaid.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The vaccine is safe and will help protect you from getting COVID-19.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; The scene changes. A red circle with a white “X” appears in the middle of the screen, with text underneath. It reads, “You cannot get COVID-19 from the vaccine.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You cannot get COVID-19 from the vaccine.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; The scene changes. There is a webpage from the Minnesota Department of Health. The text at the top of the page says “About COVID-19 Vaccine.” The website scrolls down slowly.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The vaccine does not have preservatives. You can visit the Minnesota Department of Health’s website for more information about vaccine ingredients.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; The scene changes. A girl with braids and a vaccine bandaid appears in a green circle in the center of the screen. A mustached man in a blue bubble and a different woman appear in a yellow bubble appear on either side of the girl. All of the people have vaccine bandaids and are smiling.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The vaccine is free for everyone. Insurance and immigration status do not matter.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; The scene changes. An abstraction of a paper form appears on a purple background. A red “X” appears next to a signature line. A signature writes itself on the signature line. When you arrive at your vaccination site, you will get a fact sheet about the vaccine. Some sites may ask you to sign your name saying you received the fact sheet and agree to get the vaccine.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; The scene changes. There are two masked women. The woman on the left wears healthcare scrubs. The woman on the right is the woman wearing a purple shirt from the beginning of the video. A speech bubble with a vaccine icon is above the woman wearing scrubs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A health care worker will ask you a few questions to make sure it is OK for you to get the vaccine.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; A second vaccine vial appears alongside the first with the numbers “1” and “2” attached to each vial. The vials separate slightly and a calendar appears with yellow dots showing three to four weeks.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The person giving you the vaccine will let you know if you need a second dose. If you need two doses, it is important to get both, and they should be the same brand of vaccine. You will need to wait three to four weeks before your second dose.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; The scene changes. The woman in the purple shirt is smiling with a bandaid on her upper arm. She has been vaccinated. A clock appears on the right. The clock shows 15 minutes have passed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Once you get the vaccine, you will wait at the clinic for 15 to 30 minutes to make sure you do not have any serious allergic reactions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; The scene changes. The front and back of a CDC vaccination card appear on a purple background. The front of the card reads “COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card”. The second card reads “Reminder! Return for a second dose!”. The subheader is in Spanish and reads, “Recordatorio! Regrese para la segunda dosis!”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You will get a card that shows the date of your vaccination. An appointment date can be written on the card, so you know if or when to come back if you need a second dose.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; A red marker line circles a column with the title “Date” on the first card. The red marker underlines the header on the second card. The two cards and purple background slide offscreen. A closeup of the woman’s vaccine bandaid appears. Red circles pulsate from under the bandaid to indicate pain or irritation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After getting your vaccine, you may have some side effects.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; The woman slides to the left, and remains on the left half of the screen. An image of her entire body appears on the right. As each side effect is listed, icons appear correspondingly around the body. Three small letter “z”s appear by the woman’s head, followed by red lightning on the other side of her head, small red pulsating circles on her hip and leg, a mercury thermometer, and snowflakes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Common side effects include pain where you got the vaccine, feeling tired, headache, body aches, fever, or chills. The side effects should go away in one or two days. Feeling side effects is completely normal and means the vaccine is working! It is also OK if you don’t have any side effects.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Pulsating red circles coming from the bandaid fade away, as do all of the other side effects. The screen focuses back to the closeup of the bandaid.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have a severe allergic reaction after you leave the vaccination clinic, call 911, or go to the nearest hospital.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; The scene changes. The woman with a bandaid appears in the center. Each corner of the screen shows a different icon, including a face mask, two hands washing themselves with sudsy bubbles, a green house, and the text “6 feet” with arrows speading out away from the text.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Even after getting the COVID-19 vaccine, you should continue taking basic prevention steps when recommended.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; The scene changes. The Stay Safe MN logo appears along with a link to the website health.mn.gov/covidvaccine.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information about the COVID-19 vaccine visit: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/vaccine/index.html&quot;&gt;health.mn.gov/covidvaccine&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[upbeat music]&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>477201</id><Tag><Description/><Title>health care</Title><Id>310254</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-04-22T15:00:20Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>COVID-19 Vaccines for Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Graphic of a person with vaccination bandaid and the text &quot;every minnesotan age 16 and older is now eligible to get their shot&quot; and stay safe mn logo</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/all-now-eligible-banner_tcm1148-473462_tcm1063-477218.jpg</Url></Image><title>2021-04-22-covid-19-vaccines-for-deaf-deafblind-hardofhearing</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-477219&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-04-22T12:34:03Z</Date><ShortDescription>Three different events, including one today (April 22, 2021)</ShortDescription><Subtitle>ThinkSelf, DHHSD (with partners), and FEMA (with partners) are each hosting clinics</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Every Minnesotan age 16 years and older is now eligible to get their shot. Here are several opportunities to get their shots from pop-up clinics ready to provide services to Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/thinkself%20square%20-%20white%20background_tcm1063-477216.png&quot; title=&quot;thinkself-logo-white-background-square&quot; alt=&quot;thinkself-logo-white-background-square&quot; style=&quot;width: 150px; height: 150px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;thinkself-logo-white-background-square&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ThinkSelf&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ThinkSelf is hosting this small pop-up clinic at their office with provider Ramsey County Public Health. See ThinkSelf&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mcusercontent.com/5f5db7f495f105560dea6fd42/files/0c232235-f8b3-4fd9-b9bb-7c928c2aa896/vaxx_flyer_2_.pdf&quot;&gt;vaccine clinic flyer (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Date:&lt;/strong&gt; Thursday, April 22, 2021 (today)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Time:&lt;/strong&gt; 3 - 6:45 PM&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Address&lt;/strong&gt;: ThinkSelf office, 2375 University Ave W, Suite 110, St. Paul, MN 55114&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Accessibility:&lt;/strong&gt; ASL interpreters, including CDIs&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Vaccine:&lt;/strong&gt; Moderna&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For who:&lt;/strong&gt; Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing. You do not need to live in Ramsey County to be eligible. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How to book an appointment:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050e4ea4af29a0fa7-vaccine&quot;&gt;Sign up online&lt;/a&gt;, email: &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:vaccine@thinkself.org&quot;&gt;vaccine@thinkself.org&lt;/a&gt;, or call VP: 612-900-0150&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/StateOfMnIcon150_tcm1063-477215.jpg&quot; title=&quot;state-of-mn-square-logo&quot; alt=&quot;state-of-mn-square-logo&quot; style=&quot;width: 150px; height: 150px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;state-of-mn-square-logo&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Services, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD) and Partners&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Health, the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD) and Metro Deaf School are offering a COVID-19 vaccine clinic.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Accessibility&lt;/strong&gt;: This event will take place at Metro Deaf School on April 24, and will be accessible with ASL interpreters, Deaf interpreters, tactile/ProTactile interpreters, speech-to-text apps and assistive listening devices available. Large print forms and materials will also be available. If you need another accommodation, please contact DHHSD.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Vaccine:&lt;/strong&gt; Moderna&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For who:&lt;/strong&gt; Adults, ages 18 and older. A limited number of vaccines will be available. You must schedule an appointment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How to book an appointment&lt;/strong&gt;: Sign up through &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.eventbrite.com/e/metro-deaf-school-covid-19-vaccine-clinic-424-tickets-151130923661&quot;&gt;Eventbrite&lt;/a&gt; or call 651-964-1514 (videophone) or 800-657-3663 (voice or preferred relay service).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Date:&lt;/strong&gt; Saturday, April 24, 2021 (first dose) and Saturday, May 22, 2021 (second dose)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Time:&lt;/strong&gt; 9 AM - 2 PM&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Address:&lt;/strong&gt; Metro Deaf School, 1125 Energy Park Drive, St. Paul, MN &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please note that DHHSD is planning another event at the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf. Watch for a separate announcement. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What to expect &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The vaccine is free, you do NOT need to have medical insurance. If you do have medical insurance, please bring your medical insurance card. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Please wear a mask and stay six feet from others (except when receiving your vaccine). Staff will wear masks. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Do not come if you have a fever or think you might be sick. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Plan to wait 15 minutes after your appointment, so staff can monitor you for any side effects.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/StateOfMnIcon150_tcm1063-477215.jpg&quot; title=&quot;state-of-mn-square-logo&quot; alt=&quot;state-of-mn-square-logo&quot; style=&quot;width: 150px; height: 150px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;state-of-mn-square-logo&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;FEMA&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/covid19/vaccine/find-vaccine/statefairvaccine/index.jsp&quot;&gt;FEMA is hosting vaccine clinics&lt;/a&gt;, with support from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM). Keystone Interpreting Solutions (KIS) is providing ASL interpreters. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Dates:&lt;/strong&gt; April 14, 2021 - June 9, 2021&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Time:&lt;/strong&gt; 10 AM - 6 PM&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Address:&lt;/strong&gt; Minnesota State Fairgrounds, 1680 Como Ave., Falcon Heights, MN&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Accessibility:&lt;/strong&gt; When you book your appointment, please let them know what kind of accommodations you need.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Vaccine:&lt;/strong&gt; At the time of this newsletter, only Pfizer is being offered.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For who:&lt;/strong&gt;  Minnesotans age 16 and older who live in the following zip codes: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hennepin County&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;55343, 55344, 55369, 55404, 55405, 55406, 55407, 55408, 55409, 55411, 55412, 55413, 55414, 55415, 55418, 55420, 55422, 55423, 55425, 55426, 55427, 55428, 55429, 55430, 55443, 55444, 55445, 55454, 55455, 55467&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ramsey County&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;55101, 55102, 55103, 55104, 55106, 55107, 55109, 55113, 55117, 55119, 55126, 55127, 55128, 55130, 55144, 55146, 55155&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dakota County&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;55118, 55122, 55124, 55306, 55337&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anoka County&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;55433, 55432, 55421, 55448&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How to book an appointment:&lt;/strong&gt; There are several options.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Call 833-431-2053 Operators available in multiple languages and can assist in making&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;language/ADA accommodations. American Sign Language (ASL) will be available on-site.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sign up on the COVID-19 Vaccine Connector to be contacted to schedule an appointment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For Refugees and Immigrants who need help making an appointment in other languages:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Call 651-318-0989 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>477219</id><Tag><Description/><Title>health care</Title><Id>310254</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-04-22T13:14:50Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>MNCDHH&apos;s 36th Anniversary Film Premiere is Postponed</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Three mirror images of the Capitol. The two outside images are in green and white. The center image that is sandwiched between them is blue.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Capitol_tcm1063-335650.JPG</Url></Image><title>2021-04-20-mncdhhs-36th-anniversary-film-premiere-postponed</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-477139&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-04-20T21:43:32Z</Date><ShortDescription>Thank you </ShortDescription><Subtitle>New date and time will be announced soon</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH originally planned to premiere a film celebrating MNCDHH&apos;s 36th anniversary as a conclusion for our all-day 2021 Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day event. However, with the Derek Chauvin trial verdict, we decided it would be best to postpone the film showing. Please watch for a future announcement with the new premiere date and time. Thank you. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>477139</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-04-20T21:46:12Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Q&amp;A About the 2021 Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>MNCDHH Lobby Day graphic (three identical images of the Minnesota State Capitol, two in green hues and the middle in blue hue) within a green computer icon and a question mark in a box.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/lobby-day-q-a_tcm1063-476955.jpg</Url></Image><title>2021-04-19-q-a-about-2021-ddbhh-lobby-day</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-476949&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-04-19T18:55:38Z</Date><ShortDescription>Answering common questions about how to find the Zoom rooms for events, how to attend different events if you change your mind about your schedule, and who is presenting.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Lobby Day will be held on Tuesday, April 20, 2021</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH is receiving a lot of questions about the 2021 Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day. Here are our answers! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I work during the day and can&apos;t go for the whole day. How can I participate?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Easy, just sign up for the events you can attend. Perhaps you can only make the Awards Ceremony/Program at 1 pm or the MNCDHH&apos;s 36th Anniversary Program at 6 PM. That&apos;s fine! You are welcome at whichever event(s) you select.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where do I find the presenters for each workshop?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our presenter list has been changing so we&apos;ve held off on announcing the presenters. Here is the finalized list of presenters!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Morning workshops (9 - 10:30 AM)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Class #1: Civic Engagement Series, Part 1: Led by Patrick Vellia, Migdalia Rogers, Lilly Steinbruckner, and Emory K. Dively&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Class #2: Community Forum: Rural Minnesota: Led by Jaemi Hagen and John Wilson&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Class #3: Legislative Panel with Legislators: Led by Dr. Darlene Zangara and Alicia Lane-Outlaw&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Class #4: Teachers &amp;amp; Students Workshop: Led by Estrella Rayner, Jade Stevenson, Najmo Jama, and Jack Wilson&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lunch &amp;amp; Learn (11:15 AM - 12:30 PM)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Lunch &amp;amp; Learn #1: Parents and Teachers of Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing: Led by Brenda Hommerding and Autumn Moder&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Lunch &amp;amp; Learn #2: Senior Citizens: Led by Anita Buel and Gary Stephan&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Lunch &amp;amp; Learn #3: Black, Brown, BIPOC, and Indigenous Individuals: Led by Xavier Arana and Jaemi Hagen&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Lunch &amp;amp; Learn #4: Students and Teachers: Led by Jack Williams and Estrella Rayner&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Lunch &amp;amp; Learn #5: DeafBlind Individuals: Led by Lindsey Moon and Patrick Vellia&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Lunch &amp;amp; Learn #6: LGBTQIA+ Queer Individuals: Led by Jer Loudenback and Heath Focken&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Lunch &amp;amp; Learn #7: Individuals with Hearing Loss: Led by Maisie Blaine and Monique Hammond&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Lunch &amp;amp; Learn #8: General Lunch &amp;amp; Learn for All: Led by John Fechter&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Afternoon workshops (2:30 - 4 PM)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Class #1: Civic Engagement Series, Parts 2 and 3: Led by Jaemi Hagen, Rania Johnson, and Jer Loudenback&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Class #2: Power in Numbers: Working as a Community to Create Powerful Legislation: Led by David Dively and Trevor Turner&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Class #3: How to Propose Legislation to MNCDHH? Led by Dr. Darlene Zangara and Alicia Lane-Outlaw&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Class #4: Teachers and Students Trivia: Led by U of MN College Bowl Alumni, Kaitlyn Mielke, TJay Middlebrook, and John Wilson&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is the full Lobby Day schedule of events?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here is the full schedule.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;8 - 9 AM: Check-in and Introduction to Lobby Day&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;9 AM - 10:30 AM: Morning classes&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;11:15 AM - 12:30 PM: Lunch &amp;amp; Learn&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;12:45 PM - 2 PM: Pre-Ceremony &amp;amp; Awards Program&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;2 - 2:30 PM: Break&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;2:30 - 4 PM: Afternoon classes&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;4 - 4:30 PM: Checkout&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;6 - 7 PM: Anniversary Celebration (documentary film premiere)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where do I go if I need help on Lobby Day?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH is providing a Tech Room on Zoom where you can go and ask for help. The link will be available on our Lobby Day website on Lobby Day. The Tech Room will be open from 8 AM - 4 PM.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I registered but I don&apos;t understand how I find the Zoom links for the actual events. Help.&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The website will be updated to show the Zoom links for each workshop. When you click on the website on Lobby Day (Tuesday, April 20, 2021), the Zoom links will be there. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where can I find workshop descriptions?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We have short workshop descriptions on the Lobby Day registration page. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If I sign up and go to a workshop, can I later change my mind and switch to another workshop?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Of course! If you realize after registration that you&apos;d rather attend a different workshop, go ahead and click on the Zoom link for your preferred workshop. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What platforms will MNCDHH be using to provide Lobby Day?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH created a special website to host this year&apos;s virtual Lobby Day. Some events will also be livestreamed on MNCDHH&apos;s Facebook page. After Lobby Day, some videos will be uploaded on MNCDHH&apos;s YouTube account.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Will there be any in-person events to attend?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH is not hosting any in-person Lobby Day events this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Remember that Lobby Day happens every two years. We hope to see you, in-person, at the Capitol in 2023! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Will any of the workshops be livestreamed?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Yes, we plan to livestream the following events:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;9:00 AM: Class #3: Legislative Panel with Legislators&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;12:45 PM: Pre-Ceremony and Awards Program&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;2:30 PM: Class #3: How to Propose Legislation to MNCDHH?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;6:00 PM: MNCDHH&apos;s 36th anniversary celebration (documentary film premiere) &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Oh yeah. How do I sign up for Lobby Day?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We tried to make registration as easy as possible. Go to our 2021 Lobby Day website and fill out the online registration form.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I have a different question that hasn&apos;t been asked above. Who do I contact?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; and she will get your questions answered. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>476949</id><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-09-22T17:22:57Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Surprise! MNCDHH is Offering One More Free Zoom Training Class</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Outline of a person with a laptop, seated in a living room.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Zoom%20Education%20Series%20Rectangle%20850_tcm1063-475877.jpg</Url></Image><title>2021-04-18-surprise-mncdhh-offering-one-more-free-zoom-training-class</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-476835&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-04-18T20:36:03Z</Date><ShortDescription>Zoom Education class for all</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Join us on Monday during your lunch hour</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To prepare for our virtual Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day on Tuesday, April 20, 2021, MNCDHH has been offering Zoom Education classes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These classes have been so popular, we decided to add one more class on the day before Lobby Day.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Monday, April 19, 2021 from 12 - 1 pm (lunch hour).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sign up for Zoom Education.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Description&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In this class, we will navigate the different features of Zoom and answer your questions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; for accommodations.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>476835</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-09-22T17:12:41Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>DeafBlind Needs Assessment: Searching for Parents, Caregivers, and Young Adults</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Silhouettes of seven individuals standing next to each other. MNCDHH&apos;s logo is placed in the bottom, left corner.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/DB-Study-850_tcm1063-476406.jpg</Url></Image><title>2021-04-14-deafblind-needs-assessment-searching-for-parents-caregivers-and-youth</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-476407&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-04-14T13:21:29Z</Date><ShortDescription>April ends in just a few weeks. Help us find study participants.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Please share with anyone who may qualify and may be interested in participating</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;No one knows the needs of people with combined vision and hearing and loss like you do&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) has commissioned Wilder Research to conduct a first-ever DeafBlind Children and Youth Needs Assessment to identify what is and isn’t working for our DeafBlind children and youth, their families, and service providers in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We need you&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Youth and young adults (ages 16-30) who have any degree of combined hearing and vision loss and live in Minnesota&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Parents and caregivers with children, teens, and young adults (ages birth-30) who have any degree of combined hearing and vision loss and live in Minnesota&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How can you help?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Wilder Research is conducting 1-hour phone interviews in March-April 2021. You can pick a time that works best for your schedule.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you need an ASL interpreter, intervener or real-time captions, Wilder Research will provide what you need. When you finish the interview, you will receive a $30 gift card.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact Bunchung Ly: &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:bunchung.ly@wilder.org&quot;&gt;bunchung.ly@wilder.org&lt;/a&gt; or 651-280-2673.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why participate?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You matter. You are not invisible. MNCDHH understands this. The MNCDHH board has the most DeafBlind people serving on it of any state. This means they have experiences that are like yours and they have asked us to join them creating positive change.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Wilder Research will make sure that the information is kept private and anonymous. They will analyze the information they get through interviews and then share the results back to you, if you participate. Then the MNCDHH Collaborative Plan DeafBlind Work Group will create a plan to find solutions to identified needs and keep and increase the services that are working.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you for joining me.&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ensure that your perspective and experiences are considered. Together we can make Minnesota a place where people living with combined vision and hearing loss increasingly do well and thrive.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Materials in Hmong, Somali, and Spanish&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/21-030002-Hmn-MNCDHH_DeafBlindParentRecruitmentFlyer_Caregivers_02-21-HMONG_tcm1063-476400.docx&quot; title=&quot;21-030002-Hmn-MNCDHH_DeafBlindParentRecruitmentFlyer_Caregivers_02-21-HMONG&quot; xlink:title=&quot;21-030002-Hmn-MNCDHH_DeafBlindParentRecruitmentFlyer_Caregivers_02-21-HMONG&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;DeafBlind Parent Recruitment Flyer - Hmong (word)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/21-030002-Som-MNCDHH_DeafBlindParentRecruitmentFlyer_Caregivers_02-21-SOMALI_tcm1063-476401.docx&quot; title=&quot;21-030002-Som-MNCDHH_DeafBlindParentRecruitmentFlyer_Caregivers_02-21-SOMALI&quot; xlink:title=&quot;21-030002-Som-MNCDHH_DeafBlindParentRecruitmentFlyer_Caregivers_02-21-SOMALI&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;DeafBlind Parent Recruitment Flyer - Somali (word)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/21-030002-Spa-Final-MNCDHH_DeafBlindParentRecruitmentFlyer_Caregivers_02-21_tcm1063-476402.docx&quot; title=&quot;21-030002-Spa-Final-MNCDHH_DeafBlindParentRecruitmentFlyer_Caregivers_02-21&quot; xlink:title=&quot;21-030002-Spa-Final-MNCDHH_DeafBlindParentRecruitmentFlyer_Caregivers_02-21&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;DeafBlind Parent Recruitment Flyer - Spanish (word)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/21-030002-Hmn-DeafBlind%20needs%20assessment_parental%20consent%20handout_Hmong_tcm1063-476403.docx&quot; title=&quot;21-030002-Hmn-DeafBlind needs assessment_parental consent handout_Hmong&quot; xlink:title=&quot;21-030002-Hmn-DeafBlind needs assessment_parental consent handout_Hmong&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Parental Consent Handout - Hmong (word)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/21-030002-Som-DeafBlind%20needs%20assessment_parental%20consent%20handout_SOMALI._tcm1063-476404.docx&quot; title=&quot;21-030002-Som-DeafBlind needs assessment_parental consent handout_SOMALI.&quot; xlink:title=&quot;21-030002-Som-DeafBlind needs assessment_parental consent handout_SOMALI.&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Parental Consent Handout - Somali (word)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/21-030002-Spa-Final-DeafBlind%20needs%20assessment_parental%20consent%20handout_Spanish_tcm1063-476405.docx&quot; title=&quot;21-030002-Spa-Final-DeafBlind needs assessment_parental consent handout_Spanish&quot; xlink:title=&quot;21-030002-Spa-Final-DeafBlind needs assessment_parental consent handout_Spanish&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Parental Consent Handout - Spanish (word)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>476407</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>deafblind</Title><Id>499876</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-09-20T18:37:38Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>New Faces at MNCDHH: Alicia Lane-Outlaw Hired as Government Relations Director</Title><title>2021-04-10-new-faces-at-mncdhh-alicia-lane-outlaw-hired</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-476138&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-04-10T15:09:55Z</Date><ShortDescription>Join us in welcoming Alicia, Chandra, and Kathryn.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Chandra Petersen is appointed to board, Kathryn Rose is reappointed</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) has great news to share.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Alicia Lane-Outlaw has been hired for the Government Relations Director position.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Chandra Petersen was appointed to the Southeast Representative seat on the board. Chandra replaces Lloyd Ballinger, who has served to the end of his term.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kathryn Rose has been reappointed and will continue to serve as the Northwest Representative.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn more about Alicia, Chandra, and Kathryn, and please join us in welcoming them! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Alicia%20Lane-Outlaw%20headshot_tcm1063-476137.jpg&quot; title=&quot;alicia-lane-outlaw-personal-headshot&quot; alt=&quot;alicia-lane-outlaw-personal-headshot&quot; style=&quot;width: 200px; height: 250px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;alicia-lane-outlaw-personal-headshot&quot; /&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alicia Lane-Outlaw hired as Government Relations Director.&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As MNCDHH’s government relations director, Alicia will lead the team in developing and implementing strategies for stakeholder, community, and legislative relations. She will also coordinate legislative strategies and priorities to advance the legislative agenda. This includes engaging and influencing legislators, decision-makers, and other stakeholders.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alicia brings extensive project management experience, public policy knowledge, an understanding of related state and federal laws, and a familiarity with deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing issues.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&quot;Alicia comes with a wealth of experiences and knowledge. I am thrilled to have her as part of our dynamic team. I am looking forward to working with Alicia and bringing our legislative affairs up to the next level,&quot;&lt;/em&gt; - Dr. Darlene G. Zangara, Executive Director.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Through her previous role as president and chief creative officer at AllOut Marketing, Alicia closely worked 15+ years on contracted projects with MNCDHH and other State of Minnesota agencies. Her overall 23+ years of experience also includes advising executives on communications and legislative strategy at nonprofits with state and federal grants, schools, universities, and businesses.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As a longtime accessibility advocate, Alicia testified before the Minnesota legislature urging the passage of the 2009 law to make the state’s technology accessible to users with disabilities. After its successful passage, she subsequently served on the state&apos;s Technology Accessibility IT Developers Workgroup for implementing this new law.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In her six years of service on the board of the National Association of the Deaf (NAD), Alicia oversaw a national organization focused on legislative and large systems advocacy on the federal level and civic engagement on the state level, with a multimillion-dollar budget. She also provided guidance on government policy development on both federal and state levels.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alicia is a past president and board member of the Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens (MADC). Much was accomplished during her term, including partnering with MNCDHH and other community partners to persuade the judiciary to use on-site interpreters instead of inadequate video remote interpreting services, revitalizing the organization&apos;s communications, and increasing representation of MADC at state and national levels.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/chandra-peterson-headshot_tcm1063-476136.jpg&quot; title=&quot;chandra-petersen-personal-headshot&quot; alt=&quot;chandra-petersen-personal-headshot&quot; style=&quot;width: 200px; height: 228px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;chandra-petersen-personal-headshot&quot; /&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Chandra Petersen appointed as Southeast Representative. End of term: 1/01/2024&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Chandra Petersen is a Rehabilitation Counselor with Vocational Rehabilitation Services and serves deaf and hard of hearing individuals in 11 counties across Southeast Minnesota. She lives in Mankato with her husband, two daughters, dog, and two cats. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology and minors in Psychology and Deaf Studies from the University of Minnesota Duluth and a Master of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of Wisconsin Stout. Prior to her start with Vocational Rehabilitation in 2015, she worked for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services as an Administrative Assistant for four years. Chandra began serving on the SE Advisory Committee in 2015 and is currently in her second term. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As a Rehabilitation Counselor, Chandra works to remove barriers and ensure access to jobs and resources for people with hearing loss in Southeast Minnesota and across the state. She works with youth and adults who are deaf or hard of hearing and have a variety of communication methods and needs. She works with students from school districts across the area and Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf. She has experienced barriers in access to interpreters, accessible services, internet and technology, and employment. The needs of people in rural areas of the state are unique and need to be addressed. She looks forward to bringing her perspectives to the board and serving Minnesotans who are Deaf, DeafBlind or Hard of Hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;“It is my privilege to serve on the Board and share the perspectives and stories of individuals with hearing loss in rural Minnesota. Their needs are unique and important. I am thrilled to be able to continue being an advocate for access and equality for the people I serve through this platform,”&lt;/em&gt; – Chandra Petersen.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/kathryn-rose_tcm1063-476135.jpg&quot; title=&quot;kathryn-rose-personal-headshot&quot; alt=&quot;kathryn-rose-personal-headshot&quot; style=&quot;width: 200px; height: 200px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;kathryn-rose-personal-headshot&quot; /&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kathryn Rose, Northwest Representative, has been reappointed. End of term: 1/01/2024&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kathryn is currently a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor~Supervisor (LADC-S) for the Community Addictions Recovery Enterprises (C.A.R.E.) for the State of Minnesota in Fergus Falls since October 2018. She previously worked as a LADC counselor for the Minnesota Health Fairview Program Serving Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind Individuals. She was there for over 11 years. She graduated from St. Catherine University&apos;s Medical and Mental Health interpreter training program. Kathryn has worked as a program coordinator, program manager in adult foster care and supported living along with the clinical coordinator for 15 years. During this time, Kathryn returned to college and received a BA degree in psychology and addiction counseling. Kathryn then obtained licensure for alcohol and drug counseling (LADC). She is also the president of Deaf Can, Inc. She, along with Herman Fuechtmann and Mike Adams, opened the first collaborative sober living program with RS Eden for those in recovery who are Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing. This was made possible with help from MNCDHH and a grant from the Alcohol and Drug Division of the State of Minnesota. She is also supervising Deaf Can, Inc.&apos;s Peer Recovery Support staff and Deaf Outreach Services (DOS). Peer Recovery support staff provide services to Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing individuals in all steps of recovery. Weekly meetings for FAR group 1:1 for individuals and activities. The DOS program provides ILS/CADI services under 245D licenses for the State of Minnesota. She is also a member of the DHHS Northwest Advisory Committee and a member of the State Equity Committee. On most weekends, Kathryn can be found at her cabin in western Minnesota with family and friends and exploring Northwest Minnesota areas.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&quot;It is important to me to serve on this board because…I believe together we CAN make a difference in our community,&quot;&lt;/em&gt; ~ Kathryn Rose.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>476138</id><Tag><Description/><Title>board</Title><Id>310266</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>staff</Title><Id>317343</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-04-10T16:07:53Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>More Information about Lobby Day Activities</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Three mirror images of the Capitol. The two outside images are in green and white. The center image that is sandwiched between them is blue.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Capitol_tcm1063-335650.JPG</Url></Image><title>2021-04-08-more-information-about-lobby-day-activities</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-475939&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-04-08T22:59:10Z</Date><ShortDescription>Workshop descriptions have been added to the registration form, which will help you decide which activities to attend.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>The 2021 Deaf, Deafblind &amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day will take place on Tuesday, April 20, 2021</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do you want to learn more about the workshops MNCDHH is offering during the 2021 Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day on Tuesday, April 20, 2021? Here you go!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Civic Engagement Series&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;em&gt;- Art of Lobbying (Civic Engagement Series: Part 1).&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Missed one of our weekly workshops? Not a problem! Join us on Lobby Day to take the same course. Learn, interact, and engage with our Civic Engagement Specialist while gaining tools on how to talk with your legislator. This workshop is part lesson, role play, discussion, and then practice.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Students leading for Change.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;em&gt;A Student/Teachers Session.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The tables have flipped. Join us in this session as Senior Students from Metro Deaf School teach a lesson focused on how using your ideas to influence change matter. Students or not, you still have a “voice” and can meet with your legislators to discuss changes you want to see.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Community Forum&lt;/strong&gt; - &lt;em&gt;Rural Minnesota&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Collecting ideas from the community on gaps in rural Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We know that rural Minnesota has not been given as much attention as the Metro area. Come to this session to hear rural Minnesota stories and to propose your own ideas of addressing rural gaps and needs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Legislative Panel&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;em&gt;- With Legislators, the Legislative Coordinating Commission, and their Team Members&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In this session, depending on the legislator and their job that day, we will be joined by different members of the Legislative team. You will meet Legislators, the LCC team, and team members who support the work of the legislative season. LCC Executive Director Michele Weber will talk about how you can request accommodations for your visits or testimonies with legislators and learn about the bill that is supporting this work. In addition, learn from different legislators bills that they are carrying/advocating for that impact people who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Power in Numbers&lt;/strong&gt; - &lt;em&gt;How to Create Powerful Community Legislation.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Knowing the important steps to influence change when it impacts everyone in the community makes a difference in the success of your bill. In this workshop, you will be given tips on successful lobbying for your bill. Some of these include: How do you make sure everyone is at the table? Who do you choose to author your bill? What important homework should you do before proposing a bill? How do you know what you need for the fiscal and system parts of the bill. Who can help educate and support you during the process? While this workshop only touches on the surface, it is a stepping stone to help you begin planning for the next legislative session.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How to Propose Legislation to the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH).&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Join MNCDHH’s Executive Director, Dr. Darlene Zangara to learn the process of proposing legislation to MNCDHH. Always wondered how to share your idea? Want to know the timeline for proposing ideas? Wondering who makes the decision for MNCDHH’s bills? Bring your ideas and questions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Students/Teachers Session with the College Bowl Alumni of the University of Minnesota.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Join this fun session for trivia about some of the coolest facts of Minnesota! Do not need to be a Minnesotan to play! Led by Alumni College Bowl team members, who are ready to challenge you to some fun!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Civic Engagement Series Part 2 and 3&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Missed one of our weekly sessions? Join us to learn about the different tools and resources that you can use to help guide you in finding answers. This workshop includes: 1) Navigating the MNCDHH Website. 2) Learning how to find your legislator, information on your legislator and the bills that they support. 3) Learning how to track bills, create a my bill account and how to add bills.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Zoom Education Classes&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Not sure how to use Zoom? Sign up for one of MNCDHH&apos;s Zoom Education classes and learn all about Zoom features. You will have an opportunity to ask questions. Find the list of workshops on &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/get-involved/events/&quot;&gt;MNCDHH&apos;s Events page&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>475939</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-09-22T16:55:06Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>&apos;How to Use Zoom&apos; Classes Now Available</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Outline of a person with a laptop, seated in a living room.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Zoom%20Education%20Series%20Rectangle%20850_tcm1063-475877.jpg</Url></Image><title>2021-04-08-how-to-use-zoom-classes-now-available</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-475879&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-04-08T17:55:29Z</Date><ShortDescription>Sign up today. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNCDHH is offering free training in preparation for 2021 Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To prepare for our virtual Lobby Day on Tuesday, April 20, 2021, we are offering Zoom Education classes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In this class, we will navigate the different features of Zoom and answer your questions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please register for a class time that fits your schedule and let us know if you have any accommodations needs. Email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; for accommodations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Choose from the following classes. Be sure to register in advance. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Zoom Education Class for All&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Register for Monday, April 12, 10:30 - 11:30 am&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Register for Monday, April 12, 6 - 7 pm&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Register for Wednesday, April 14, 10:30 - 11:30 am&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Register for Wednesday, April 14, 6 - 7 pm&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Register for Saturday, April 17, 10:30 - 11:30 am&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Zoom Education Class Specifically for the DeafBlind Community&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This will be co-taught by Lindsey Moon, Patrick Vellia, and Jessalyn Akerman-Frank. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register for Saturday, April 17, 2 - 4 pm&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>475879</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-09-22T17:04:47Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>March 19, 2021 Legislative Update</Title><title>2021-03-19-march-19-2021-legislative-update</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-473448&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-03-25T20:46:24Z</Date><ShortDescription>In this update, we cover the budgets released by the Governor, the Senate, and the House; explain the legislative deadlines; cover some of the recent board decisions; and share good news about a new captioning bill at the legislature, thanks to the LCC.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Deadlines, board decisions, and exciting new closed captioning bill!</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/oJORsnGSADU&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/2uCE3KqKwG8&quot; title=&quot;ASL video on the March 19, 2021 legislative update&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In MNCDHH’s last legislative update, we mentioned the projected surplus of $1.6 billion.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As expected, this shifted some of the major priorities of the Governor, the House, and the Senate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Based on the new numbers, the Governor released his supplemental budget. His new budget cuts less, increases taxes less, preserves the budget reserve instead of dipping into that, and shows a structurally balanced budget.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The House has not released their finance committee spending targets as of March 19th but will do so next week.*&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Senate has released their spending priorities. They did make cuts in some of their committees&apos; spending. They also want 5% cuts to the state’s departments and agencies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are no bills moving in either the House or Senate that would cut spending to MNCDHH and we don’t expect that to change with the new budget forecast.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deadlines&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The legislature sets three deadlines for the passage of bills every year.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The first deadline is for the bill to be passed in their house of origin. If the bill was authored by a Representative, it must pass in a House committee. If the bill was authored by a Senator, it must pass in a Senate committee. That deadline was March 12 this year.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The second deadline is for the bill, or companion bill, to be passed successfully in relevant committees. That deadline was today, March 19th.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The third deadline is for committees to pass favorably on major appropriation and finance bills. This deadline is April 9th.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The last day of this legislative session will be May 17, 2021.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;New board decisions&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH’s board made three big decisions today (March 19th) regarding Rep. Daniels’ bills.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The board decided to oppose HF0828 (Daniels) / SF1134 (Hoffman) - Child neglect definition expansion to include language acquisition. The majority of the board feel that Child Protective Services is not the right place to support families with children who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The board decided to partially support HF1449 (Daniels) / SF1135 (Hoffman) - Deaf and hard-of-hearing students and oral/aural deaf education licensure requirements modification. The caveat is to make amendments to the language as there are parts of the bill they want removed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In other words, the board opposes this bill in its current form but will support it if the changes are made.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The board decided to support HF0827 (Daniels) / SF1046 (Hoffman) - Board of Sign Language Interpreters and Transliterators created, licensure required, and rulemaking authorized.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our Executive Director proposed having MNCDHH do a study on the idea of licensure in Minnesota. This had been requested by individuals and groups in our community. However, the board rejected the idea.**&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;New bill for money appropriated for LCC captioning&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please support SF2183, which appropriates $410,000 for fiscal year 2022 and $133,000 for fiscal year 2023 for the captioning of legislative coverage. Many thanks to Senator Senjem and the Legislative Coordinating Commission (LCC) for their work on this. This is a funding increase and will cover the cost of increased demand for captioning services.***&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ongoing legislative updates&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH will continue to share legislative updates during this session. Please subscribe to our newsletters or follow our website and social media to stay up to date. Thank you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dawson Moder for ASL talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Patty McCutcheon for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;* The House released their budget on March 23rd. &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;** Clarification: The board did not vote to reject doing the study. When the idea was proposed, two board members said no, and the proposal was dropped.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;*** SF2183 now has a House companion, HF2415. Thank you, Rep. Feist and Rep. Stephenson. &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>473448</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-03-25T21:18:13Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>In the News: Ford Motor Co. develops clear mask to help deaf, hard of hearing during pandemic</Title><title>2021-03-23-ford-motor-co-develops-clear-mask</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-538371&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-03-24T03:09:15Z</Date><ShortDescription>By Richard Reeve</ShortDescription><Subtitle>KSTP</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission&apos;s executive director, Dr. Darlene Zangara, was interviewed for this news story, &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/ford-motor-co-develops-clear-mask-to-help-deaf-hard-of-hearing-during-pandemic/&quot;&gt;Ford Motor Co. develops clear mask to help deaf, hard of hearing during pandemic.&lt;/a&gt;&quot; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Many times the cloth masks muffle the speech and the sounds,&quot; adds Darlene Zangara, executive director of the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH). &quot;It’s harder to catch what people are saying.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Amid the hubbub of daily life, there are special challenges for the deaf and hard of hearing community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Janie Barlow, a Burnsville mom with hearing loss, uses signing and lip reading to communicate with her 5-year-old son and others. She says a cloth mask can get in the way.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>538371</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>health care</Title><Id>310254</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>in the news</Title><Id>317336</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-08-20T03:16:17Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2021 Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day Registration is Open!</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Three mirror images of the Capitol. The two outside images are in green and white. The center image that is sandwiched between them is blue.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Capitol_tcm1063-335650.JPG</Url></Image><title>2021-03-19-2021-ddbhh-lobby-day-registration-is-open</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-472719&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-03-20T00:00:54Z</Date><ShortDescription>The theme is &quot;Communication Access Saves Lives.&quot;</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Join us for this virtual, statewide event on Tuesday, April 20, 2021</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration for the 2021 Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day is open! It will happen on Tuesday, April 20, 2021. The theme is &quot;Communication Access Saves Lives.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lobby Day is open to Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind &amp;amp; hard of hearing; students who are deaf, deafblind &amp;amp; hard of hearing; family members, friends, colleagues, educators, service providers, school administrators, audiologists, speech-language pathologists, policymakers, legislators, and anyone interested in deaf, deafblind &amp;amp; hard of hearing interests in our state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH is hosting a variety of activities throughout the day, including our traditional Awards &amp;amp; Special Program at 1:00 p.m. where we will recognize individuals and organizations who are positive influencers and have made significant contributions to the advancement of deaf, deafblind &amp;amp; hard of hearing Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sign up today! We are thrilled to have you join us.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>472719</id><Tag><Description/><Title>citizen advocate</Title><Id>310308</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-09-22T17:20:57Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Frequently Asked Questions About How COVID-19 Vaccines Are Made</Title><title>2021-03-19-faq-about-how-covid-19-vaccines-are-made</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-472612&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-03-19T14:07:06Z</Date><ShortDescription>Sourced from the Minnesota Department of Health</ShortDescription><Subtitle>In American Sign Language (ASL) with captions, audio description, and descriptive transcript</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This video was provided by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). If you prefer to watch the video with English voiceover and captions, please watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/yAegixZIJpI&quot;&gt;video with spoken English&lt;/a&gt; instead. MDH has also created an &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/PZboBU-mcGU&quot;&gt;audio-described version&lt;/a&gt; of this video.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/AmboeVv6zmQ&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Descriptive transcript&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[A cartoon man looks around as speech bubbles with icons of vaccines, viruses, question marks, and a clock appear.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[upbeat music]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[narration] You are probably hearing a lot of information about COVID-19 vaccines right now. We wanted to answer some common questions about how COVID-19 vaccines have been made.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[The man and speech bubbles slide up off screen to reveal text that says, “How are COVID-19 vaccines being made faster?”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[The scene changes and there is a white line labeled “Vaccine Testing” that is moving showing progress. The white line meets a green checkmark, a blue line labeled “Vaccine Production” continues from the green checkmark.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Usually, testing a vaccine to make sure it is safe and works is done before large amounts of vaccines are made.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[The lines and labels rearrange and both lines progress with the white “Vaccine Testing” line leading slightly in front of the blue “Vaccine Production” line until they both meet a green checkmark.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Because of the pandemic and money from the federal government, scientists did both at the same time. Only vaccines that have been tested and are shown to be safe are used.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[The lines and labels slide up off screen to reveal text that says, “How are the vaccines tested?”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[The scene changes and three vaccine icons are on screen.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All COVID-19 vaccines go through tests called clinical trials. Each vaccine goes through more than one test.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Two of the vaccine icons leave the screen, and one vaccine remains. Icons of a dozen diverse people appear in a grid.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;First, the vaccine is tested with a small group of volunteers,&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[More icons of people appear.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;then a couple hundred,&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[More icons of people appear.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;then tens of thousands of people. Volunteers for COVID-19 vaccine trials come from many diverse communities and backgrounds. This is the same process used for testing other vaccines.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[The vaccine icon and grid of people slide up off screen to reveal text that says, “How do COVID-19 vaccines get approved?”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[The scene changes, one vaccine icon is in the center of the screen. Icons of researchers and medical professionals pop up around the vaccine icon.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For the vaccines that make it past all the tests, a team of medical experts will look at test results and how people felt after they got the vaccine. If the vaccine works and it’s safe, it gets approved.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Green check marks appear next to each researcher and medical professional. Finally, a green checkmark appears next to the vaccine icon.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are many groups of scientists and experts that are reviewing the vaccine safety data for COVID-19 vaccines and making recommendations. Only approved vaccines are given to people.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[The vaccine icon, researchers and medical professionals slide up off screen to reveal text that says, “Who is getting vaccine first?”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[The scene changes, a grid of four professionals appears next to a computer with symbols of data. A magnifying glass waves across the computer magnifying the data.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A national advisory group for CDC looked at the data and made recommendations for who should get the vaccine first.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[The scene changes, there is a grid of people. Labels show they are health care workers and people who live in long-term care.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some groups that are at highest risk for COVID-19 or could get very sick from COVID-19 got the vaccine first. Minnesota has a team of experts who will help make sure vaccine is available to everyone fairly, with a focus on health equity.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[The scene changes, there is a grid of vaccine that slowly multiply.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As more vaccine becomes available over time, more people will be vaccinated.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[The scene changes, the Stay Safe MN logo appears along with a link to the website &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/covid19/&quot;&gt;mn.gov/covid19&lt;/a&gt;.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information about the COVID-19 vaccine visit the health department’s website.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>472612</id><pubdate>2021-03-19T14:58:57Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>The St. Paul and Minneapolis Black Deaf Advocates Scholarships Announcement</Title><title>2021-03-19-stpaul-minneapolis-bda-scholarships-ammouncement</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-472534&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-03-18T17:18:53Z</Date><ShortDescription>One scholarship is for a BlackDeaf, Hard of Hearing, or DeafBlind person who aims for a four-year degree. One scholarship is for a Black or IPOC person who aims for a two-year degree or training program that will benefit the BlackDeaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind community in Minnesota.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Introducing the Blanche Wilkins Williams Scholarship &amp; the Roger Brown Scholarship</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/Ka3xrrY-tek&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/06Vp-B-2KQM&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about MSPBDA scholarships&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello! I’m Cookie J Brand, president of the St. Paul and Minneapolis Black Deaf Advocates.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our non-profit organization focuses on advocacy and equality for our BlackDeaf, hard of hearing, DeafBlind community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One of our goals this year is to support our community including our future leaders by providing them educational and work opportunities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Let me share a bit of good news that’s coming soon. The St. Paul and Minneapolis Black Deaf Advocates is excited to announce two scholarships honoring important leaders from our community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Blanche Wilkins Williams, the first black deaf woman to graduate from Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf in 1893. Ms. Williams experienced a lot of barriers as she was denied entry to Gallaudet College. Regardless, she was a pioneer for the Black Deaf youth as she was an Educator, Advocate, Activist for social justice.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our scholarship, the Blanche Wilkins Williams Scholarship will be rewarded to a BlackDeaf, Hard of Hearing or DeafBlind person who aims for a 4-year degree.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our Second scholarship honors one of our past (late) presidents, Roger Brown whose outstanding leadership within the St. Paul and Minneapolis Black Deaf Advocates had been recognized when the MSP Black Deaf Advocates was established in 1997.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Roger Brown Scholarship will be awarded to a Black or IPOC person who aims for a 2-year degree or training program (massage, interpreting, etc) that will benefit the BlackDeaf, Hard of Hearing and DeafBlind community in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We look forward to supporting the positive future of our community and as we strive to break down barriers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To learn more about the scholarships, please contact the MSP BDA Scholarship Committee at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:stpaulmplsbda@gmail.com&quot;&gt;stpaulmplsbda@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The St. Paul and Minneapolis Black Deaf Advocates and the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thank:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Patty McCutcheon for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>472534</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-03-18T17:35:28Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>You&apos;re Invited to Participate in Special Civic Engagement Video</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>green film roll icon on a blue background</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/film-roll-850_tcm1063-472395.jpg</Url></Image><title>2021-03-17-youre-invited-to-participate-in-special-civic-engagement-video</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-472397&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-03-17T16:33:48Z</Date><ShortDescription>The video will be shown during the April 20, 2021 Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day event.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Where you can sign up and what to do</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Greetings!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are collecting “&lt;strong&gt;What is Civic Engagement?&lt;/strong&gt;” statements from deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing individuals all over the State of Minnesota. We would like to invite you to participate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This will be used in our virtual 2021 Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day on Tuesday, April 20, 2021!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Recording date and time&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When is the recording? The recording will take place on Monday, March 22, 2021.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you would like to contribute and have your statement featured, please show up anytime between 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at this zoom link. Just show up it will take no more than 15 minutes at the max of your time.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register in advance to participate in this recording.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What will happen&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When you enter, you will practice your statement with the interpreter, and then we will begin to record. Your statement will be recorded and the interpreter will either sign or voice for you. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After this, we will have captions and a descriptive transcript added to the video.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Example of what we expect&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We ask the question, &quot;What is Civic Engagement?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You answer with a word, or a few words, or a sentence. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Examples:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Access to education.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Knowing my rights.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Collaboration with the community.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Improving services.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;All voices are heard.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This will be pieced together into one video for the pre-ceremony before the awards presentation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you,&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jessalyn Akerman-Frank and Team&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>472397</id><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-09-22T17:15:52Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Deaf History Month</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The State of Minnesota&apos;s seal with the text, &quot;State of Minnesota Proclamation&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Proclamation-header-850_tcm1063-472050.png</Url></Image><title>2021-03-15-deaf-history-month</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-472061&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-03-15T21:19:17Z</Date><ShortDescription>In recognition of National Deaf History Month</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Governor Walz proclaims March 2021 to be Deaf History Month in Minnesota</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In recognition of National Deaf History Month (March 13, 2021 - April 15, 2021), Governor Walz has proclaimed that March 2021 is &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/assets/03.1.21%20Deaf%20History%20Month_tcm1055-470449.pdf&quot;&gt;Deaf History Month in the State of Minnesota (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;. Thank you, Governor Walz! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here is the language in the proclamation:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;WHEREAS: Minnesota has served as the home for several historic Deaf leaders, including Olof Hanson (1862-1933), the first deaf architect; Agatha Tiegel Hanson (1893), first female graduate of Gallaudet University; Cadwallader Lincoln Washburn (1866-1965), a well-known Deaf artist, Gerald “Bummy” Burstein (1926-2018), a notable teacher and parliamentarian; and Doug Bahl (1950-2014), a famous deaf historian, also Blanche Wilkins Williams, the first African American woman to graduate from the Minnesota State Academy of the Deaf.; and &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;WHEREAS: Minnesota is proud to be the home of historic national landmark Charles Thompson Memorial Hall, built by Margaret Brooks Thompson in memory of her husband, both of whom were Deaf, in 1916 and designed by architect Olof Hanson, a family friend, to be a space where deaf Minnesotans and friends could gather, free of charge; and &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;WHEREAS: The Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf (MSAD), established in 1863 in Faribault, serves students who are Deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing from early childhood to twelfth grade and has two buildings that are listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the Administration/Girl’s Dormitory and Noyes Hall; and &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;WHEREAS: Metro Deaf School, a free public charter school serving preschool through twelfth grade in St. Paul, was established in 1992 under Minnesota’s then new charter school law, becoming the second charter school to officially open in the United States; and &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;WHEREAS: Community organizations serving the Deaf community include the Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens, the Minnesota Deafblind Association, the Hearing Loss Association of America – Twin Cities Chapter, the St. Paul/Minneapolis Black Deaf Advocates, the Minnesota Deaf Muslim Community, Deaf Women of Minnesota, Minnesota Deaf Queers, Minnesota Deaf Senior Citizens, Deaf Equity, ThinkSelf, and others; and &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;WHEREAS: The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, Deafblind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing’s website hosts several collections of oral-visual history interviews with Minnesota advocates who are Deaf, Deafblind, or hard of hearing; and &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;WHEREAS: The Minnesota Digital Library hosts an archive of 173 historical photos and documents donated from the Charles Thompson Memorial Hall, the Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens, and the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf Alumni Association Museum, under their Minnesota Reflections collection. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;NOW, THEREFORE, I, TIM WALZ, Governor of Minnesota, do hereby proclaim March 2021 as:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEAF HISTORY MONTH&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;in the State of Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Minnesota to be affixed at the State Capitol this 1st day of March.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>472061</id><pubdate>2021-03-15T21:26:00Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>How to Report Captioning Issues to the Legislative Coordinating Commission (LCC)</Title><title>2021-03-15-report-caption-issues-to-lcc</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-471769&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-03-15T13:40:32Z</Date><ShortDescription>Since a law was passed in 2009, captions have been provided for live floor sessions and committee hearings at the Legislature. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought new challenges. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Created in partnership with the LCC</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/-j1QwavjVpY&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/wym7b0fuY-M&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about LCC captions&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This message was created in partnership with the Legislative Coordinating Commission (LCC).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2009, MNCDHH and community advocates successfully advocated for funds to be allotted to the LCC to provide real-time captions of live floor sessions and committee hearings. Thanks to this program, anyone who relies on captions for communication access can enjoy the same level of access as constituents who do not use captions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted captioning services as well. With the increase of online meetings and events, there is also an increased demand for CART services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;LCC has a limited budget and resources for captioning and cannot support the cost of having live captioners for all meetings. Therefore they also use automated tools when a live captioner is not available. And in some cases, captions may not be available for live webcast but will be added for the archive of the webcast.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The automated tools use machine learning, which means if mistakes in the captions are corrected, the technology uses the corrections to improve their accuracy. LCC staff have been working with the vendor to improve the recognition of spoken words. However, this year is especially challenging with participants using less than optimal microphones and computer equipment and at times having internet connection issues for participation in remote legislative committee meetings.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have concerns about the Legislature’s webcast caption content, please share your comments on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.leg.mn.gov/accessibility/&quot;&gt;Minnesota Legislature Accessibility &amp;amp; Usability Comment Form&lt;/a&gt;.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please note that this form is not for accommodation requests such as ASL services. For more information about those services including how to submit requests, go to the LCC&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.leg.mn.gov/leg/faq/faq?subject=19&quot;&gt;Accessibility page&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The LCC for their partnership and support.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Diego Guerra for ASL talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Patty McCutcheon for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>471769</id><Tag><Description/><Title>captioning</Title><Id>247356</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-02-04T17:27:11Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>New Infographic Available on Good Classroom Acoustics</Title><title>2021-03-04-new-infographic-available-on-good-classroom-acoustics</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-470538&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-03-05T00:36:56Z</Date><ShortDescription>Students who benefit from amplification to access their education will be meeting new challenges as they go back into the classroom. New air exchange system noise can be louder than the teacher’s voice, especially with masking requirements. The infographics were designed for school administrators, educational audiologists, and teachers of deaf/hard of hearing to review and use as they check on classroom acoustics.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>ANSI/ASA S12.60-2010 Acoustical Performance Criteria, Design Requirements, and Guidelines for Schools</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Students who benefit from amplification to access their education will be meeting new challenges as they go back into the classroom. New air exchange system noise can be louder than the teacher’s voice, especially with masking requirements. The infographics were designed for school administrators, educational audiologists, and teachers of deaf/hard of hearing to review and use as they check on classroom acoustics.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/TPxGryMmtD0&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/RDIQ9P5ZwfU&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about classroom acoustics infographic&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Parents have ideas! School boards make decisions based on those ideas. The infographic about classroom acoustical standards is a result of one parent’s concern about high classroom noise levels and a history of people who take action to address the problem.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/assets/ClassroomAcoustics_MN_021521_tcm1063-468736.pdf&quot;&gt;classroom acoustical standards infographic (PDF)&lt;/a&gt; was developed by&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sarah Schraufnagel, Au.D.,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Peggy Nelson, Ph.D., and&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Cheryl DeConde Johnson, Ed.D.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dr. Schraufnagel and Dr. Johnson are members of the Educational Audiology Association (EAA).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dr. Nelson and Dr. Johnson were part of the working group that developed the standard, ANSI/ASA S12.60-2010 Acoustical Performance Criteria, Design Requirements, and Guidelines for Schools.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The purpose of developing and sharing these documents is to ensure that the schools of Minnesota continue to meet the ANSI/ASA standards – specifically at a time when school boards are approving upgraded HVAC systems to meet healthy air standards.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/assets/ClassroomAcoustics_MN_021521_tcm1063-468736.pdf&quot;&gt;classroom acoustic infographic for Minnesota (PDF)&lt;/a&gt; should be shared with school boards, administrators, building managers, and of course, parents.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn more about classroom acoustic standards and why they matter at &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/classroom-acoustical-requirements/&quot;&gt;Classroom Acoustical Requirements&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sarah Schraufnagel Au.D., Peggy Nelson, Ph.D., and Cheryl DeConde Johnson, Ed.D, for their work. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dawson Moder for ASL talent. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Daisy Jo Shuda for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>470538</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>accessible technology</Title><Id>310264</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-03-05T00:46:35Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>ASL Version of Governor Walz&apos;s Announcement: State Launches New Tool, Vaccine Connector</Title><title>2021-03-03-state-launches-new-tool-vaccine-connector</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-469958&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-03-03T13:51:29Z</Date><ShortDescription>ASL translation of announcement with captions and voiceover</ShortDescription><Subtitle>From the February 18, 2021 announcement</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/W2GSxUS4t2M&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/4jbxY_XOnf0&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about COVID-19 Vaccine Connector&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Today, Governor Tim Walz announced the launch of the Minnesota COVID-19 Vaccine Connector, a tool that helps all Minnesotans find out when, where, and how to get their COVID-19 vaccine. The Vaccine Connector is the next step of the state’s vaccination strategy to meet Minnesotans where they are and connect them to vaccine opportunities, no matter where they live or their personal circumstances.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Walz-Flanagan Administration has worked relentlessly to develop a reliable and stable network of different ways Minnesotans can get vaccinated. The state has mobilized health care systems, local pharmacies, federally qualified health centers, local hospitals, local public health, and state-run community vaccination sites to make sure everyone will be able to get a vaccine when the federal government ships more doses. The Vaccine Connector will help connect Minnesotans to that network once it’s their turn to get a shot and will also improve the ability of communities of color to access the vaccine.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“We still have a frustratingly limited vaccine supply from the federal government, but every Minnesotan should know their chance to get a vaccine will come. Today, we are connecting them directly to that process,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Governor Walz. &lt;strong&gt;“We need to make it as easy as possible for every Minnesotan to get the vaccine when it’s their turn – no matter where they live and no matter their personal circumstances. The options we’re providing will help make that happen.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“The Vaccine Connector will play a vital role moving forward to help us connect each and every Minnesotan to a vaccine once they’re eligible,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan&lt;strong&gt;. “We are working hard to make sure folks in every community in Minnesota feel connected to our vaccine network and know how to get a vaccine safely and confidently once supply increases.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesotans who have not yet been vaccinated are encouraged to sign up for the COVID-19 Vaccine Connector, regardless of their current vaccine eligibility status. There will be no cost and no restricted time period for signing up. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesotans can sign up at &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/covid19/vaccine/connector/&quot;&gt;mn.gov/vaccineconnector&lt;/a&gt;. Minnesotans unable to sign up online can call 833-431-2053 for assistance signing up over the phone. Translation is available by phone in all languages. Minnesotans can call the translation hotline at 833-431-2053 for assistance signing up over the phone.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesotans will provide basic information to sign up for the Vaccine Connector such as contact information, demographic data, medical history, and employment to determine their eligibility based on state guidelines. The State of Minnesota is committed to the equitable distribution of safe and effective vaccines for protection against COVID-19 and this form has included questions about gender identity, sexual orientation, race, cultural identification, and disabilities to help us track and measure equity and fairness throughout the vaccine distribution process. These questions do have the option to select “prefer not to answer” or “none of the above,” and selecting these answers will not prevent you from signing up for the Vaccine Connector.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When a Minnesotan becomes eligible to receive a vaccine under state guidelines, the Vaccine Connector will alert them of their eligibility, connect them to resources to schedule an appointment, and notify them if there are vaccination opportunities in their area. Minnesotans will still make appointments directly through a registered vaccinator, but the Connector is an easy way for Minnesotans to stay apprised of their eligibility and find opportunities to get a shot. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota is currently vaccinating health care workers, long-term care residents, pre-kindergarten through grade 12 educators, child care workers and people age 65 and over. All Minnesotans who have not been vaccinated should sign up for the Vaccine Connector. They will continue to hear about vaccination opportunities in a variety of different ways:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Health care personnel will hear from their employer about when and where they can get vaccinated.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Long-term care residents will hear from their facility about when and where they can get vaccinated.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Adults 65+ who already registered through either the COVID-19 Vaccine Pilot Program or the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/covid19/vaccine/find-vaccine/community-vaccination-program/index.jsp&quot;&gt;COVID-19 Community Vaccination Program&lt;/a&gt; do not need to re-submit their information. When adults 65+ sign up for the Vaccine Connector, they will immediately be entered into the random selection process for the state’s Community Vaccination Program sites operating in Minneapolis, Duluth, and Rochester. If they are selected to receive their vaccine at one of these sites, they will be notified by text, email, or landline by the company that runs those sites, Vault Health. The state is continuing to partner with hundreds of local medical providers and pharmacies to provide shots to Minnesotans age 65 and older. Adults 65+ can use the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/covid19/vaccine/find-vaccine/locations/index.jsp&quot;&gt;Vaccine Locator map&lt;/a&gt; to find nearby vaccine distribution sites and make an appointment to receive a vaccine through the providers listed there. They can also contact their regular provider directly.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Educators and child care providers who already completed the Minnesota COVID-19 Vaccine – Education and Child Care survey do not need to complete the Vaccine Connector form or re-submit their information. Educators, school staff, and child care workers will continue to hear from their local public health agency, employer, state-sponsored community vaccination site, or state vaccination partner about when and where they can get vaccinated. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Demand for vaccine still far exceeds supply, and Minnesotans should remain patient as more vaccine arrives in the weeks and months ahead. Every Minnesotan will have an opportunity to get vaccinated, it will just take time and the Vaccine Connector is another tool Minnesotans can use to be prepared.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>469958</id><Tag><Description/><Title>health care</Title><Id>310254</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-03-03T13:51:39Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>February 19, 2021 Legislative Update</Title><title>2021-03-01-feb-19-2021-legislative-update</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-469946&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-03-01T21:33:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>In this update, we explain where to find legislation information on MNCDHH&apos;s website, what the priorities are in the House and Senate, and share bill numbers. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Where to find information, priorities in House &amp; Senate &amp; bill numbers</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This update took a little longer than usual to film. Since that time, the following changes have occurred. 1) Minnesota Management &amp;amp; Budget announced a projected surplus of  $1.6 billion. We are waiting to see if this changes legislative priorities. 2) The bill for  SF1135 (deaf and hard-of-hearing students and oral/aural deaf education licensure requirements modification) now has a House companion bill, HF1449. 3) MNCDHH is hosting a &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/deaf-commission/news/index.jsp?id=1063-469763&quot;&gt;neutral info session with stakeholders&lt;/a&gt; to discuss the bills for interpreter licensure. You are welcome to join us. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/PnNZMV6yR0E&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/1pk1EHZSGwQ&quot; title=&quot;ASL legislative udpate for February 19, 2021&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Whew. A lot has happened since our last legislative update. In this update, we will share where you can find information on MNCDHH’s website, what the priorities are in both the House and the Senate, and bill numbers for the bills MNCDHH is either supporting or watching. At this time, we are not opposing any bill.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Legislative information on MNCDHH’s website&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH’s legislative page has four sections. This is where you can find our legislative page:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The first section is called “Legislative Agenda.” This is MNCDHH’s official agenda and will show which bills we are leading, supporting, or opposing. When available, bill numbers and chief authors will also be posted. We also include a brief description about each bill.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The second section is called “Legislative Recaps.” This is where MNCDHH posts links to our legislative updates. You can also find the same updates by vising our News page and clicking on the “legislation” tag.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The third section is called “Suggest Legislation.” This is a helpful template to use to suggest ideas for future legislation. Most people prefer to email or call with ideas but this tool is available for you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The fourth section is new and is called “Legislative Tracker.” This is where we list any bills with bill numbers in either the House or Senate that might impact people who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing. It will include bills that are a part of our agenda and bills that are not a part of our agenda.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;House and Senate priorities&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The pandemic this year has impacted the Legislature. Legislators and their staff have to navigate remote sessions. Most hearings are informational hearings. There are partisan differences and with everything taking place remotely, it creates communication challenges.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Everyone is focused on COVID-19 but in different ways.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The House is more focused on the COVID-19 response and increasing revenue spending.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Senate is more focused on the deficit, economic recovery, and do not want new taxes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is a challenging, but not impossible, year to pass new legislation, especially legislation that will cost money.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Bill numbers and updates&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;HF1134 / SF1136 Closed-caption television required&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH’s board voted to support Rep. Daniel’s bill for closed-captioned television required, contingent on changes in the bill language. MNCDHH is happy to report that Rep. Daniels did modify the language. The House File number is HF1134. The Senate File number is SF1136.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;HF0827 / SF1046 Board of Sign Language Interpreters and Transliterators created, licensure required, and rulemaking authorized&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH’s board decided not to vote on if we should support this bill as it was clear that this was legislation drafted without including the stakeholders who would be impacted by it. As of February 19, 2021, the Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens (MADC) and the Minnesota Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (MRID) have separately and publicly announced that they do not support this bill. The House File is HF0827 and the authors are Rep. Daniels, Rep. Koegel, and Rep. Theis. The Senate File number is SF1046 and the authors are Senator Hoffman and Senator Rarick.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;HF0828 / SF1134 Child neglect definition expansion to include language acquisition &lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH’s board decided not to vote on this as the board has several questions about how this would work. We will continue to work with Rep. Daniels on this. Right now this bill has both a House File and Senate File number. The House File number is HF0828 and the authors are Rep. Daniels and Rep. Koegel. The Senate File number is SF1134 and the authors are Senator Hoffman and Senator Rarick.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;SF1135 Deaf and hard-of-hearing-students and oral/aural deaf education licensure requirements modification&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH’s board decided not to vote on this as the board has several questions about how this would work. As of February 19, 2021, the bill has a Senate File but does not yet have a House File. The number is SF1135 and the authors are Senator Hoffman and Senator Rarick.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ongoing legislative updates&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH will continue to share legislative updates during this session. Please subscribe to our newsletters or follow our website and social media to stay up to date. Thank you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dawson Moder for ASL talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Daisy Jo Shuda for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>469946</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-03-02T00:37:35Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>You are Invited to MNCDHH&apos;s Informational Session re: Interpreter Licensure Bill</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Background shows the Northern Lights illuminating the night sky along with the text, &quot;Informational Session: ASL Interpreter Licensure&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Info%20session%20on%20interpreter%20licensure%20%281%29_tcm1063-469759.png</Url></Image><title>2021-02-27-info-session-interpreter-licensure</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-469763&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-02-27T21:21:37Z</Date><ShortDescription>There are growing concerns and widening divisions surrounding the Interpreter License bill that was recently introduced to both Senate and House. It was encouraged that the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) offer an opportunity to present the information neutrally about the bill, cultivate unity, and identify gaps in the present legislative activities.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Please RSVP by using the registration link</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You are Invited to MNCDHH&apos;s Informational Session re: Interpreter Licensure Bill&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are growing concerns and widening divisions surrounding the Interpreter License bill that was recently introduced to both Senate and House. It was encouraged that the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) offer an opportunity to present the information neutrally about the bill, cultivate unity, and identify gaps in the present legislative activities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saturday, March 6th, 2021&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2:00 pm to 3:30 pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Required to register: &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0ldeCopzwrHddRDcmXkWYhRUyoDY3ZXcgO&quot;&gt;Registration Link&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and CART will be provided.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For DeafBlind requests, please contact Katy Kelley-Rademacher at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Katy.Kelley@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Katy.Kelley@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Collaborative spirit&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH strongly believes in working in a collaborative environment for public policy and improving systems. Before attending the meeting, please review a PowerPoint provided by the National Association of the Deaf. The PowerPoint explains what collaboration is, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/assets/WowEveryonesWorkingTogetherCollaboration_tcm1063-317135.pdf&quot;&gt;Wow, Everyone&apos;s Working Together! Collaboration (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our commitment to respectful communication and civility of relationships&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All meeting participants are expected to treat other attendees with the utmost respect, including respecting all of the attendees&apos; time, space, ideas, and thoughts. They are also expected to treat everyone fairly and equally, regardless of race, sexual orientation, place of origin, political beliefs, sex, or age. MNCDHH will not tolerate harassment or discrimination of any kind.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL Interpreter Licensure Fact Sheet&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH has created a &lt;a href=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Letterhead%20Fact%20Sheet%20ASL%20Interpreter%20Licensure_tcm1063-470737.pdf&quot; title=&quot;2021-asl-interpreter-licensure-fact-sheet&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2021-asl-interpreter-licensure-fact-sheet&quot;&gt;fact sheet about ASL Interpreter Licensure (PDF)&lt;/a&gt; for informational purposes.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>469763</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-03-06T00:24:09Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Still Open: MNCDHH&apos;s Government Relations Director Position</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The following text, &quot;Government Relations Director,&quot; along with MNCDHH&apos;s logo</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Government-Relations-Director-850_tcm1063-466431.jpg</Url></Image><title>2021-02-22-still-open-mncdhhs-government-relations-director-position</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-469099&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-02-22T21:27:12Z</Date><ShortDescription>Please share far and wide. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Deadline extended to March 8, 2021</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) has a position open for a Government Relations Director. The deadline to apply is March 8, 2021.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To find the job posting, please visit &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mmb/careers/&quot;&gt;Minnesota Careers&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Under &quot;External Applicants,&quot; click on &quot;Search for jobs now.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Then, search for job id &quot;43504.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Job Summary&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This position provides leadership and coordination for the development and implementation of stakeholder, community, and legislative relations strategies for the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing. This position is responsible for coordinating legislative strategies and priorities and advancing the legislative agenda for MNCDHH. This includes engaging and influencing legislators, decision makers, and other stakeholders.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Responsibilities:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Direct and coordinate all aspects of the Commission’s legislative initiative development, passage, and implementation;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Build stakeholder relationships and ensure they have the training and tools to represent and advocate for improved legislation and policies;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Lead projects and serve as principal advisor to the Executive Director;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Develop and implement effective and accessible communications;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provide general support of Commission efforts to promote and enhance the Commission’s goals and reputation&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>469099</id><Tag><Description/><Title>staff</Title><Id>317343</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-02-27T21:27:25Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>COVID-19 Online Case Investigation Survey </Title><title>2021-02-18-covid=19-online-case-investigation-survey</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-468723&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-02-18T17:31:53Z</Date><ShortDescription>Sourced from the Minnesota Department of Health</ShortDescription><Subtitle>In American Sign Language (ASL) with captions, audio description, and descriptive transcript</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This video was provided by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). If you prefer to watch the video with English voiceover and captions, please watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/VbRemsN1urQ&quot;&gt;video with spoken English&lt;/a&gt; instead. MDH has also created an &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/J_uHn3FhRmk&quot;&gt;audio-described version&lt;/a&gt; of this video.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/q7ZdSh7JWkg&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about covid-19 online case investigation&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Descriptive transcript&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[upbeat music]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Text: COVID-19 Online Case Investigation Survey. Above a Stay Safe Minnesota logo.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Narration] Case investigations are a way to slow the spread of COVID-19&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; The scene changes, a text bubble appears with a question mark, a second text bubble responds with an icon of a sick person.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Trained health workers get in touch with people who have tested positive for COVID-19&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; A second text bubble responds with an icon of a sick person.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;and ask them questions to find other people who spent time close to them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Two other people icons appear next to the sick person.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These close contacts may now have COVID-19 and should stay home.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; The scene changes, a phone appears with survey checkboxes. The checkboxes are one by one filled with green checkmarks.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Usually, the case investigation interview is done on the phone. Now, you have the option to answer the same questions in a private, online survey. The best part? If you shared your cell phone number when you were tested, we’ll text you to let you know you can take the survey!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; The scene changes, a text message appears on screen, it reads, “This is an important message from the Minnesota Department of Health. Text “1” for next steps. The message continues in Spanish, Somali and Hmong.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;First, we’ll reach out to you. You can respond with 1, 2, 3, or 4 depending on the language you feel more comfortable with.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; A response text is sent, it reads “1”. A text message appears, it reads “Please reply with your email address so we can send you a survey link that will provide important health information and resources. Your email address will only be used by the Minnesota Department of Health for public health purposes.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We’ll ask you for an email address and send the survey link directly to your inbox.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; A response text is sent, it reads “email@address.com”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you do not respond to the text, you will receive a phone call from a health worker.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; The scene changes, a phone appears with survey checkboxes. The check boxes are filled with green checkmarks.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can take your time filling out the survey. At the end, you’ll receive important information on how to reduce the risk of passing COVID-19 to others,&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; The phone screen changes, an information symbol appears.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;and details on local resources that may be available to you&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; A symbol for medicine appears on the phone screen.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;for things like groceries and medicine. The health department takes your privacy very seriously.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; The scene changes. A red x is at the top of the screen. Text appears as it is narrated.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We will never ask you for money, banking information, or your Social Security Number.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; The scene changes. Text is read by the narrator. If you tested positive and have questions, you can call 651-201-5689 to talk with a health worker.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Stay Safe Minnesota logo&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[upbeat music]&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>468723</id><Tag><Description/><Title>health care</Title><Id>310254</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-02-18T21:58:35Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>DeafBlind Needs Assessment: Learning about the Needs of DeafBlind Children &amp; Youth</Title><title>2021-02-16-deafblind-needs-assessment-study</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-468470&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-02-16T22:13:25Z</Date><ShortDescription>Thanks to the efforts of the Collaborative Plan&apos;s DeafBlind work group, a study is happening to assess the needs of DeafBlind children and youth. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Looking for participants in DeafBlind study</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/kSfpljqdJr4&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/4pgGj0jNav4&quot; title=&quot;ASL announcement about deafblind youth needs assessment&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thanks to the guidance provided by the Collaborative Plan’s DeafBlind work group members, MNCDHH has contracted with Wilder Research to do a needs assessment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Collaborative Plan is a network of agencies, schools, and organizations that work together to create positive, systemic changes to achieve better education and career outcomes for students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The goal of this needs assessment is to ensure that all children who have a combined hearing and vision loss get the support they need to thrive.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The results will inform the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH), in partnership with other state agencies and other organizations, to identify gaps in services and build on the existing programs and support services across Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Who should participate in the needs assessment?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Wilder will do 1-hour interviews with:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Parents and caregivers with children who have a combined hearing and vision loss. Must be families who live in Minnesota. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Youth and young adults (ages 18-25) who have a combined hearing and vision loss. Must be families who live in Minnesota. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Professionals who serve children and youth (ages 0-21) with combined hearing and vision loss and their families.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Interpreters, interveners, and other needed accommodations will be provided. The interviews will take place between March – April 2021. Participants will receive a $30 gift card. For questions and to find out if you are eligible to participate, contact Bunchung Ly: &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:bunchung.ly@wilder.org&quot;&gt;bunchung.ly@wilder.org&lt;/a&gt; or 651-280-2725.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Please note that an earlier version of this announcement had an incorrect phone number for Bunchung Ly. The number is now correct.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Diego Guerra for ASL talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rita van der Puije for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for video production.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Printable materials&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/MNCDHH_DeafBlindParentRecruitmentFlyer_Caregivers_02-21_tcm1063-468466.docx&quot; title=&quot;MNCDHH_DeafBlindParentRecruitmentFlyer_Caregivers_02-21&quot; xlink:title=&quot;MNCDHH_DeafBlindParentRecruitmentFlyer_Caregivers_02-21&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;MNCDHH DeafBlind Parent Recruitment Flyer - Caregivers (word)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/MNCDHH_DeafBlindParentRecruitmentFlyer_Youth_02-21_tcm1063-468467.docx&quot; title=&quot;MNCDHH_DeafBlindParentRecruitmentFlyer_Youth_02-21&quot; xlink:title=&quot;MNCDHH_DeafBlindParentRecruitmentFlyer_Youth_02-21&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;MNCDHH DeafBlind Parent Recruitment Flyer - Youth (word)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/DeafBlind%20needs%20assessment_approach%20for%20families%20who%20do%20not%20speak%20English%20at%20home_tcm1063-468464.docx&quot; title=&quot;DeafBlind needs assessment_approach for families who do not speak English at home&quot; xlink:title=&quot;DeafBlind needs assessment_approach for families who do not speak English at home&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;DeafBlind Needs Assessment Approach for Families who do not Speak English at Home (word)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/DeafBlind%20needs%20assessment_rationale%20for%20approach_tcm1063-468465.docx&quot; title=&quot;DeafBlind needs assessment_rationale for approach&quot; xlink:title=&quot;DeafBlind needs assessment_rationale for approach&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;DeafBlind Needs Assessment Rationale for Approach (word)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>468470</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>deafblind</Title><Id>499876</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-09-20T18:36:43Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Building Foundation of Language: Developing Language &amp; Literacy for Deaf &amp; Hard of Hearing Children</Title><title>2021-02-11-building-foundation-language-video-series</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-467825&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-02-11T15:44:15Z</Date><ShortDescription>Children who have a strong foundation in language and mindfulness practices have better outcomes in school and have a more positive sense of self. Several contributors have worked together to create two special video series; one series is for families with children who are deaf or hard of hearing, the other series is for professionals who work with the families. The videos show interactive strategies that foster language and early literacy with children. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Video series for families and professionals</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/OylmJhcazcQ&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/reiCOBX8YKI&quot; title=&quot;ASL video announceing the foundation of language video series&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Building a Foundation of Language sets children up for academic and emotional success. Visit this new series of films to learn tips and strategies for interacting with deaf and hard of hearing children.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are two series:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Family Series: For families of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Professional Series: For professionals working with families of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the Family Series&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In this new webinar series, family members will learn strategies and best practices for interacting with their child during every day routines. This will help children learn language and emerging literacy. Children who have a strong foundation in language and mindfulness practices, have better outcomes in school and have a more positive sense of self.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the Professional Series&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In this new webinar series, professionals who work with families will learn how to coach families on communicating with their young deaf and hard of hearing children during every day routines. Professionals will learn how to help families practice interactive strategies, which will support language and early literacy with their child. Children who have a strong foundation in language and mindfulness practices have better outcomes in school and have a more positive sense of self. Professionals have an important role supporting families. Professionals should watch the Family Series first and then watch the Professional Series.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where to access the videos&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All videos in this series are in American Sign Language (ASL) with English voiceover and captions. Descriptive transcripts have also been provided. You can find the videos at: &lt;a href=&quot;https://bit.ly/36dlPoX%20&quot;&gt;Building a Foundation of Language Video Series&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contributors and credits&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Videos Featuring:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Leala Holcomb Ph.D.: Narrator&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Haruna Matsumoto: Parent&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Oceana Matsumoto: Child&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Aaron Waheed, MEd: Mindfulness Guide &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Video content/ASL scripts created by (in ABC order):&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Debbie Golos, Ph.D. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Leala Holcomb, Ph.D.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Brynn Roemen MEd&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Damon Timm (Video Production) &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In collaboration with:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anna Paulson MEd&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anne Sittner Anderson &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility: &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kaitlyn Mielke - English translations &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions, Estina Beldon - captions&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions, Patty McCutcheon - voiceover&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits (for announcement videos)&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;James Beldon III for ASL talent&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Patty McCutcheon for voiceover &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>467825</id><Tag><Description/><Title>language acquisition</Title><Id>310294</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-07-10T23:28:10Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Enhanced Lobby Training Available</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Icons of a laptop resting upon a couch, near a floor lamp. The words, &quot;Lobby Training Enhanced&quot; are displayed over a floor rug.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Lobby%20Training%20Enhanced%20Rectangle%20850_tcm1063-467904.jpg</Url></Image><title>2021-02-10-enhanced-lobby-training-available</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-467902&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-02-10T20:41:24Z</Date><ShortDescription>Parts 2 and 3 added to enhance The Art of Lobbying</ShortDescription><Subtitle>New classes for February</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our Lobby Tuesday/Thursday trainings are still happening but now they are enhanced! We&apos;ve added a Part 2 and a Part 3. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Upcoming enhanced workshops that include Part 1: The Art of Lobbying &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One workshop is customized for the St. Paul/Minneapolis Black Deaf Advocates. The second is for the general public. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saturday, February 13th, 2021 - MNCDHH at St. Paul/Minneapolis Black Deaf Advocates. &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2 p.m. to 3 p.m. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Art of Lobbying Series 1, 2 and 3&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Part 1- The Art of Lobbying - Five steps to meeting your legislator. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Part 2- All about Legislators. In this series, you will learn about who is your legislator, how to find who represents you, how to make an appointment, request accommodations if needed. We will explore the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.leg.mn.gov/&quot;&gt;Minnesota Legislature&lt;/a&gt; website. We will learn how to research your legislators and other legislator backgrounds, subscribe to their page, learn about committees they serve on, bills that they are authoring or supporting. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Part 3- Show Me the Bills. In this series, you will learn how to navigate MNCDHH&apos;s website and view the weekly legislative updates. You will learn about bills that MNCDHH leads, supports or bills led by the community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register in advance for this meeting: &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEpd-qorDwsGNwu46gElHy3fnv8AZENgx29&quot;&gt;St. Paul/Minneapolis Black Deaf Advocates Art of Lobbying registration&lt;/a&gt;. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saturday, February 13th, 2021 - Part 1, 2, and 3 for the general public&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Part 1- The Art of Lobbying - Five steps to meeting your legislator. (brief overview)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Part 2- All about Legislators. In this series, you will learn about who is your legislator, how to find who represents you, how to make an appointment, request accommodations if needed. We will explore the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.leg.mn.gov/&quot;&gt;Minnesota Legislature website&lt;/a&gt;. We will learn how to research your legislators and other legislator backgrounds, subscribe to their page, learn about committees they serve on, bills that they are authoring or supporting. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Part 3- Show Me the Bills. In this series, you will learn how to navigate MNCDHH&apos;s website and view the weekly legislative updates. You will learn about bills that MNCDHH leads, supports or bills led by the community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register in advance for this meeting: &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEvdeqoqjstE91IYQ0JKvoi2pwPL7rJ5D4e&quot;&gt;Art of Lobbying Parts 1-3 on February 13th at 10:30 a.m. registration&lt;/a&gt;. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The enhanced trainings are ready! These will primarily focus on Part 2 and Part 3. &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH is continuing our Civic Engagement Education series. Many of you attended Part 1 on Learning the Art of Lobbying- Five Steps to Meeting Your Legislators. However, if you missed Part 1, don&apos;t worry. You can still sign up for Parts 2 and 3. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With this new series, we will begin with a short quiz asking you the five steps and then move on to the next two series, Part 2 and Part 3. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tuesday, February 16th, 2021 &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;10:00 a.m. to 11:30&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Part 2- All about Legislators. In this series, you will learn about who is your legislator, how to find who represents you, how to make an appointment, request accommodations if needed. We will explore the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.leg.mn.gov/&quot;&gt;Minnesota Legislature website&lt;/a&gt;. We will learn how to research your legislators and other legislator backgrounds, subscribe to their page, learn about committees they serve on, bills that they are authoring or supporting. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Part 3- Show Me the Bills. In this series, you will learn how to navigate MNCDHH&apos;s website and view the weekly legislative updates. You will learn about bills that MNCDHH leads, supports or bills led by the community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register in advance for this meeting: &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEpc-uoqzItGt1CxITbAUsfVf0z86LLRrha&quot;&gt;February 16, 2021 10 a.m. registration&lt;/a&gt;. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thursday, February 18th, 2021&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;6:00 p.m. to 7:30 &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Part 2- All about Legislators. In this series, you will learn about who is your legislator, how to find who represents you, how to make an appointment, request accommodations if needed. We will explore the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.leg.mn.gov/&quot;&gt;Minnesota Legislature website&lt;/a&gt;. We will learn how to research your legislators and other legislator backgrounds, subscribe to their page, learn about committees they serve on, bills that they are authoring or supporting. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Part 3- Show Me the Bills. In this series, you will learn how to navigate MNCDHH&apos;s website and view the weekly legislative updates. You will learn about bills that MNCDHH leads, supports or bills led by the community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register in advance for this meeting: &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZckdeCgpzMjEtw-zWXNny7Ckc8XzqgBo-Y2&quot;&gt;February 18, 2021 6 p.m. registration&lt;/a&gt;. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saturday, February 20th, 2021&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;10:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Part 2- All about Legislators. In this series, you will learn about who is your legislator, how to find who represents you, how to make an appointment, request accommodations if needed. We will explore the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.leg.mn.gov/&quot;&gt;Minnesota Legislature website&lt;/a&gt;. We will learn how to research your legislators and other legislator backgrounds, subscribe to their page, learn about committees they serve on, bills that they are authoring or supporting. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Part 3- Show Me the Bills. In this series, you will learn how to navigate MNCDHH&apos;s website and view the weekly legislative updates. You will learn about bills that MNCDHH leads, supports or bills led by the community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register in advance for this meeting: &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcsfuGsqT8pGtJ7M_R6b-orh2NNFSLDd_m8&quot;&gt;February 20, 2021 10:30 a.m. registration&lt;/a&gt;. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Workshops will be presented in American Sign Language (ASL) with closed captions and English voicing. For additional accommodations, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; at least 2 business days in advance. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>467902</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>citizen advocate</Title><Id>310308</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-02-10T22:04:28Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>New Guidance Available for Applicants Seeking ASL or Deaf and Hard of Hearing Licensure</Title><title>2021-02-10-new-guidance-available-for-applicants-seeking-licensure</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-467822&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-02-10T13:49:48Z</Date><ShortDescription>A special announcement from the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB).</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Both ASLPI &amp; SLPI are approved</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/yOrWf3RJ_-s&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/uBMelnCPuVQ&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about new guidance available for teacher licensure applicants&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;New Guidance Available for Applicants Seeking American Sign Language or Deaf and Hard of Hearing Licensure.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This winter, the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) adopted a new sign language proficiency exam to provide another avenue for candidates seeking an American Sign Language (ASL) or Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) license. The American Sign Language Proficiency Interview (ASLPI) is now accepted for meeting sign language proficiency requirements. PELSB will also continue to accept the Sign Language Proficiency Interview (SLPI).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;PELSB has created a guidance document that outlines the examination requirements for ASL and DHH licenses.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The document can be found on &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/pelsb/assets/Sign%20Language%20Proficiency%20Guidance_tcm1113-466762.pdf&quot;&gt;PELSB’s website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have any questions about ASL or DHH licensure, please contact PELSB at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:pelsb@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;pelsb@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The stakeholders of the Collaborative Plan contributed to the discussion and decision process. The Collaborative Plan is a network of agencies, schools, and organizations that work together to create positive, systemic changes to achieve better education and career outcomes for students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;PELSB and the Collaborative Plan stakeholders for their work on improving systems.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jimmy Beldon for ASL talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Patty McCutcheon for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>467822</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-02-10T13:57:56Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>New Deadline for MNCDHH&apos;s Government Relations Director Position</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The following text, &quot;Government Relations Director,&quot; along with MNCDHH&apos;s logo</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Government-Relations-Director-850_tcm1063-466431.jpg</Url></Image><title>2021-02-08-new-deadline-for-mncdhhs-government-relations-director-position</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-467448&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-02-08T14:09:41Z</Date><ShortDescription>Please share far and wide.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Last day to apply is Tuesday, February 16, 2021</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) has a position open for a Government Relations Director. The deadline to apply is February 16, 2021.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To find the job posting, please visit &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mmb/careers/&quot;&gt;Minnesota Careers&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Under &quot;External Applicants,&quot; click on &quot;Search for jobs now.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Then, search for job id &quot;43504.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Job Summary&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This position provides leadership and coordination for the development and implementation of stakeholder, community, and legislative relations strategies for the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing. This position is responsible for coordinating legislative strategies and priorities and advancing the legislative agenda for MNCDHH. This includes engaging and influencing legislators, decision makers, and other stakeholders.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Responsibilities:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Direct and coordinate all aspects of the Commission’s legislative initiative development, passage, and implementation;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Build stakeholder relationships and ensure they have the training and tools to represent and advocate for improved legislation and policies;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Lead projects and serve as principal advisor to the Executive Director;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Develop and implement effective and accessible communications;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provide general support of Commission efforts to promote and enhance the Commission’s goals and reputation&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>467448</id><Tag><Description/><Title>staff</Title><Id>317343</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-02-08T14:11:48Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Traveling Tuesdays with Darlene G. Zangara, Ph.D.: Northeast Region</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>MNCDHH&apos;s Executive Director, Darlene G. Zangara, Ph.D., is shown on a person&apos;s laptop. The laptop is placed on a deck railing along with a blanket, books, and mug. In the distance are tall green trees and a lake.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/traveling-tuesdays-with-darlene_tcm1063-455137.jpg</Url></Image><title>2021-02-04-traveling-tuesday-northeast-region</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-467240&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-02-04T19:45:29Z</Date><ShortDescription>This visit is for the Northeast Region, which covers the following counties: Aitkin, Carlton, Cook, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake, and St. Louis.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNCDHH visits different regions online in Minnesota</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Traveling%20Tuesday%20Northeast%20-%20600_tcm1063-467236.jpg&quot; title=&quot;traveling-tuesday-northeast-mn&quot; alt=&quot;traveling-tuesday-northeast-mn&quot; style=&quot;width: 200px; height: 200px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;traveling-tuesday-northeast-mn&quot; /&gt; MNCDHH has booked our fourth &apos;Traveling Tuesdays&apos; event!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH is coming to your region for a virtual meet and greet with Darlene G. Zangara, Ph.D., Executive Director of MNCDHH. Darlene will introduce herself to your community, share some of MNCDHH&apos;s recent activities, describe her vision for the future, and answer your questions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do you have questions about what MNCDHH does and can do for you? Do you have ideas for public policy that impacts community members who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or people with hearing loss, their families, coworkers, and friends? Please join us when we come to your region.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Central regional counties&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Darlene&apos;s fourth stop is Northeast Minnesota! The Central region includes the following counties:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Aitkin&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Carlton&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Cook&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Itasca&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Koochiching&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Lake&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;St. Louis&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you live in a county that is not listed above, don&apos;t worry. Darlene plans to virtually travel to every Minnesota region on Tuesdays over the next few months. In the meantime, please subscribe to MNCDHH&apos;s news and watch for when we are coming to your region.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If we have already visited your region, we plan to schedule another statewide tour in the future (hopefully, in-person). &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tuesday, March 30, 2021 at 6:00 p.m.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Workshop will be provided online through Zoom. Register in advance at &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYtc-6uqjgoH9DMBq3x5MtIQI3VF-G0qE2g&quot;&gt;Traveling Tuesday: Northeast Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Presented and discussed in both spoken English and American Sign Language (ASL). CART and ASL interpreters have been scheduled. If you need another reasonable accommodation such as a deafblind interpreter, please email your request to &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;, at least 5 business days before the event.  &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>467240</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-02-04T19:53:30Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Tips for Cleaning and Maintaining Your Transparent Mask</Title><title>2021-02-03-transparent-mask-maintenance</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-466912&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-02-03T16:07:55Z</Date><ShortDescription>With special guest stars from the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf (MSAD)</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Includes tips on preventing your glasses from fogging</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/R2NyVC8q7DY&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/xqu71j74tn4&quot; title=&quot;ASL video on cleaning and maintaining your transparent masks&apos; frameborder=&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We wear masks when we go out in public and when we are around people to minimize the risk of contracting the virus or passing it on to our family, our friends, the community. However, for deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing people like us, wearing masks can make communication difficult, especially when facial expressions and/or lipreading play a critical part in everyday communication for us.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Clip of Kayla smiling behind her transparent mask.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is where transparent masks come in. These masks have a clear square window over the area where the mouth is visible, to help with communication. However, these transparent masks can be annoying sometimes when they fog up, making it difficult to see the mouth, or worse, they fog up your glasses if you are a glasses wearer. Shields can fog up too.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Part of the responsibility of wearing masks and/or face shields is taking care of them and cleaning them after wearing them. Doing so will prolong their life of use and keep yourself and others safe. Here are some tips to help clean and keep your transparent masks or shields from fogging up.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How to Clean and Maintain Your Transparent Masks or Shields&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Clip of Kayla removing her transparent mask and cleaning it.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Take your mask off first. It can be challenging to clean them while you are wearing it!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Carefully wipe the inside of the mask, followed by the outside of the mask or face shield using a clean soft cloth saturated with neutral detergent solution such as dish soap.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Then, carefully wipe the outside of the transparent mask or face shield using a wipe or clean cloth saturated with disinfectant solution.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Wipe the outside of your transparent mask or face shield with clean water or alcohol to remove leftover residue.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Let it fully dry (leave it out to air dry or use clean absorbent towels such as microfiber cloths).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How to Prevent Your Transparent Mask from Fogging&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Clip of Kayla rubbing dish soap on her transparent mask and wiping it.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It can be annoying when your transparent mask fogs up, making you take them off and clean them again from time to time. There are some tips to help avoid that from happening.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You don’t have to look too far to find tools around your homes that might help reduce fogging of your masks.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some recommend Blue Dawn dish soap as the soap to use when cleaning your transparent mask. Another option is using shaving cream and wiping off the excess. For some, using bar soap rubbed across the masks does the trick. Any type of bar soap would work. Some folks swear by using anti-fog spray, which can be found and purchased online. Dental offices use special products on dental mirrors to reduce fogging, which can also be found and purchased online to use on your transparent mask or shield.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If You Wear Glasses, How to Reduce Fogging of Glasses When Wearing Transparent Masks&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Clip of Charissa securely placing her glasses on the bridge of her nose on top of a snug mask.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You’ve successfully kept your masks from fogging up. But wait - for those of us who wear glasses, how can we keep our glasses from fogging up too? Now what?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Make sure your mask fits snugly. If it is loose, air can escape from your mask, which can fog your glasses and is also less effective for preventing spread of COVID-19.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Washing your glasses with soap and water before you put them on can sometimes help prevent lenses from fogging up. Dry your glasses with microfiber absorbent towels to prevent scratching.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One handy trick is to pinch the top of the mask that goes over the nose. That helps create a temporary seal, and will reduce the chances of your glasses fogging up from your breath that escapes from your mask.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Remember the suggestion of using shaving foam on your masks? Some folks suggest using it on your glasses too - apply a thin layer to the inside of your glasses and gently wipe it off.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Try and see which one works for you. Got others? Share your secrets with us!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We hope these tips and tricks are helpful for you as you take care of your clear masks and rock them for everyone to see.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Disclaimer: MNCDHH does not endorse any specific brand of transparent masks nor do we guarantee the success of any of the suggestions in this video newsletter. We hope these tips and suggestions are helpful.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The staff at the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf for demonstrating the tips and suggestions in this video newsletter: Kayla Gonzalez and Charissa Johnson.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;James Paul Beldon for ASL talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Patty McCutcheon for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>466912</id><Tag><Description/><Title>health care</Title><Id>310254</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-02-03T18:21:35Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>January 29, 2021 Legislative Update</Title><title>2021-02-02-january-29-2021-legislative-update</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-466853&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-02-02T14:02:51Z</Date><ShortDescription>In this update, we share that MNCDHH&apos; position for a Government Relations Director has been posted and applications are being accepted (please share!) and we also share the decisions made by MNCDHH&apos;s board in regards to the bills being led by others. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Government Relations Director position posted, board decisions on bills led by others</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/Ks_RH8Dk_mc&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/O4R4791NGNE&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with the January 29, 2021 legislative update&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We have some good news to share.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;First, MNCDHH’s position for a Government Relations Director has been posted. To find the job posting, please visit &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mmb/careers/&quot;&gt;Minnesota Careers&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Then go to External Applicants and click on ‘Search for jobs now.’ Put in the job id number, ‘43504.’&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do you know any great candidates? Share the listing with them and encourage them to apply!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Second, we are in the process of contracting with a professional lobbyist to help MNCDHH advance our legislative agenda. We expect the contract to be complete soon. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Last, MNCDHH’s board met today and made some decisions about bills that are being led by others.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Bills that are being led by others&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are the bills being led by others.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota State Academies - Support&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota State Academies (MSA) ask MNCDHH to support changes to their budget allocations including their operational budget, new staff positions, technology funds, and retention of rental income.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The board voted to support MSA’s request. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Metro Deaf School - Support&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Metro Deaf School (MDS) asked MNCDHH to support a quick fix to legislation that will allow parents to select an early intervention program for their child who is DHH. The time of the program selection was to start right at birth – age 3.  Currently, placement/parent choice can only occur with Part C of IDEA (starting at age 3).  MDS will propose the change in language.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The board voted to support MDS’s request. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Right to Language - Decided not to vote but will work with Rep. Daniels on bill development&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is a bill to add language deprivation to the list of maltreatment of minors. It was previously authored by Representative Daniels with his constituent Sonny Wasilowski. We are waiting on the modified language of this year’s bill. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are many questions about this bill such as who is deciding if a child is language deprived? There are concerns about the bill being punitive. Does the social worker or child protective services have the skill and knowledge for assessment? &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The board decided not to support or reject this bill. Instead, the board voted to continue working with Representative Daniels on the development of this bill.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Teachers of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing Language Modification - Decided not to vote&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is a bill also written by Representative Daniels with his constituent Sonny Wasilowski. This calls for rules requiring K-12 teacher candidates for deaf and hard of hearing students to demonstrate at least level 4 proficiency on the American Sign Language Proficiency Interview (ASLPI) evaluation.  Among other relicensure requirements, each teacher under this section must complete 30 continuing education clock hours on hearing loss topics including ASL, ASL linguistics, or deaf culture and must demonstrate at least level 4 proficiency on the American Sign Language Proficiency Interview evaluation in each re-licensure renewal period (every 5 years).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The board agrees that teachers should have a higher skill level in ASL. They have questions. It is not clear if there is an option of which tests are acceptable, ASLPI or SLPI.  Will the new testing requirements apply to only new applicants or all current and renewable licensed going forward? What is the input from teachers and the Department of Education? &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The board needs to see the language in the bill to make an educated decision and decided not to vote on this.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Closed Captioning - Support but contingent on making changes in language&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is a bill also written by Representative Daniels with his constituent Sonny Wasilowski. This bill requires closed-captioned television in certain circumstances; appropriating money; amending the Minnesota Statutes 2018 proposing coding for new law in Minnesota. In developing a comprehensive state emergency operations plan and emergency management program, the state must incorporate plans for closed-captioning and real-time captioning for television. It also requires MNCDHH to partner with DHHSD to create a public awareness campaign for businesses, including but not limited to hotels, restaurants, bars, hospitals, and shopping malls, and government entities to provide closed-captioned televisions. It required MNCDHH to develop a grant program for nonprofits to create a public awareness campaign on the need for closed captioning and provide training on use of closed captioning. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH has already explained to Rep. Daniels about the lack of a timeline in this bill and lack of ongoing funds to accomplish the tasks. MNCDHH also does not provide grants or grant opportunities. We have asked Rep. Daniels to make modifications to the bill but have not yet seen the new language.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The board voted to support this bill contingent on modifications in the language.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Interpreter Licensure - Decided not to vote, need community involved&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is a bill also written by Representative Daniels. This bill is to establish a statewide interpreter licensure. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The readiness factor is not there and there is a need for community involvement and community organizations to work together on this. The deafblind community has not been involved at all. (Clarification: There are other stakeholder groups that have not been involved as well, not only the deafblind community.) We also heard that it was the old interpreter licensure bill that is slated to be proposed again this year without the language and suggestions from the Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens. This shows again that stakeholder involvement is not there yet. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The board decided to hold off on voting on this item until we can actually see the language in the bill. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Modification of Language and Reimbursement for CDIs in Classrooms - Support&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is an idea proposed by David and Gloria Nathanson with support of their legislator, Rep. Becker-Finn. This will modify language in educational interpreter law. Currently, the language requires that an educational interpreter must complete an Interpreter Training Program (ITP). Nationwide, there is no ITP for Certified Deaf Interpreters (CDIs). The language in this bill would allow a CDI to work in schools without completing an ITP program and would allow the school district to be reimbursed for the salary of the CDI.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH supported this bill before. The board voted to support this bill again.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ongoing legislative updates&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As of January 29th, we are still waiting for the above items to be introduced. We will share the bill numbers as soon as we have them. You can use the bill numbers to check on the status of the bill and reference them if you talk to legislators about the bill. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH will continue to share legislative updates during this session. Please subscribe to our newsletters or follow our website and social media to stay up to date. Thank you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jimmy Beldon Jr. for ASL talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Patty McCutcheon for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>466853</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-02-03T22:44:21Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Traveling Tuesdays with Darlene G. Zangara, Ph.D.: Central Region</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>MNCDHH&apos;s Executive Director, Darlene G. Zangara, Ph.D., is shown on a person&apos;s laptop. The laptop is placed on a deck railing along with a blanket, books, and mug. In the distance are tall green trees and a lake.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/traveling-tuesdays-with-darlene_tcm1063-455137.jpg</Url></Image><title>2021-02-01-traveling-tuesday-central</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-466970&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-02-02T00:53:15Z</Date><ShortDescription>This visit is for the Central Region, which covers the following counties: Benton, Big Stone, Chippewa, Chisago, Crow Wing, Isanti, Kanabec, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, McLeod, Meeker, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Pine, Pope, Renville, Sherburne, Stearns, Stevens, Swift, Wright, and Yellow Medicine.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNCDHH visits different regions online in Minnesota</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Traveling%20Tuesday%20Central%20600_tcm1063-466969.jpg&quot; title=&quot;traveling-tuesday-central-mn&quot; alt=&quot;traveling-tuesday-central-mn&quot; style=&quot;width: 150px; height: 150px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;traveling-tuesday-central-mn&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt; MNCDHH has booked our third Traveling Tuesdays event!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH is coming to your region for a virtual meet and greet with Darlene G. Zangara, Ph.D., Executive Director of MNCDHH. Darlene will introduce herself to your community, share some of MNCDHH&apos;s recent activities, describe her vision for the future, and answer your questions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do you have questions about what MNCDHH does and can do for you? Do you have ideas for public policy that impacts community members who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or people with hearing loss, their families, coworkers, and friends? Please join us when we come to your region.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Central regional counties&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Darlene&apos;s third stop is Central Minnesota! The Central region includes the following counties:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Benton&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Big Stone&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Chippewa&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Chisago&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Crow Wing&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Isanti&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kanabec&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kandiyohi&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Lac qui Parle&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;McLeod&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Meeker&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mille Lacs&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Morrison&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Pine&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Pope&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Renville&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sherburne&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Stearns&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Stevens&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Swift&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Wright&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Yellow Medicine&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you live in a county that is not listed above, don&apos;t worry. Darlene plans to virtually travel to every Minnesota region on Tuesdays over the next few months. In the meantime, please subscribe to MNCDHH&apos;s news and watch for when we are coming to your region.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If we have already visited your region, we plan to schedule another statewide tour in the future (hopefully, in-person). &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tuesday, February 16, 2021 at 6:00 p.m.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Workshop will be provided online through Zoom. Register in advance at &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIldeCoqz4jGtA3atRa1zLfu2dFUl8XP64L%20&quot;&gt;Traveling Tuesday: Central Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Presented and discussed in both spoken English and American Sign Language (ASL). CART and ASL interpreters have been scheduled. If you need another reasonable accommodation such as a deafblind interpreter, please email your request to &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;, at least 5 business days before the event.  &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>466970</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-02-02T16:17:07Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Last Call! 2021 Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day Awards</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Three mirror images of the Capitol. The two outside images are in green and white. The center image that is sandwiched between them is blue.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Capitol_tcm1063-335650.JPG</Url></Image><title>2021-02-01-last-call-lobby-day-awards-nomination</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-466857&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-02-01T14:47:38Z</Date><ShortDescription>Get your nominations in! Today is the last day to do so.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Today (Monday, February 1, 2021) is the last day to send in nominations</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Today, February 1, 2021, is the last day to send in your nominations for the 2021 Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day. Hurry and send those nominations in. You can submit your nominations by using the &lt;a href=&quot;http://mcdhh.2021-lobby-day-awards-nomination.alchemer.com/s3/&quot;&gt;awards nomination form&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn more about the awards and who is serving on the awards committee on &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/get-involved/lobby-day/awards/&quot;&gt;MNCDHH&apos;s page about the awards&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH is proud to recognize some of the many deserving individuals and organizations who are positive influencers and have made significant contributions to the advancement of deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Minnesotans. This is an important part of our biennial Lobby Day.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>466857</id><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-02-01T14:50:37Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Community Spotlight: Pathways to Life Summer Transition Program</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Circular pictures of Mark (smiling) and Elise (smiling) among green, blue, and purple dots.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Transition%20Program%20850_tcm1063-466538.jpg</Url></Image><title>2021-01-27-community-spotlight-pathways-to-life</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-466540&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-01-27T16:51:28Z</Date><ShortDescription>Community interview with Mark Schwartz and Elise Knopf with Pathways to Life (Summer Transition Program hosted at the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf). Interviewed by Kaitlyn Mielke.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>An interview with Mark Schwartz and Elise Knopf</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Community interview with Mark Schwartz and Elise Knopf with Pathways to Life (Summer Transition Program hosted at the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf). Interviewed by Kaitlyn Mielke.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please tell us a bit about the Pathways to Life Summer Transition Program through the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf (MSAD). How did it come into being, and what&apos;s the goal?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Elise:&lt;/strong&gt; The goal of the transition program is to offer an opportunity for deaf, hard of hearing and deafblind students to have learning experiences in the summer. We hope it will enhance their skills and increase their knowledge about vocational and postsecondary choices, as well as provide a social environment where they can interact with peers. Minnesota’s contingent to the National Deaf Center’s Engage for Change/State has always had this dream of having a program available for Minnesotans. The Minnesota Department of Education is the primary provider of state funds, Vocational Rehabilitation Services provides some funding through federal Pre-ETS dollars, and school districts help pay through student ESY funds. MSAD provides the housing and staff for the program, which is open to any student living in Minnesota who meets criteria and has ESY checked off on their IEP.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Who benefits from this program?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Elise:&lt;/strong&gt; Any student who is deaf, hard of hearing or deafblind in Minnesota!!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mark:&lt;/strong&gt; Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deafblind students with strong desires in learning more about post-secondary planning primarily benefit from this program as it allows students to recalibrate their orientation on what happens after high school. Students study and discuss the available post-secondary resources that are specifically designed for them. The more students know what’s out there, the better they can steer their direction to the future that aligns to their career goals.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition to the students&apos; benefits, Vocational Rehabilitation counselors are given many opportunities to connect with their students. By building this connection, the counselors were able to sustain positive relationships, learn about students’ areas of strengths, share relevant resources. This connection is so valuable to the process of seamless transition between high school and the life after high school because research shows that the earlier high school students builds a transition support system correlates positive success rate in finding jobs, attending training programs, and/or accepting in a college program. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What areas does the program focus on?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mark:&lt;/strong&gt; There are 5 critical areas that the program focuses that aligns to the transition areas that IEP typically addresses: home/daily living skills; recreation and leisure; community living experience/participation; and post-secondary education, employment, and job training. Because the program is based on students’ needs, the focus of the programming varies each year, depending on the group. In the development and customization of the activities and support students’ current skills, interests, and goals will be thoroughly considered.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What kind of activities are included through the program?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Elise:&lt;/strong&gt; Career Exploration, Resume development, 1:1 meetings with Vocational Rehabilitation counselors and listening to panels of DHH adults working in various fields, introduction to community resources, self-advocacy skill development, social networking, job application practice, job tours, and making a poster board to advertise student skills (spotlight moment). We hope to introduce work experience opportunities and job shadowing in the future. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How can prospective participants get involved with the summer program?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mark:&lt;/strong&gt; The prospective participants can apply through completing the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.msa.state.mn.us/1/Content2/summer-transition-program&quot;&gt;initial application by downloading&lt;/a&gt;. Applicants are encouraged to have in-depth discussion with their parents and IEP case manager to ensure that transition goals/activities in the IEP and the summer program overlap by checking off the ESY in the document. The deadline for initial application is March 8th. If there are questions on how to ensure that IEPs are prepared for this programs or the application process, please feel free to contact &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:pathwaystolife@msa.state.mn.us&quot;&gt;pathwaystolife@msa.state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After the initial application, an in-depth survey will be shared to prospective participants so that the programming will be customized to participants&apos; specific career goals, interests, and skills. Then, the students just show up and actively participate throughout the program! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What&apos;s on the schedule for the 2021 summer program? How has the current situation with the pandemic influenced those plans?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Elise&lt;/strong&gt;: Same as above listed activities, with the hope of adding work experience and job shadowing. The pandemic has limited those opportunities, as employers are not willing to have people “visit” their worksites right now.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mark:&lt;/strong&gt; Although the entire program will be online based, from June 14-25th, the program will be packed with career related activities that involve guest speakers, round table lunch discussions, practice interview runs, online games, and panel of professionals.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What do you hope the participants take home from participating in the summer program?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mark:&lt;/strong&gt; We hope that the students will feel more confident when navigating through the transition process by finding jobs, contacting appropriate resources, and having essential communication skills. We also hope that students will connect with professionals, share their talents/interests, and make new lifelong friends.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What were some of the highlights from previous summer programs?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Elise:&lt;/strong&gt; Definitely being able to have panelists on a national level participating, and not just from Minnesota. The first year highlights involved more social opportunities, going to a Twins game, riding the Light Rail and having in person time together in the evenings to cook and socialize.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mark&lt;/strong&gt;: Students&apos; stories speak for themselves. Here are the actual quotes: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“I got better at talking with others in the group. I learned about interviewing skills, and participated in a mock interview. I now know what to do!”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“PTL helped me become more open to different ideas. I feel more self-confident.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“I loved the community service experiences and cooking meals with my friends.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“I am more confident because I learned so much about my options during this program.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“I learned about the carpentry program available at South Central College, which was exciting to me.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;”I grew a lot during the two week program. I was homesick and am proud of myself for staying with the program!”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“I found the job site tours very beneficial.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“I reviewed my audiogram and learned about how to read it.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“I did laundry for the first time!”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“I now know how to analyze myself; what I like, what I don’t like, and I also learned about budgeting.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anything you&apos;d like to share or add?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mark:&lt;/strong&gt; Thanks to wonderful support by the Minnesota Department of Education and Vocational Rehabilitation, the cost for parents/guardians for students to attend the program is free! This is a wonderful opportunity for students to become more prepared, practice interviews, learn valuable resources, and meet new friends!!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Pathways to Life is for] current 9th grade through students who haven’t graduated (12+)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Program date: Distance Learning: June 14-25, 2021 (no weekends)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Initial Application Deadline: March 8, 2021 There are spaces available!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Students meet/network employers, practice interviews, learn community transition resources, and make new friends to get ready for post-secondary adulthood life!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Indicate Extended School Year in student&apos;s IEP. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.msa.state.mn.us/1/Content2/esy-resources&quot;&gt;Resources and guidance in writing the indication are available.&lt;/a&gt; NOTE: If current students&apos; ESY hasn&apos;t been indicated due to the IEP meeting timeline, the student/child can still apply. Can send updated IEP with ESY when appropriate.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;No tuition charge to Parents/Guardians. Most, if not - tuition costs are covered, by MDE, MNCDHH, and VR.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact info for more information about the MSAD Pathways to Life Transition Program &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:pathwaystolife@msa.state.mn.us&quot;&gt;pathwaystolife@msa.state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; to discuss additional services and accommodations (e.g. interpreter, para, intervener, transportation, etc). &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visit the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.msa.state.mn.us/1/Content2/summer-transition-program&quot;&gt;Summer Transition Program website&lt;/a&gt; for more information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Mark and Elise&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mark Schwartz is a Deaf/HH Teacher with specialty in Transition. He currently works with Transition age students in Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf to prepare them for a successful, smooth journey into adulthood.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Elise Knopf is the current Rehabilitation Area Manager for the St. Paul Deaf and Hard of Hearing Team with Vocational Rehabilitation Services. She enjoys providing support and resources for transition age students to achieve their dreams. Her team includes five counselors, including one that is the point of contact for MSAD, and two that are the point of contact for MDS. The team covers the seven county metro area and provides consultation statewide.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Recognition&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH would like to recognize the following contributors for the Pathways to Life Summer Transition Program: the Minnesota Department of Education, Minnesota Hands &amp;amp; Voices, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, and the stakeholders of the Collaborative Plan. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Collaborative Plan is a network of agencies, schools, and organizations that work together to create positive, systemic changes to achieve better education and career outcomes for students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>466540</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>community spotlight</Title><Id>432585</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-01-27T20:55:33Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Now Hiring! Government Relations Director</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The following text, &quot;Government Relations Director,&quot; along with MNCDHH&apos;s logo</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Government-Relations-Director-850_tcm1063-466431.jpg</Url></Image><title>2021-11-26-government-relations-director</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-466430&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-01-26T16:09:27Z</Date><ShortDescription>Please share far and wide.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>At the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) has a position open for a Government Relations Director. The deadline to apply is February 8, 2021.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To find the job posting, please visit &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mmb/careers/&quot;&gt;Minnesota Careers&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Under &quot;External Applicants,&quot; click on &quot;Search for jobs now.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Then, search for job id &quot;43504.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Job Summary&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This position provides leadership and coordination for the development and implementation of stakeholder, community, and legislative relations strategies for the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing. This position is responsible for coordinating legislative strategies and priorities and advancing the legislative agenda for MNCDHH. This includes engaging and influencing legislators, decision makers, and other stakeholders.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Responsibilities:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Direct and coordinate all aspects of the Commission’s legislative initiative development, passage, and implementation;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Build stakeholder relationships and ensure they have the training and tools to represent and advocate for improved legislation and policies;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Lead projects and serve as principal advisor to the Executive Director;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Develop and implement effective and accessible communications;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provide general support of Commission efforts to promote and enhance the Commission’s goals and reputation&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>466430</id><Tag><Description/><Title>staff</Title><Id>317343</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-01-26T16:26:34Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>More Lobby Tuesday/Thursday Trainings Added!</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Icons of a laptop resting upon a couch, near a floor lamp. The words, &quot;Lobby Tues/Thurs 2021&quot; are displayed over a floor rug.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Lobby%20Tues%20Thurs%20Rectangle%20850_tcm1063-462216.jpg</Url></Image><title>2021-01-23-more-lobby-tues-thurs-trainings-added</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-464159&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-01-23T14:33:12Z</Date><ShortDescription>Sign up and register to learn the Art of Lobbying in five important steps!</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Customized training on how to meet your legislators and advocate for bills</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/get-involved/lobby-day/lobby-tuesday-thursday/&quot;&gt;Lobby Tuesday/Thursday&lt;/a&gt; is back! Learn how to meet your legislator, prepare for meetings, and have responses for answers of yes, maybe, and no!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sign up and register to learn the Art of Lobbying in five important steps!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Meet our trained Civic Engagement Specialists who will lead you through a short presentation and then work with you as you practice the five steps.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Fun and interactive, you will leave the session with new engagement tools.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Schedule&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Thursday, January 28, 2021 from 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM - &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMpdeChrD0oGN3gk2BvMgXoFNBWE8Sf0O_x&quot;&gt;Register for January 28th&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Saturday, January 30, 2021 from 10:30 AM - 12 PM - &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZclf-2qrjgjHtf2tU5At33SJoGJpUkSh9pE&quot;&gt;Register for January 30th&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration required.&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Choose the date that works best for you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Workshops will be presented in American Sign Language (ASL) with closed captions and English voicing. For additional accommodations, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; at least 2 business days in advance. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Customized training for groups&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH&apos;s Civic Engagement Specialists can also provide customized training for your groups and organizations. If you would like to book a training for your group, please email jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here is a list of upcoming trainings we are providing for groups.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf Equity Lobbying Event on Tuesday, February 9, 2021 from 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM - &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwkduGopj8sEtLBo2hIqjZv_pbpeUqY2nUB&quot;&gt;Register for Deaf Equity training&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;DeafBlind Community Lobbying Event on Monday, March 1, 2021 from 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM - &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIkf-mqrDwoGNHXwQERiIyrHroquJmUYN-k&quot;&gt;Register for DeafBlind community training&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>464159</id><Tag><Description/><Title>citizen advocate</Title><Id>310308</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-01-23T14:46:13Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Deadline Extended for 2021 Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day Awards</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Three mirror images of the Capitol. The two outside images are in green and white. The center image that is sandwiched between them is blue.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Capitol_tcm1063-335650.JPG</Url></Image><title>2021-01-22-deadline-extended-lobby-day-awards</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-464145&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-01-22T21:58:39Z</Date><ShortDescription>More time has been granted to send in your nominations. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Submit your nominations by Monday, February 1, 2021</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH is proud to recognize some of the many deserving individuals and organizations who are positive influencers and have made significant contributions to the advancement of deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Minnesotans. This is an important part of our biennial 2021 Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To ensure we receive a healthy pool of nominations for each award category, the Awards Committee has decided to extend the deadline to Monday, February 1, 2021. (The original deadline was Friday, January 22, 2021.)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can submit your nominations by using the &lt;a href=&quot;http://mcdhh.2021-lobby-day-awards-nomination.alchemer.com/s3/&quot;&gt;awards nomination form&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn more about the awards and who is serving on the awards committee on &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/get-involved/lobby-day/awards/&quot;&gt;MNCDHH&apos;s page about the awards&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>464145</id><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-01-22T22:01:38Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Transition Roadmaps Available for Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing</Title><title>2021-01-21-transition-roadmaps-available-for-students-who-are-deaf-or-hard-of-hearing</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-463902&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-01-21T23:11:39Z</Date><ShortDescription>These roadmaps are a great planning tool for students who are 14 or older, their families, and their teachers.  </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Roadmaps for transitioning to post-secondary and to work</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/o3SEuyFiFh8&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/eHgQD5H_yHY&quot; title=&quot;ASL video annoucnement of transition roadmaps for dhh students&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Transitioning from high school to adult life? You might need a map for that! If you are a student age 14 or older, now is a great time to prepare for your life after high school.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Collaborative Plan is a network of agencies, schools, and organizations that work together to improve education and employment outcomes for students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;They developed two roadmaps you can use to explore future jobs, learn independence, and learn how to advocate for yourself.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Your family might also need to learn how to shift their role in parenting and support you in making your choices during this transition to adulthood. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The “&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/assets/20MNDHS_DeafBlindBrochure_102620_tcm1063-457311.pdf&quot;&gt;Transition Roadmap to Post-Secondary Settings (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;” and the “&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/assets/20MNDHS_TransitiontoWork_Accessible_112420_tcm1063-457556.pdf&quot;&gt;Transition Roadmap to Work (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;” can help guide you, your family, and your teachers through the journey ahead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Find the roadmaps on MNCDHH&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/transition/transition-roadmaps/&quot;&gt;Transition Roadmaps page&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Collaborative Plan DeafBlind team will create roadmaps for students who are deafblind soon. Watch for that.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A special thank you to the Transition Roadmap development team&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Candace Lindow-Davies&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Luke Davies &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kathy Manlapas&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Collaborative Plan Transition Team&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Luke Davies also collected advice to share with you from five young adults who are deaf and hard of hearing. Check it out at &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/transition/peer-advice/&quot;&gt;Peer Advice&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>463902</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-01-21T23:22:12Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Frequently Asked Questions about the COVID-19 Vaccine</Title><title>2021-01-21-faq-about-covid-19-vaccine</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-463851&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-01-21T18:24:04Z</Date><ShortDescription>Sourced from the Minnesota Department of Health</ShortDescription><Subtitle>In American Sign Language (ASL) with captions and descriptive transcript</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This video was provided by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). If you prefer to watch the video with English voiceover and captions, please watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/WHx3-FHVdbA&quot;&gt;video with audio&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/ycBt_7ux30o&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about the covid-19 vaccine from mdh&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Descriptive transcript&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[A man with dark mustache and short beard, wearing a dark shirt, stands in front of a black background on the right side of the screen. The right side of the screen is occupied by a slideshow, with slides changing during the video. The man signs during the entire video. The slide shows animation of an icon of a person in a yellow bubble. Dialogue bubbles slide in around the person’s circle. Icons inside the dialogue bubbles include question marks, COVID-19 germs, medicine containers, a clock.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: You are probably hearing a lot of information about COVID-19 vaccines right now. We wanted to answer some common questions about how COVID-19 vaccines are being made.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Slide slides up to a light blue blank slide with text in white: “How are COVID-19 vaccines being made faster?”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: How are COVID-19 vaccines being made faster?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New slide appears. A white progress bar line stretches over a yellow background. A black dot lies at the beginning of the white line. Text above the line: “Vaccine Testing”. A green check mark appears at the end of the bar line, and the line extends past it now in a darker color. Text above the section of new bar line: “Vaccine Production”. A new black dot marks the end of the bar line.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: Usually, testing a vaccine to make sure it is safe and works is done before large amounts of vaccines are made.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[The two bar lines, the white section and the dark section separate and are now both starting together on the left side. Both lines grow towards the opposite end of the screen at the same time. A green check mark shows up at the end of both lines.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: Because of the pandemic and money from the federal government, scientists are doing both at the same time. Only vaccines that have been tested and are shown to be safe will be used.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New slide appears. Text on slide: “How are the vaccines being tested?”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: How are the vaccines being tested?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New slide appears. Three white circles on a green background. Inside each circle is one vial. All three vials showing different colors and styles.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: There are several different COVID-19 vaccines in testing. These tests are called clinical trials. Each vaccine goes through more than one test.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Two vial circles slide out of view, leaving one on the left side. Nine circles with icons of a person appear. All nine persons have different colored skin, hair, wardrobe, and backgrounds. The nine fade out to become a grid of nine by nine circles with different styled person icons. They fade out to become an even bigger grid of more person icons.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: First, the vaccine is tested with a small group of volunteers, then a couple hundred, then tens of thousands of people. Volunteers for COVID-19 vaccine trials come from many diverse communities and backgrounds. This is the same process used for testing other vaccines.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New slide appears. Text on slide: “How will the vaccines get approved?”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: How will the vaccines get approved?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[A vaccine bottle rests inside a white circle on a light background. Other circles containing different icons appear around the first one. The new circles contain an icon of a doctor or medical professional in each. A light colored line circles the vaccine bottle icon and connects to the other circles, creating a network. ]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: For the vaccines that make it past all the tests, a team of medical experts will look at test results and how people felt after they got the vaccine.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[A small green check mark appears on each circle containing a doctor or medical expert.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: If the vaccine works and it’s safe, it gets approved.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[A final check mark appears on the vaccine bottle after all doctor circles.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: There are many groups of scientists and experts that are reviewing the vaccine safety data for COVID-19 vaccines and making recommendations. Only approved vaccines will be given to people.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New slide appears. Text on slide: “Who will get the vaccine first?”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: Who will get the vaccine first?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New slide appears. Four circles grouped in center. Each circle contains an icon of a professional-looking person. All four have different color skin, hair, wardrobe, and backgrounds. The group slides left as a website on a screen appears, showing info data and graphs. A magnifying glass hovers over the data.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: A national advisory group for CDC looks at the data and makes recommendations for who should get the vaccine first.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[A group of eight circles appear in a cluster. All circles contain a person icon, of varying skin colors, hair colors, wardrobe, and backgrounds. Text lines appear next to two of the circles. Lines of text include the following:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Healthcare workers&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;People in Assisted Living facilities.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: Some groups that are at highest risk for COVID-19 or could get very sick from COVID-19 will get the vaccine first. Minnesota has a team of experts who will help make sure vaccine is available to everyone fairly, with a focus on health equity.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New slide appears. A row of vaccine bottles in the middle of screen with a light blue background. The bottles multiply to more rows of bottles, covering the screen.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: As more vaccine becomes available, more people will be able to get vaccinated, but it will take several months before there is enough vaccine for everyone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New slide appears with logo for “Stay Safe MN”. Text underneath: “&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/covid19/&quot;&gt;mn.gov/COVID19&lt;/a&gt;”.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: For more information about the COVID-19 vaccine visit the health department’s website.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>463851</id><pubdate>2021-01-21T18:34:40Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2021 Legislative Agenda</Title><title>2021-01-20-2021-legislative-agenda</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-463791&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-01-21T00:23:59Z</Date><ShortDescription>Protect existing funding and definition of DeafBlind interveners</ShortDescription><Subtitle>What we know so far and what we need to do next</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/G-8w1qVedV4&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/QcxYmSTTxWs&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with the 2021 legislative agenda&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH is pleased to share some information about our legislative agenda for 2021.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We will hire a Government Relations Director to advance our public policy. The state has a hiring freeze but we managed to navigate through hurdles and will be posting the position soon.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the meantime, the legislative session has already started. Our board approved contracting with a professional lobbyist who is familiar with MNCDHH and our issues. The lobbyist will monitor and communicate MNCDHH’s perspective to appropriate policy makers and staff. He will also help with drafting bills and helping to secure chief authors.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here is what we will work on.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;1) Preserve funding for existing programs&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The COVID-19 pandemic has affected this legislative session. Legislators will focus on saving money to reduce the deficit. This means that MNCDHH must advocate to preserve the funds allotted to programs and services that impact deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2) DeafBlind Intervener language&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH wants to insert the definition of an intervener into the education statute as a first step in ensuring appropriate support services for students who are DeafBlind. We hope to introduce this concept to legislators this year (2021) and propose the full bill in 2022.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Bills led by others&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are several bills being led by others. They have asked for MNCDHH’s support. Our board members listened to their comments and had an opportunity to ask questions. Unfortunately, our board ran out of time and did not vote. We will hold a Special Board meeting so that we can finish our discussion and vote.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ongoing legislative updates&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH will continue to share legislative updates during this session. Please subscribe to our newsletters or follow our website and social media to stay up to date. Thank you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;James Beldon III for ASL talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Patty McCutcheon for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>463791</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-01-21T00:34:01Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>What to Expect: Visiting a COVID-19 Saliva Testing Site</Title><title>2021-01-20-what-to-expect-visiting-a-covid-19-testing-site</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-463753&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-01-20T19:41:49Z</Date><ShortDescription>Sourced from the Minnesota Department of Health</ShortDescription><Subtitle>In American Sign Language (ASL) with captions and descriptive transcript</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This video was provided by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). If you prefer to watch the video with English voiceover and captions, please watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/YhObzWgsCes&quot;&gt;video with audio&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/LighV8lEiJs&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about visiting a COVID-19 saliva testing site&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Descriptive transcript&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[A man with dark mustache and short beard, wearing a dark shirt, stands in front of a black background on the right side of the screen. The left side of the screen is occupied by a slideshow, with slides changing during the video. The man signs during the entire video. Slide: video clip of a person wearing a mask and holding up a vial. Fluorescent lights on the ceiling are visible behind the person. Text in blocks to the left of the person reads: “What to Expect: Visiting a COVID-19 Saliva Testing Site.”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: What to expect when you go to a COVID-19 saliva testing site.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New slide appears. A gray warning icon with text below on a white background. Text: “First, be sure to not eat, drink, smoke, or chew anything 30 minutes before you submit your saliva sample.” An icon of a half-eaten apple slides inside the warning sign, followed by an icon of a glass of water, then a half-smoked cigarette icon appears. The warning icon slides to the right while an icon of a clock with 30 minutes shaded in appearson left. The cigarette slides out and is replaced by an icon of a person’s head visibly chewing. Text on bottom changes to “This includes not drinking water.”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: First, be sure to not eat, drink, smoke, or chew anything 30 minutes before you submit your saliva sample. This includes not drinking water.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New slide appears. From left to right, different icons slide into view with a number above them. An icon of a smartphone with “1” above it appears, followed by an icon of a health insurance card and “2” above, with a letter icon with “3”. Text underneath all three: “If you have them, bring a smartphone, an insurance card, and an active email address.”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: If you have them, bring a smartphone, an insurance card, and an active email address.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Text beneath icons changes: “If you don’t have a smartphone, there are sanitized tablets on-site that you can use.”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: If you don’t have a smartphone, there are sanitized tablets on-site that you can use.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New slide appears. A warning icon on left with an icon of a health insurance card. Text on right side: “If you don’t have insurance, you can still get tested for free.” New text slides in under: “You will not receive a bill.”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: If you don’t have insurance, you can still get tested for free. You will not receive a bill.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New slide appears. An icon of a smartphone with a green phone icon ringing on screen slides in with text underneath. Text: “And if you don’t have an active email address, staff can use a phone number to call and tell you your results over the phone.” ]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: And if you don’t have an active email address, staff can use a phone number to call and tell you your results over the phone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New slide appears. A picture of standing signs on the floor with a rope barrier standing in between. Both signs read “COVID-19 Testing Site”, one has “Appointments&apos;&apos; in both English and Spanish, the other one has “To Register”. Text on bottom: “You’re encouraged to sign up for an appointment time, but walk-ins are also welcome.”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: You’re encouraged to sign up for an appointment time, but walk-ins are also welcome.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Text on bottom changes: “When you arrive, follow the directions on the signs to either register or check in for your appointments.”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: When you arrive, follow the directions on the signs to either register or check in for your appointment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New slide appears with a video of a stack of disposable medical-grade masks. Text on bottom: “The staff will ask you to change out your mask to a new surgical mask.” A hand reaches over and picks up a mask. Text on bottom changes: “This helps keeps the facility as clean as possible.”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: The staff will ask you to change out your mask to a new surgical mask. This helps keeps the facility as clean as possible.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[The slide changes to a new video. A masked person stands behind a counter chatting with another masked person holding a smartphone. Text on bottom: “The staff will ask if you need an interpreter and if you have a smartphone.”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: The staff will ask if you need an interpreter and if you have a smartphone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[The same masked person leads the masked person through an open area inside a well-lit building. Text on bottom: “Then they will give you a kit and bring you to a table.” Close-up of a tabletop with a plastic-covered QR code printed. The person holds a smartphone over the QR code. Text on bottom: “You will use your smartphone to scan the QR code on the table.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: Then they will give you a kit and bring you to a table. You will use your smartphone to scan the QR code on the table.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Text changes: “This brings you to the testing website where you can fill in your information. If you have any questions, staff are there to help you.”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: This brings you to the testing website where you can fill in your information. If you have any questions, staff are there to help you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Close-up of smart phone in a person’s hands. Text on bottom: “After you fill in your information, the website walks you through each step of the saliva test.”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: After you fill in your information, the website walks you through each step of the saliva test&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Close-up of hands holding a plastic vial with a line etched to show where to fill up to. Text on bottom: “You’ll need to provide enough saliva to just beyond the line.” Person taps vial on table to get rid of bubbles. Text changes: “Bubbles don’t count.”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: You’ll need to provide enough saliva to just beyond the line. Bubbles don’t count.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Person holds it up to check for any remaining bubbles. Text on bottom: “Tapping the container on the counter gets rid of bubbles so you can see how much more you have to fill.”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: Tapping the container on the counter gets rid of bubbles so you can see how much more you have to fill.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Person takes the collection funnel off and twists the cap holding blue liquid onto it. Text on bottom: “When your container is filled to the line, you’ll take off the collection funnel and screw on the cap with blue preservative.”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: When your container is filled to the line, you’ll take off the collection funnel and screw on the cap with blue preservative.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Person twists the cap on tighter. Text on bottom: “Keep screwing on the cap until the divider between the blue preservative and your saliva sample cracks.” The person inspects the vial and shakes it. Text on bottom: “and you can shake the vial to mix the blue preservative and saliva together. Shake the vial for 5 seconds.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: Keep screwing on the cap until the divider between the blue preservative and your saliva sample cracks and you can shake the vial to mix the blue preservative and saliva together. Shake the vial for 5 seconds.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Person walks through the open area while holding the vial in one hand. Text on bottom: “Finally, walk your vial to the submission table and throw away the packaging from the testing kit.”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: Finally, walk your vial to the submission table and throw away the packaging from the testing kit.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Person places vial inside a box on a table. Text changes while video fades out: “You’ll get your results emailed to you within 48 hours.” An icon of a letter appears with text “email@addres.com” over it. Text on bottom: “You’ll get your results within 48 hours”.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: You’ll get your results e-mailed to you within 48 hours.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New text appears underneath: “Or if you don’t have an email, you’ll get a call at the phone number you provided.”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: Or if you don’t have an email, you’ll get a call at the phone number you provided.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New slide appears. A dialogue bubble with a question mark on a teal background. Text on bottom: “If you have any questions about the sample collection process, ask the staff at the saliva testing site.”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: If you have any questions about the sample collection process, ask the staff at the saliva testing site.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New slide appears with the logo for “Stay Safe MN” with a link underneath “&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/covid19/&quot;&gt;mn.gov/covid19&lt;/a&gt;” on a red to purple background. Text on bottom: Thank you for getting tested and helping to keep our communities safe!”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: Thank you for getting tested and helping to keep our communities safe!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[The logo for “Stay Safe MN” enlarges and fades out.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional information&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional videos can be found on &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/user/MNDeptofHealth&quot;&gt;MDH&apos;s YouTube account&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>463753</id><pubdate>2021-01-20T21:22:37Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>COVID-19 Contact Tracing: How it Works</Title><title>2021-01-19-covid-19-contact-tracing</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-463632&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-01-19T22:24:46Z</Date><ShortDescription>Sourced from the Minnesota Department of Health</ShortDescription><Subtitle>In American Sign Language (ASL) with captions and descriptive transcript</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Updated information: If you receive a call from a contact tracer, they may advise you to stay at home for 14 days or less, depending on your unique situation.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This video was provided by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). If you prefer to watch the video with English voiceover and captions, please watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/dXL3lJU9mZU&quot;&gt;video with audio&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/XOfmABEY_h0&quot; title=&quot;MDH video about contact tracing in ASL&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Descriptive transcript&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[A man with dark mustache and short beard, wearing a dark shirt, stands in front of a black background on the right side of the screen. The left side of the screen is occupied by a slideshow, with slides changing during the video. Slide: A blank dialogue bubble on top of a purple background. Text appears on the bubble: “Contact tracing”. Light colored question marks appear around the bubble. The man signs during the whole video.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: You may have heard that contact tracing is one way to help stop the spread of COVID-19. But what is contact tracing?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New slide appears with a dark icon of a person on a white background. A magnifying glass slowly hovers over the person icon, turning the person red with dark dots around the head, suggesting COVID germs.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: Contact tracing is finding people who may be infectious or contagious with COVID-19- and may not know it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[The magnifying glass disappears and is replaced by an outline of a house around the ‘sick’ person.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: Telling them to stay home and away from others so they don’t infect anyone else.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New slide appears with an icon of a flip calendar inside a purple circle on top of a light background. Days on the calendar are represented by gray circles with the third date-circle in the Thursday column bolded in purple. The circles after this one slowly turn red with a number 1-14 in the next fourteen date-circles.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: After someone has been exposed to COVID-19, they can start spreading it to other people anywhere from 2 to 14 days later.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New slide appears with a dark person icon inside a pink circle. The pink circle is connected by lines to other circles, creating a network. Other person icons appear inside the other connected pink circles.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: During this time, people may not feel sick but they could still pass COVID-19 on to others.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[The first person icon in the center turns red. Gray dots appear around the person’s head, suggesting COVID germs. The other person icons connected to the first one slowly turn red as well. The diagram zooms out, showing a network of pink circles with gray (uninfected) and red (infected) person icons; the network grows with more person icons connected to the first one.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: This is how more and more people get infected. Contact tracing is one way to stop this cycle. This is how it works:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New slide appears with a group of three blue vials on a light blue background. One of the test tubes turns red with a number 1 in a notification circle popping up next to it. The image zooms out to include an icon of a hospital building.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: The Minnesota Department of Health is notified of every person who tests positive for COVID-19, just like with measles.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New slide appears with a blue person icon turning red (infected). An icon of a smartphone appears next to it. Another person icon with a light colored headpiece appears on the other side of the smartphone. Text under the blue icon: “Case Interviewer (contact tracer)”.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: If you test positive for COVID-19, you can expect a call from a COVID-19 case interviewer. Sometimes they are also called contact tracers. Case interviewers work for state, local, or tribal public health departments.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Text on slide changes to “Case interviewers call to: give you information about COVID-19; ask about your health; answer your questions.”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: Case interviewers call to give you information about COVID-19, ask you about your health, and answer your questions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New slide appears with an icon of an unlocked padlock next to text in white: “Tennessen Warning” on a blue background.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: They will first read you something called a Tennessen warning. This is information about privacy and asks if you are okay with sharing your health information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Text on slide with padlock icon changes to “Your privacy”. Sparks appear around the lock, which clicks shut.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: Your information cannot be shared with anyone without your permission.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New slide appears. Two dark person icons slide in side by side on a white background.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: They also ask about who you had close contact with starting a few days before you tested positive.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[An icon of a clock appears between the two person icons.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: In general, anyone that has spent more than 15 minutes within a close distance with someone who has COVID-19 is called a contact.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[15 minutes on the clock is shaded in light blue, and turns red.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: The case interviewer will help you figure out who is considered a contact.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[The slide goes back to the slide with two person icons separated by a smartphone in the middle. The person on the right has a headpiece and blue dots appear from the person to the phone, and towards the person on the left. The icons drift up as an icon of a clipboard with a checklist on it appears on bottom with a light purple background.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: Case interviewers can then call your contacts and talk with them about getting tested.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Lines of text on the checklist are blacked out one by one.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: They will not share your name or any other personal information with your contacts without your permission.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[The clipboard slides down and out of view and is replaced by a calendar icon with 14 days marked in dark circles. A plus sign icon appears to the right, and a person icon inside an outline of a house to the far right.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: They tell them to stay home for 14 days, counting from their last close contact with you. If they stay home, their germs stay home too. Contact tracing only works with your help.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New slide appears with an icon of a smartphone on a light blue background. The icon of a phone on the smartphone screen wiggles to suggest ringing. The phone icon changes to an icon for voicemail represented by two white circles connected by a bottom line inside a dark circle. A small green notification circle appears on top of the bigger circle with a number 1 inside.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: If a case interviewer calls you, be sure to answer your phone. If you miss their call, they will leave a message. Be sure to call them back.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New slide appears with a green checkmark on the top of the screen with text slowly appearing underneath it: “Who they are; who they work for; and that they are calling about COVI-19.”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: Case interviewers always tell you who they are, who they work for, and that they are calling about COVID-19.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[The check mark and text fades out and slides right to make room for a new list under a red X. Text slowly appears under the red X: “Immigration status; money; your bank, credit car, or Social Security number.”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: They never ask about your immigration status, for money, or for your bank, credit card, social security numbers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New slide appears with a white dialogue bubble on a purple background. Text appears inside the bubble: “¿Hablas español?”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: If you prefer not to speak in English, let the case interviewer know. They will get a different interviewer who speaks your language or use a phone interpreter.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New slide appears. A person icon with a headpiece is on the left, with three circles grouped on the right. The top circle contains an icon of a family with two adults and a child with a blue background. The middle circle contains a crossed spoon and fork on a plate with a green background. The bottom circle contains an icon of pill capsules on a light purple background.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: Interviewers also share information with you – things like how to protect the people you live with, and how to get food, medicine, and other things you may need to stay safe at home.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[New slide appears. A person icon with a headpiece is on the left, with a dotted line arcing to a network of person icons connected by purple lines and circles, with a red person icon in the middle of the network. Outlines of house icons appear around the red icon, as persons connected to the center person slowly turn red with house icons around them.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: Together, with help of contact tracing and case interviewers, we can slow the spread of COVID- 19.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[A logo appears on screen: “Stay Safe MN”. Text underneath: “&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.health.state.mn.us/index.html&quot;&gt;health.mn.gov&lt;/a&gt;”.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ASL Talent: Thank you for doing your part.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional information&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional videos can be found on &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/user/MNDeptofHealth&quot;&gt;MDH&apos;s YouTube account&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>463632</id><Tag><Description/><Title>health care</Title><Id>310254</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-01-20T17:54:08Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2021 Lobby Day Awards: Nominate Individuals &amp; Organizations Who Make a Difference</Title><title>2021-01-12-lobby-day-awards-nominate-individuals-and-organizations</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-462905&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-01-12T22:10:31Z</Date><ShortDescription>The 2021 Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day will take place on Tuesday, March 16, 2021! Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all associated events will take place online instead of in-person. More Lobby Day announcements will be shared soon. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>2021 Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Update: The deadline to submit nominations has been extended to Monday, February 1, 2021. &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/get-involved/lobby-day/&quot;&gt;2021 Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day&lt;/a&gt; will take place on Tuesday, March 16, 2021! Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all associated events will take place online instead of in-person. More Lobby Day announcements will be shared soon. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The awards nomination form can be found at &lt;a href=&quot;http://mcdhh.2021-lobby-day-awards-nomination.alchemer.com/s3/&quot;&gt;2021 Lobby Day Awards Nomination&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Awards committee&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/potcjJoKY3Q&quot; title=&quot;2021 Lobby Day Awards Committee video&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jack: Hi, I’m Jack Williams. My pronouns are he and his. I’m a member of the awards committee for the Commission and I’m very excited to be a part of it. I work at Metro Deaf School, and I’ve been a part of the youth programs for over 20 years.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sarah:  Hi! I’m Sarah Arana and my pronouns are she/her/hers. I am an Outreach and Civic Engagement specialist for MNCDHH. I’m excited to be part of this awards committee and we look forward to receiving the nominations!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rania:  Hello!  My name is Rania Johnson. My pronouns are she and her. I am on the Awards Committee with MNCDHH (Minnesota Commission Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing). I am thrilled to be part of this team.  I work at Saint Paul College, with the ASL Studies Program, focusing on ASL Certificates. I look forward to receiving your nominations. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Migdalia:  Hi, my name Migdalia Rogers. My pronouns are she, her, hers, I work for Lifetrack/Lutheran Social Services as a Deaf Mentor/Educator, board member of Deaf Equity and a contractor of MNCDHH, and I serve on the awards committee. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jer:  Hello my name is Jer Loudenback. My pronouns are he, him, and his.  I am a retired educator and moved to Twin Cities one and half years ago. I have been involved in different organizations during my free time. I am presently on the Awards Committee for MNCDHH.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional Awards Committee members are Christopher Johnson and Eric Nooker &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Awards categories&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/xIxPuzdltyM&quot; title=&quot;2021 Lobby Day Awards Categories&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jack:  1) Youth Award&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Youth Award is awarded to youth who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing who have demonstrated strong leadership skills. They are also engaged in the community and inspire their peers to do the same. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sarah:  2. Civic Engagement Award&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Civic Engagement Award is awarded to a person or an organization that has worked to increase the civic engagement of deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Minnesotans. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jer: 3. Humanitarian Award&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Humanitarian Award recognizes the work of a deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing person or organization in our community who are devoted to the welfare of humanity.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rania: 4. Education Excellence Award&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Education Excellence Award is awarded to individuals who work in an education setting with deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing students. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jack: 5. Citizen Advocate Award:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Citizen Advocate Award is awarded to individuals who have done exemplary work in advocating for and with deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Minnesotans. Who would you like to nominate for this award and why do they qualify for this award?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Migdalia:  6) Access Award:  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Access Award is 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 include captioning, interpreting, public access, or accessible technology.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jer:  7.) Lifetime Achievement Award: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Lifetime Achievement Award is awarded to those who have done distinctive work for and with deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Minnesotans that spans 20+ years of contributions. . &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Important dates &amp;amp; how to send nominations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/KXUlg9e68CU&quot; title=&quot;2021 Lobby Day Important Dates and Submission Form&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can &lt;a href=&quot;http://mcdhh.2021-lobby-day-awards-nomination.alchemer.com/s3/&quot;&gt;submit nominations via Alchemer&lt;/a&gt;. More information will be there as well. The information will be provided at the end of this video where they will have more links. The timeline for events and nominations and when we will notify our winners are as follows. The last day to accept nominations is January 22. The committee will review, select, and make a decision by January 29. Winners will be notified by February 5. We will have a community announcement of all our winners by February 26. An important date to remember is Lobby Day, March 16. It will be virtual. Come and join us to celebrate and honor our winners.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>462905</id><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-01-22T21:40:30Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Community Spotlight: People Inc. Mental Health Services</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>People Inc. logo on white background</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/People%20Inc%20logo_tcm1063-462646.png</Url></Image><title>2021-01-11-community-spotlight-people-inc</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-462681&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-01-11T16:42:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Community interview with Kelsey Dahl, Targeted Case Manager II with People Incorporated Mental Health Services, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (DHHS) - Ramsey County. Interviewed by Kaitlyn Mielke</ShortDescription><Subtitle>An interview with Kelsey Dahl, Targeted Case Manager II</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Community interview with Kelsey Dahl, Targeted Case Manager II with People Incorporated Mental Health Services, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (DHHS) - Ramsey County. Interviewed by Kaitlyn Mielke&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please share a bit about the history of the Targeted Case Management DHHS program under People Incorporated, and what the mission is.&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kelsey&lt;/strong&gt;: The mission of People Incorporated Mental Health Services is “supporting mental health and wellness in our community through collaboration and integration of care.” Back in 1969, Rev. Harry Maghakian, pastor at the Dayton Avenue Presbyterian Church in St. Paul, was troubled by the poverty and despair of his community. In particular, his big heart went out to the men living in the rooming house behind his church. Most of them had come out of the military suffering from mental illness. To mask their symptoms, they were using drugs and alcohol. Harry invited them in off the streets to gather around the table in his church basement. From here, other congregations and concerned citizens became involved and this collaboration officially became People Incorporated. The organization grew quickly and is known for helping the most vulnerable that are struggling with mental health issues.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For years, St. Peter’s psychiatric hospital was the only option in Minnesota for a deaf program but it was forced to shut it down due to overcrowding and lack of funding.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn more about the advocate who stepped in to help – &lt;a href=&quot;https://infoguides.rit.edu/c.php?g=948805&amp;amp;p=7975670&quot;&gt;Petra F. Howard&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Before the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed in 1991, good interpreting services in social work did not exist. Targeted Case Management demands that case managers are able to communicate in American Sign Language (ASL) in order to support outreach with Deaf, Hard of Hearing and DeafBlind. This population needs to be able to live independently as much as possible during the transition period from institution to community and/or group homes while receiving integrated care. Historically, that is how Targeted Case Management was set up. In 1977, People Incorporated opened a program for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing and have mental illness and hired staff who were deaf. In 2018, I became the first Deaf Targeted Case Manager at People Incorporated. Our team grew rapidly because individuals like to communicate with their peers in native sign language.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What services are available through the Targeted Case Management DHHS program?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kelsey:&lt;/strong&gt; At &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.peopleincorporated.org/program/deaf-and-hard-of-hearing-services/&quot;&gt;People Incorporated’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (DHHS)&lt;/a&gt;, case managers meet with the recipient on at least a monthly basis, assess their needs and work with the individual to create a treatment plan. The case manager coordinates services with other providers to assist the individual with satisfying the goals of the treatment plan. Areas addressed include medical monitoring, financial stability, and assistance, vocational coordination; help with independent living skills, housing assistance, and problem-solving. We provide a culturally and linguistically accessible case management service for Deaf, Hard of Hearing and DeafBlind adults.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Who benefits from these services? What is the criteria to qualify?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kelsey&lt;/strong&gt;: DHHS serves residents of Anoka, Dakota, Hennepin, and Ramsey counties who are 18+. Individuals living outside the county’s jurisdiction or who do not meet the criteria of the county’s intake department are not eligible. These individuals must have SPMI (Severe Persistent Mental Illness) diagnosis, and fit criteria of the definition of a vulnerable adult. We provide services for Deaf, Hard of Hearing and DeafBlind individuals with hearing loss. Most of these services are covered by Medical Assistance insurance and other MN Health Care Plans. Some private insurers may require copays to be met. Details can be reviewed during the intake process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What does the referral process look like?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kelsey&lt;/strong&gt;: People with mental health issues often find it difficult to navigate the system of available care, leaving many to fall through the cracks. The Central Access team that answers these calls are compassionate, patient, knowledgeable and able to help people get the right care. They also work closely with referents – Central Access 651.774.0011.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What other programs for D/HH are available under the People Incorporated umbrella?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kelsey:&lt;/strong&gt; Due to COVID-19, the Drop-In Center and DMHS Outreach Services are temporarily closed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.peopleincorporated.org/program/deaf-mental-health-services/&quot;&gt;Deaf Mental Health Services (DMHS)&lt;/a&gt; has a Drop-in Center in Minneapolis for people who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing or DeafBlind with a mental health diagnosis. This is a free membership to socialize with other Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind adults for fun activities two times a week.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DMHS Outreach Services: Our staff visit individuals in their homes and provide one-to-one CADI and TBI life skills supports. We monitor participants for indications of mental health decompensation, and communicate with appropriate mental health professionals. Staff can also provide liaison between the participants and other agencies such as public housing. Participants are also encouraged to utilize the DMHS Drop-In Center for group education, peer support, and social activities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.peopleincorporated.org/program/adult-foster-care/&quot;&gt;Adult Foster Care&lt;/a&gt; (Anoka/Dakota/Hennepin/Washington Counties), specifically, Penn House and Scott House in Minneapolis, serve adults (18+) who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or DeafBlind who use or want to use sign language as their primary mode of communication.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.peopleincorporated.org/program/deaf-supportive-living/&quot;&gt;Deaf Supportive Living (DSL)&lt;/a&gt; provides 24-hour customized living services for adults who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or DeafBlind, who use or want to use sign language as their primary mode of communication and who experience a mental illness. These services are provided in a twelve-unit apartment building in Northeast Minneapolis. Staff help participants learn how to manage their finances, housing, medical care, community resources, transportation and other life skills.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Is there anything you would like to add and/or share with the community?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kelsey&lt;/strong&gt;: Our team is growing rapidly – providing so many services to support independence in the community for people that struggle with homelessness, communication barriers, housing, and much more. I hope one day this program can expand to more counties within the state of Minnesota. There is a high demand for these services in deaf/hard of hearing communities. I am also on the board for the Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens (MADC) nonprofit organization. I have been advocating for the installation of videophones at homeless shelters and other resources that are lacking for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How can interested folks get involved? (Contact info for further info- website, email, contact person, etc.):&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kelsey:&lt;/strong&gt; Call Central Access at 651.774.0011 to learn more or connect with Deaf and Mental Health Services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:info@peopleincorporated.org&quot;&gt;info@peopleincorporated.org&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.peopleincorporated.org/&quot;&gt;People Incorporated website&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deaf Supportive Living
&lt;br /&gt;
People Incorporated
&lt;br /&gt;
726 2nd Street NE
&lt;br /&gt;
Minneapolis, MN 55413
&lt;br /&gt;
Phone: 612-331-3525
&lt;br /&gt;
TTY: 612-623-1045
&lt;br /&gt;
Fax: 612-331-3587&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>462681</id><Tag><Description/><Title>community spotlight</Title><Id>432585</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-01-11T16:54:08Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Basic Signs with Danelle Gournaris</Title><title>2021-01-08-basic-signs-with-danelle-gournaris</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-462405&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-01-08T17:45:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>This video was created at the request of Bloomington Public Schools. They plan to share the video with staff and students to encourage day to day communication with students and staff who are deaf and hard of hearing. We hope this video is helpful for your school district as well.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>from Minnesota&apos;s Deaf Mentor Family Program</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/LGZBE6P7aAk&quot; title=&quot;basic signs with danelle gournaris&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello, my name is Danelle Gournaris. I am the manager for the Minnesota&apos;s Deaf Mentor Family Program where we teach hearing families with DHH children American Sign Language. Here are a few basic signs that you can use if you meet a deaf or hard of hearing person who uses American Sign Language. You can also use these signs with your friends and teachers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How are you doing?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I have a question&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I need some help&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;May I use the restroom?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I got this&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What are we supposed to do again?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When is this due?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How do I find it?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You’re welcome&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Nice to see you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deaf Mentor Family Program at Lifetrack&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Questions about the Deaf Mentor Family Program at Lifetrack? Contact Danelle Gournaris, Manager. &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Danelle.Gournaris@lifetrackmn.org&quot;&gt;Danelle.Gournaris@lifetrackmn.org&lt;/a&gt; or (651) 705-6948. &lt;a href=&quot;https://lifetrack-mn.org/programs-services/deaf-hard-of-hearing/deaf-mentor-family-program.html&quot;&gt;Lifetrack Deaf Mentor Family Program website&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Brenda Becker - Bloomington Public Schools&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Danelle Gournaris for ASL talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Patty McCutcheon for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>462405</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>language acquisition</Title><Id>310294</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-07-10T23:28:09Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Lobby Tuesday/Thursday is Back! Here are the January Dates</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Icons of a laptop resting upon a couch, near a floor lamp. The words, &quot;Lobby Tues/Thurs 2021&quot; are displayed over a floor rug.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Lobby%20Tues%20Thurs%20Rectangle%20850_tcm1063-462216.jpg</Url></Image><title>2021-01-07-lobby-tues-thurs-is-back-january-dates</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-462215&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-01-07T15:34:01Z</Date><ShortDescription>Sign up and register to learn the Art of Lobbying in five important steps!</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Customized training on how to meet your legislators and advocate for bills</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/get-involved/lobby-day/lobby-tuesday-thursday/&quot;&gt;Lobby Tuesday/Thursday&lt;/a&gt; is back! Learn how to meet your legislator, prepare for meetings, and have responses for answers of yes, maybe, and no!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sign up and Register to learn the Art of Lobbying in five important steps!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Meet our trained Civic Engagement specialists who will lead you through a short presentation and then work with you as you practice the five steps.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Fun and interactive, you will leave the session with new engagement tools.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Schedule&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tuesday, January 12, 2021 from 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM - &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEtcO6uqzsrG9DKFjGyU_cTZ7L1wFD_V_Yx&quot;&gt;Register for January 12th&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Thursday, January 14, 2021 from 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM - &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAvcuCopj4sG9GfmLLnm5pLwDYywqpW48W-&quot;&gt;Register for January 14th&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Saturday, January 16, 2021 from 10:30 AM - 12 PM - &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcqdOmvqzovHNXznH7epWeQeFoIbBBnmfqZ%20&quot;&gt;Register for January 16th&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration required.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Choose the date that works best for you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;More Lobby Tuesday/Thursday trainings will be offered in February and March.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Workshops will be presented in American Sign Language (ASL) with closed captions and English voicing. For additional accommodations, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; at least 2 business days in advance. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>462215</id><Tag><Description/><Title>citizen advocate</Title><Id>310308</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-01-11T19:20:44Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>November 2020: Month in Review</Title><title>2020-12-11-executive-director-update-november-2020</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-457997&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-12-11T19:09:11Z</Date><ShortDescription>Updates about civic engagement, &apos;Traveling Tuesdays&apos; tour, board meetings, and the Collaborative Plan</ShortDescription><Subtitle>From Executive Director Darlene G. Zangara, Ph.D.</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/qIwRwHZvze0&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/dPyMNhH5KsI&quot; title=&quot;ASL video of executive director November 2020 updates&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello! I&apos;m Dr. Darlene Zangara, Executive Director at the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing. MNCDHH has been thinking how we can share more information with community members. We decided to try sending monthly updates. This is the first update!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Let’s start with the November elections.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;November 3, 2020 was Election Day. We have 11 contractors who are responsible for community engagement and training. They have three big civic engagement projects:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;the 2020 Census, which finished this October,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;the 2020 Elections, which finished this November,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;and next to provide training on how community members can contact their legislators and be politically active for the 2021 legislative session.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2020 was also the first year that the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State set up an ASL voters hotline.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After the election, MNCDHH sent out a survey on voting accessibility. We received 51 responses from deaf, deafblind &amp;amp; hard of hearing Minnesotans. Here are some quick numbers from the 51 responders:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;13.7% used the ASL voters hotline.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;13.7% attended a voters outreach training taught by our contractors.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;23.5% reached out to our contractors for 1:1 coaching on how to vote.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;94.1% understood the voting process.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many responders reported that the masks were a barrier. Additional barriers listed included heavy doors at polling places and sometimes an accessible voting machine breaks. One responder said they want ASL interpreters available onsite when they go vote in person.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH wants to thank our contractors, the Secretary of State’s Office, community organizations, and community advocates for their voting work. Together we made a difference!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Next I am happy to announce that I am starting a virtual tour called “Traveling Tuesdays.” On this tour, I will meet with community members from different regions in Minnesota through Zoom. On December 15th, I will meet with community members who live in Southeast Minnesota. On January 12, 2021, I will meet with community members who live in Northwest Minnesota. The other regions are still being scheduled. During our meeting, I will introduce myself, share some of MNCDHH’s recent work, describe my vision for the future, and answer your questions. Maybe you have ideas for public policy that you think will improve the lives of people who are deaf, deafblind or hard of hearing. I would love to have an opportunity to meet you and exchange information and ideas. To RSVP, please visit &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/&quot;&gt;mn.gov/deaf-commission&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Next I want to share some updates about our Board. In November, the Board had two meetings and our Executive Committee also had a meeting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We held a Special Board meeting on November 4 to complete two board monitoring reports that we did not have enough time to cover during our September meeting. The monitoring reports were on&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ongoing Financial Health and Activities and&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Compensation and Benefits.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Board uses the monitoring reports to evaluate the Executive Director&apos;s (my) performance and also make sure MNCDHH is achieving the big picture goals, called ‘Ends,’ set by the Board.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our Executive Committee met on November 10th to discuss our ClearMasks distribution project and plan for the upcoming full Board meeting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The full Board meeting was held on November 20 to go through committee reports, to review possible items for our 2021 legislative agenda, and do more board monitoring reports. The monitoring reports were on&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Productive Work Environment and&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Healthy Work Environment.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The last item I will share for this update is about our education work through the Collaborative Plan. The Collaborative Plan is a network of agencies and organizations who work together to create positive, systemic changes in order to achieve better education and career outcomes for students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. There are six workgroups under the Collaborative Plan. The workgroups are:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Birth – Age 5,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kindergarten – Grade 4,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Grades 5-8,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Transition (Grade 9 – Age 21),&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;DeafBlind, and&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Steering.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I am happy to share that the Kindergarten-Grade 4 and Grades 5-8 workgroups met and set goals (not strategic plan) for 2021. The Transition workgroup completed two roadmaps for students and their families. One roadmap focuses on transitioning to post-secondary settings. The other roadmap focuses on transitioning to work. Both are on the website. There will be a formal announcement later in both ASL and English soon so watch for that. Mental health continues to be an important need. I’m happy to share that the Collaborative Plan stakeholders are doing research on the feasibility of setting up a Mental Health Day Treatment/Residential Program for DHH. I look forward to seeing what happens as a result of their work.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is it for our first monthly update! Please let me know if you have any questions for me. I can be reached at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:darlene.g.zangara@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;darlene.g.zangara@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. I will share another update next month.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>457997</id><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>board</Title><Id>310266</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>executive director updates</Title><Id>457794</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-12-11T19:21:42Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Hands-Free Minnesota: PSA from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety</Title><title>2020-12-07-hands-free-minnesota-psa-from-dps</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-457394&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-12-07T16:17:38Z</Date><ShortDescription>About the hands-free cell phone law and the safety of the public. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Message in American Sign Language (ASL) with captions and voiceover</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/Yc4nR1lwnIE&quot; title=&quot;ASL PSA about MN Hands Free Law&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We&apos;ve received a lot of questions since the hands-free cell phone law went into effect. How does it affect our community? What can we and what can&apos;t we do while driving?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The law means you can no longer hold a phone in your hand while driving. It must be mounted or placed in another area of the vehicle.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We understand the challenges our community faces when communicating by phone. But remember, the law helps keep you and your loved ones safe.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We know many of you rely on video chatting as a way to communicate. Video chatting, accessing the internet, and social media apps are illegal while driving under Minnesota law.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some asked if we are exempt from this law. That is not true. The law is here to protect everyone. Taking your eyes off the road, even for a moment, is extremely dangerous and can lead to a crash.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Under the law, you can use your phone in hands-free mode to make calls, but we all know that is challenging. Our advice is to put the phone away altogether while driving. Out of sight, out of mind.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We know there might be times that you need to make a call. We recommend that you pull off the road in a safe place and make the call while parked. Remember, if you are on the highway or interstate, it&apos;s illegal to pull to the side of the road unless it&apos;s an emergency. So, go to the next available exit and find a parking lot where you can safely make your call.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One thing you can still do is use your phone in GPS mode. Again, this must be done hands-free and set before you start driving.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This law might be frustrating for some. It might be a big change for you. But is making that video call behind the wheel worth your life or another person&apos;s life? This law will reduce traffic fatalities and make the roads safer for all of us. You can find more information about the law at &lt;a href=&quot;https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/ots/hands-free/Pages/default.aspx&quot;&gt;handsfreemn.org&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>457394</id><Tag><Description/><Title>emergency management</Title><Id>310293</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-12-07T15:00:09Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Community Spotlight: MSP Airport Travelers with Disabilities Advisory Committee (Part 2)</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The exterior of an airport with a plane taking off towards the sun. Besides the airport are icons for service animals, a person with a cane, and accessible restrooms.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Airport%20Header%202_tcm1063-456915.jpg</Url></Image><title>2020-12-02-community-spotlight-airport-2</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-457020&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-12-02T17:21:11Z</Date><ShortDescription>A two-part interview. Interviewed by Kaitlyn Mielke. Part 2.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>An interview with Andrew Palmberg and Phil Burke</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What kind of feedback has the Committee received from the community, and which feedback have become permanent fixtures at the airport?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Andrew:&lt;/strong&gt; One example of feedback we received from the community was when the airport built a model bathroom of what they envisioned to do when they remodeled all the rest of the bathroom in the airport. In the model bathroom, they included a blowing air hand dryer. One of our community members who visited the model bathroom had an issue with the hand dryers which were in hearing aids that use t-coils, the hand dryer has a tendency to blow out the t-coil and damages the hearing aid. As a result of this feedback, the airport has decided to replace all bathroom hand dryers with paper towels.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Another feedback and change the airport has made based on feedback from our TDAC group that may not necessarily be visible to the public is the inclusion of our disabilities group into airport events. For the super bowl event in 2018, the MAC invited one representative from our TDAC committee to serve as the accessibility committee during Super Bowl LII planning to ensure the airport would be accessible for every traveler coming to Minnesota for the Super Bowl LII. Our representative met with the Super Bowl LII committee for meetings that started a year in advance in 2017 all the way up to the event day itself in 2018 making sure our disabilities community was included as much as possible and ensuring other people with disabilities from other states who may be traveling to the Super Bowl LII was included as well. Other events such as the Open House the MAC hosted at Mall of America to discuss the future of the airport, they have strived to ensure it was accessible by hiring a sign language interpreter for presentations and to communicate with staff as well. The MAC has also hosted an ADA 25th anniversary event at the airport main terminal as well acknowledging how important the ADA has been and continues to be and to serve the airport as a reminder to not only meet the minimum requirements of the code, but to go above and beyond to best serve their customers and travelers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Phil:&lt;/strong&gt; Another permanent fixture includes disabilities advocates being part of the triannual crash exercise we conduct. As part of the requirement to operate an airport the size of MSP, we must prove ourselves fit for the right every three years and the exercise usually revolves around an airplane crash and recovery efforts. We include members of the disabilities community as crash survivors and we don’t tell our emergency responders what type of disabilities they will encounter. It has become a great addition to our response and recovery efforts and planning.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What do you hope to see improved at the airport in the future? Any plans in the works?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Andrew:&lt;/strong&gt; As Phil Burke mentioned, I would love to see more airlines become involved in our TDAC committee and help them be more aware of accessibility issues in their airline company and hope it spreads more within the company so they can become more accessible everywhere nationally. Also the main terminal, Terminal A, is undergoing renovations and you may have noticed in the past couple of years the airport has also renovated the majority of their concessions areas adding in wonderful new and local restaurants. Visitors to the airport should be able to see more open spaces in the main check in areas as well as the baggage claim levels which would increase sightlines and us deaf people love open spaces since it’ll be easier for us to communicate with others from afar! Many other changes are coming to the airport in the next couple of years so I’m very excited for our disabilities community as a whole to see the changes being made at the airport and the MAC has been great engaging with us on their plan for the renovations from day 1 and has continued to today.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Phil:&lt;/strong&gt; We continue to work with all our stakeholders to ensure we are all aligned on the priority to provide an equitable experience for all of our customers. Some stakeholders like Delta Airlines are great partners, but we still have a ways to go before everyone is as on-board as Delta. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please share some access features that have accommodated all travelers, not just travelers with disabilities?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Andrew:&lt;/strong&gt; One shining example of an accessibility feature benefiting everyone at the airport is the restroom stalls. As part of the remodeling efforts at the airport to renovate all the bathrooms, the airport architectural group looked at the ADA code and strived to go above and beyond the minimum code requirements. Usually, in a public restroom, a certain number of stalls had to be an “ambulatory stall” which is a bit wider and deeper in depth then a standard-sized stall. The airport design group decided instead of having to label which stall was an ambulatory stall, they would make every stall in the restroom an ambulatory stall. The result and feedback the airport had heard from other travelers was that travelers enjoy the extra space in the stall to place their baggage and other items they bring with them to the airport. The airport also had won the “Best Bathroom” award in North America in 2016 as a result as well. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Phil:&lt;/strong&gt; Another example is restaurant tables. An ADA compliant table has four legs versus a center base so someone utilizing a wheelchair can roll up to the table unimpeded. The ADA code requires a certain number of tables to be ADA compliant in an establishment. We have encouraged our concessionaires to install all ADA-compliant tables to benefit everyone. Not all have bought in, but those who have are finding that the ADA-compliant tables are less expensive! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How can travelers share information regarding possible accessibility issues and/or barriers?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Andrew:&lt;/strong&gt; The best way to contact us if you see something or think something could be improved related to the airport infrastructure would be to contact the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) and give your feedback to them and the Commission will contact me directly to give feedback to the airport during one of our regular meetings. As well as please do contact the Commission (&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;) with any questions you may have about all the different amenities that the airport has, and I am more than glad to share them to you! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Phil:&lt;/strong&gt; The MAC has an ADA compliance coordinator, Tekia Jefferson – &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:tekia.jefferson@mspmac.org&quot;&gt;tekia.jefferson@mspmac.org&lt;/a&gt;. I would encourage anyone to contact her. She is also a member of TDAC. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anything you&apos;d like to add?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Andrew:&lt;/strong&gt; None of this would be possible with the wonderful partnership our Minnesota disabilities community has with the Metropolitan Airport Commission and how inclusive they have been with our voice and feedback we have on how to improve the airport accessibility. Also the MAC representative, Phil Burke, has been a wonderful leader and mediator between our community and the MAC group and none of this would be possible without his leadership so I want to thank him for including the disabilities group in all airport-related things and make changes due to our feedback. He has been a huge driver and a push for change in the airport to ensure we are included, and the disabilities component has been thought of and included in events, renovations, and policy changes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Phil:&lt;/strong&gt; I want to acknowledge all the time and talent our disabilities advocates devote to making MSP as accessible as it can be. The advocates do all this on a volunteer basis and their efforts are deeply appreciated!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>457020</id><Tag><Description/><Title>airport</Title><Id>317204</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>community spotlight</Title><Id>432585</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-12-02T17:38:11Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Community Spotlight: MSP Airport Travelers with Disabilities Advisory Committee (Part 1)</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The exterior of an airport with a plane taking off towards the sun. Besides the airport are icons for service animals, a person with a cane, and text communication.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Airport%20Header%201_tcm1063-456914.jpg</Url></Image><title>2020-12-01-community-spotlight-airport-1</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-456929&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-12-01T16:35:14Z</Date><ShortDescription>A two part interview. Interviewed by Kaitlyn Mielke. Part 1. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>An interview with Andrew Palmberg and Phil Burke</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please share a little about what the MSP Travelers with Disabilities Advisory Committee does, and how it got started? Which kinds of individuals are represented by the Committee?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Andrew:&lt;/strong&gt; The Travelers with Disabilities Advisory Committee (TDAC) is an all-volunteer member committee that meets four times a year with representatives from the disabilities community in Minnesota as well as representatives from the airport and Metropolitan Airport Commission (MAC) who are responsible for operating the airport. Some examples of representatives from our disability communities that are on the TDAC committee are, Minnesota Commission for the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH), Hearing Loss Association of America – Minnesota chapter (HLAA), Minnesota Council on Disability (MCD), Parkinson’s Foundation – Minnesota Chapter, United Blind of Minnesota, and others. Examples of some of the representatives from the Airport and MAC that regularly attend our meetings include, MAC Customer Service representatives, MAC architectural services, MAC community liaison, MAC concessions representatives, Delta Airlines Customer Service, Prospect representative, TSA, and others. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Phil:&lt;/strong&gt; The committee grew from a pre-existing relationship with the MNCDHH. MAC staff reached out to MNCDHH who assisted in recruiting advocates of the various disabilities’ communities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is the goal of the Advisory Committee?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Andrew:&lt;/strong&gt; Our committee objective is to improve equitable access for all airport users. We chose the word “equitable” instead of “equality” because in our disability community, every disability has a different need to be on equal footing as others. Equitable means we are giving more help to people who need the help and less help to others who may not benefit from the extra help, and in this way, we are creating equal footing for everyone to benefit from. A great way to explain this concept would be through the image below and it is the image we show to our committee members at the beginning of each meeting. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IISC_EqualityEquity_72ppi_tcm1063-456918.jpg&quot; title=&quot;IISC_EqualityEquity_72ppi&quot; alt=&quot;IISC_EqualityEquity_72ppi&quot; style=&quot;width: 250px; height: 187px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;IISC_EqualityEquity_72ppi&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;[Image description: The image is split in two, the left image has the text “Equality” on the bottom and shows three people of varying heights, short, average, and tall, standing individually on a single box overlooking a fence watching a baseball game. The tall and average height individuals can see the baseball game while the short person is not able to see the game. The right image has the text “Equity” on the bottom and shows the same three people but now the tall person is not standing on a box, the average height person is standing on one box, and the short person is now standing on two boxes stacked on each other and everyone is now able to see the game.]  Image attribution: &lt;a href=&quot;https://interactioninstitute.org/&quot;&gt;Interaction Institute for Social Change&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href=&quot;http://madewithangus.com/&quot;&gt;Artist: Angus Maguire&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The image shows the difference between equality and equity. Equality means we are giving opportunity to everyone equally including to people who may not benefit from it. The three people in the “Equality” image standing on a single box are given the same opportunity to stand on one box to be able to see the baseball game in the background over the fence. It is clear the tall person would still be able to see the game without the aid of the box. While the short person is given a box as everyone else, but still cannot see the baseball game over the fence. Meanwhile the same three people in the “Equity” image now are given different amounts of “opportunities” or boxes to see the game. The tall person who are able to see the game without a box is not given a box to see the game, the average height person still has one box to see the game, and the short person is given two boxes to stand on and is now able to see the game and all three people are on equal footing to be able to watch and enjoy the game. This is the objective of our committee on how we are improving accessibility at the airport here at Minneapolis-St. Paul.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Phil:&lt;/strong&gt; The MAC desires for each and every customer to have an equitable experience! As a matter of fact, we have an aspirational goal to be the “most accessible airport in the world.” We state that goal during the design phase of most projects we undertake to ensure accessibility has a primary seat at the table during design discussions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What role do you play on the Advisory Committee? How did you become involved? &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Andrew:&lt;/strong&gt; I am the current chairperson of the TDAC committee which is a great honor. I enjoy bringing together communities with a goal to improve accessibility at the airport and the MAC couldn’t be a better partner for us to work with. I became involved with the TDAC when I was working as an intern at the Minnesota Commission for the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) and the former executive director, Mary Hartnett, asked me to be involved in the committee since I’ve always been interested in the topics of transportation and so it was a perfect fit for me and I continue to serve as MNCDHH community representative on the TDAC committee since then.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Phil&lt;/strong&gt;: I have been involved since the committee inception. I worked on the business plan to give the committee structure and I worked with [MNCDHH] to recruit members. I now work closely with Andrew in setting the meeting agendas, working with airport staff who report on findings and present to the group and am always on the lookout for new members!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What has MSP Airport done to make it more accessible over the years, especially for Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing travelers? Any recent updates that we should be aware of?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Andrew:&lt;/strong&gt; Every idea and discussion topic we’ve had in the committee, the MAC takes with an open mind and ensures they take the time to listen to all of our concerns and the MAC also takes the time to put thought and time on how to implement our ideas in the airport. The MAC also brings issues and obstacles they face at the airport on their own accord to the committee for our thoughts and feedback with the goal of improving accessibility, so the disability community members in the committee are not the only one involved in giving ideas to the MAC to improve the airport. One example of this would be that the airport has implemented VRI services at all of their information booths so a Deaf or Hard of Hearing person is able to communicate with the staff at the information booth if they have any questions or are looking for advice such as the best restaurant to eat at. VRS service is currently being worked on and hopefully to be implemented at the airport in the near future as well so a Deaf or Hard of Hearing person is able to make phone calls from the airport.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The MAC also conducts quarterly checks of all television devices in the airport to ensure the captions are turned on. The airport also has continued to update their pet relief areas to make it easier and accessible for guide dogs to relieve themselves without having to leave the secured areas of the airport. The TDAC committee also has worked hard to ensure there is a visible component for every audio element in the airport such as a text visible barrier to notify a person a restroom is closed and where the next closest restroom is in the airport. Another example of a visible component would be in the new terminal remodeling project for Terminal A, the elevator floors will light up notifying people which elevator is available and which direction the elevator will go. Finally, the airport is currently in the process of adding beacon signals that helps wayfinding for blind or low vision people that may need help navigating the airport on their own.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Phil:&lt;/strong&gt; I would also add that we are installing hearing loops in public areas of the airport. To date, we have installed loops in our Commission chambers, federal arrivals area, and most recently the entire departures hall and arrivals level will have hearing loops when remodeling of those spaces is complete.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Watch for part 2!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>456929</id><Tag><Description/><Title>airport</Title><Id>317204</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>community spotlight</Title><Id>432585</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-12-01T17:32:53Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Traveling Tuesdays with Darlene G. Zangara, Ph.D.: Northwest Region</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>MNCDHH&apos;s Executive Director, Darlene G. Zangara, Ph.D., is shown on a person&apos;s laptop. The laptop is placed on a deck railing along with a blanket, books, and mug. In the distance are tall green trees and a lake.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/traveling-tuesdays-with-darlene_tcm1063-455137.jpg</Url></Image><title>2020-11-30-traveling-tuesday-northwest</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-456772&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-11-30T18:51:51Z</Date><ShortDescription>This visit is for Northwest Region, which covers the following counties: Becker, Beltrami, Cass, Clay, Clearwater, Douglas, Grant, Hubbard, Kittson, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Otter Tail, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake, Roseau, Todd, Traverse, Wadena, and Wilkin.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNCDHH visits different regions online in Minnesota</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Traveling%20Tuesday%20NW%20Corrected_tcm1063-456771.png&quot; title=&quot;traveling-tuesday-northwest-mn&quot; alt=&quot;traveling-tuesday-northwest-mn&quot; style=&quot;width: 200px; height: 200px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;traveling-tuesday-northwest-mn&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt; MNCDHH has booked our second &apos;Traveling Tuesdays&apos; event!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH is coming to your region for a virtual meet and greet with Darlene G. Zangara, Ph.D., Executive Director of MNCDHH. Darlene will introduce herself to your community, share some of MNCDHH&apos;s recent activities, describe her vision for the future, and answer your questions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do you have questions about what MNCDHH does and can do for you? Do you have ideas for public policy that impacts community members who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or people with hearing loss, their families, coworkers, and friends? Please join us when we come to your region.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Northwest regional counties&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Darlene&apos;s second stop is Northwest Minnesota! The Northwest region includes the following counties:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Becker&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Beltrami&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Cass&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Clay&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Clearwater&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Douglas&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Grant&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Hubbard&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kittson&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Lake of the Woods&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mahnomen&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Marshall&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Norman&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Otter Tail&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Pennington&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Polk&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Red Lake&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Roseau&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Todd&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Traverse&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Wadena&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Wilkin&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you live in a county that is not listed above, don&apos;t worry. Darlene plans to virtually travel to every Minnesota region on Tuesdays over the next few months. In the meantime, please subscribe to MNCDHH&apos;s news and watch for when we are coming to your region.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tuesday, January 12, 2021 at 6:00 p.m.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Workshop will be provided online through Zoom. Register in advance at &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUpcOigqjoqGtW58cCtGBuqiUKfgjn5x9Dq&quot;&gt;Traveling Tuesday: Northwest Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Presented and discussed in both spoken English and American Sign Language (ASL). CART and ASL interpreters have been scheduled. If you need another reasonable accommodation such as a deafblind interpreter, please email your request to &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;, at least 5 business days before the event.  &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>456772</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-11-30T22:54:32Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Current Openings on MNCDHH&apos;s Board</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>&apos;Join the board&apos; text with MNCDHH&apos;s logo on a blue and marbled tone header</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Join%20the%20Board_tcm1063-455279.jpg</Url></Image><title>2020-11-23-current-openings-on-mncdhhs-board</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-455281&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-11-23T21:45:52Z</Date><ShortDescription>Apply on the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State&apos;s website</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Need At-large Member, East Central Rep, Northwest Rep, Southeast Rep, and Southwest Rep</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) has the following positions open on our 15 member Governor-appointed board.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;At-large member (three seats)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;East Central Rep (one seat, must also serve on the Department of Human Services, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division&apos;s advisory committee for this region)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Northwest Rep (one seat, must also serve on the Department of Human Services, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division&apos;s advisory committee for this region)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rep of Southeast Advisory Council (one seat, must also serve on the Department of Human Services, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division&apos;s advisory committee for this region)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Southwest Rep (one seat, must also serve on the Department of Human Services, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division&apos;s advisory committee for this region)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are interested in applying to be on the board, please apply on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://commissionsandappointments.sos.state.mn.us/Agency/Details/185&quot;&gt;Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State&apos;s website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are interested in joining a Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD) regional advisory committee, please contact &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:dhs.dhhsd@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;dhs.dhhsd@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; and inquire about any open positions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About MNCDHH&apos;s Board&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH has 15 board members (8 Regional Representatives &amp;amp; 7 At-Large Members).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Each of the 8 Regional Representatives must be a member of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (DHHSD) regional office advisory committee in their area. (Minnesota Statute 256C.24)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While the Commission and DHHSD can submit recommendations based on our needs, the Governor makes the final decision on who is appointed to the board.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Who is on the board&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At least 50% of the members must be deaf, deafblind, and hard-of-hearing. The statute also requires that parents of children who are deaf, deafblind, and hard-of-hearing, and representatives of county and regional human services, including representatives of private service providers, are included on the board. (Minnesota Statute 256.C.28)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Diversity is important&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition to what is required by statute, the Governor&apos;s Office and the Commission also consider:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;the racial, indigenous, ethnic, gender and cultural diversity of the state.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;representation of people who are D/deaf, DeafBlind, hard of hearing blind, hard of hearing and communication modes (ASL, spoken language, bilingual, Cued Speech, other modalities).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;experts on the topics we are working on. This includes education, employment, communications, and age-related hearing loss. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The selection of board members is not an easy process. We need to make sure all points of views are included at the table.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Board responsibilities&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Board members must commit to attending four all-day Commission meetings each year (3rd Friday of January, May, September and November) and commit to attending 3-4 shorter business meetings as needed. During our November meeting, we hold a longer board and staff retreat. We also convene work groups and committees to implement the board-approved strategic plan.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Length of service&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Terms are for four years. Members may not serve more than three consecutive terms.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional information&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional questions about joining the board? Visit MNCDHH&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/get-involved/join-the-board/&quot;&gt;Join the Board page&lt;/a&gt; or email Katy Kelley-Rademacher at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:katy.kelley@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;katy.kelley@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>455281</id><pubdate>2020-11-23T21:53:17Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Traveling Tuesdays with Darlene G. Zangara, Ph.D.: Southeast Region</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>MNCDHH&apos;s Executive Director, Darlene G. Zangara, Ph.D., is shown on a person&apos;s laptop. The laptop is placed on a deck railing along with a blanket, books, and mug. In the distance are tall green trees and a lake.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/traveling-tuesdays-with-darlene_tcm1063-455137.jpg</Url></Image><title>2020-11-20-traveling-tuesday-southeast-mn</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-455146&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-11-20T20:16:22Z</Date><ShortDescription>This visit is for Southeast Region, which covers the following counties: Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Rice, Steele, Wabasha, and Winona</ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNCDHH visits different regions online in Minnesota</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/My%20Post%20%281%29_tcm1063-455145.jpg&quot; title=&quot;traveling-tuesday-southeast-mn&quot; alt=&quot;traveling-tuesday-southeast-mn&quot; style=&quot;width: 200px; height: 200px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;traveling-tuesday-southeast-mn&quot; /&gt; Introducing Traveling Tuesdays for the first time ever. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH is coming to your region for a virtual meet and greet with Darlene G. Zangara, Ph.D., Executive Director of MNCDHH. Darlene will introduce herself to your community, share some of MNCDHH&apos;s recent activities, describe her vision for the future, and answer your questions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do you have questions about what MNCDHH does and can do for you? Do you have ideas for public policy that impacts community members who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or people with hearing loss, their families, coworkers, and friends? Please join us when we come to your region.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Southeast regional counties&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Darlene&apos;s first stop is Southeast Minnesota! The Southeast region includes the following counties:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Dodge&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Fillmore&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Freeborn&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Goodhue&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Houston&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mower&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Olmstead&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rice&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Steele&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Wabasha&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Winona&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you live in a county that is not listed above, don&apos;t worry. Darlene plans to virtually travel to every Minnesota region on Tuesdays over the next year months. In the meantime, please subscribe to MNCDHH&apos;s news and watch for when we are coming to your region.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tuesday, December 15, 2020 at 6:00 p.m.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Workshop will be provided online through Zoom. Register in advance at &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0uc-utrjMjEtEdtdzpRp30Apiy4A1CI2aC&quot;&gt;Traveling Tuesday: Southeast Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Presented and discussed in both spoken English and American Sign Language (ASL). CART and ASL interpreters have been scheduled. If you need another reasonable accommodation such as a deafblind interpreter, please email your request to &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;, at least 5 business days before the event.  &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>455146</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-11-20T20:53:05Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2020 Voter Access Survey</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A screenshot of the MNVotes.org website with the words, &quot;Accessible voting.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/2020%20Voter%20Access%20Survey%20Resized_tcm1063-452235.jpg</Url></Image><title>2020-11-04-voter-access-survey</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-452236&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-11-04T13:41:42Z</Date><ShortDescription>This survey is intended for Minnesota residents who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing, or is a person with a hearing loss AND voted in the 2020 General Election.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>How was your voting experience this year?</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Are you deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing or are you a person with a hearing loss? Did you vote yesterday? If yes to both, please participate in the Voter Access Survey. MNCDHH wants to know what your experience was like and we will use that to prepare for the next Election. Thank you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/5980403/Voting-Access-Survey-2020&quot;&gt;Yes, I will participate in the Voter Access Survey. &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>452236</id><Tag><Description/><Title>survey</Title><Id>310297</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-11-04T13:01:12Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>You&apos;re Invited to a Virtual End of Election Day Celebration</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A person&apos;s living room with icons for voting, party streamers, and silhouettes of people</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Election%20Day%20Party%20Reduced%20Size_tcm1063-452107.jpg</Url></Image><title>2020-11-02-end-of-election-day-celebration</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-452110&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-11-03T03:03:02Z</Date><ShortDescription>CART, ASL interpreters, and deafblind interpreters are scheduled. Please register to attend.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Join MNCDHH&apos;s voting experts and special guests</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Join us for &quot;We Voted&quot; closing ceremony to honor the hard work that we (contractors, community organizations, board members, staff, and partners) did together as a community. We will celebrate together online from the comfort of home. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The celebration will include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Entertainment: ASL Voters Pride Poetry &amp;amp; Song by Rania Johnson, Jer Loudenback, &amp;amp; JP Beldon&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Remarks by Nic Zapko on community collaboration and inspiration&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Remarks by Darlene G. Zangara, PhD, Executive Director of MNCDHH&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Recognition of MNCDHH&apos;s Contractors&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Photo session with photographer Jack Williams&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Remarks will also be given by the following community organizations:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minneapolis-St. Paul Black Deaf Advocates: Cookie Brand&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens: Julie Pleski &amp;amp; John Wilson&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf Equity: Migdalia Rogers&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota DeafBlind Association: Lindsey Moon&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Deaf Muslim Community: TBA&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There will also be drawings to win gift cards. Thank you to Deaf Equity for donating the following gift cards:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;$25 Amazon gift card: For participation&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;$25 Black Deaf Business voucher: For participation&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;$25 Mischief gift card: For the winner of the best Patriotic/Voting Attire or Background. You are invited to wear red, white, and blue or decorate your background and show your voting spirit! Please use good judgment and do not wear something that is divisive or insulting to others.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;$50 for the organization that brings the most people to this event. The funds will be donated directly to the organization to support and promote engagement work.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Theme&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;There&apos;s so much more that unites us than divides us.&quot; - Governor Walz&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tuesday, November 3, 2020 from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;(After the polls and the voter hotline close.)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Workshop will be provided online through Zoom. Register in advance at &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMldu2hrzIiE9BDEheecBScOfDiPEG5vUkj&quot;&gt;End of Election Day Celebration registration&lt;/a&gt;. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Presented and discussed in both spoken English and American Sign Language (ASL). CART, ASL interpreters, and deafblind interpreters are scheduled. For any questions, contact &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>452110</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-11-03T04:03:25Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Ask MNCDHH: Need Accessible City and County Government</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Icons of a city landscape, including a government building, with silhouettes of people in the city center underneath a sun.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/ask%20mncdhh%20city%20cty%20ada_tcm1063-450750.jpg</Url></Image><title>2020-10-30-ask-mncdhh-need-accessible-city-county-government</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-450753&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-10-30T15:00:38Z</Date><ShortDescription>I am hard of hearing and have been advocating for my local city and county government to obey ADA law and provide closed captioning for all open meetings. They also have bad habits with using the microphone properly, such as leaning back in their chairs away from the microphones and not repeating comments from people who are not using the microphone like their staff seated in the audience. What are my options for making sure my city is ADA accessible?</ShortDescription><Subtitle>You ask, we answer</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Question&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I am hard of hearing and have been advocating for my local city and county government to obey ADA law and provide closed captioning for all open meetings. They also have bad habits with using the microphone properly, such as leaning back in their chairs away from the microphones and not repeating comments from people who are not using the microphone like their staff seated in the audience. What are my options for making sure my city is ADA accessible?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Answer&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you for your question. There are many different steps that you can take to make sure that your city is accessible. If you believe your city is not following the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the first step is often to let the city know about the problems you are experiencing. Usually, a letter or email to the city is a good way to raise your complaints. For cities that have 50 or more employees, there should be an ADA coordinator with the city who is designated to receive and respond to complaints. Often, cities are unaware of access problems, and simply explaining the issue is enough to resolve the problem.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If raising the issue in a letter is not successful, you could file an administrative complaint. There are two main agencies in Minnesota that will investigate and respond to accessibility complaints: the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The DOJ is a federal agency that investigates complaints under the ADA. To learn more about how to file a complaint with the DOJ, visit: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ada.gov/filing_complaint.htm&quot;&gt;How to File an Americans with Disabilities Act Complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The MDHR is a state agency that investigates complaints under the Minnesota Human Rights Act, a state law that prohibits disability discrimination. To lean more about the MDHR, and for information on how to file a complaint, visit: &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/&quot;&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Rights&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You should know that these agencies receive many complaints, so the complaint and investigation process often can take years to complete.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You also have the option of filing a civil lawsuit against your city if you believe they are violating the ADA. Lawsuits can be filed in either state or federal court. Filing a lawsuit can be a difficult and complex process, so we recommend that you try to find a lawyer to represent you. If you are interested in getting legal help from the Minnesota Disability Law Center, you may call our intake line at 1-800-292-4150, or &lt;a href=&quot;https://mylegalaid.org/our-work/disability-law&quot;&gt;visit us online&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can also search for private attorneys online using different attorney referral services, available here: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mnbar.org/member-directory/find-a-lawyer&quot;&gt;Minnesota State Bar Association&lt;/a&gt; and here: &lt;a href=&quot;https://mnlawyerreferral.org/public-area/find-an-attorney/&quot;&gt;Minnesota Lawyer Referral&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Whatever method you choose, it is important to know that the ADA only works if people with disabilities are willing to enforce it. So if you are experiencing a problem with accessibility, or believe you are victim of disability discrimination, do not hesitate to raise your concerns!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional information&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For this &quot;Ask MNCDHH&quot; question, MNCDHH decided to ask the Minnesota Disability Law Center to provide a guest response. The response is for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. We appreciate their assistance.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up to receive MNCDHH newsletters directly to your inbox. &lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNCDHH/subscriber/new?email=&quot;&gt;Sign me up!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do you have a question for MNCDHH? &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3665562/Questions-for-MNCDHH&quot;&gt;Send us your questions!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>450753</id><Tag><Description/><Title>ask the commission</Title><Id>310292</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>citizen advocate</Title><Id>310308</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-12-15T15:39:06Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Community Spotlight: Deaf Artists Residency at the Anderson Center in Red Wing (Part 2)</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Five photo collage: (Top left) The June Five inaurual dinner, five artists sit around a dinner table, in the midst of eating dinner. They are holing glasses of wine aloft and looking at the camera. (Bottom left) Artist Adrean Clark is presenting in a wood-paneled room facing a half-circle of seats filled with people watching her presentation. (Center) Sculptor Jeremy Quiroga sits in his studio, working on a sculpture. The sculpture lies on a table in front of him, a combination of a whale&apos;s tail in water with the ASL sign for &apos;whale&apos; as part of its tail. (Top right) Ceramic artist Delora Bertsch bends over a table, working on a ceramic project involving stone-shaped bowls. (Bottom right) Scholar Rachel Mazique reads a book while sitting at a picnic table outdoors on an open deck. All images provided courtesy of the Anderson Center.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Artists%20in%20Action%20header_tcm1063-450734.jpg</Url></Image><title>2020-10-27-community-spotlight-deaf-artists-residency-2</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-450759&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-10-27T15:00:17Z</Date><ShortDescription>A two-part interview with Stephanie Rogers, Executive &amp; Artistic Director of the Anderson Center at Tower View in Red Wing, Minnesota; and Cynthia Weitzel, Studio Artist &amp; Coordinator for the Deaf Artists Residency (DAR) program. Interviewed by Kaitlyn Mielke. Part 2.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Interview with Stephanie Rogers and Cynthia Weitzel</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A two-part interview with Stephanie Rogers, Executive &amp;amp; Artistic Director of the Anderson Center at Tower View in Red Wing, Minnesota; and Cynthia Weitzel, Studio Artist &amp;amp; Coordinator for the Deaf Artists Residency (DAR) program. Interviewed by Kaitlyn Mielke. Part 2.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How have the different DAR cohorts compared over the years? The 2014 June 5, the 2016 AC Dames, and the 2018 Dandelions?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cynthia:&lt;/strong&gt; Each of the three DAR cohorts so far have been very much alike yet so very different!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;’14 JUNE FIVE: The pressure of being the “experiment” —no idea what to expect and all eyes on them was both exciting and very emotional. And from this was an endless stream of dialogue, curiosity, perspective and creativity. This was probably the most diverse group thus far—diverse in talent, culture, age, gender, geography, experiences...— and they surpassed all expectations as far as the Center’s goals and objectives for DAR how well it would be received and succeed!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;’16 AC DAMES: It ended up this group was all women, all strong achievers, and all having much in common and wanting to take advantage of every last minute of their stay, so on top of their own projects they decided to add mini-workshops to the agenda. Every few days each resident took a turn teaching on a topic or skill relating to their area of expertise. So much unexpected learning and fun. This group also had a strong affinity for the Center’s turtles, even naming them after well-known dames (who are artists themselves) and still asking about them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;’18 DANDELIONS: Residents predominantly from the east and west coasts to which the commonalities and differences were so clear so we capitalized on that. Several of the residents were amazing cooks and bakers so there was always plenty of delicious healthy food being shared. For some residents it was a time of many firsts: first time having such a private and spacious work environment; first time having complete control of the clay firing process; first time having deep meaningful dialogue about their work with other Deaf artists and writers; etc...&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The one challenge with this group though was half staying for the full month while the other half were only able to stay for half the month. That changeover at mid-month was difficult on everyone and something we try our best to avoid. Although, for many, a full month is not doable due to family or their job, so having learned from that experience, will do our best to make that transition smoother in the future.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The challenges and rewards of the “interdisciplinary” nature of this residency has been pretty consistent throughout each group. And each group also has their own fun kept secrets that I can’t share because what happens here stays here (grins).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How have past residents continued the legacy of the DAR in their journeys?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stephanie&lt;/strong&gt;: I’m grateful that they’ve continued to advocate for the program and to interact with each other and the Anderson Center online.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cynthia&lt;/strong&gt;: I agree with Stephanie and in addition to that, I’ve seen where the local communities, especially Deaf communities (in person or online), that residents return to are also benefiting from the sharing of their experiences or the progress of their work(s). And it is mostly from past residents that newly interested candidates learned about DAR and are wanting that same opportunity. Also, there have been quite a few project collaborations that have developed among various DAR alumni since their time here.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please share any favorite memories or stories involving the Deaf artists that you might have.&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stephanie:&lt;/strong&gt; My favorite thing about any residency group is when people form connections across differences and those connections have a positive impact on the creative work. Getting to hear (through an interpreter) Delora Bertsch talk about how she and Anderson Center year-round studio artist Angela Foley bonded over firing ceramics and being strong women was a highlight. And I’m personally grateful to have been introduced to the rich field of ASL poetry through this program.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cynthia:&lt;/strong&gt; It is impossible for me to pick a favorite memory; there are so many! Probably the most meaningful experience thus far is seeing the gratitude and strong commitment each resident has shown toward making the most of their experience. And the camaraderie and level of support DAR residents have for one another and their work. It’s genuine, authentic and appreciated… coming from a place of shared life experience, language and culture that can’t easily be found anywhere else.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For prospective DAR residents, what&apos;s the process to apply? Requirements?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stephanie:&lt;/strong&gt; The call goes out in the fall of odd-numbered years, with a mid-February application deadline. The panel, which is made up of Deaf artists and scholars, looks at work samples, the work plan (basically an answer to the question, “what do you want to do and how will you use this residency time?”) and an artistic resume.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cynthia&lt;/strong&gt;: The application process is now online and very streamlined through “Submittable.” DAR is only offered the month of June every other year. We’re hoping soon that will change to every year. We put great emphasis on making sure the review panel is made up of not only all Deaf members, but that each discipline is represented by experienced leaders from within each for a review process that is balanced and fair. Applicants should also keep in mind that once the first group of strongest candidates are selected, we then look at selecting finalists (many of whom are tied) that will make for the most diverse, balanced group in terms of age or level of experience, geographic location, focus of work, race, gender, and more. So if an interested candidate isn’t selected the first time around, they might be the next time around. It all depends on the collective body of applications in any given year and how competitive the body of applications are that year. Also, after two years time, DAR alumni are eligible to apply again.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What does the future look like for the DAR program? Any new plans in the works?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stephanie&lt;/strong&gt;: We’ve spent time thinking big about what could come next; to be honest, I think that the pandemic has temporarily paused some of that. I’m committed to maintaining the program and continuing to seek out ways for it to be sustained and expanded. In the future, I hope that the Anderson Center can do more to support the goal of contributing to a national network of Deaf Artists and Culture Creators.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cynthia:&lt;/strong&gt; Building on what Stephanie said above, with our primary focus being the continued growth and strength of DAR so that it becomes and remains a vital part of the overall arts ecology, but specifically the Deaf arts ecology. For some, the residency offers a place for respite from isolation so that rejuvenation may happen. While for others, the residency enables them to experiment or complete projects. And yet for others the residency becomes a launching pad for true trajectory in their artistic careers. Regular residency experiences, in general, play a crucial role in the development of most artistic careers. So having more opportunities that are fully accessible would no question help to create and support a more diverse, thriving Deaf arts field.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As DAR continues to build and grow, so too does the network of alumni. Growing organically and becoming natural feeders to the any national network of Deaf Artists and Culture Creators that develops down the road.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What can other artist residency programs learn from the AC and the DAR?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;S&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;tephanie:&lt;/strong&gt; This program would be difficult to, if not impossible, to replicate without Cynthia’s leadership. As a general philosophy for doing administrative work supporting marginalized groups, I think it’s important for me and other staff to educate ourselves, to trust and support the vision that came from a member of the marginalized community, and then to really focus on getting the mundane paperwork and such done so Cynthia can focus on vision and community building.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cynthia:&lt;/strong&gt; The beauty of DAR is that it has overwhelming support from the Anderson Center which has the infrastructure, trusted reputation, solid relationships, perfect setting, and history based on 25 years of experience. The staff throughout this process have been incredibly open-minded, committed, and supportive. And DAR is structured in such a way that it can easily be replicated in other parts of the country or world as long as there are Deaf artists, writers or scholars with the same passion and vision able to find the right residency program in their area to partner. Likewise, there are residency programs around the country that have already expressed interest in doing such, if they can find the right person to coordinate. They understand the benefits to a culturally-specific program and that providing ASL interpreters with the goal of inclusion is not always feasible or sometimes counter productive, so they’re very open to figuring out what works and what doesn’t while letting those of the Deaf community be their guide. And because each residency program is different, the broader range of opportunities for Deaf artists, writers and scholars the better!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anything you&apos;d like to share or add?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cynthia:&lt;/strong&gt; Circling back to the mention of DAR looking at additional opportunities toward becoming self-sustaining... The NEA has been our strongest supporter and cheerleader from day one; they believe in what we are doing in the way of culturally-specific solutions for meaningful, barrier-free residency experiences. Likewise, Gallaudet University has now partnered with Anderson Center-DAR to offer the GU Residency Fellowship that will cover the costs of one residency position to be filled by GU Faculty or Alumni. It is our hope that RIT/NTID and other universities will also be interested in partnering. Or Deaf organizations based in, or in support of, the arts or scholarship.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Another area of need that’s been discussed is the fact that artists, writers and scholars who are CODAs or family of Deaf or ASL interpreters are in the same situation when it comes to seeking residency opportunities with others’ whose artistic or scholarly work focuses on their relationship and experience with ASL and/or Deaf Culture. We’ve had quite a few asking for help to find such an opportunity so that they too can discuss their work, get feedback or just be themselves with others of similar background. So I can easily see DAR expanding with there being a demand for more than one or two months a year by Deaf artists, writers and scholars then also a month designated for CODAs, a month designated for family of Deaf, and a month designated for ASL interpreters (i.e. those specializing in Shakespeare or other theatre interpreting).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact info for more info about the AC and the DAR program.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.andersoncenter.org/&quot;&gt;Anderson Center&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Deaf Artists Residency Program
&lt;br /&gt;
163 Tower View Drive
&lt;br /&gt;
PO Box 406
&lt;br /&gt;
Red Wing, MN 55066
&lt;br /&gt;
Facebook: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/DeafArtistsResidencyProgram&quot;&gt;DeafArtistsResidencyProgram&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Stephanie Rogers
&lt;br /&gt;
Executive &amp;amp; Artistic Director
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:stephanie@andersoncenter.org&quot;&gt;stephanie@andersoncenter.org&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cynthia Weitzel
&lt;br /&gt;
Artist &amp;amp; Deaf Artists Residency Coordinator
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:art@cynthiaweitzel.com&quot;&gt;art@cynthiaweitzel.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>450759</id><Tag><Description/><Title>community spotlight</Title><Id>432585</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-10-27T15:01:24Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Captioning</Title><Id>247354</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>How to Report Captioning Issues to Your Local News, TV Provider, and the FCC</Title><title>2020-10-26-how-to-report-captioning-issues</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-450802&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-10-26T20:29:27Z</Date><ShortDescription>Where and how you can report television captioning issues.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Steps you can take</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/PfjEjHspV3M&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/dB6KViUWjXg&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about reporting captioning issues&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Closed captioning displays the audio portion as text on the TV screen for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. Congress requires that video programming distributors for TV to make their context accessible by providing captioning for their content shared on TV. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) established rules for those TV providers to adhere by. Smaller stations may be subject to different rules for live programming.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The FCC has the following quality standards that must be met when captioning context for mass distribution through TV:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Accuracy: Captions must match the spoken word and background sound and noises as fully as possible.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Synchronous: Captions must be displayed on the screen at the same time or close to, to their spoken and/or audible context. Captions must be displayed at a speed that is readable by viewers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Complete: Captions must start at the program, and end at the program and not skip or paraphrase content.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Properly Placed: Captions must not block important visual text or content; overlap other captions; or run off-screen.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are different standards for pre-programmed TV content such as TV drama and comedy; live TV such as the daily news; or near-live TV programming such as award shows. There are also standards for warnings and alerts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;However, from time to time the captions displayed on the TV will not meet the four requirements set by the FCC. Aside from misspellings and distorted audio signals, viewers may notice garbled text, broken or missing lines of text, symbols in place of letters and numbers, etc. Or the captions may fail to appear at all. As a viewer dependent on captioning to get your information, there are several ways to report captioning inaccuracies and inconsistencies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How to report issues to your local news station&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The local news should have a place on their website to report captioning issues. Follow the information on their form. You can also call the station general manager.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How to report issues to your TV provider&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Check your cable/TV bill to see who your provider is. Common providers in Minnesota include Spectrum, Xfinity, DirectTV, Mediacom, etc., for example.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You will find contact info for your provider on your bill. This may be a phone number, an email, or a website link.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This information is also available online on the &lt;a href=&quot;http://esupport.fcc.gov/vpd-search/search.action&quot;&gt;FCC’s database of video programming distributors&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You will be asked to enter your zip code, and they will present you with a list of available providers in your area. Follow the instructions to find your provider’s contact information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact them by the information provided, and provide the following information about the captioning issue:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The TV program or news channel that the incident occurred.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The TV channel number.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The day and time it occurred.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Describe the incident (missing captions, garbled text, caption placement or cut off, for instance).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alternatively, you can also contact the FCC, especially if your cable/TV provider does not follow up with your complaint.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How to report issues to the FCC&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To file a complaint through the FCC, visit their &lt;a href=&quot;https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us/articles/204231424-Accessibility-Complaint-Filing-Categories&quot;&gt;Consumer Complaint Center&lt;/a&gt; on their Access for People with Disabilities page.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The page will provide a list of topics to file a complaint about, including closed captioning. Click on “Closed Captioning.” You will then be taken to the complaint form.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The form will ask you for information regarding the issue. Be sure to fill out all required fields marked by a red asterisk. Include identifying information like the program name, date, time, and channel in your complaint.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you encounter problems accessing or filling out the form, call 202.418.2517 (V), 844-432-2275 (VP) or email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:dro@fcc.gov&quot;&gt;dro@fcc.gov&lt;/a&gt; for help.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The FCC will also forward your complaint to your video content distributor.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The FCC requires that written complaints be submitted within 60 days of the incident. After your TV provider has received the complaint, either through you or the FCC, they have 30 days to respond. If you sent your complaint to your TV provider, and they do respond, send the complaint straight to the FCC.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information, check the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.fcc.gov/general/closed-captioning-video-programming-television&quot;&gt;FCC’s closed captioning for TV website&lt;/a&gt;. An ASL information video is also available at that link.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Federal Communications Commission Disability Rights Office, KARE 11, and TPT Twin Cities PBS for their information and feedback.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;James Paul Beldon III for ASL talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Patty McCutcheon for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>450802</id><Tag><Description/><Title>captioning</Title><Id>247356</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-07-01T21:41:01Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota&apos;s New ASL Hotline for Voters</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Pictured are Jessalyn Akerman-Frank (top left), Jaemi Hagen (top right), Emory Kevin Dively (bottom left), and Sarah Arana (bottom right).</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/My%20Post_tcm1063-450925.jpg</Url></Image><title>2020-10-23-asl-voters-hotline</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-450932&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-10-23T17:03:01Z</Date><ShortDescription>The State of Minnesota is providing a hotline for voters who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing and who use American Sign Language (ASL) as a primary language. This hotline is also open to voters who identify as hard of hearing or as an individual with a hearing loss or similar and wish to call through their voice, amplified, or captioned phone to connect with one of MNCDHH&apos;s voting experts.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Four deaf Minnesotans working at hotline</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thanks to a partnership with the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State and community advocates for accessible voting, the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing is pleased to announce that Minnesota is providing a hotline for voters who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing and who use American Sign Language (ASL) as a primary language.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Voters can call to get information in ASL on how to vote, where to vote, how to track their absentee ballot, and other information related to the 2020 election. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“The Commission is thrilled that Minnesota continues to be a leader in championing communication access for voters who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. With the new video factsheets in American Sign Language and with establishing an ASL hotline to answer voter questions, our standards continue to rise. We appreciate working together with the Secretary of State’s Office, community advocates, and our stakeholders for barrier-free voting.” - Darlene G. Zangara, Ph.D.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Who&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Four of MNCDHH&apos;s voting experts will be staffing the hotline. They are:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Emory Kevin Dively,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jaemi Hagen,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jessalyn Akerman-Frank, and&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sarah Arana.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hours&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The service starts today! Friday, October 23, 2020. The hours are 8:00 A.M. - 4:30 P.M. for most days. On Election Day, the hours are 7:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Number&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The direct videophone voter hotline number is 612-293-4288.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This hotline is also open to voters who identify as hard of hearing or as an individual with a hearing loss or similar and wish to call through their voice, amplified, or captioned phone to connect with one of our experts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;News coverage&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Check out KIMT3 News&apos; video interview with our own Jessalyn Akerman-Frank, &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.kimt.com/content/news/Theres-now-an-American-Sign-Language-voter-hotline-to-help-people-cast-their-ballot--572843671.html&quot;&gt;There&apos;s now an American Sign Language voter hotline to help people cast their ballot.&lt;/a&gt;&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional videos available in ASL with voiceover, captions, and transcripts&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A new series of video ‘factsheets’ are available in American Sign Language (ASL), produced in collaboration with the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State. These short videos, which mirror information that the Secretary of State’s Office provides in print, give voters who communicate in ASL crucial information about how to cast their vote, in-person or absentee.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The videos cover four aspects of voting in Minnesota: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXSnqhvEgbw&quot;&gt;voters’ rights&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tr7cEsYO4B8&quot;&gt;assistance to voters&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uLoww7j-cY&quot;&gt;voting early by absentee ballot&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/ZolRmLKfYbA&quot;&gt;election day registration&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The videos are signed by the talented Regina Daniels. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>450932</id><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-10-23T17:26:16Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Community Spotlight: Deaf Artists Residency at the Anderson Center in Red Wing (Part 1)</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Three photo collage: (Left) Black and white photo of Cynthia Weitzel. She is wearing glasses and dark shirt and looking off to the side. (Center) Anderson Center at Tower View logo. (Right) Photo of Stephanie Rogers smiling at the camera, she is wearing professional clothes and standing with her arms crossed. All images provided courtesy of the Anderson Center.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Anderson%20Center%20at%20Tower%20View%20header_tcm1063-450731.jpg</Url></Image><title>2020-10-22-community-spotlight-deaf-artists-residency-1</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-450744&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-10-22T16:46:11Z</Date><ShortDescription>A two-part interview with Stephanie Rogers, Executive &amp; Artistic Director of the Anderson Center at Tower View in Red Wing, Minnesota; and Cynthia Weitzel, Studio Artist &amp; Coordinator for the Deaf Artists Residency (DAR) program. Interviewed by Kaitlyn Mielke. Part 1.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Interview with Stephanie Rogers and Cynthia Weitzel</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A two-part interview with Stephanie Rogers, Executive &amp;amp; Artistic Director of the Anderson Center at Tower View in Red Wing, Minnesota; and Cynthia Weitzel, Studio Artist &amp;amp; Coordinator for the Deaf Artists Residency (DAR) program. Interviewed by Kaitlyn Mielke. Part 1.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Let&apos;s start with the Anderson Center (AC) - tell us some of the history behind it. How did it come into being, and what&apos;s the mission?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stephanie&lt;/strong&gt;: The Anderson Center was founded in 1995 by Robert and Carolyn Hedin and a founding committee of Red Wing Community members who were focused on the arts and education. Robert is an accomplished poet who had participated in residencies in other places. He&apos;s also the grandson of A.P. Anderson, who built Tower View between 1915 and 1922. Robert&apos;s vision was that his family&apos;s estate would become a place to support the creative process and encourage the exchange of ideas. We continue to do that work today. Our mission statement is: The Anderson Center, in its unique and historic setting of Tower View, offers residencies in the arts, sciences, and humanities; provides a dynamic environment for the exchange of ideas; encourages the pursuit of creative and scholarly endeavors; and serves as a forum for significant contributions to society.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Then the Deaf Artists Residency (DAR) program started with the 2014 cohort, consisting of five artists from all over the United States. Tell us a bit of how the AC became the home of the DAR program.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cynthia&lt;/strong&gt;: The process for how the DAR program came to be, was very organic, based on right people, right place, right time. Back in 2011, when I was first invited by the Anderson Center to join their community of year-round studio artists, I had no knowledge or understanding of their interdisciplinary residency program or of the artist residency experience in general for that matter. So in my first few years of studio practice at the Center, I had the luxury of being exposed to this first hand. Through meeting and developing relationships with many of these visiting artists from all over the world, I had the unique opportunity to observe and witness the fundamental impact and career enhancing value that residencies provided these artists of all disciplines; as well as the bonds formed that led to meaningful discussions about their individual projects or relevant issues. It didn’t take me long to realize how much I needed and wanted this type of experience for myself. And in talking with other Deaf artists, I realized this was something we all hungered for and needed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To my knowledge, this type of residency opportunity did not exist within the Deaf arts world, at least not in the U.S., so I did a search within the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.artistcommunities.org/&quot;&gt;Alliance for Artist Communities (AAC)&lt;/a&gt; database to see if I could find any that were ASL accessible and Deaf-friendly. Imagine my surprise to learn that there were over 500 different types of artist residency programs in the U.S. and over 1,500 worldwide! Only one identified itself as being Deaf-friendly and accessible, that was Siena Art Institute in Italy. I shared this fact with Anderson Center’s then Director, Robert Hedin, while we happened to be in conversation about residency programs in general. Then simultaneously we both asked each other “why not here?” And so the DAR program journey began.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Right people, right place, right time… I happened to already be a part of this magnificent artist community and residency center, so I was able to lend my support and expertise as liaison guiding the process. Anderson Center was strongly committed to creating a barrier-free, culturally-specific Deaf artists residency opportunity within its existing programming. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) was willing to invest in this idea by accepting our initial grant proposal to get DAR started in 2014. Then the Alliance of Artist Communities helped us get the word out as well as my doing within Deaf arts circles. Since then, the Center, the NEA, and AAC have all been champions in support of DAR and its future.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please describe what the month-long arts residency looks like? What do the artists do during their stay at the AC?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stephanie:&lt;/strong&gt; Participants really focus on their creative projects. Many people say that they accomplish as much in a month at the Center as they would in 6 months or a year elsewhere, with other distractions and responsibilities! The other aspect is that the residents share meals and exchange feedback with each other. Most of the artist cohorts become close and develop meaningful friendships that continue on after their time at the Center. This is even more true of the Deaf Artist Residency Cohorts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cynthia:&lt;/strong&gt; Not all residency programs are alike. The Anderson Center offers an intimate retreat-style residency within a historic and creative setting. While living in the historic residence, each having their own private room, Residents set their own work schedule focused on their own individual projects. Visual artists work privately in their assigned studio, while others have a range of work spaces to choose from within the house or common areas throughout the Center’s campus. The designated time and space free from distractions from the outside world for an entire month really sets the stage for artists, writers, performers, and scholars to be incredibly productive in their work. Though equally valuable is the downtime Residents have to either spend alone for quiet introspection or together as a group for hard-earned fun outings while exploring the area—Red Wing and Mississippi River Valley with occasional trips to the Twin Cities. DAR Residents typically spend most of their downtime together (most often in the kitchen) in marathon discussions about each other’s work or different topics relevant to each of our fields (Deaf or ASL arts, literature, theatre, poetry…). This is especially true during and after the shared ritual each evening of a chef-prepared meal. Great food and meaningful dialogue in our own language—free to be ourselves and grow from our time together.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In exchange for this gift of residency, the Center asks that each Resident give back to the community during the stay. This can be in the way of giving an art talk or facilitating a workshop. In the case of DAR, we typically do a group presentation towards the end of their stay that is open to the public with each Resident sharing about their project and residency experience.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What are some things that set the DAR groups apart from their hearing counterparts? Any similarities or differences that you&apos;ve noticed?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cynthia:&lt;/strong&gt; The first thing the Center noticed in 2014 was how quickly the DAR participants bond after first arriving. It was almost immediate and has been that way each time. Those participating in the hearing residencies typically don’t fully bond until after one or two weeks into their stay. The other noticeable difference is the fact that most participants within the hearing residencies seem to have already completed other residencies in the course of their career so they immediately know what to do once they’ve settled in; whereas most DAR participants are still very new to the whole residency experience with no strong point of reference. That’s changing though now that there is greater awareness about DAR and what it has to offer. Prior to DAR opening, the term “Residency” or “Artist-in-Residence&apos;&apos; was most often associated with schools for the deaf that would invite or hire a single Deaf artist to work with students in the school setting for a period of time (week, month, semester or year) focused on teaching or hands-on learning instead of the artist being able to focus on their own work.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For DAR residents who otherwise are scattered throughout the U.S. working in isolation, the whole concept of sharing time, space, ideas and support among peers within our shared creative fields for an entire month was completely unimaginable just a short time ago. So it comes as no surprise that their time together engaged in humor, meaningful dialogue and sharing of ideas is equally important as their individual project work—a level of information sharing, empathy, understanding, and connectedness that can only be achieved through native language and culture rich in its many layers of intersectionality.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stephanie:&lt;/strong&gt; The biggest thing that I notice is for Deaf Artists, it really is a unique program. During our open call for residents, we often get people who regularly benefit from the residency experience in their creative practice. For the Deaf artists, it’s a more singular experience. It also seems like they form stronger bonds as a group than most open call cohorts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What does the AC do to ensure that the program (as well as the buildings and grounds) is a Deaf-friendly space during the DAR residencies?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stephanie&lt;/strong&gt;: All staff go through a training on Deaf Culture and learn some basic ASL, but the most important thing that we do is to contract with Cynthia so that the program is Deaf-lead and Residents have a native speaker of ASL as a liaison.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cynthia:&lt;/strong&gt; In addition to what Stephanie shared, the most important thing we do is simply “open the door” for DAR residents to be able to claim the space and “sense of place” for themselves for the entire month. As with all of the Center’s residency programs, there’s very little interaction with staff or the outside world except for simple interactions at check-in/check-out or with the Chef for food planning in which case notes or texting is minimal. It’s as if the Residents are on their own little island for the month. The house is equipped with emergency alerting equipment and everyone has emergency weather alert apps active in their smartphones. And ASL/voice and ProTactile interpreters are arranged for the community service event towards the end of each DAR residency which is open to the public.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Watch for part 2!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>450744</id><Tag><Description/><Title>community spotlight</Title><Id>432585</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-10-22T16:54:53Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Who’s on Your Ballot? A Comprehensive List of Offices in Minnesota to Vote For</Title><title>2020-10-21-whos-on-your-ballot-comprehensive-list</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-450501&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-10-21T15:00:35Z</Date><ShortDescription>Once they have been elected and take office. This is a comprehensive list of offices and is not tied to any specific election year. Each election year will have different offices on the ballot.  </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Roles &amp; responsibilities of federal, state, and local candidates</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/Nfxtd5k0iLg&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendly ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/UnVdgscWbY4&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about whos on your ballot&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Election Day is coming up, and you will soon vote by ballot, either by mail-in or in person. Your ballot will have a list of candidates for different positions that you will vote for. Those candidates will be filling positions at the federal, state, and local levels.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The list is divided into the following categories:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Federal Candidates&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;State Candidates&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Local Candidates&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We will discuss the roles and responsibilities for each of those candidates. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Federal Candidates&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Let’s start with the Federal Candidates. They include the President of the United States along with the Vice President, the US Senate, and the US House of Representatives.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;President - The President is the chief executive of the country, possessing many powers including signing bills into law, vetoing legislation, appointing federal judges and executive department heads, issuing executive orders, and conducting foreign policy. The President and Vice President are elected together.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Vice President – The Vice President ranks first in the presidential line of succession. The Vice President is also an officer in the legislative branch, as president of the Senate. In this capacity, the Vice President is empowered to preside over Senate deliberations but may not vote except to cast a tie-breaking vote.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;US Senate - The US Senate is one of two chambers of the federal legislature. Senators are responsible for writing and passing legislation, approving presidential appointments, and ratifying treaties with foreign countries. Each state has two US Senators.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;US House of Representatives - The US House of Representatives is one of two chambers of the federal legislature. Representatives write and pass legislation, offer amendments, and serve on committees. Each state has a number of US Representatives based on the population of their states as determined by the Census.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State Candidates&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Now we have the State Candidates. They include the Minnesota State Senate, the Minnesota House of Representatives, the Minnesota Governor, the Minnesota Lieutenant Governor, the Minnesota Secretary of State, the Minnesota State Auditor, and the Minnesota Attorney General. Let’s go through them one by one and discuss their roles.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MN State Senate is one of two chambers of the state legislature – State senators have legislative authority and responsibilities include passing bills on public policy matters, setting levels for state spending, raising and lowering taxes, and voting to uphold or override gubernatorial vetoes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MN House of Representatives is one of two chambers of the state legislature – Representatives have legislative authority and responsibilities, including passing bills on public policy matters, setting levels for state spending, raising and lowering taxes, and voting to uphold or override gubernatorial vetoes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MN Governor - The Governor of Minnesota is the chief executive of the state of Minnesota, leading the state&apos;s executive branch. Similar to the US President, the Governor has the power to sign or veto bills passed by the Minnesota State Legislature. The Governor can also make line-item vetoes, where specific provisions in bills can be stripped out while allowing the overall bill to be signed into law. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor are elected together.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MN Lieutenant Governor - The Lieutenant Governor of the State of Minnesota is an elected constitutional officer, the second ranking officer of the executive branch and the first officer in line to succeed the Governor of Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MN Secretary of State - The Secretary of State is the keeper of the Great Seal of the State of Minnesota and files and certifies the authenticity of a wide variety of official documents. The Secretary of State registers a variety of businesses, including corporations, assumed business names, banks, insurance companies, limited liability companies, limited liability partnerships, and limited partnerships. The Secretary of State is also the chief election official in Minnesota and is responsible for administration of the Minnesota election law. The Secretary of State administers the open appointments process and publishes the Minnesota Legislative Manual, a compendium of federal, state and county government information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MN State Auditor - The State Auditor is charged with overseeing more than $20 billion spent annually by local governments in Minnesota. The State Auditor does this by performing audits of local government financial statements and by reviewing documents, data, reports and complaints reported to the Office. The financial information collected is analyzed and serves as the basis of statutory reports issued by the Office of the State Auditor.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MN Attorney General - The Attorney General of Minnesota is the chief legal officer for the State of Minnesota. The Office of the Attorney General represents and provides legal advice to over 100 state agencies, boards and commissions. The Office represents the state in state and federal court, as well as in administrative adjudication and rulemaking hearings. The Office handles felony criminal appeals, advises local prosecutors in the conduct of criminal trials and handles cases at the request of local prosecutors. In addition, the Office issues formal opinions interpreting statutes for the agencies and political subdivisions of the state. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Local Candidates&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Last but not least, we have the local Candidates. They include the County Commissioner, Soil and Water Commissioner, Minnesota State Supreme Court Justice, Minnesota Appeals Court Judge, and Minnesota District Court Judge. Here’s a brief recap of what each role entails.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;County Commissioner - Member of the governing body of the county; responsible for enacting county ordinances.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Soil &amp;amp; Water Commissioner - Members of a board responsible for overseeing soil and watersheds within the district.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MN State Supreme Court Justice – A member of the State Supreme Court, which is the state court of final appeal.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MN Appeals Court Judge – A member of the Court of Appeals, which handles most of the appeals from lower courts, which allows the Minnesota Supreme Court to focus on constitutional and public policy cases. The Court of Appeals’ decisions are the final ruling in about 95% of appeals every year.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MN District Court Judge - District or Circuit Court Judges are responsible for adjudicating (make formal judgment on) cases in Civil or Criminal Courts at the trial level.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Election Day Reminders&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;That wraps up the list of Minnesota offices that will appear on your ballot and their responsibilities. We hope this information helps you make an informed decision on Election Day, which is on the first Tuesday of November. You can vote in person at your local precinct, or vote by absentee ballot -by mail or in person- and either mail it in, or drop it off in person by Election Day.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The definitions were sourced from BallotReady, Wikipedia, Ballotpedia, and Minnesota Courts. The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State for their feedback. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;James Paul Beldon III for ASL talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Patty McCutcheon for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>450501</id><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-10-21T20:32:25Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>ADA30: Celebrating the Americans with Disabilities Act</Title><title>2020-10-15-ada30-ndeam-celebration</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-450123&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-10-15T21:02:54Z</Date><ShortDescription>Remember to register to attend. Accommodations include ASL interpreters, CART, and some portions will have audio description.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Also celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/ncnVuNZpntA&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendly ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/R4cNU0zRz6Y&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The 30th Anniversary celebration of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and to celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) will take place on October 26, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. This free, 90-minute, online event will feature informative presentations, artistic performances, and more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The presenters for this event will include the following:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Barry Taylor, Vice President for Civil Rights and Systemic Litigation and Rachel Weisberg, Staff Attorney, both from Equip for Equality, will present: “30 Years of Employment Rights &amp;amp; The ADA: Where We’ve Been; Where We Are and Where We’re Going”. Over the past three decades, courts have decided many landmark ADA cases that have forever changed the landscape for people with disabilities. This webinar will review pivotal historical ADA decisions, analyze the current state of the law, and consider what we might see in the future, including as new issues arise, such as COVID-19.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Special guest performers will include the following:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alice Sheppard, a Disabled artist/dance/choreographer. Kinetic Light, founded in 2016 by Sheppard, is a project-based ensemble, working at the intersections of disability, dance, design, identity, and technology. The event will feature a piece from “DESCENT”. Combining dance, architecture, design, and technology, the work challenges cultural assumptions of what disability, dance, and beauty can be.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dupree Edwards, a rapper, disability advocate, and community leader. A musician and Teaching Artist Program Support Assistant at Upstream Arts, Edwards brings a powerful, personal message to his music.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Vincent Peterson, a Metropolitan State University student pursuing a degree in computer science, will emcee the event.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To find more information and to register for this event, &lt;a href=&quot;https://ada30mn.com/&quot;&gt;visit the website&lt;/a&gt; or &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/ada30mn/&quot;&gt;Facebook page&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have difficulty accessing the online registration, please &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Accessibility.resources@metrostate.edu&quot;&gt;email the event organizers&lt;/a&gt; with your contact information and use “October ADA event” in your subject line. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL and CART services will be provided for this event. Portions will be audio described. To request additional accommodations, contact &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Linda.gremillion@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Linda Gremillion by email&lt;/a&gt; by Monday, October 19, 2020. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;More details and an event agenda coming soon, so keep an eye on our Facebook page and website. Stay in touch for updates!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A big thank you to our sponsors and to Metropolitan State University and Minnesota State for their technical support in hosting this virtual event. The list of Committee Celebration Hosts can be found on the ADA30MN website.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;James Paul Beldon III for ASL talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jesse Koon for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for video production.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional information&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The event will feature keynote remarks from Minnesota Humanities Center CEO Kevin Lindsey. As the former Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights under Governor Dayton, he was a steadfast advocate in many forums for the rights of individuals with disabilities.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>450123</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-10-19T21:27:12Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Community Spotlight: Deaf Can, Incorporated</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Headshots for Kathryn and Herman, and the words &quot;Deaf Can, Inc.&quot; atop a blue and green striped background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Deaf%20Can%20Article%20Header%20%283%29%20Resized_tcm1063-446370.jpg</Url></Image><title>2020-09-16-community-spotlight-deaf-can-inc</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-446380&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-09-16T16:10:42Z</Date><ShortDescription>Deaf Can&apos;s mission is to assist, mentor, and support Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind individuals who experience chemical dependency and/or mental illness by offering community-based rehabilitation services. Herman and Kathryn were interviewed by Kaitlyn Mielke.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>A conversation with Herman Fuechtmann, CPRP and Kathryn Rose, BA, LADC, CPRP</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deaf Can&apos;s mission is to assist, mentor, and support Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind individuals who experience chemical dependency and/or mental illness by offering community-based rehabilitation services. Herman and Kathryn were interviewed by Kaitlyn Mielke.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please give us an overview of what Deaf Can does. How did the program begin?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Prior to founding Deaf Can, while working with deaf people with mental illness, the founders noticed that treatment approaches used at that time focused only on the client’s mental health and ignored or did not address factors or issues with substance use. The non-profit 501c3 organization was founded in 2012 to address this critical gap in services for deaf adults living in Twin Cities who experience mental illness and substance use. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What are the goals of the program?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our mission is to assist, mentor, and support Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind individuals who experience chemical dependency and/or mental illness by offering community-based rehabilitation services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What services and/or projects does the program provide?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The two main projects are Deaf Outreach Services and Deaf Living Sober. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deaf Outreach Services (DOS) provides Independent Living Skills training to Deaf/Hard of Hearing and DeafBlind adults who experience challenges in daily living. Our specialties include mental health and chemical health. We are currently serving people living in the Twin Cities metro area. We operate under a state license for 245D.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deaf Living Sober (DLS) provides sober coaching and recovery support services to deaf adults who experience Substance Use issues or undesirable behaviors from addictions. We provide a safe environment and teach people the skills necessary to live, work, and socialize in the sober community. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How has the coronavirus pandemic impacted your outreach services/projects?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The pandemic has negatively affected the people we work with. Their mental health status has worsened and their ability to cope with anxieties and stress is being challenged. We had to modify our service delivery approach to doing the work through teleconferencing methods and online rather than working directly in-person with people. Requests and demand for support has increased during the past few months. Deaf Can staff is adapting by being more creative with their interactions and making themselves more available for recovery support.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How has the closing and merger of the D/HH Chemical Dependency program at Fairview impacted your organization?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The closure of the Fairview Chemical Dependency has been difficult to measure. Most of their referrals originated in other states. The Minnesota data for referrals is inconclusive. Deaf Can is working with the Fairview Lodging Plus Program as an aftercare support but has seen no aftercare referrals. This is an area we are planning to explore with a newly hired staff who will be connecting with providers in the deaf community to offer supports. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tell us about the FAR group and what activities have been provided in the past?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Fun ASL Recovery (FAR Club) is an addiction recovery support group made up of deaf and hearing people who communicate using ASL and may be experiencing one of the various types of addictions. The group meets once a week to share stories and tips on how to manage their addictions. Then they participate in social games and activities to develop skills for healthy social and interpersonal relationships and for long-term recovery. Past events include board and card games, movie night about addictions, bowling outings, group walks in the park, Addictions that attendees may have include alcohol, nicotine, marijuana, opioids, gambling, sexual, and food disorders. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I see that one of your staff is a therapy dog named Daysie - please tell us more about what Daysie does.&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Daysie was a service dog for one of the staff and she passed away last October 2019. Her use was companionship for people in recovery and was licensed through TDI (Therapy Dogs International) There are no plans at this time to replace her. We are, of course, keeping an open heart about the position. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How can folks volunteer with Deaf Can? What volunteer opportunities are available?  &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Recovery group meetings are voluntary and run by members. Members who want to recover from addictions and have been attending recovery groups could get additional training to become sober coaches. The general community can volunteer and help out at social events like a picnic hosted by the FAR Club. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How can interested individuals contact you for services and/or projects?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Interested individuals can contact Herman at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:herman.deafcan@gmail.com&quot;&gt;herman.deafcan@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt; or Kathryn at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:kathryn.deafcan@gmail.com&quot;&gt;kathryn.deafcan@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;. Visit the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.deafcan.net/&quot;&gt;Deaf Can website&lt;/a&gt; for additional information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Herman Fuechtmann&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Born deaf of deaf parents and has two deaf daughters. Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioner with 30 years’ experience in working with deaf adults who experience severe mental illness. USA Deaf Sports Federation board, 1998-2006. 5-time Deaflympian in two sports, Team Handball and Curling, most recently 2019 Madesimo Italy. Currently the president of Board of Trustees at Charles Thompson Memorial Hall (deaf clubhouse in St. Paul, MN). &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Kathryn Rose &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Currently working for the State of MN as a LADC Supervisor at C.A.R.E. (Community Addiction Recovery Enterprises) Fergus Falls, MN. BA Degree in Psychology with a focus on Deafness, Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor from MN Board of Behavioral Health, 3 year Certificate in ASL Interpreting for Medical and Mental Health from the College of St. Catherine, St. Paul. Hard of Hearing and recently reappointed to the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) as the Northwest Regional Representative. I love to hike with my dogs, fishing, swimming and enjoying my family and friends.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>446380</id><Tag><Description/><Title>community spotlight</Title><Id>432585</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>health care</Title><Id>310254</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-09-16T16:25:30Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Mondays and Saturdays @ Home Voters Series for September</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Black and white image of a person&apos;s living room with a blue/green icon of a hand putting a ballot in a box and the text, &quot;Mondays and Saturdays @ Home Voters Series&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/My%20Post%20copy%20copy_tcm1063-444873.jpg</Url></Image><title>2020-09-11-mondays-and-saturdays-at-home-voters-series-for-september</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-446136&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-09-11T16:24:28Z</Date><ShortDescription>Taught by MNCDHH&apos;s Voters Outreach Team. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Sign up for any workshops</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Did you know that you can sign up for any workshop you prefer from our list? If you want to attend one or two workshops, please do. If you want to attend as many as possible, go for it. We look forward to seeing you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Each week has one workshop topic. You can choose the time slot that fits your schedule the best, either Monday morning, Monday night, or Saturday morning. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All workshops will be presented in American Sign Language, with English voicing and closed captions. For additional accommodations, please contact &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; at least two business days in advance. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Personalized voter information sessions for individuals, groups, and organizations can be arranged. Please contact Jessalyn Akerman-Frank at the above email address to schedule. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is where you can learn about and sign up to attend September&apos;s voter workshops. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Week 1: Top Ten Tips for Voting&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In this session we will quiz ourselves and our knowledge about voting and share our experiences. We will discuss our answers and you will leave with the top ten tips for this voting season.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saturday, September 12, 2020&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register for the &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYudOquqDIuGNc-gdt1kokYb7OCzleK9jAf&quot;&gt;9/12/2020 10:30 AM - 12 PM workshop&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Week 2: The Primary and the Elections&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In this workshop you will learn the voting timeline. Know your options for voting, how to register, use the online voting by mail tracking system and other updates. Learn about your rights for asking for accommodations and what resources you can use to support you. We will navigate the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting/&quot;&gt;mnvotes.org&lt;/a&gt; website and encourage you to ask all of your questions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Choose one of three options:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Monday, September 14, 2020&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register for the &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwrcuqsrTopHt2WivtIbmA39dQrv5xDYVhS&quot;&gt;9/14/2020 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM workshop&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;OR&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register for the &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEpdOyppz0vEtSj3EcE8Y86ru7gszXQ7kD5&quot;&gt;9/14/2020 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM workshop&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;OR&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saturday, September 19, 2020&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register for the &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIlc-2rqjsiHdIf9xNUzZm62Cv5lFxCV5S9&quot;&gt;9/19/2020 10:30 AM - 12 PM workshop&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Week 3: Voting Research 101&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Research is a big part of educating ourselves to make informed decisions about our voting choices. In this workshop, you will learn how to research candidates, distinguished between real news and fake news with by using fact checking resources. We will discuss some important community resources, networks and discussions that you can be part of to support you in making voting decisions. Come prepared to navigate the internet, social media and sources. Share your tips and tools.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Choose one of three options:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Monday, September 21, 2020&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register for the &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMpd-mgpj4pGd2vpoUwW52SEtbn7fpJvTmi&quot;&gt;9/21/2020 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM workshop&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;OR&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register for the &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwpceipqT4iEtxfPffpxYhQha-zftbUVhpC&quot;&gt;9/21/2020 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM workshop&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;OR&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saturday, September 26, 2020&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register for the &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIvd-murD4rHdOLZJt752pUWPYJI5TqjSXE&quot;&gt;9/26/2020 10:30 AM - 12 PM workshop&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Week 4: Be an Active Voter&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Voting is one aspect of engagement. Learn ways that you can participate in debates, political campaigns, discussions, and other outlets. Discuss advocating for access, participating in groups, and proposing questions to candidates that involve supporting your issues. Be familiar with your voting rights.Use your knowledge to engage others in informed decisions about voting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Choose one of three options:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Monday, September 28, 2020&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register for the &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0rd-ispjkoE9Cmf9UMsboZTv4JvcrqfWGE&quot;&gt;9/28/2020 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM workshop&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;OR&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register for the &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUvde2sqTksHNG47qHv4j6_G44LVj7tI2we&quot;&gt;9/28/2020 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM workshop&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;OR&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saturday, October 3, 2020&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register for the &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMrcuqoqT8tHtczztpcZRd6r3F69wWIPao9&quot;&gt;10/23/2020 10:30 AM - 12 PM workshop&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>446136</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-09-11T16:27:09Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Captioning</Title><Id>247354</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota Campaign Law Requires Accessibility (Captioned Ads)</Title><title>2020-08-31-mn-campaign-law-requires-accessibility-captioned-ads</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-445288&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-08-31T17:08:12Z</Date><ShortDescription>On August 31, 2020, MNCDHH sent the following notification letter to candidates running for office in Minnesota. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNCDHH sends notification to political candidates</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dear Candidate,&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As the General Election approaches, the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing would like to remind you of the legal requirements to make your campaign videos and radio ads accessible to the 20% of the electorate with varying degrees of hearing loss. Nearly two-thirds of the elderly population are in this demographic. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Not only is it law, but it will also allow candidates, such as yourself, to increase the number of voters who will access and understand your advertisements.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/10A.38&quot;&gt;Minnesota Statutes 10A.38&lt;/a&gt; requires legislative candidates who agree to spending limits to make their ads accessible as follows:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Broadcast or cable campaign ads&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“A campaign advertisement that is disseminated as an advertisement by broadcast or cable television must include closed captioning for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers unless the candidate has filed with the board before the advertisement is disseminated a statement setting forth the reasons for not doing so.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ads on a candidate’s website&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“A campaign advertisement that is disseminated as an advertisement to the public on the candidate&apos;s Web site must include closed captioning for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers, unless the candidate has posted on the Web site a transcript of the spoken content of the advertisement or the candidate has filed with the board before the advertisement is disseminated a statement setting forth the reasons for not doing so.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Radio ads&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“A campaign advertisement must not be disseminated as an advertisement by radio unless the candidate has posted on the candidate&apos;s Web site a transcript of the spoken content of the advertisement or the candidate has filed with the board before the advertisement is disseminated a statement setting forth the reasons for not doing so.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can find more information and resources for making your ads accessible on our website at &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/get-involved/voting/candidate-campaign-ad-captioning/&quot;&gt;Candidate Campaign Ads: Captioning is the Law&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please let us at the Commission know if you have questions or need additional information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our email address is &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Taking this step will demonstrate that you want to communicate with this demographic group. Not surprisingly, deaf and hard of hearing individuals have told us that they have an improved perception of the candidates who have captioned campaign advertisements and are more inclined to vote for these candidates.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you in advance for making your campaign messages accessible to Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sincerely,&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Darlene G. Zangara, Ph.D.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Executive Director&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>445288</id><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>accessible technology</Title><Id>310264</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>captioning</Title><Id>247356</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-07-01T21:38:32Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota Deaf Substance Abuse Disorder (SUD) Treatment Program</Title><title>2020-08-28-mn-sud-treatment-program</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-445180&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-08-28T15:50:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Current services, insurance, referral process, and general information. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Continued Services for DHH Community</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/q1z7xSZAUvc&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendly ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/45fga7XQh_w&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about current SUD services&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As of February 10, 2020, the Minnesota Deaf Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Treatment Program is integrated with the Lodging Plus Program at M Health Fairview. This program is 28 days long and serves DHH people who need residential treatment. ASL interpreting services will be provided for 30 hours a week. During the weekday, evenings, and on weekends, there will be at least one Deaf Drug Unit Assistant providing outside sober activities and taking DHH clients to 12-step meetings. A Deaf counselor will work up to 8 hours a week assisting DHH clients as needed. This program offers individual and group therapy, lectures, workshops, skills groups, recreational activities, spiritual care groups, yoga, acupuncture, interpreted 12-step meetings, comprehensive assessment services and aftercare planning. We would like to see more referrals to increase enrollment and demonstrate the need for this program. If we have a larger number of DHH clients in treatment, that will increase our grant opportunities with the ultimate goal to have the specialized DDBHH SUD Treatment Program open again. Treatment for DHH at M Health Fairview in Lodging Plus accepts private insurance, and Medicaid and consolidated funding so if you have any of those, your treatment is paid for you. If you have Medicare, 80% of the treatment is covered by Medicare and 20% through Medicaid or private insurance.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Referral Process and General Information&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To learn more about the referral process and for general information go to the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mncddeaf.org/&quot;&gt;Minnesota Substance Use Disorder Treatment Program website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For general referral information, please call central intake at 1-800-468-3120 (V) / 612-672-2736 (V) or 651-964-1427 (VP) or 612-273-4461 (Fax).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you need to get assistance with the referral process, or have additional questions, please email Jaime Purves at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jking14@Fairview.org&quot;&gt;jking14@Fairview.org&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For any other general questions, please feel free to contact Deb Guthmann at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:dguthmann@aol.com&quot;&gt;dguthmann@aol.com&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens (MADC) and advocates for their work on this topic.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sarah Houge for ASL talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Patty McCutcheon for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many thanks to the community advocates for their work including Deb Guthmann, Phillip Steinbruckner, Kelsey Dahl, Alicia Lane-Outlaw, Herman Fuechtmann, Family Tree Clnic, including Bethany Gehman and Ryder Aster, and many others. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>445180</id><Tag><Description/><Title>health care</Title><Id>310254</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-08-28T16:05:45Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Deaf Interpreters: Things to Know</Title><title>2020-08-27-deaf-interpreters-things-to-know</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-445006&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-08-27T14:43:23Z</Date><ShortDescription>Answering questions like, &quot;Why am I seeing a deaf interpreter?&quot; &quot;What&apos;s the difference between a CDI and a DI?&quot; &quot;What does a qualified CDI/DI look like?&quot; and &quot;Where can I learn more?&quot;</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Why we have deaf interpreters and more</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/X2EQ78XTXQY&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendly ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/paeOF5iRdqY&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about CDIs and DIs&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In recent times during the COVID-19 pandemic, you may have seen an increased use of Deaf interpreters, both Certified Deaf Interpreters (CDIs) and Deaf Interpreters (DIs). There are also a few Deaf interpreters who have maintained their older Reverse Skills Certificate (RSC) certification. State Governor Offices and city mayors have worked to improve access to the diverse community of Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing citizens. This continues in their messaging on Public Service Announcements (PSA), document translations, and website messaging. Colleges and universities have also included native interpreters in their Zoom class meetings.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deaf interpreters are unique, as they are competent in two (or more) languages, cultures, and are field experts in cultural and communication facilitation. This position makes it ideal for them to work in situations where linguistic and cultural differences are present. Such situations might include communicating with deaf individuals with limited communication skills; using tactile signing with DeafBlind individuals; platform interpreting where information clarity is essential, especially in cases of informing the public - such as governor’s conferences, emergency situation announcements, etc.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Each individual is unique, and all CDIs/DIs bring with them a unique mixture of background, experiences, and knowledge. They all have their own niches and specializations - one might be savvy with medical terminology and will take up interpreting the medical field. Another one may have the know-how for platform interpreting with the ability to address audiences of varying language needs and fluency with a clear message, platform interpreters often incorporate a stage presence that best match the presenter/speaker/official in charge.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Every CDI/DI has the skills and the training to provide good service to meet the need and demand. However, not every CDI/DI is a good fit for every aspect of interpreting where one might be needed and/or available, including platform interpreting, and especially in front of the camera. This is why we are seeing a wide range of qualification and expertise between the CDIs and DIs we see, both in person and on camera.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why am I seeing a Deaf interpreter?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You may think, ‘I’m Deaf and I don’t need a Deaf interpreter. I can understand a hearing interpreter fine. So why a deaf interpreter?’ This is far from the case. While a hearing interpreter is certainly beneficial and usually skilled enough to do the job, having a Deaf interpreter has its advantages as they present the message through fluency and fluidity in ASL. Deaf individuals are already native in the language (ASL), use ASL features including face and spaces to indicate ASL grammar that is equivalent with the messages being conveyed. This combination of native sign choices, facial expressions, and use of space and role shifting aligns with the message and conveys a more effective message to a broader audience. This makes it easier on Deaf eyes to see their own language and cultural mannerisms reflected in the communication exchange.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What’s the difference between a CDI and a DI?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A CDI - or Certified Deaf Interpreter, is a nationally certified interpreter who is deaf. In 1998, the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) established guidelines for Certified Deaf Interpreters and created a certification program specifically for deaf interpreters. According to the RID website, “Holders of this certification are deaf or hard of hearing and have demonstrated knowledge and understanding of interpreting, deafness, the Deaf community, and Deaf culture,”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A DI - or Deaf Interpreter is an interpreter who is Deaf but not certified. While they are not certified, they have the background and experience necessary to interpret. The DI has been trained in the role and ethics of an interpreter but are not certified at the time. However, they have an extensive knowledge and understanding of the Deaf experience and barriers faced by deaf individuals, more so than hearing ASL interpreters. A DI may eventually become certified, and become a CDI in the future.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why am I seeing a DI and not a CDI?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;CDIs are wonderful resources to have - when they are available. There are a limited number of deaf interpreters who are certified due to several reasons:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During the summer of 2015, the RID board placed a moratorium on CDI testing, halting the CDI journeys of many DIs out there. This may be why you see many DIs that have not yet become certified. Those DIs that you see are in progress of obtaining certification but due to the fact that the RID put performance testing on hold until new tests are available later this summer or fall, they are unable to obtain certification until the tests are ready to take.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;RID, as the current certifying body for ASL interpreters, has established the Center for Assessment of Sign Language Interpretation (CASLI) to review the examination process and assessment for prospective CDIs. The performance exam portion is currently suspended awaiting changes and improvements. Thus, DIs who want to become certified are stuck waiting for that to happen. So they work as DIs until they can become certified.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Also, the CDI field is relatively new, and standards and best practices are constantly changing. We simply do not have a big enough pool of CDIs to meet the demand in the community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In Minnesota, there are currently 12 Certified Deaf Interpreters and 13 Deaf Interpreters who have passed the RID CDI knowledge test and are in line for the CDI performance test. There are more than 15 deaf individuals who did not take or pass CDI knowledge test and do the practice as DI.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What does a qualified CDI/DI look like?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A well-prepared CDI/DI has expert mastery of languages, both ASL and English, to be able to convey the message sent to a wide audience of various language modalities and education backgrounds. They are capable of relaying the message through a variety of methods - sign, gestures, reactions through facial expressions; eye gaze; and use of space, etc. This person needs to be able to manage the flow of the information and remain connected with the audience at the same time.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A good CDI/DI is able to team with other interpreters including hearing interpreters. The special relationship between a CDI/DI team and a hearing interpreter team ensures that the message is crafted to best deliver a fluid interpretation while also managing the pace, the content, and the delivery in a controlled manner that is a true cultural match.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;They also are well-prepared for the assignment with a strong working knowledge of the context and capable of turning the spoken message into plain language that is understood by a wide pool of viewers. They relay the message being delivered without interjecting their opinions or adding information that is not part of the original message. They may however expand on information or jargon that might be unfamiliar to viewers to ensure the message is understood.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Not every DI is qualified to become certified in the long run, and not every CDI/DI is a good fit for every interpreting situation. A good CDI/DI will know their limits and stick with their areas of specializations whether it be medical, legal, platform, or video, for instance.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We hope to see more CDIs in the future, and are currently working with a mix of CDIs and highly qualified DIs. So you might see a DI instead of a CDI but we believe that the DIs we work with are qualified, and some are ready to take their certification tests but are unable to do due to the present situation with certifying bodies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where can I learn more?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information regarding CDIs/DIs and the certification process, please visit the following websites:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://rid.org/&quot;&gt;Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.casli.org/&quot;&gt;Center for Assessment of Sign Language Interpreters (CASLI)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Representatives from Keystone Interpreting Solutions, ASL Interpreting Services, and the Minnesota Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf for their feedback.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kaitlyn Mielke for the research and script development.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sarah Houge for ASL talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Patty McCutcheon for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>445006</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-08-27T18:33:24Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Meet MNCDHH&apos;s Voters Outreach Team: First Group</Title><title>2020-08-26-meet-mncdhhs-voters-outreach-team-first-group</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-444941&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-08-26T20:07:45Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Voters Outreach Team will provide training and resources about voting in Minnesota. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Jaemi, Kim, Rania &amp; Emory Kevin</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We&apos;ll be introducing more members of MNCDHH&apos;s voters outreach team in future videos.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To learn more about and register for upcoming voting workshops, visit &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/get-involved/voting/workshops/&quot;&gt;2020 Voting Workshops&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For any questions or to schedule personalized voting workshops, contact Jessalyn Akerman-Frank at  &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn-akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;jessalyn-akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/XT0ro8-Blp0&quot; title=&quot;Meet MNCDHHs Voers Outreach Team first group&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Descriptive transcript&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Jaemi is onscreen. He smiles and begins to sign.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt;Jaemi: Hi. I&apos;m Jaemi Hagen. My pronouns are he, him, his and they, them, theirs. I live in Duluth, Minnesota. I&apos;m interested in working with a variety of special groups. The queer, transgender, and LGBTQ + community. The deaf, hard of hearing and deafblind communities, the cued speech community. I grew up using cued speech and I&apos;d really like to connect with other cuers out there. Also, people who live in rural areas. And adoptees. I was adopted from Vietnam. And I&apos;d really like to connect with other adoptees as well. It&apos;s important to vote because we have the power to choose our leaders at the city, state, and national levels. By voting, we have the power to choose our top leaders, again, at the city and the state and nationwide. Get out and vote! You have the power to choose your leaders.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Jaemi finishes signing and pauses. The screen switches over to Kim, who adjusts her glasses and begins to sign.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt;Kim: Hello. My name is Kim Wassenaar. I&apos;m a Black Deaf woman. My pronouns are she and her. I&apos;m involved with the St. Paul/Minneapolis Black Deaf Advocates as a community activist. My focus and passion is within the Black Deaf community. There is so much lack of education about voting rights and privileges. Back in my day, people used to say that Deaf people couldn&apos;t vote or were not allowed to vote. Imagine that. Times have changed. We can vote. It&apos;s important to include education, to make sure the community knows where to go, knows what the voting stances are, has the information. This is something very near and dear to my heart. I need people to see and make sure that their needs about accessibility is met. If we don&apos;t know what our voting rights are and if we don&apos;t vote, we&apos;ll be lost. So go out and vote. Thank you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Kim finishes signing and pauses. The screen switches over to Rania who adjusts something off-screen briefly, smiles, and begins to sign.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt;Rania: Hello. My name is Rania Johnson. My pronouns are she and her. My motivation is working as a language advocate with the Asian Deaf community because we understand each other through shared heritage and culture. I can also work with other ethnic groups, like immigrants or refugees, and I can understand their culture and language barriers because I am a Korean adoptee. I recognize these language and culture barriers and the need for communication and the feeling of safe space. Voting is important. Our rights, our needs need to be recognized within the law and the legislature. Such as interpreting services, medical services, support, education, community, making sure our life is advanced as much as possible. Recognize that voting is important. If you do not exercise your right to vote and there&apos;s a person, a candidate, that does not believe in the same things we do, there&apos;s a potential that they may win and our rights could be gone. There&apos;s a candidate that does believe in our rights and our needs, we need to go out and vote because then there&apos;s a possibility that they will win and our rights will stay. Voting is so important. Go out and do it!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Rania finishes signing. The screen switches over to Emory who smiles and begins to sign.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt;Emory Kevin: Hello. I&apos;m Emory Kevin Dively. I&apos;m deaf. My pronouns are he, him, his. I&apos;m extremely passionate about my involvement in my deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing and CODA community. I love helping empower them about voting, lobbying, even the census. Because they are worth the attention. I vote because my vote makes a difference. Even my one single vote has power. Because my vote reflects my feelings and my beliefs, not just for me but for my community of St. Paul, my state of Minnesota, and my country, the United States. I am proud to be a registered voter. I hope you other deaf, deafblind deaf, deafblind and hard-of-hearing people can be one too. Let&apos;s get out and vote!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Emory finishes signing and the video ends.]&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>444941</id><Tag><Description/><Title>citizen advocate</Title><Id>310308</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-08-26T21:05:17Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Mondays and Saturdays @ Home Voters Series for September</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Black and white image of a person&apos;s living room with a blue/green icon of a hand putting a ballot in a box and the text, &quot;Mondays and Saturdays @ Home Voters Series&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/My%20Post%20copy%20copy_tcm1063-444873.jpg</Url></Image><title>2020-08-26-mondays-and-saturdays-at-home-voters-series</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-444872&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-08-26T13:39:30Z</Date><ShortDescription>Sign up for voting workshops in September</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Learn about voting from the comfort of home</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Welcome to our @ Home Voters Series for the month of September. We will announce our October workshops in a future newsletter. Each week has one workshop topic. You can choose the time slot that fits your schedule the best, either Monday morning, Monday night, or Saturday morning. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All workshops will be presented in American Sign Language, with English voicing and closed captions. For additional accommodations, please contact &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; at least two business days in advance. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Personalized voter information sessions for individuals, groups, and organizations can be arranged. Please contact Jessalyn Akerman-Frank at the above email address to schedule. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is where you can learn about and sign up to attend September&apos;s voter workshops. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Vote @ Home Series Orientation&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn about the upcoming Voters Series and what the different workshops have to offer. Learn about the presenters. Learn about how you can earn your Civic Engagement Certificate and other resources that we will be using for our upcoming workshops. Bring all of your questions to this session but save some for the following series (2, 3 and 4). This event is primary an introduction to the series.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Choose one of three options:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Monday, August 31, 2020&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register for the &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAud-isqjIpG90uJlyT2JvpH-zPNY42eSEa&quot;&gt;8/31/2020 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM workshop&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;OR&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register for the &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIodeGtqzoqG9X87KtxVoHgVx_QpNrHSh8J&quot;&gt;8/31/2020 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM workshop&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;OR&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saturday, September 5, 2020&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register for the &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0sdu6hpjooGdxbOAM8XODbTneo-LccKwfN&quot;&gt;9/5/2020 10:30 AM - 12 PM workshop&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Week 1: Top Ten Tips for Voting&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In this session we will quiz ourselves and our knowledge about voting and share our experiences. We will discuss our answers and you will leave with the top ten tips for this voting season.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Choose one of three options:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tuesday, September 8, 2020 (after Labor Day weekend) &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register for the &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0uduyvrTouHdWxiJoqDf-kZKi4kgK6C563&quot;&gt;9/8/2020 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM workshop&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;OR&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register for the &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEsf--hpj4tHtwFNBtCVyHzNM2xqeEchlIl&quot;&gt;9/8/2020 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM workshop&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;OR &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saturday, September 12, 2020&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register for the &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYudOquqDIuGNc-gdt1kokYb7OCzleK9jAf&quot;&gt;9/12/2020 10:30 AM - 12 PM workshop&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Week 2: The Primary and the Elections&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In this workshop you will learn the voting timeline. Know your options for voting, how to register, use the online voting by mail tracking system and other updates. Learn about your rights for asking for accommodations and what resources you can use to support you. We will navigate the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting/&quot;&gt;mnvotes.org&lt;/a&gt; website and encourage you to ask all of your questions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Choose one of three options:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Monday, September 14, 2020&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register for the &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwrcuqsrTopHt2WivtIbmA39dQrv5xDYVhS&quot;&gt;9/14/2020 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM workshop&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;OR&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register for the &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEpdOyppz0vEtSj3EcE8Y86ru7gszXQ7kD5&quot;&gt;9/14/2020 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM workshop&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;OR&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saturday, September 19, 2020&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register for the &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIlc-2rqjsiHdIf9xNUzZm62Cv5lFxCV5S9&quot;&gt;9/19/2020 10:30 AM - 12 PM workshop&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Week 3: Voting Research 101&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Research is a big part of educating ourselves to make informed decisions about our voting choices. In this workshop, you will learn how to research candidates, distinguished between real news and fake news with by using fact checking resources. We will discuss some important community resources, networks and discussions that you can be part of to support you in making voting decisions. Come prepared to navigate the internet, social media and sources. Share your tips and tools.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Choose one of three options:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Monday, September 21, 2020&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register for the &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMpd-mgpj4pGd2vpoUwW52SEtbn7fpJvTmi&quot;&gt;9/21/2020 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM workshop&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;OR&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register for the &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwpceipqT4iEtxfPffpxYhQha-zftbUVhpC&quot;&gt;9/21/2020 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM workshop&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;OR&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saturday, September 26, 2020&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register for the &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIvd-murD4rHdOLZJt752pUWPYJI5TqjSXE&quot;&gt;9/26/2020 10:30 AM - 12 PM workshop&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Week 4: Be an Active Voter&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Voting is one aspect of engagement. Learn ways that you can participate in debates, political campaigns, discussions, and other outlets. Discuss advocating for access, participating in groups, and proposing questions to candidates that involve supporting your issues. Be familiar with your voting rights.Use your knowledge to engage others in informed decisions about voting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Choose one of three options:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Monday, September 28, 2020&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register for the &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0rd-ispjkoE9Cmf9UMsboZTv4JvcrqfWGE&quot;&gt;9/28/2020 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM workshop&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;OR&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register for the &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUvde2sqTksHNG47qHv4j6_G44LVj7tI2we&quot;&gt;9/28/2020 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM workshop&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;OR&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saturday, October 3, 2020&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register for the &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMrcuqoqT8tHtczztpcZRd6r3F69wWIPao9&quot;&gt;10/23/2020 10:30 AM - 12 PM workshop&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>444872</id><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>citizen advocate</Title><Id>310308</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-08-26T18:47:21Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>One New Board Member Appointed to MNCDHH</Title><title>2020-08-19-new-board-member-appointed</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-444113&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-08-19T13:17:41Z</Date><ShortDescription>Kathryn serves as the Northwest Representative</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Welcome back Kathryn Rose</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Meet Kathryn Rose who was recently appointed by the Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan to serve on the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) board to serve as the Northwest Representative. Kathryn previously served on MNCDHH&apos;s board a few years ago as a Metro Representative.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;textAlignCenter&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;As a former mental health counselor, and with the concerns of accessible treatment programs for deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing individuals with substance use disorder, I am thrilled to have someone with Kathryn&apos;s knowledge and connections contribute to our board,&quot;  said Executive Director Darlene G. Zangara, Ph.D. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;textAlignCenter&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Board Chair Michele Isham agreed noting, &quot;Addiction is an issue that affects our hearing loss communities in both the Twin Cities Metro Area and Greater Minnesota. In fact, it has a national impact. Let&apos;s see what we can do to address health and communication access disparities.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With Kathryn&apos;s recent appointment, there is currently one open position on the board remaining, the seat for a Southwest Representative. The person who fills this seat must also be a member of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (DHHSD) regional office advisory committee in this area. We expect a few seats will open in January 2021.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/MNCDHH_Headshot-45_tcm1063-309050.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Kathryn Rose (Individual photo)&quot; alt=&quot;Kathryn Rose (Individual photo)&quot; style=&quot;width: 150px; height: 194px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Kathryn Rose (Individual photo)&quot; /&gt; Kathryn Rose, Northwest Representative (Term ends: 1/4/2021)&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kathryn is currently a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor~Supervisor (LADC-S) for the Community Addictions Recovery Enterprises (C.A.R.E.) for the State of Minnesota, in Fergus Falls since October 2018. She previously worked as a LADC counselor for Minnesota Health Fairview Program Serving Deaf, Hard of Hearing and DeafBlind Individuals and was there for over 11 years. She graduated from St. Catherine University&apos;s interpreter training program. She has worked as a program coordinator, program manager, in adult foster care, and supported living clinical coordinator for 15 years. During this time, she returned to college and received a degree in psychology and obtained licensure for alcohol and drug counseling (LADC). She is also the president of Deaf Can, Inc. She, along with Herman Fuechtmann and Mike Adams, opened the first collaborative sober living program with RS Eden for those in recovery who are Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing. This was made possible with help from MNCDHH, the Minnesota Department of Human Services Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD), and a grant from the Alcohol and Drug Division of the State of Minnesota. She is also supervising Deaf Can, Inc.&apos;s, Deaf Outreach Services (DOS). This program provides ILS/CADI, services under 245D licenses for the State of Minnesota. Kathryn can be found at her cabin in western Minnesota on most weekends and exploring Northwest Minnesota areas.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;textAlignCenter&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;It is important to me to serve on this board because…I believe together we CAN make a difference in our community.&quot; ~ Kathryn Rose&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>444113</id><Tag><Description/><Title>board</Title><Id>310266</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-08-19T13:30:10Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Community Spotlight: Hearing Loss Association of America - Twin Cities Chapter</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Collage with three images: The left image features a room full of HLAA members seated and watching the presentation in front of them. The top right image is HLAA&apos;s logo. The bottom right image shows Christine speaking stage, using a microphone and a light illuminating her face.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/community-spotlight-hlaa-tc_tcm1063-442746.jpg</Url></Image><title>2020-08-10-community-spotlight-hlaa-tc</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-442745&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-08-10T20:07:28Z</Date><ShortDescription>Interviewed by Kaitlyn Mielke</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Interview with Christine Morgan, current president of HLAA-TC Chapter</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Christine Morgan, HLAA-TC Chapter President was interviewed by Kaitlyn Mielke online.  Christine is also the Metro Advisory Council Representative serving on MNCDHH&apos;s board. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tell me more about the HLAA-TC Chapter. The history, the mission, the goals?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Christine:&lt;/strong&gt; The Hearing Loss Association of American has been providing information, education, support, and advocacy since 1979. The previous name was Self Help for Hard of Hearing (SHHH) people, was changed to HLAA in 2007. Our Twin Cities Chapter started in 1989. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What resources and/or activities does the Twin Cities chapter provide for its members?  &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Christine:&lt;/strong&gt; (Prior to the Pandemic) We have monthly meetings from September through May on the 3rd Saturday of the month. The second half of the meeting provides updates to the members and guests on legislative issues, technology updates, and open forums in which to share stories and experiences. The meeting starts with an expert/professional speaker covering a variety of issues related to hearing loss. Some have been physicians, audiologists, therapists, hearing support dogs, technology companies, etc. We have also brought in life-support trainers to teach CPR/AED. Our December meetings include potlucks and a white elephant gift exchange. Our May meeting always includes a potluck and sometimes a bingo game or silent auction. Most years we also have a Live Well with Hearing Loss Conference to bring together vendors and organizations related to hearing loss, where we invite our members and the general public to attend at no cost. At these conferences, we also provide professional speakers on several hearing loss issues.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We do have a Membership Committee, a Legislative Committee, and a Welcoming-type Committee. Importantly, we do offer a Mentor Program. Another Board member and I deal with people who are either new to hearing loss or struggling with hearing loss in any way. We either help and support them or we refer them out (as appropriate). &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What information and content is covered during the HLAA-TC meetings? Does one have to be a member to attend a meeting?  &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Christine:&lt;/strong&gt; One does not have to be a member to attend a meeting. Many people with an interest in hearing loss come (alone or with a friend or family members) to learn more about living well with hearing loss. Some come a few times because they are interested in the speaker at that particular meeting. They come for education, support, gathering with others who have the same problem (hearing loss), sharing ideas for improving their lives as they struggle with hearing loss, and for many different reasons. Our meeting area is looped and we have a live captioner during meetings. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please share about previous guest speakers who come to share with HLAA-TC members. What topics do they cover, and what are hot topics that might be covered in the future?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Christine:&lt;/strong&gt; Some of the topics we have covered: tinnitus, aural rehabilitations, hearing loss dogs, cochlear implant company panels, clear speech, fire safety with hearing loss, technology updates, legislative updates, Meniere&apos;s disease, research updates on hearing loss, research on the efforts expended trying to hear, untreated hearing loss, hyperacusis, communication challenges and solutions, looping, ADA, - just to name a few. Right now a hot topic is Virtual Medical Visits and the challenges of hearing loss during masking and social distancing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How have HLAA-TC&apos;s activities changed on account of the COVID-19 outbreak? How are members staying connected?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Christine:&lt;/strong&gt; The Board is busy working on what future meetings will look like. How do we keep social distancing when distance and/or masks severely decrease our ability to understand speech. We&apos;ve cancelled our meetings since March. We are seriously looking at our current space in the Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute to determine how and/if we can continue our meetings at the location. We are also trying to determine if we can hold our conference in October at the local hotel we contracted with. We normally only put out our newsletters from September through June. This year, we are skipping the June newsletter in favor of a July issue in order to reach our audience throughout the summer. We&apos;ve encouraged our members to write to us and share their stories.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What&apos;s in the plan for the future? What would you like to see happen with HLAA-TC?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Christine:&lt;/strong&gt; The immediate plan is to determine how we can meet the needs of our membership, while keeping them safe. Our goal is to provide the support, information, education, and advocacy for those with hearing loss. We would like to get the word out to the 20% of the population (and their communication partners) that they are not alone. We can help, either directly or by referring them to a person or organization, when appropriate. We would like to reach those who do not live in the metro.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How can prospective individuals join HLAA-TC and/or sign up for the newsletter to stay informed? Who can join?  &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Christine&lt;/strong&gt;: Prospective members can either contact &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:editor@hlaatc.org&quot;&gt;editor@hlaatc.org&lt;/a&gt; or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:info@hlaatc.org&quot;&gt;info@hlaatc.org&lt;/a&gt; to get on the newsletter list. Anyone interested can join by contacting the same email addresses. They can also contact any of the officers &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.hlaatc.org/&quot;&gt;on our website&lt;/a&gt;. We&apos;d love to hear from them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anything more you would like to share with the community?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Christine:&lt;/strong&gt; We are a volunteer, self-help organization (currently the only Chapter in Minnesota) devoted to helping those with hearing loss who communicate verbally. We just changed our post office box (our old one was damaged in the riots) to P. O. Box 26021, Minneapolis, MN 55426.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>442745</id><Tag><Description/><Title>community spotlight</Title><Id>432585</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>age-related hearing loss</Title><Id>310251</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>citizen advocate</Title><Id>310308</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-08-10T21:13:27Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Community Spotlight: iCanConnect, the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>ICC logo with silhouettes of people in a line, all connected.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/ICanConnectHeader_tcm1063-441984.jpg</Url></Image><title>2020-07-29-community-spotlight-i-can-connect</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-441986&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-07-29T16:52:36Z</Date><ShortDescription>Interviewed by Kaitlyn Mielke</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Interview with Heather Anderson, iCanConnect representative</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Heather Anderson was interviewed by Kaitlyn Mielke online. Heather has worked in the community as a job coach, SSP (Support Staff Provider), DeafBlind interpreter, Independent Living Skills coach, and volunteer. She started working part time in 2012  with Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division, supporting the State’s DeafBlind Consumer Directed Services grant program and the new Federal pilot program iCanConnect. In late 2014, she began working with iCanConnect in a full time capacity to coordinate the Minnesota program and work in partnership with Perkins School for the Blind in Massachusetts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Who does the iCC program serve? Who is eligible?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Heather:&lt;/strong&gt; The program serves people with combined significant hearing and vision loss, who meet the program’s disability and income guidelines. Check iCC&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.icanconnect.org/see-if-you-qualify&quot;&gt;See if You Qualify page&lt;/a&gt; for more information. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While the program does not have age restrictions, every person who meets the income and disability eligibility requirements must be able to demonstrate they are able to engage in distance communication in order to be eligible for equipment and services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How can a prospective consumer receive products through the iCC? What does the process look like?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Heather:&lt;/strong&gt; Once consumers are accepted into the program, they receive an individualized assessment that addresses each person’s specific hearing and vision loss, goals for distance communication, prior experience with equipment, and existing equipment they have. Equipment is purchased, then it’s setup and installed and training begins. Each local program makes decisions about what each program participant receives within program guidelines.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What kind of equipment does the iCC provide?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Heather:&lt;/strong&gt; The equipment distributed through the program is designed to make the following services accessible:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Voice communication through wireline and wireless telephones.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Internet-based voice communication.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Email, text messaging, and instant messaging.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Interoperable video conferencing services.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Internet access, including information services.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The equipment may be mainstream or specialized hardware, software or applications and must meet the needs of the deaf-blind individual to achieve access. Equipment warranties, maintenance and repairs may also be provided. Examples of the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.icanconnect.org/equipment&quot;&gt;categories of equipment iCanConnect provides&lt;/a&gt; are listed. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What are the most common requests?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Heather:&lt;/strong&gt; The equipment provided varies depending on individuals and advancements in technology. However, in my experience the most requested equipment in Minnesota are:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Cellular phones: for accessible text size, colors, Bluetooth capacities connecting to hearing aids, Cochlear Implants with Bluetooth connectivity, or headsets.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tablets: for similar reasons as cellular but much larger screen size for improved access; and for some who do not have cellular service and use WiFi only. Tablets can improve video communications for some, increases magnification for emails and other family / friend contact.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Computers and accessible software: Laptops and Desktops / software: ZoomText and Jaws.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Braille Displays: various options for access. Some braille displays can receive communications independent of another device and use WiFi connection to the internet; and some displays connect to cellular, tablet or computer to receive braille information from the device itself.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Landline based amplified phones or captioning phones: some individuals request additional support for amplification phones, Captioning, and answering machines with message review speed options.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Who provides the equipment? (How is the program funded?)&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Heather:&lt;/strong&gt; As per the Twenty-first Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act, signed into federal law on October 8, 2010, the FCC established the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program (NDBEDP) to certify and provide funding to entities in each state so they can distribute specialized customer premises equipment to low-income individuals who are deaf-blind. The program is funded through the Interstate Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) Fund.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) administers the program in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands. The FCC certifies one organization in each state/U.S. Territory to administer the program locally, and provides funding for qualified consumer services and equipment, local outreach, and train-the-trainer expenses. National outreach for the entire program is also funded.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Within the program rules, each local program determines the equipment and services provided.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How can folks contact iCC for more information and questions?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Heather:&lt;/strong&gt; Find your local program at &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.icanconnect.org/states&quot;&gt;iCC&apos;s website&lt;/a&gt; or call 800-825-4595. Applications to the program can be downloaded at each state program’s page on the website, or can be provided upon request from each state program contact.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>441986</id><Tag><Description/><Title>accessible technology</Title><Id>310264</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>community spotlight</Title><Id>432585</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>deafblind</Title><Id>499876</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-09-20T18:39:29Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Student Access During COVID-19</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Five participants streaming remotely: Ann Mayes, CDI Sarah Hogue, Paige Gerlach, Kobe Schroeder, and Luke Stadelman.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Capture_tcm1063-441429.PNG</Url></Image><title>2020-07-24-student-access-during-covid-19</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-441426&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-07-24T13:58:12Z</Date><ShortDescription>At the time of this newsletter release, we do not yet know if students will return to the classroom, be learning under a hybrid model, or continue with distance learning. This video series was created in anticipation for whenever students who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing return to their classrooms with social distancing requirements. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Challenges and potential barriers to communication &amp; access to learning</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At the time of this newsletter release, Governor Walz has not yet released guidance to schools about the format for learning this fall. We do not yet know if students will return to the classroom, continue with full-time distance learning, or learn in a hybrid format. This video series was created in anticipation of meeting the communication access needs of students who are deaf or hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After schools reopen and students return to their classrooms, there will be challenges and potential barriers with communication and access to learning for students who are deaf/hard of hearing. These challenges need to be considered and addressed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To address the expected challenges and barriers, a group of organizations, teachers, and recent high school graduates who are deaf or hard of hearing decided to create three videos that highlight these challenges and more importantly, suggest possible solutions. Each video targets a different audience: general education teachers, parents, and special educators (e.g., teachers of deaf/hard of hearing, special education teachers, sign language interpreters, and paraprofessionals). People who are deaf/hard of hearing share their struggles in general education settings as well as possible solutions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Watch the videos!&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/student-access-covid-19/&quot;&gt;Go to the project description.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/student-access-covid-19/videos/&quot;&gt;Watch the videos.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Videos&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The videos are:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/baytvEIMGz0&quot;&gt;Information for DHH Staff&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/huba2EISYdM&quot;&gt;Information for General Ed Staff&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/wlPhIe4j3AA&quot;&gt;Information for Parents&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All videos have ASL interpretation, English voiceover, closed captions, and descriptive transcripts. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Paige Gerlach, 2020 graduate of Farmington High School, incoming freshman at St. Cloud State University&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Emily Manson, Teacher of Deaf/Hard of Hearing – St. Paul Public Schools&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ann Mayes, Independent Contractor – Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Anna Paulson, Director of Educational Advancement and Partnerships – Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kobe Schroeder, 2019 graduate of Lakeville North High School, current student and football player at Gallaudet University&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Luke Stadelman, 2019 graduate of Lakeville North High School, current student at University of Minnesota – Twin Cities&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Low Incidence Projects&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>441426</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-07-24T16:34:48Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Updates on MNCDHH&apos;s Civic Engagement Work</Title><title>2020-07-23-update-on-mncdhhs-civic-engagement-work</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-441312&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-07-23T14:05:33Z</Date><ShortDescription>Census 2020, &quot;Vote from Home&quot; workshop series, and Lobby Day 2021 (save the date for March 16, 2021).</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Three projects planned for 2020-2021</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our Director of Community &amp;amp; Civic Engagement, Jessalyn Akerman-Frank, discusses MNCDHH&apos;s three civic engagement projects for 2020-2021. She shares information about MNCDHH&apos;s diverse contractors from all walks of life and how we have adjusted our community outreach (hint: we are not letting COVID-19 stop us from doing our work). The three projects are Census 2020, Vote from Home workshops, and Lobby Day 2021!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/tMmTssWtANE&quot; title=&quot;2020-2021 civic engagement work&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Descriptive transcript&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Jessalyn is smiling and begins to sign, accompanied by voiceover and captions.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jessalyn: Hello, my name is Jessalyn Akerman-Frank and I am the Director of Community and Civic Engagement with the (Minnesota) Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Today I wanted to take a moment to share some news about our civic engagement work. Maybe you don&apos;t know that MNCDHH has 11 contractors with different expertise and backgrounds and many of them who identify as deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many of you have reached out wanting to work with us, to do outreach in specific cultural communities and so we agreed to this and support this. So all of our contractors have received training and are ready to work within their communities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our goal is to reach every region of Minnesota and to meet the needs of all who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing with varying ways of communicating; American Sign Language, spoken English, Tactile American Sign Language, Cued Speech etc.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We&apos;re excited and we want you to have the opportunity to meet all of them (our contractors) and you&apos;ll learn about them in the next video. We want you to have this opportunity to meet them. We will also set up a Zoom Meet and Greet. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Now I invite you to learn about our civic engagement projects that we are focusing on. We have three of them and I will share all three of them with you right now. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The first one is Census 2020. Maybe you&apos;re familiar a little bit but when you fill out the census about your home, your region, where you live, that information is given to the government to have an accurate count so these areas can receive funding for programs, services, health care, etc., and for voting. If you haven&apos;t filled out your census, you still have time. You can do so online because the deadline is coming up in August. This is when folks will come knocking at your door to make sure that you have filled out the census. So we want to try to avoid that. We want to make sure you do that online. So I will show you the link of the census website so you&apos;re familiar on where to go and what it looks like. I&apos;ll share my screen right now so you can see it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Jessalyn leans forward to change her screen. She disappears from view and the website she pulls up replaces her. She continues to sign off-screen temporarily and the viewer has access through either captions, the transcript, voiceover, or a combination.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Main content on my2020census.gov: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Welcome to the 2020 Census&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It&apos;s quick and easy. The 2020 Census questionnaire will take about 10 minutes to complete.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It&apos;s safe, secure, and confidential. Your information and privacy are protected.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Your response helps to direct billions of dollars in federal funds to local communities for schools, roads, and other public services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Results from the 2020 Census will be used to determine the number of seats each state has in Congress and your political representation at all levels of government.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Getting started:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You must complete your questionnaire once you begin. If you leave the questionnaire and return later, you will have to start over.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do not use the web browser buttons (back, forward, or close browser). Use the buttons within the questionnaire to navigate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For best results, use the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, or Safari. Enable cookies.”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jessalyn: So the link is my2020census.gov. You can click &quot;start questionnaire.&quot; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Jessalyn uses her arrow to click on “start questionnaire” and the new page appears. The main content on this page has the following text, &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Please Log In&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use the materials we mailed to you or left at your door.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All the information that you provide will remain confidential.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where can I find my 12-digit Census ID?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please enter the 12-digit Census ID found in the materials we mailed to you or left at your door.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Login button&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you do not have a Census ID, click here.”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jessalyn: If you have received information in the mail and have an id number, you can go ahead and fill that out here. If you have not or you don&apos;t know your id number, no problem, you can still see where it says, right there, that you don&apos;t know. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Jessalyn clicks on the “I don’t know“ link which leads to a new page with the following text, “In order to collect your address, we first need to know where you were living on April 1, 2020 (help). Please select where you we reliving on April 1, 2020.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A U.S. state or the District of Columbia&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Puerto Rico&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Somewhere Else”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jessalyn: You can click that and then you can go ahead and fill out the information about your home, the people who live with you, etc.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If the website is challenging or you&apos;re not understanding the process, not a problem, you can contact me at jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Jessalyn becomes visible onscreen again. She continues to sign.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jessalyn: So that&apos;s the first project that we&apos;ve been working on. Congratulations to our contractors and partners! We are number one here in Minnesota for self-reporting for the census. That&apos;s great news! I want to recognize MNCDHH partners and contractors for taking the lead in creating accessible information and platforms to do outreach for the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing communities making sure that they access that information and fill out the census. We are not done yet. Remember, if you have not filled it out please do as soon as possible. And again, if you need any help whatsoever, we&apos;re here.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We look forward to partnering again in 2030!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So our second project we&apos;re going to focus on is Voters Outreach at Home. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I know you&apos;ve probably seen in past years that we&apos;ve done this event but now with COVID we can&apos;t do face to face for these sessions. This year they are hosted online on Zoom. They&apos;re structured to have very interactive information [from the comfort of home]. Our contractors work in teams to provide these workshops for you so you&apos;re comfortable about voting and the Commission will be hosting Zoom at Home Voting Series. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We will offer four different workshops [in this series]. The first workshop is called &quot;The Top 10 Tips for Voting.&quot; The second one is about &quot;Primary and Elections.&quot; The third is &quot;Voters Research 101.&quot; And the fourth is &quot;Be an Active Voter.&quot; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So all of these will be offered for about an hour online through Zoom. Another option is a 90-minute comprehensive workshop (all 4 workshops in one). If you&apos;re looking to host that workshop for your group or organization, we can also do that to offer all four of them in 90 minutes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And so that&apos;s our second project. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Now our third project and last project is... I know you&apos;re familiar with our biennial Lobby Day. It is very exciting so you need to save the date! March 16th, 2021.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Last year we offered &quot;The Art of Lobbying&quot; training. Community members had the opportunity to meet their legislators, tour the State Office Building, tour the Capitol, and discuss tips on how to lobby for specific bills or issues that were important to them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Again, due to COVID, this year we cannot offer that face-to-face but we are offering it online.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So where do you find all this information about all of our work? You can subscribe to our Facebook page, newsletter, and watch our website for updates.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So now I&apos;m going to show you where to find all that information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Jessalyn leans forward to change the display on the recorded video to her computer screen. She disappears from view. Onscreen is Google’s homepage.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jessalyn (off-screen): So you can go ahead and look on Google.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Viewers can see Jessalyn’s screen where she is typing “Minnesota Commission…” and then she clicks on “Minnesota Commission on deaf deafblind and hard of hearing” from the drop down. She then clicks on MNCDHH’s website (mn.gov/deaf-commission) and arrives at our homepage. Her mouse is then shown scrolling to “About Us – Who We Are – Contractors.” She clicks on “Contractors” and a page with our contractor profiles appear.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jessalyn (off-screen): All of our contractors are right here. You can learn more about them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Jessalyn clicks on Jaemi Hagen’s profile for their individual page.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jessalyn (off-screen): Here&apos;s one for example.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Jessalyn then clicks on “News” from the top navigation bar. Her mouse hovers over various articles on this page. She clicks on the article titled “Voters Info Session (ASL &amp;amp; English) Recording Now Available.”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jessalyn (off-screen): Here&apos;s information about the Commission.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Jessalyn clicks on “News” again.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jessalyn: You can always go to MNCDHH News to learn what&apos;s going on next and learn more about our voting outreach.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Jessalyn returns to the top navigation bar and scrolls over to “Advocacy &amp;amp; Issues – Civic Engagement.” Then she clicks on “MNCDHH News – Lobby Day” from the page, which shows all of MNCDHH’s news articles with the ‘Lobby Day’ tag.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jessalyn (off-screen): Here&apos;s information about Lobby Day.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Jessalyn returns to the top navigation bar and scrolls over to “Advocacy &amp;amp; Issues – Civic Engagement.” Then she clicks on “MNCDHH News – Voting” from the page, which shows all of MNCDHH’s news articles with the ‘Voting’ tag.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jessalyn (off-screen): Voter outreach information and news.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Jessalyn returns onscreen.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jessalyn: Again, remember, anytime you have any questions, or if you want to set up a workshop, please contact me.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Again, my email is jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I look forward to working with you soon! Have a wonderful day. Bye bye.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>441312</id><Tag><Description/><Title>citizen advocate</Title><Id>310308</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-07-23T17:27:42Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Two Board Members Appointed to MNCDHH</Title><title>2020-07-10-two-board-members-appointed-to-mncdhh</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-439789&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-07-10T20:12:46Z</Date><ShortDescription>&quot;Having Ryan and Brenda join our board will bring fresh new perspective and energy,&quot; said Executive Director Darlene Zangara</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Welcome Ryan Odland and Brenda Hommerding</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH is pleased to announce the appointment of Ryan Odland and Brenda Hommerding to our board. Their appointments were announced by the Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan on June 30, 2020.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&quot;Having Ryan and Brenda join our board will bring fresh new perspective and energy,  said Executive Director Darlene Zangara. &quot;Ryan&apos;s background in vocational rehabilitation, combined with Dr. Mohamed Mourssi Alfash&apos;s knowledge in disability employment, gives us a really strong knowledge base for addressing employment issues in the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing community. Ryan is also a  strong deafblind advocate and I am excited he will help us reduce communication access barriers for DeafBlind and Speaking DeafBlind Minnesotans. Brenda Hommerding, thanks to her personal experience in a multi-generational family with hearing loss and her work with Minnesota Hands &amp;amp; Voices, will give us more connection families and children and increase our ability to address any systemic barriers they experience. We are excited for Brenda&apos;s knowledge to join our parent representative, Krista Dillman, in this endeavor.&quot; &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Meet Ryan and Brenda below:&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/ryan_odland%20%28002%29_tcm1063-439785.png&quot; title=&quot;Ryan Odland headshot&quot; alt=&quot;Ryan Odland headshot&quot; style=&quot;width: 100px; height: 133px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Ryan Odland headshot&quot; /&gt; Ryan Odland, At-Large Member (Term ends: 1/1/2024)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ryan Odland currently works as a Regional Representative for the North Central region with Helen Keller National Center. Ryan previously worked as a vocational rehabilitation counselor with Minnesota State Services for the Blind. Ryan, who is DeafBlind with Usher Syndrome Type 1, is a proud husband and father of two young children. He holds a bachelor&apos;s degree in psychology from Rochester Institute of Technology and a master&apos;s degree in special education from Gallaudet University. Ryan is working towards his second master&apos;s degree in rehabilitation counseling from the University of Wisconsin-Stout. As a board member, Ryan brings a wealth of knowledge and firsthand perspective on accessibility, community resources, and vocational rehabilitation. He strives to advocate for deaf-blind awareness and program development at local, state, and national levels.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;“[A] board is not the only platform, but one of many mediums, to present your concerns, ideas and recommendations towards enhancing programs and services for all. That is why I am here to support MNCDHH with its initiatives and to create new opportunities alongside with Minnesota DeafBlind community.”&lt;/em&gt; ~ Ryan Odland&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Brenda_tcm1063-439784.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Brenda Hommerding headshot&quot; alt=&quot;Brenda Hommerding headshot&quot; style=&quot;width: 100px; height: 120px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Brenda Hommerding headshot&quot; /&gt; Brenda Hommerding, West Central Representative (Term ends: 1/1/2024)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Brenda has recently joined the West Central DHHS Advisory Board. Even though she lives in Rice, MN with her husband, Lynn, she has served on the Central MN DHHS board in the past for 10 years. She feels the experience of living and connecting with so many in Greater Minnesota will allow her to support the West Central region too. Brenda has worked for over 14 years with Minnesota Hands &amp;amp; Voices serving as the Central Parent Guide, Lead Outstate Parent guide, and now has been the Guide By Your Side Manager for the past 3 years. Brenda’s professional experience includes working with families to help them on their journey with their children who have been identified with a hearing difference. Brenda also works with numerous professionals across the state and the United States to help better systems, bring awareness of hearing issues, and to strongly advocate for all who are deaf, hard of hearing, and deafblind. Brenda strives to be a strong leader and continues to work with all of MNHV’s staff to be stronger leaders in their respective regions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Brenda’s personal experience includes growing up and living with deaf grandparents; being exposed to the deaf community; finding out that she herself is hard of hearing at the age of 16; has used a variety of communication and technology options; raised twin girls, both with different levels of hearing; and now has a grandson that is deaf. Brenda has been a part of 4 different generations of deafness and hearing levels which has all posed their challenges. By surviving the challenges through each generation her passion is to help other families advocate and be prepared for any situation that arises.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;“I am thrilled to serve on the MNCDHH board which will allow me to bring issues from families across the state to the forefront and to help advocate so everyone has equal access to language regardless of their communication and/or technology choices.”&lt;/em&gt; – Brenda Hommerding&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are still two open seats; one seat is for a Northwest Representative and one seat is for a Southwest Representative. Individuals serving in these seats must also be a member of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (DHHSD) regional office advisory committee in their area. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional information&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;See who is on the board: &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/about/who-we-are/board/&quot;&gt;Who We Are: Board&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Learn about joining the board: &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/get-involved/join-the-board/&quot;&gt;Join the Board&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>439789</id><Tag><Description/><Title>board</Title><Id>310266</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-07-10T20:25:06Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Community Spotlight: Guthrie Theater</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Guthrie logo with the caption and interpreter icons</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/My%20Post%20%282%29%20%281%29_tcm1063-439269.jpg</Url></Image><title>2020-07-07-community-spotlight-guthrie</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-439271&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-07-07T15:26:29Z</Date><ShortDescription>A conversation with Hunter Gullickson, the Accessibility Manager at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis; and Regina Daniels, the ASL Master working with Guthrie team interpreters for performances. Interviewed by Kaitlyn Mielke. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Interview with Hunter Gullickson and Regina Daniels</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A conversation with Hunter Gullickson, the Accessibility Manager at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis; and Regina Daniels, the ASL Master working with Guthrie team interpreters for performances. Interviewed by Kaitlyn Mielke. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hunter, please share the history of accessibility at the Guthrie. When did the theater start providing access to Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of hearing audiences? How have the access options expanded over the years?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hunter:&lt;/strong&gt; The Guthrie began offering ASL interpreted performances in 1979 and the first assistive listening system was installed in 1984. Audio description for patrons who are blind or have low vision began in 1992, the Guthrie was a regional leader and provided the training for most of the describers in the area. The first open captioned performance was in 2007 and relaxed performances began in 2018. Relaxed performances are intended to be sensitive to and accepting of any audience member who may benefit from a more relaxed environment. Small modifications are made to performances, which may include reducing the volume of loud noises and effects, eliminating strobe lights, keeping the house lights on and having a relaxed attitude toward sound and movement in the audience.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility has been an organization value for decades and I feel that the Guthrie has continually worked to connect with various communities to make sure that programs and services are sustainable and maintain a high level of quality. These partnerships have led to the expansion of existing programs and creation of new ones. We have also used these connections to provide staff training, host community dialogues and offer mentoring and teaching opportunities for ASL interpreters and audio describers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What types of access services are currently available for Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing audiences at the Guthrie?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hunter:&lt;/strong&gt; The Guthrie offers FM assistive listening devices for all performances. ASL interpreted and open captioned performances are offered for select performances, however both services are also available by request and can be added to additional performances. DeafBlind interpreting services are available by request as well so that we can match the appropriate interpreting needs and seating requests for the individual patron. We have magnification goggles and can send large print or electronic materials for patrons to help prepare for their visits. A schedule of performances is available on our website, and additional requests can be made through the box office. We request a two week notice, but will do our best to honor all requests and have done so with shorter lead times.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We currently hire teams of three interpreters for our ASL interpreted performances, this allows us to use a variety of options that can include hearing interpreters, Deaf interpreters and sign masters.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Regina, how did you join the Guthrie as ASL Master?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Regina:&lt;/strong&gt; When I moved to Minnesota in 2017, I met Patty Gordon [an interpreter], and she was the one who introduced me to Hunter Gullickson at the Guthrie. I shared my previous experience with Hunter about working as an ASL Master and my work with Chicago theater companies. Since then, I began working with the Guthrie, and it&apos;s been going on three years now.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What are the responsibilities of an ASL Master?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Regina:&lt;/strong&gt; My responsibilities as an ASL Master or as a consultant are to work with interpreters and read the scripts beforehand. The goal is to provide ASL translation for the audiences who come to see the show. The interpreters and I will see the show at least once or twice to examine the characters, the setting, and the overall vibe of the play. We’ll then discuss who will take which roles and how to put the script into a meaning-based interpretation. We also provide a pre-show for the audience members who use the interpreting services and discuss what the show is about and if they have any questions. We also create name signs to match the actors’ characters and style. Another responsibility is to promote the shows to the deaf community through social media, word of mouth, and share the updates with schools. I also mentor other ASL Masters who are interested in learning the ropes. After mentoring the ASL Masters, they will be able to take the lead on shows and work with the interpreters.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What does the translation process look like?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Regina:&lt;/strong&gt; The translation process involves rehearsals where we review the scripts, find lines that will need cultural modification to be more readily understood. First we will view the show together and discuss the show overall, characters, and how to split the characters. Sometimes we will also immediately identify the characters’ name signs. Each script requires several practices where the interpreters will interpret a run-through of the script while the ASL Masters provide feedback to make sure it’s clear and accurate. For example, we don’t sign some smaller words like “yeah” or “oh”, instead we show it with facial expression and body movement. We often use classifiers if possible to provide a clear image of what they are saying between the lines.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hunter, I understand that the Guthrie supports local arts organizations with opportunities to borrow equipment such as the captioning display and audio description equipment. How can organizations contact the Guthrie Theater for rental information?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hunter:&lt;/strong&gt; We strive to be a community asset and one of the ways we do this is by sharing our resources. We have captioning equipment, FM kits that can be used for audio description and language translation, and can also prepare Braille and large print materials for organizations. Email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:accessibility@guthrietheater.org&quot;&gt;accessibility@guthrietheater.org&lt;/a&gt; or visit the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.guthrietheater.org/access&quot;&gt;Guthrie website&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What are your favorite parts of working at the Guthrie? Any memorable moments or stories you’d like to share?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Regina:&lt;/strong&gt; There are so many memories that I love working with the Guthrie. I remember when I watched Guys and Dolls, I was in awe and so excited to work with the interpreters for the show. The interpreters were amazing and we all had so much fun translating the songs, and providing different approaches for the ASL interpretation. My first experience working as Deaf Interpreter with two amazing hearing Interpreters was Floyd’s. It was an amazing opportunity to be able to interpret the show instead of coaching the interpreters. I enjoyed hearing the feedback from deaf audiences who experience the joy and thrill of having someone who is able to translate well into ASL and bring the storyline alive for the audience. Every show I have done working with the Guthrie and the community there is amazing. I’ve felt like I am welcome there.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hunter:&lt;/strong&gt; My favorites all involve connections with people. With a tenure of 20+ years, the staff is very much like family to me and I have built meaningful friendships with service providers, patrons and volunteers. I think about the times that we had more than 75 visitors come from the American Council of the Blind national conference and more than 400 visitors from the Hearing Loss Association of America national conference, plus the scores of patrons coming to watch Tribes, a play about a character who is born deaf and raised to read lips without having any knowledge of sign language or Deaf culture. These were not simply milestones, but opportunities for people from around the globe to visit our space, enjoy a performance and provide vital feedback. There are incredible testimonies from patrons that previously felt alienated from the theater and discovered that our captioning service allowed them to attend and feel that enrichment of live performances again.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There have been so many people over the years who have shared their stories and wisdom. Three that stick out right now are women who have all passed away but have helped form much of the standards that I adhere to today. Caryl Barnett was blind and had a calm and loving nature. She would call frequently to provide guidance that showed by changing how we think about a particular issue, we could make things better for many people not only those who have vision loss. Lee Perish was Deaf and instilled in me the importance of holding services providers to the highest standards. You knew when she enjoyed something because she had a cackle you could hear for miles. Pam Truesdell initiated much of the accessibility programs at the Guthrie and ran the box office for many years. It’s from her that I learned how to truly listen to people and develop strong customer service skills.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What are some challenges or barriers you both have faced while working at the Guthrie?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Regina:&lt;/strong&gt; I can’t recall if there are any barriers or challenges that I have faced while working at the Guthrie. I do know that finding the right interpreters and making sure the diverse representation is available for the audiences and to the interpreters are essential part of our work. We have used captions for every show, and sign language interpreters as well.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hunter:&lt;/strong&gt; I agree with Regina, a major challenge we face is representation within our ASL teams. We need to establish increased opportunities in the region for Deaf audiences to see interpreting teams that match identities displayed on stage.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I personally feel that we also need to continue to enhance our community outreach, finding ways for patrons to participate in additional programming the Guthrie offers, hiring more people with disabilities and continuing to find ways to make it easier for people to feel welcome. Theater arts are essential to so many and it is our job to make the connection possible and not force people to have to advocate for better accessibility so that they can participate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What does the future of theater accessibility look to you both? What’s next on the access agenda for the Guthrie?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hunter:&lt;/strong&gt; The future holds many opportunities. There are organizations and consortiums forming locally and nationally that are working together to help identify and break down barriers that still exist and provide opportunities for artists with disabilities to showcase their talents. I also see progress occurring in web accessibility. Whenever we can get back to producing plays at the Guthrie, I am looking forward to robust conversations with interpreters and sign masters to continue our work of defining roles and finding opportunities to connect with the community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Regina&lt;/strong&gt;: In the future, I hope to see more deaf and hard of hearing communities continue to come and see the shows while we offer ASL and captions for them. I feel like the next step is really listening and hearing from the audiences to see what they need and hope the Guthrie provides. As an ASL Master, next on my agenda is to become more involved with the community such as providing workshops, training, and mentoring to those who enjoy theater. I remember when I provided a workshop/presentation at the Guthrie for one of the programs, and I was surprised to meet those who shared the same interests. It was also good to see Deaf or Hearing interpreters coming together to let us know how we can encourage them to continue to grow and improve as interpreters. That was such a good experience, I think doing that again would be a good start to building a stronger network with the communities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the Guthrie&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Guthrie Theater has received a number of awards, including the MN Association of Deaf Citizens Community Award, Governor’s Award: Technology Related Assistance for People with Disabilities and the VSA Arts and Metropolitan Life Foundation national award. The Guthrie was also the host site for the Kennedy Center’s Leadership Exchange for Arts and Disability (LEAD) conference in 2007 in partnership with VSA MN and the MN State Arts Board.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>439271</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>community spotlight</Title><Id>432585</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-07-07T15:53:35Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Voters Info Session (ASL &amp; English) Recording Now Available</Title><title>2020-06-29-voter-info-session-recording</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-438320&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-06-29T14:49:13Z</Date><ShortDescription>Live recording on voting, provided by the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing and our special guests from the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State and Ramsey County Elections. Secretary of State Steve Simon, Voter Outreach Director Nasser Mussa, Voter Outreach Specialist Michael Wall, and Ramsey County Elections Administrator Emily Hunt shared valuable information about voting safely and securely in 2020.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Recording has ASL interpreters, captions and a descriptive transcript</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Recording&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/NPChimo_wmc&quot; title=&quot;recording of voter workshop&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Description&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On Friday, June 5, 2020, MNCDHH hosted a voting info session with our special guests:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Secretary of State Steve Simon&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Voter Outreach Director Nasser Mussa&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Voter Outreach Specialist Michael Wall&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ramsey County Elections Administrator Emily Hunt&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The info session was presented in spoken English along with ASL interpretation and captions. We also had a team of DeafBlind interpreters. This recording is accompanied by a descriptive transcript.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;COVID-19 has not stopped the voting process and MNCDHH will also continue to provide voter workshops, 1:1 and small group sessions, thanks to our hardworking Outreach and Civic Engagement Specialists:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sarah Arana&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Pam Burry&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Emory Kevin Dively&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jaemi Hagen&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rania Johnson&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jer Loudenback&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Cindi Martin&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Migdalia Rogers&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Phillip Steinbruckner&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Patrick Vellia&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kim Wassenaar&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have any questions about voting and researching political candidates, please email Jessalyn Akerman-Frank at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. Jessalyn will connect you to one of our voting experts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 23px; font-weight: 600; font-family: Verdana;&quot;&gt;Descriptive transcript&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Interpreter Patty McCutcheon is in the speaker view. Other participants are not visible. Patty is interpreter for Michael Wall from the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Michael Wall (mid-sentence) &amp;gt;&amp;gt; …Jessalyn said, I control the screen, but I have absolutely no idea how to do that. So hopefully somebody else will spot light him. Secretary Simon.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Steve Simon: Thank you very much, Michael. Jessalyn. Thank you to Michael Wall from our office. Thank you to Nasser Mussa from our office. And thanks to all of you for attending this workshop. It&apos;s really a privilege to be with you. I know some of you from the work that we have ongoing. We host a quarterly meeting of the -- of disability advocates from all over the state. About elections issues in particular. That&apos;s a meeting that usually I convene. Sometimes that Mr. Mussa convenes. But we really enjoy working with you. And it&apos;s very important that we do that this year in particular. I don&apos;t need to tell you that this is a very special election in many ways. One big way that it&apos;s a different election has to do with the public health crisis that we&apos;re in the middle of right now. So although that has changed, one thing that will never change is my mission in this office. And my mission in this office is to make it as easy as possible for every eligible Minnesota voter to vote. Period. That&apos;s the mission. And that will not change. What will change is the way we have to think about the elections. And let me just share with you our philosophy or our thought as an office about the upcoming statewide elections. Remember, there are two. There&apos;s the August Primary. On August 11th. And there&apos;s the November 3rd General Election. So there are two big statewide elections. And the safest, most responsible way to approach these elections is as a public health issue. We don&apos;t know what the world is going to look like in August and we don&apos;t know what the world is going to look like in November. And we might on this call or at this workshop, we might agree that it will probably be okay in August or probably be okay in November. We could make that guess. But if we make that guess and we guess wrong, then we&apos;re in big trouble, not only from the standpoint of -- [ Inaudible ] -- but from the standpoint of public health. So you didn&apos;t know there would be math involved today, but let me give you the math problem. I view it, and I think my colleagues do as well, somewhat as a math problem. So in Minnesota, we have about 3,000 polling places. And we&apos;re expecting about 3 million voters. So that&apos;s pretty simple math. It comes down to 1,000 voters per polling place, on average. Some of you vote in places where it&apos;s much lower. Some of you vote in places where it&apos;s much higher, but the statewide average is 1,000. So that is 1,000 people, and their droplets, circulating in closed spaces, during a 13-hour period. We have to get that number down. That&apos;s the name of the game here. The number from 1,000 -- something that&apos;s much lower.  So the original idea that we had, and I had, was to go just for this election to a universal vote by mail system. And universal vote by mail means that every registered voter automatically gets a ballot sent to them. They don&apos;t have to ask. They don&apos;t have to request. And that&apos;s a system that&apos;s already in place in five states, including blue states and red states. And it&apos;s already a system in place in part in Minnesota. We have 130,000 Minnesotans who live in communities that already vote this way. Where there are no poll places whatsoever. And they automatically get a ballot mailed to them every single election. This is nothing new. And yet we couldn&apos;t get the bipartisan support we needed in the legislature. So we went with plan B. Plan B was a compromise that our office worked out. And democrats&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; -- [ background noise ]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Simon &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Just want to make sure that people mute their phones if they can. I&apos;ll continue. We worked out a deal with democrats and republicans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[ background noise ]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Steve Simon: Should I go ahead? Okay. So what we&apos;re doing now is focusing on enhancing and growing opportunities under current Minnesota law. The bottom line is, Minnesota voters have the opportunity to vote from home. Completely. But they have to ask. Unlike what we originally suggested where it comes automatically, you have to do the asking. And it&apos;s very simple. That&apos;s the good news. The good news is if you go to the website which is mnvotes.org, it will probably take most people three minutes, maybe four minutes maximum, to get that ballot sent to you at home. You can order the August primary, the November general election, or both. And so we&apos;re asking Minnesotans to please consider voting from home. The other good news is, we&apos;re not starting from zero. In 2018, almost a quarter of Minnesotans, 24%, already chose to vote absentee. Either from home or in person. So this isn&apos;t new. We have over -- almost a quarter of voters who already, I hope, felt comfortable in 2018 voting that way. The other good news is that people are already getting the message. And let me just give you a couple of interesting numbers I think you&apos;ll find interesting. In 2016, four years ago, when we opened up the website, for the first time in mid-may so that people could start ordering the ballots, in the first week that the website was open in 2016, four years ago, 88 people in the entire state asked to have their ballot mailed to them at home so they could vote from home. Two years later, two years ago in 2018, that number was 173. This year, in 2020, in the first week that that website was open in May, the number was 36,880. So as you can see, people are getting the message, and we want to continue to spread the message that people should vote from home and you&apos;re going to hear from Michael and Nasser and others about how that process works, so I won&apos;t get into all that of today. But there are two big reasons to vote from home. One is convenience, which is the reason that so many have already chosen to vote that way, and the second is public service, because every voter that votes from home this year is helping to keep the polling place more safe and secure for those who do choose to show up. Not only the voters, but the polling place workers as well. We need 30,000 polling place workers to do that job. And that leads me to the second big pitch that we&apos;re asking people to consider, which is to consider also serving as a poll worker. This election. As I mentioned, we need 30,000 of them. And part of the problem that we&apos;ve seen in other states like Wisconsin where they had a lot of problems in their primary in April, was a collapse in the polling place system where a lot of workers at the last minute declined to serve, and that meant a massive consolidation of polling places, so that the ratio in the city of Milwaukee, for example, was over 10,000 people to 1. So we don&apos;t want that to happen. And part of recruiting people to do that job is to convince them of two things. One, we&apos;re getting the numbers down of voters who will be circulating in that space, which is why voting from home is so important. And number two, we will have safety equipment and supplies and procedures in place to make it as safe as it possibly can be. So we will have masks. We will have wipes. We&apos;ll have disinfectant. We will monitor the use of pens. And we will wipe down polling stations and we will make it as clean as and as secure as we possibly can. So it&apos;s really about both driving down the number, but also making it safe enough there so that polling place workers feel comfortable doing that job. And I will add, as many of you know from experience, that election judges in Minnesota tend to be older, a good bit older, and that&apos;s great. They did a great job. They have always done a great job. But we know that people of a certain age are more vulnerable to COVID-19. So we anticipate many who typically do this job not wanting to do it this year. And so we need to replenish their ranks with people from other age groups and other demographics who are not as vulnerable. So those are the two asks. I realize that on one level, those sound like contradictory asks. I totally understand how someone might listen to those two requests and say, wait a minute. You&apos;ve just said that I should vote from home and avoid the polling place. On the other hand, you&apos;re asking me if I want to spend my entire day on Election Day in the polling place as an election judge. So I understand how that can look, but the fact is, they are both true. We need 30,000 people to run an election. That&apos;s no question. And we&apos;re not going to get them unless we drive down the numbers and convince them that it&apos;s going to be a clean place to work. So I understand how on the surface, it might look like a contradiction, but in fact, both things are true at the same time. Before I go to your questions and answers and comments and advice, I want to fill you in on a couple litigation items which bear on voters with disabilities. You may know that for years, I and my office tried to get rid of a state law that limited the number of people that any individual could assist in the polling place. For any reason. It could be by virtue of a voter&apos;s disability. It could be a deficiency in English language mastery. There was a limit in state law that said you could only help three people. You couldn&apos;t help four or five or six. And we and I thought that that was a terrible idea. And a terrible law. And we should get it off the books. The legislature would not act. And so as we predicted, someone sued us. And we engaged in a settlement whereby the law no longer has force or effect. So that law is off the books. Any individual now can help as many people as they want in the polling place. Naturally, the rule still stands. You can&apos;t influence the person as to how to vote, but if a person requires assistance, either physically or as to English language mastery, then they can help as many people as want their help. So I think that&apos;s a very, very good thing. So I wanted to update you on that as well. One other issue that I wanted to bring up, because I think I owe it to you and our office owes it to you. You remember that on March 3rd, we had a presidential primary in Minnesota. And we were very excited about plans that we had worked out with you and others in the disability rights community to have someone in our call center who was fluent in American Sign Language. Who could help folks. And we had that -- every intention of doing that. We had a plan to do that. In writing and otherwise. For reasons that others can explain, because it&apos;s more of an HR issue, in the end, and at the last minute, we were unable to do that. And I want to tell you that I apologize for that. Our office is sorry about that. Our intention all along as we had told you was to do that. We even had an individual in mind who we thought was going to perform that function. But for some reasons that have to do with human resources that I can&apos;t go into right now, at the very last minute, that didn&apos;t happen. But I want you to know that you have our commitment that going forward, both for the August primary and for the November general election, we will do everything, absolutely everything in our power to make sure that we have someone performing that function. It was a very last-minute detour from our plans, but I still believe that I owe you and other Minnesotans an apology for that. So we’ll do everything in our power to make sure that that doesn&apos;t happen again. With that, I want to hand it over to you, not only for questions, but answers, advice, reactions of any kind. Thank you for your time and attention.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: Secretary Simon, this is Michael Wall. We have a question for you. From Hannah. She asked if there is any update on getting the ballot online so that it&apos;s accessible to blind people because the print one is not accessible. If it gets mailed to her home as an absentee ballot.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Steve Simon: Yes. Thank you for the question. And, yes, we are on that issue, absolutely. You know, I have to be careful what I say, because we&apos;re in sort of a, what you might call, a pre-litigation phase, so please excuse me, I&apos;m not trying to evade the question, but there&apos;s only so many things I can get specific about, other than that we are -- we have absolutely and for a long time identified that issue. And we want to take steps under the Americans with Disabilities Act and others that will enable us to reach the result that we all want to reach. Let&apos;s put it that way. I&apos;m sorry to be so vague about it. But given the litigation risk, there&apos;s a lot I can&apos;t say, but we&apos;re on it, and I think we all want the same result.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: Sorry, I was just answering a question in the chat room. Someone asked, what the qualifications are to become an election judge? I placed that in the chat directly from the Ramsey County elections website.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Steve Simon: Do you require my comment, or you placed it in the chat already?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: I placed it in the chat already.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Steve Simon: Okay, okay.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: Seeing if there are any other questions for right now. If anyone would like to add questions in the chat. Let&apos;s see. Yep, we answered that one.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; This is Anita Buel. I have a question. I moved north, but I&apos;m involved with a lot of people in Ramsey County. And one of my friends that&apos;s very close to me owns a house in Ramsey County. And right now, she&apos;s moved out of state. With her new boyfriend.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Patty is replaced in the speaker box with participant Anita Buel.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Anita: But -- oh, one moment. Can she still vote? In the primary? Or is she not able to vote anymore?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Steve Simon: Okay.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Anita is replaced in the speaker box with interpreter Patty McCutcheon.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Patty McCutcheon (interpreter): Oh, one moment. I think it went down for a second. And she&apos;s ready for a response.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Steve Simon: Well, the one thing we can all agree on is your friend cannot vote in both places. You can&apos;t vote twice, only once. And the -- the inquiry about where someone is a resident is very much –&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view switched back to Anita but Anita has already signed her question. Patty explains and then repeats question.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Patty/Anita&amp;gt;&amp;gt; I&apos;m sorry, there seemed to be -- she asked an additional question. “So can she vote anywhere in Minnesota?”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Steve Simon: No, she can only vote where she is a resident. And the rule for where you are a resident can sometimes get very particular to the person.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view switches back to Patty.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt;Steve Simon: So you have to pick one place. Obviously. And it has to be a place where you reside. Where you intend to remain. Where you have been for at least 30 days. And -- and sometimes it gets even more detailed than that. There are residency arguments about, you know, where most of your contacts are or where your family is or where you get magazine subscriptions or, you know, things like that. And so the key thing is that your friend choose one, and can defend it as the place where your friend is now, has been for 30 days and intends to remain.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anita &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Okay, I will let her know. I appreciate that. Thank you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view switches back to Anita.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anita &amp;gt;&amp;gt; And I just -- I also have another question. This is Anita. You can see me? Everybody can see me? I think -- I liked it in the 1960s when we had the fact sheet or the fact list. I would like to see something similar to that. In sign language. Only because it gives us direct access to the information to where you feel more connected, because of course, the media, you know, keeps going back and forth between sides, and I feel like is that old news, is that correct news, up to date news, and so that&apos;s a big issue with us right now. And so I would like to see that facts list in sign language about the people who we are voting for. I think that would be wonderful.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view switches back to Patty.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Steve Simon: Oh, okay. That was a last-minute curve of your question. I thought you were referring to fact sheets about the rules of the elections, registration and voting and so forth, because on that front, we are committed to adding our 12th language, which is ASL. One of the things I&apos;m proud of is we have more than doubled the number of languages we&apos;ve served. It used to be 5. Now it&apos;s 11 languages. And we&apos;re soon going to be adding a 12th, and I&apos;ll let Michael and Nasser talk about how far along we are there. But that&apos;s not information on the candidates so much as it is information about voting and the -- excuse me -- and the rules and so forth. But maybe they can fill in about how else it might be extended.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Anita:  Okay, great.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: This is Michael Wall. I&apos;ll only say that working in partnership with the Commission on Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing, we have begun to have the first fact sheet interpreted videos produced. Jessalyn or Anne may know more about the specific timing of when those are due to come out. But we are in the midst of making fact sheets in ASL with captions and voice. And also hope to have page summary videos. Not interpreting everything on every page, but in the elections area, in the voting area, you&apos;ll be able to, we hope, click on a video which will say &quot;On this page, here are the topics covered.&quot; I don&apos;t show any more questions in the chat. If anyone wants to be recognized to just sign their question. You can either raise your hand physically. I&apos;m also looking at the participants list for virtual hand raising. If that&apos;s something you wanted to do.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Steve Simon: And may I say as we&apos;re waiting to see if any come in --&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; This is Anita, I do have a question.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Steve Simon: Okay.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view switches to Anita.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Anita:  I just would like to share in terms of folks with other disabilities -- okay, no -- so in Hennepin County, I used to train, I think it was a six-week training, I went through actually, and I was chosen to work with the ballots and checking the ballots and mailing them and all of that, and so we had folks that would oversee that. And it really honestly was a wonderful experience to see the inner workings and how many people was involved with the voting process, and understanding that it was many different people and many different cultures and communities, and we had deaf, deafblind people there, and we also had interpreters at each station. For deaf, deafblind people. But they were not able to use their SSPs -- or they were, excuse me, able to use their SSPs. So that was impressive. And so I&apos;m hoping folks are interested in volunteering to continuing to do that, because that was really wonderful to thinking about voting and how important it is. I think that voting accessibility was wonderful.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view returns to Patty.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Steve Simon: Maybe this is a point where I could get in was I was going to say before, which is if there are no further questions, I don&apos;t want anyone on this call to feel as if this is your only shot or your only shot. You may have questions of Michael Wall or Nasser Mussa from our office. But if you think of something tomorrow or next week or next month, I want to make sure you feel comfortable reaching out to either those two gentlemen who are great, and also including me. My personal email at the office. This is the one that goes right to me with no filter and no screener. It just goes right to me. And the email address is simply: &lt;span class=&quot;MsoHyperlink&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Steve.Simon@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Steve.Simon@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;. I&apos;ll repeat it. &lt;span class=&quot;MsoHyperlink&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Steve.Simon@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Steve.Simon@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;. I still would love to hear from you, including your pushback, or your criticism or whatever you have. So I appreciate your time and attention.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jessalyn Akerman-Frank: I think at this time, we&apos;ll switch interpreters, Michael.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view switches to interpreter Tarra Grammenos.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: Thank you. Secretary Simon, we had a repeat of the question, so if you could just briefly repeat about anything being done to create an accessible online ballot for the blind.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Steve Simon: Yes. And unfortunately -- I&apos;ll have to repeat what I said before which is because we&apos;re in discussion about potential litigation, I have to be a little bit careful what I say, other than that, we support, all of us, the same result. And we&apos;re trying to figure out a good way to get there as soon as possible. So what I can say is we of course support what you&apos;re talking about, making it fully accessible online. There are a few steps we&apos;ll need to take to get there. I wish I could be more specific, but we&apos;re working on it, and it&apos;s -- it&apos;s a goal we all share. And share for this election, by the way. As soon as we can possibly get it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: Thank you. Ellie has a question. If you&apos;d like to sign it, please.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view switches to Ellie.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Ellie:  One moment, please. I have a rather simple question. I arrived late, and the meeting here was going on, and I got here quickly, I&apos;m sorry that I was a little bit late. But anyway, I caught Simon mentioning something about wanting to know the name of the possible host?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view switches to Tarra.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ellie &amp;gt;&amp;gt; I&apos;m sorry, one moment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view returns to Ellie.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ellie &amp;gt;&amp;gt; The name of the position. Anita Buel was mentioning a wonderful experience that she had. Where she was there. And I&apos;m -- I am rather interested. So I would like to know, what is the name of that particular position? That Anita Buel was describing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view returns to Tarra.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Steve Simon: I&apos;m happy to have Anita discuss that.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Tarra raises her fingers to wait until the speaker view switches.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Anita:  I would be happy to discuss that.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Tarra: But can we get the picture on Anita for a second?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view switches to Anita.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Unknown: One moment. There, okay.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Anita: Hi. Okay. I actually applied through the voting, where you go to -- in your area, that particular district, that ward or whatever it is. I believe it&apos;s the election judge or coordinator, something like that. I forget the name of it, but you go to a training, and where you -- it&apos;s mandatory that you go. And then they do a background check on you. And then I believe you learn how to communicate with people without showing voter bias. So you just take a very humble stance. So from my experience, when I worked there, and they actually put me where they knew deaf voters actually would can come to that particular site, and so they hired an interpreter for that location. They knew that deaf came into that area. So -- but we couldn&apos;t discuss anything, but honestly, it was an incredible experience to see so much diversity and culture in that particular location. I was very moved by it. I was -- it was a positive experience. I helped fill out forms. I made sure that there was nothing missed. If there was missed information, I would give it back to them. I couldn&apos;t say anything. I just pointed to it. And then they would put it in there to process the vote. So we were there to just -- and other people were watching of course. I was paid a small stipend, but I think more the experience of seeing young people come in to vote really meant a lot to me. And I hope I answered your question. I think you can go into the website and find -- I don&apos;t know. You have to find out what district you are in. And then volunteer. Does that make sense?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view returns to Tarra.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: I have a question in the chat to relay. For Secretary Simon. “I registered absentee ballot for the March election. When I lived in Washington, D.C. Now I have moved back to Minnesota. Due to the pandemic. Do I have to refill out the absentee ballot again now that I am no longer living in D.C. and have moved back to Minnesota?”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Steve Simon: It&apos;s a good question, and the answer is yes, you still need to go to mnvotes.org, or otherwise get a paper version of that same application at a city hall or a government building, and you do still have to fill out the form again. The good news is it will count for both elections. You don&apos;t have to do it for both the primary and the general. You can ask for both of those in the same document or the same online feature. You&apos;ll be good to go.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: I show Ellie&apos;s hand raised in the participant list, but they may be from her question before. I&apos;m not showing any questions in the chat.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Ellie.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Ellie:  I do have a question, yes, Michael. This is Ellie. I don&apos;t know if I can explain it again or ask later or contact the person directly. But one is, to contact and encourage the community to register to vote, I am kind of curious what is the plan? Or how are you planning to do that? The actual outreach for voting? Or at least registration. And it seems, maybe people -- it might be out of your control, Secretary of State, but my second question is, sometimes the candidate at a rally, I&apos;ll go and just listen to a rally, and just to hear the candidates speak, you know, how they travel around at different rallies and I know COVID-19 has changed that, but I am curious and I am wondering, how are they providing interpreting services to go to a rally to better understand the candidates? I understand with COVID-19 now that might be more difficult.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view returns to Tarra.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Steve Simon: Okay, let me try to answer the first question first. Nasser and Michael and the whole team have a lot going on between now and November in terms of getting the word out, both for registration, and for people voting from home. A lot of it really starts and ends with that website, mnvotes.org. You can still do did the old-fashioned way and go into a physical place, but you don&apos;t have to. So mnvotes.org is where you find out and not just find out, it&apos;s where you can register to vote online. It&apos;s where you can order your ballot online to come to you, and it&apos;s where you can find out more information about serving as an election judge. We have everything from social media messages. We&apos;ve a so-called toolkit that just came out this week where organizations can use it to get the word out about both of our big asks which is voting from home and serving as a poll worker. So we have a lot of ready-made products that are ready to go and we&apos;re reaching out to communities all over the state, public, private, non-profit, to spread the word about those two things. That&apos;s as much as I can say generally. As to your second question, the issue of how to make political candidates better understood by all at rallies is really up to the individual political candidates. The better campaigns on all sides have a sign language interpreters, have other ways that people can understand the speaker. But it&apos;s really up to them. For rallies, there typically is not a requirement that they provide any particular accommodation for anyone. But the good ones do. And you&apos;re seeing more and more of that.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: Okay. We have a question. “If postal mail shuts down, I imagine,” this is Michael speaking, “because of funding, what happens next? As far as getting absentee ballots? Would we have to go in person then?”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Steve Simon: So I don&apos;t think that&apos;s going to happen. I sure hope it doesn&apos;t. I will tell you that it&apos;s something that keeps secretaries of state in every state up at night. Because we are all, to some degree, telling people to consider voting from home. And if we tell people to consider voting from home, and then the mail isn&apos;t there, to get the ballot from home to a government office, then we have problems. I would say this. If you get the ballot by mail, but there&apos;s some sort of problem with the mail in terms of getting it back after you have voted that ballot, there is always the option of simply physically dropping it. It doesn&apos;t have to be returned in any special way to the government office. It just has to get there. So that means you or potentially someone else could drop it off. It means you could potentially use a private service like FedEx or UPS or someone else. Although I realize that is expensive and that is a burden. But it&apos;s something that we have thought about, as you know, there&apos;s been talk about the postal service, I can tell you this. The postal service has assured us, all of the Secretaries of State, that they have no problem with capacity, meaning, if every single person in America voted by mail this year, they could handle that, in fact, they sort of joked with us when we were on a phone call with them, they said, you know, compared to Christmas and the holidays, this is nothing. That every year in December, they handle a much, much, much bigger volume of mail than even an all-mail election could ever be. So they were quite confident that if they&apos;re fully funded that they could handle it. They have the personnel. They have the people. But these national conversations about overall funding of the postal service are concerning. I have to tell you just my prediction and that&apos;s all it is a prediction is if it looked like that that was going to happen, I think you would see a -- A focused surge of litigation. In virtually every state to get a court to order that there be funding enough to make sure that people&apos;s ballots are delivered. I mean, I can&apos;t imagine courts not intervening. If the only difference between someone voting and not voting was a functioning postal service, I honestly can&apos;t imagine courts sitting by and allowing that to happen. I could be wrong. But that is what I predict. So it&apos;s a fair question and one, believe me that I and colleagues around the country have thought about, but for now we&apos;re operating as if the postal service will be reliable. In time for people to vote their ballots from home.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: Thank you, sir. Jessalyn asked that I let people know that the Commission on Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing is also training ten contractors to do voter outreach. For the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing community. So there&apos;s an additional resource for you. Migdalia asks, “do you feel it&apos;s safer to do the absentee ballots by mail, especially now with the Post Office situation?” Migdalia, I don&apos;t know if you feel that question has been answered already, or you want to add anything to that.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Migdalia.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Migdalia Rogers: Yes, well, actually, I can explain. Really, some people feel a little bit hesitant about -- okay. Okay. Some people do feel a little bit hesitant about mailing their ballot in because they feel like if they mail it, to the people who take care of it, and then it gets stolen or thrown away or it&apos;s not voted in the way they wanted it to be voted. So is it well trusted enough? For the voting process? If it&apos;s going through the mail?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Tarra.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Steve Simon: So the good news is that in Minnesota, you can track your ballot. You can go online and you can determine whether the county or city has received and processed it. You can determine that. So if you have your, you know, information, you can go online. You can see, if you go to mnvotes.org, you can track it. So you never have to wonder, if you popped it in the mail three days or four days or seven days or ten days before the election, you&apos;ll never have to wonder, did they get it or not, did they process it, how do I know. So let&apos;s talk about what happens if somebody sent it in, let&apos;s say, seven days before election. And then you&apos;re looking and you&apos;re looking, and on Election Day itself, there&apos;s no confirmation that they received it or processed it and maybe you&apos;re getting nervous, there&apos;s always that option of going down physically and voting. That may not be what you wanted to do, but that&apos;s always an option. It will simply be on the lookout for that absentee ballot, so if you want to vote in person, and then the absentee ballot comes a day later or two days later, they&apos;ll make sure it&apos;s not counted. That is something that is tracked. So it&apos;s always an option for you. But you can track it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: Patty, did you have a –&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Patty.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Patty McCutcheon: Interpreter switch. And Anita has a question.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Anita.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Anita:  So for the absentee ballot, do we mail it to -- can they mail it just to the Post Office box, or just to the resident&apos;s house?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view returns to Patty.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Steve Simon: Yes, that is an issue. They can only mail it to the resident&apos;s house. They do not mail to P.O. boxes. And I know that can be difficult for some folks. And there are people in some communities where a P.O. boxes are more common. For example, on tribal lands, for those who live on reservations, often, not always, but often, there is a P.O. box, and the mail doesn&apos;t come to their home on the reservation. It comes somewhere else. That is a trickier situation and one that we&apos;re trying to work through. But you&apos;re right to raise the question. Yeah, under the law, they can only go to actual addresses, and not P.O. boxes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Michael &amp;gt;&amp;gt; And Ellie has a question as well.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Ellie.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Ellie:  So I just want to mention quick. So on the Next Door website, I often look at that, and there were some people that had their mailboxes damaged or stolen. So I&apos;m concerned with the riots and how much the damaged, what about the -- I mean, I live in northeast Minneapolis and there&apos;s a lot of things that have been taken, and so I look at the Next Door app and there are people that have said their mailbox is stolen, and they&apos;re just waiting for a response. And so just wanted to give people that heads-up that that&apos;s a possibility that if that happens, you have to go to the post office then.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Patty.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Steve Simon: Right. My understanding -- that&apos;s a postal service issue, unfortunately, not for your office. But they handle it one of two ways. One is to collect your mail at the post office and then let you know somehow that it&apos;s there for you to collect. But in some circumstances and some instances, they will -- and it really very much depends, they will go to the home itself, even though it&apos;s not a formal mailbox, they can do that, my understanding is under certain circumstances. But that&apos;s a good question. I hope that will be resolved by the August primary. For sure.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Rita.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Rita:  So this is Rita. I have a question. Is it possible to have an absentee ballot in Braille for deafblind individuals or blind individuals? Is it possible to request an absentee ballot in Braille? So they can become more independent and vote on their own? And also, will that be accessible, like, for the census, is it possible to be voting online because we know that, you know, things get lost in the mail sometimes, so is that possible? To do the actual voting online instead of --&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view switches to Patty.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Steve Simon: So voting online is not possible. There is nowhere in America that does that. There have been a couple of small experiments, but really, it&apos;s not done because it really just is not secure yet. Now, it may be someday. But for now it&apos;s not. So no, there&apos;s no option to vote online. You can register to vote online of course at mnvotes.org. But you cannot vote online. As to Braille, you know, that&apos;s a great question. As you know, for those voters with a disability related to sight, there are other ways, both in the polling place and otherwise, through software and through hardware that people can get the information about the candidates via audio and so forth. I will tell you, I&apos;m less familiar with the options on Braille. Maybe Nasser and Michael can tell us a little bit about that. I&apos;m just less familiar. That often is very city and county dependent. So not run through our office, which is why I am not familiar with that. But I will get familiar with that. Thank you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: I&apos;d like to thank -- And Rita&apos;s got her hand up again.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Nasser: We have done the absentee application in Braille in the past, but we&apos;ve never done the ballot itself in Braille. So that&apos;s mainly, as you say, it is county and the city, because we don&apos;t have a any ballot in our office. But we do provide the Braille absentee ballot application. Upon request. Michael, do you want to say something?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: I don&apos;t want to cut Rita off, so if you have a question that&apos;s only for Secretary Simon, the three other speakers have specifics about voting and the application process. And --&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Rita:  I have a question for all three.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: And these kind of process questions, we&apos;re happy to answer. But Secretary Simon has been very kind to go beyond what he was expecting to spend here today. And we do have some other things to present you, and we&apos;ll be glad to take your questions. So, Rita, if you have something that you believe only Secretary Simon can answer, please feel free, but this will be the last question for him.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Rita.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Rita:  So I also want to mention that the Minnesota State for the Blind Services may have some resources and some additional information for you to help you get that for the future.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view returns to Patty.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Steve Simon: Thank you. And I will just sign off here by saying, again, you have great experts from our office who can answer more of your questions of a technical nature. But if you have any thoughts or advice for me in the advice. And I&apos;ll give the email one more time. &lt;span class=&quot;MsoHyperlink&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Steve.Simon@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Steve.Simon@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;. Thank you very much. And I appreciate your time and attention and advocacy. Thank you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jessalyn Akerman-Frank: Thank you so much. Everybody&apos;s saying, thank you, thank you so much for everything.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Steve Simon: Thank you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: Great. We are going to jump in to presenting. And again, there are really five parts left. What those are generally are, how to apply to vote at home. For an absentee ballot. We use both terms. What the county does when they receive your invitation. That&apos;ll be Emily. Your application, I&apos;m sorry. Then what is involved in filling out your absentee ballot, once it arrives. How do you get it back? And then Emily will talk about what does the county elections office do when they receive your ballot. What happens to it? How is it stored? And then we&apos;ll take questions. Great. So I am going to share my screen. I&apos;m sorry, Nasser?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Nasser Mussa: I said, go ahead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: Which hopefully will not cause any technical logical problems. Technological problems.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view is replaced with Michael’s screen, which has an open PowerPoint slide. On the slide is the State of Minnesota seal and the following text, “Voting From Home. Absentee Ballots in Minnesota. Applying for a Ballot. Patty is pinned in a smaller video screen on the top right corner.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael: Okay. What you should know is that the two PowerPoints that Nasser and I will be working from will have more specific information than we will say. But you will be able to get copies from the Commission. By reaching out to Jessalyn or to Anne. But they will have copies to share with you if you would like the slides. I am not going to be monitoring questions myself at this point from the chat. So anyone, Jessalyn, if you&apos;d like to share any of those, if something needs to be repeated or stopping us to ask, to clarify --&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jessalyn Akerman-Frank: I will definitely, yep.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: Thank you. Okay.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[PPT slide changes. The new slide has the Seal of Minnesota and the following text, “General overview of AB process and timeline. Absentee ballot is the chance to vote up to 46 days early (in MN), either by mail or in person at an early voting center in your county. Application deadline – You can apply for a ballot any time during the year, except the day of the election. – Leave time for election officials to a) mail your ballot and b) for you to return it on or before Election Day.”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael: So the general overview of the absentee ballot process and the timeline is what we&apos;re going to start with. Absentee ballots can begin to be used, you can vote early, by mail, or in person, up to 46 days before the actual Election Day. So that will take place 46 days before the August 11&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; Primary and again begin 46 days before the November 3&lt;sup&gt;rd&lt;/sup&gt; General Election. You can vote in person at least at your county elections office, and some counties have additional early voting centers. Or you can put in an application to vote by mail using an absentee ballot at any time. So today you could go on, as Secretary Simon said, you can go online, to print out a form or to do the application online, which is quick and easy, and request either an absentee ballot for August or for November or for both. There is no application deadline for an absentee ballot. But you need to leave yourself time for the office to receive it and process it. For them to mail you your ballot. For you to fill it out and have it witnessed. And to get it back by Election Day. So keep that in mind regarding your timing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Michael goes to the next slide. On the slide is the state seal and the following text, “Deadline to return your ballot. – Your ballot will not count if it is received after Election Day. – Return your ballot by mail or delivery service (e.g. FedEx or UPS) by 8 p.m. – You can also return your ballot in person no later than 3 p.m. on Election Day to the election office that sent your ballot. – You can drop off ballots for up to 3 other voters. You must show identification with name and signature when returning a ballot for someone else.”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael: Your ballot itself does have a deadline. It has a serious deadline. If it is received after Election Day, it will not count. So you need to return your ballot either by mail or some delivery service and those things have to be received by 8:00 a.m., usually of the mail, the U.S. mail comes in earlier, or you can return that ballot in person no later than 3:00 p.m. on Election Day to the elections office that sent your ballot. Generally your county elections office. Don&apos;t return it to your polling place. They can&apos;t take it. They won&apos;t take it. And it won&apos;t count. Your polling place is only for voting in person. And a person can drop off ballots for up to three other people. But no more. And when they do, so if you ask someone to take your ballot to the county elections office for you, they will need to show identification. With their name and signature when they&apos;re dropping that off. And only for up to three other voters.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[PPT changes to next slide with the state seal and the following text, “Track your Ballot. – You can track the status of your ballot and confirm that it was received and counted.” And the URL for &lt;span class=&quot;MsoHyperlink&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mnvotes.sos.state.mn.us/AbsenteeBallotStatus.aspx&quot;&gt;Absentee Ballot Status&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael: As Secretary Simon said, once you have applied, you can track the status on our website, mnvotes.org. And you can see the full link is there. But you can find out, have they received your application? Have they processed your application? Have they mailed out your ballot yet? And after you have mailed in your ballot, have they received it? So you can track the status of your ballot just like you do for a UPS package or a FedEx package with a tracking number.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[PPT moves on to the next slide with the state seal and the following text, “Applying for an Absentee Ballot. Ways to apply – Method (Paper and online). – Paper:  a) Printed from OSS website or mailed from OSS or County Elections Office (CEO), b) Returned to CEO by mail, fax, email, or in person. – Online: a) URL to &lt;span class=&quot;MsoHyperlink&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mnvotes.sos.state.mn.us/ABRegistration/ABRegistrationStep1.aspx&quot;&gt;ABR Registration&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;, b) Must have email and state ID or SS# (Don’t? Use paper form).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael: So there is more than one way to apply for an absentee ballot. You can apply on paper. Using a paper form. Or you can apply online. If you&apos;re going to apply for an absentee ballot using the paper form, you can print it out from our website. Or you can get it mailed from our office or the county elections office, at times you can pick them up at your city government office. And like the voter registration application, there are lots of ways to return your application to the county elections office. And the -- I&apos;m using CEO as an abbreviation for &quot;County Elections Office&quot; on the PowerPoint. So you can drop it off. You can mail it. You can also fax it. And if you take a picture of it that&apos;s legible, that people can read, you can attach it to an email. So the application itself can go back lots of ways. The ballot cannot. That has to be returned in person or by mail. But there is no electronic way to return a ballot. If you apply online, and I think Secretary Simon said this as well, it just takes a few minutes. It takes less time than registering to vote. And you&apos;ll sign electronically. But you do need, if you&apos;re doing it online, you need to have an email address, just like registering to vote online, and you&apos;ll need either your state I.D. number or social security number. If you don&apos;t have one of those forms of I.D., and you don&apos;t have or you don&apos;t have an email address, you&apos;ll need to use a paper form.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Slide changes to a new slide with the state seal and the following text, “Applying for an Absentee Ballot. You must be eligible to vote in Minnesota to use an absentee ballot. To be eligible to vote in Minnesota you must: - Be at least 18 years old on Election Day – Be a citizen of the United States – Resided in Minnesota for 20 days immediately before Election Day (vacation okay!) – Have any felony conviction record discharged, expired or completed – Not to be under court-order guardianship where a court has revoked your voting rights – Not have been ruled legally incompetent by a court of law.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael: When you&apos;re applying for an absentee ballot, you don&apos;t have to be registered yet. We&apos;ll talk about it. But you do need to be eligible to vote in Minnesota. So things like being at least 18 years old on Election Day, being a citizen, residing in Minnesota for 20 days before Election Day. And that doesn&apos;t mean you have to be in the state. If you go on vacation, somewhere outside of Minnesota, that&apos;s fine. It&apos;s where your residence, are you living in Minnesota? Is your home here? And also, some court-orders restrictions, if you haven&apos;t been convicted of a felony, and are still serving that sentence, or if any other circumstance, if a court has taken away your right to vote. And I&apos;ll just note that being under guardianship does not mean you can&apos;t vote. The court has to specifically take away your voting right.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Slide changes to another slide with the state seal and the following text, “Applying for an Absentee Ballot. – What is your registration status (already registered or not yet registered)? – Process? The same! – The CEO will send you a registration form with your ballot, if needed. – Choice to need witness to see required IDs (Election Day Registration) or to fill out a registration form (online or paper form) first. – Easier if you are already registered.”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael: What is your registration status? So I mentioned, you don&apos;t have to be registered already to fill in the application for an absentee ballot. We recommend you do, though. Because it&apos;s easier once you get the ballot. It&apos;s easier for you and it&apos;s easier for your witness. But if you apply for an absentee ballot, and you&apos;re not yet registered, that&apos;s okay. You will get a registration form with your absentee ballot in the mail. And a special set of instructions for you and your witness to make sure that they see the required documents to prove who you are and where you live. Just as you would at the polling place if you registered on Election Day. Again, we recommend, get registered, and then fill out that absentee ballot application.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Slide moves to a slide with two forms. On the left is the paper application form. On the right is an online application form. The slide title is “The Application Form.”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael: So I said that there were two ways to apply:  Paper form, which is shown on the left of the slide that&apos;s currently showing, and online. They include the same information. They may be slightly different in the order or the wording. But the information is the same. I&apos;m going to quickly go through a series of slides that shows you what&apos;s asked and where they are on the two different forms. We won&apos;t spend a lot of time. Again, you can get a copy of these slides and take your time to look at them or ask someone for help to find where on your method of applying the information is. But just to show you quickly that there are seven different parts of information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[The next slide appears. It has the state seal and the following text, “The Application Form. Seven parts: - Which elections you want an absentee ballot for – Name, – Personal information (DOB, County, Phone, Email), - Identification number(s), - Address where you live, - Address to send the ballot (if different), - Certification signature.”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael: Which elections do you want an absentee ballot for?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Unknown: And Michael, we&apos;re going to switch interpreters.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: Okay.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Pinned box with Patty changes to show Tarra. Slide remains as is.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: Great. So there are seven kinds of information that you&apos;ll need to give, whichever form or method you use to apply. Which elections do you want an absentee ballot for? What is your name? Some personal information:  Your birth date, contact information. Your state identification number or social security number. Address where you live. Address to send your ballot if you want it sent somewhere other than where you live. And your certification signature. It&apos;s basically like the oath that you sign when you register to vote. It&apos;s saying that you understand what you&apos;re doing and that the information is correct, and that if you lie, you could get in big trouble. I will quickly mention here on identification numbers that we recommend, when you are asked to put in either your last four digits of social security number or your state-issued I.D. number, that you do both. The reason is, when you return your ballot, they&apos;ll match the number you put on your ballot, on the signature envelope, with the number that you put in your application. So that -- and this is what I do. So I don&apos;t have to remember which one I put on the application, I put both on the application. So it doesn&apos;t matter which one I put on the ballot. Because it will match. So we recommend putting both.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[The next slide appears, with red encircling the top part on the paper application and the middle of the online application, where you fill out which election you want to participate in on the application form.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Nasser Mussa: And I think, Michael, if I may add one is that also including a phone number, is really helpful, because counties will follow up with, as quickly as possible, if your ballot is not being accepted.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: That&apos;s an excellent point, Nasser. Thank you. The more contact information you put down, the easier it will be for them, the elections office, to contact you if you they have a question. And that&apos;s the only thing they use that for is to contact if there&apos;s a question. So seven kinds of information. Here you can see that which election you want an absentee ballot for is the first one. And I&apos;ve circled in red on these slides. It&apos;s number one on the paper form, and what it looks like on the online form.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[The next slide appears and it is the same application forms but the red part encircles where to put your name and personal info.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: And for each one of these, this is where your name gets entered on both sets of forms. Your personal information, date of birth, et cetera. Then county. Phone and email.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;[The next slide appears and it is the same application form but the red part encircles options to mark different types of identification including a MN-issued drivers’ license or ID card; social security number; or none of the above..]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt; &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: The identification numbers we talked about. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;[The next slide appears and it is the same application form but the red part encircles where to put your addresses - where you live, and where to send your ballot.]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: Address where you live and address where to send the ballot. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;[The next slide appears and it is the same application forms but the red part encircles where to put your signature. A pop-up box appears with criteria to check to satisfy all requirements for signing.]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: And that signature that you&apos;re certifying that you&apos;re eligible to vote and that your information is correct and you understand that you could be charged if you intentionally lie.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;[The next slide appears and it shows the backside of the paper form with information and instructions listed.]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: black; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt;Michael Wall: Great&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; color:black&quot;&gt;? The back of the form has information for you. That answers some frequently asked questions. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;[Slide changes to another slide with the state seal and the following text, “The Back of the Paper Form” Options available to you if you have a disability, you may: sign the application yourself; make your mark or; ask another person to sign for you in your presence (have the person sign their own name as well); if you have adopted the use of a signature stamp for all purposes of signature, you may use your signature stamp or ask another person to use your signature stamp in your presence (See Minnesota Statutes, section 645.44, subdivision 14).]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt;Michael Wall: There is a section on options available to you if you have a disability. And that includes different ways to sign that certification. It&apos;s okay for someone else to sign for you if they&apos;re in your presence and you ask them to do it. If you have a mark rather than a signature, that&apos;s fine too. And same with use of a signature stamp. It all comes from the voter themselves. And it&apos;s required that the voter wants it done that way. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;[Slide changes to another slide with the state seal and the following text, “Options to Turn in Your Paper Application” - Mail it to your CEO; Drop it off at your CEO (bringing/mailing to OSS will delay by a few days; Fax it; Email a photo of it; County Addresses, Email, Fax (search ‘County Contacts’ at mnvotes.org]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt;Michael Wall: And then lastly, how you can turn in your paper application, because online automatically gets sent to your county. You can mail it. Drop it off. And, by the way, if you do either one of those to the Secretary of State&apos;s office, we will forward it, but it will delay the process by a few days because we then have to get it to your county. So if you can get directly to your county elections office, that&apos;s better. You can fax it. And, again, if you take a photograph of it or scan it, you can email it. And there is a list on our website of all county addresses, email addresses, and fax numbers, along with their phone numbers. And you can search county contacts at mnvotes.org, or the link is right there if you get a copy of this.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Nasser Mussa: So one thing that I want to say, if you decide to email it to the county, which you may choose to do, just make sure that you, you know, either check with them if they received it, because sometimes email can go to junk mail. So that&apos;s just, you know, a friendly reminder.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: And one way -- thank you, Nasser. One way you can do that checking is contacting them directly, and another way is to track your ballot. Because it includes receipt of the application. And speaking of receiving the application, I&apos;m going to hand things over to Emily Hunt from Ramsey County elections who will talk about what happens to that application once the county receives it.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;[Powerpoint slide is replaced by a full view of Tarra.]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Emily Hunt: Hi, everyone. Can you hear me okay? Okay. Hi, this is Emily Hunt from Ramsey County. Thank you for having me today. And I appreciate hearing all of your questions for Secretary Simon, and Michael and Nasser, it&apos;s incredibly helpful for us to hear what we need to consider and really what kind of communication we can put together as we continue -- or we start, in some ways, start new outreach, but we continue the outreach that we&apos;re trying to do with the community. So Michael has gone through the application with you, which is wonderfully helpful. I&apos;m used to going through the entire thing myself, so that saves me some work.  After -- so after the application does come to the county, and the online application is available during state election years. Paper application is always available to voters. We do receive the applications, as Michael said, the four different ways. And we often receive them all year round. We usually, if we receive applications, paper applications, in January, we will let the voters know that we have them, but we will not process them in the system yet. Often folks are ready to go for the year. And they want to be signed up for both elections or any special elections that might occur during the year, so they turn them in, but sometimes that&apos;s a little early for us to be able to actually record them in the system. But after we do, we do process it. An online application or a paper application, pairing with the voter record, if we can find a voter record. So that&apos;s any registration that we have in our system that voters in Minnesota have submitted. We find those voters. And then we create an absentee record for them. For the elections that they request. Now, that absentee record is a unique I.D. for that election or set of elections. We have a unique number to the ballot once we prepare the ballot, once the ballot comes to us so we know who it belongs to and where it came from and which voter we can give voter history to for that election. So it&apos;s -- that&apos;s kind of the process for registered voters that we can find in the system. If there&apos;s no address changes, if there are no name changes, and we find a voter who is registered, we can easily just update the information from the application and create that absentee record. Now, if we do find voters who are on this application may be changing their address or their name, there&apos;s new information according to what we have in our system, well, folks will then be issued what will be considered non-registered, that they will need to update their registration. And to do that by mail, it is like voting in person on election day, in that they do need to provide election day registration to their witness in order to register by mail. And that -- I&apos;ll go into that maybe a little bit later when we&apos;re talking about reviewing the ballots as they come back. But that is -- there are ways that if someone is not registered and they need to update the registration, that is fine. We can do that for voters. But we do -- we would like to in our outreach encourage folks to register. If they can register first and update their voter registration, then request an absentee ballot, that does tend to save time for people. In the long-term. And it is one less step for them when they have to complete their absentee ballot information. So that&apos;s what happens with the application. We keep the applications on file. We have them for the information provided just in case there are any errors. We have a lot of staff, a dedicated staff who are doing all of that data entry bees and I&apos;ll say with my hands here, we had a stack of probably about a foot of applications ready to enter just the last couple of weeks with several -- ten folks entering those. So we keep all of those, and we file them away. And they&apos;re ready for us if we need to check for voters. And like Michael said, we encourage contacting us if you have any questions. If you&apos;re a Ramsey County voter and you have any questions, or the county that you live in. Folks are friendly on the phone and they&apos;re absolutely willing to tell you the status of your ballot, if you have questions, and you&apos;re not able to find the information on &quot;Track your Ballot&quot; on mnvotes.org. But we are happy to talk to voters directly. We like to provide the assurance that the ballot&apos;s being processed, and we&apos;re kind of -- we&apos;re being timely. If there is especially very little time left in the process for you. Looks like there may be some questions down here?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: I have the questions that were asked. Which I&apos;ll talk to -- I just want to pull up the next screen here. For sharing. Great. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;[Tarra is minimized to small screen pinned on top right corner while slide pops up with the state seal and the following text, “Voting From Home: Absentee Ballots in Minnesota: Filling out the ballot.” ]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: So there were two questions asked in the chat. One was actually answered by Emily after the question was asked, which is is there an individual number assigned to someone&apos;s absentee ballot? Which she said, yes, there is, which is a security measure that the person is the one assigned to that ballot. And the other question was -- and Emily, if I mess anything up, you just come right back and correct me, and the other was asking a question about the homeless. And how they are able to take part in elections. And we&apos;ll probably talk about that under the Q&amp;amp;A. Rather than now. But we will talk about that once we get to the question and answer period. And anyone else who has a question can enter it in the chat or when we get to the question and answer time. So you filled out your application. The county has done an awesome job in receiving it, tracking it, and sending you out your ballot. Or your ballot and your voter registration form, if you were not registered. Let&apos;s just go through -- we&apos;ve got 15 quick slides, hopefully. On what that experience is going to be like. The -- I&apos;ll tell you now that the directions that come with your ballot are excellent. They have been updated, gotten feedback, and have developed over years, so they&apos;re very good at answering common questions. But if at any time, and this is to build on what Emily said, at any time you have your ballot or in any part of the process, you&apos;re not sure about something, reach out. You can reach out to the commission&apos;s voter outreach folks who are getting trained in this kind of information. You can reach out to your county elections office. If you live where you have a city elections office like Minneapolis, they are also excellent, and you can reach out to our elections or outreach folks as well. Lots of help for you. But the directions are very comprehensive.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Nasser Mussa: And they are available, the instructions are available in other languages. So --&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: Yeah, in 11 languages. We haven&apos;t talked about making an interpreted ASL version of those in instructions, and that would be a big video, but I think that would be fabulous as well, so we&apos;ll add that to our list of possibilities. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;[Slide changes to another slide with the state seal and the following text, “Voting in Light of Covid-19” - Polling places will still be open, and must still be accessible for voters; voters will still have access to ballot-marking machines, assistance from Election Judges, and the ability to bring someone to help them at the polls; to limit your time at the polling place, register in advance, check your registration and polling place before leaving home, and bring your own pen; Voters do not have to go to the polls to vote, they can vote from home!; Voting from home is the best option to reduce the spread of the virus.]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Hall: So the ballot itself. Nasser had a great point when we were setting this up that we just want to make sure that you know some things about voting in this time of the virus. There will still be open polling places for you to vote in person or for anyone, if you want to or need to. That will still be an option. There&apos;ll still be ballot marking machines. There&apos;ll still be assistance from elections judges. And as Secretary Simon said, you&apos;ll still have the ability to bring someone with you to help you at the polls if you wish. There are some things you can do if you are going to vote in person to limit your time at that polling place. And registering in advance is one of them. Checking your registration and the location of your polling place before you leave home is another. And we thought that just in case, if you want to bring your own pen, you won&apos;t have to worry about whether they&apos;re cleaning pens or have disposable pens. Each county has their own system. Although the state is trying to help with guidelines and with money. But if I were voting in person, I would bring my own pen. But you don&apos;t have to vote in person. You can vote from home. Using an absentee ballot. And that&apos;s what we&apos;re going to be talking about now is that process. We think it&apos;s the best way to keep safe and to have a convenient voting experience too.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;[Slide changes to another slide with the state seal and the following text, “Deadline to return your ballot” - Your ballot will not count if it is received after Election Day; Return your ballot by mail or delivery service (e.g. FedEx or UPS) by 8pm.; You can also return your ballot in person no later than 3pm on Election Day to the election office that sent your ballot; You can drop off ballots for up to 3 other voters. You must show identification with name and signature when returning a ballot for someone else.]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; And the interpreters will be switching.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: Great time to do it. I&apos;ll pause.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;[Tarra is replaced in the pinned interpreter box by Patty.]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall:  Great. We actually talked about this under the application, but just to repeat for you quickly, you cannot return your absentee ballot after election day, or it will not count. That&apos;s what you need to know. So the earlier you begin the process, the better. If you put in your absentee ballot request form now, at 46 days before elections, you will have your absentee ballot mailed to you, and then you&apos;ll have weeks to fill it out. To think about your choices. To make sure that you have your witness before you actually do the filling out. So you&apos;ve got lots of time. But the deadline for returning it is on election day, and the times are there.Depending on whether you&apos;re dropping it off or mailing it back. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;[Slide changes to another slide with the state seal and the following text, “General overview of AB ballot process - For your ballot to count, remember this important information: Read the instructions that come with your ballot carefully; You will need a witness when you vote and complete your ballot. The witness can be either a registered Minnesota voter or a notary; Mail the ballot and forms back right away after you finish. Your ballot will not count if it is received after Election Day.]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: When you get your absentee ballot, you want everything to be as required so that there is no need for -- no need for the county to try and reach out to you to fix something. So know these three things ahead of time. One, is when your absentee ballot comes, and you open it and look at what&apos;s there, your next move should be reading the instructions. Or having someone read them for you. If need be. Because the instructions cover the whole process. They&apos;re very helpful. And just like putting together a bedroom fan, which I did last week with my son, you don&apos;t have to go back and change anything or correct any mistakes if you know what the steps are before you begin. You will need a witness when you vote using an absentee ballot. If you vote early in person, the person working at the early voting location will be your witness. But if you&apos;re voting from home, you will need a registered Minnesota voter or a notary public to witness your ballot. What&apos;s involved?Briefly, they need to see your blank ballot, so they know that someone else didn&apos;t fill it out. You need to go off then to a private place, just like you would in a polling place, to a private area, and fill it out. And then you&apos;ll be putting it in a privacy envelope and coming back to the witness, putting the envelope in the signature envelope, and you&apos;ll see all of these parts in a moment. And then that witness signs that they know that you are the person who filled out that ballot. The other job of the witness is to check your identification. They need to know who you are. And if you are registering at the same time, they need to see your documents that prove your eligibility, just like an election judge if you registered on election day. And the third thing is that don&apos;t take a lot of time after you have filled in your ballot and gotten everything in the right envelopes, send them back or drop them off right away, because you don&apos;t want to miss that deadline. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;[Slide changes to another slide with the state seal and the following text, “General overview of AB ballot process: you will receive either: - ballot, three envelopes, directions; OR, ballot, voter registration form, three envelopes, directions (particular to registering at the same time).”]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: You will, depending on whether you are already registered to vote, you&apos;ll receive one of these two sets of items. You&apos;ll receive your absentee ballot, either way. You&apos;ll receive directions, either way. You&apos;ll receive three envelopes, which we&apos;ll talk about in a second, either way. But the two differences are, if you request your absentee ballot and you&apos;re not registered, you&apos;ll also receive a voter registration form and your directions will take into account that you need directions for showing the correct identification for registering at the same time.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;[Slide changes to another slide with the state seal and the following text,”Three Envelopes???” Underneath are three envelopes; tan, off-white, and white. Off to the side is a sample ballot form. On tan envelope: “Ballot envelope: use this envelope first to keep your ballot secret. Put only your ballot in this envelope and seal it.” Off-white envelope: “Registered voter absentee ballot signature envelope: put the ballot envelope in this; seal the flap.” White envelope on bottom: your address on top left corner; the mailing address in center; and stamp on right corner over the stylized wave image.]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: Here are images of the three envelopes that come with your -- with your ballot. And I&apos;ll describe them for those who can&apos;t see them. Your privacy envelope is an off-white or tan envelope. And it&apos;s just to put your completed ballot in so that no one else gets to see what responses you put in, who you voted for, what -- how you voted on a question, et cetera. The second envelope is the signature envelope. This has your identification, your signature, the witness&apos;s signature. These are legal requirements that can be seen by the county elections workers to know whose ballot it is, to check signatures, to make sure it&apos;s properly witnessed, without going into the ballot itself, because the ballot will not have any identification on it. The third envelope is the envelope to mail back your absentee ballot. I think the envelope we&apos;re showing is actually the envelope you&apos;ll receive your ballot in, but it&apos;s similar. That third envelope will just be to put your signature envelope in to mail. And in just a minute, Emily will tell you about the opening of that envelope and what happens to your signature envelope and then to your ballot at the county. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;[Slide changes to another slide with the state seal and the following text, “Registered Voters: How to vote by absentee ballot for registered voters” Text block on left side: “You will need: ballot; tan ballot envelope; larger white return envelope; pen with black ink; your ID number (Minnesota driver’s license number, Minnesota ID card number, or the last four digits of your social security number. See below if you do not have any of these numbers); witness (anyone registered to vote in Minnesota, including your spouse or relative, or a notary public, or a person with the authority to administer oaths). If any of these items are missing, please contact your local election official.” Text below: “1. Vote! Show your witness your blank ballot, then mark your votes in private; follow the instructions on the ballot; do not write your name or ID number anywhere on the ballot; do not vote for more candidates than allowed. If you do, your votes for that office will not count. See the other side if you make a mistake on your ballot. 3. Seal your ballot in the tan ballot envelope, do not write on this envelope. 3. Put the tan ballot envelope into the white signature envelope.” Two images on right side; one depicting filling out the ballot; and the second putting the ballot in envelope.]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: This is from the directions. So for registered voters, you&apos;ll see in the directions what you&apos;ll need, what should have come in your envelope. As well as things like a pen with black ink and your identification number, your witness, everything you&apos;ll need is listed at the top of your directions. It then goes on to tell you how to actually register a vote, and whatnot to write on your ballot. And what not to write on your ballot. Then it tells you to seal your ballot in that tan privacy envelope. And to put that envelope in the signature envelope. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;[Slide changes to another slide with the state seal and the following text, “Registered Voters”. Text on left side: “Registered Voters”. Text on left side: “4. Fill out the white signature envelope completely. If there is no label, print your name and Minnesota address; Print your Minnesota driver’s license number, Minnesota ID card number, or the last four digits of your social security number. Be sure to use one of the same numbers that you provided on your absentee ballot application. Read and sign the oath; ask your witness to print their name and Minnesota street address, including city (not a PO Box) and sign their name (if your witness is an official or notary, they must print their title instead of an address. Notaries must also affix their stamp.) 5. Put the signature envelope into the larger white return envelope to protect your private information from view; seal the envelope. 6. Return your ballot by Election Day to the address on the return envelope. Ballots may not be delivered to your polling place. You have three options: send it so it arrives by Election Day, using US mail or package delivery service; deliver it in person before Election Day or by 3pm on Election Day; or ask someone to deliver it by 3pm on Election Day (this person cannot deliver more than 3 ballots). See the other side for special instructions if you have a disability.” Column of photos on right side: 1, slide ballot into envelope; 2. sign the envelope; 3. slide envelope into mailing envelope; 4. put the envelope into the mailbox.]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: Next, the directions tell you how to figure out -- sorry, how to fill out the signature envelope, what goes on, who has to write what. And, remember, these are the directions if you are already registered. When you applied. For an absentee ballot. And then the directions will tell you to put the signature envelope into the large white mailing envelope. Then it reminds you to seal the envelope. And then to return it by election day to the address on the envelope. It goes on.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;[Slide changes to another slide with the state seal and the following text, “Registered Voters: Correcting a mistake”. Text on left side: “If time allows, ask for a new ballot from your election office. Contact your election office at email or phone number, or; completely cross out the name of the candidate you accidentally marked and then mark your ballot for the candidate you prefer (do not initial your corrections).” Text under black line: “If you have a disability: if you have a disability or cannot mark your ballot, your witness may assist you by marking your ballot at your direction, assembling the materials, and filling out the forms for you. When signing the envelope, Minnesota law says you may: sign the return envelope yourself, or; make your mark, or; ask your witness to sign for you in your presence. (have the witness sign their own name as well). If you have adopted the use of a signature stamp for all purposes of signature, you may use your signature stamp  or ask your witness to use your signature stamp in your presence. Minnesota Statutes, section 654.44, subdivision 14. Please note: Voting is not covered by power of attorney. A person with power of attorney may only sign for you in your presence, as outlined above.” Image on the right side shows the way to correct a mistake on a form.]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall:  The directions talk about how to correct a mistake. You can request another absentee ballot if you need to. But you have the option of, if you don&apos;t have time, to do a full cross-out, and it&apos;s explained in the directions. And then there is a repetition of the &quot;If you have a disability&quot; language that we went over before about signing yourself, making a mark, asking a witness to sign for you in your presence, and then they sign their own signature next to it showing that they gave your signature under your directions. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;[Slide changes to another slide with the state seal and the following text, “Non-Registered Voters”. Tan block of text identical to the registered voter checklist of necessary items. Text underneath: “Important: you must submit the voter registration application with your ballot (in the white signature envelope) for your vote to be counted. 1. Fill out the voter registration application and sign it. Show your witness your driver’s license or other authorized proof of where you live. See the other side for a list of options. 2. Vote! Show your witness your blank ballot, then mark your votes in private. Follow the instructions on the ballot. Do not write your name or ID number anywhere on the ballot. Do not vote for more candidates than allowed. If you do, your votes for that office will not count.” Two images on the right side: 1. filling out the registration form; 2. filling out the ballot.]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: If you are not registered, the directions are pretty much the same, except it talks about also including the register -- the voter registration application. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;[Slide changes to another slide with the state seal and the same instructions for sealing the envelope as for registered voters. The registration application goes in the 2nd envelope along with the tan ballot envelope (white signature envelope) before putting it in the mailing envelope.]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt;Michael Wall: And that the signature envelope includes information to prove your identity and where you live, again, because you are practicing a form of election-day registration.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;[Slide changes to another slide with the state seal and the same instructions for sending in your ballot &amp;amp; registration: mail it by Election Day, deliver in person on or by 3pm on Election Day; or ask someone to drop it off for you. “To check the status of your absentee ballot, visit mnvotes.org.” Image on right side of the envelope going into the mailbox.]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: And then, again, it will tell you to -- what order to put the envelopes in and to seal the envelope and return it by Election Day. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;[Slide changes to another slide with the state seal and the following text, “Non-registered Voters”. Text: “Options for proof of where you live: A valid Minnesota driver’s license, Minnesota ID card, or permit with your current address, or; a photo ID that does not have your current address along with a document that has your current address: eligible photo IDs (Minnesota or another state’s driver’s license, learner’s permit, or ID card, a US passport, US military or veteran ID card, Minnesota high school/college/university ID card, or tribal card with your signature from a tribe recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs; eligible documents with your current address: an original bill, including account statements, and start of service notifications, dated within 30 days , before or with a due date 30 days before or after the election, a current student fee statement, or a residential lease if valid through election day. Eligible bills are gas, electric, solid waste, water, sewer, phone, cell phone, television, internet provider, credit card or banking services, or bills for rent or mortgage payments. Or one of the following: a yellow receipt for a valid Minnesota driver’s license, Minnesotaa ID card, or permit with your current address; Vouching: the signature of a registered voter who lives in your precinct and personally knows that you live in the precinct. If your witness is registered to vote in the precinct, your witness may vouch for you. This person must complete and sign the voucher form on the back of the voter registration application; a tribal ID card with your name, address, signature, and picture from a tribe recognized by the BIA; a “Notice of Late registration” if you received one from the county auditor or city clerk; if you have moved within your precinct or changed your name, a current registration in the precinct; Vouching for residents of certain residential facilities, the signature of an employee of your residential facility, including nursing home, group homes, battered women’s shelters, homeless shelters, etc. If you are not sure if the residential facility where you live is eligible, call your local election official. The employee must complete and sign the voucher form on the back of the voter registration application.]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;Michael Wall: And included in those non-registered voter directions are specifics about what kind of identification can be used to register at the same time. These listed documents are the same that are listed on our website for election-day registration.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;[Slide changes to another slide with the state seal and the following text, “Can You Track your Ballot?” Text below: You can track the status of your ballot and confirm that it was received and counted with link to the website at mnvotes.org.]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: We talked about tracking your ballot. At this point in the process, you can also check in to see, has your ballot been received? &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;[Slide changes to another slide with the state seal and the following text, “Cancel/Claw Back/Spoil Your Ballot.” Text below: What if I returned my ballot and want to change my vote? You can ask to cancel your ballot until the close of business two weeks before Election Day. After that time, you cannot cancel your ballot. To cancel your ballot, contact the election office that sent your ballot. Your options are to have a new ballot mailed, vote in person at your local election office, or vote at your polling place on Election Day.]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: Emily may talk about this, but briefly, if you change your mind after you have submitted your absentee ballot, or if you decide you want to go to the polling place, or if your candidate drops out, and you want to vote for someone else, you can have your ballot taken out of the pile, or the filing system, cancelled, and you have the opportunity to either get a new absentee ballot, or to go to your polling place, but -- big &quot;But,&quot; only if you do it up until two weeks before the election day. In 2020, the law allows county elections offices to begin to open ballots and count them two weeks before the election. Once that begins, you cannot spoil your ballot, and you have no other options. And lastly -- no, lastly. I repeated it. So we&apos;re done. Nasser, before we turn it over to Emily, do you have anything to add?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Nasser Mussa: No, I think this is really very well covered. So, again, the only thing that I want to emphasize is that just to know that the polling places are still open, accessible, if you decide to go to the polling place. We know that not every voter will be using the absentee ballot, so just have confidence in both, whichever option you want to use to vote, you know, it&apos;s -- polling places are still accessible, and it&apos;s still expected to be similar as any time in the past. In terms of accessibility.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: Thank you, Nasser. Emily, what happens when that big white envelope shows up at the county?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;[Slide is replaced by a full speaker box with Patty.]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Emily Hunt: Michael, and everyone, I did want to ask, I do have some examples with me. Would it be helpful if I went through the envelopes quickly to illustrate what you were speaking about?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: Wonderful! Okay. I think Jessalyn&apos;s is going to spotlight me. Okay. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;[Patty is replaced in the speaker box with Emily. Interpreter is absent. They present in order; ballot, signature envelope, set of blue instructions, tan ballot envelope, and mailing envelope.]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Emily Hunt: So if I receive my ballot here, I have my label there. And these are all the materials that Michael was talking about. I have lined paper today. That&apos;s my ballot. But I have my signature envelope. And on the signature envelope up here, this is where we put the identifying information. So the I.D. that is unique to the voter and the I.D. that&apos;s unique to this ballot. That information will be right up here. It is backwards on the screen I think, but the voter will fill out this top portion, these two boxes, and then the witness at the bottom will fill out this information here. We have -- our set of instructions in Ramsey County that Michael went through for registered voters is on blue paper. So hopefully, you know, this will stand out. It looks different than the rest of the materials in there. We have our yellow or Brown, I suppose some would say, secrecy envelope. And then finally, the envelope that is returned to the county. Now, on the back of the envelope here, this is helpful. There is a checklist for folks. So we encourage you to go through this checklist, and you can make sure you&apos;re hitting all of -- you&apos;re getting all of these things accomplished, and we&apos;re getting everything back in we need from you. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;[Emily demonstrates packing the materials: ballot into gold secrecy envelope, which goes into the white signature envelope.] &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Emily Hunt: So if I were to just pack my materials together, here&apos;s my ballot into my gold envelope. I pack this into my signature envelope.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: Emily? Pardon me. I think that they&apos;re working on getting the interpreter highlighted or seen. So people may need to -- if you could hold off for a second. Jessalyn, let us know when Emily should go and, Emily, I believe they weren&apos;t able to see the interpreter during the time you&apos;ve been talking.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Emily Hunt: Okay.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: So let&apos;s pause for a moment.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Emily Hunt: I&apos;ll wait.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: Thank you.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: Jessalyn is asking me if I can do a dual screen. I do not know how to do that. I don&apos;t think I have those controls. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;[Emily is replaced in the speaker box by Michael.]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: Jessalyn, can you just take Emily off being highlighted and just go to the interpreter? &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;[Michael is replaced in the speaker box by interpreter Patty.]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: There we go. So, Emily, if you would like to summarize what you just did, and then you can move on.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Emily Hunt: Sure. So I just showed the materials that we -- I&apos;m not sure if anyone can see my video in the gallery view at the top, but just showing the materials, and I think someone had a question in the chat. We will be -- we will be working on creating some videos that will show the process for folks. So straight from opening your ballot and sealing it up and sending it back to us. So if that&apos;s helpful. For everyone here. We&apos;re working on that very soon. So I will transition then into the topic of when the ballot is sealed and completed. I did want to -- to make a little note here that if there is a need for a correction, if you&apos;ve made a mistake on your ballot, we would encourage you to call Ramsey County or your elections office regarding that. We -- we just -- just because when folks are counting ballots, sometimes interpretation -- we just want to make sure that you have the opportunity to correct it, and then -- and we can very easily send you a new ballot. But the interest of time, we would want to take care of that for you very quickly. So, yep. You can contact us. Now, when we receive ballots back --&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Emily, hold on a second. We&apos;re actually going to be switching interpreters.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Emily Hunt: Sure.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;[Patty is replaced in the speaker box by Tarra.]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Emily Hunt: Okay, so when we receive the ballots back to our office, the signature envelope is what we&apos;re going to be evaluating for completion. And we accept the ballot based on whether the voter has given us the I.D. number, and if they&apos;ve signed, so we look at the voter&apos;s section, and then at the bottom of the signature envelope, we look at the witness section. If the witness has provided their name and a Minnesota street address. A P.O. box is not acceptable. So we need to reject this if a witness did give us a P.O. box. This could be a notary. So we would need a notary&apos;s information here. And we would need a notary stamp with the expiration date. So if a notary is the source of this witness, we have to have that in order to accept it. And then finally, the witness needs to sign. So this is a registered voter. Signature envelope. A non-registered voter, they must have included a voter registration applicable, a completed voter registration application. They have to complete the same voter portion of that signature envelope. So their I.D. number, their signature. But then the witness section also includes that they have seen a proof of residence, such as a Minnesota I.D., a tribal I.D., just for a few examples, a bill, a student fee statement, something like that, in order to -- for us to be able to accept this ballot. Now, to be completely honest, we do see a lot of these non-registered ballots for -- for this portion, the proof of residence, if people don&apos;t provide that information. We see a lot of those rejected. After we have accepted a ballot, we do use that unique I.D., and we process it in our system. It does -- it does record that in a voter&apos;s record. And then as it is recorded, folks could not then go to the polling place or another early voting location to vote. If there&apos;s an accepted ballot in the system, it will -- that voter will be stopped. If we -- if we reject a ballot, we immediately send a new ballot and a letter that explains why we needed to reject that ballot to the voter. And if there&apos;s -- if there&apos;s not enough time, the Friday before an election day, that is a day that we actually call voters. We call voters and make sure that they have other options explained, because we cannot be certain that the postal service will be able to deliver both ways. So in the interest of time, like Michael said, we encourage folks to -- early in the absentee period, to complete the application and turn your ballot back in to us so that we have time. Michael, did you want me to also discuss the storage of the ballots?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: If you like. I think because the voter has the chance to cancel their ballot if they have time, it might be interesting for people to know, is it a big pile? How do you find their ballot?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Emily Hunt: We don&apos;t have a big pile.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;[ Laughter ]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;We have a very organized system in Ramsey County. And we organize by ward or city. And precinct. All by address. And in our storage, we have a locked room. So no unauthorized visitors to our office can go in this room. We keep them organized in -- in 2016, we had a little over 60,000 organized in this room, and we did frequent audits of all of the ballots. So all of the ballots that should be there, we looked and we reviewed several times, I think about six times, just before the election, before we were able to count all of the ballots. And that process is for voters&apos; sense of security, that we keep everything locked, and we keep an eye on everything at all times, and we also make sure that everything is in order as it should be. And every other -- so in 2020, we have two weeks where folks who are working with the absentee ballot counting can open the ballots and count them. That is for the larger volume that we expect to have this year. And we will be able to manage more easily manage the volume and auditing those balloting throughout the year then with that extra bit of time Normal -- normally, in years unlike 2020, we have seven days, just seven days. So we expect that the law that is in effect through 2020 will return to seven days unless otherwise changed. Permanently.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: Thank you. Excellent. You all now know more than your average voter about the process and the behind the scenes of absentee voting. We&apos;ll begin to take any questions you have. But I do want to briefly talk about voting for those who have housing challenges. Homelessness, temporarily staying in a shelter, or on a friend&apos;s couch. There are laws and processes that allow the homeless to register and to vote. Although I will say that it is challenging. It&apos;s possible to register to vote using even an intersection. Because the voter is supposed to put their residence. And if they don&apos;t have one, they put the closest location of where they slept the night before. So that may be in a park. Or in a car in a parking lot. When anyone registers to vote, at an address that can&apos;t be confirmed, by receiving a postcard from the county, they&apos;re challenged, and there&apos;s a notation next to their name, on the voting roster. For their precinct. So if that voter showed up to vote at the polling place, they would be required to prove their identity, and their residence, their address, if you will, but without an address, they can use some of the alternatives like vouching, a registered voter who can swear that the person does live in the precinct, or if they&apos;re staying at a shelter, a designated shelter employee has a process to vouch for people staying there. So there are options. Once registered, it becomes easier to request an absentee ballot for the homeless because there are community centers and other places that that absentee ballot can be sent if the person is moving from one place to another to find a place to sleep, Catholic Charities runs some of these centers in Minneapolis and St. Paul. So there are options, and we&apos;re happy to work with anyone who either is hopeless or is working with the homeless to help you with specifics. I see Ellie&apos;s hand up in the participants. I don&apos;t know if that&apos;s an old hand up or a new hand up. Ellie, do you have something?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Ellie:  Perfect, perfect. I got the answer. So I appreciate that. Thank you.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Nasser Mussa: So I think we are --&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Ellie:  I guess I do have a quick question.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Nasser Mussa: Okay, go ahead.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Ellie:  Again, I want to thank you all. Do we wait until -- oh.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;[Tarra is replaced in the speaker box with Ellie.]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Ellie:  I need to leave right now, but I want to tell you how valuable this time has been. To sit here and observe and watch and learn. And for you to answer the questions and be very thorough in your responses has been amazing. So I love this membership. Thank you so much for cooperating and helping organize this. It&apos;s been a great experience. Great job. And I&apos;m glad to be a part of it. I think the last time -- I moved out of state, but before that, the last time was with Wellstone, and I remember, wow, it was tough. And things kept coming up all the time, and I was alone here, and this is great. This is fabulous. So thank you. This is amazing. Great experience and I appreciate it. Thank you for the technology. Thank you for providing this and all that work to put this together. Thank you so much.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;[Ellie is replaced in the speaker box by Tarra.]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: Thank you. This is Michael Wall. We are at our expected end time. And I don&apos;t see any other questions in the chat. So we&apos;ll do one more round of, does anyone have any questions?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; [ Inaudible ]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;[Tarra is replaced in the speaker box by Jer.]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jer: Hi, everybody. I&apos;m Jer. And often from my experience, in other situations, when I make a call in, I have to use the video relay service. Some of the people on the other end oftentimes have never had any experience with a video relay service, and end up being awkward and hanging up on me. Is it going to be the effort of your office to inform all those people that if they hear someone speaking and describing the service that you won&apos;t hang up? I mean, just a thought.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;[Jer is replaced in the speaker box with Tarra.]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: Thank you for your question. This is Michael Wall. It&apos;s -- I understand that some people don&apos;t have VRS experience, although it would surprise me that anyone working in county elections or at our office had not been prepared. I think -- I can speak for Nasser and myself that we&apos;ll make sure it&apos;s a part of our phone bank training. And we&apos;ll speak to the director of elections. And ask that he send out a reminder, not only to our employees, but also through the county elections offices, just to remind those who are new, that VRS calls are a possibility. But the even better news is that we went through a process, although timing made it not possible, for the presidential nomination primary, to hire an ASL speaker to receive video calls from other ASL speakers. So not to need to go through an interpreter, but to have a native speaker training to take questions on elections along with the other people who work our phone bank for us in the weeks before each election. So we&apos;re very excited for that to take place. This fall. If not this summer. Nasser may know a little bit more about that. But we are very excited to do this for the first time, and as far as we know, it could be the first time nationally. To have an ASL employee working the phones for elections.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jer:  Thank you.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; I believe Migdalia has a question.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;[Tarra is replaced in the speaker box with Migdalia.]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Migdalia Rogers: So I&apos;m curious, when everybody applies -- requests an absentee ballot, how long do you end up storing that information? How long are those ballots stored? How long? And how long will it stay within the system?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Nasser Mussa: Two years.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;[MigdalIa is replaced in the speaker box by Tarra.]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: Emily, do you have specific questioners? I know that they are the same as any other ballot storage. But do you have something for this?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Emily Hunt: If I understand the question, Migdalia, was it after the election, you&apos;re wondering how long we hold onto the ballots? Was that the question? Mm-hmm.  So we do keep the secured voted ballots for 22 months. And that&apos;s our retention cycle. That&apos;s with all of our official documents. So we keep them sealed in the containers that we receive from the polling place, and after that point, 22-month schedule, we shred, we secure-shred everything. And that -- and for a little -- for a little bit more information, we do keep things for that long in case -- in the case of recounts specifically. If we do need to bring all of our ballots out securely and count all of them like 2008.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Migdalia Rogers: That&apos;s what I was curious about. That&apos;s what I wanted to know. Thank you. I was just wondering how long you end up -- so I appreciate it. Thank you.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Emily Hunt: Of course.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Michael Wall: Jessalyn, would you like to close us out?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;[Tarra is replaced in the speaker box by Jessalyn.]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jessalyn Akerman-Frank: Sure. Let me change it here. Well, thank you, everyone, for your participation. I really appreciate the interpreter, the CART service provider, and Michael Wall, Nasser Mussa, and also Secretary of State Simon, also Emily, and a friendly reminder to all, we&apos;ll post this and have this all done with the transcript for our deafblind community. Additionally, we do have other registrations going on in the indigenous communities, the Spanish communities, and participants. So we have different groups that we&apos;re going to be reaching out to and working with this. So this is really just the start of our efforts. We do have several more workshops on how to put in your application, how to fill it out, and so we want to host these others, and we&apos;re inviting you, and we&apos;ll send out information. So thanks to the Secretary of State and your cooperation. And the office that has worked so hard to hire deaf for answering the calls on video and creating the fact sheet to present in ASL. I mean, that&apos;s a lot of hard work to make it fully accessible for our community. So we&apos;re forever grateful to you and taking -- taking this time, almost three hours, I really do appreciate it. So that&apos;s all I have as we close. Have a wonderful day and take care of yourselves.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Thank you. Thank you.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;;color:black&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Bye now.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>438320</id><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-06-29T14:23:04Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Community Spotlight: University of Minnesota Lions Infant Hearing Device Program</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A child’s drawing of SpongeBob Squarepants, done in pencil on a white background. SpongeBob is sporting a pair of hearing aids roughly where ears might go. Underneath is a child’s handwriting: “Thanks for letting me borrow hearing (smiley face) aides. Sincerely, (name cut off).”</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/My%20Post_tcm1063-438356.jpg</Url></Image><title>2020-06-26-spotlight-lions-infant-hearing-device-program</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-438357&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-06-26T20:01:42Z</Date><ShortDescription>Interviewed by Kaitlyn Mielke</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Interview with Program Administrators, Aly Lerman and Danyi Ma</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Aly and Danyi were interviewed online by Kaitlyn Mielke. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please give us an overview of what the Lions Infant Hearing Loaner Program does. How did the program begin?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;According to the 2015 EHDI Annual Report, approximately 250 children were born with hearing loss in the state of Minnesota.The loaner program was established to help ensure that infants and young children (0-18 years) with newly identified hearing loss receive intervention in a timely manner. We provide temporary amplification to give families time to adjust, assess and arrange for permanent hearing devices and/or await medical intervention.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What are the goals of the program?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It is our goal to facilitate the treatment process and act as a resource for children diagnosed with hearing loss. We hope to give everyone equal access to communication through hearing devices as their family takes the time necessary to make difficult decisions regarding their child&apos;s hearing loss.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What services does the program provide?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The program provides hearing devices for children that are loaned for a six month period. Extensions may be granted on a case-by-case basis. Our partnership with Unitron provides children earmolds free of charge. The hearing devices are cleaned and serviced by the program administrators, and shipped directly to the audiologist’s office for fitting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Who are the recipients that benefit from the program?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anyone aged 0-18 that is diagnosed with hearing loss and needs temporary amplification. There is no financial criteria that needs to be met to qualify for this program.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What types of aids and/or devices are included in the inventory available?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our inventory includes traditional hearing aids, bone-anchored hearing aids, FM systems and other assistive hearing technologies from reputable manufacturers. We also have an inventory of tamper-proof battery doors, care kits, cases, batteries and other accessories that can be provided upon request.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After using the loaner(s) for a time period, what paths do recipients usually take to continue their hearing journeys?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During the loaner period, the child’s family and audiologist will be working to secure funding and/or decide on an intervention approach. Following their loaner period, children have gone on to purchase hearing aids, have a cochlear implant or bone-anchored hearing device surgery, or have decided to use American Sign Language, or a combination of options as their preferred communication approach.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How is the program funded? (Who provides the loaners?)&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The program is funded by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). We receive an annual grant that is used to keep the program running, as well as to cover costs for necessary purchases. In addition to purchasing devices to keep our inventory up-to-date with current technologies and demand, we also reach out to hearing aid manufacturers who generously donate new devices. Donations from audiologists and the general public have been received as well.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How can prospective recipients connect with the program to receiver loaner hearing aids and/or devices?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Recipients should inquire about our program through their audiologist, who we directly work with to provide our services. Audiologists across the state are informed of and have access to the online hearing aid loaner bank system where orders can be placed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the Program Administrators:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The current program administrators are Aly Lerman and Danyi Ma, both students in the Doctor of Audiology program at the University of Minnesota. Aly is a fourth year graduate student embarking on her externship at the Kansas City VA. Danyi is a third year graduate student who is interested in working with the adult population.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact them at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:lionsear@umn.edu&quot;&gt;lionsear@umn.edu&lt;/a&gt; for additional information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the Grant Funding:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2007, MNCDHH and advocates successfully advocated for funding from the legislature for the Hearing Aid Loaner Bank. The Minnesota Department of Health has signed a contract of $70,000/year with the University of Minnesota to run the Hearing Instrument Loaner Bank. Loans of hearing aids provided to families with babies with hearing loss immediately upon request. Every family who has requested help has received it.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>438357</id><Tag><Description/><Title>language acquisition</Title><Id>310294</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>hearing aids</Title><Id>310255</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>health care</Title><Id>310254</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-07-10T23:28:08Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Message to the Community about George Floyd and Changing Systems</Title><title>2020-06-15-message-to-the-community-about-george-floyd-and-changing-systems</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-435991&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-06-15T18:13:12Z</Date><ShortDescription>We wish we could have sent this out earlier but the first message we made didn&apos;t have the tone we originally intended. This is a message to our community members from MNCDHH&apos;s collective heart. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>From Executive Director Dr. Darlene Zangara</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/9BQEB_XKACg&quot; title=&quot;message to the community about George Floyd and changing systems&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello. My name is Dr. Darlene Zangara, Executive Director for the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing. This is a message on behalf of MNCDHH and staff. Since George Floyd’s killing on May 25, 2020, we have experienced heartbreak, pain, and sorrow. George Floyd was a person and his death was a result of systemic racism. We know this has affected each and every one of you. Our Black and People of Color communities have our support. We hear you. We hope justice will be swift and fair.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH will continue to do our part to change the world for the better. MNCDHH has contracted with diverse community members for several years and trains them so that they can do civic engagement outreach within their own communities. This strengthens their voice in the legislative and systemic process. This also helps our contractors and the people they reach grow professionally. Many of our deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing community members and their families are Black and People of Color. They experience twice the discrimination, one due to their disability and one due to their skin color. Let’s make sure that we, as a diverse community, openly support each other. We hope you take this opportunity to pause, reflect, and develop a new awareness of what has happened since May 25, and what has been happening for centuries. We can all take this experience and learn how we can change systems and be a better ally to our Black and People of Color communities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The heart of MNCDHH’s work is to advocate for communication access and equal opportunity. Addressing racism is a natural part of our scope and we will be meeting with the state’s Ethnic Councils to discuss how we can collaborate. MNCDHH also want to recognize our community members who are protesting an unfair system, contacting their legislators, and working to make a difference. Thank you for everything you do to change the system and our community for the better.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>435991</id><pubdate>2020-06-15T18:17:34Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>In the News: Meet Nic Zapko. Her face and hands explain Gov. Tim Walz’s words to the deaf.</Title><title>2020-06-06-meet-nic-zapko</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-538369&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-06-07T02:54:40Z</Date><ShortDescription>By Mary Divine</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Pioneer Press</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH&apos;s executive director was quoted on this story about Nic Zapko, deaf interpreter, &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;http://&quot;&gt;Meet Nic Zapko. Her face and hands explain Gov. Tim Walz’s words to the deaf.&lt;/a&gt;&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Approximately one in five Minnesotans is deaf or hard of hearing, said Darlene Zangara, executive director of the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, Deaf Blind and Hard of Hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Zapko is “one of the top-notch interpreters in Minnesota,” said Zangara, who is deaf. “Her ASL language skills are incredible. She is so clear that many non-signers have said that they understand her.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Among Zapko’s fans is Zangara’s 78-year-old mother, Carol Stremmel, who also is deaf.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“She is awesome — so easy to understand,” Stremmel said. “It’s less stressful than trying to read captions. Captions don’t always help me because the English words are not in my vocabulary.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Because of Zapko, Stremmel is now “able to follow the news,” Zangara said. “She has more confidence, and she has more interest in knowing what is going on than she ever had in the past. It amazes me because she typically had relied on me for information, but now she watches all of the updates and the press conferences. It’s great to see that.”&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>538369</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>in the news</Title><Id>317336</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>health care</Title><Id>310254</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-08-20T02:57:34Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>June 3, 2020 3 PM Press Conference Transcript</Title><title>2020-06-03-3pm-press-conference-transcript</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-434841&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-06-03T15:04:59Z</Date><ShortDescription>Transcription from Attorney General’s 3 pm Press Conference on June 3rd.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Video source: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/tptpbs/videos/849078495579392/&quot;&gt;TPT Twin Cities PBS Facebook Live Video&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Unknown male: …timeline of events that led to Mr. Floyd’s death or any investigative detail. It’s all under investigation. It is currently confidential. So I just want to set that expectation right now. With that, Attorney General Keith Ellison.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker departs. Attorney General Ellison and two other men come forward to speak.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Attorney General Ellison: First of all, thank you, ladies and gentlemen of the press. Myself and my friend, Mike Freeman, want to share some information with you. I want to begin with a reminder. And that is, we’re here today because George Floyd is not here. He should be here. He should be alive, but he’s not. About nine days ago, the world watch Floyd utter his very last words, “I can’t breathe” as he pled for his live. The world heard Floyd call out for his mama and cried out, “Don’t kill me.” Just two days ago when I became the lead prosecutor in the murder of Mr. Floyd, I asked for time to thoroughly review all the evidence in the case and we looked at the evidence that’s available and the investigation is ongoing at this time. I also said that I know it’s asking a lot of people to give us time, particularly people who have suffered for decades and centuries of injustice, to be patient and, yet, we did get that time and together, a very strong, experienced team, which included county attorney Mike Freeman, his team, and my team, we reviewed the evidence, together with the BCA, and we have something to announce today. Before I announce it, I want to say thank you for the patience of the people who they’ve shown me and our entire team in pursuit of justice, and I’m here to make these announcements right now. First, today, I filed an amended complaint that charges former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin with murder in the second degree for the death of George Floyd. I believe the evidence available to us now supports the stronger charge of second-degree murder. We’ve consulted with each other and we agree. Second, today arrest warrants were issued for former Minneapolis police officers J.A. Kueng, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao. Finally, I’d like to announce that today Hennepin County attorney Michael Freeman and I filed a complaint that charges police officers Kueng, Lane and Thao with aiding and abetting murder in the second degree, a felony offense. I strongly agree that these developments are in the interest of justice for Mr. Floyd, his family, our community, and our state. I’m the lead prosecutor in this case. I’ll be speaking, addressing the public, but this is absolutely a team effort. We are working together on this case, with only one goal, justice for George Floyd. I want to thank, first, Mr. Hennepin County Attorney, Mike Freeman, who had been a true partner in this matter in every step of the way. His experience and insight have been invaluable and will continue to be counted on by the team. I also want to thank county attorney Freeman’s professional staff who have cooperated and worked together with my staff and the investigating officers from the very minute this case started. I also want to thank Superintendent Drew Evans of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and his professional staff for the care and speed with which they are conducting this investigation, and I want to thank especially U.S. Attorney Erica MacDonald and Special Agent in Charge who are conducting a parallel federal color of law investigation. I have heard directly from the leadership of the Department of Justice that there is full support for her leadership in pursuit of her investigation and as she put it so well, one team, one goal, one mission. I agree 100%. As I said earlier, Mr. Floyd’s family and I can speak for Mr. Freeman and I jointly thank them along with U.S. Attorney MacDonald. We thank the community for their patience in allowing us the time and space we need over these days to lay these charges. As it is so hard to do, I now ask for continued patience. This case continues to be under investigation. We will not be able to say very much publicly about the investigation. Except that we encourage anyone who believes that they have evidence in this case to come forward and to be cooperative with the investigation. As we develop the case for prosecution, which will also not be, we will not be able to say very much publicly about it, because our job is to seek justice and to obtain a conviction, not to make statements in the press but to put – do our talking in court. So I ask for your patience again while we limit our public comments in pursuit of justice. I also ask for your trust. We are pursuing justice by every legal and ethical means available to us. I also want to add a word of caution. The investigation is ongoing. We are following the path of all of the evidence, wherever it leads. We are investigating as quickly as we can because speed is important. We’re also investigating as thoroughly as we can because being complete and thorough is critically important. It takes time. The reason thoroughness is important is because every single link in the prosecute I don’t recall chain must be strong, it needs to be strong because trying this case will not be an easy thing. Prosecutorial winning a conviction will be hard, in fact, county attorney Freeman is the only prosecutor in the state of Minnesota who has successfully convicted a police officer for murder. And he can tell you that it’s hard. I say that – I say this not because we doubt our resources or our ability. In fact, we’re confident in what we’re doing. But history does show that there are clear challenges here and we are going to be working very hard and relying on each other and our investigative partners and the community to support that endeavor. To the Floyd family, to our beloved community, and to everyone that is watching, I say George Floyd mattered. He was loved. His family was important. His life had value and we will seek justice for him and for you and we will find it. The very fact that we have filed these charges means that we believe in them. But what I do not believe is that one successful prosecution can rectify the hurt and loss that so many people feel. The solution to that pain will be slow and difficult work of constructing justice and fairness in our society. That work is the work of all of us. We don’t need to wait for the resolution and investigation of this case to start that work. We need citizens, neighbors, leaders in government and in faith communities, civil and human rights activists to begin rewriting the rules for a just society now. We need new policy and legislation and ways of thinking at the municipal, state and federal levels, the world of arts and entertainment can use their cultural influence to inspire the change that we need. There is a role for all who dream of a justice that we haven’t yet experienced. In a final analysis, a protest can shake a tree and can make the fruit fall down, but after all that, fruit is in reach, collecting it and making the jam must follow. The demonstrations and the protests are dramatic and necessary, but building just institutions is more of a slow grind but equally important. And we have to begin that work as well. We need your energy and we need everyone’s help right now. Thank you very much. We’ll take a few questions. Yes, Ma’am.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Off-screen reporter: Massive protests and massive riots (indiscernible question). &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Attorney General Ellison: We believe we have a duty to charge the charges that fit the facts in this case and we have done so. And, so, our concern is to put all the energy we can into putting forth the strongest case that we can without fear or favor of anyone or anything. These charges are based on the facts that we have found and we’re going to pursue them. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Off-screen reporter: The Hennepin County Attorney (indiscernible question). Is he going to plead this case (indiscernible)?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Attorney General Ellison: The Hennepin County Attorney did an excellent job by gathering facts and has worked cooperatively with us at every single step of the way. We consulted with each other on these charges. We believe that these are the right charges. Mike Freeman and I will be – we’ve signed a complaint for these additional charges, and, so that’s what we’re doing. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Off-screen reporter: The whole nation, indeed, the whole world, has been waiting for some type of announcement from your office. Can you describe the process involved in your deliberation and what impact do you think today’s decision might have not just in Minneapolis but for those across the country watching you right now? &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Attorney General Ellison: Unfortunately, I can’t delve into our deliberative process, but what I will tell you generally is we gathered all the facts that we could, we reviewed the criminal statues and we arrived to the charges. We believe that they’re justified by the facts and the law.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Off-screen reporter: What does this impact have on them, this decision? &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Attorney General Ellison: The pursuit of justice is always good and right. And I want to signal to them that we hope that they continue to raise the cause of justice but do it in a peaceful manner. It is their right to express themselves and with that I will say that they should continue in their own communities to get together to build just community relationships, we need the faith community to be involved, we need arts and entertainment to help inspire us toward justice. We need everybody. There’s a lot more to do than just this case. And we ask people to do that. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Off-screen reporter: (indiscernible) Are we talking weeks, are we talking months?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Attorney General Ellison: I want to thank you for asking that question because part of my comments were to help set up expectations in a realistic light. You know, in order to be thorough, this is going to take months. And I don’t know how many, but it is better to make sure that we have a solid case, fully investigated, researched before we go to trial. We don’t want to rush it and so it will take a while. And I can’t set a deadline on that. Way in the back.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Off-screen reporter: The Floyd family asked for a first degree murder charge. You decided to charge second degree unintentional murder while committing a felony. Can you explain what that charge means, unintentional murder versus second-degree intentional murder, please?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Attorney General Ellison: Well, according to Minnesota law, you have to have premeditation and deliberation to charge first degree murder. Second degree murder you have to intend for death to be the result. For second degree felony murder, you have to intend the felony and then death be the result without necessarily having it be the intent. So that is the state of the law. The felony would be – we would contend that George Floyd was assaulted and, so, that would be the underlying felony. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Off-screen reporter: Will you accept any plea deals in this or do you expect all four to go to trial? And, secondly, when will the body camera footage be released?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Attorney General Ellison: You know, I really don’t have any idea of what the negotiations or something like that, that’s simply way too early to begin that conversation. At this point we are preparing to try this case. If something else happens along the way, we’ll see. But at this point we don’t have any plans in that direction.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Off-screen reporter: Body camera footage?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Attorney General Ellison: You know, that is something that I will – I don’t have anything to report right now. At this time we’re focused on investigating the case. And, so, I think at this time I will consult with the BCA and other partners on the case and we’ll come to a conclusion about that. Again, we believe in transparency but we also believe in a thorough investigation, most importantly. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Off-screen reporter: The three officers have been taken into custody?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Attorney General Ellison: I’ll allow Mr. Drew Evans to address that issue. [Moves out of frame and another man steps in.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Drew Evans: Good afternoon. I’m the Superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. We are in the process of taking the officers into custody. Report that one is in custody now and the other two we are in the process of taking into custody and expect them to be this afternoon.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Off-screen reporter: Could you clarify – have the officers involved made statements to your investigators? (Indiscernible) Have you spoken to them?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Drew Evans: As the Attorney General said, we can’t speak about all the details of the case, other than what’s really in the complaint at this time. I will tell you with any investigation, as I’ve told you all from the very beginning, we have teams of investigators from the BCA, jointly investigating this with the FBI, trying to obtain all information. In this case, I will tell you that is a regular course of all of our investigations to attempt interviews with all of the officers. We have interviewed numerous individuals in this case and additional information will be provided as we move forward.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Drew Evans steps away and Attorney General Ellison steps in.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Off-screen reporter: Attorney General, do you have the folks you need for this or will you be seeking outside counsel, professional counsel, as you’re authorized to do under the law?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Attorney General Ellison: At this time I believe we have the team to complete this work. I would just like to introduce David Void [David Void remains off-camera.] as well, he is deputy at the Attorney General’s Office. He heads the criminal division and he has the lawyers to get this done and also we have some experienced lawyers in the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. We’re working hard on this thing together.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Off-screen reporter (indiscernible) I know the Floyd family is hoping to have more information of these charges before the memorial tomorrow. How should that factor into your decision, as well as the protests (indiscernible) across the country as well?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Attorney General Ellison: I could say I did not allow public pressure to impact our decision-making process. I was prepared to withstand whatever calls came. We made these decisions based on the facts that we have gathered since this matter occurred and made the charges based on the law that we think applies. That’s my answer.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Off-screen reporter: Your relationship with Mike Freeman (indiscernible)?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Attorney General Ellison: Going fine, it’s going great. I spent a lot of time in Hennepin County when I was a trial lawyer myself. I know all the lawyers there, respect them all, admire them all, we’re fine. Can I introduce you? &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Person off-screen: Okay.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Attorney General Ellison: He represents Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, first  deputy for Mike Freeman. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Off-screen reporter: (indiscernible)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Attorney General Ellison: No. I’m going to let the people who prosecute cases every single day prosecute this case. Now, it is true that I’ve tried a lot of cases and I’ve tried homicide cases. But on the other side of the courtroom. The people who know how to prosecute, I’m going to let them do that work. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Off-screen reporter: (indiscernible)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Attorney General Ellison: You know, I think it helps me anticipate what some of the attacks on our case might be. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Off-screen reporter: (indiscernible)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Attorney General Ellison: I see no reason why we can’t get a fair trial here.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Off-screen reporter: With the charges that were just filed, my math is correct, three officers now face the potential same maximum sentence as Mr. Chauvin?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Attorney General Ellison: Yes. Well, yes, sir. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Off-screen reporter: I apologize if you’ve addressed this before, but does your involvement in this case now put you on the sidelines in terms of the legislative process and working for police reform legislation?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Attorney General Ellison: No. I’ll continue to do all of the duties that I have, which involved legislative, which involve a lot. We’ve been very active in the civil space. We’ve been active in representing state agencies and government. I’ll continue to supervise that as I always do. But I feel – I feel very confident in it because I have excellent professionals who are going to be focused on this like a laser beam every single day.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Off-screen reporter: Attorney General, could you take us into that room when the decision was made, for you personally, (indecipherable)?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Attorney General Ellison: I feel a tremendous sense of weight. I feel this is a very serious moment. I can honestly tell you, I take no joy in this, but I do feel a tremendous sense of duty and responsibility. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Off-screen reporter: (indiscernible question)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Attorney General Ellison: I don’t know the answer to that question. [Steps away and Drew Evans steps in.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Drew Evans: I would just answer that in terms of what is left up to the various sheriffs that we work with on this. As Commissioner Schnell noted the other day, they make security decisions and the best place for everybody in light of everything that’s going on right now in the Twin Cities. Again, those are decisions based on the analysis of the sheriff and they work closely with the Department of Corrections to make sure that they have everyone in their custody where they should be based on safety assessments. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Off-screen reporter: (indiscernible)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Attorney General Ellison: I will say to them that I pledge and promise to hold all, everyone accountable for the behavior that we can prove in a court and that if I don’t charge it, it means that we did not have the facts to do that. So I’ll simply say that as the people who are professionals, professional prosecutors, we’re taking our duty seriously and we are working with the people who gather the facts and we have done the work that we believe is possible, ethical and right. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Off-screen reporter: (indiscernible)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Attorney General Ellison: Yeah. Well let me be honest here. I mean, our country has had – has under prosecuted these matters, in Minnesota and throughout the country. And, so, I think the trust is a result of historically not holding people who are public guardians accountable for their behavior in situations where we should have. So that I think is the origin of the trust problem. But we can’t – we can’t control the past. All we can do is take the case that we have in front of us right now and do our good faith best to bring justice to the situation and we will.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Attorney General and colleagues leave.]&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>434841</id><pubdate>2020-06-05T15:09:09Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>May 31, 2020 7 PM Press Conference Transcript</Title><title>2020-05-31-press-conference-transcript</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-434526&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-05-31T15:02:36Z</Date><ShortDescription>Transcription from Governor’s 7 pm Press Conference on May 31st. </ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Video source: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/tptpbs/videos/602195850379410/&quot;&gt;TPT Twin Cities PBS Facebook Live (May 31, 2020, 7:00 PM)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz: Good evening, Minnesota. Last evening we asked you to honor a curfew, a stay-at-home order. We asked you so that we could regain order on the streets, but it was much broader than that as I mentioned earlier this morning. We asked you to help us create the space so we could have those important conversations to deal with the systemic problems that caused what you see to happen.          &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Today tens of thousands of you took that cherished right and exercised your right to get out there and peacefully protest. You made your voices heard. You spoke loudly about the need for justice and swift justice, and you talked about the need to make meaningful change on systemic racism.  Now I’d like to address what many of you saw within the last hour, a horrifying image on our television, a semi-truck illegally entering the closed freeways, appears to be with a flammable or toxic substance, driving nearly full force into a crowd of thousands of peaceful protestors.                       &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I&apos;ve been briefed at this point in time. The driver was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center with injuries sustained, being pulled from the vehicle. Commissioner Harrington will follow up further.  I believe that driver was arrested.  We do not have any confirmed cases of injuries. We&apos;re hearing some things on social media that several people were taken by civilians to the hospital. I can&apos;t confirm that at this time.                             &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What I can tell you is that law enforcement responded to that situation immediately. The reason for that was is to protect the peaceful protestors to make sure that it did not happen. We need to clear the bridge to ensure that there was nothing volatile with the truck and the situation as we speak is still happening. I think the incident just underscores still the volatile situation we have out there. I don&apos;t know the motives of the driver at this time. But at this point to not have a tragedy and many deaths is simply an amazing thing. We&apos;ll get followed up further on the current situation by Commissioner Harrington and Major General John Jensen. But I’d like to tell you what I heard out there today and I want to address the issue of that. Folks across Minnesota and this country as they gathered to express their frustration and their pain, one of the things they&apos;ve been making very very clear, they don&apos;t trust the process. They don&apos;t believe justice can be served, and their frustrations are they believe that time and time again the system works perfectly well as it was designed to deny those rights and deny justice to communities of color. We have to make that process work for people.    &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We have to start making sure trust is restored. And I spent the day and the last week in many conversations with many people about this issue. And I have made a decision that I think so many others have made, that Keith Ellison, our Attorney General of Minnesota, needs to lead this case. And I say that with much experience to say it.  I say it as someone who&apos;s known and seen the leadership of attorney General Ellison for decades.                      &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I had the privilege and the pleasure to go into the United States Congress in the class of 2006 and serve for 12 years with attorney General Ellison.  I watched him lead on the issues of civil and human rights, I watched him gain the respect of the entire United States Congress, I watched him formulate and think about things that at the time people said, we can&apos;t do that, we can&apos;t get them done. Keith Ellison was the person there to get that. He understood the systemic issues that were holding us back.                             &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And as a member, one, of 435 in the United States Congress, his voice was loud. It was also my privilege in 2018 when I was given the privilege of becoming the governor of Minnesota; I entered that with Keith Ellison becoming the Attorney General of Minnesota. He&apos;s my lawyer, if you will, for the State of Minnesota. And I’ve watched his vision and passion and when I say &quot;my lawyer&quot; in the state of Minnesota, that&apos;s the people&apos;s lawyer. He&apos;s done that with a command of the law but with the command of what the law means to people.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What it means to stand in front of justice and expect to get that. So this decision is one that I feel takes us in that direction and the step to start getting justice for George Floyd. When I spoke to the Floyd family, they were very clear; they wanted the system to work for them. They wanted to believe that there was trust and they wanted to believe that the facts would be heard and justice would be served. And I can tell you in Minnesota, having Keith Ellison as the lead on this case that will happen. With that, attorney General Keith Ellison.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Attorney General Keith Ellison: Thank you, governor. My name&apos;s Keith Ellison; I’m the Attorney general for the state of Minnesota. And it is with a large degree of humility and great seriousness that my office, I accept for my office the responsibility for leadership on this critical case involving the killing of George Floyd. I want to thank my good friend of many years, mike freeman, for the hard work he&apos;s done. We expect to work together. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There is many resources, talent and ability in his office on cases like this. And I just want to let everyone know that we are going to bring to bear all the resources necessary to achieve justice in this case. And that means that we won&apos;t leave any resources on the sideline as we pursue justice. I&apos;ve had an excellent conversation with Mr. Freeman and we will be working together. This case is unusual because of the way that Mr. Floyd was killed and who did it. At the hands of the defendant, who was a Minneapolis police officer, but it is not unusual in the sense that the attorney General&apos;s office handles criminal cases and works with counties all the time. This is not something that we&apos;re not used to. We have a criminal division of highly competent prosecutors that I have tremendous confidence in and we have talked, we believe we have the capability and will work with our counterparts in Hennepin County to make sure that justice is achieved.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Now, if I may, I would like to just anticipate a few questions. Tonight we&apos;re not prepared to talk about what the charges are going to be, who&apos;s going to be charged. It&apos;s just too early to discuss that matter. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tonight we are announcing our role in this case and we&apos;ll begin the very earnest process immediately and have already begun to do so. Let me also note, a dose of reality, prosecuting police officers for misconduct, including homicide, murder, is very difficult. And if you look at the cases that have been in front of the public over the last many years, it&apos;s easy to see that that is true. Every single link in the prosecutorial chain will come under attack as we present this case to a jury or a fact finder. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And we need to make sure that we are prepared. We intend to be prepared. And, so, I just want to let the public know that we are pursuing justice, we are pursuing truth, we&apos;re doing it vigorously, and we are pursuing accountability. Still, I will be asking for your trust because certainly, some people will want to know every single detail that we&apos;re working on.  We will not be able to share that with you. But I want to let you know, and I want to ask you for your trust that we are pursuing justice, we are pursuing it relentlessly and we are pursuing it on behalf of the people of the state of Minnesota.  So thank you very much. Commissioner Harrington, go right ahead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Department of Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington: Thank you, sir. I&apos;m John Harrington, the commissioner of the department of public safety. I&apos;ll give you a little background on how this day started and speak a little bit to the near-tragedy of the tanker truck almost running over folks on 35w.  At the end of last night, we checked in to see how things had gone with our overnight approach to keeping the peace in Minneapolis and St. Paul and we noted that we had made about 143 arrests. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We also noted some other trends that we mentioned earlier today. Noted the organizations of these riots. And I do once again call them riots and I differentiate them from the peaceful protests we&apos;ve seen today, people coming to express their first amendment rights, coming to express their remorse about the death of George Floyd, people coming to talk about racism and police brutality. Part of the trend line that we&apos;ve been tracking is we&apos;ve been noticing that as we had talked about our desire to reduce fires, we are now finding caches of incendiaries all over the metro area and in greater Minnesota adjacent to spots where fires had been set or where we had large riotous confrontations. Bottles of gasoline, bottles of oil and gasoline mixed and preset into grassy areas or hidden in boxes immediately adjacent to areas where we have seen a number of the fires, a number of the arsons. We&apos;ve also continued to note the presence of what we believe to be a cache of stolen vehicles with the plates removed that are being used to transport these flammables.        &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are seeing the proceeds from some of the looting and also other weapons, including rocks and other projectiles that we have seen there.  As we prepared for today, we prepared with some thought about how we thought tonight might go and as part of that, we brought forth a  recommendation for the curfew that had been very successfully used yesterday to be extended through tonight. So the curfew will be extended tonight from 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. on Monday. And you can expect that officers will be enforcing the curfew tonight again.              &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I will ask you, I will beg you, please stay home. Please stay with your businesses. Please stay with your family. Please do not go out and about.  Please do not go for a walk or anything.  What we want you to do, we want you to be safe. And the safest place for you tonight in this very troubling time as we&apos;re finding incendiaries, we&apos;re finding weapons, we&apos;re seeing folks driving around in vehicles that are set up to avoid detection and avoid contact with the police. The safest place for you is at home.  And that is what we&apos;re asking the public to do. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This afternoon as we prepared for our officers to go out, we staged a similar number of officers we had yesterday. We have rapid response teams that are out already, and you would have seen that if you were watching the video about the tanker truck. We were able in no small part to get to the tanker truck as quickly as we could because we had bike officers and we had rapid response teams out there.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition to that, we have mobile field force teams that are also out tonight in case we do run into a major confrontation with a significant body of people that want to riot. Once again, I think that&apos;s an important distinction. We are out to stop criminal behavior. We are out to keep the peace. But given the curfew, we want everyone to stay home, which will make it far simpler for first responders, fire, police, and medics to take appropriate action with that. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This afternoon as we were gearing up, we saw a tanker truck. I do not have the owner or the name of the tanker truck yet; I’m waiting for that, literally drive through what we believe, we were estimating a crowd of between 5 and 6,000 protestors, demonstrators, who were at us bank stadium.  They had moved on to 35w, and as we did yesterday, we had shut down the freeway because we wanted to keep these protestors safe. We have recognized that having people on the freeway is a dangerous, hazardous place for them to be. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So one of the things that we have learned over the years is that by shutting down the freeway, we put them in a place where they will be safe or at least safer to get them to move as they demonstrate and make -- have it done safely. Amid that crowd, the truck drove through at high speeds, was chased down by protestors, and the truck stopped.  The driver was taken out of the truck by the protestors and he was then taken to Hennepin county medical center, as I understand it, or to the closest available medical center for injuries sustained. While at the medical center, he is being taken into custody. Minnesota State Patrol and the BCA are jointly investigating this case as a criminal matter.  And we will have more information about who and what and where and all the rest of that as it further develops. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In closing, I want just to say one more time; the curfew starts tonight at 8:00. We have been working with community groups all over the twin cities, native American community groups, Somali community groups, African American church leaders, we have been talking to community leaders throughout the twin cities area and they have been helping us get the word out that the curfew has been continued for another night. Please, if you hear me, tell your family, tell your friends, tell your young ones that the best place for them tonight is at home with them where they will be safe. At this time I’ll introduce major adjutant General John Jensen of the Minnesota National Guard.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;National Guard Major General John Jensen: Good evening, everybody. I apologize, my throat&apos;s a little sore today. I spent most of the day traveling through Minneapolis/St. Paul visiting my soldiers and my airmen and spent a long day encouraging them, thanking them and just generally having a conversation with them. Today and through tonight, Minnesota National Guard will be on 29 missions and we have two that are currently pending. The vast majority of these missions, of course, are in Minneapolis and St. Paul. But in coordination with the department of public safety, we&apos;re also conducting operations in Brooklyn Center, Eagan, and Bloomington. The Brooklyn Center one I’d like to highlight very quickly because it&apos;s a very unique mission for us at this point. In Brooklyn Center, we are assisting the Red Cross in a shelter in place facility for people who have been displaced due to the protests and demonstrations. My second, my last item for tonight is just a point of clarification to clear up what has been shown on recent media posts that I’ve seen.  And it deals with an immediate and credible threat against the Minnesota National Guard.  This afternoon as part of a National Guard bureau media roundtable, myself and two other adjutant Generals were interviewed by approximately 30 members of the national media. And on a specific question as it related to arming the Minnesota National Guard and why was the Minnesota National Guard, I covered an FBI threat that we had received last week, and if you remember last week when we addressed this between myself and the local media, I talked about that.  Well, this was new information for the national media, and they picked up that story and ran it.  And a couple of stations here in Minnesota picked that up as new information. It&apos;s not. It&apos;s the exact threat report that we had received last week, and, again, made available to governor Walz and was one of my key reasons for wanting to arm the Minnesota National Guard as I felt we had a credible immediate threat against the Minnesota National Guard. That&apos;s all I have this evening.  Thank you. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz: Thank you, General Jensen. We were just updated, Commissioner Harrington and myself, that the truck driver of the incident on 35w has been released from Hennepin County medical center and is in police custody at this time. Before I take questions, I’d like just to mention in this time as we said of stress, of heartache, of us as Minnesotans and as Americans understanding how we address some of these toughest issues, you don&apos;t have to look very far to see how we do it. We do it as a community. At 94 and Lexington, a food drive was going on and people lining up around the corner.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Numerous stories being reported by the local media and here of schools gathering and helping out folks and then my wife, Gwen, and I were down on lake street this morning to watch and look at people coming out to help their neighbors scrubbing graffiti and sweeping and cleaning and showing the pride in their community and the support they had. So, Minnesotans that part of us is there and it is there strongly. I would ask again to make the case, this is not done yet with those who seek to disrupt. We&apos;re asking you once again to please stay home. Please, by 8:00, get off the streets, get home. Please assist and allow our folks to make sure those people who have placed those flammables around and mean to do damage to us are not allowed to do so. And let&apos;s move another step forward towards that healing. At this time any of us would be glad to answer questions. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reporter: Are you still finding -- are there areas that have already burned, have you found some new areas? &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz: John.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commissioner John Harrington: So a question about where we&apos;re finding flammables. We have found them in areas that were having heated protests, for a bad word, where there were protests last night. We found them in neighborhoods over in the lake street area where there had already been fires over the last several days. And we have seen them in cars that we stopped as recently as this morning. So we&apos;re finding them in caches that look like they may have been planted a little while ago, maybe three, four days ago. And we&apos;re finding them in some places where it really looks like this is within the last 24 hours or more recently than that even. In terms of where we&apos;re finding them.                     &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reporter: And then on the truck, do you know yet where -- how, where it got onto the freeway?    &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commissioner John Harrington: The MNDOT cameras, as best as we can determine, the truck was on the freeway already as we were closing the freeway. So it doesn&apos;t -- does not appear from the cameras that we&apos;ve seen that it went around any barricades or went through any barricades.  So our best estimation at this point, it&apos;s early in looking back at the video, is that it was on the freeway when it was -- but that does not in any way absolve the driver from driving through a crowd of people at speed. He may have been stuck on a freeway, we certainly would understand, and we would have understood him stopping to get our assistance to get him off of the freeway or any number of different things that could have been done. That is not and I think most people have seen this video that is not anywhere close to what was done. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reporter: Thank you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reporter: We saw something on social media regarding the possibility that there weren&apos;t enough resources to stop the semi from getting onto 35.  Is that true? Was this a loophole, if you will, a literal break in the barricade that allowed the semi to continue? &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commissioner John Harrington: In terms of this being a lack of resources, no. We had more than adequate resources out there. We were shutting down the freeway because that was -- we were going to shut down the freeways as we did last night later.  We moved that in our timeline up, but we had adequate resources that way. That was not the issue at all. And as to more than that, that will be something that the state patrol and our folks and MNDOT will look at as we reconstruct this case, look at the video and get more detailed information. We&apos;ll have more once we&apos;ve done that.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reporter: The injuries sustained that you mentioned, was that related at all to the driver being pulled out of the cab and possibly attacked by any of the group there, or what were the injuries? Was it related to the abrupt stop on the bridge? How did he get those injuries?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commissioner John Harrington: I do not have that information at this time. But we will certainly get that information for you.  But at this time, all we know is that he was injured, and it was deemed the appropriate ems response to take him to a close hospital, but the fact that he has already been released from medical custody at that point tells me that the injuries are not life-threatening.  If he were in serious or critical condition, I would expect he would still be in medical care.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reporter: Regarding injuries in general, so no one was hit by the truck as it plowed through that crowd?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commissioner John Harrington: As far as we could determine from the witnesses and the folks we&apos;ve talked to, we have not found anybody that&apos;s reported an injury to us. I’ve heard from some of my staff who has been tracking social media that there were possible injuries and people may have been transported by friends or others, but at this point, if they were, they haven&apos;t reported to a local hospital because we would have picked up on that. And they haven&apos;t reported to state patrol or local police because we would have gotten wind of that. So at this point, I don&apos;t have any information that there were, in fact, injuries. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reporter: Do you have information on who the driver is? You have him in custody.  What&apos;s his name?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commissioner John Harrington: I will have that information. But I don&apos;t have that information at this time. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reporter: What would you say to them, you know, protestors, those who are going to the demonstrations during the day, particularly as they&apos;re trying to draw that distinction between what is a peaceful protest during the day, what you&apos;re asking people to do by going home at night, they thought they were abiding by these rules set forth and then they ended up being targets themselves.  Was there any kind of message that you would share with those Minnesotans that perhaps they need to know as they continue to demonstrate?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commissioner John Harrington:  I don&apos;t have a clear message for that. We respect the first amendment right.  We supported their right, when they were at our bank stadium. As I mentioned, any time anybody walks onto a freeway, it is a dangerous, dangerous thing to do.  We recognize that many people have done that as a way of highlighting their need for making sure that their message is noted. But we always -- we would never suggest that that is a good vehicle. There are better places to make your message known. But regardless of that, nobody should be run over. Nobody should get -- should risk that kind of injury or should have to fear that kind of injury for expressing their first amendment rights. That&apos;s just fundamentally wrong. I&apos;ve got staff who said this was shades of the case in Charlottesville, that this is -- that this reminded them of. Fortunately, at this time, it does not appear to have had the same fatal result. But there are no mincing words around this. A truck at speed, a tanker truck at speed driving into a  crowd, I don&apos;t know what his intent was, I don&apos;t know -- I don&apos;t have the information that you&apos;re asking about, a name, but there&apos;s just no way for me to see that as being anything other than one of the most dangerous things I’ve ever seen. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reporter: Mr. Floyd&apos;s family has rejected the medical examiner&apos;s cause of death and is expected to release an autopsy report tomorrow. Have you prepared for that? &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commissioner John Harrington:  I have not, no. That&apos;s on the side -- the other side of the house from the work in the executive office. So I don&apos;t know.  The Attorney General said he&apos;s not going to speak on specifics on that. So, no, not at this time.  Part of the process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reporter: Question for the Attorney General. If you and Hennepin county attorney mike freeman disagree on a decision, who gets the final say? &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Attorney General Keith Ellison: The governor has asked me to take this case and that&apos;s what we&apos;re going to do.  I anticipate that we&apos;re going to be working constructively together. You know, attorney General -- I mean, county attorney mike freeman called me as well.  He and I are friends. We have a working relationship. And, so, I don&apos;t anticipate any problems.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reporter: You have the final say?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Attorney General Keith Ellison: Yes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reporter: Attorney General, is it possible for you also to please address a picture that has gone somewhat viral on social media with you holding a book that some consider somewhat controversial, as you&apos;re taking a lead role in this case?  Can you address that and what that means?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Attorney General Keith Ellison: It means nothing. I mean, look, I was at a bookstore, I saw a book, and it means nothing. It&apos;s just a complete diversion. And it&apos;s nothing. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reporter: One more question. Are you going to release like a full list of folks who have been arrested post-curfew? And then are there folks now who have been held, arrested in custody, who are not in Hennepin County or Ramsey County but are other places? &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commissioner John Harrington: The information on who is booked is public information and is available from the county jails where they were booked at.  At this point, I had not intended to put together a list of people that were arrested. That might be something as we&apos;re looking at our after-action reports that might make some sense. And we have had people that were arrested in Dakota County. In other venues, Anoka county, so we have been primarily focusing on the twin cities, and, so, Ramsey and Hennepin counties have been the jails that we have worked with probably the most extensively. Still, we do know that individuals have been arrested during the last five, six days in other counties in the metro area and other counties around the state of Minnesota, frankly. So that will be one of the challenges of trying to give you a comprehensive list that if they were arrested in Anoka County on Tuesday night, we weren&apos;t looking for that particular piece of information at the time and we&apos;d have to go sort of backward and retrospectively try and piece together a history. But it does make some sense to try and catalog the arrests. Once that&apos;s done since all that information is public data, I don&apos;t think we&apos;ve arrested very many juveniles at this point, aside from those that would have a data practices reason for them being redacted, I would expect that that information is public.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reporter: Well, we have looked at those lists, and most of them are from Minnesota. So, how does that fit with what you&apos;ve been telling us that they&apos;re from out of state?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz: We addressed the issue this morning. We talked about as this goes in a chaotic situation, more data is coming in. I mentioned the case this morning as we find out where folks are from, that&apos;s where they&apos;re from. It doesn&apos;t excuse the behavior; it doesn&apos;t change anything. We&apos;re not trying to set a narrative. I mentioned this morning very ability, first of all, to watch this, to believe it, find it hard to believe that our people would burn our buildings, burn down and ruin our businesses that are decades in the making, threaten the safety of their neighbors.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;But I don&apos;t -- wherever they&apos;re from, they&apos;re doing that type of behavior. So I’ll keep going.  We&apos;ll get you that.  There&apos;s not a narrative other than, if you&apos;re doing something illegally, you shouldn&apos;t be doing it.  And when the state is coming in, we will try and update it as quickly as possible. What I would tell Minnesotans is, you&apos;ve proven this. You&apos;ve proven that if we do this, and we lift our voices, in a horrific situation, we need to listen, we need to hear that.  Today we heard you loud and clear. My expectations are, we have the best person with attorney General Ellison to prosecute this case. The justice system will work its way out.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The conclusion will be the one that we base our system on, which is fairness. And then the justice is doled out. What cannot take away from these messages is firebombs being thrown on our businesses, by people running rampant at a time to instill fear into this. This is where the social compact is coming back.  We are squeezing them out.  That peaceful crowd today had to jump and fear for their lives and subduing that truck with the help of law enforcement made sure the person who was driving to hurt peaceful protestors is in police custody and will be charged to the fullest extent that we can do. So I’ve asked you all, you&apos;ve seen it in your streets last night, when we do this right when we communicate together. I understand the fear, I understand the mistrust, we hear it loud and clear, I understand the results are that was played out horrifically in the murder of George Floyd, but we do this right together and we get a change.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So I’m going to ask you, we&apos;re about 30 minutes away from asking you, on this night, to create more space for this positive dialogue and changes. Create more space to show the community. Create more space for us to continue to rebuild trust, rebuild our community. The team here at the state&apos;s emergency operation center will continue to update throughout the night for the media and I would ask each of you, again, parents, call your children. Friends, call your other friends. Go home tonight, and let&apos;s gather again tomorrow and bring about more positive change. Thank you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reporter: Should more be done about the cars driving around without license plates? Should more of them be getting pulled over? Do we have any plans with that? &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz: John, do you want to answer that one?  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commissioner John Harrington: Yeah. It&apos;s an operational question. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz: Thank you, all. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commissioner John Harrington: We have flagged that for all the police chiefs and all the sheriffs in the state of Minnesota. And we&apos;re also sharing it with the chiefs of police and the public safety centers in our adjoining states to see if there is a pattern here. We are beginning to track those cars that we have stopped and that we have towed in. To try and see if there is a nexus in terms of where they were stolen, whether we can find any physical evidence that helps us link these together. The fact that we&apos;ve seen so many of them in so many places now makes us believe that this is part of that pattern that shows that this is, in fact, organized activity and not some random act of rage.   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reporter: So if you see them, you&apos;re pulling them over?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commissioner John Harrington: We&apos;re pulling them over. In Bloomington, that one, as he got out, he pulled out a gasoline can and doused the car himself and tried to light the car on fire.  Which is not something you see on most traffic stops, frankly.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reporter: Can I ask another question about this? Are there any new updates on what you&apos;re finding with more arrests, with more of these stops, the groups involved, the people involved? Who is driving this? The specific groups that are organizing. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commissioner John Harrington: I’m not sure if I understand your question. So if you could just restate it.   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reporter: Reports of different kinds of online groups, organizing, whether they&apos;re right-wing extremists, other groups, the president has suggested Antifa, you know, is involved. What do you know about who is coming to town, who is doing this? &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commissioner John Harrington: What I know is, there are many rumors. There&apos;s much stuff up on social media and that we are feeding that to our intelligence units to try and see if we can validate or vet any of those things and at this point, I don&apos;t have any credible evidence of any specific group being here in Minnesota. I have lots of people calling me to say, have you heard. Still, I haven&apos;t had anybody that can bring me any evidence, either through social media or through the information that validates that or makes that a credible piece of information.   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz: I’ve got to get the commissioner back to command. Thank you, everybody. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>434526</id><pubdate>2020-06-05T15:02:56Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>May 31, 2020 9:30 AM Press Conference Transcript</Title><title>2020-05-31-May 31, 2020 9:30 AM Press Conference Transcript</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-436090&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-05-31T14:15:32Z</Date><ShortDescription>Transcription from Governor’s 9:30 am Press Conference on May 31st.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Video Source: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/tptpbs/videos/350479072592237/&quot;&gt;TPT Twin Cities PBS Facebook Live (May 31, 202&lt;/a&gt;0)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Tim Walz: Good morning, everyone. Good morning, Minnesota. The past week was one of the most difficult and trying weeks in the history of our state. It started with the tragic and senseless murder of George Floyd, and it extended through the week of righteous anger being expressed by community leaders and all people of conscience, and continued to deteriorate into civil unrest and eventually, violence and rioting. This morning in Minnesota, the sun came up, as it does this time of year, bright.  Trees are budded out. Flowers are up. The promise of summer after a long winter is there. I want to say thank you to all of the people of Minnesota who protected their neighbors, who took an unprecedented step last night of making sure we created the space, so that an unprecedented force of our neighbors and our public servants were able to come together and execute the most complex public safety operation in the state&apos;s history. They did so in a professional manner. They did so without a single loss of life and minimal property damage. I am grateful to those folks out there. I&apos;m grateful for their protection of Minnesota. I want to make note once again that the operational plan and the decision to operate falls squarely with me, and when the order to do so, the actions that happen after that are my responsibility. I want to once again extend my deepest apologies to the journalists who were once again in the middle of this situation, who were inadvertently, but, nevertheless, detained to them personally, and to the news organizations and to journalists everywhere, it is unacceptable. I said when it happened the other day, when I failed you, I have to do better. I continue to need to do and send that message. I take full responsibility for that and won&apos;t equivocate, no matter how difficult the  environment is. I would just ask folks to know that in order to restore public order and adhering to democratic principles, and having a history of governors welcoming that openness, it is certainly not our intention, nor is it helpful to restore public order, to have that happen. So you can rest assured that we will look back again at what happened, try and make those changes. So I ask you, again, that we continue to dialogue with the media. It&apos;s critically important we do that. It&apos;s critically important that Iam able to maintain or restore their trust in the necessity of them being out there to tell the story. Yesterday was a day filled with tension. It was a day unlike any other, nothing any of us in Minnesota had seen before. The raw emotions were on display. As I said yesterday, the beautiful expression of solidarity and community that we saw played out by peaceful protesters, by that beautiful tapestry that&apos;s Minnesota, indigenous dancers, leading in the middle, while the crowd kneeled around in reverence in making sure that justice was served. I gathered yesterday with a group of leaders, elected leaders, clergy, moral leaders led by Lieutenant Governor Flanagan, Senators Klobuchar and Smith, and an array of leaders. If any of you got the opportunity to hear some of those remarks, I said for the first time in quite some time, a weight fell off my heart and was soaring up by what Minnesota could be. And we were there together for a dual purpose. The first was to send a message to stay home last night and stay off the streets, so that we wouldn&apos;t have the loss of life and we could restore order. But it was very clear that was not the primary message. That message was a means to an end.  Each and every one of them did, -and the gift they&apos;ve given us, is that the sun came up this morning to open up the space for the real conversation, a real understanding that George Floyd was dead, and the conditions here in Minnesota contributed to that and that we needed to deal with that. That space was created by last night&apos;s action, to have us deal with the systemic issues that we see exploding across the country. Before Iwas in elected office, -I&apos;m a public school  teacher by trade. I spent 20 years doing that. One of the things Iwas most proud of, and I think as Minnesotans, -many of you across the world may be getting your first look at who we are, and that&apos;s unfortunate, but it&apos;s real, and we&apos;ll take that look. But one of the things I&apos;m so proud of, our public schools consistently rank at or near the top. We&apos;re a state that extends from the Canadian border. We have lakes so clear and pristine, they&apos;re 40 feet deep and you can see the bottom and drink from them. We have iron ore mining and that the steel was used to build this country. We&apos;re a top agriculture producer. We&apos;re home to a higher concentration of fortune 500 companies than almost anywhere else, and we&apos;re home to the Mayo Clinic. We innovate. We&apos;re passionate people, and, again, back to that statistic. As governor, Ilike to talk about this, and the things that we say, we don&apos;t just rank near the top on educational attainment, we rank near the top on personal incomes, on home ownership, on life expectancies. One that came out a while back, we rank second in a survey of the 50 states, second in happiness, behind Hawaii. But if you take a deeper look and peel it back, which this week has peeled back, all of those statistics are true if you&apos;re white.  If you&apos;re not, we rank near the bottom. And what this week has shown all of us is, those two things can&apos;t operate at the same place. You cannot continue to say,  you&apos;re a great place to live, if your neighbor, because of the color of their skin, doesn&apos;t have that same opportunity. And that will manifest itself in things that are the small  hidden racism. It will manifest itself in a child of color not getting the same opportunities or a black community not being able to acquire wealth through homeownership because of lending practices. And as we saw last week, the ultimate end of that type of behavior is the ability to believe that you can murder a black man in public and it is an unusual thing that murder charges were brought days later. So, I would like to say and, again, I want to thank  everyone who participated in our ability to restore trust to our streets. It was incredibly complex. It was incredibly difficult, but that simply gets us back to a place that we were before and that place is not good enough. That place is not one that will get us the solutions. So i&apos;m going to leave the details of the operation, -and I will be, of course, answering questions when we&apos;re done, to those commanders on the ground who executed this but it does fall to myself, other elected leaders, community leaders, and others that if we do not get to that systemic problem, eventually this will get us back to a point that led to our communities on fire, our security and safety in question, and a searching for who we are. So I could not be more proud of who we are as a state. I could not love this state more. And in doing so, that tough love means things have to change. We have got to figure out how to make sure that justice is served. And the groups of people that ask for this, the groups of people that were part of that message with Lieutenant Governor Flanagan leading it in her elegant words, as an indigenous woman  who understands what that means, of watching  Representative Omar on the streets begging people to come home, and receiving a call last night, -to understand how big this was, from Jay-z, not the international performer but the dad. Stressing to me that justice needs to be served, and that he&apos;s listening and hearing it. That this is a place that wants to do it. That this is a place that does it but we have to follow through. So with that, I&apos;m going to transition here to, -and, again, of the chaos of this  week, of tension and frayed nerves, two people that i&apos;m grateful that have been able to weather an emotional roller coaster with all of us, that is unprecedented, who i&apos;ve learned to to be candid and to be able to be in a room with to ask and question where things were going, are the mayors of our great cities. Two young leaders with vision. Two young leaders who have been talking about that systemic issue since they were elected. It was their platform to make these changes, and I&apos;m just proud of the way that they have conducted themselves in this with Mayor Carter from St. Paul, and now Mayor Frey from the great city of minneapolis. Mayor.                            &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt;Minneapolis Mayor, Jacob Frey: Governor mentioned, just a couple seconds ago, this concept of who we are, and in talking about who we are and in seeing who we are, it&apos;s important to acknowledge both the positives as well as the negatives. For those of you that are seeing Minneapolis for the first time, you saw us in the five minutes of our worst, followed by a week of great difficulty. However, Ialso want you to  see some of the positives, and last night was sandwiched between a beautiful rally of thousands of people from our native community, all rallying around a common cause which is each other, which was diversity, which was everything that we hold dear. It was safe. It was peaceful. It was joyous. There was singing. There was dancing. That is also who we are. On the other side of that sandwich was the events that we&apos;re now seeing this morning, which is people coming out of their homes, walking to their businesses, picking up debris, pulling out a broom, and showing that even with the grave difficulty that we&apos;ve had over the last week, even though the whole world has seen us at our worst, we can still be at our best. Ithink it&apos;s also right to acknowledge, first, that no mayor could have ever imagined the scenes that played out yesterday on our streets, or that yesterday&apos;s activity would ever be considered, somehow, to be more stable than the days that had preceded. But yesterday, the overarching mission was preservation of life, preservation of property, and restoration of order. To all our neighbors who stayed home and gave our first responders the opportunity to succeed, -and Ido mean it, they would not have had the opportunity to have any form of success without you staying at home. Every day since Monday, May 25th, when an officer murdered George Floyd and renewed a collective trauma in our city, and in our nation. For our black community, for our young people, for everyone that&apos;s hurting tonight, we are going to keep workin&apos;. We&apos;re going to keep working to strive to make sure that the Twin Cities can be better. We know that there&apos;s a lot of work ahead. We know that there&apos;s a whole long way to go. And i&apos;ll just talk briefly  about the events of last night, which were obviously difficult to watch but the restoration of order in some form was important. Importantly, we had no significant fires last night. As you may have seen, just  after around 8:30, there were ten strike teams, ten mobile force teams with 100 each, and they were charged with moving people away from the fifth precinct, followed by making      arrests. And there were about 25 arrests that were made at the fifth precinct and I&apos;ll let the following  speakers talk more about this. We&apos;ve got a lot of work to do ahead. We&apos;ve got a whole lot of work to do ahead. And what&apos;s happened to George Floyd is indelibly etched into the soul of Minneapolis. And the action of one, and inaction of three officers, have forever changed our city. So we must become a better city. We must become a more just city. That is the task ahead of us today. That is the task ahead of us tomorrow and into the future. Thank you.                        &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Governor Walz: Thank you, Mayor.              &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mayor of St. Paul, Melvin Carter: Yesterday, we asked a big thing of our residents. We asked you to stay home. We asked you to clear the streets, to give our police officers and law enforcement  professionals the opportunity to reclaim a sense of peace, a sense of calm, a sense of order in our community. At the heart of that request was an invitation. It was an invitation for us to take the anger, to take the grief, to take the trauma ,and even the rage, that we&apos;ve all experienced over the past week and decide how we would channel it. We can either channel this energy towards destroying our own communities, towards burning and looting our barber shops, our restaurants, our family-owned businesses, the lives and livelihoods that have gone into all of those institutions, or we can take this energy and we can channel it towards building a better future. Ishare the Governor and Mayor Frey&apos;s sentiments of gratitude and extreme appreciation for those of you who honored that curfew, who stayed home and gave our law enforcement professionals an opportunity to work.  We know that right now is a moment of deep soul searching for our community and for our nation. Right now, we ought to be focused on the fact that George Floyd should still be alive today. We ought to be focused on the fact that when someone takes one of our lives in such dramatic and gruesome fashion, especially when it&apos;s as well documented as George Floyd&apos;s murder was, that we ought to have some ability to be confident, to be sure that the people responsible, not just one, but the four people responsible for his death, in a democracy as great as ours, that the four people responsible for his death will, of course, be held to account. We&apos;ve had a lot of conversations in our community about whether these are insiders or outsiders, whether they&apos;re from in town or out of town. The one thing that&apos;s absolutely clear to me, is those folks who would seek to act in a way that during a pandemic would deprive our  senior citizens of the local pharmacy they need to go to to get their life-saving medicines, who in the midst of a food shortage would deprive our families of the grocery stores they need to go to to feed their children, who would deprive, in the middle of one of the greatest economic crises in our country&apos;s history, our workers from the opportunity to go to work and to earn a living and to go and participate in our economy, -the one thing that is clear to me is those folks’ actions are not driven by a sense of deep drive for the betterment of our community. I also want to acknowledge, as I have before, that that doesn&apos;t mean there&apos;s not real rage. That doesn&apos;t mean there&apos;s not real anger. And that doesn&apos;t mean that our residents are happy with what happened. We&apos;re not. I don&apos;t know a single police officer, I don&apos;t know a single CEO, I don&apos;t know a single lawyer, accountant or neighbor, community activist, who&apos;s happy with what happened, who&apos;s accepting what happened. George Floyd&apos;s killing is unacceptable, and it&apos;s disturbing by itself. In combination with all of the other people, African American people, African American men who have lost their lives unarmed, unaggressive, not just over the past decade as camera phones have become the norm, but over the past decades and generations and centuries in our country. That anger is real and I share it with you. So today, we&apos;re asking our community for peace. But I want to be very clear, we are not asking you for patience and we are not asking you for passivism. This is not a time for either of those things. We are not asking you, and I am not asking you to sit to the side and patiently wait while we slowly and incrementally stem the bloody tide of African American men killed by law enforcement. We&apos;re asking you to take that energy, that energy which has consumed our country, that energy which is a nuclear energy that could either destroy us or it could bring us together and build us up in a way that we have never been together before as a country, we&apos;re asking you to take that energy and use it not to  destroy our neighborhoods but to destroy the historic culture, to destroy the systemic racism, to destroy in specific where this is concerned the laws, the legal precedents, the police union  contracts, all of the things that make it so difficult to hold someone accountable when a life like George Floyd&apos;s is so wrongfully taken. If I had one thing, Governor, that could stop all of this, that could help ease all of the anger that we felt, it would be something in our history, some historic pattern    or fact or trend that could make us feel confident and  secure that the officers  involved will be held  accountable, that we as a  nation are using this as a  pivot point to chart a new course for our country.  Sadly, we don&apos;t have the historical fact or the  historical trend to show that, but the energy that we&apos;ve seen this week, the passion that  we&apos;ve seen this week, the dedication for a better country and a better future and a better state and a better city that we&apos;ve seen this week is that energy, is that tool. So we&apos;re asking you to channel that energy in a way that builds us, in a way that makes us better, in a way that brings us together. And to every single person who&apos;s  frustrated, who&apos;s sad, who&apos;s angry, who&apos;s devastated, who wants the world to know that this can never happen again, I say that we&apos;re with you. I thank our law enforcement professionals for serving us so valiantly, our firefighters for serving us so valiantly, over the course of a devastating week, working in challenging conditions, sometimes with bottles, sometimes with rocks hurled at them. I know that they have to stand as a part of this work with us, as we build this stronger pact, this stronger social compact and this better future together. Thank you.            &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety, John Harrington: Thank you, Mayor.                 &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Mayor Melvin: Thank you.                     &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Commissioner Harrington: Good morning. I&apos;m John Harrington, Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety. We set up for a new operational approach yesterday. We recognize that the group of rioters who had attacked the city of Minneapolis, and attacked the city of St. Paul, and attacked the surrounding communities,  burning, assaulting, robbing, and looting, that their numbers were great and that they had speed and a tactical advantage over us in the early days of last week. And, so, yesterday Minnesota&apos;s public safety group, chiefs of police, sheriffs, federal law enforcement, intel analysts, fire and EMS, and the Minnesota National Guard, all came together to take a different approach to how we were going to keep the peace, which I think is the most fundamental job of any cop. I always tell people that I don&apos;t think of myself as a police officer, I think of myself as a peace officer, and that&apos;s what we set out to do. We created a different organizational model at the multiagency community coordination center and we briefed that model, and we set out fast-moving teams throughout the twin cities area to targets that we knew were of high value and high probability of attack. We worked the intel, and we worked with the community. I want to emphasize that we worked with the community to identify where those high-value targets would be, and we prepositioned staff so that they would be immediately adjacent and we gave this mandate to them: get there fast. Speed is of the essence. Stop the violence. Stop the criminal activity. Do not sit back and wait for enough resources to get there to have the perfect plan. Get in there and get it done rapidly. In addition to that, we set up     more traditional mechanisms, mobile field forces. They&apos;re bigger, and they&apos;re stronger. But if you are going to confront a large crowd of committed rioters armed and ready to do damage, we needed to make sure that we had those resources there. And then I am so terribly grateful for General Jensen&apos;s folks because they then anchored critical infrastructure freeing up law enforcement, freeing up peace officers, fire and others to be able to go out and be that rapid response force that we needed. That plan started yesterday at 4:00, roughly 1600 hours, and by 1800 hours, our points of contact were in place. We were already receiving information and we continued our communications throughout the night.  Preliminary data, and that&apos;s all this is at this point, is that by about 2:00 in the morning, there were about 25 arrests on the Hennepin county side and that there were about 30 arrests on the Ramsey county side, but I know that between 2:00 and 0600 hours this morning, it sounds like we have had additional arrests that were made, maybe as many as another 40 or 50 arrests that were  made, and we&apos;ll get that information for you. We did take action, as the Governor outlined to us, to ensure people&apos;s safety was going to be protected.  We did use the curfew effectively. We did not allow the rioters to get set up and we kept the rioters moving and we at every opportunity arrested the rioters for violations of the curfew. Just as importantly, I want people to think about this, a large number of the arrests we made over the last night were for weapons violations. We took AR-15s off of people. We took guns off of people. We noted that once again, their tactics had also changed. We noted that we were seeing cars drive through our neighborhoods and through our communities without any license plates on them, and with their lights out and their windows blacked out. Police moved to stop those vehicles and when they did, the drivers and occupants of those vehicles fled on foot. Some were arrested. As is always the case, you can&apos;t catch everybody. But when we went back to those cars, we found that several of them had been stolen locally. and we found that they were full of rocks and other weapons that were being driven to places so that more damage and more assaults could take place. We got innovative last night. One of the missions that the Governor gave us was fire suppression. Fire suppression is not necessarily or normally in my wheelhouse, I will admit. So we went to the state fire marshal and we went to the DNR who do fire suppression as a regular part of their business ,and we got innovative there and we began using aviation support to support a fire suppression mission. We were able to pull in additional fire companies from the suburbs to help support Minneapolis and St. Paul&apos;s fire. We didn&apos;t need very many of them. We were really very very fortunate, and I&apos;ll take good luck over most everything most days. In addition to the fire suppression mission, the last piece of this that I want to say is that we also really did work on the information mission, and we knew that we were  getting tips from the community. We got tips. I was on the phone with church leaders long into the night, with rumors of riots and looting that were coming to their communities. We were able to debunk most of those rumors but we were also able to alert church leaders when a set of rumors came that black churches were going to be attacked. We were able to alert some significant church leaders that this was at least a rumor that we were hearing, and that we were working to either confirm or deny that rumor, and that allowed the churches to do what they needed to do to protect their facilities and their places of faith. Over the night, as I said, we had a significant number of arrests. We had one officer that was shot at. The officer was not hit. We arrested the two people that were in the car from which the shot was fired, and we recovered an AR-15 rifle in that particular case. What I will say in conclusion, is this was a team effort. This was the State Patrol and the DNR stepping up into  working in an area that&apos;s not their normal area of responsibility and they stood tall. There were sheriffs from all over the state of Minnesota sending me their corrections officers and their deputies, and literally coming to the mac themselves to make sure that we had the resources we needed. This is federal law enforcement partners, the FBI, the U.S. Attorney&apos;s office, the U.S. Marshal, sending us additional resources to make sure that we could do investigations, that we could scrub the intel so that we could be driven by facts and not necessarily running around chasing every rumor with uniformed cops. And, finally, last, but not least, this was an overwhelming support by the Minnesota National Guard, coming in and locking down critical facilities so that first responders could, in fact, respond and respond quickly. At this time, I will turn the mic over to General Jensen from the Minnesota National Guard:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Minnesota National Guard Adjutant General, Jon Jensen: Good morning, everyone. I’m Major General Jon Jensen, Adjutant General of the Minnesota National Guard. The Minnesota National Guard continues to build our presence and our integration with our law enforcement partners across Minneapolis and St. Paul. Last night, we completed 19 missions supporting law and order operations, fire response, and EMS support. This morning, I had the opportunity to visit Minneapolis and visit my soldiers and airmen who are in support of this operation. And i&apos;m impressed and inspired by these men and women, who in just a few short hours left their lives as civilians, as school teachers, business owners, mechanics, truck drivers, and in a very short period transitioned into the role as citizen soldier, citizen airmen, and operated with professionalism and dedication in an incredibly dangerous and complex environment. Commissioner Harrington talked about this as a team effort, and it absolutely is a team effort.  We&apos;re a small part of that team. We&apos;re incredibly proud to be part of that team, both in Minneapolis and in St. Paul but we also know this, and several of the briefers this morning talked about this, a tremendous amount of work remains ahead of us. We&apos;re committed to all of that work, whether it&apos;s this week, next month, or into the future. Thank you.  At this time, I&apos;ll be followed by Colonel Langer from the State Patrol.                      &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; State Patrol, Colonel Langer: Thank you, general. Good morning. Yesterday, I stood here and I think I led with asking for the support from minnesotans. As I stand here 24 hours later, after a very difficult, tiring, dangerous, dynamic night, the first thing I want to say is thank you to the support of Minnesotans for helping us get through the night in a way that was very different than the previous nights this week. And while we were proud and humbled to accept the incredible challenge given to us by Governor Walz to restore order and bring peace to the city of minneapolis, make no mistake about it, the state patrol didn&apos;t do this alone. The State Patrol relies heavily on the relationships we have developed over the history of our organization all across Minnesota with  allied agencies. I cannot thank the police chiefs and the sheriffs enough, who dropped everything and sent their people to a community that they don&apos;t normally police, to help make the city safer. State troopers, the DNR Conservation Officers, the entire National Guard, county sheriff&apos;s deputies, police officers and all the  dispatchers and other people who support those that you see in uniform, thank you is all that comes to mind but it&apos;s not enough. The selfless service, traveling from all areas of the state to the metro region to risk their personal safety for the greater good, really needs to be driven home. It was a dangerous night. It was a dangerous action. It was dynamic. It was unpredictable. And anyone who watched what happened all the rest of this week knew that that was likely what was in front of us last night but as you know, our plan was different. It was unified, we were committed. And although we&apos;re never perfect, and we&apos;re oftentimes our harshest critics, and there are always lessons learned, I stand on the back side of last night to say, our goal was accomplished. Fires were not set. We didn&apos;t see the lawlessness. We didn&apos;t see the risk to  personal safety, the crime, the looting, the burglary, the property destruction was stemmed. That was our goal, that was our expectation and that is our hope as we  move forward. I appreciate the support of Minnesota and I can&apos;t, again, say thank you enough to both those in minnesota who  supported us and continue to support us and listen to the advice and obey the curfew, and, again, thank those front-line first responders, our state troopers and others who came together and put  their lives on the line to  make the city safer and to make Minnesota a safe place  for everybody. Thank you.                        &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Governor Walz: Again, I too, want to echo my thanks to Commissioner Harrington, General Jensen, Colonel Langer, and all the folks that were there, for doing this incredibly difficult mission. I have to note that we&apos;re not done yet. At this point in time, I&apos;d like to announce that we&apos;re going to be extending the curfew into this evening, as well as some of the operational moves that will continue to be put out today, like the closing of the major highways. In talking about what it takes to make this happen, you&apos;re hearing a lot of thanks, I think there&apos;s a lot of untold stories out there of everyone who is making this happen, trying to make support from our business communities. I received communications from Charlie Weaver, who leads up our Minnesota business partnership, making note in helping us understand all of the private businesses, who are already hurting in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic and those restrictions, were out there providing food and support to our first responders. I want to thank all of them, and I also want to thank Minnesotans. Our democracy is dependent on the checks and balances. Our democracy is dependent on how things have a transparency to make sure     we&apos;re making the right  decisions and able to correct those, to bring back a place where civil liberties are  critically important and that that legislative process is part of this. With that being said, I want to be clear, the responsibility of  this organization to put the pieces, to task the experts in individual areas, there&apos;s only one person in Minnesota that can issue that order to go, and that&apos;s  myself as Governor of Minnesota. That means the responsibilities are mine. When I sent those folks into the field to operate, the  outcomes of that and how that was conducted and the guidance to them falls back with me. I think what&apos;s important, though, is there are other voices in this, and last night I want to thank, and this has been active from, -you heard about the church leaders and everybody, but the legal responsibility of our legislators to be a part of this, they have been constantly on the phone, basically doing the thing that great legislators do, fielding questions and concerns and problem solving for their constituents. Whether they be house members or senate members, or whether they be leaders in those organizations. So last night in the final briefing, and the execution of this operation was going to be put in place, before I was giving the order, those leaders were briefed. And Speaker Melissa Hortman, Speaker of the Minnesota house, Susan Kent, the Minority leader of the Minnesota Senate joined us by phone, and Majority leader in the Minnesota Senator, Paul Gazelka and Minority leader, Kurt Daudt joined us in the emergency operation center where they received a brief from my on the ground  commanders. I gave them my commander&apos;s intent of what would happen, and what would be done. They asked all of the right questions, and I just want to say, -and I certainly won&apos;t speak for them, they&apos;ll speak for  themselves, but the sentiment is that we&apos;re clearly political rivals but our love for our state and the desire to get this right was expressed. I want to say thank you to them, understanding how difficult it is for them to watch this at this time, but their support, their continuing to ask questions, probe and challenge to make us do this right, is greatly appreciated. With that, I would open it up for questions. Esme.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Esme: Governor, why didn&apos;t you have that same massive show of force on Friday night? Thursday night the third precinct was burned down. Businesses were destroyed. I mean, Thursday night was a bad night. Why not?    &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz: Well, the first thing I would say that I&apos;ve seen this, and we&apos;ve discussed this both from a military perspective, the question is always going to get asked is, why did you not have enough and why did you have too much? I&apos;ve had questions last night, could I guarantee that Minnesotans would have the safety in their homes? And I said, I will guarantee I will give my best effort. Those very same reporters two hours later were saying, is this an excessive use of force that we&apos;re seeing? One of the things is, logistically, to bring them there, I think on the timing we understood. One of the critiques was, didn&apos;t we do this Wednesday or why didn&apos;t we do it Tuesday? There&apos;s logistics of adding the type of force we had out there. There was also the dynamics of a community that is raw from law enforcement. Keeping in mind what the spark that lit this was law enforcement killing an innocent man on the street. So trying to measure when the proper time was, when it was right to be there, I will not make excuses. In retrospect, I think you could go back, we said this, if we had assembled this force last Friday we&apos;d have been better off but that wasn&apos;t going to be that, that wasn&apos;t the case. Again, I&apos;m the only one that can issue those responsibilities. That means if you&apos;re going to do this, I think in our country it&apos;s important, if it succeeds because you did that, that&apos;s fine but you also need to stand here if it didn&apos;t. I&apos;m not going to second guess. I think it was, again, I felt most comfortable that we had our forces in place to be able to do that but it&apos;s something that I will have to deal with that loss of property and the anguish that&apos;s there is simply real, but that&apos;s retrospect and I have to look to the future. Peter. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Peter: Governor, yesterday, Justin Terrell from the Council of African Heritage asked that the Hennepin County attorney be taken off the prosecution in this case. I would like your views on that. One, do you have any authority to do that? And, two, if you do, is it  something that you&apos;re considering?            &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz: Yeah, this question has been asked a lot. I think it needs to be talked about. This is complex. I have folks that let me know what the laws are and this week, still at this point, trying to keep me from not using my authority as the governor to jeopardize the legal proceedings that are out there, but I hear this. I hear there are concerns. We have explored, and I do believe at this point in time, it&apos;s not clear cut and I think we probably need to explain that or have an opportunity to talk to the public of where that&apos;s at, but that is a potential possibility. At this time, no decision has been made, and we&apos;ll continue to explore that because Mayor Carter said it, everyone here has said it, this issue of justice. There is no one in the communities, especially the black community, until they see results are in any way going to feel comforted. They&apos;ve seen this before. They&apos;ve seen incremental change. They&apos;ve seen times of crises. They&apos;ve seen governors stand up in front of them and tell them, never again. So when there are those leaders and when there is an outcry on numerous fronts about things that we maybe, have not done before but need to be done, I hear them. So...any other?                        &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Unknown: Yes, Governor, if I can ask a follow-up to Peter&apos;s question. This is from Doug Glass at the Associated Press. He specifically asked the same question about the special prosecutor, but says that the Floyd family has specifically requested Attorney General Keith Ellison to be the special prosecutor  as has half of the Minneapolis city council, your thoughts on that?     &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz: That&apos;s correct, and the siblings of George Floyd asked me personally on this, so we have had that conversation. And I have received from the city council and from legislators that request. I think it goes to the question that both of you are asking. There&apos;s a desire for this. I think it&apos;s incumbent upon me in consultation with these leaders, certainly from the legal aspect, to make sure I don&apos;t do anything to jeopardize justice in this, but to recognize that the communities themselves are asking certain things and I need to explore it. I can just tell you at this point in time, no decision has been made, but as certainly as we&apos;re saying, it is out there, it is being considered. It would be incredibly negligent in the environment that we&apos;re in for me not to make sure we&apos;re exploring every option. Anyone else?   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Unknown: We’ve heard multiple times from officials, outside agitators from outside  Minnesota, outside the area driving the violence. Do you still believe that&apos;s the case, and the arrests you made last night, are those folks from Minnesota, within the state or outside of the state?                            &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz: I want to address this. I certainly believe the sophistication of this. I,  again, don&apos;t want to get ahead of what is proprietary, this is a fine line. My inclinations are to be as transparent and give things forward. Before our operations kicked off last night, a very sophisticated denial of  service attack on all state computers was executed. That&apos;s not somebody sitting in their basement. That&apos;s pretty sophisticated. But I do want to address this. I&apos;m going to let the folks talk about the numbers. I think the confusion around this and the focusing on it, -I did last night, when I went home to shower late before coming back up here, i&apos;ll just candidly, you know, there&apos;s the confusion of all this that&apos;s happening. We&apos;re getting data in, -it&apos;s hard to get the data just directly on arrests, what we&apos;re hearing from human intelligence that&apos;s coming in. But I just think, candidly, I certainly think I want to believe it&apos;s outside more, and that might go to the problem that we have of saying, can&apos;t be Minnesotans, can&apos;t be Minnesotans who did this. I&apos;ve said all along when this question got asked to be very clear about this, in saying that I think, and I know there are outside folks in there, whether predominance, whether they&apos;re leading it or not, i&apos;ve been very clear and I’ll say it again this morning, the catalyst that started all of this was the murder of George Floyd in Minnesota and that was our problem. And, so, we&apos;ll get more data on this. I think wherever these folks are coming from, to cause this harm, we have to address it. But I do want to be very clear, the idea of saying they&apos;re outside forces is not to deflect and pretend we don&apos;t have that. So I do think it&apos;s an important question. At this time, I don&apos;t know if there&apos;s anything to add. I don&apos;t have any specifics on this, other than to be able to say that it does not look like the majority, - maybe I can&apos;t speak about the arrests, so i&apos;ll make sure. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commissioner Harrington: John Harrington, again. The data we had from yesterday, there was about 20% of the folks arrested came from outside of the state of Minnesota. We&apos;re tracking folks from Arkansas, from Kansas City, from Iowa, and Illinois and I believe, Michigan, in the pool of folks that were arrested yesterday. I still don&apos;t have the booking sheets yet from last night, so I can&apos;t give you any additional information on that in terms of the most current set of arrests but 20% of yesterday&apos;s arrests had out-of-state addresses that we were tracking.            &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz: Thank you, John.  Thank you for the question. I think this is one we still  need to explore more. And, again, just in that moment of candidness, it&apos;s easier sometimes for us to believe, but also, I think, people understand in this broader issue, that leads to some of the systemic issues. In the front. Yes, sir.    &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Unknown: Governor, can you talk about tonight and the next couple of days what people, particularly in the worst-hit areas, should think about, you know, continuing to take precautions, those sorts of things?   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz: Yeah. I think today will be, again, -the mayors talked about this, you&apos;ll see the best that  Minnesota has to offer. There&apos;s folks already out there cleaning, building, doing things.  I think it would be naive of us and irresponsible, -and this will be a question maybe going back to Esme, we are going to keep in place that curfew, and we&apos;ll communicate with the public clearly today. There will be critiques of me that this is excessive, “why are you keeping the force on the ground, after this happened?”  I just think it&apos;s irresponsible. We don&apos;t think these people quit. I think in light of what we&apos;re seeing around the country, that these have expanded and, so,what we&apos;re asking  people to do is to, today, continue on with what they&apos;re doing. We&apos;re going to encourage you throughout the day, -and, again, I want to add to that cooperation, I do know that there will be people that were on the streets last night after the curfew that are there because they are outraged about what happened to George Floyd. They were out on the streets after 8:00, not thinking about causing riots. But as we said yesterday, we can&apos;t separate in that, and these people are hiding behind them. So I&apos;m going to ask the leaders, again, to ask those folks to stay home after 8:00, to ask them to give us the  space and we are going to not allow our streets to be turned into chaos. We are going to be     smart with our force that&apos;s out there and, of course, continue to monitor the situation. We certainly, as I think folks know, we cannot stay in this posture forever. That&apos;s why it&apos;s important today, to start sending strong signals on the things to the people that caused this and the catalysts that cause it are being worked on, are being talked about.  I will be spending time     talking once again with the faith leaders, with community leaders, with folks who are looking at law enforcement reform, all of those things will happen, but to Minnesotans, I would tell you this, we&apos;ve got a bright, sunny last day of may. Our city is not burning. We had no loss of life.   We saw our communities come  together around this. Be a day, I think, to start  the healing, but come 8:00 tonight and before that, I&apos;d ask us to make sure we can maintain that. Peter. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Peter: Thank you.  I have a question for state police. At risk of being one of those     reporters who questions tactics, I’m going to ask about tactics last night. There was a lot of attention paid particularly to the video of the woman on her porch, who was told to go inside and I think a marking round was fired at her. Can you speak to that? And then also, I know it&apos;s too soon for any after-action analysis, were there other things that concerned you that you think you would like to address with folks going forward?   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Colonel Langer:  Yeah, that&apos;s a good  question.  I think I referenced in my comments, you know, these aren&apos;t particularly pretty actions that we take. And I can assure you of all the things the state patrol would have rather been doing this week and last night, it was anything but what we had to do, but it was necessary. And, so, I commit to you, honesty and transparency, we always look at these types of situations. There&apos;s always lessons learned. Never a single one of them has gone by that&apos;s perfect, and as long as we&apos;re continually improving, both our training and our practices in learning, that&apos;s all that we can ask for. And, so, we&apos;ll review this, like we do any large-scale incident, both with the greater law enforcement community and then inside specifically within the state patrol. There will be things that we learn. There will be things that we change and then we hope we never have to do this again, but if we do, we&apos;ll be better. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Peter: Is there a protocol that says, you do not want to have something behind you, for instance?               &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Colonel Langer: Absolutely, yeah, make no mistake about it. When you&apos;re standing on that line, and you have to picture and put yourself in the  position of law enforcement.  You&apos;re wearing all your gear. You have a helmet on, because people are throwing things at you, and people are getting hurt. And then you put a gas mask on because we&apos;re  confronted with things being  thrown at us, both liquid, whether it&apos;s urine or gasoline or other items. There&apos;s  chemicals, there&apos;s commercial-grade fireworks coming at us. There&apos;s literally like a fog. And, so, you put all of this stuff on, you&apos;re pushing into an unknown dangerous environment where  people are collecting signs and rebar and breaking fences and arming themselves to do harm to our law enforcement.  Yeah, it&apos;s a dynamic, dangerous situation. And when you&apos;re pushing forward, absolutely, the goal     of crowd control is to control    that crowd, to disperse that crowd, to bring the energy out, to keep the peace, and then to arrest and remove quickly those that aren&apos;t listening or those that are intent on doing harm. Nothing about it is pretty. You hit the nail on the head. The goal is to disperse and move that crowd. And you cannot move some of the crowd and allow some of  the crowd to stay behind you. That would just be a recipe  for failure, particularly for those extremely bad actors who would like nothing more than to give the representation that  they&apos;re just fine and they&apos;re here to help and they&apos;re good citizens, and then they get behind our officers and then they do their bad act. And as the Commissioner said, you know, we recovered guns, we recovered all kinds of dangerous stuff. So I could go on and on but the bottom line is there&apos;s lessons learned and our folks are well trained, we&apos;re trained at all sorts of different places across the country. We have some of the best, I believe, field force  commanders in the nation.  We follow best practices. We train and we have good policy, but that doesn&apos;t mean that we don&apos;t learn from each one of these incidents.     &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt;Governor Walz: I would follow up, Peter. Thank you, Colonel. I think  this is one of the concerns, and I agree, people picked up guns claiming to be reporters at the time of the minute of the attack and the confusion of all this. But I think what&apos;s really important to note on this is, and the after-action and the looking at this, those law enforcement folks were on that street and giving those orders because I used my authority and ordered them to be there. And I think one of the problems we have with this is, for so long, many communities have seen things that are truly not fogs of war, anything like that, truly  misconduct issues and they&apos;ve heard, oh, well, we&apos;ll internally investigate and it will be fixed, that will be done. They don&apos;t have the faith in that. We know that. I trust this. I think what we need to change in part of this culture is that people are asking for justice and accountability. That&apos;s why I will once again say this, those officers were out there under my direction, which makes me the one who&apos;s accountable for making sure that those things are investigated. That if they do prove there was misconduct, that we do something. But I want to send a very clear signal, I supported the actions that were out there. I gave the order to go with them. Those folks need to know that we&apos;re there. And then to the public, there needs to make sure that when doing this again, just like I say, it is unacceptable what happened to our reporters, and I&apos;ll do everything that i&apos;m getting feedback and asking, how do we change this situation, what can we do next time to make sure they&apos;re not there.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Unknown: Governor, you and several other public officials characterized what happened to George Floyd as murder. Are you worried at all about prejudicing the case or tainting potential jury pools, that sort of --   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz: Well, first and foremost, the charge brought by the county attorney is murder. And I think as a human being, I have a very difficult time watching that and seeing that, but the answer is yes, I do worry about this. I worry because of my human emotion, the visceral response to the erasing of the humanity of George Floyd, which felt like erasing the humanity of all of us. We&apos;re human, and the emotions come forward. But I think one of the  problems we&apos;ve had is that we haven&apos;t been willing to call things what they were and that created an ambiguity, and I think as people say, in any case I guess it would be, but the best analogy I have, if that would have been four civilians on another civilian, we wouldn&apos;t be having a debate at all whether that was murder, that&apos;s what it was. So, yes, I do worry about that. I need to be cautious about that. It goes back to the question about the special prosecutor. The laws there for a reason but I also think when a community sees us hiding behind process and patience, that adds to a lot of this. But it&apos;s a good question and I do. I&apos;m sorry.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Unknown: Do you want to see the other three officers charge? You mentioned waiting on the process does tend to rile people up. Do you think that will help calm tensions?  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz: Well, yes, I think from what I&apos;ve seen in all this, I do think that. I&apos;ll let the prosecutors and the folks decide. I do think that&apos;s warranted.  Do I think it will calm things? I think we may be getting to a closer point where the expectations of things being done and folks, -what I tell you will not calm, and Mayor Carter, Mayor Frey both articulated this very clearly, that primal scream for justice and change is going to be there. Will that be enough to take away the manifesting of the fires and all that? No, I saw an interview last night where somebody who was out past curfew but was passionate about what happened and was screaming at the people who were starting fires and doing those types of things. I think it would start to move us forward.  I think it would be naive to believe that it would stop some of this just by that because the folks who are doing a lot of that aren&apos;t interested in the prosecutions, but there are a large number that are.  Can we take one more with Esme?                            &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Esme: Governor, a lot of viewers are asking me to ask you this question. How did Jay-Z get your phone number?  [laughter] What did he have to say to you? &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Governor Walz: Yeah, I got a text from Van Jones, who I had talked to before, and I&apos;m not quite certain how he had my number, but I knew him, we had talked before. He said that Jay-Z would like to talk to me about this and he&apos;d been speaking out on it and I had been taking calls. And I said, yes. He called and, as I said again, it&apos;s kind of a strange amongst all of this, but it was so incredibly human. It wasn&apos;t jay-z, international, you know, celebrity and well-known, it was a dad, and I think, quite honestly, a black man whose visceral pain of this that he knew. His words to me, and I want to be confidential, but to summarize what it was is, justice needs to be served here. Justice needs to be served. And i&apos;m grateful that he said, he&apos;s been watching this on TV and he said he feels the compassion and the humanity of these folks who are speaking in a very difficult environment at the heart of this, all of these elected  officials who are here, and he knows that the world is watching. How Minnesota handles this is going to have an impact across the country. And I think that&apos;s what his expressions were.  And he was passionate, he was gracious, he was grateful. but I have to tell you, I think it&apos;s certainly a positive sign of someone of stature that has a presence like that, is focused in the moment of what Minnesotans are focused for, focused in the moment of all of those peaceful protesters down there on Lake Street, yesterday afternoon, and what they were expressing, that&apos;s what he was expressing. And then a very, quite honestly, deliberate ask along the same questions of how will this be prosecuted and can we trust that it will be done right.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Unknown: Governor, we do have to end there today.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz: Well, thank you. We&apos;ll continue to brief as accurately as possible. Information about today&apos;s actions as far as curfew, road closings, things will be posted as soon as possible. And I ask Minnesotans to use this new day and sun to connect with your neighbor, to continue to build a community. Let&apos;s show the world what we know is the side of this state that we are so incredibly proud of.  So thank you. Thank you, Mayors. Thank you, Commissioner. Thank you, General. Thank you.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>436090</id><pubdate>2020-06-15T22:53:14Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>May 30, 2020 9:30 AM Press Conference Transcript</Title><title>2020-05-30-press-conference-930-am</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-436091&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-05-30T22:30:19Z</Date><ShortDescription>Transcription from Governor’s 9:30 AM Press Conference on May 30th.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz &amp;gt;&amp;gt; … 2:30 AM and provided an update of a highly dangerous and a rapidly evolving situation with folks bent on destroying property with no regard for safety of Minnesotans, and certainly no desire to make a statement other than wanting destruction and chaos. I want to thank the Minnesotans who abided by the curfew. I want to thank our responders who are out there protecting our cities as they were in taking incoming fire, improvised explosive devices, and a highly evolved and tightly controlled group of folks bent on adapting their tactics to make it as difficult as possible to maintain that order. My mission has been very clear to the folks in Minnesota in conjunction with Mayor Frey of Minneapolis, Mayor Carter of Saint Paul is protection of citizenry and property is our top priority, and maintaining and restoring civil order on the streets. I think what’s really important to recognize is the tactics and the approach that we have taken have evolved and need to evolve the same way, with a sensitivity to the legitimate rage and anger that came after what the world witnessed in the murder of George Floyd and was manifested in a very healthy gathering of community to memorialize that on Tuesday night, was still present to a certain degree on Wednesday. By Thursday, it was nearly gone. And last night is a mockery of pretending this is about George Floyd’s death, or inequities or historical traumas to our communities of color. Because our communities of color and our indigenous communities were out front fighting hand in hand to save businesses that took generations to build. Infrastructure and nonprofits that have served a struggling community were torn down and burned by people with no regard for what went into that. So let’s be very clear. The situation in Minneapolis is no longer in any way about the murder of George Floyd. It is about attacking civil society, instilling fear and disrupting our great cities. With that being the case, as we indicated last night, our tactics again, is to try and reduce loss of life, to do what we can to restore order. We mobilized the largest mobilization of National Guard that were in the field last night of over 700. We pulled in State patrol and State assets to augment Minneapolis’ and Saint Paul’s Force. And as I told people who are listening, this is not a infinite number of people that we can pull. The min-state patrol is a highly trained, highly organized force that when every single one of them is up and operating is at about 700. You can’t operate all the time on that. The same thing with the Minnesota National Guard, and of course, the cities. So as you saw this expand across the United States, and you start to see whether it be domestic terrorism, whether it be ideological extremist to fund the group, or whether it be international destabilization of how our country works, those elements are present in all of this. I spoke early this morning with the Secretary of Defense, Esper, and with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Milley, extensively to update on the situation, receive their situation report as they’re seeing it across the country, and to suggest courses of action of going forward. In consultation with the mayors and the resources they have … And just to be very clear as you witness this, whether it be New York, or Denver, or Louisville, or Las Vegas, there is no mayor in America that has the resources to push back on an organized attempt to destabilize civil society with no regard for life or property. So in consultation as a group and as we said this morning, I’m authorizing and talking to General Jensen to fully mobilize the Minnesota National Guard, an action that has never been taken in the 164 year history of the Minnesota National Guard. We will pull in assets as we have been doing. And for those Minnesotans who are wondering, “Where are the fire trucks? Where are the police that are out there?” The situation was so broad and the tactics were so bent on causing destruction that every single person we had mobilized … again, the largest in state history, last evening was engaged in that. By this afternoon, our hope is to exponentially have that force out there to use all other resources in the State and our partnerships of sister cities across there and counties to help us. I have made initial calls and will be speaking with the governors of adjacent States who were providing significant support through their National Guards. The message is clear, Minnesota. We had a tragedy on Monday night. We understand the work that we need to do and the generational pain that went into what happened with George Floyd in that murder. But at this point in time, nothing we do to address those inequities, nothing we do to provide justice to George Floyd and his family that I spoke with last evening, none of those things matter to any of these people who are out there firing upon National Guard, burning businesses of our communities and making intent on disrupting any semblance of civil life. So in partnership with the mayors and the team that is here, throughout the day today, there will be peaceful protests that were previously scheduled. They will be large as anticipated. And today will be an expression of that grief of the loss of George Floyd. There will be legitimate exercising of First Amendment rights. Every single person in this room will put all of these resources we’re talking about to protect their right to do that, to protect their right to gather as community. I will continue to stress because it seems a lifetime ago. We are still in the middle of a pandemic and past 1,000 deaths yesterday, we still have hospitals on the verge of being overrun with COVID-19. The folks that are gathering out there … And if you watch on Tuesday and Wednesday, social distancing masks. The masks last night were worn to disguise, they were not worn to try and do anything. The masks worn by people there were to cause confusion and take advantage of this situation. But the rest of us need to maintain that. For Minnesotans who are wondering and asking the legitimate question, the safety and concern, everyone in this room is up all night. The nightmare of these people having starting fires that can jump in arson. At this point in time, it is nothing short of a blessing that we have not had someone killed in an innocent bystander in this. That situation can be expected to deteriorate further with these people. As you’re going to hear from Commissioner Harrington, they are adapting, they are receiving information together. They are being fed by professionals in this and professional tactics in urban warfare, those types of things are happening with these people. And they, again as I said, they are getting what they want. They are getting on TV, they are seeing the images. They have the governor of Minnesota standing up here at 2:30 at night talking about how we’re moving things around, and they’re getting what they wish. But today, they’re going to get what they wish. They are going to have an overwhelming force of safety, security, and peace that the citizens of Minnesota and our surrounding neighbors are going to provide to that. They are going to see a coordination to the best of our ability to make sure that this stops and it ends. That is going to happen and I’m speaking with governors across the country who are in the same situation, trading information. Many cities are where we were on Wednesday night, and they’re expecting to be where we were on Thursday night. That is a situation that must stand. So Minnesotans, this is a challenging time. Our great cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul are under assault by people who do not share our values, who do not value life in the work that went into this, and certainly are not here to honor George Floyd. They need to see today that that line will stop and the order it needs to be restored. With that, I want to welcome up Mayor Jacob Frey, the Minneapolis Mayor, and someone who from the very beginning saw this before any mayor in the country and requested National Guard support earlier than any mayor in the country. And now the situation is requesting the next step of full mobilization, Mayor Frey.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mayor Frey. &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Thank you, Governor. The show of force tonight has got to be about safety, security, peace, and order. Our Minneapolis residents are scared and rightfully so. We’ve seen long term institutional businesses overwritten, we’ve seen community institutions set on fire. I want to be very, very clear, the people that are doing this are not Minneapolis residents. They are coming in largely from outside of the city, from outside of the region to prey on everything that we have built over the last several decades. The dynamic has changed over the last several days. If you looked at Tuesday, it was largely peaceful protest. The vast majority peaceful, the vast majority of people from our city with a small group of people looking to have intentional disturbance. Gradually, that shift was made and we saw more and more people coming from outside of the city. We saw more and more people looking to cause violence in our communities, and I have to say it is not acceptable. If you’re concerned, I get it. If you have family members or friends that are even considering protesting, this is no longer about protesting. This is no longer about verbal expression. This is about violence, and we need to make sure that it stops. We’re in the middle of a pandemic right now. We have two crises that are sandwiched on top of one another. In order to make sure that we continue to have the necessary community institutions, we need to make sure that our businesses are protected, that they are safe and that they are secure. So to our Minneapolis residents, we are with you. We will be mobilizing the largest force that has ever come forward in the State of Minnesota history to help. We understand that you’re concerned, we want to be there for you. Thank you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Thank you Mayor. Mayor Carter? &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mayor Carter &amp;gt;&amp;gt;  Thank you, Mayor Frey. Thank you. What we’re experiencing right now is one of the most heartbreaking weeks in American history, certainly in Minnesotan history. We woke up at the beginning of this week to, as we all know, a disgusting disturbing video of Mr. George Floyd being wrongfully killed. He was unarmed, he was not aggressive, he begged for his life. He called for his mom as and bystanders screamed, this man is dying. And over the course of a 10 minute video, we see the life squeezed out of Mr. Floyd. Anger over his death is understandable. Sadness, pain, heartache, frustration is legitimate. We have in our community right now an enormous number of people of all ages, of all races, of all backgrounds who agree that Mr. Floyd should still be alive. We have in our community, an enormous number of people of all ages, of all races, of all backgrounds, of all neighborhoods who are looking to see not only one, but four, all four of the officers involved in his death be fully held accountable. We have an enormous number of people in our community who are heartbroken by the fact that the name George Floyd does not stand alone in history, but that it joins a too long and too rapidly growing lists of names of unarmed unaggressive African-American men who’ve lost their lives wrongfully at the hands of law enforcement. And the frustration that time and time again, we’ve seen no one held accountable. We have an enormous amount of legitimate frustration of people ask “When? How long will it take?” People who ask, “How egregious does it have to be?” People who ask, “How blatant does it … How well documented does it have to be for someone to be held accountable for George Floyd’s murder? That frustration, that pain is real and it’s legitimate. And so all of the people in our community who believe what I just said, who wholeheartedly need the world to hear that Mr. Floyd should be alive, that someone should be held accountable, and that we as a community, we as a culture, we as a society must do everything we can imagine to keep this from happening again, we stand with you. I stand with you. There are many, many ways for us to work together in a constructive manner that build our communities, that empowers our communities to speak up with a loud voice. The world is listening. There are opportunities for us to do that in a constructive manner. Unfortunately, there are also those among us who would seek to use this moment, who would seek to use his death as an excuse, as a cover to agitate for the destruction of those same communities that have been most traumatized by George Floyd’s death. Those same communities that have been most traumatized by the dual crisis of a COVID-19 pandemic and an economic crisis that we’re facing right now. Those same communities are being re-traumatized right now as our black owned barbershops, as our immigrant owned restaurants, as our local generational family owned businesses are damaged and destroyed night after night. This must stop. I know the governor, I know Mayor Frey myself, wholeheartedly support the right of people to protest, the right of free speech. For people to say what they believe about the world, to speak up and say, and participate in making this world a better place. That right to speak stops at destruction of lives, destruction of property, destruction of livelihood. In Saint Paul last night or across our Twin Cities, a curfew went into effect. Because we had a relative stillness in Saint Paul, we didn’t make an enormous number of arrests. But every single person we arrested last night, I’m told, was from out of state. What we are seeing right now is a group of people who are not from here. As I talked to my friends who have been in this movement for a very long time, who wake up in this movement every day and I ask them what they’re seeing, what they’re feeling, what they’re hearing to a person. I hear them say, “We don’t know these folks. We don’t know these folks who are agitating. We don’t know these folks who are inciting violence. We don’t know these folks who were first to break a window.” And those folks who are agitating and inciting are taking advantage of the pain, of the hurt, of the frustration, of the anger of the very real and legitimate sadness that so many of our community members feel to advocate for the destruction of our communities. I echo the governor’s statements, I echo the mayor’s statements in that our police officers, our firefighters are facing something they’ve never faced before. That alone would be very, very difficult to address. One thing that I’ve learned about the world, about Minnesota and certainly about Saint Paul is every time ugliness raises its head in our community, the beauty of community, that beautiful spirit that Paul Wellstone once spoke about when he said we all do better when we all do better, arises. Across the Twin Cities yesterday, across Saint Paul yesterday, we saw countless neighbors show up for each other. We saw people show up with a broom and a bucket, a rag to clean and just worked together. They weren’t cleaning their cousin’s store or their uncle’s store, they were just coming to help each other to clean up our city. Over the last couple of months, thanks to the fact that we in Minnesota have a governor who took strong action early to protect Minnesotans in this pandemic crisis, we showed that togetherness by staying home. We showed that togetherness by honoring the stay at home orders that our governor has executed. And those efforts resulted in saving lives in our community. Right now, today, this week in Minnesota, we must show that same sense of togetherness. We must show that same sense of unity. We must show that same sense of community and cohesion. As we stand forward to say, we will not accept the brutal killing of unarmed black men. We will not accept George Floyd’s death and we will not accept the destruction of our communities either. Those two things, those two values, those two goals are not in competition. They’re not in conflict with one another, actually, they’re one and the same. Thank you very much.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Thank you, Mayor Carter. Commissioner Harrington? &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commissioner Harrington &amp;gt;&amp;gt; I’m John Harrington, the commissioner of department of public safety. Department of public safety was given the mission by Governor Tim Walz to restore order and to maintain and keep the peace. We have assembled the largest civil policing authority in the history of Minnesota. I’ve been in policing for 40 years and there has never been a time when I have had as many officers, deputies and state law enforcement officials come together for a single mission. We are working together under a unified command to make sure that we can be out there to keep the peace. But I will tell you that we have seen a change over the last couple of days. We have seen from the earliest demonstration, which were peaceful demonstrations that were largely demonstrations where people were trying to express the horror and the trauma of having Mr. Floyd’s life snuffed out. I’m not seeing peaceful demonstrations and I am not seeing frankly, any empathy or any heart for Mr. Floyd or for the communities that he loved and the communities he belonged to.  Last night, we saw not only a change in the temperament and the approach of what I will call rioters. They weren’t demonstrating for a cause, they were not protesting for injustice. They were simply bent on destruction of property and they were bent on trying to hurt people. And they didn’t really care who they hurt in the interim. We had multiple shots fired in both cities coming out of the rioters group. We had officers and National Guard officers, National Guard men and women shot at. We had improvised explosive devices used to injure state troopers, DNR, and others. We saw them break into post offices and we saw them try and destroy not only public property, but repeatedly set fires to private property with absolutely no – I mean this - absolutely no sense that there were people who… that was not just their shop. It was not just their business, but that was their home. That’s where their sweat and blood and life was based out of. And they burned it to the ground with no second thought. We also saw a shift in the numbers last night. As I said, we put together 2500 public safety folks, between National Guard and cops and state troopers and everybody else. That is an enormous number of law enforcement people. And we were confronted with tens of thousands of rioters. Let me repeat that. That little group that started out embedding themselves into George Lloyd’s memorial service is no longer the little group, it is in fact the group that is throwing projectiles, throwing batteries, firing into crowds and setting fires and attacking firefighters, EMS, law enforcement, Sheriff’s department, and national guardsmen as they seek to provide safety in our community. We have watched these groups grow both in craziness and we’ve watched them also grow in challenging approaches that we have had to adapt to. We have watched them take on efforts where literally there are 5000 of them surrounding a building, trashing the building, and then when confronted running back under the cover of darkness into residential areas. We have watched them try and destroy downtowns. And it’s hard to drive through one of our downtowns without seeing the plywood that’s up, whether it was as a preventative measure or simply to patch the holes that they had punctured into the buildings that support and are the anchors of our downtown areas. We are adapting to their tactics. We have made more arrests fortunately every day and we have focused on the fact that as this is not a protest, where this is not a demonstration, while that we will always, and I repeat always, respect everyone’s first amendment rights, those rights stop the end of a Molotov cocktail thrown into an open business. Those rights stop at the point that you loot the liquor store in the neighborhood, those rights stop when you loot the gas station, the little mom and pop gas station in the neighborhood. And Minnesota public safety and Minnesota’s National Guard are gearing up. We’re getting bigger and we are changing our approach because this is intolerable and we are coming to stop it. I don’t want anyone to make any mistakes about that. We will make sure that those folks that come out today that want to mourn Mr. Lloyd’s passing that their rights are in fact protected. But these rioters are in fact trampling on those rights by making it too dangerous for good people to speak their minds. And we cannot as a community, we cannot as Minnesotans, we cannot as members of the Twin Cities community tolerate that. So you can expect to see law enforcement, the national guard from state, county and local in lockstep tonight preventing, responding, rescuing and repelling attacks on our businesses, on our personal safety under the personal liberties of the Twin Cities area. At this time, we’d introduce General Jensen of the Minnesota National Guard.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;General Jensen &amp;gt;&amp;gt;  Well, I don’t think I could speak with any more passion than the four gentlemen that just spoke in front of me. So what I will do is just give you a quick update on the last 48 hours of the Minnesota National Guard’s participation in this operation. 24 hours ago, we had approximately 400 guardsmen on state active duty in support of the governor’s executive order. As mentioned by the governor, yesterday we reached a part or reached a peak that the Minnesota national guard had never been at before, over 700 soldiers and airmen mobilized in support of the governor’s executive order. And while it was the largest mobilization and as Commissioner Harrington described, the largest law enforcement operation in Minnesota history, it was not enough.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Early yesterday, we began mobilizing additional soldiers and we expect by noon to have 2,500 soldiers and airmen mobilized and in support of the governor’s executive order. But that’s not enough. The governor just announced the full mobilization, the Minnesota national guard for the first time, since World War II, what does that mean? It means we’re all in. We’re all in with the two mayors to my left, their citizens, their communities that they represent. We’re all in to the two law enforcement professionals to my right, supporting them to ensure we bring stability and peace back to our two great cities. But even that’s not enough as governor Walz just laid out. We had a conversation with secretary of defense and the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. We are requesting national level resources to come to the state to make key contributions to the operation that commissioner Harrington has laid out. So to our two mayors and to our law enforcement professionals and to your governor, the Minnesota National Guard is all in. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Colonel Langer&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Colonel Langer &amp;gt;&amp;gt;  Thank you, governor. I don’t intend on rehashing the ground that has been covered by all the folks up here saying the important things they said. But I do stand here as chief of the Minnesota state patrol to say that we have done something that we’ve never done in the history of our organization all the way back to 1929, in terms of the mobilization of our state troopers from all across Minnesota. That have come to the metro area to do whatever we can to get back to what we believe in as an organization and as the Minnesota state patrol. That we reflect our core values of respect, integrity, courage, honor, and excellence. That’s who we are and that’s who we believe Minnesota are too. Our job is to get out there in the middle of the mission that we’re confronted with right now to stop the criminal behavior that we have been seeing and to prevent the criminal behavior that we regretfully anticipate we will see tonight and into the near future. We’re working as hard as we can because I’ve heard from plenty of Minnesotans that they don’t like what they see. They don’t think that what is going on represents who we are in Minnesota and they want to help. So we need your support. We need your prayers, we need your thoughts as we work as hard as we possibly can to get Minnesota out of this current situation and stabilize. So that we can move forward and make the state what we believe it should be one that is safe for every single person who lives or visits this wonderful state. Thank you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz &amp;gt;&amp;gt;  Thank you, Colonel Langer. Minnesotans, before I take questions, I just like to… I think you got an assessment what’s on the ground. I am certainly not going to make light of the seriousness of where we’re at, for those who are wondering if we were timid or something happened. I think you need to understand even going into last night, this was the largest force and exhausted much of what we had going into that. The professionalism and the tactics were by the book. One of the things is when you’re a force of good and law and order you play by the rules. When you are bent on destruction and harm and chaos, you don’t have to do that and it makes it very, very difficult. I think it’s important to note too, that this call and the call up of the guard and the attempt to do this is only going to make it more difficult tonight.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The people listening do not see this as a deterrent. They are not somehow searching their soul and deciding that this was stupid and destructive and wrong of what they did. This is the challenge they were looking for. The call will go out to join and the call will be there to try and break the back of civil society and the people putting it forward. So Minnesotans, I’m not telling you and trying to make this any lighter. This is going to be very difficult and to set expectations, they will slip away and they will start fires. They will do that. No matter how many people we have on the ground with where they were at our goal is to decimate that force as quickly as possible, if they have, is to protect life, property, and restore that order, but they will bring everything that they have to this.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So I think it is very clear and I would make that statement and it will use social media. They will do whatever they want to do. Our expectation is to have the curfew in place. Our expectation is to restore order. It will be a dangerous situation on the streets tonight. We will do everything in our power to restore that order, that Minnesotans expect, that Minnesotans demand. But as each of these folks said, it is going to take all of us. I am grateful to our neighbors, our fellow Americans who are helping and who are sending prayers and thoughts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To the fellow governors, I am grateful to the president and the administration for continuing to be on the line and offer and provide assistance when needed. I am most grateful to Minnesotans. We built this state, we built the north star. Everything that we believe in these people are trying to destroy. So if you are on the streets tonight, it is very clear, you are not with us, you do not share our values. We will use the full strength of goodness and righteousness to make sure that this ends. With that, I’d be glad to answer any questions along with the folks up here, Peter.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Peter (reporter) &amp;gt;&amp;gt;  Governor, can you be more specific about numbers. I don’t think you’re saying that 10,000 people who’ve come in from out of state or that every bit of violence was done by people who were coming in from out of state. So where does did that sort of crossover from earlier demonstrations to what’s going on now? And again, what kind of numbers are you talking about and what can you share &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz  &amp;gt;&amp;gt;  Yeah, no, it’s a good question. Well, Peter’s question is about how do we know this? I want to just be very clear, as I said earlier in the week, this is not about saying, “Oh, this isn’t us, it’s everybody from everywhere else.” We understand that the catalyst for this was Minnesotans and Minnesotans, inability to deal with inequality, inequities, and quite honestly the racism that has persisted. I am not denying that, but what we’re at right now, and we’re trying to get numbers on this and I will try. What I’m asking the media to help us on, we’re going to start releasing who some of these people are, and they’ll be able to start tracing that history of where they’re at and what they’re doing on the dark web and how they’re organizing. But I’m not trying to say that.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I think our best estimate right now that I heard is about 20% is what we think are Minnesotans and about 80% are outside. So I’m not trying to deflect in any way. I’m not trying to say there aren’t Minnesotans amongst this group. We know that we have folks that may not be there too. But the vast majority right now and I think that the difference is, and this is where mayor Carter, mayor Frey spoke eloquently on this. Our heart and our solidarity are with folks who understand what happened Monday night to George Floyd, must see justice and we must fix. But these folks are not them. So that’s a good question and we’ll get more data. Peter, you want to follow up on that? All right. Yes, sir.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MPR &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Euan Kerr for Minnesota Public Radio. I mean, who are these people and what’s happening right now in terms of you going after them? &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Yeah, John, do you want to talk about that?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commissioner Harrington &amp;gt;&amp;gt;  As began making arrests, we have begun analyzing the data of who we’ve arrested and begun actually doing what you would think is almost very similar to our COVID. It’s contact tracing of who are they associated with? What platforms are they advocating for? We have seen things like white supremacy, organizers who have posted things on platforms about coming to Minnesota. We are checking to see do the folks that we have made arrest on and that we have information. Are they connected to those platforms? We have seen flyers about protests, where folks have talked about they’re going to get their loot on tonight and we’re checking to see, are they part of an organized criminal organization? If so, what is that organization and how are they organized? We have been working with both our state, our county, our local, and our federal partners to start looking at issues around is this organized crime?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Is this an organized cell of terror? Where do these folks… Where’s the linkage? Is what we’re doing. So we are in the process right now of building that information network, building that intel effort. So that we can link these folks together, figure out what the organizations that have created this. And then just understand how do we go after them legally, that is absolutely part and parcel of our mission. We are in fact public safety and we recognize that there are legal issues that involved here. But we are not going to tolerate the violence and the destruction that they’re using as a cover for the other illegal activity.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MPR &amp;gt;&amp;gt;  Follow up, you said you’re going to release names, you’re going to release information. How will that happen? What form?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz &amp;gt;&amp;gt; John?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commissioner Harrington&amp;gt;&amp;gt;  I expect that we’ll be able to release some of the names of those folks that have been arrested and some of the background information that we have pulled together and we hope to be able to do that today.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz &amp;gt;&amp;gt;  I think putting that in the media to, is the help on that. And the frustration we feel about who are they, why do they do this? It was one of the things I’ve asked them to, to get this out clearly. Next question, please.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reporter &amp;gt;&amp;gt;  Governor, can you talk a bit more about your conversation with Secretary Esper this morning and what we might expect in terms of federal military assistance?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz &amp;gt;&amp;gt;  Yeah. This is the second conversation in 24 hours with Defense Secretary Esper and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Milley. I was joined on that call by our leadership team, General Jensen, being the lead with military affairs. We’re looking at what are the resources they have or is there a signal intelligence that we can get from them? Are there things that they can provide us and then talking about the mechanisms that we use in the National Guard? I think it’s really important again, for folks to think about the uniqueness of our nation of protecting civil liberties is to make sure that civilian control of the military. And especially inside the United States is carried out by civilians, by citizen soldiers, by National Guard. This goes back to 1804 in the Insurrection Act. And when we redid it in 2007, I was the lead author of it in 2007. So I understand very clearly the militarization of a civilian population is a deep concern. That’s why we’re accessing and they’re helping us access all these assets through the National Guard in our surrounding States. They also were able to provide their intelligence support of what they’re seeing, what their signal intercepting they have, obviously from NSA and others, massive support, to be able to see who these operators are and I think for Minnesotans, as you saw this, and it’s been a 48 hours playing out, just thinking about this, the wars that we fought to protect our nation, the war on terrorism, all of that over the last 72 hours, these people have brought more destruction and more terror to Minnesota than anybody in our history. That’s who we’re up against. When you see them out there wearing a tee shirt or a baseball hat and walking down that is not who they are. That is not who this is. So I think it’s very clear to change your mindset as we’re changing ours and keeping that line again, of the respect for peaceful protesting. It has morphed over the last 48 hours. It is something very different. Yes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reporter &amp;gt;&amp;gt;  The curfew did little to stop the destruction that happened last night. You talking about how you’re going to change tactics and the amount of law enforcement that you have here. Yet, we have crews out all night. We didn’t see law enforcement till well after 11:00.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz &amp;gt;&amp;gt;  Yeah. It’s a question I brought to you. It is a sheer numbers. I mean, there were more law enforcement and they were actively engaged as they would tell you, like no time in the 90 year history of that. That’s how big this was. One of the things about a curfew is much like I continue to say civil society is not maintained just by laws and the threat of punishments. It’s maintained by the sense of a social compact that we share the same values. What the curfew does is it gives us a legal authority to make the arrest of people who are out there to start separating that. So I would just be very clear to people tonight, I believe and I think setting the expectations on this, what you’ve seen in previous nights, I think will be dwarfed by what they will do tonight and if you are an innocent bystander going out there tonight, you will be swept up in this. We will do the best. But thinking about the logistics of arresting someone who is in a force wants to break the line. And what we’re talking about is under the tactics that they use. If we step into a crowd of someone who threw a Molotov cocktail at us, the minute you do that, they’re surrounding those folks. They’re making sure they’re cutting us off. They’re trying to escalate a situation where deadly force is used and then chaos ensues.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So the question about, are you out there? Have you put enough on there? Just to be very clear, the mayor of Minneapolis requested national guard support earlier than anybody in the country, national guard was mobilized at a level unseen in Minnesota history by Wednesday morning. The forces on the ground last night were dwarfing anything we’ve seen from riots from the Hormel strike, going back in Minnesota history. So you’re seeing the sheer numbers of where the protestors were at, and that is our job and what we’re doing today to pull in all these resources. But just to be very clear, those who say federalize and bring them in, you’re talking &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;about 400 people under that scenario and also fundamentally changing how we go about policing and striking that balance. So if it were the case, throw everything at this, send out 100,000 people and go out and arrest every one of these people, that’s the situation you would see on the streets. So there has to be tactical. It has to be with the support. We have to get the help from the public to making sure that if you are not involved in this… And what I would ask today is if you know where these people are sleeping today, let us know, and we will execute warrants. Let us know if there’s someone that’s there to do this, start talking it back. If you know someone was down there protesting, help us, help us. Call that in and tell us who they were. They’re not from Minneapolis, but they’re staying down here. They’re doing this. They’re coming in. Next question. Yes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reporter &amp;gt;&amp;gt;  A couple questions. How many arrests have been made so far? And how would you attempt to go about enforcing the curfew, putting law enforcement in harm’s way in this situation?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz &amp;gt;&amp;gt;  I’ll say this for the Commissioner before he comes up here. And this is one again, as I think all of us as being as transparent as possible, I’m speaking to Minnesotans now about articulating a plan. Some of this is going to be the tactics that we use. These folks are very smart. If I tell exactly, and he tells you, they will adjust and they will adapt. We changed in two nights, they changed with us. So I’ll let John talk about the number of arrests and maybe some of the basic techniques you’re seeing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commissioner Harrington &amp;gt;&amp;gt;  On the St. Paul side, as best, and these are all preliminary numbers we had around 20 arrests made on the St. Paul side. Over half of those were for burglary. And when we talk about burglary, if you can think about those grocery stores and those Walgreens and all of the liquor stores and the pharmacies that have been broken into. As you look at all the plywood, that’s up and about, they were significant numbers for burglary. And then there was about a third of that total was for curfew violations in addition to that. On the Minneapolis side, I believe there was once again, close to 20, I think between 15 and 20 there. And once again, much of that was for curfew violations and/or for destruction of property. So that that’s the numbers we have so far. We recognize that’s only essentially St. Paul and Minneapolis. We really need to get both Hennepin County booking numbers, Ramsey County booking numbers, and we recognize that as there were, firebombings done throughout the Metro area, that we’re going to have to tap into Washington, Dakota, Anoka County also because we understand that they also had crimes committed in their jurisdictions. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Peter (reporter) &amp;gt;&amp;gt;  Do the Mayors agree that anyone out tonight after eight o’clock is aiding and abetting these folks and providing cover for these folks? And are you telling legitimate protestors to not help provide cover?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mayor Frey &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Peter, I didn’t catch the second part of your question there.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Peter &amp;gt;&amp;gt;  Are you telling folks in your cities that they are providing cover for this activity when they’re out after curfew and that they should stop doing that?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mayor Frey &amp;gt;&amp;gt;  Yes. By being out tonight, you are most definitely helping those who seek to wrong our City. And let me be clear about this curfew. The people in our City, the residents of Minneapolis, they are not abiding by the curfew because they don’t want to get arrested. They’re abiding by the curfew because they understand that it’s the right thing to do for our City. Londoners during World War I and World War II didn’t turn off their lights because the government told them to, they turned off their lights because they recognized it was the right thing to do for their city and in their country. And that’s exactly the same thing as to what we’re seeing right here. Let me be clear about the numbers that we’ve seen. Early on, there were so many questions about why don’t we just arrest our way out of this, on Wednesday and Thursday. And why don’t we have an officer placed at each and every business? If we were to place an officer at all of the businesses that we were seeing getting attacked and looted, it would be one officer facing, in some instances, 100 people coming in. If they were to arrest one, the other 99 walk right by. We certainly don’t want to incite additional violence by triggering some form of force. And so this became a very difficult situation that was not about planning or strategy, but about math. I want to be very clear. We did not have the numbers early on. This was about math. On Wednesday afternoon, I called the Governor as soon as I heard from our Chief Arradondo and requested assistance from the National Guard. We are very appreciative to have those resources. We definitely need the numbers because we can’t do it alone. And now that we do have a very concerted and unified contingent right now. And so tonight, yes, most definitely abide by the curfew. We’ll need everybody complying. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mayor Carter &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Can I respond to that? &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz &amp;gt;&amp;gt;  Sure.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mayor Carter &amp;gt;&amp;gt;  Yes. Thank you. And I think we’ve all made the distinction that there are people who are seeking to peacefully protest, and there are other people who are agitators, who are seeking to agitate and incite violence. The problem that we’re hearing from a lot of our friends who have been in the movement here in Minnesota for a very long time, is that you have somebody who will go forward and break a window, or try to start a fire or something. And as the Governor mentioned, then go run back behind the people who were trying to peacefully protest and use them essentially as human shields.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I hear people saying, “The curfew didn’t work to stop the incidents that happened last night.” To be clear, I don’t think there’s an expectation that people who are here from out of town to incite violence are going to say, “Oh, shoot, we can’t go out there because the Mayor implemented a eight o’clock curfew.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What that’s designed to do is separate those well-meaning community members who are heartbroken, who are feeling legitimate anger and sadness, and ask them, as the Mayor just said, to stay home. To stay out of that so that we can separate who are the people in our community who are hurting, who need to be able to peacefully express their First Amendment rights from who are the people in our community who are looking to break a window or start a fire or create destruction in our communities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So I would echo exactly what the Mayor just said, just by virtue of being out in that space, just by virtue of being a part of a crowd that the people who would hope to destroy our communities can hide in. That yes, would be aiding those who are attempting to destroy communities. That’s the purpose of the curfew. Thank you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz &amp;gt;&amp;gt;  Thank you. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We will gather at noon. I would ask this before we go. We’ll gather at noon. One second, please.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We’ll gather at noon with civil rights leaders, members of this movement, folks who understand this clearly and have them speak to you too about this very question. I’m sorry, please go ahead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reporter &amp;gt;&amp;gt;  One more follow up question. Very important, if possible. When you talk about full mobilization, how many National Guard Troops are you willing to accept, have you asked for? Can we get specific?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz &amp;gt;&amp;gt;  This might be a distinction on when you’re in the Guard and when you’re ready to deploy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;General Jensen &amp;gt;&amp;gt;  Yeah. We have approximately 13,200 Minnesota Guardsman. Not all of them are not qualified to be fully mobilized because they haven’t conducted Basic Training or their Military Occupational Skill Training. But when the Governor tasked me this morning with full mobilization, his expectation is that every soldier and airman, regardless of job, of military job is available for this operation. So at this time I don’t have a number to give you. The top end, as I mentioned, 13,200. The bottom end is where we are right now, 2,400. So it’ll be in between those two numbers as we work through this. Thank you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reporter &amp;gt;&amp;gt;  So the President has offered Federal Troops to come in. Has he been consulted with you on that and are you going to accept it? And what kind of a precedent is that going to set?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz &amp;gt;&amp;gt;  Yeah. And that was going back to an earlier question. The question of the President offering that, and this has happened before of where they put their 82nd Airborne and some of those on readiness. Yes, we’ve been consulted early. I spoke to the President himself two days ago, have spoken twice with Secretary Esper and Joint Chief of Staff Chairman Milley, along with the guidance of General Jensen about what that would look like. As I said earlier, the resources there provide us in material resources. There is a mechanism with the National Guard which we are relying on, which is quicker and better and much easier to do is to rely on our state partners around us to provide that. Federal Troops again, not from the community, and I think for people to think about this, they’re not talking about mobilizing the entire United States Army. We’re probably talking in the neighbor of several hundred. We can get more troops quicker than that by doing this. But that is an option that was put out there and it’s support that goes with us. At this time, Minnesotans, we will be back here. We’ll bring some faith leaders to talk to you about it. We have planned demonstrations today, true demonstrations, true expressions of grief, true calls to heal our community and work. We will be out there. And the folks that are here will be out there to support that and protect that and honor that right. But we’re asking those people as soon as those are done to disperse, to be out of the area and to not do what the Mayors both clearly and eloquently, and I would associate myself exactly with them, if you’re out after eight o’clock, you are aiding and abetting these folks. You are helping make it easier for them. And you’re giving them the cover that exactly they want. So Minnesotans, this is an unprecedented time we’re in, it may be an unprecedented time in American history. To my fellow Governors who are experiencing this, and the Mayors, we stand with you as Americans who value decency, who value community, who value the rule of law. And we stand together. This is an opportunity for our nation to truly become united about this, to isolate those folks who meant to bring us harm and to learn from this experience and become stronger. We’ll be back with you shortly. Thank you. Thank you, Mayors.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>436091</id><pubdate>2020-06-15T22:53:14Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>May 29, 2020 10:30 AM Press Conference Transcript</Title><title>2020-05-29-1030am-press-conference-transcript</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-436092&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-05-29T22:49:31Z</Date><ShortDescription>Transcription from Governor’s 10:30 am Press Conference on May 29th.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Video source: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/tptpbs/videos/252546615807976/&quot;&gt;TPT Twin Cities PBS Facebook Live (May 29, 2020, 10:30 AM)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Good morning, everyone. This has obviously been the most difficult week in Minnesota in recent history and maybe in our entire history. Our community, especially our Black community, is hurting beyond words. Minneapolis and St. Paul are on fire. The fires still smolder in our streets. The ashes are symbolic of decades and generations of pain, of anguish, unheard. Much like we failed to hear George Floyd as he pleaded for his life as the world watched, by people sworn to protect him, his community, our state. Philando Castile silenced, unheard. So many other friends, brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, senselessly died in our street. Their voices went unheard. Now generations of pain is manifesting itself in front of the world. The world is watching. One of the first people I called after seeing the video was Valerie Castile, Philando’s mother. We’ve become friends since the killing of Philando. For those watching today, who aren’t familiar, Philando died in front of his loved one and his child and left them behind and left behind a grieving mother who has become an advocate for justice, an advocate for reform, but more importantly, an advocate for kindness and decency. When I talked about Valerie, she said, “First and foremost, seek justice, seek fairness and reach out and show kindness.” What the world saw last night was not that. What the world has witnessed since the killing of George Floyd on Monday has been a visceral pain, a community trying to understand who we are and where we go from here.  I’m joined today by Attorney General Ellison, by Major General Jon Jensen, the Adjutant General of the Minnesota National Guard, Colonel Langer of the Minnesota State Patrol, and Commissioner John Harrington. I spoke this morning with Reverend Jackson, who much like Valerie, said a prayer for our state, said a prayer for over those grieving, said a prayer for peace, and then also said something very important. “This is the moment where we start. But every time we get to this place, we never start the process to make sure it doesn’t happen again.” That commitment amongst leaders in our community, watching this happen across the United States, watching another name, be added, and for those of us who are old enough to Rodney King, to Mike Brown, and unfortunately now we’ve added George Floyd.  The situation on the ground doesn’t allow us, at this time, to tackle those issues. The very assets in our community, our libraries, our businesses, those nonprofits and government entities, our light rail system, are all shut down from this. We have to restore order to our society before we can start addressing the issues, before we turn back to where we should be spending our energy, making sure that justice is served, justice is served swiftly, and that we learned something from what George Floyd gave on Monday. Now I want to just be very clear, and I’m going to have the team talk about what transitioned last night when the state assumed responsibility over the security near the third precinct, where the state secured critical assets ,and where the plan going forward to ensure that tonight our buildings do not burn, our citizens are secure, and that space that we’re going to create allows us to get back to the conversation of serving justice and making sure that we’re not adding to that list of unheard names. I want to be very clear and speak to that community. The very tools that we need to use to get control, to make sure that buildings aren’t burned and the rule of law collapses are those very institutional tools that have led to that grief and pain. I understand clearly there is no trust in many of our communities. The differentiation between the Minneapolis Police Department that we witnessed losing trust of those they’re there to serve is very difficult for people to make for those standing up here with me. I understand that. I will not patronize you, as a white man, without living those lived experiences of how very difficult that is. But I’m asking you to help us. Help us use humane way to get the streets to a place where we can restore the justice so that those that are expressing rage and anger and demanding justice are heard, not those who throw fire bombs into businesses that our communities of colors have worked so hard to build back up areas that were blighted at one time and are thriving because of their entrepreneurship and their hard work. A library in an area where our children, as we know, are institutionally put behind and the achievement gap for our communities of color is a shame on this state that we continue to admire by talking about and don’t repair it. That tool to help with that burned last night. I want to just call out very, very clearly, as we put a presence on the street to restore order, it is to open that space, to seek justice and heal what happened. I will not in any way, not acknowledge that there’s going to be that pain. But my first and foremost responsibility to the state of Minnesota is the safety and security of all citizens. We cannot have the looting and the recklessness that went on. We can not have it because we can’t function as a society. I refuse to have it take away the attention of the stain that we need to be working on is what happened with those fundamental institutional racism that allows a man to be held down in broad daylight.  Thank God a young person had a camera to video it, because there’s not a person here or listening today that wonders how many times that camera’s not there. These are tough questions. These are things that have been brewing in this country for 400 years. We have people out there putting themselves on the line to try and put out fires and our firefighters that are under attack. Those are the things I’m asking you. Help me restore that order. We will do that under state leadership and state guidance. You will hear directly from them of once that decision was made around 12:15 last night. That first mission was executed around 3:45 at the Third Precinct. We will see a difference. I’m asking you and you’ll hear from them to talk about this. I also want to think about what happens when we don’t have that. People who are concerned about that police presence, of an overly armed camp in their neighborhoods that is not seen in communities where children of people who look like me, run to the police, others have to run from. I understand that that’s out there. But last night I got a call from a friend and a dedicated public servant, Senator Torres Ray called in her district. It was on fire. There weren’t any police there, there weren’t any firefighters. There was no social control. Her constituents were locked in their house wondering what they were going to do. That is an abject failure that cannot happen. We must restore that order to that. Senator Torres Ray has fought her whole life on these issues of inequities and making sure that people’s voices are lifted up. But what she understands is none of us can lift those voices, none of us can tackle these problems if anarchy rains on the street. I also want to address an issue and this one is on me and I will own it. Earlier this morning when this mission was carried out under my direction to re-secure the Third Precinct, to do so in a manner which I am proud of how it was executed by this team, no injuries and no loss of life, a re-establishment to put the fires out for those businesses. A CNN reporter and crew was arrested by the State Patrol. A few minutes after hearing that, I was on a call with CNN president Jeff Zucker who demanded to know what happened. I take full responsibility. There is absolutely no reason something like this should happen. Calls were made immediately. This is a very public apology to that team. It should not happen. I want to be clear for those of you listening. I think our Minnesota reporters know this. I am a teacher by trade. I have spent my time as Governor highlighting the need to be as transparent as possible and have the press here. I failed you last night in that. It does not escape me that we are here on the catalyst that lit this spark by what happened with a police detainment of George Floyd. The idea that a reporter would have been taken while another police action was in play is inexcusable. So to CNN, to the CNN team, to the journalists here, this is about having a plan. That’s what these folks are going to talk about. This is about having an aggressive approach to understanding what the community needs and not coming in heavy handed with them, but to create space where the story can be told. In a situation like this, even if you’re clearing an area, we have got to ensure that there is a safe spot for journalism to tell the story. The issue here is trust. The community that’s down there that’s terrorized by this, if they see a reporter being arrested, their assumption is it’s because something’s going to happen that they don’t want to be seen. That is unacceptable. We will continue to strive to make sure that that accessibility is maintained, that not only that, the protection and security and safety of the journalists covering this is a top priority. Not because it’s a nice thing to do, because it is a key component of how we fix this. Sunshine, disinfectant, and seeing what’s happening has to be done. Again, I appreciate President Zucker’s call. I appreciate his understanding of the situation that he was rightfully incredibly angry. That falls squarely on me. That apology has been issued. I think going forward, to make sure it doesn’t happen again. It’s time for us to clean our streets. It’s time for us to execute today in a way that shows respect and dignity to communities. I’m going to ask for a lot of help today of those folks who want to see it. It is my expectation that justice for the officers involved in this will be swift, that it will come in a timely manner, that it will be fair. That is what we’ve asked for. I have been in contact with Hennepin County Attorney. I am confident that those very things I just said will happen. We will continue at the BCA to do a fair, a full, and a swift gathering of all of the evidence involved. But I would reiterate again, for so many of us, not all of that’s done in every other case where all of that evidence is gathered before. I would ask that the swift justice be carried out. Minnesotans, your pain is real. The chapter that’s been written this week is one of our darkest chapters. We can choose a few things. We can choose to try and get past this. We can choose to put a force out there and stop things from happening. We can hope that in the midst of COVID-19 or something else, it passes by and we don’t have to turn that mirror to look at the harsh reality of those underline gaps, whether it be healthcare disparities, whether it be educational disparities in our communities of color, whether it be policing disparities in our community of color, whether it be wealth acquisition in our communities of color, are all very real. We pride ourselves on a state of openness. We pride ourselves on a state of being friendly. I’ve talked a lot about One MN. That wasn’t on display last night. I don’t naively think everything heals and you come to the forefront and you say, “It’ll be better.” This is a community that demands and should expect more than words. They should expect results. Lieutenant Governor Flanagan and I have tried to make equity the center of everything we’ve done. But obviously, in Minneapolis on Monday night, there wasn’t a lot of equity for George Floyd. His family is probably wondering where the One MN is for them. That’s on us, us as Minnesotans, us as the Governor and the team that works with me to put the things in order to establish order in our streets, to establish and rebuild trust in our communities, to lift those voices up, to be heard, not pleading for their lives, but demanding the changes necessary so no one else has put into that position. I would like at this time to turn it over to Minnesota’s Attorney General, Keith Ellison.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Attorney General Ellison &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Governor, thank you. Martin Luther King said many years ago that riot is the way that the unheard get heard. He didn’t condone it, but he said to the nation as a person who always protested peacefully, that don’t just dismiss that and ignore it and relegate it to just criminality and bad behavior. Actually ask yourself what’s going on there. Is it something that we as a society absolutely must pay attention to? I think we must pay attention to it. I’d like everyone to recognize the fact that the National Guard, just a week ago, was administering COVID-19 tests to help people. To help people. The presence you see on the street, don’t react to them the way you might react to the Minneapolis Police Department. It’s not the same group. They have different leadership, different authority. Their job is to try to bring peace and calm back again. Please remember that this is not the group that you associate with unfair conduct. But it’s a group that in fact, just a week ago, was trying to make sure that Minnesotans could survive and thrive and live, because we are still in the middle of a pandemic. It is that sense of service where they get involved when it comes to natural disasters, storms, floods, rains, diseases. Now they had to restore order on the streets. I hope that the community who is protesting will protest peacefully, but not see this as another occupation by another military force. It really is … make sure that there’s calm and peace and that everybody can operate peacefully. Please accept it as that. I’m asking that of our community. It is essential, and I’ve said this before, everybody keeps asking the question, “When, when, when, when, when.” This is a perfectly legitimate question. It is important to know that under Minnesota statutes, the primary jurisdiction for criminal prosecution is with the County Attorney in which the offense occurred. I believe that the message has been sent and received, that the wheels of justice must turn swiftly, not unjustly, expeditiously, thoroughly, fairly, but swiftly. It is important that people have confidence that accountability, no matter who you may be, is how we live in Minnesota. Let me also say that this prosecution, this investigation, this criminal process is important as it is, and it is. The whole country and the whole world’s looking at it, cannot solve the problem, as the governor so eloquently said. Events like this start and they come to a conclusion, but we never start the process of real reform. I will submit to you that myself and Commissioner Harrington, under the leadership of the Governor, have already started a process on the working group on preventing and reducing deadly force encounters with the police. We have a report that we want attention from the legislature and the entire community on, to focus on that, so that we can really get to the bottom of this when it comes to issues of use of force, when it comes to officer wellness, when it comes to community healing and a whole … training issues, all kinds of things that bear on this issue. It’s not just those things. I believe that the real work of our working group is the implementation of this. That really begins in earnest now and is more important now, I think, than ever. I just want to, as I conclude my remarks, I want to say that we have to have a situation where Lake Street, a precious jewel of our state, is a place where Minnesotans can walk again, where businesses can be safe again. But I want to be clear that if the message was, “This situation with Mr. Floyd is intolerable, absolutely unacceptable, and must change.” That message has been sent and received as well. The Governor myself, the Lieutenant Governor, all of us are committed to that longterm change. I can tell you that I spoke with many legislators who feel the exact same way. People in the philanthropic community feel the exact same way. I think we’re going to do some real changing. We’re not just going to fix the windows and sweep up the glass. We’re going to fix a broken, shattered society that leaves so many people behind, based on their historical legacy of being in bondage and servitude, then second class citizenship, and now fraught with disparities, from everything from incarceration to housing, to wages, to everything else. With that, I want to hand it over to General Jensen, Major General Jensen, who will further elaborate. Thank you very much.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Major General Jensen &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Good morning. I’m Major General Jon Jensen. I’m the Adjutant General of the Minnesota Army National Guard and have been the Adjutant General since November of 2017. What I’m going to describe this morning very quickly is the actions of the Minnesota National Guard since we were mobilized under Governor Walz’s executive order. Like many Minnesotans, I woke up yesterday morning to the news that the Minneapolis mayor had requested National Guard Support. The only difference was I opened up my phone and there was a text from Commissioner Harrington. It wasn’t the newspaper or the morning news had notified me of that. Immediately, yesterday morning, made contact with the Commissioner. We began planning on the potential employment of the Minnesota National Guard in support- On the potential employment of the Minnesota National Guard in support of Minneapolis. For those of you that may not understand how emergency management works in Minnesota, I’m just going to take a quick moment and explain that. In Minnesota, county emergency management coordinators, where the mayors of Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester, and Duluth may request National Guard support for the state EOC. So in accordance with that, Minneapolis mayor, Mayor Frey, made that request to the Minnesota National Guard. What traditionally comes with a request though is a layout of capability needed and exactly the problem that’s trying to be solved. Typically, the request for the guard and that type of information come at the same time. Sometimes it lags. So when it lags, what we do is we begin preparing for an unknown mission. But in this case, we sort of knew what we might be doing as it related to civil disturbance in Minneapolis. But it’s very important that we know exactly what we’re being asked to do so we make sure that we have the right equipment, we mobilize the right number of soldiers and the right number of soldiers and airmen to support those soldiers that are going to conduct the mission. That element was lacking. But with the Governor’s decision to allow me to continue to plan, we began notifying soldiers early yesterday morning of a pending mission. Once we notified our soldiers, again with the Governor’s verbal approval, we began mustering our soldiers and moving them into the Metro area, knowing that the most likely probability of employment was going to be Minneapolis. As we met as a senior team yesterday afternoon, the one topic that continued to be discussed was the lack of clarity and the lack of a mission and a description of what exactly the Minnesota National Guard needed to do. My concern to the Governor was twofold. One, I didn’t know what special equipment I might need to accomplish the mission. And two, I was very concerned about being asked to move to an unfamiliar area of Minneapolis under the cover of darkness. I wanted to get out when it was still daylight, where my soldiers and my airmen could become familiar with their terrain and familiar with their mission. We never got such mission assignment. We never got such mission description. Yesterday, we performed four missions in support of the Governor’s executive order. The first mission came from the Governor directly. That came when we were notified of an immediate and pending threat at the State Capitol. My immediate advice to the Governor was to assign that mission to the Minnesota National Guard, and he agreed with one kind of caveat, and that is the State Patrol also wanted to support that mission. So in cooperation with the State Patrol, we began that mission. The second and third mission came together. It came from St. Paul specifically. It was to provide security of the Ramsey County Law Enforcement Center and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. The key part of that security was to ensure that St. Paul police officers were not required to secure those facilities and they were therefore relieved of that duty and able to respond throughout the city of St. Paul throughout the day. And then the last mission we did receive yesterday evening was an escort mission for the Minneapolis Fire Department. The concept of the operations that we would move, link up with the Minneapolis Police Department, and as they went into unsecure and dangerous areas that we would secure the area so they could perform their lifesaving and property saving missions. And we continued to do those missions through the evening. As the Governor indicated, about quarter after midnight this morning, the Governor authorized a law and order mission into the third precinct. What we would call in the military, a clear and security mission. So under the leadership of the State Patrol and the Department of Public Safety, the Minnesota National Guard was assigned a task and a mission in support of the State Patrol. We would follow the State Patrol and we would help secure the area that they cleared. Our soldiers remained in that area as I speak now, still on that mission, still securing that location. So people and [inaudible 00:25:56] can come in and begin the clean up of that area. Now we also have picked up one other mission with the City of Minneapolis. I won’t cover the exact details, but it’s ongoing right now with the Minneapolis Police Department. And I’m very proud of the relationship between the Minnesota National Guard and the Minneapolis Police Department, it goes back to Super Bowl 52 just two years ago. Chief Rondo and I worked together during that Super Bowl. So we have had opportunities to serve together, and I have a lot of respect for him. We will continue to operate in Minneapolis until such time that the Governor relieves us of that mission. And we will do so in support of the Department of Public Safety and the Minnesota State Patrol. So that’s just a little bit of background of what the Minnesota National Guard did since yesterday morning when we were first notified a possible deployment, through the deployment and through our mission set last night, and then early this morning. My recommendation this morning to the Governor was that I continue to do the State Capitol mission and that I continue to do the mission in support of the Minneapolis Fire Department. I believe both of those are very critical mission, both to the state and to Minneapolis. And then we’ll conduct follow on missions again in support of the Minnesota State Patrol and the Department of Public Safety. So at this time, I’d like to introduce the Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety, Commissioner John Harrington.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commissioner Harrington:  Morning My name is John Harrington. I’m the Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety. Governor Walz tasked me to prepare options and capacities and capabilities to respond to the civil unrest protests, but more importantly and really more directly, to the unlawful behavior of the arsonist, the thieves, the burglars, the vandals who were tearing apart the city of Minneapolis. I want that made clear that that’s I think a clear line of demarcation that we were operating under because it is fundamental to the Department of Public Safety, it is fundamental to the State Patrol that we take an oath to support the constitution, and that we believe that our work is absolutely essential to allow everyone’s First Amendment right to have their voices heard. We were not deployed and we have not been deployed and we will not be deployed to stifle free speech. But we will not and cannot allow unlawful dangerous behavior to continue. I am particularly proud of our relationship with both the Minnesota National Guard. Commissioner Strommen from the Department of Natural Resources and Colonel Langer who works for the Department of Public Safety is a Colonel for the Minnesota State Patrol. We called and they came. And literally it was that it doesn’t make it much more complicated than that. I said, “I’m going to need you, and I’m going to need you here in the city. And I may need you for two or three days. And I may need you longer than that. And I can’t tell you what I’m going to need you to do yet, but I know I need you.” And they came. They began preparing readiness to be able to move folks from all over the state of Minnesota, literally from miles and miles away, to come to the Metro area to be prepared to help us keep the peace. Over the course of the day I met with my counterparts in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Chief Arradondo and Chief Axtell, to talk about what missions they needed the state to help them fulfill. The Department of Public Safety at that point was calling to say, “We are here to support you. We are your partners. Tell us what you need and we will backfill, we will fill in the gaps. You tell us what you need for resources, and we will help you get it.” And we did get some very specific missions and in other cases, we got no real mission at all. And in the absence of a real mission, we began to identify where the critical needs were. We tasked the State Patrol, we tasked DNR, we tasked the Minnesota National Guard to meet specific missions that we were requested to do. But we also tasked them with being flexible because we knew that if things continued to devolve, that we might need to pivot and we might need to shift from a static post of guarding critical infrastructure to a fast moving operational approach of restoring order. About midnight last night, I was party to a call where that pivot had to be made. Where the mayor of Minneapolis called and said they had no more resources and they were not able to meet the public safety needs and control the behaviors that were occurring on Lake Street. They had lost the third precinct. There was concerns about a gas main, and there was concerns about continued looting and fires burning throughout the city of Minneapolis. And different than our first night, I had comparable concerns of looting and fires being set in the city of St. Paul, and so we had to divide our resources to meet the needs of both of the Twin Cities. The task the Governor gave me was pretty simple, actually. It was to pull together a team that could go in, keep the peace, protect people, protect them, protect their safety, protect their lives, protect their liberty. And to protect property that was being burned up literally every minute that we delayed. The Hennepin County Sheriff was one of my first calls and Sheriff Hutchinson immediately moved into action to give us support. We already had DNR, we already had State Patrol, we already had Minnesota National Guard. We had it available, but we hadn’t tasked them with what we needed to do yet and we had to create a plan. The U of M Police Chief, Matt Clark, offered support. Eddie Frizell, the Chief of Police for Metro Transit offered support. And with that team together, we put together a 250 ballpark cadre team to go in and restore order on Lake Street. We created a mission. It was very specific. I am a mission driven person. We talked about the fact that we were going to be respectful of people’s rights, that we were going to keep the peace and make people safe. And that we were going to follow our training and protocols by making a public announcement that they needed to clear the streets, and that if they didn’t clear the streets arrests were eminent. We made those announcements. We made those announcements repeatedly so that no one would be confused about what our intent was or what we were there to do. And then having made our announcements, we began to move to clear those streets. I will tell you that the vast majority of the great people of Minnesota and the great people of Minneapolis who are still having their guts ripped out about the Lloyd murder, and we’ll call it a murder, that’s what it looked like to me. I don’t want to prejudice this from a criminal perspective and I’m just calling it what I see at that point. They weren’t the people that were out there on the streets at three o’clock in the morning when we arrived on Lake Street. The people that were out there on Lake Street at three o’clock in the morning weren’t the good people in Minnesota and weren’t the good people in Minneapolis. They weren’t the people that wanted to mourn the loss of a friend and a relative and a neighbor. And when they saw the National Guard, Minnesota State Patrol, and this cadre, this team moving down the street, the vast majority of them did what we thought they would do. They left. There were a few that decided not to leave. That was a choice that they get to make, but we had advised them what that choice would result in. And we took action to respectfully and carefully take folks into custody as was necessary. And it was a very limited and very structured and extremely disciplined approach to making those arrests. I’m very proud of the fact that despite what you’ve seen over the last few days of gas and canisters and foggers, almost no chemical agent was necessary to be used last night. We did it the old fashioned way. Command presence, a uniform presence, and a clear intent to keep the peace, restore order, and to keep people safe. My task today is a little different. Having accomplished that mission, and I think we’ve secured those streets, and I appreciate the fact that I right now got National Guard folks still holding that ground that we took last night. We need to keep that ground and we need to prepare for what may come today. Our task today is we’re bringing together a unified command of Metro area police departments, Sheriff’s departments, and other law enforcement jurisdictions and other public safety entities into a multi-agency command center where we will create a plan that will keep the peace, maintain the peace, and prevent further lawless behavior in the city of Minneapolis, in the city of St. Paul, and in the surrounding suburbs. We’re going to do this the right way. We’re going to do it with full knowledge that our oath is to serve the State of Minnesota, to serve the communities and to protect them. We are fully confident that we can do that mission and that we can do it while still ensuring that the constitutional rights of those who need to have their voices heard and who need to freely assemble can be protected. I can tell you that no one could have heard Mr. Lloyd’s voice in the chaos of the screaming and the shouting and the fires at one o’clock in the morning on Lake Street. My job is to make sure that tonight that the community is safe and that our team is ready and prepared to keep it safe. With that I am very pleased to introduce the Colonel of the Minnesota State Patrol. Hello Matt Langer.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Chief Langer &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Thank you, Commissioner. My name is Matt Langer and I have the honor and privilege of serving as Chief of the Minnesota State Patrol. I don’t need to rehash what the Commissioner went through in terms of the detail that he provided on the role of the Minnesota State Patrol as it pertains to the city of Minneapolis this week. I was thinking about what to say about this week and difficult is the first word that comes to mind. And it doesn’t seem to represent everything that has occurred this week well enough, but it certainly represents the challenges that the Minnesota State Patrol has faced the last couple of nights as we have worked hard to combat the lawlessness, the dangerous behavior, and the criminal activity that has occurred both in the city of Minneapolis and other places. Let’s speak specifically to last night, because as you’ve heard shortly after midnight, between midnight and 1:00 AM, Governor Walz asked the State Patrol to lead an event in the City of Minneapolis to quell the unrest that was occurring in and around the third precinct. There were many challenges in that area. One of the main challenges in that area was that there were fires set and the Minneapolis Fire Department was unable to get there and extinguish those fires because they were shelled by those that were demonstrating and choosing to make life difficult for everyone who was trying to improve the condition. As the commissioner explained, we assembled a team, both with the State Patrol, the DNR, the University of Minnesota, Transit PD, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, and the National Guard. And we assembled that team quickly, swiftly, strategically, and we descended into the City of Minneapolis with the one goal in mind to as safely and quickly as possible recover the ground that had been lost to lawless activity and make it safe again. And then restore order, clean the area, and get it presentable so that we can move into the future tonight and beyond with a much different picture of what it means to be a resident, citizen, and your ability to demonstrate peacefully. That’s the mission that we took on. That’s what we did overnight. It was difficult, dangerous work for everyone involved. The people that are demonstrating, those that are caught in the middle a demonstration without the desire to demonstrate, and the first responders that are there trying to do good work. We had a few troopers that suffered minor injuries. I’m thankful they’re only minor. They stayed on the line and continued their good work because we needed every single one of them to do this job. We remain ready. We’re there today with the National Guard. We’re doing our best to hold that ground well and to make sure that we restore order, clean that spot up to the better than it was before, and to continue our efforts to make sure that public safety is of paramount concern as we move forward, both tonight and into the future. And then work together to restore order across the entire city of Minneapolis. Just as a side note, we had a couple of missions other places last night. Of course, our responsibility at the State Capitol. And we also assisted the city of St. Paul with some lawless behavior that was occurring on University Avenue with some of our mobile response team assets. One thing I’ll note is that we have troopers in the metropolitan area from all across the State of Minnesota. That was an opportunity that we afforded the Governor to make a staffing boost that is within the purview of the executive branch and within the ability of the State Patrol to do on very short notice. Now, my hats off to those troopers that responded, those DNR officers that responded from all across the State of Minnesota, come for an unknown period of time and to work very, very hard to make Minnesota what we believe it should be, a safe place for everybody. Thank you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz &amp;gt;&amp;gt; I would note before we take questions, and we’ll try and make sure we answer every one or as many as you need to ask, I would note to the reporters here in Minnesota, it was about three weeks ago I stood in front of you and as we passed 500 deaths by COVID-19, and said that on about the 29th of May, we would pass 1000. That will happen today. So in the midst of this pandemic, we are still working that. We believe, again, numbers are down. ICU bed… We believe again, numbers are down, ICU bed capacity is stable and we are doing everything we can. And as you heard from the folks speaking, the vast majority of people out there who are expressing their First Amendment rights and the rage over what happened to George Floyd were wearing masks and were trying their best to social distance and not touch things. I would, before I go to questions, note that the desire to get back to normal is so overwhelming for everyone. When so many in Minnesota would said, “What else could happen?” We’ve witnessed this, but I think it’s an important time to pause about that. The problem is for so many of us thinking that normal is where we want to go. Normal was not working for many communities. Normal was not working for George Floyd pre-COVID-19. It’s certainly not working now. And so I think as you heard the Attorney General talk about, that we’re trying to look at, do use this as a point and not just rhetorically, but a point to make those changes. With that, Mary we’ll start.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mary (reporter) &amp;gt;&amp;gt; What about the public? The public did not see you, hear you, you did not address the public in the last few nights.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz &amp;gt;&amp;gt; I certainly don’t think it’s important to be on TV. I think what you expected me to do is to be there, is we were in a support role as state law shows. And once it became apparent to me that the city of Minneapolis would not be able to complete that, I was directing the state to take that over. This is my responsibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reporter &amp;gt;&amp;gt; (unintelligible) over your plan?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Well, I think obviously if you think I didn’t, that’s probably the case as a reporter, but I think in the moment of making sure as those decisions were being made and that we were staying in the lane, that we were asked to support this and as it deteriorated, it was at 12:05. There was a decision last night that we made is to come in front of you at that time, because that was the transition point, because what you’re seeing now is the state is the lead element now, starting at 12:05 last night, and those first missions that were carried out. So I think for many of you as you know, I try and make myself as available as possible. I think it was important for me to be getting the data and the feedback, I was watching what you were seeing, and to be quite candid when the 3rd Precinct was abandoned, it seemed at that point in time that that was the time to move. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reporter &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Were you in the residence? Did you evacuate? Where were you?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz &amp;gt;&amp;gt; No. I stayed in the residence. I have all the electronic tools and we were on all night. And as I said, we were taking calls and adjusting and I was able to track as the situation evolved on going down. There was a dangerous task that I tasked the State Patrol and the National Guard to go down and take that. Those of you who are watching that as I was, as the lawlessness was burning down the 3rd Precinct or whatever, that can’t be allowed to happen. It took a little while to plan this, to get going, but that’s where I was at to make sure it was executed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reporter &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Governor Walz. There were millions of Americans and Minnesotans certainly watching on their TV screens as this unfolded last night. There was almost a complete lack of visibility of local police, state police, National Guard, after much fanfare about how the National Guard was coming in. People watched buildings burn, public and private. How could there not have been a clear mission for the National Guard when they were called in and you knew things were going to happen last night?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Yeah, I will let my leadership come back up there. You’re absolutely right. And I think that speaks to itself that by shortly after 10 o’clock, it’d became apparent that that structure would go. The way this works is is the mayors ask and they take charge and lead on the missions. I’ll let the folks come up here. I see that too. I think the decision they made to not engage. And I want to just be clear, there’s philosophically an argument to be made that an armed presence on the ground in the midst of where we just had a police killing is seen as a catalyst. My point to that was is, we don’t need a catalyst, it’s already burning. And so this is trying to strike that balance. And so I am in total agreement with that. You will not see that tonight. There will be no lack of leadership and there will be no lack of response on the table.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reporter &amp;gt;&amp;gt; follow up. Should there have been a National Guard presence on every corner in those areas last night as a deterrent, as opposed to having them come in?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz &amp;gt;&amp;gt; I’ll answer this one. Potentially. But the decision on that as it’s made from the city and on this one, I think I would agree with them. We saw the first night, decisions were made. Up until about 8:30 last evening, it appeared that things were relatively peaceful on that. There was a decision during the day, whether did you occupy the entire city and shut it down after those 24 hours? In retrospect, I’m assuming that yes, we would say that, but at the time, and again, we will not know it if proving the negative, would it have simply started that movement faster and would we have seen it moved out of the 3rd Precinct. But yeah, certainly, it’s a valid critique and point. Yes.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>436092</id><pubdate>2020-06-15T22:53:16Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>You&apos;re Invited to a Voters Info Session with Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, Michael Wall, Nasser Mussa, and Emily Hunt</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Headshots of the voting workshop presenters from MNCDHH, SOS, and Ramsey County</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/final_voter_workshop_header_2020_tcm1063-434071.jpg</Url></Image><title>2020-05-29-youre-invited-voters-info-session</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-434070&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-05-29T18:56:39Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNCDHH is proud to partner with the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State and Ramsey County Elections</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Includes presentation by MNCDHH&apos;s Outreach &amp; Civic Engagement Specialists</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Join the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing and our special guests from the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State and Ramsey County Elections for this special voting workshop.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Secretary of State Steve Simon, Voter Outreach Director Nasser Mussa, Voter Outreach Specialist Michael Wall, and Ramsey County Elections Administrator Emily Hunt will each share valuable information about voting safely and securely in 2020.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Afterwards, MNCDHH&apos;s Voter&apos;s Outreach Team will join the presenters to answer your questions about voting!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Friday, June 5, 2020&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;1:00 PM - 3:00 PM&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Workshop will be provided online through Zoom. Register in advance for this meeting at &lt;a href=&quot;https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAld-6opjMtG9N3JUGALLA-4Y4IL2TIxl2e%20&quot;&gt;2020 Voting Workshop registration&lt;/a&gt;. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Recording&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This webinar will be recorded. If you prefer not to be recorded, please keep your video turned off. You will still be able to send questions through the chat feature. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Presented and discussed in both spoken English and American Sign Language (ASL). ASL interpreters and CART are scheduled. To request another reasonable accommodation, please contact &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; by Tuesday, June 2, 2020.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hashtags&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you post on social media about the 2020 Elections, please use these hashtags!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;#DeafVote #HardOfHearingVote #DeafBlindVote #HearingLossVote&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>434070</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-05-29T19:11:35Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>MNCDHH Continues to Work from Home for the Time Being</Title><title>2020-05-27-mncdhh-continues-to-work-from-home-for-the-time-being</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-433539&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-05-27T18:26:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Completed work includes: new resource page for families and children as part of our joint Collaborative Plan work,  Census training, upcoming voter training, 2021 Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day, and accessible COVID-19 information. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Safety precautions we are taking due to COVID-19</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/dJ4rwHE8MRY&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendly ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/SAitZzFQibQ&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about staff working from home and completed projects&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Since March 16, 2020 the staff at the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) has been working remotely from home. We expect to continue this practice for the time being. This is being done to protect our staff, board, and communities. We are also following Governor Walz&apos;s Stay Safe MN Executive Order 20-56, which states &quot;7.c. Continue to work from home whenever possible.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Whether we are working in the office or from home, our work continues. Here are a few things that we have been doing since COVID-19 has changed our world. We have:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Continued to work on the Collaborative Plan goals with the other stakeholders. The Collaborative Plan is a network of agencies and organizations who work together to create positive, systemic changes to achieve better education and career outcomes for students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. Most recently, we developed and published a &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/resources/&quot;&gt;resource page&lt;/a&gt; designed for parents, family members, and students who are deaf, deafblind &amp;amp; hard of hearing. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provided &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/get-involved/census/&quot;&gt;one-on-one and small group training&lt;/a&gt; about the 2020 Census, thanks to our amazing team of Outreach and Civic Engagement Specialists. We have also been training our specialists on voting and will soon be providing voting training for our various communities.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Planned the logistics for the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/get-involved/lobby-day/&quot;&gt;2021 Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Da&lt;/a&gt;y. Save the date! Lobby Day will happen on Tuesday, March 16, 2021. Watch for more announcements.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Worked to ensure that COVID-19 information and updates are accessible to our deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing communities, including information in American Sign Language (ASL) and captions. Many thanks to the long list of community advocates who have championed accessibility by contacting their legislators and the Governor&apos;s Office. You have made a difference. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our staff will be available during regular business hours via phone and email. Visit our &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/about/who-we-are/staff/&quot;&gt;Who We Are - Staff&lt;/a&gt; page for our contact information. We will continue to post updates on our website, newsletters, videos, and social media. We are discouraging any in-person meetings.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To get accurate information about COVID-19, go to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The State of Minnesota&apos;s COVID-19 Response website&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Minnesota Department of Health&apos;s Coronavirus (COVID-19). &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Please review their information, wash your hands often, and avoid close contact. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jimmy Beldon for ASL talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Patty McCutcheon for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>433539</id><Tag><Description/><Title>staff</Title><Id>317343</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-05-27T20:59:09Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Part 4: Community Spotlight with the University of Minnesota Deaf College Bowl Alumni</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The 2018 team surrounding the metal life-size Goldy Gopher statue standing next to a solid maroon M. Autumn Moder and AJ Temple sit atop the M; Andrew Weber lays out on the ground in front of the M; and Zakaria Einab stands next to Goldy.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/UMNcoboTeam2018_tcm1063-432590.jpg</Url></Image><title>2020-05-23-part-4-community-spotlight-umn-cobo-team</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-433242&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-05-23T16:21:10Z</Date><ShortDescription>The following individuals were interviewed for this series: Maggie Bangert, Justin Barlow, Zakaria Einab, Kyle Johnson, Johanna Lucht, Henneh McCoy, Tjay Middlebrook, Autumn Moder, AJ Temple, Andrew Weber, and John Wilson. All interviewed by Kaitlyn Mielke.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>A four part interview series</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The University of Minnesota Deaf College Bowl (CoBo) program was established in 2011 as a project under Deaf Student Ambassadors program. The team consists of four undergraduate players, two coaches, and program advisors from both U of MN Disability Resource Center and the Interpreting &amp;amp; Captioning Unit. The student and alumni-led program continues to participate in the Deaf College Bowl competition during the biennial National Association of the Deaf (NAD) conference which they have done since 2012. The NAD Deaf College Bowl competition began in 1988 with three schools participating (Gallaudet University, Rochester Institute of Technology/National Technical Institute of the Deaf (RIT/NTID), and California State University, Northridge (CSUN). In 2012, the competition welcomed non-traditional schools to join the national competition.The U of MN team is one of the four non-traditional schools that have joined Gallaudet, RIT/NTID, and CSUN in the game of brains.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With the current climate regarding the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 National Association of the Deaf conference has been cancelled, and thus so has the 2020 CoBo competition held during the conference. We have reached out to the alumni of the past four teams that represented Minnesota in the years 2012-2018 to share their experience, and how being part of CoBo has shaped their futures.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Due to the length of this interview, a portion of the interview will be released over a period of four days. This is part four of four. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Teams:&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2012: Justin Barlow, Tjay Middlebrook, Shawn Vriezen, John Wilson.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2014: Maggie Bangert, Kyle Johnson, Johanna Lucht, John Wilson.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2016: Maggie Bangert, Kyle Johnson, Hennah McCoy, AJ Temple.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2018: Zakaria Einab, Autumn Moder, AJ Temple, Andrew Weber.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Part 4:&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Questions 9-10 and where they are now.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What advice do you have for Deaf, Deafblind, and Hard of Hearing students considering college plans?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Justin: Go where your heart leads you, and seek tons of advice wherever you go. Never hold back.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Johanna: Step out of your comfort zone, otherwise you&apos;ll be forever trapped in the box, missing out on things.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Maggie: Think about if you want to go to whether it is a 4 years college or a 2 years college - don&apos;t be ashamed to go to trade school. Ask questions! That&apos;s what those staff at colleges are here for. Apply to as many schools as you can. Take a look for scholarships opportunities, ask around and they really do have scholarships for everything you can think of. Pro tip: when you are accepted to a school, ask for another tour and ask for specific access accommodations that you need to see how they do, that is how you know what you would have to deal with for that school.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;John: Know what you need from a college. Do you want a big school, or a smaller school for more personal connections with peers? If you want a deaf community experience, look for local Deaf* community events. Ask to meet with a current Deaf* student if possible. Look at all of your options and don’t be afraid to look at hearing colleges locally. Pay careful attention to how the colleges respond to accommodation requests when visiting colleges. That’ll often give you a good indication of their services for attending college.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;AJ: Don&apos;t be afraid to consider the University of Minnesota and other state colleges or even trade schools. College is all about educating yourself and preparing for whatever path in life you want to explore.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Zakaria: I encourage students to visit college campuses, check them out, see what they offer. It’s hard to think about it, but once you see for yourself, it’s easier to see what you want to do, and how you can do it. See what’s expected, and make decisions about your future. Go out and visit them!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shawn: Definitely consider the U. It&apos;s big but it is easy to find a place to be and a place to grow. The access to interpreting and captioning services that extend far beyond simply having access in class goes a long way. I know I was able to participate in pretty much anything I wanted to while I was there and not having to worry about accommodations. Many of us participated in the Social Justice Leadership Retreats as well as Strengths and Engagement Student Advisory Board as well as Quidditch and movie nights. You name it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;TJay: Get involved with student groups - they will connect you with amazing people in the long run.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Final Words of Wisdom:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Andrew: The whole CoBo experience has taught me that it&apos;s really an enriching experience that I hope more people get to go through, especially from Minnesota. Minnesota and the U of MN are great places that are awesome environments for a person to grow in a professional and personal manner. Go Gophers!!!!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Johanna: Whenever you see AMAZING opportunity, don&apos;t be an idiot and go take it! I ignored NASA internship application email until finally on the 3rd email I applied, I got an internship. And now here I am, a full time engineer at NASA. I can&apos;t imagine what would have happened if I ignored that email again!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Maggie: Take every opportunity you can, even though it may cost money - think about if you will regret it or not in the future. Especially for study abroad programs. Connect with your teachers/co-workers/professional/peers, you never know what they will bring to you in the future.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;AJ: College is an excellent tool for further education, but don&apos;t feel pressured to go if you&apos;re not sure about what to do after high school. There are other options than just college like trade school, unions, direct apprenticeships, and more! College will be very expensive if you don&apos;t know what you want to do.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Zakaria: Please, whether you are a high school student or college student, or anyone really, if you are offered something, like CoBo and going to NAD, please, please, seize that opportunity to do it. You never know what those opportunities will bring you until you seize them and experience it for yourself. For me, I went to UMN, and was invited to join CoBo where I had no idea what to expect. Looking back, it was the best thing I did for myself - I met folks who became lifelong friends, strengthened my education and study skills, exposed me to the greater Deaf community, and it really brought me out of my shell. Seize those opportunities!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shawn: I highly advise going to the U and making the most of your experiences and what there is to be had there. UMN CoBo team is one of those things. Looking back on all the fond memories is well worth it. Time flies even though it&apos;s all been immortalized as we replay the scenes in our heads.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;TJay: Network, network, network. That’s how you’ll ever go far in life.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Autumn: What&apos;s stopping you from joining? Try something new, you won&apos;t know until you try.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where are they now?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Andrew: Paraprofessional at Metro Deaf School’s high school section.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Justin: Mechanical Engineer at Starkey Hearing Technologies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kyle: Paraprofessional at Metro Deaf School; attending Hennepin County Technical College &amp;amp; University of Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Johanna: Electronics engineer at NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Maggie: Community Engagement Advocate at ThinkSelf Minnesota Deaf Adult Education &amp;amp; Advocacy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;John: Digital Guest Support Services Team at Target Headquarters.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;AJ: Biological Technician at a national wildlife refuge in Montana.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Zakaria: Staff leader at a group home.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shawn: Certified Deaf Interpreter in the medical VRI field.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hennah: Securian Financial&apos;s retirement division in financial operations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tjay: Accessibility Coordinator for the City of St. Paul.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Autumn: Preschool Teacher for Deaf and Hard of Hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The UMN CoBo team is grateful to receive the majority of their funding and support from the community. Past and current sponsors have included the following:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;ThinkSelf Minnesota Deaf Adult Education &amp;amp; Advocacy&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Metro Deaf School&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Bridge Communications&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Balanced Boutique&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;sComm&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;From the University of Minnesota community:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Disability Resource Center&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Interpreting &amp;amp; Captioning Unit&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf and Hard of Hearing Student Ambassadors&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Disabled Students Cultural Center&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;UMN Bookstores&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;UMN students, faculty, and community members who bought treats from our bake sales!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH has also been a partner.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And YOU. Because of your support, the UMN CoBo team is truly a community team at heart.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Follow the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/UMNCoBo/&quot;&gt;UMN Deaf CoBo team&lt;/a&gt; on Facebook!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>433242</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>community spotlight</Title><Id>432585</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-05-23T15:00:22Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Part 3: Community Spotlight with the University of Minnesota Deaf College Bowl Alumni</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The 2016 team with four players and coach, all wearing gold polo shirts, stand on the stage with the jumbotron visible from behind. From L-R: Maggie Bangert, AJ Temple, Kyle Johnson, Hennah McCoy, and Justin Barlow.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/UMN%20CoBo%202016%20Team_tcm1063-432589.jpg</Url></Image><title>2020-05-22-part-3-community-spotlight-umn-cobo-teams</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-432591&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-05-22T15:00:56Z</Date><ShortDescription>The following individuals were interviewed for this series: Maggie Bangert, Justin Barlow, Zakaria Einab, Kyle Johnson, Johanna Lucht, Henneh McCoy, Tjay Middlebrook, Autumn Moder, AJ Temple, Andrew Weber, and John Wilson. All interviewed by Kaitlyn Mielke.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>A four part interview series</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The University of Minnesota Deaf College Bowl (CoBo) program was established in 2011 as a project under Deaf Student Ambassadors program. The team consists of four undergraduate players, two coaches, and program advisors from both U of MN Disability Resource Center and the Interpreting &amp;amp; Captioning Unit. The student and alumni-led program continues to participate in the Deaf College Bowl competition during the biennial National Association of the Deaf (NAD) conference which they have done since 2012. The NAD Deaf College Bowl competition began in 1988 with three schools participating (Gallaudet University, Rochester Institute of Technology/National Technical Institute of the Deaf (RIT/NTID), and California State University, Northridge (CSUN). In 2012, the competition welcomed non-traditional schools to join the national competition.The U of MN team is one of the four non-traditional schools that have joined Gallaudet, RIT/NTID, and CSUN in the game of brains.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With the current climate regarding the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 National Association of the Deaf conference has been cancelled, and thus so has the 2020 CoBo competition held during the conference. We have reached out to the alumni of the past four teams that represented Minnesota in the years 2012-2018 to share their experience, and how being part of CoBo has shaped their futures.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Due to the length of this interview, a portion of the interview will be released over a period of four days. This is part three of four. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Teams:&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2012: Justin Barlow, Tjay Middlebrook, Shawn Vriezen, John Wilson.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2014: Maggie Bangert, Kyle Johnson, Johanna Lucht, John Wilson.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2016: Maggie Bangert, Kyle Johnson, Hennah McCoy, AJ Temple.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2018: Zakaria Einab, Autumn Moder, AJ Temple, Andrew Weber.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Part 3:&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Questions 7-8&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why do you think it&apos;s important that Minnesota continues to send youth representatives to NAD?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Andrew: It is super, super important that Minnesota continues to send youth representatives to NAD because it is one of the ways that we can show off our great state and community! I would want more representation because Minnesota&apos;s Deaf community is growing and sending people to NAD is one of the ways that we can grow through.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Justin: It is important for Minnesota to keep supporting NAD because as one of the larger deaf communities in the USA, we are accountable to support the larger cause in terms of Deaf community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kyle: I think it is important because it can help those students to admire and know what they want to do for their future.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Maggie: Because we do have a strong deaf community in MN that many don&apos;t realize and we have so much resources and opportunities here as well. In some ways, I do feel like MN is somewhat ahead with being accessible here, especially at the U.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;John: Youth representatives are wonderful role models for our community. We need more Deaf* youth to go to college. Having youth representatives shows the community that YES, it’s possible to succeed at a hearing college. It’s also so beneficial as a networking opportunity and a chance for Deaf* students to connect with other schools that they may not have the opportunity to meet otherwise.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;AJ: I think it&apos;s important to keep Minnesota visible on the deaf community map as we have a great deaf community and a great state that shouldn&apos;t be overlooked just because many people consider it a flyover state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Zakaria: Many other states are not aware of what MN has to offer, and it’s important for us from MN to go out and show them the wealth of MN deaf community - how we are accessible, have resources, the people who get things done, etc. It’s a great way for our youth to go to NAD, see and learn things, and bring it home back to MN to share and educate with others in the Deaf community here and become leaders themselves.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shawn: It is so important to our state to continue to represent. Minnesota is such an integral part of the national scene. MADC was also the first state NAD affiliate chapter. The first president of NAD was Minnesotan. It is in our blood and in our heritage and it&apos;s extremely important that we continue to live up to that not just for our current selves but also for future generations to take up that legacy. We are a state of many firsts when it comes to the Deaf community and I look forward to seeing that continue for many years to come.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hennah: I think that it is very important for Minnesota to continue to send youth representatives to the NAD for the opportunities to broaden their worlds, to network, to learn more about themselves, and to learn more about the Deaf community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;TJay: To boost Minnesota as a land of opportunity. Our university is amazing - we have terps that work there that feel like family; job opportunities in the local D/HH community; a strong D/HH community here in MN.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Autumn: It allows exposure from other deaf communities that may be considered Non-Traditional. D/HH people come from all over the world, and celebrating and recognizing those differences is important. This also allows our youth to have role models to look up to and may help them develop goals of accomplishing some of the big things NAD has done for the DHH community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Since 1972, deaf youth from all over Minnesota have represented our state at the NAD conference first as the Miss Deaf Minnesota Program (1972-2010), and now through the UMN CoBo team (2012-current). Future plans might include welcoming middle and high school students to become Jr. NAD Pages and young adults interested in representing Minnesota as the next NAD Youth Ambassador.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How has the UMN &amp;amp; MN Deaf/ASL community supported the UMN CoBo team? (Alt: How can the MN Deaf/ASL community support future teams?)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Johanna: Funding. No seriously, funding will help a lot. Also attend fundraising events hosted by CoBo, they worked really hard for them and that is part of growth. Consider donating things like white boards and [dry-erase] markers for practices. Know of any people that will be excellent players? Send them to U of MN and inform U of MN coaches. Challenges have always been &quot;do we have enough players?&quot; and &quot;do we have enough money?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Maggie: We have MADC (Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens), who supported us, and many internally (U staff) supported us in many ways, they helped with the bake sales for the team which was so sweet of them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;John: The community support has been amazing! When we needed fundraising opportunities, MADC was welcoming to have us as entertainment at their annual conference. The community has been great with welcoming us at events and donating to our fundraising efforts. UMN Interpreters also have been true allies every step of the way, baking cookies for our sales, offering support and encouragement for all of our teams.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;AJ: The community has always been very generous with their donations as well as fundraiser support. The team would never have made it to NAD without the many people behind the team.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shawn: We had such a solid support system with the student ambassador program at the U and our success there carried over into all the things we did. We had also had a good relationship with MDS [Metro Deaf School] and were able to compete with them for fun.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Prior fundraising and community engagement include bake sales at the U; friendly competitions with the Academic Bowl team at Metro Deaf School (to support both teams); attending ASL Night Out; and going head to head with the interpreters and captioners at U in mock games; and again with MADC members at the MADC conference; and online fundraising campaigns.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The UMN CoBo team is grateful to receive the majority of their funding and support from the community. Past and current sponsors have included the following:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;ThinkSelf Minnesota Deaf Adult Education &amp;amp; Advocacy&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Metro Deaf School&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Bridge Communications&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Balanced Boutique&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;sComm&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;From the University of Minnesota community:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Disability Resource Center&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Interpreting &amp;amp; Captioning Unit&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf and Hard of Hearing Student Ambassadors&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Disabled Students Cultural Center&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;UMN Bookstores&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;UMN students, faculty, and community members who bought treats from our bake sales!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH has also been a partner.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And YOU. Because of your support, the UMN CoBo team is truly a community team at heart.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Follow the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/UMNCoBo/&quot;&gt;UMN Deaf CoBo team&lt;/a&gt; on Facebook!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>432591</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>community spotlight</Title><Id>432585</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-05-22T15:48:29Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Part 2: Community Spotlight with the University of Minnesota Deaf College Bowl Alumni</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The 2014 team standing in a line with arms around each other’s shoulders. All are wearing maroon shirts with M-fist, and sporting NAD conference name tags on lanyards. From L-R: Kaitlyn Mielke, Johanna Lucht, Maggie Bangert, Kyle Johnson, John Wilson, and Justin Barlow (holding stuffed Gopher toy on Kyle’s head).</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/UMNCoBo%202014%20team_tcm1063-432588.jpg</Url></Image><title>2020-05-20-part-2-community-spotlight-umn-cobo-team</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-432586&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-05-20T15:00:02Z</Date><ShortDescription>The following individuals were interviewed for this series: Maggie Bangert, Justin Barlow, Zakaria Einab, Kyle Johnson, Johanna Lucht, Henneh McCoy, Tjay Middlebrook, Autumn Moder, AJ Temple, Andrew Weber, and John Wilson. All interviewed by Kaitlyn Mielke.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>A four part interview series</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The University of Minnesota Deaf College Bowl (CoBo) program was established in 2011 as a project under Deaf Student Ambassadors program. The team consists of four undergraduate players, two coaches, and program advisors from both U of MN Disability Resource Center and the Interpreting &amp;amp; Captioning Unit. The student and alumni-led program continues to participate in the Deaf College Bowl competition during the biennial National Association of the Deaf (NAD) conference which they have done since 2012. The NAD Deaf College Bowl competition began in 1988 with three schools participating (Gallaudet University, Rochester Institute of Technology/National Technical Institute of the Deaf (RIT/NTID), and California State University, Northridge (CSUN). In 2012, the competition welcomed non-traditional schools to join the national competition.The U of MN team is one of the four non-traditional schools that have joined Gallaudet, RIT/NTID, and CSUN in the game of brains.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With the current climate regarding the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 National Association of the Deaf conference has been cancelled, and thus so has the 2020 CoBo competition held during the conference. We have reached out to the alumni of the past four teams that represented Minnesota in the years 2012-2018 to share their experience, and how being part of CoBo has shaped their futures.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Due to the length of this interview, a portion of the interview will be released over a period of four days. This is part two of four. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Teams:&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2012: Justin Barlow, Tjay Middlebrook, Shawn Vriezen, John Wilson.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2014: Maggie Bangert, Kyle Johnson, Johanna Lucht, John Wilson.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2016: Maggie Bangert, Kyle Johnson, Hennah McCoy, AJ Temple.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2018: Zakaria Einab, Autumn Moder, AJ Temple, Andrew Weber.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Part 2:&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Questions 4-6&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How did you grow as a player? What lessons did you learn or what skills did you gain?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Andrew: I learned how to work with a group of peers that were Deaf. I also learned how to network with the Deaf professional groups in a way that I didn&apos;t know how to before. I feel like I grew a lot from the College Bowl experience! I even apply some of that into my work with young people.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Justin: I learned that there are certainly so many more unknowns out there that needs to be discovered!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Johanna: Conflict management, teamwork, socializing with new people, professional experience, and budgeting (yes, funding is VERY limited after all).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Maggie: Honestly, I grew more confident in a professional way. Meeting many deaf professionals from all over the U.S. opened my eyes and got the idea of what I want to do for my future career wise.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;John: I started out as a player for the first two NAD conferences, then became an assistant coach for the subsequent competitions. Being on the team gave me confidence and helped me build wonderful connections with other students. I learned to work together with one another as a team and work off each other’s strengths.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Zakaria: It was all new for me. After a practice about current events, I realized that I was not aware of many things happening out there around us so I started reading the news everyday to be more conscious of the happenings out there. Another thing was that meeting new people made me more confident in myself, I became more independent, it was a great way to break the ice and bring myself out.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shawn: Our team was fortunate that most if not all of us were involved with the DHH Student Ambassador Program at the U so we were attuned to working together and striving for new things. I think the best thing of all was doing something that had not been done before. First year [2012] they had allowed outside schools to participate. We made sure we could. The whole event with Signmark was also huge as well and I think we achieved quite a bit as a team from the ambassador program that translated well to our CoBo experience. I also love the fact that we had custom shirts made and unveiled there. I still wish I had my shirt and wish I could purchase a new one as there were many fond memories of making it happen.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hennah: The more we practiced together, the more we gained a sense of each other&apos;s strengths and weaknesses on the different topics. We learned to listen to the person/people who most likely would have the best answer for particular questions and topics. We learned to respect each other, and trust each other more, even if we got the answers to the questions wrong.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;TJay: I learned more about other students at the U of M and why they study what they study.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How has being part of CoBo impacted your future activities?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Andrew: Everything! I learned a lot from it and keep learning from it even if I am not on the team now. We do keep in touch with each other at times. I&apos;m currently looking into Boston University as an option for graduate school due to their visit to NAD in Hartford while we were there.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Johanna: Conflict management carried over to my professional experience because I am working in a federal agency where integrity and ethics are essential. Without them, you&apos;re likely to be fired from your job, even the possibility of ending up on headline. Time and pressure during competition helps with stress management. Work at NASA does involve some risk so the calm during pressure really helped with thinking clearly.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Maggie: Once a while, someone will recognize me from CoBo, which is nice- so that way that set in for good networking. But, at the end- I made a really good group of friends that I will forever cherish.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;AJ: In the long run, I met new friends that I still talk to years after attending NAD.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Zakaria: I was isolated for the most part. Attending the NAD conference exposed me to the greater world, gave me more experiences, more connections made, and gave me a desire to expand that network circle I made by going to expos and events outside NAD, and reconnect with others, and hopefully go back to NAD conference in the future.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shawn: The networking and bonding experience was amazing. And just the whole being there for the NAD conference and meeting other teams and competing against them was an experience I still treasure to this day. I think one of the things that does stand out was how we prepared for it as well. Being able to build an IRC script [for a website app] that allowed us to practice together as a team and how it was rather unique in our approach that had not been done before by another team. There was one member of the Gallaudet team, we eventually acted together in the movie by ASL Films, In the Can and during filming we became quite close. We are still in touch to this day. In fact he was recently in Minnesota for the regional academic bowl as the assistant coach for Indiana School for the Deaf&apos;s team.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hennah: The NAD was the first Deaf conference I had attended, and it opened up my world. I met and saw so many amazing people speak about their own experiences and share their knowledge with us. I learned so much about myself through this experience.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;TJay: Everlasting friendships that last to this day.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Autumn: Being a part of this team exposed me to a lot of different people from all over the country that share a common thing of being DHH with me. That alone is a unique experience and allows for great networking and lifelong friends.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What were some of your favorite moments of the CoBo experience? Any stories or memorable moments that stand out?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Johanna: It isn&apos;t really a favorite per se, but rather an infamous moment that is bound to happen to EVERY CoBo team: problem with billing hotel rooms that delayed checking in. During 2018 in Hartford, CT, I wasn&apos;t a player but I attended a conference and as soon as the U of MN coach informed me that the hotel was having a problem, I rolled my eyes and said &quot;Oh of course, it&apos;s very reassuring to know some things never change.&quot; Another favorite is again in 2018, I got to meet U of M players. I really enjoy talking to them and they asked me about my experience as well as the real world. This was the moment when I realized that I WAS them when I talked to people years ago. Another important thing about this is young people get mentoring from people who are like them (DB, d/Deaf, HoH, etc.). This makes the experience much less isolated. I grew up without a mentor who is Deaf, female, and engineer, so getting to where I am was pretty brutal.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Maggie: Clippers... One of the questions during the match- the answer was Clippers... I was so overconfident with my answer and wrote down so fast that I put down... Clipper. *Facepalm* Good laugh though. The 2nd CoBo in AZ, there were only 4 teams which means we were already in the finals- it was a surreal experience to be there with a big audience.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;John: Practices were always the best! I always enjoyed the discussions that the practice questions would lead to and the occasional debates that would result. I always learned something new every week. And the inside jokes which we still retell to this day.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;AJ: My favorite moments involved taking long walks around the host city. It wasn&apos;t supposed to be long, but we underestimated how hot it would be getting to our destination. OOPS.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Zakaria: All the CoBo teams meeting each other during free time outside practice and meetings and the game, and socializing, such as going to pool and hanging out - being able to connect outside the competition itself - and I want to stress this - the ability to connect with each other and develop friendships was more important than the game itself. It’s not always about winning, but we win by making new friendships that last long after the conference is over.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shawn: The road trip was awesome. I love road trips and they remind me so much of all the traveling we did as a team out of state to play basketball, football or academic bowl tournaments. The bonding we experience on the way down and back as well as being in a living quarters when we travel. And just being immersed in an experience far from home. It was perhaps a feeling of modernized nostalgia.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hennah: One night we were walking outside in downtown Phoenix, and at this park they were having a free, open to the public, family outdoor movie night. On the blocked off street next to the park, there was a truck that had dumped all of this snow in this huge pile (which was melting quickly in the heat), and all of these kids were running around playing with this snow! It was one of the most bizarre things I have seen, and I remember us all laughing in amazement about it. We were from Minnesota after all!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;TJay: Objectioning to a judge who turned down our answer relating to iOS operating system by debunking her rationale with a well-placed objection and thus paving MN’s reputation by challenging answers and objections.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The UMN CoBo team is grateful to receive the majority of their funding and support from the community. Past and current sponsors have included the following:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;ThinkSelf Minnesota Deaf Adult Education &amp;amp; Advocacy&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Metro Deaf School&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Bridge Communications&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Balanced Boutique&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;sComm&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;From the University of Minnesota community:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Disability Resource Center&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Interpreting &amp;amp; Captioning Unit&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf and Hard of Hearing Student Ambassadors&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Disabled Students Cultural Center&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;UMN Bookstores&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;UMN students, faculty, and community members who bought treats from our bake sales!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH has also been a partner.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And YOU. Because of your support, the UMN CoBo team is truly a community team at heart.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Follow the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/UMNCoBo/&quot;&gt;UMN Deaf CoBo team&lt;/a&gt; on Facebook!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>432586</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>community spotlight</Title><Id>432585</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-05-20T16:15:23Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Part 1: Community Spotlight with the University of Minnesota Deaf College Bowl Alumni</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The 2012 team. Three players sit at a table with paper and pens in front of them. L-R: Justin Barlow, John Wilson, Tjay Middlebrook. Three people stand behind them, hunched over to fit in the frame, L-R: Sonny Wasilowski, Shawn Vriezen, Kaitlyn Mielke (holding a stuffed Gopher toy) . All are wearing maroon shirts with a stylized M-fist sign language symbol in center in gold.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/UMNCoBo%20Team%202012_tcm1063-432587.jpg</Url></Image><title>2020-05-19-part-1-community-spotlight-umn-cobo-teams</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-432584&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-05-19T15:00:25Z</Date><ShortDescription>The following individuals were interviewed for this series: Maggie Bangert, Justin Barlow, Zakaria Einab, Kyle Johnson, Johanna Lucht, Henneh McCoy, Tjay Middlebrook, Autumn Moder, AJ Temple, Andrew Weber, and John Wilson. All interviewed by Kaitlyn Mielke.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>A four part interview series</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The University of Minnesota Deaf College Bowl (CoBo) program was established in 2011 as a project under Deaf Student Ambassadors program. The team consists of four undergraduate players, two coaches, and program advisors from both U of MN Disability Resource Center and the Interpreting &amp;amp; Captioning Unit. The student and alumni-led program continues to participate in the Deaf College Bowl competition during the biennial National Association of the Deaf (NAD) conference which they have done since 2012. The NAD Deaf College Bowl competition began in 1988 with three schools participating (Gallaudet University, Rochester Institute of Technology/National Technical Institute of the Deaf (RIT/NTID), and California State University, Northridge (CSUN). In 2012, the competition welcomed non-traditional schools to join the national competition.The U of MN team is one of the four non-traditional schools that have joined Gallaudet, RIT/NTID, and CSUN in the game of brains.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With the current climate regarding the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 National Association of the Deaf conference has been cancelled, and thus so has the 2020 CoBo competition held during the conference. We have reached out to the alumni of the past four teams that represented Minnesota in the years 2012-2018 to share their experience, and how being part of CoBo has shaped their futures.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Due to the length of this interview, a portion of the interview will be released over a period of four days. This is part one of four. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Teams:&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2012: Justin Barlow, Tjay Middlebrook, Shawn Vriezen, John Wilson.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2014: Maggie Bangert, Kyle Johnson, Johanna Lucht, John Wilson.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2016: Maggie Bangert, Kyle Johnson, Hennah McCoy, AJ Temple.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2018: Zakaria Einab, Autumn Moder, AJ Temple, Andrew Weber.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Part 1:&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Questions 1-3&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why did you participate in the UMN Deaf College Bowl program?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Andrew: I wanted to represent Minnesota along with the UMN deaf community. At the same time, I wanted to experience more of what I experienced during Academic Bowl during high school. It was a good opportunity to get out there and do networking and just see other Deaf people!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Justin: I had some experience as an academic bowl player in High School, and this type of challenge intrigues me.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kyle: I wanted to develop my knowledge skills plus be able to meet new people and develop friendships/networking.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Johanna: I was on the Alaska team for Academic Bowl in 2007. I got to go to the unknown with the team and meet different people, learning their background and experience. That really expanded my growth. I wanted to experience that again but as a young adult. Just as I thought, I learned much more. People do not hold back because you&apos;re an adult after all.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Maggie: I was involved with Academic Bowl in High School for a few years. In my 2nd year in college, the team asked me to join and I gave in and joined. I never looked back- thanks to them!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;John: I wanted to show the community that a mainstream school could compete and be just as successful as other more traditional deaf schools.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;AJ: I love playing trivia with friends. I participated in Gallaudet University&apos;s Academic Bowl as a high school student and wanted to continue in college.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Zakaria: It was a wonderful opportunity to network and meet new people, challenge each other’s knowledge of subjects, learning about different topics - all of that was very beneficial. It’s a great way to meet people!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shawn: Several reasons, I used to be on the academic bowl team for years when Minnesota State Academy of the Deaf first started participating in the Academic Bowl. Sports were always fun but for me CoBo/Academic Bowl is what we had consistently won championships for. I always loved trivia and routinely liked to attend buzz trivia in restaurants for the fun of it. I also had never been to an NAD conference and I was really looking forward to attending one in Kentucky. It did not disappoint!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;TJay: I was asked and I saw it as an opportunity to network with Deaf professionals before graduating college (cuz ma said adulting ain’t easy).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Autumn: To be involved with my Deaf Community and try out something new and fun. I had never been a part of an academic team like this! It was a fun experience!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;The team meets once a week (in person or online via Skype) to practice quizzing each other with prepared PowerPoint games and flashcards in nine categories: Arts &amp;amp; Literature; History &amp;amp; Politics; Science, Nature, &amp;amp; Technology; Geography; Mathematics; Sports &amp;amp; Leisure; Deaf Culture &amp;amp; Heritage; Entertainment; and Current Events.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What were the highlights of being on the team (and attending NAD conference)?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Andrew: All of it! I loved every second of it. I wish alumni could&apos;ve gone back one more time then it&apos;d be even better. I thought the Hartford trip was really fun when we could get out and explore downtown Hartford.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Justin: The highlight is definitely the social aspect of the event, meeting new faces, and having a good time.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kyle: I enjoy being in the competition with other teams. That was fun plus socializing with them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Maggie: The gathering for practices, we have so many laughs and memories from that. First NAD [conference] I went to was in GA, and boy, that was fun and a big deal for me. I have never seen so many DEAF professionals in one room, I was amazed and I wanted to meet everyone. During the matches, it was nerve-wracking but so fun. I had that pride to show that my team and I are the Golden Gophers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;John: Going to the conferences and meeting so many other Deaf students and people from all over the country. At the 2012 conference, I got to meet Greg Hilbok and that was a fantastic experience.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;AJ: I loved hanging out with my teammates and meeting new friends at NAD.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Zakaria: Visiting the exhibit hall and seeing many booths representing a small part of the Deaf ecosystem out there. Seeing the merchandise on display, the information about different agencies and organizations and network with folks that I might connect with in the future. It was a good way to develop a network.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shawn: I think for me, the awe was being in Kentucky for the first time. Louisville had quite a bit of charm. Although their air conditioning is nothing compared to Minnesota. I would definitely return but with Minnesota powered AC. I remember it was sweltering outside and indoors felt slightly less sweltering. My Minnesota blood is not accustomed to keeping AC so warm. I also enjoyed meeting everyone. Our hotel rooms. the camaraderie between teams and the competition. Even some of our opponents, our paths continue to cross again and again in the future and we are all the better for it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hennah: The biggest highlight for me was I was already friends with Maggie, AJ, and Kyle, and so it worked out well to be able to go to the conference with them. We had lots of fun together hanging out, networking, attending different events, practicing, the competition itself, swimming (it was so hot in Phoenix!), going out to eat, and exploring downtown!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;TJay: Meeting two non-traditional colleges competing. Nice to have someone you could relate to (as opposed to big conference schools ie Gallaudet, RIT, and CSUN). We were the underdogs playing the game with the big ones.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Autumn: Traveling with my team and meeting new friends from other schools.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What were some challenges you faced as a player?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Andrew: Challenges ranged from being rusty, communication, and the fact that College Bowl was a few degrees harder than I thought it would be. Add in the jet lag!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Justin: The challenge is definitely the lack of experience that UMN has in NAD College Bowl, so we ended up trailing other Universities from behind most of the time.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Maggie: Everyone has their own skills, and that means we each need to practice in areas that we have strength/weakness at. It&apos;s rough to tell college students to study more outside of their classes. Ha.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;John: Fundraising. It really forced us to get creative in order to gather enough funds for registration, hotels, travel, etc. We ended up doing many successful bake sales and reaching out to our community for fundraising efforts. As one of the only non traditional schools to participate, it’s been a challenge navigating the system that was designed for the original three teams and working around these barriers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;AJ: Preparing for the competition as the potential questions were practically limitless.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Zakaria: The game itself! The subjects were challenging - fascinating, yes, but challenging. Overall, it was a great experience.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shawn: Being on the sidelines during rotation. I was accustomed to being there throughout the game. Always wish we could just play everyone on the team straight through. Although it was a strategic challenge to figure out who plays what round. We came rather close to making it to the final three. Even though we did not, I still enjoyed watching the three teams play as it was our first time being there and I had never seen the competition on stage like that. Infinitely less pressure being a spectator!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hennah: The Spring before the NAD conference, I was studying abroad in Prague, Czech Republic, so I couldn&apos;t practice with the team in person. Due to the time difference, we decided to have the coaches email me practice questions and answer them while timing myself, and then they would later email me the answers. Back and forth we went all semester. It was so nice once I returned to practice in person with the team because it was so much more fun practicing as a team than by myself! Sometimes we would practice at the U of M, and sometimes we would meet at Buffalo Wild Wings to practice using their remote consoles and their tv screens.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;TJay: How to think and respond as a team such as when we had a disagreement, we had a hard time connecting as a team.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Autumn: Remember so many RANDOM facts that I would have never known.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The UMN CoBo team is grateful to receive the majority of their funding and support from the community. Past and current sponsors have included the following:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;ThinkSelf Minnesota Deaf Adult Education &amp;amp; Advocacy&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Metro Deaf School&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Bridge Communications&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Balanced Boutique&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;sComm&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;From the University of Minnesota community:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Disability Resource Center&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Interpreting &amp;amp; Captioning Unit&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf and Hard of Hearing Student Ambassadors&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Disabled Students Cultural Center&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;UMN Bookstores&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;UMN students, faculty, and community members who bought treats from our bake sales!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH has also been a partner.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And YOU. Because of your support, the UMN CoBo team is truly a community team at heart.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Follow the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/UMNCoBo/&quot;&gt;UMN Deaf CoBo team&lt;/a&gt; on Facebook!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>432584</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>community spotlight</Title><Id>432585</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-05-19T17:39:56Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>In the News: For Minnesota&apos;s deaf and hard of hearing, wearing masks is another barrier to communication</Title><title>2020-05-12-for-minnesotas-deaf-hh-wearing-masks-is-another-barrier</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-538370&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-05-13T03:03:57Z</Date><ShortDescription>By Miguel Otárola</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Star Tribune</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dr. Darlene Zangara, MNCDHH&apos;s executive director, was interviewed for the Star Tribune&apos;s article, &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.startribune.com/for-minnesota-s-deaf-and-hard-of-hearing-wearing-masks-is-another-barrier-to-communication/570271922/&quot;&gt;For Minnesota&apos;s deaf and hard of hearing, wearing masks is another barrier to communication.&lt;/a&gt;&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For someone who wears hearing aids, reads lips or uses American Sign Language, seeing the mouth is key, said Darlene Zangara, executive director of the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“When you have a mask on, you can’t lip read,” said Zangara, who identifies as Deaf. “There’s been no real adjustments made to help communicate unless they had personal experiences with people who are deaf or hard of hearing. So it’s been very frustrating.”&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>538370</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>health care</Title><Id>310254</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>in the news</Title><Id>317336</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-08-20T03:19:04Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Five Steps to Effective Video Calling &amp; Conferencing</Title><title>2020-05-06-five-steps-to-effective-video-calling-and-conferencing</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-431051&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-05-06T17:01:49Z</Date><ShortDescription>Written by Kaitlyn Mielke</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Maximize your video communications</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/kOE23xV_TO4&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendly ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/I3GUU1jF3ys&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about effective video calling and conferencing&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With the current situation relating to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, many of our communications have been moved online to web-based videoconferencing platforms and/or videophone communication. Using those technology channels presents a set of challenges, and as deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing users, how can we best maximize our use of those tools? Whether participants use ASL, spoken English, Pro-Tactile ASL, or a combination of the above to engage in direct communication between deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing users or connecting through a sign language interpreter via VRS or VRI, here are five suggestions that may aid you in best communication practices to get your messages across.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Before starting your call, go through a personal checklist. Check your wardrobe, your lighting, your background, framing, and eliminate any possible distractions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This will help reduce eye strain and frustration on both you and the person on the other side of the screen, whether it be a deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing peer or a VRS/VRI interpreter. Let’s go through the checklist together.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Wardrobe&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Wardrobe: First of all, are you dressed? Yes? Good. Now, look at your shirt and check to make sure it contrasts with your skin color. If you’re a light-skinned person, wear darker colors. Dark-skinned persons should wear lighter colors. Try to avoid patterns, graphics, or reflective clothes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Think of times where you had a hard time focusing on the person signing because of what they were wearing - did they wear a plaid shirt? A shirt with multicolored graphics on front? A shirt the same color as their hands? Skip over those in favor of plain shirts that will help you and the person watching you on the screen.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Now that you’re properly dressed, let’s check your spotlight - after all, you’re the star of this one-person show on screen.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lighting&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lighting: Turn on the camera on your device and test the lighting. Can you see yourself signing clearly? Is there adequate lighting or do you need to add more light?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Too dark? Add more lights. Make sure the light source is in front of you, or slightly off to the side in front.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Too bright? Turn some lights off or find a better spot. Bright lights will wash you out and make you appear like a white shadow on screen.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Avoid sitting in front of a light source such as a window, lamps, ceiling lights, etc., as they will make you appear as a dark shadow on screen.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Try not to have light sources in the picture with you as they will produce a halo effect and make it difficult to see you. This is especially true for nighttime calls where there is no natural daylight available.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Now that you’re figured out how to shine the light on yourself, let’s check the scene behind you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Background&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Background: Look at the screen of yourself. What’s behind you can make or break your ease of communication. While we may want to show off our homes, now is not the best time to do it. Think of your shirt - plain shirts are easier on the eyes, so the same goes for your background as well.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Opt for a plain background free of distraction - a wall, the back of a couch, or a portable screen, for instance. If possible, hang up a cloth behind you, and make sure the color contrasts with your skin color. Try not to pick the same color as your shirt or you will appear as a floating head and hands on screen.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Now that your background is visible and clear of distractions, let’s check yourself on the screen again and make sure that you’re visible, which brings us to framing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Framing&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Framing: Look at yourself on the screen. Are you looking at the camera? Can you see your head and upper body? Now - what about your sign space? Are you a projector, signing big as if you were standing on a stage for all to see? Or are you a small signer? Make sure you have ample space to sign, and that the camera doesn’t cut off your sign space.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Opt for a comfortable distance from the camera - not too close that you’re sharing your innermost thoughts with the person on the other end, nor too far where the person has to squint to see you properly. Make sure your head and upper body (waist and up) are visible, and that you’re looking directly at the camera and not over (no ceiling view) or up (from the floor).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Add a bit of empty space around yourself as a buffer zone for those bigger signs so the person watching you can catch every word you are saying.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Distractions&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Distractions: While we love to see pets and small children, and know they are inevitable in this time of crisis, now is a good time to make sure they are offscreen and occupied instead of trying to steal the show from you. Seeing them in the background can distract the person on the other end of the call from focusing on you and your message.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So shoo the cat off your lap, toss a treat to the dog, place the toddler out of view with something to occupy them, and clear your sign space of distractions (phone in your hand? Drinks that might be prone to spillage if you knocked them over while on a call?)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The less obstacles in your space, the better and effective the communication will go.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Now, here’s a bonus tool - accessibility. Communicating via a screen can be challenging, and group situations even more so. Messages can get lost, and sometimes we miss messages. There are tools built in videoconference platforms such as Zoom, Skype, etc., that can enhance your communication experience.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Several platforms have captioning available. When using captioning in group conference situations, be sure to establish ground rules such as only one person can speak at a time. Ask the speaker to speak as clearly as possible.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition to captioning, use the messaging feature to send important information and/or keywords. For instance, names to spell out, addresses and phone numbers, email addresses, vocabulary, etc., that can be misheard or misspelled by the speaker. This has the added bonus of serving as notes at the end of the call!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Now you’ve got five things on your checklist to consider when starting your next videoconference or VRS/VRI call. Make a habit of reminding yourself of the five considerations when starting a videocall or videoconference - wardrobe, lighting, background, framing, and distractions - and you’re good to go!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mary Beth Elchert and Dee Ramnarine for the idea to make this video.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;James Paul Beldon III for ASL talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Patty McCutcheon for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>431051</id><Tag><Description/><Title>accessible technology</Title><Id>310264</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-05-06T17:12:28Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Message from M Health Fairview</Title><title>2020-05-05-message-from-m-health-fairview</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-430898&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-05-05T16:24:15Z</Date><ShortDescription>A message from M Health Fairview</ShortDescription><Subtitle>ASL version with captions, voiceover and a transcript for Fairview patients</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/Ss-B8GkuaNI&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendly ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/CxNliQDJbTI&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about U Health Fairview frameborder=&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;M Health Fairview has asked MNCDHH to create an ASL version of their message to their patients. If this is your medical provider, this message is for you. If you have a different provider, check with your hospital system about their changes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;From M Health Fairview&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;M Health Fairview (including all Health East and Fairview locations) is taking every precaution to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We want to inform our patients of changes in providing Health Care starting now and until the COVID-19 crisis is controlled. Aligning with Federal guidelines as much as possible, including social distancing and less face to face time, how you see your doctor and how you receive services will look different. We are living through challenging times and our goal is to keep our patients, their companions, our workforce, and our communities safe. In order to do that, we will need to change how services look until we can reduce these safety precautions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have symptoms of or questions about COVID-19 and you are a patient of M Health Fairview (formerly Fairview/HealthEast) please go to &lt;a href=&quot;https://oncare.org/&quot;&gt;Oncare.org&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you do not have access to the Internet or find it difficult to fill out the questionnaire on your own;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Medical Providers are asking you to contact your primary clinic via your preferred VRS or Tele-Relay provider.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;State that you need assistance with the questionnaire; you will be directed to the right number.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Understand, you may be on an extended wait time to talk to a person. We appreciate your patience and partnership during this time of crisis.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you haven’t experienced this already, you will experience the following in the future:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Many non-essential procedures and regular appointments are being rescheduled for a future date. These include: Annual Physicals, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, etc.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Some appointments are being done over the phone. If you need an in-person appointment and you cannot use a video phone or other relay system (due to physical restrictions or because you do not own one) please let your clinic know what type of accommodation you need.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;There are efforts being made to notate “critical in-person” only patients; Such as patients who are DeafBlind and need specific communication accommodations. These critical needs are being assessed on a case-by-case basis.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;You will be asked if you can utilize Video Remote Interpreter Services for some necessary in-person appointments, such as those for required lab work, OB, or infusion.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt; Again, if you have physical limitations that prohibit the use of video or tele-relay appointments, please let your provider know.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are hospitalized for any reason; we are asking the community to partner with us.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;In-person services may be more limited depending on the situation. There will still be in-person interpreters depending on the need of the person hospitalized.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Please help your care team develop a communication plan that will work best for you.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are hospitalized for COVID-19 precautions or positive test.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Your in-person services will be during certain times to ensure you can speak to Drs. and other health care professionals that are necessary to your care.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Your nurse or care team should partner with you to come up with a good communication plan. This is done to minimize exposure to the overall community. It is also for your safety, to lessen your exposure to other possible health issues.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To protect our patients, no visitors are allowed on our hospital and clinic campuses.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Exceptions will be made for compassionate care.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Pediatrics, NICU, and Labor and Delivery may have one visitor age 18 or older.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If necessary, one person may escort a patient to their outpatient/clinic appointment. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We thank you for your patience and partnership. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have communication needs questions or need further assistance please contact:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Missy Marsh QMHI, RID CI/CT, BA; Manager of Language Services &amp;amp; Communication Access: &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:mvigesa1@fairview.org&quot;&gt;mvigesa1@fairview.org&lt;/a&gt; or 612-273-3836.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;M Health Fairview for reaching out to their patients who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;James Paul Beldon III for ASL talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Patty McCutcheon for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>430898</id><Tag><Description/><Title>health care</Title><Id>310254</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>emergency management</Title><Id>310293</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-05-05T16:44:09Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2019 Collaborative Experience Keynotes on Video</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Collage of all five presentations on video</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/My%20Post%20%281%29_tcm1063-429643.jpg</Url></Image><title>2020-04-23-2019-collaborative-experience-keynotes-on-video</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-429642&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-04-23T21:38:07Z</Date><ShortDescription>Videos are in ASL and English with captions, voiceover, and descriptive transcripts.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Videos are now on MNCDHH&apos;s website</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH is thrilled to announce that we have posted the videos of the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/collaborative-experience/keynotes-and-presentations/&quot;&gt;five keynote presentations from the 2019 Collaborative Experience Conference&lt;/a&gt;. All videos are accessible via ASL and English and they are captioned. A descriptive transcript is also available for each presentation. The keynotes are as follows:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Assessment Results as a Tool for Effective Family-Based Communication Development by Kristina Blaiser&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Language Justice for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students: Bringing &apos;Translanguaging&apos; to Life by Gloshanda Lawyer&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Language Play Through ASL Rhymes and Rhythms by Hands Land&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Raising the Bar for Postsecondary Success by Stephanie Cawthon&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Supporting the Whole Child: Supporting the Gift of a Different Ability by Karen Putz&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition to the 2019 keynotes, you can explore the keynotes from the 2015, 2016, and 2017 Collaborative Experience Conferences on the same URL. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We would like to thank the keynote presenters, moderator, panelists, CART providers, sign language interpreters, InHouse Media, vendors, exhibitors, sponsors and most of all, our conference participants. Our Collaborative Conference was an amazing experience. We strongly believe that all of our students who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing will benefit from our continued partnership and knowledge sharing.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>429642</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-04-23T21:44:22Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Recap of Governor Walz&apos;s April 3, 2020 Presentation</Title><title>2020-04-13-governor-walz-april-3-2020-recap</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-427952&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-04-13T17:06:27Z</Date><ShortDescription>Includes the introduction of the COVID-19 dashboard</ShortDescription><Subtitle>In ASL with captions and voiceover</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/WkvJHpUQIws&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendly ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/fKtnwkB-sqs&quot; title=&quot;ASL recap of Governor Walz presentation&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello Minnesotans, this is a recap of Friday, April 3rd, an update from Governor Tim Walz. Govenor Walz&apos;s original video, &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/N00GqDBQQ58&quot;&gt;COVID-19&lt;/a&gt;, is available in spoken English with captions: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Tim Walz&apos;s Words:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I recognize the huge impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had, on lives within our community, our state, the country and the entire world.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I want to emphasize the current best strategy for Minnesota is to delay the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak. The peak is the day when most patients are seen by our health care systems to receive medical attention. We want to delay that peak so that we can prepare our resources and ensure we have sufficient capacity for ICU beds, ventilators, and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). People of Minnesota can help by strictly adhering to social distancing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As we prepare for this pandemic in Minnesota, we are looking at other states around the country. We are watching their patterns, collecting data and analyzing these statistics to better understand how we can develop a model fit for Minnesota. This model that is guiding us is now available to all of us to view on a website known as the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/covid19/&quot;&gt;Minnesota COVID-19 Dashboard&lt;/a&gt;. There you can find many resources and statistics related to the pandemic. For example – daily statistics on child care capacity, number recovered and sick people, confirmed deaths, and many other statistics related to the pandemic. Here is the website.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I want you to know that we recognize how this pandemic has profoundly impacted all our lives across the state, physically, emotionally and financially. There is a plan in place to protect every Minnesotan’s health and well-being. We are looking at different alternative sites to build temporary hospitals. We are currently searching for more, much needed, medical supplies like face masks, gloves, ventilators, and medication. We are looking for them here in Minnesota, we are looking for them across the U.S. and we are looking for them abroad.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At the same time, we have increased our efforts to expand testing to get a better picture of who has been exposed, and who was sick and has recovered. So far, the statistics show that Minnesota has done very well at following the order for social distancing. We still need to continue this practice in order for our health care systems to prepare for the peak period. The expected surge of patients needing hospitalization or medical attention. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do not worry about a food shortage at this time, the food supply line is strong. There are discussions on how to maintain this supply line throughout the COVID-19 storm. Like modified farming operations and faster distribution.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are also developing plans to help Minnesotans through their financial struggles. We want to financially secure every citizen and business during this time through support from the federal government, state legislature, and from the private sector. The number of Unemployment Insurance (UI) applications submitted since mid-March has surpassed previous records, but the state office is handling the application process by expanding their staff to quickly process each application. Let’s remember our neighbors and truly work as One Minnesota. We want no one to fall through the cracks in this system.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Finally, as you look amid all the news reports and stories during these challenging times, I hope you find this information I’m sharing with you today, will help to clarify our situation and avoid the spreading of misleading or false information. Our character is being defined during this crisis; what we say and do will be reflected upon us many years from now. So let us emerge as truly One Minnesota. I am proud and honored to serve you, as Governor of Minnesota and the amazing people.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;James Paul Beldon III for ASL talent&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Patty McCutcheon for English voiceover&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>427952</id><pubdate>2024-07-12T15:57:42Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Staying Safe and Informed During the COVID-19 Pandemic</Title><title>2020-04-03-staying-safe-and-informed-during-covid-19-pandemic</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-426764&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-04-03T21:30:37Z</Date><ShortDescription>Information is power</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Accurate and accessible information is important to us all</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Introduction&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH originally intended to distribute this newsletter last week. However, our plans changed when the Governor went into self-isolation, after learning he was exposed to the virus. This resulted in the daily news briefings being done through phone conferencing instead. There were no more ASL interpreters covering the news briefings or caption stream text. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To make sure our community continued to be able to access the briefings, MNCDHH tried a variety of solutions. It was a good learning experience and the result is a compilation of different types of videos. To access the videos made from the briefings, along with other videos, visit MNCDHH&apos;s YouTube playlist, &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8bUdMEsiPQ&amp;amp;list=PLgGl-eYKwskFPQtCOd_muf9RLPImT6MUB&quot;&gt;COVID-19 Information&lt;/a&gt;.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are sharing this newsletter today for two reasons.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;This information is still important. This is a list of where to go to get accessible and accurate information. We want to make sure you have this list. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNCDHH is waiting to find out how the media briefings will be done when the Governor finishes his self-isolation.As far as we know, he has thankfully experienced no symptoms of COVID-19.  We have already contacted his office and asked that ASL interpreters and captions are provided during their daily news briefings. We encourage you to do the same. You can contact their office by using their &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/contact/&quot;&gt;online email form&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/t-tLxfklGaY&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendly ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/Wsz84Dl-4wg&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about staying safe and informed&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many individuals in Minnesota have tested positive for novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The numbers are expected to rise.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Everyone is encouraged to stay home and do social distancing because you can have COVID-19 without having any, or only mild symptoms, and pass it along to others who may become seriously ill. Older people and people with other health issues are the most at risk from COVID-19.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It is very important that we work together and do what we can to slow the spread of the virus. This means that we protect ourselves. Here is how we can do that:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;1. Clean your hands often&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2. Avoid close contact.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Avoid close contact with people who are sick&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Put distance between yourself and other people if COVID-19 is spreading in your community. This is especially important for people who are at higher risk of getting very sick.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We must also protect others. For example: Stay home if you are sick unless you need medical treatment. MNCDHH, in partnership with Fairview Hospital, is releasing a separate video about what to do if you need to go to the hospital or clinic.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where to get reliable and accessible information&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Information changes every day and sometimes it changes fast. There is also a lot of wrong information being shared too. Here are some places where you can find reliable information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota Department of Health (MDH)&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDH has a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/index.html&quot;&gt;webpage about COVID-19&lt;/a&gt;. They also have a hotline you can call through your phone, including videophone, caption phone, and TTY, to ask questions. MDH created a PSA in ASL video. MNCDHH created a DeafBlind friendlier version of the video.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hotlines:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;School and child care questions:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;651-297-1304 or 1-800-657-3504&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;7 a.m. to 7 p.m.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Health questions:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;651-201-3920 or 1-800-657-3903&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;7 a.m. to 7 p.m.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;CDC has a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html&quot;&gt;webpage about COVID-19&lt;/a&gt;. They also have a link where you can subscribe to get email updates. They have &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/user/CDCstreamingHealth&quot;&gt;videos in ASL&lt;/a&gt;. Their videos have been captioned so far.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan have been providing regular news conferences. The Governor’s Office has been working hard to make sure their &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/news/&quot;&gt;updates are accessible&lt;/a&gt; for people who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. There are logistical challenges but here are some of the things they are doing:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Using a space that allows everyone in the room to practice social distancing&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Providing an ASL interpreter, including a Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI) and qualified Deaf Interpreter (DI)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Including CART (captioning)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Using multiple platforms including Facebook Live and news channels&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are instances where the streaming is blurry or captioning is not available so there are still kinks to work out.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH is pleased that many news organizations are including the ASL interpreter in their news gathering. Please follow your local news station. If they include the ASL interpreters and captions, take the time to thank them and encourage them to continue to do so. If they do not include the ASL interpreters and captions, ask them to do so. MNCDHH has a &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/about/media/accessible/&quot;&gt;page for our media partners&lt;/a&gt; about accessible media reporting. You can share our page with them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Other places to get information&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As a state entity, MNCDHH cannot endorse information that is not from MDH and the CDC. However, we are aware that there are other organizations sharing accessible information. Both the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) and Communication Services for the Deaf (CSD) have a COVID-19 resource page on their organization’s website. The Daily Moth, DPAN.tv, Sign1News, and other ASL news reporters are also covering this topic. Check out those resources but also follow the daily updates shared by MDH and CDC.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Watch for scams&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;COVID-19 is an opportunity for scammers. Please be careful. Only donate to organizations you trust. There are scammers who sell products that “prevent” or “cure” COVID-19. The best way to protect yourself is to wash your hands and maintain social distance. There is no cure, only treating the symptoms. Visit the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Consumer/Scams/Default.asp&quot;&gt;Office of Attorney General Keith Ellison website&lt;/a&gt; to learn more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our communities for their advocacy and resiliency.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our legislators, state agencies, and health care providers for their hard work.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jimmy Beldon Jr. for ASL talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Patty McCutcheon for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional information&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Health has since created additional PSAs in ASL with captioning. You can find them on MDH&apos;s website, &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/materials/asl.html&quot;&gt;American Sign Language (ASL) Videos for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Response&lt;/a&gt;&quot;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>426764</id><pubdate>2020-04-03T21:56:26Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Recorded Census 2020 Webinar</Title><title>2020-04-01-recorded-census-2020-webinar</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-426114&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-04-01T18:52:23Z</Date><ShortDescription>April 1, 2020 is Census Day! If you have questions about the Census and want to be matched with one of MNCDHH&apos;s Census experts, please contact Jessalyn Akerman-Frank. We are here to help. Below is a thirty minute webinar in American Sign Language (ASL) with English voiceover and captions, and a descriptive transcript with information about the Census. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Recording of the March 26, 2020 webinar</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;April 1, 2020 is Census Day! If you have questions about the Census and want to be matched with one of MNCDHH&apos;s Census experts, please contact &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. We are here to help. Below is a thirty minute webinar in American Sign Language (ASL) with English voiceover and captions, and a descriptive transcript with information about the Census. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Recorded webinar&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/8daxI8YH0tY&quot; title=&quot;Census 2020 webinar&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Descriptive transcript&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Onscreen voice interpreter (in speaker view). She begins to voice for an off-screen presenter.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jessalyn: Welcome, Roger. Hi, everybody, we are the, this is the census discussion. Thank you for joining. We understand that a lot of people will be joining throughout the time. They may be popping in and out, so before we get started, let&apos;s introduce everybody, my name is Jessalyn Akerman-Frank. I&apos;m on the, I&apos;m the director at the Commission, I&apos;m involved in civic engagement, so I will introduce my team. And also to help us clarify the communication roles, I&apos;m going to go back a little bit and explain. We have two ASL interpreters here. We have Tarra and we have Maria. They&apos;ll be facilitating communication so the CART, we&apos;ll be able to have CART captioning. You&apos;ll notice the chat feature on your right, so make sure, you&apos;ll see different people putting chats and questions and comments, if you have any issues . And also make sure you post questions and you&apos;ll see Katy on there. If you have any questions because we don&apos;t want people raising their hand all at once, so make sure you put your question in there and then she will let me know so then you can help us clarify and make sure the communication is clear. When I call on my different team members, I&apos;d like you to introduce yourself. I will put them on the spotlight as the speaker view so you can see them a little bit bigger, so have a little bit of patience as we, this is our first time doing this, so have a little bit of patience so we can go through with this. So I&apos;m excited to have everybody here today. We&apos;re going to start by introducing the census team. Jessalyn: So first we have Emory.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Emory.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Hello, my name is Emory Kevin Dively. This is my sign name. And I work with the Commission as a contractor.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Sarah.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Hello, my name is Sarah Arana, I&apos;m also a contractor with the Commission.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Migdalia.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Hello, my name is Migdalia and I&apos;m the project coordinator for Census 2020 as well as Deaf Equity Organization.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Jer.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Hello, my name is Jer and this is my sign name, Jer. And I am a contractor with the Commission. Welcome.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Phillip.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Hello, my name is Phillip and I am a contractor with the Commission.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Cindi.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Hi, my name is Cindi and I&apos;m a contractor with the Commission as well. Welcome.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Jessalyn.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; We can discuss the Census 2020 and the concerns that have arisen with that. Many of us maybe received a letter in the mail with, and an envelope like this. The census trained us that we&apos;ll be receiving a postcard, so many people were looking forward to their mailboxes for this postcard, but got this instead. [holds up envelope and shows the front and back] So, many are concerned, especially in the Deaf Community that this was not the actual census and it was fraudulent mail. They were expecting something like this. [holds up envelope and shows the front and back] It is a blue letter that is inserted into the envelope. With a private code. Many people received, said that they&apos;ve received a few of them within the course of the week and they were concerned. So the team today wanted to help and support each one of these individuals with their concerns. We do want to make some clarifications that the census do not ask for your credit card, they don&apos;t ask for private information, your social security number. And they do not ask for any purchases. So I know that people were extremely concerned and had questions in relation to that in the census. We wanted to show you and we&apos;ll share what the website is and what we&apos;ve used it for and how you&apos;re able to fill out the census form. Just have some patience with me as we share the screen.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Jessalyn leans forward to move the mouse and click on the screen. Screen changes to my2020census.gov website (U.S. Census 2020)]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jessalyn: This is what the census 2020, it&apos;s going to be my2020census.org, and you can start the questionnaire. And remember the code that we recently were discussing, the one that will be on your informational letter? So once you go onto the internet you can put in your private code that was given to you, and once you&apos;re in that&apos;s when the 10 questions will be shown. And we can discuss the, we will be discussing the 10 questions soon. So does anybody have any questions in relation to the specific log-in? Roger, you had a question?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Roger.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Roger: And then there&apos;s a sequence of numbers, I&apos;m wondering once you go in, it&apos;s already ready, I don&apos;t have to fill in my name or anything like that, is that correct?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Jessalyn.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jessalyn: So, Roger, once you go in with your code it will populate different questions, and, yes, it will ask for your name as well as your address, and they will ask for what your gender, male or female as well as your nationality. All the people that are living in your home and so on and so forth. There are 10 questions in all.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Roger (offscreen): Oh, I see, just 10 questions. Okay. Okay. Thank you very much.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jessalyn: So now is there any more questions in relation to the population of the log-in?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Roger.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Roger: Yeah, what&apos;s the deadline or when does this need to be done by? Is it April or is it now or what&apos;s the deadline?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Jessalyn.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jessalyn: That is a wonderful question. That is a wonderful question. So once you received it we encourage everyone to go ahead and fill out the form as soon as possible so that if you don&apos;t fill it out now, they&apos;ll send you another one again, giving you a reminder, there will be several reminders sent to you. There will be a fourth reminder, then they start calling and then they start getting door knockers, so I want you guys to understand that now with the -- coronavirus, they suspended April 1st for more dissemination of information and door knockers for people and visiting. So we encourage people who have already received the notice to go ahead and fill it out. So if you have, if you need assistance we&apos;re here to support you and you can register and how we can help you and support you in the process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Roger (off-screen): Great. Thank you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jessalyn: All right. Thank you, thank you. So now we have approximately about five questions that the community has been asking us, and we&apos;re going to go and take turns and ask the contractors to answer some of these questions. First question is for Sarah Arana. And the question is what if I do not know my nationality? I don&apos;t know, what do I do?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Sarah.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Sarah: Yeah, how to answer that question related to your nationality, that&apos;s a good one. One of them could be how you identify. A second way would be you could mark more than one. A third option is if you&apos;re just not sure at all what you identify, you can also just leave it blank. That&apos;s no problem. And then just move onto the next question.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Jessalyn.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jessalyn: Thank you so much, Sarah. Next question is for Jer. If I don&apos;t identify as male or female, what do I do?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Jer.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jer: That&apos;s a good question. Some people may strongly identify one or the other and some may not. And if you do not, you can just leave it blank, there&apos;s no problem with leaving it blank.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Jessalyn.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jessalyn: Thank you so much, Jer. So the next question is for Migdalia. If I live with a roommate, do I need to place them on the census?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Migdalia.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Migdalia: Yeah, so if your roommate Lives with you by April 1st, you have to count them as part of the census living with you, yes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Jessalyn.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jessalyn: Thank you so much, Migdalia. I did want to add some clarification information on that. If a person lives with you, most of the time, let&apos;s say they live and sleep with you, you do count them in your census. I know there&apos;s some people that are curious when it comes to if children are born by April 1st, what do we do, do we count them? Sarah?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Sarah.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Sarah: Yeah, so if you&apos;re in the hospital on April 1st and you have a baby that day, then you absolutely will count that baby.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Jessalyn.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jessalyn: Okay. Jer, what about people who live in dorms? Do we count, where do we count them? Do we count them at home or in their dorm?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Jer.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jer: Good question. So dorms for college students, the important thing is how much time do you spend at that dorm? If it&apos;s more than 50% of your time, then, yes, you are counted in that space. If it&apos;s, you know, you commute back and forth then you would count your home if that&apos;s your primary space of living. But if you&apos;re more than 50%, you count the dorm.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Jessalyn.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jessalyn: Wonderful. The next question is going to be for Emory. II want to show that I am Deaf/DeafBlind/and hard of hearing but I don&apos;t see it in the census. Where do I put that information?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Emory.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Emory: That&apos;s a very important question. We may be looking for those words, Deaf/DeafBlind and hard of hearing and they&apos;re not on there. So you notice there&apos;s a space that says &quot;race&quot; , there&apos;s a space that you can fill in, you can fill in Deaf/DeafBlind/hard of hearing. Look at the very last question, it will say &quot;other races&quot; you can fill in right there the words Deaf, DeafBlind, or hard of hearing. You can also add your race if you identify as another race that&apos;s not on that list, the census will be able to track that then for you. That&apos;s a good way to do it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Jessalyn.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jessalyn: Thank you. Thank you so much. And final question is for Phillip. Am I required by law to fill the census or can I just disregard it?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Phillip.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Phillip: That&apos;s a good question as well. You&apos;re going to see this form and receive it in the mail and you may wonder? Required by law, and the answer is yes, it is. The U.S. Constitution Me. 14 required all people to fill out the census. If you ignore it and disregard it, you will be fined $100. If you purposely fill out false information, you will be fined $500. So, yes, the answer is everybody is required to fill out the census.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Jessalyn.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jessalyn: Thank you so much. Now some of you, reminder of goals of the census, to be able to count every individual in the United States. And the reason for that is that there&apos;s over 6 -- people and being able to transfer those funds to each state, for -- services in each individual state. And without the census, you&apos;re unable to be counted and know the exact needs of your communities. So we&apos;re going to go and we&apos;re going to turn it over to the people that are on Zoom. Is there any particular questions that we have not answered just yet and wanted to discuss?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Roger.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Roger: So if I identified as retired, if I&apos;m a Deaf person and I&apos;m retired, do I need to put in age, or is that counted?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Jessalyn.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jessalyn: Roger, sorry, it cut off the conversation. You were asking retired do I still need to be counted in the census?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Roger.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Roger: Yes, that is my question and that&apos;s what I was wondering&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Jessalyn.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jessalyn: That&apos;s a great question. Yeah, so everybody is counted regardless if you&apos;re working full-time, part,-time, you&apos;re a snowbird, if you&apos;re retired, doesn&apos;t matter. Everybody needs to be counted, but great question.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Bethany.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Bethany: Hi, my name is Bethany. And I&apos;m from Family Tree Clinic. I&apos;ve had some people that have contacted me to see if the census will be delayed due to the pandemic, or if the government -- I&apos;m sorry, or if the federal government will be expecting us to respond at diligent time, the same deadline. I know that a lot of people are experiencing their concern with opening mail and things of that sort, so I wanted to know what was the process and what we were thinking about that.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Jessalyn.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jessalyn: Yeah, that&apos;s a really good question. Yeah, thank you, Bethany. Right now this work, a lot of this work has been on hold until April 1st. They haven&apos;t made a decision about delaying it. They&apos;re trying to create a platform that shifts online because a lot of people are working from home and because libraries close, schools are closed, and so a lot of that information is not necessarily readily available, but we&apos;re trying to share the link as we are given, and I agree with you, a lot of people are anxious around the whole situation. And this is why we posted this event -- hosted this event. And I&apos;m sure you&apos;re getting calls and I&apos;m sure people are getting calls asking for private information, which the census does not do. You&apos;re right, with a lot of people getting mail, unsure whether I can open it, what can I trust, what can&apos;t I trust, and so we ask for your help, from the public&apos;s help. The census does not ask for your credit card, your social security number, it won&apos;t ask for you to pay anything, it won&apos;t ask for you to fill out very sensitive information. You need to -- they will not call you, so more information about the deadline and whatnot because of this and the timeline because of this will be shared at a later date. But please use our website, DHHS, the website and the Commission website, plus we&apos;ll pull up some more resources that we can look for updates as they come available.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Bethany.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt;Bethany: Thank you so much. I really appreciate it, that&apos;s all I needed to know. I have to go to another meeting but thank you so much.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes Tarra and then to Jessalyn.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jessalyn: Thank you. Are there any other questions? So if not I&apos;m going to show you some different resources. (Screen switches to DHHSD’s website) And this is what the website is, once you can pull it up. There are a lot of different videos to disseminate the information in ASL. (Screen switches to MNCDHH’s website.) There&apos;s also the Commission website, you&apos;re able to access. There&apos;s a tab for Census, and you can find the information there. And what are the actual contractors do and what they do for the Commission, what they&apos;re involved in, and you can look at that information at this area. See the contractors. As you can see, you&apos;re noticing our pictures are uploading as well as their contact information. If you have any doubts or want to make sure, you can also look at what is the staff and you can find that in the same location. And you are more than welcome to message us or set an appointment with us. We do have our direct contact there as well. (Screen switches to the Minnesota 2020 Census website under the Minnesota Department of Administration) So if you have any, if you have any questions about the census itself, here&apos;s the website for the Minnesota website. And as you can see, you can contact directly or e-mail the individuals that are in the census program. And these are the names. (Screen switches back to Jessalyn) Is there anyone one of you that have any additional questions or any other contractors that want to add anything? Contractors, do you have anything to add? Roger, do you have any more questions?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Roger.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Roger: So I have these two forms. (holds up two blurred out envelopes) So I should only have one, right? Because I should follow the one that has the code?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Jessalyn.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jessalyn: Perfect. So what we&apos;re going to do is after this we&apos;ll have one of our contractors talk with you one on one because we want to make sure that your privacy code stays private for you. But if we had anything else to add, many of us are more than happy to show how to complete the census and we won&apos;t share your private information. And we won&apos;t share your private code with others. So we don&apos;t want for anyone here to know the information to the public. So Roger, if you&apos;re willing, I can assign you one of our members of our team and they can video with you and they can discuss one on one after the session.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Roger.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Roger: Good. Sounds great. Thank you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Jessalyn.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jessalyn: Sounds good, Roger?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Roger.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Roger: Yes, definitely&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Jessalyn.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jessalyn: I see there&apos;s some hands up. Jer and Phillip.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Jer.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jer: This is Jer, basically I&apos;m going to be explain why the census is sent out. It&apos;s sent out every 10 years. And the census is important because of course when you get it, report it sooner than later because you definitely don&apos;t want somebody to, you know, call you consistently or knock on your door consistently, so it&apos;s best that you fill it out as soon as you get it in the mail.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jessalyn (off-screen): Yes, Emory.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Emory.]&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Emory: Yeah, so I&apos;d like to emphasize how important the census is. It&apos;s regarding money and how this money is spent based on each state&apos;s population. And we get that through the census. And suppose one state only gets one vote, then they realize, oh, that state may not be very important because there&apos;s not a lot of people there which means not a lot of people filled out the census. But that could actually equate to a lot of money that that state doesn&apos;t get. So make sure that you fill it out and we want to make sure because it happens only every 10 years. And because there&apos;s a lot of money that could be vested in the state based on who fills out the census and because that helps build highways, associations, state agencies, and if nobody fills out the census, then that money will be equated in other states. So some people think, oh, well, if I don&apos;t fill it out, I&apos;m just one person, it doesn&apos;t make a big difference, but it does make a really big difference because we know that COVID-19 is impacting the entire world. We know that our votes are very impactful, we know that every vote counts just like every census counts. And so we want to make sure because it only happens every 10 years, so we want to make sure this increases our funding for Deaf, DeafBlind and hard of hearing population as well.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Jessalyn.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jessalyn: Thank you so much. And Phillip?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Phillip.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Phillip: Yeah, I&apos;d like to add about the census. Everything that, the information that you share is private. That information is only given to the census team to count and that&apos;s all. They&apos;re not going to share it with immigration, they&apos;re not going to share it with the IRS, they&apos;re not going to share it with police, they don&apos;t share it with anybody. It&apos;s literally just there for counting, and the census has been around for over 70 years. And so there are laws that govern and we know that there are reasons set in place that the census is committed to keeping our private information private.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Jessalyn.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jessalyn: Thank you so much. Now we&apos;re going to wrap it up -- I&apos;m sorry, Jer, you had something else to mention?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Jer.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jer: For those who are interested with some of this, so Congress has a certain number of people who represent each state. And those representatives is entirely based on the census count. So if we have a low number of people who fill out the census, we have a low number of representatives. That&apos;s why it&apos;s very important as well to fill it out to make sure we&apos;re all counted.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Speaker view changes to Jessalyn.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jessalyn: Thank you so much. Now before we wrap it up, how many of you have already completed your census and filled them out? (raises her hand)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Screen switches to the following individuals who are also raising their hands: Emory, Jer, Phillip, Anne, Sarah, Migdalia, before returning to Jessalyn.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Jessalyn: Wonderful. So if we have nothing else to add -- oh, one second. Wonderful. Beautiful. So now it seems we&apos;ve gotten everything, perfect timing, 30 minutes in your day. Enjoy your time and spend it with -- this is also recorded live so people are able to view it afterwards. Again, if you have any questions or need assistance, we&apos;re here to be able to support you. You can go ahead and have a video phone appointment with any of the contractors, and all of us are ready to help you. Roger, I look forward to chatting with you next and connecting you with one of our contractors to fill out your form today. If there&apos;s anything else, we want to say thank you so much for the CART services as well as the interpreting services as well as everyone who has joined us here today. This is an extreme important thing. We want to emphasize the census will not ask for your credit card information, bank information, they will not ask you for social security number or to pay for any services. The census will not ask you that. The census will ask you only 10 questions and give you, provide you a code to be able to fill those out online. Where do you live, who do you live with, what is your nationality, things of that sort. Other things that provide private information that&apos;s not appropriate and that&apos;s concerning. So if you haveany questions, comments, or concerns, you can contact us. We&apos;re here for you. All right, Roger, I&apos;m going to hang up with everyone else and I&apos;m going to ask one of the team members to give your contract. Perfect.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>426114</id><pubdate>2020-04-01T21:09:25Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Recap of Governor Walz&apos;s March 24, 2020 Press Conference</Title><title>2020-03-26-recap-of-governor-walz-march-24-press-conference</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-424986&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-03-26T18:04:09Z</Date><ShortDescription>Benefits &amp; programs such as MNsure and more. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Reminders of benefits &amp; programs being offered</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/C4qBsBhrTrw&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendly ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/8pBkwtgsx1w&quot; title=&quot;ASL recap of March 24, 2020 press conference&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz held a press call with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 to provide updates on COVID-19 and remind Minnesotans of some of the benefits and programs Minnesota is offering during the pandemic:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNsure – Last week, Governor Walz and MNsure announced a 30-day special enrollment period (SEP) for qualified individuals who are currently without insurance as a result of the growth of COVID-19 cases. The SEP opened on March 23 and runs through April 21. It will allow uninsured individuals 30 days to enroll in health insurance coverage through the MNsure website.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Unemployment Insurance – We know the hardships and stress this pandemic is bringing to families and folks throughout the state. The Governor highlighted the state’s unemployment insurance program and described how it quickly serves employees who are unable to work as a result of COVID-19.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Individual Tax Filing extension – Minnesotans filing their annual Minnesota Individual Income Tax return for tax year 2019 now have until Wednesday, July 15, 2020, to file and make their payments without any penalties or interest.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Small business assistance – Yesterday, the Governor established a Small Business Emergency Loan Program for businesses affected by COVID-19. DEED’s emergency loan program will help Minnesota small business owners who need immediate assistance during COVID-19 closures.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Suspension of evictions – The Governor also announced an executive order on March 23, 2020, which clarifies that landlords and financial institutions cannot begin eviction proceedings that would remove tenants from stable housing during the COVID-19 pandemic.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you to our essential workers - Also, the Governor took the opportunity during his press call today to thank Minnesota’s essential workers—like our health care workforce, child care providers, truck drivers, grocers, delivery services, and utility operators, and so many others, who are helping and leading our communities through this very challenging time.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Nic Zapko for ASL talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Maria Dively for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>424986</id><pubdate>2024-07-12T15:56:43Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Recap of Governor Walz’s March 25, 2020 Press Conference</Title><title>2020-03-26-recap-of-governor-walz-march-25-press-conference</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-424924&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-03-26T14:08:13Z</Date><ShortDescription>What this means for you. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Governor issues &quot;Stay at Home&quot; Order</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/Ugd7-w1HNJA&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendly ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/-tj7WiZ70sk&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about the march 25, 2020 press release&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz issued a “Stay at Home” order for the next two weeks, beginning Friday, March 27, 2020 at 11:59 PM through Friday, April 10, 2020 at 5 PM. All persons currently living within the state of Minnesota are ordered to stay at home or in their place of residence. People will still be able to leave if they have important reasons. Here is a list of those reasons.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesotans may leave their homes or residences to engage in the following activities, provided that all persons follow the guidelines set forth and maintained by the Minnesota Department of Health (“MDH Guidelines”), including but not limited to social distancing, to the maximum extent possible. This list of Activities may be clarified, as deemed necessary by the Governor, to ensure the health, safety, and security of all Minnesotans. Clarifications will be available for public review at MDH’s website. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;1. If your home is unsafe such as domestic violence or unsanitary conditions&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2. If you need to get emergency or medical services, supplies, or medication, including visiting a dentist or vet. You can also donate blood.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;3. You can enjoy outdoor activities (walking, hiking, running, biking, driving for pleasure, hunting fishing, and you can go to available public parks and rec. Stay at least six feet away. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;4. You can buy necessary supplies and services (food, including delivery or carry-out services, beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, grocery items, gasoline, supplies you need for working at home, cleaning products, and vehicle maintenance.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;5. You can go to the laundromat and dry cleaners&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;6. You may travel in and out of state for your exempted activities (like the ones already mentioned) &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;7. You may go and take care of others such as a family member, friend, and pet in another home and drive them to their exempted activities (like the ones already mentioned). This includes parenting time schedules and visitations. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;8. If you do not have a home, you may move between emergency shelters, drop-in centers, and encampments. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;9. If you are a tribal member and on tribal lands, you are exempt from the Executive Order. Your tribal authorities may have restrictions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;10. All workers who can work from home must do so. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;11. But workers in critical services can work at their place of work, if they cannot telework.  Workers in critical services include healthcare and public health, including reproductive health care, childbirth services, mental health care, substance use treatment; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;manufacturers, technicians, logistics and warehouse operators, and distributors of personal care, hygiene and healthcare products&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;home care and human services workers (government and nonprofit)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;home-based care for adults, seniors and children (example: personal care attendants)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;law enforcement, public safety, and first responders&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;food and agriculture&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;energy workers&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;water and wastewater workers&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;transportation and logistics&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;public works&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;communications and information technology&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;community-based government operations and functions&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;housing, shelter, and homelessness-prevention&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;workers performing governmental functions that are necessary for the health, safety, and welfare of the public, financial system, and priority services&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;and several more, all as outlined in the Guidance on the Essential Critical Infrastructure document (CISA Guidance). This is a federal document that help Minnesota and other states determine and manage their essential workforce while responding to COVID-19&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Governor also extended the closure of schools until May 4 and bars and restaurants until May 1.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Nic Zapko for ASL talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Maria Dively for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>424924</id><pubdate>2024-07-12T15:58:12Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Changes to the Census Trainings</Title><title>2020-03-24-changes-to-census-trainings</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-424618&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-03-24T19:07:24Z</Date><ShortDescription>Did you know the census &quot;postcard&quot; actually comes in an envelope? Come and learn more. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>One-on-one coaching &amp; online training options available</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/U9VBp2CEEF4&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendly ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/39FygidlZio&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about changes to the 2020 Census trainings&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many of you probably got your Census &quot;postcard&quot; that actually comes in an envelope? Some of you may have not. With our current situation, we have cancelled all in person meetings, information sessions and 1:1 support to fill out the forms. We are exploring ways to provide virtual information sessions and will notify you when that becomes available. While we cannot meet in person, we will be available by appointment through videophone. To set up an appointment, you can email Jessalyn Akerman-Frank.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jessalyn will respond to your email and set up an appointment that fits your schedule. She will assign one of the Census Crew members to videophone you. During this meeting the contractor will guide you through the application process and answer your questions. If VP is not an option for you, we can explore other alternatives such as text chat, Zoom, email or other suggestions you may have.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It is important to us that you feel supported. We are here for you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To make an appointment, contact &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our Census Crew members are&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jessalyn Akerman-Frank&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Pam Burry&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cindi Martin&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Migdalia Rogers&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jer Loudenback&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Emory Kevin Dively&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sarah Arana&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;and&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Phillip Steinbruckner&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Minnesotans thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jimmy Beldon Jr. for ASL talent&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Patty McCutcheon for voiceover&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for video production&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You&apos;re invited! Online training&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Census 2020 Live Zoom Event&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This one hour event will explain about the Census form that you got in the mail. It will explain how to fill out the form, or what number to call to fill out the form.Many are concerned about SCAMS. The Census does not ask for your SSN or Credit card. If you get something in the mail that asks for that, it is not the CENSUS.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thursday, March 26, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. (CST)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How: &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Via &lt;a href=&quot;https://zoom.us/j/498939835&quot;&gt;Zoom link&lt;/a&gt;, Meeting ID: 498 939 835. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;CART and ASL interpreters&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Presenter:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jessalyn Akerman-Frank with MNCDHH&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Census Team Members: &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sarah Arana, Jer Loudenback, Pam Burry, Migdalia Rogers, Patrick Veilla, and Phillip Steinbruckner.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Need More?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Still need help and assistance after the Zoom meeting? Census Team Members are available to VP, use the chat feature, or Zoom with you.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>424618</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-03-24T21:06:58Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Recap of Governor Walz&apos;s March 23, 2020 Press Release</Title><title>2020-03-24-recap-of-march-23-2020-press-release</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-424555&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-03-24T15:04:05Z</Date><ShortDescription>Announcement about Executive Orders 20-14, 20-15, 20-16, and 20-17.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Main topic of the over-the-phone news conference on the same day</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are deafblind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high-contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/NRqrkq_S0xI&quot;&gt;deafblind friendly ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/y-0gC7rm_Wc&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about March 23,2020 press release&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz today signed Executive Orders 20-14, 20-15, 20-16, and 20-17 to further strengthen Minnesota’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These executive orders suspend evictions during the peacetime emergency, establish Peacetime Emergency Loans for small businesses, direct non-hospital entities to conduct an inventory of personal protective equipment, and clarifies that Executive Order 20-09 on elective surgeries and procedures applies to veterinarians.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Providing housing stability for Minnesota families at a time of financial uncertainty, Governor Walz signed Executive Order 20-14 to suspend eviction proceedings during the COVID-19 peacetime emergency. Loss of housing is catastrophic at any time, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, this loss endangers the health and well-being of all Minnesotans. While this order clarifies that tenants who can continue to pay rent during the peacetime emergency should continue to do so, landlords and financial institutions cannot begin eviction proceedings that would remove tenants from stable housing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz signed Executive Order 20-15 to authorize the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) to establish a Small Business Emergency Loan program for small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Minnesota’s small businesses and independent contractors are amongst the worst hit by the pandemic. DEED’s emergency loan program will help Minnesota small business owners who need immediate assistance during COVID-19 closures.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As hospitals and health care providers report shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE), Governor Walz signed Executive Order 20-16 directing all non-hospital entities to conduct an inventory of their PPE, ventilators, respirators, and anesthesia machines, report the result to the state, and either donate such equipment to a local coordinating entity or preserve it. On Saturday, Governor Walz directed the National Guard to transport PPE from storage at Camp Ripley to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lastly, Governor Walz signed Executive Order 20-17 to clarify that Executive Order 20-09, ordering all elective surgeries and procedures be postponed, applies to veterinary surgeries and procedures to conserve protective equipment. Surgeries and procedures that prevent loss of life, permanent dysfunction of an organ or extremity, or risk of metastasis or progression of staging for non-COVID-19 patients should not be postponed under this order. Additionally, in the context of veterinary medicine, threats to public health, the owner, or the animal may also be considered.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Executive Orders 20-14, 20-15, and 20-17 are subject to approval by the Executive Council and will have the full force and effect of law upon approval.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Also today, the Governor and Lt. Governor announced a revised supplemental budget, allocating an additional $356 million toward the state’s COVID-19 response. The revised budget would support and protect Minnesotans during the COVID-19 pandemic. It would provide emergency grants to child care centers; support families struggling financially through the Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP); support veterans and their families facing financial burdens; increase funding for food shelves; offer small business loans; and increase resources for Minnesotans struggling with homelessness. The budget would also create a COVID-19 Minnesota Fund that would give the state government the resources necessary to deploy resources and respond to the needs of Minnesotans in real time.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the original proposal, the Governor and Lieutenant Governor recommended paying back $491 million to the budget reserve and funding investments to prepare for emergencies, including Minnesota’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This revised budget proposal leaves $811 million on the bottom line.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Minnesotans thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jimmy Beldon Jr. for ASL talent&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Patty McCutcheon for voiceover&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for video production&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>424555</id><pubdate>2024-07-12T15:56:33Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Resources for DHH Teachers and Families</Title><title>2020-03-19-resources-for-dhh-teachers-and-families</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-423881&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-03-19T18:54:54Z</Date><ShortDescription>Since our original newsletter on March 16, 2020, we have learned of more resources. Thanks everyone who submitted ideas. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Tools we can use</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To combat the spread of COVID-19, we’re seeing daily announcements about schools and higher-ed institutions closing or temporarily transitioning coursework to an online format. For students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing, it is important that educators and IT staff plan for accessibility if audio is required in order to participate in the online lessons. Below is a list of resources collected in the past few days.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Catherine McNally, Accessibility lead at Phase2 Technology. Cochlear implant recipient. Focused on mainstream digital experiences for all.: &lt;a href=&quot;https://medium.com/@cmcnally/accessibility-strategies-for-deaf-hard-of-hearing-people-in-remote-meetings-e19781b3bc4&quot;&gt;Accessibility Strategies for Deaf / Hard of Hearing People in Remote Meetings&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Council for Exceptional Children - Division of Communication, Language, and Deaf/Hard of Hearing (CEC-DCD): &lt;a href=&quot;https://dcdcec.org/coronavirus-information-and-resources/&quot;&gt;Coronavirus Information and Resources&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;CSD Learns: &lt;a href=&quot;https://csdlearns.com/&quot;&gt;Online Education in American Sign Language. Designed for the Deaf Community, by the Deaf Community&lt;/a&gt;. Students and anyone else can sign up at no cost, learn at their pace in the classroom or at home. Online videos also have captions available too. There&apos;s a teacher&apos;s toolkit available at no cost too.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf-Hearing Communications Center: &lt;a href=&quot;https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rgAG1vqyU1RAlOZOXSvdyPk0Y4gPN51jOFTqLKN00hw/edit?ts=5e72704b&quot;&gt;ASL eBooks and Resources for Deaf Kids&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP): Teachers can assign videos for students to watch then do follow up assignments. And all the content is captioned and audio described as well as being free. It is also now matched with Common Core and State Standards, which makes it easy to match up with teaching/learning objectives. If you don&apos;t already have an account it is easy to set one up at the &lt;a href=&quot;https://dcmp.org/&quot;&gt;DCMP website&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;National Deaf Center: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nationaldeafcenter.org/covid-19-information&quot;&gt;COVID-19 Information&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Supporting Success for Kids with Hearing Loss: &lt;a href=&quot;https://successforkidswithhearingloss.com/2020/03/18/e-learning-coronavirus-covid-19/&quot;&gt;E-Learning &amp;amp; Coronavirus (COVID-19)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tina Childress, a Deaf audiologist with bilateral cochlear implants who is ASL-fluent and loves assistive technology: &lt;a href=&quot;https://tinachildress.wordpress.com/2020/03/13/captioning-options-for-videoconferencing-and-learning-management-systems/&quot;&gt;Captioning options for Videoconferencing and Learning Management Systems&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>423881</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-03-19T19:21:07Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>MNCDHH&apos;s Office Changes</Title><title>2020-03-16-mncdhhs-office-changes</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-423344&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-03-16T20:50:50Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNCDHH staff will telework until further notice.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Safety precautions we are taking due to COVID-19</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dear community,&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Starting today, the staff at the Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Minnesotans (MNCDHH) will be working remotely from home until further notice. This is being done to protect our staff, board, and communities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Our staff will be available during regular business hours via phone and email. Visit our &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/about/who-we-are/staff/&quot;&gt;Who We Are - Staff&lt;/a&gt; page for our contact information.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We will continue to post updates on our website, newsletters, videos, and social media. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Friday, March 20, 2020, full board meeting is now canceled and will be rescheduled at a later date. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We are discouraging any in-person meetings.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We will still provide Census 2020 training but they will be done 1:1 and online instead of in person. We will share more information about the trainings in a separate newsletter. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As a reminder, the Minnesota Department of Health has a web page on &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html&quot;&gt;Coronavirus (COVID-19)&lt;/a&gt;. Please review their information, wash your hands often, and avoid close contact. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>423344</id><Tag><Description/><Title>health care</Title><Id>310254</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>emergency management</Title><Id>310293</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-03-16T20:54:21Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Teaching Remotely to DHH Students</Title><title>2020-03-16-teaching-remotely-to-dhh-students</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-423118&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-03-16T14:17:22Z</Date><ShortDescription>This document was originally published by the Council for Exceptional Children&apos;s Division for Communication, Language, and Deaf/Hard of Hearing and shared with permission.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Created and published by the CEC-DCD</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This document was originally published by the Council for Exceptional Children&apos;s Division for Communication, Language, and Deaf/Hard of Hearing and shared with permission. It has tips on working remotely with students who are deaf or hard of hearing. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Access the document at &lt;a href=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Teaching_Remotely_to_DHH_Students_tcm1063-423116.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Teaching Remotely to DHH Students&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Teaching Remotely to DHH Students&quot;&gt;Teaching Remotely to DHH Students (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Visit the &lt;a href=&quot;https://dcdcec.org/&quot;&gt;CEC-DCD website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>423118</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-03-16T20:53:48Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>MDH&apos;s Coronavirus (COVID-19) PSA in ASL with Captions</Title><title>2020-03-11-mdhs-coronavirus-psa-in-asl-with-captions</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-422737&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-03-11T14:43:41Z</Date><ShortDescription>This video covers the basic information of the 2020 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. For more information on COVID-19 visit the Minnesota Department of Health&apos;s page on Coronavirus Disease 2019. ASL talent - James Paul Beldon III, Keystone Interpreting Solutions</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Many thanks to the Minnesota Department of Health</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are deafblind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/mZEYeksbwzI&quot;&gt;deafblind-friendly ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q8bUdMEsiPQ&quot; title=&quot;MDH ASL video about coronavirus&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello. This is a message from the Minnesota Department of Health.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lately we’re hearing a lot about an outbreak associated with novel coronavirus. This outbreak started in China, and now has spread to other countries including the United States. The novel coronavirus causes respiratory illness in people and can spread from person to person. Symptoms of infection include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. While most people recover, it has led to serious illnesses and death in some cases.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota’s public health community is working hard to protect you, and we’re asking for your help by following the same precautions we all use to prevent colds and flu:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Wash your hands often and well with soap and water.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Cover your cough every time.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Stay home when you are sick.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Also, if you’ve recently traveled where novel coronavirus is spreading and have symptoms, be sure to call your doctor or health care provider to let them know of your symptoms and your travel history. They will work with you to assess your condition and take appropriate steps to get any needed treatment while limiting the risk of passing along an infection to others.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are learning more about this outbreak and will share key information as it continues. You can stay up to date by visiting the Minnesota Department of Health’s website at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.health.state.mn.us/index.html&quot;&gt;health.state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Note &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This video covers the basic information of the 2020 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. For more information on COVID-19 visit the Minnesota Department of Health&apos;s page on &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/index.html&quot;&gt;Coronavirus Disease 2019&lt;/a&gt;. ASL talent - James Paul Beldon III, Keystone Interpreting Solutions&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>422737</id><Tag><Description/><Title>emergency management</Title><Id>310293</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>health care</Title><Id>310254</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-03-16T19:17:32Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Happening this Tuesday! The 2020 Presidential Primary</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Green voting person icon on a dark blue background</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/My%20Post%20Copy%20%281%29_tcm1063-421419.png</Url></Image><title>2020-02-28-happening-this-tuesday-the-2020-presidential-primary</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-421256&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-02-28T18:23:47Z</Date><ShortDescription>Information is available in both American Sign Language (ASL) and English about the Presidential Primary, voter registration, early voting, voting on Election Day, and more. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Go and vote</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is a gentle reminder that the 2020 Presidential Primary will take place this Tuesday, March 3, 2020. Most polling places will be open from 7 AM to 8 PM. Remember that you have a right to take time off from work for the time you need to vote without losing your pay, personal leave, or vacation time (Minnesota Statutes &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/204C.04&quot;&gt;204C.04&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/204c.08&quot;&gt;204C.08 subd. 1d&lt;/a&gt;). This is only for the time you need to go vote, not for the whole day.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Need more information about the presidential primary and voting? &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We have the following resources in American Sign Language (ASL) with English voiceover, closed captions, and descriptive transcripts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/deaf-commission/news/index.jsp?id=1063-408649&quot;&gt;2020 Presidential Primary&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is the first time that the vote for each participating major party&apos;s nominee for president will take place separately from the precinct caucus, thanks to a law that was passed in 2016. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/get-involved/voting/videos-voter-registration/&quot;&gt;Voter Registration&lt;/a&gt;, with the following videos&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/PA7my8j3l_g&quot;&gt;Find Out if You Can Vote&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/B-qXKNA2u6E&quot;&gt;Paper Voting Registration&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/i_yDFNoI9Q4&quot;&gt;Online Voting Registration&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/iZl1Ua4pUsc&quot;&gt;Check Your Registration&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The deadline to register to vote prior to the 2020 Presidential Primary was February 11, 2020, but there is good news. You can show up and register to vote at the Presidential Primary (i.e. Election Day). &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/get-involved/voting/videos-early-voting/&quot;&gt;Early Voting&lt;/a&gt;, with the following videos&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/DVz7K3ktQP4&quot;&gt;How to Vote Early in Person&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/-OF1EMDNhPE&quot;&gt;How to Vote Early by Mail - Apply Online&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/HotQVZlHy7M&quot;&gt;How to Vote Early by Mail - Paper Application&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/s9FeLhPOLJI&quot;&gt;What to Do Once You&apos;ve Received an Absentee Ballot (Registered)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/S17eYAKGPTo&quot;&gt;What to Do Once You&apos;ve Received an Absentee Ballot (Unregistered)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/me4qhDjMhvU&quot;&gt;Check on Your Absentee Ballot&apos;s Status&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you plan to vote early (either in person or by mail), make sure your ballot is successfully returned by Election Day. Your vote will not count if it is received after Election Day.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/get-involved/voting/videos-voting-on-election-day/&quot;&gt;Voting on Election Day&lt;/a&gt;, with the following videos&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/OanFnkTRv5Q&quot;&gt;What to Expect When You Go to Vote!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/eBbUbpYg6qk&quot;&gt;Same Day Voter Registration&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/pOTRn-jGRr4&quot;&gt;Find your Polling Place&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/t0IgneO4MhI&quot;&gt;See Your Ballot Ahead of Time&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;That&apos;s it! We wish you a successful voting experience.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Social Media Campaign&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you post a picture of yourself on social media with your &quot;I voted&quot; sticker, please use the following hashtags:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;#DeafVote #HardOfHearingVote #DeafBlindVote #HearingLossVote&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you would like MNCDHH to re-share your pictures, please tag MNCDHH. Your posts must be set to public for us to receive the tagging notification. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>421256</id><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-02-28T15:39:17Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Recent Executive Committee Meeting Not Posted</Title><title>2020-02-25-recent-executive-committee-meeting-not-posted</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-421142&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-02-26T21:15:19Z</Date><ShortDescription>Formal announcement</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Our apology to the public</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On Friday, February 20, 2020, MNCDHH&apos;s executive committee had a meeting to approve several contracts. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We thought the information for this meeting was posted on our website to inform the community, in compliance with the Open Meeting Law. However, due to an issue with technology, it did not post. After finding out that it was not posted, we decided to email the public.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is unusual for us, and we apologize for this mistake. Going forward, we will be double-checking to ensure this mistake will not happen again.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We invite you to review the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/assets/Feb%2020%20Executive%20Board%20Meeting%20MInutes_tcm1063-420986.pdf&quot;&gt;draft minutes (PDF)&lt;/a&gt; for this meeting on our website.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>421142</id><Tag><Description/><Title>board</Title><Id>310266</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-02-26T21:28:47Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing Leadership Qualities Survey</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Game pieces in several colors (red, green, yellow, brown) spread out on a grid</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/close-up-photography-of-yellow-green-red-and-brown-plastic-163064%20%281%29_tcm1063-420766.jpg</Url></Image><title>2020-02-21-deaf-deafblind-hard-of-hearing-leadership-qualities-survey</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-420767&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-02-21T18:20:09Z</Date><ShortDescription>Please participate in this short survey.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Assess community leadership &amp; understand community capacity</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH plans to provide community leadership training in the near future. Please participate in the survey. Your feedback will help us plan the program structure. We appreciate your time and input!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Participate at &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/5341338/Deaf-Hard-of-Hearing-and-Deaf-Blind-Leadership-Qualities-Survey&quot;&gt;Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Leadership Qualities Survey&lt;/a&gt;.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>420767</id><Tag><Description/><Title>survey</Title><Id>310297</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>citizen advocate</Title><Id>310308</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-02-21T18:26:25Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>You&apos;re Invited to an Info Session about Minnesota&apos;s Caucus</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>MNCDHH&apos;s Outreach Team, Michael Wall from the Minnesota Secretary of State&apos;s Office, and Nicker Harper, Esq. from League of Women Voters sign, &quot;Vote!&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Caucus_Long%20%281%29_tcm1063-420690.jpg</Url></Image><title>2020-02-20-youre-invited-info-session-about-minnesota-caucus</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-420689&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-02-20T17:41:05Z</Date><ShortDescription>Location &amp; accommodations provided by MNCDHH</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Presentation by the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State &amp; the League of Women Voters</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Confused about the Precinct Caucus and the Presidential Nominating Primary? Get your answers at this brief workshop from Secretary of State Voters Outreach Specialist, Michael Wall and Nick Harper from League of Women&apos;s Voters. Bring all of your questions!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Quick tip: Caucus will happen on February 25, 2020, and the Primary will happen on March 3, 2020!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sunday, February 23, 2020&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;10:30 AM - 12:00 PM&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH&apos;s office at the Golden Rule Building&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;85 East 7th Place&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Suite 105&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;St. Paul, MN 55101&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is a secure building. Use the entry door furthest to the east on East 7th Place for entry. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The parking ramps are typically closed on Sunday but the street parking is free since it is Sunday. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Presented in spoken English. ASL interpreters and CART are scheduled. The room also has looping technology. To request another reasonable accommodation, please contact &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; by Friday, February 21, 2020, at noon and we will do our best to fill the request.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hashtags&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you post on social media about the Minnesota Caucus, please use these hashtags!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;#DeafVote #HardOfHearingVote #DeafBlindVote #HearingLossVote&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>420689</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-02-20T17:58:41Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>New Announcements about “The Update with the Commission” Televised Filming</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Icons of three audience members facing the stage along with MNCDHH&apos;s logo and the following text, &quot;The Update with the Commission: Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing News&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/SPNN%20Rectangle_tcm1063-415862.jpg</Url></Image><title>2020-01-23-new-announcements-about-the-update</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-417085&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-01-23T22:17:44Z</Date><ShortDescription>This answers your questions about who will be in the broadcast and what kind of booths will be there. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Happening Tomorrow, January 24, 2020</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;New Announcements!&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are excited to announce who will be featured in this Friday&apos;s broadcast.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The members of the 2020 Census Outreach team are: Sarah Arana, Jessalyn Akerman-Frank, Migdalia Rogers, Pam Burry, Jer Loudenback, Cindi Martin, and Emory Kevin Dively.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Melissa Sweetmilk will share her experience with carbon monoxide poisoning. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;E. David Dively will share information about what to expect from MNCDHH during this legislative session, new leadership, and new structure.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There will be four booths during the post-recording social! You will be able to chat 1:1 with the following state representatives: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNCDHH&apos;s 2020 Census Outreach team to learn about the census.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Marie Koehler and Beth Bostrom will be representing the Minnesota Department of Human Services&apos; Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD). They&apos;ll have information about the new technology and changes offered by their Telephone Equipment Distribution Program (TED). They will also share information about Real ID.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Dana Wahlberg, Director of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety&apos;s Emergency Communication Networks (ECN), is here to chat with you about Minnesota&apos;s Text-to-911 program. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Bob Reif and Kathy Osmonson from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety&apos;s Fire Marshal Division can discuss fire and carbon monoxide safety with you. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please join us! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Invitation&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Come and watch the members of MNCDHH’s 2020 Census Outreach team share information about the 2020 Census. We also have a special guest share her experience with carbon monoxide poisoning and why it is important to have an accessible alarm. Lastly, we will share information about what to expect from MNCDHH during this upcoming legislative session, new leadership, and more! Facilitated by our special out of state guests, Arkady Belozovsky and Christine West.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This recording will later be shown on local television and MNCDHH’s website and social media.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Friday, January 24, 2020&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;SPNN Studios, 550 Vandalia Street, Suite 170, Saint Paul, MN 55114&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Schedule&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;4:30 – 5:00 PM: Arrive and find your seats&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;5 PM: Live recording (Once we start filming, you will not be able to enter the inside studio until we wrap. You will be able to wait in the gathering area for the social.)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;6 PM: Wrap up and join the after-filming social with pizza, salad, soda, and water. Visit the Census booth during this time too!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;8 PM: We must exit the building.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;CART and interpreters will be provided onsite. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>417085</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-01-23T22:17:55Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Information in American Sign Language about how to be counted in the census, and when you will be contacted.</Description><Audience/><Title>2020 Census How and When to Fill Out the Census</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2020 Census: How, and When, to Fill out the Census</Title><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>JP is signing &quot;receive.&quot; Captions read: all homes in the U.S. will receive a postcard. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Census_How_When_tcm1063-416804.JPG</Url></Thumbnail><title>20200123 - 2020 Census How and when</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-416680&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-01-23T21:45:51Z</Date><ShortDescription>You know it is important to be counted in the census, but when and how will that happen? This article and video explains in ASL and English how you will be contacted, and when to submit your answers.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/r1ggLsX8Eqw&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are deafblind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high-contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/eULJftl1qcY&quot; target=&quot;blank&quot;&gt;deafblind friendly ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;From March 12-20, 2020, all homes in the United States will receive a postcard from the U.S. Census Bureau. The postcard is an invitation for residents to participate in the 2020 Census. Some homes will also receive a paper questionnaire. These homes are chosen at random. People should send their answers to the U.S. Census right away. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reminders&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you do not send in your answers, you will receive a reminder. Those reminders will be sent from March 16-24, 2020. If you still do not send in your answers, you will receive a second reminder. Those reminders will be sent from March 26-April 3, 2020. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;April 1, 2020 is Census Day&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The official Census Day is April 1, 2020. In a perfect world, every person will be done with answering the Census. In reality, some people have not yet answered. From April 8-16, 2020, a third reminder will be sent to people who have not yet answered. From April 20-27, 2020, a final reminder will be sent to anyone who still has not answered. From March to April, people will receive up to 5 paper notifications in the mail. That is a lot of mail. If you send in your census answers right away, you will not receive the reminders. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Census 2020: You Count!&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You are being contacted by the U.S. Census Bureau because you are important. Please make sure you are counted. It will make a big difference! Our other video, “Census 2020: You Count!” explains why. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Census takers&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After Census Day, from April to August 2020, Census takers will go door-to-door to collect information from residents who have not yet answered. The federal government hires census takers to go to your home. They will wear a badge. They are not from religious organizations or sales people. They will not ask you for money or donations. The law requires them to keep information about you confidential. Only the U.S. Census Bureau will have access to your answers. No one else, not even the White House or U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), can see your answers for 72 years. Your answers will become public information in the year 2092. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How to send your answers&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are three ways to send your answers before a census taker comes to your house. No one will come to your home if you already answered the census: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Online&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;By phone &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;By mail &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The postcard will explain more on how to send your answers. The U.S. Census Bureau has committed to providing information in multiple languages, including American Sign Language. Their online form is also supposed to be accessible. They will have a TTY/TDD number as well. Both DHHSD and MNCDHH will continue to share information about the U.S. Census as we learn more. In the meantime, we encourage you to follow our websites, newsletter, and social media. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are posting about the census on social media, use the hashtags #DeafCount, #DeafBlindCount, #HardOfHearingCount, or #HearingLossCount to engage others in the community!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do you want to learn more about the census and prepare for it in person? &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Come to our Census 2020 Information Session. You can choose between attending a morning session or an evening session. American Sign Language interpreters and real-time captioning (CART) in English provided. Here is the information. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Metro Deaf School, 1125 Energy Park Drive, St. Paul, Minnesota &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saturday, February 8, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Or Saturday, February 22, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>416680</id><pubdate>2020-01-31T22:06:44Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Information about the 2020 Census in American Sign Language and English voiceover with captions.</Description><Audience/><Title> 2020 Census You Count</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2020 Census: You count!</Title><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Patrick is signing &quot;U.&quot; Captions read: The U.S. Census Bureau does a census every 10 years.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/You_Count_Census_tcm1063-416779.JPG</Url></Thumbnail><title>20200121 - 2020 Census You Count</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-416666&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-01-21T21:45:12Z</Date><ShortDescription>Every 10 years, the U.S. Census Bureau counts how many people live in the United States. Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division and the Minnesota Commission for Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing have developed some videos explaining the census and how to make sure you are counted. </ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Soon, you may start seeing advertisements about the 2020 Census. To help people understand what the census is all about, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division and the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing developed videos in American Sign Language and English, with English voiceover and captions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/_SsSiUT8mNc?cc_load_policy=1&quot; title=&quot;How, and When, to fill out the Census&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are deafblind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high-contrast format, &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/Xxtu2WnKUU0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;watch the deafblind-friendly ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is a “census”? &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A census counts how many people live in the United States. The U.S. Census Bureau does a census every 10 years. This count will determine how many seats Minnesota has in the U.S. House of Representatives for the next 10 years. This count will also determine how much money goes to support many different types of programs and services in Minnesota. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Your answers are private&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The census will ask you questions about who lives at your address. Your answers are confidential. The Census Bureau cannot share details with the White House, the government, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or police. All census takers are bound by law to keep information confidential. The law says the details must remain confidential for 72 years. After 72 years, census records are made public. Old census records are a popular tool for people researching the history of their own families. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Census questions&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The census will ask you these questions:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How many people live in your home? &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Do you own your home or rent? &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What are the genders of the people in your home?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How old is each person in your home? &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What is the race of each person in your home?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Are any people in your home of Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How are the people in your home related to you? &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The census will &lt;strong&gt;NOT&lt;/strong&gt; ask you for: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Your citizenship status.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Your social security number &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Your bank account information. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Your political beliefs. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Money.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why is it important to be counted in the census? &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The number of people in Minnesota decides many things, including:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How many representatives Minnesota has in the U.S. House of Representatives.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;State legislative district boundaries and school district boundaries.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How over $675 million dollars in federal funding will be spent. This includes spending on housing programs, education and programs that support families.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Local government and businesses also use the census numbers to decide where to open new stores, hospitals, or improve transportation. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Be counted! &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our next video will explain how the census will take place, and tell you about important community events to learn more about the census. Make sure you are counted! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;More information &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DHHSD and MNCDHH will share more information as it becomes available. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can also visit the &lt;a href=&quot;https://2020census.gov/en.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;U.S. Census Bureau&apos;s website&lt;/a&gt; to learn more. The U.S. Census Bureau currently provides information in 59 languages, and offers large print versions of their materials. They are working on American Sign Language translations and making materials in braille.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>416666</id><pubdate>2020-01-31T22:06:44Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Updates to the Fairview Chemical Dependency Program</Title><title>2020-01-15-updates-to-the-fairview-chemical-dependency-program</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-416203&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-01-15T16:00:30Z</Date><ShortDescription>Ways that you can get involved</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Upcoming community events &amp; copy of MNCDHH&apos;s letter</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/V3sTPNcc_dw&quot; title=&quot;upcoming events and darlenes letter&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Upcoming community events&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are two events scheduled to address the February 10, 2020 closing of the Minnesota Chemical Dependency Program for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Please attend and show your support and work towards keeping the program open. These are being organized by community advocates, including Dr. Deb Guthmann and Phillip Steinbruckner. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;January 23, 2020 - James Hereford, CEO M Fairview Health and other health care leaders will be coming together for Forum on Health Care. Starting at 7:30 a.m., a protest about the situation involving Bethesda and St. Josephs Hospital as well as the chemical dependency program will be held outside the Intercontinental Hotel, St. Paul Riverfront, 11 E. Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55101.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;January 28, 2020 - A town hall meeting will be held at 6:00 p.m CST at Christ Lutheran Church, 105 University Avenue W., St. Paul, MN.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Copy of MNCDHH&apos;s letter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On January 8, 2020, MNCDHH sent the following letter to Mr. Hereford. We have since emailed a copy of this letter to Chris Hickman, System Director, Behavioral Health and System Clinical Integration, Minnesota Fairview Health at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:chickma1@fairview.org&quot;&gt;chickma1@fairview.org&lt;/a&gt;. If you have sent a letter, we encourage you to send a copy to Mr. Hickman as well. Thank you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Darlene Zangara, Ph.D.
&lt;br /&gt;
Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing
&lt;br /&gt;
444 Lafayette Rd. N
&lt;br /&gt;
St. Paul, MN 55155-3814&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;January 8, 2020&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;James Hereford, President/CEO
&lt;br /&gt;
Fairview Health Services
&lt;br /&gt;
2450 Riverside Ave.
&lt;br /&gt;
Minneapolis, MN 55454&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dear Mr. Hereford, &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On behalf of our stakeholders who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing, we urge Fairview Health Services to reconsider the dismissal of the Minnesota Chemical Dependency Program for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (established in 1989). The Minnesota Chemical Dependency Program covers an important gap in chemical treatment services. It is one of the few chemical treatment programs in the country that provides direct services in American Sign Language (ASL) and has successfully done so for thirty years.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In other chemical dependency programs; deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing patients can only access program services during times where accommodations such as interpreting services and CART (captioning) are provided. In some cases, those accommodations are only provided during group sessions and lectures. This means that deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing patients do not experience the same level of access as their peers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The quality of the Minnesota Chemical Dependency Program is rare and offers deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing patients the best chance of success. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For over a decade (1991-2002), I personally worked at The Community Network, an organization that provided direct services for deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing community members in Ohio. As both a chemical dependency counselor and as director of programs, I have sent deaf and hard of hearing Ohioans to the Minnesota Chemical Dependency Program at Fairview. The program was able to provide culturally affirming and linguistically appropriate services. The program was able to address their unique cultural needs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Based on these experience, and the stories that I hear in our community, I believe in your program.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We at the Commission would be happy to help Fairview Health Services find funding solutions. The Commission recognizes the value your program brings to our stakeholders, their families, friends, and colleagues. The ramifications of no longer having this program would be dire, which is why it is so important to us to save it. Please contact me if we can work together. I can be reached at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:darlene.g.zangara@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;darlene.g.zangara@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; or 612-405-5618.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sincerely,&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Darlene Zangara
&lt;br /&gt;
Executive Director&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>416203</id><Tag><Description/><Title>citizen advocate</Title><Id>310308</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>health care</Title><Id>310254</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-01-22T19:07:50Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>You&apos;re Invited to a Census 2020 Information Session</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Ten hands coming together with one on top of the other and to their right is a logo that reads &quot;We Count MN Census 2020&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/WeCountWebGraphicHands_800X400_tcm1063-410640.jpg</Url></Image><title>2020-01-14-youre-invited-to-a-census-2020-information-session</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-416194&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-01-14T21:22:22Z</Date><ShortDescription>Choose one of two sessions</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Led by MNCDHH&apos;s Census Outreach Team</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH&apos;s trained Census 2020 Outreach Crew will meet with community members and share what to expect for the 2020 Census! This will begin with a short presentation and the rest will be interactive coaching. These workshops are provided by the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Choose one of two sessions. Both workshops are the same.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/events/2564472750347937/&quot;&gt;Option 1 (Morning)&lt;/a&gt;: Saturday, February 8, 2020 from 10 AM – 12 PM&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/events/497673160885833/&quot;&gt;Option 2 (Afternoon)&lt;/a&gt;: Saturday, February 22, 2020 from 2 PM – 4 PM&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Metro Deaf School, 1125 Energy Park Dr., St. Paul, MN 55108&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Presented in American Sign Language (ASL) with CART. To request another reasonable accommodation, please contact &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; by:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Option 1: January 31, 2020 for the February 8, 2020 morning workshop&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Option 2: February 14, 2020 for the February 22, 2020 afternoon workshop&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hashtags&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you post on social media about the 2020 Census, please use these hashtags!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;#DeafCount #HardOfHearingCount #DeafBlindCount #HearingLossCount&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>416194</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-01-14T21:30:12Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>You’re Invited to a Televised Filming of  “The Update with the Commission”</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Icons of three audience members facing the stage along with MNCDHH&apos;s logo and the following text, &quot;The Update with the Commission: Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing News&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/SPNN%20Rectangle_tcm1063-415862.jpg</Url></Image><title>2020-01-09-youre-invited-to-a-televised-filming</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-415863&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-01-09T19:54:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Facilitated by our special out of state guests, Arkady Belozovsky and Christine West. Topics covered: 2020 Census, surviving carbon monoxide poisoning, and what&apos;s next for MNCDHH. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing News</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Come and watch the members of MNCDHH’s 2020 Census Outreach team share information about the 2020 Census. We also have a special guest share her experience with carbon monoxide poisoning and why it is important to have an accessible alarm. Last, we will share information about what to expect from MNCDHH during this upcoming legislative session, new leadership, and more! Facilitated by our special out of state guests, Arkady Belozovsky and Christine West.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This recording will later be shown on local television and MNCDHH’s website and social media.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Friday, January 24, 2020&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;SPNN Studios, 550 Vandalia Street, Suite 170, Saint Paul, MN 55114&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Schedule&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;4:30 – 5:00 PM: Arrive and find your seats&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;5 PM: Live recording (Once we start filming, you will not be able to enter the inside studio until we wrap. You will be able to wait in the gathering area for the social.)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;6 PM: Wrap up and join the after-filming social with pizza, salad, soda, and water. Visit the Census booth during this time too!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;8 PM: We must exit the building.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;CART and interpreters will be provided onsite. If you need an additional accommodation, please contact &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; by Friday, January 17, 2020.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>415863</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-01-09T20:02:18Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>34th Annual State of Minnesota Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Banner with hands raised up and the following text, &quot;For Our Children 2020 MLK Day Celebration January 20 10 AM - 12 PM Ordway&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/2020MLKFacebookBanner_tcm1061-414209_tcm1063-415303.jpg</Url></Image><title>2020-01-06-34th-annual-state-of-minnesota-dr-martin-luther-king</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-415304&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-01-06T17:15:22Z</Date><ShortDescription>On January 20, 2020, from 10 AM to 12 PM at the Ordway</ShortDescription><Subtitle>CART and ASL interpreters provided</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan will host the 34th Annual State of Minnesota Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration on January 20, 2020 at the Ordway.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This event is not to be missed and is an opportunity for community to come together, reflect and build on the legacy of Dr. King, strengthen connections, and celebrate the Black experience. The theme for this year’s celebration is &quot;For Our Children.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Stay tuned &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/events/1310538462461767/&quot;&gt;on Facebook&lt;/a&gt; for upcoming announcements of an incredible keynote and powerful performers!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Event Information&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When: Monday, January 20, 2020, from 10 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. (Doors open at 9:15 a.m. with fun activities in the foyer. The program begins at 10 a.m.)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where: Ordway Center for the Performing Arts&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cost: This celebration is free and open to the public. Seating is limited and will fill up fast. There will be overflow areas for viewing and live streaming on &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.tpt.org/&quot;&gt;TPT.org&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility: ASL interpreters and CART Services will be available on site. If you have additional requests for a reasonable accommodation, contact Tessa Lara at 651-539-1103 or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Tessa.Lara@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Tessa.Lara@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; by Friday, January 10, 2020.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH is proud to be a Silver Sponsor for this important program. Our sponsorship covers the costs of CART and interpreting. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>415304</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-01-06T17:23:16Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Farewell 2019, Welcome 2020</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>2019 is displayed across a series of trees under a blue sky</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/My%20Post%20Copy%20%281%29%20%281%29_tcm1063-414740.jpg</Url></Image><title>2019-12-31-farewell-2019-welcome-2020</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-414708&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-12-31T15:46:28Z</Date><ShortDescription>What MNCDHH, partners, and the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing community accomplished in 2019.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>End of year review</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2019, we experienced lots of changes. Together, so much has been accomplished and here are some of those accomplishments. Many thanks to community partners and stakeholders for their help and collaboration.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;January&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Opened registration for the 2019 Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day and recruited nominations for Lobby Day Awards.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Launched Lobby Tuesday/Thursday for the first time ever. This is 1:1 and small group coaching on how to meet your legislators, and includes a personal tour of the Capitol!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Released video newsletter about grants, loan forgiveness and teacher licensure programs available to individuals interested in becoming DHH licensed teachers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Held a full board meeting.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kim Wassenaar served as our community representative for the 2019 Governor&apos;s Council on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;February&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Announced the Lobby Day Awards winners. Congratulations again to Shivali Choudhury (Youth Award), Liza Sylvestre (Citizen Advocate Award), Stonearch Employment Solutions (Civic Engagement Award), Jay Fehrman (Education Excellence Award), the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Emergency Communication Networks (Access Award), the Honorable Donovan Frank (Making a Difference Award), and Mary Edwards (Lifetime Achievement Award). &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Continued to provide Lobby Tuesday/Thursdays on a weekly basis.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deputy Director E. David Dively was sent to Washington, D.C. as part of his Humphrey fellowship. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Age-Related Hearing Loss (ARHL) Task Force convened to work towards policy and program recommendations to help with healthy aging. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;March &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Hosted Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day on March 6, 2019. Over 200 people attended. We provided accessible tours of the beautiful Capitol building. Remember that Lobby Day happens every two years (not every year). The next Lobby Day will be in 2021. See you then!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Continued to provide Lobby Tuesday/Thursdays on a weekly basis.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Opened presenter proposals for the 2019 Collaborative Experience Conference.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Released video newsletter about the current and projected availability of DHH licensed teachers, with supporting data. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Released video newsletter about the employment supports provided by organizations like the Minnesota Employment Center.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Released the 2019-2024 Collaborative Plan for Minnesota&apos;s System Serving Children who are Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing. This plan was built by the members of the Collaborative Plan stakeholders and facilitated by Wilder Research. The four main strategic issues that will be worked on are 1) Increase consistency and organization of resources to ensure all children and families have access. 2) Collaborate and network across stakeholder groups to ensure programs and services are supporting (and not duplicating) each other’s work. 3) Promote mental health and using a “whole child” approach to help children develop a strong identity and ability to self-advocate. 4) Assess and address licensure and qualifications for teachers and interpreters to ensure quality and to improve shortages.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Released video newsletter about work that has been done to include ASL interpreters and live captioning to communicate emergency broadcasts.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Director of Communications Anne Sittner Anderson graduated from the Emerging Leaders Institute (ELI).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;E. David Dively and Anita Buel attended a Health Equity Summit, which was hosted by the Minnesota Department of Health, to advocate for health disparities among people with disabilities.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;E. David Dively spent a lot of time at the University of Minnesota; once to speak with students in interdisciplinary studies and learning about different kinds of sensory loss. He also met with the Minnesota Academy of Audiology to understand their concerns with hearing aid insurance reform.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;April&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Governor Walz signed Executive Order 19-15 (PDF), which replaced former Governor Mark Dayton’s Executive Order 14-14. This executive order requires the percentage of state employees with disabilities to increase from 7% to 10%.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens (MADC) had its 6th annual Deaf Awareness Day celebration on April 27. We had a booth and were happy to celebrate with and connect to the community!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Distributed a survey to gather community input about what qualities they would like MNCDHH&apos;s next executive director to have. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;May&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Celebrated the ten year anniversary of Minnesota&apos;s Digital Accessibility Law at a special event hosted at the Capitol. Then-executive director Mary Hartnett and current board member Jamie Taylor were recognized for their work in getting the law passed. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Distributed video newsletter about resources for students, their families, and their teachers to prepare for life after high school. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Partnered with the University of Minnesota&apos;s Disability Resource Center to share information about getting accessibility services for college students with disabilities. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Distributed video newsletter about how to use Text-to-911. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The legislative session ended. Despite it being a tough session, five of our seven bills passed. They are 1) MNCDHH&apos;s request for increased funding. 2) Renew the Newborn Hearing Screening Advisory Committee and get a new seat for the Deaf Family Mentor Program and a new seat for a staff member from the Minnesota State Academy. 3) Add a definition of interveners for deafblind children so it is clear they are an option to parents and to districts. 4. Update language in the law about state employees with disabilities. It also requires a report to be done on why 56% of state employees with disabilities leave state work within a year. In the future, this report will help the state set up a better work environment that sets up employees with disabilities for success.  5) Establish a work group to set up legislative IT accessibility standards. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Held a full board meeting.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Launched the #CanDoAnything social media campaign. This showcases people who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing at work, giving them an opportunity to share what they do at their jobs and explain how communication access works for them. This campaign shows what our community can do, which is... anything!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;E. David Dively, along with other Humphrey fellows, hosted a summit of educators, advocates, job coaches, trainers, and administrators, to advocate for increased employment opportunities and trade education for marginalized communities, including people with disabilities.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;E. David Dively attended a luncheon with Vice President Walter Mondale to discuss current issues and concerns within Minnesota and the United States.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;June&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Distributed the job posting for MNCDHH&apos;s next executive director. Many thanks to the search committee and the interview committee members who worked on this task and helped us find our new leader. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Launched the Accessible Emergency Communications Campaign. The campaign is a call of action to ensure emergency communications are accessible.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNCDHH supported &quot;Pathways to Life,&quot; which is a program for transition-age students who are deaf/hard of hearing. Pathways to Life is sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Education, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development – Vocational Rehabilitation, the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing, the Collaborative Plan Stakeholders and various school districts. This was the first year of Pathways to Life and it was hosted at the Minnesota State Academies. Some members of the MNCDHH staff were asked to bring their lived experiences and their expertise to the campers by participating in and teaching some of the lessons and activities. Jessalyn Akerman-Frank shared her passion and skills in teaching self-care and yoga. Anna Paulson taught a Greek cooking lesson. Katy Kelley supported the camp with her organizational skills and logistical supports. Jessalyn and Katy both participated in a panel presentation sharing their lived experiences.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Maddy Schopf began her internship at MNCDHH, primarily working on closed captioning issues and helping the Collaborative Plan Conference logistics. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;E. David Dively attended the Big Think 6, a one-day event on different policy issues facing Minnesotans from education to employment, to preserving indigenous peoples’ rights. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;July&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We welcomed six new board members! Tricia (Trish) Oyaas, Krista Dillman, Les Fairbanks, Christine Morgan, and Maisie Blaine were newly appointed. Peggy Nelson was reappointed. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Accessible Health Care Video Series was remastered and relaunched. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;August &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Finalists for the executive director were announced and a conditional offer was given to Dr. Darlene Zangara!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Dalena Nguyen, Maddy Schopf, Lloyd Ballinger, Jessalyn Akerman-Frank, Xavier Arana and Dr. Mohamed Mourssi-Alfash attended the Minnesota State Fair to answer questions about MNCDHH and meet the community. Thank you Minnesota Council on Disability for sharing your booth!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Maddy Schopf wrapped up her internship. She stayed on a little longer to help with the office before finding her new position at another organization.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;September&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Published a dashboard that shows the success achieved under the 2014-2019 five-year strategic plan. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Released an interview with Ade Haugen about the Minnesota Speaking DeafBlind Group (MSDBG).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Began preparations for the 2020 Census.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Held a full board meeting. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;October &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Anne Sittner Anderson and Katy Kelley attended and spoke about accessible media reporting at the Minnesota Broadcasters Association&apos;s Annual Business Meeting in Duluth.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Attended the MADC-MRID Fall Conference in Faribault. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Attended Metro Deaf School&apos;s Transition Fair.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Director of Civic and Community Engagement Jessalyn Akerman-Frank presented to Humboldt High School students about how to vote, how to lobby, how to advocates for their rights in school, how to advocate for rearview caption mirror at the movies, and how to advocate for accommodations for the job. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Completed version 2 of the ARHL Recommendations report. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;November&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Dr. Darlene Zangara started as our new executive director! &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Distributed the social-emotional support webinars, which includes 30 short real-life stories that provide strategies for teachers to support social and emotional development. The goal of this webinar is to encourage these adults to look at the whole child and understand the unique challenges of deaf/hard of hearing students.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Hosted the sold-out 2019 Collaborative Experience Conferences for professionals serving and parents of students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing in beautiful Breezy Point, MN. The Collaborative Experience Conference is held every 2 years and the next conference will take place in 2021. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Joined the DeafBlind community&apos;s annual Thanks-for-Giving fundraiser event. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Hosted transition-age students from the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf in our office where we shared voting and advocacy resources. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Held a full board meeting.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Began planning the vision and goals for an upcoming leadership program that will be offered to community leaders in the near future. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Finished a one-year-long effort to write, revise, and propose brand new policies that will improve MNCDHH’s operations, accountability to the board at the board meeting.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;December&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Katy Kelley began her Organizational Development courses at the University of Minnesota. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNCDHH staff had a retreat to plan for 2020 under Darlene&apos;s leadership. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Released a video newsletter about the importance of accessibility and targeted towards anyone who provides a presentation. This message was crafted by Jamie Taylor. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNCDHH was approved by the Minnesota Census Bureau to be a Complete Count Committee. As a Complete Count Committee, we will be working with community organizations during the census. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Pam Burry, Jer Loudanbeck, Cindi Martin, and Patrick Vellia were added as contractors for the 2020 census.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Worked with the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State to create a temporary job position as an American Sign Language (ASL) Office Specialist at their Voter Call Center. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>414708</id><Tag><Description/><Title>board</Title><Id>310266</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>staff</Title><Id>317343</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-12-31T18:23:21Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Job Opening at the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Icons of a pair of signing hands within a screen</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/My%20Post%20Copy_tcm1063-414335.jpg</Url></Image><title>2019-12-26-job-opening-at-the-minnesota-secretary-of-state</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-414334&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-12-26T16:00:36Z</Date><ShortDescription>Many thanks to community advocates for asking for this service.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>First time ever ASL call center job during elections</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Note that an earlier version of this job posting required &quot;the ability to read, speak and write English sufficient to provide verbal information to Minnesota voters.&quot; This requirement has since been removed. Many thanks to the advocates who expressed concern about this requirement. &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thanks to advocacy from community stakeholders, the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State and MNCDHH are thrilled to announce that for the first time ever, there will be an American Sign Language (ASL) Office Specialist at the Voter Call Center. That person will be on hand to answer caller questions in ASL on a videophone!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing callers who do not use ASL will still be able to contact the Voter Call Center through their preferred device such as a captioned phone or TTY (through the 711 relay number). &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Job description&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State is looking for a temporary call center worker to staff a voter information call center for approximately eight (8) weeks starting February 18, 2020. Call center staff will receive training to answer questions about general voting procedures, voting eligibility, voter’s rights, voter registration, and absentee balloting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Experience firsthand the excitement of working in an election office during an election year!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minimum Qualifications&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ability to communicate proficiently in American Sign Language (ASL).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to deal effectively with diverse populations in a positive, courteous, helpful manner to deliver services.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Customer service skills sufficient to communicate effectively with diverse communities and work as a member of a team.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ability to energetically and enthusiastically interact with the general public in a positive way.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ability to quickly learn detailed election procedure information.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Preferred Qualifications&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Experience with fielding customer service calls.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Knowledge of Minnesota election process.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ability to sit/stand for long periods of time.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Find the job&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To find and apply for the job, go to &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mmb/careers/&quot;&gt;Minnesota Careers&lt;/a&gt;. Click on &quot;External Applicants&quot; and search for job #37854. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The deadline to apply is 1/10/2020.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The salary range is $15.43 - $16.10 per hour.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2020 elections&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Remember that 2020 is an election year! The Precinct Caucus will happen on February 25, 2020. The Presidential Primary will take place on March 3, 2020. The Primary will occur on August 11, 2020. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH has already released a video newsletter about the upcoming elections in both ASL and English. Review this information at &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/deaf-commission/news/index.jsp?id=1063-408649&quot;&gt;2020 Presidential Primary: Upcoming election dates and why.&lt;/a&gt;&quot;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>414334</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>citizen advocate</Title><Id>310308</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-12-31T15:40:51Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Empowering Deaf-Hearing Interpreting Teams in Emergency Television Broadcasts Workshop</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Collage of three photos. One with an interpreter working at a press conference with a speaker behind the podium, one of presenter Arkady&apos;s headshot, and one with presenter Christine&apos;s headshot.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Empowering%20Deaf-Hearing%20Interpreting%20TeamsCopy_tcm1063-406610.jpg</Url></Image><title>2019-12-20-empowering-deaf-hearing-interpreting-teams-in-emergency-broadcasts</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-413911&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-12-20T16:42:58Z</Date><ShortDescription>January 25, 2020, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM at Metro Deaf School. Offering 0.6 CEUs at some content knowledge level. Free!</ShortDescription><Subtitle>With Arkady Belozovsky, CDI, CLIP-R, ASLTA, and Christine West, CI/CT, SC:L, Ed: K-12</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, Deafblind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Presents, &quot;Empowering Deaf-Hearing Interpreting Teams in Emergency Television Broadcasts&quot; Workshop with Arkady Belozovsky, CDI, CLIP-R, ASLTA, and Christine West, CI/CT, SC:L, Ed: K-12.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;January 25, 2020, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Metro Deaf School, 1125 Energy Park Dr, Saint Paul, MN 55108&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Workshop Presenters&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Arkady Belozovsky&lt;/strong&gt; earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees as well as three professional certificates from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). He went on to teach ASL/Deaf Studies and Interpreting at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) at RIT. He also taught at the University of New Hampshire at Manchester (UNHM) and served as the Co-Director of UNHM’s Deaf Studies program. Arkady was the first full-time Deaf faculty member at Brown University. He has been in the teaching field for a total of 16 years and also has an American Sign Language Teachers Association (ASLTA)-Professional Certificate. Currently working as a full-time self-employed freelance Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI) and CLIP-R (legal) for 27 years, Arkady has traveled the world presenting on topics that include the immigrant experience, various topics in interpreting, and Deaf history &amp;amp; culture. Arkady also served as the After Hours Emergency Referral and CART Services coordinator for the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (MCDHH) for 2 years. Three years ago, he began interpreting emergency press conferences for the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Christine West&lt;/strong&gt; is a staff interpreter at the  Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Boston. Prior to that, Christine was both a contract and staff interpreter at the Rhode  Island Commission on the Deaf and Hard of  Hearing in Providence. Christine received her generalist certifications (CI/CT) from RID in 2001.  She has also received specialist certifications in educational interpreting (Ed:K  12) and legal interpreting (SC:L). She has a B.A. degree in Deaf Studies from New York University and a M.A. degree in Deaf Education from San Diego State University. Currently, she is a graduate student at St. Catherine University in St.  Paul, Minnesota, where she is pursuing a Masters in Interpreting Studies and  Communication Equity. With a passion for emergency management interpreting,  Christine has undertaken recommended coursework for sign language interpreter strike teams through FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute’s Independent  Study Program. With completed coursework in the National Incident Management  System (NIMS), the Incident Command System (ICS), the National Response  Framework, NIMS Public Information System, NIMS Communication and Information Management, Civil Rights and FEMA Disaster Assistance, and other training topics. Christine was formerly a regular interpreter for both the state of  Rhode Island’s Emergency Management Advisory Council (EMAC) meetings for the Rhode Island Office of the Lieutenant Governor and for emergency press conferences for the Rhode Island Office of the Governor and the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency (RIEMA).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Course Description&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sign language interpreters are becoming more prominently featured in the media, such as in emergency press conferences. However, there have been inconsistencies in the quality of interpretation provided. This workshop will explore the use of best practices in utilizing Deaf-Hearing Interpreter teams for emergency press conferences. Topics will include: a look at trends in the media with the use of fake or unqualified interpreters; understanding statutory responsibilities to ensure emergency preparedness, response, and recovery efforts are fully accessible to deaf and hard of hearing individuals; benefits of using Deaf-Hearing Interpreter teams; establishing protocol for securing Certified Hearing Interpreter (CHI)/Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI) team for all emergency press conferences; ensuring funds are available for interpreting services, lodging, food; interacting with government and emergency management officials; interacting with media personnel (camera operators, reporters); establishing camera shots to optimize sight lines; the use of facial expressions/eye gaze by the Deaf Interpreter; utilizing community allies and partner agencies to ensure compliance; public perception of the interpreter; implications for educating the public about language, culture, and the role of the interpreter in emergency press conferences. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Educational Objectives&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Participants will watch recorded samples of emergency press conferences &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Participants will engage in group discussions &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Participants will perform hands-on activities (such as interpreting mock press conferences)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Target Audience&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Hearing and Deaf Interpreters&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How to Register&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/5257493/Registration-for-Empowering-Deaf-Hearing-Interpreting&quot;&gt;the RSVP link&lt;/a&gt; today. Registration for this event will close on January 10, 2020. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cost: Free&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This workshop will be presented in ASL. If you require an accommodation, please make note of what accommodation you will need on the registration form.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All participants are expected to treat other attendees with the utmost respect, including respecting all of the attendees&apos; time, space, ideas, and thoughts. They are also expected to treat everyone fairly and equally, regardless of race, sexual orientation, place of origin, political beliefs, sex, or age. MNCDHH will not tolerate harassment or discrimination of any kind. For questions, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/RID%20ACET%20combo_tcm1063-310018.jpg&quot; title=&quot;RID ACET combo&quot; alt=&quot;RID ACET combo&quot; style=&quot;width: 150px; height: 75px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;RID ACET combo&quot; /&gt; MRID is an Approved RID CMP Sponsor for continuing education activities. This professional studies program is offered for 0.6 CEUs at some Content Knowledge level.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A &lt;a href=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Empowering%20Deaf-Hearing%20Interpreting%20teams%20in%20Emergency%20Television%20Broadcasts%20Flyer_tcm1063-406599.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Empowering Deaf-Hearing Interpreting Teams in Emergency Television Broadcasts Flyer&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Empowering Deaf-Hearing Interpreting Teams in Emergency Television Broadcasts Flyer&quot;&gt;printable, accessible flyer (PDF)&lt;/a&gt; is available. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>413911</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>emergency management</Title><Id>310293</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-12-20T17:02:56Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Why Presenters Need to Make Accessible PowerPoints</Title><title>2019-12-17-why-presenters-need-to-make-accessible-powerpoints</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-413455&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-12-17T18:50:40Z</Date><ShortDescription>Jamie explains how accessibility makes a big difference for her when it comes to accessing workshops and presentations. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>A special message from Jamie Taylor</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/G_NgOj3xDV8&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendly ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/qtN_805FvxU&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about accessible PowerPoints with Jamie Taylor&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Jamie is speaking in English with her right hand on a Braille display (mostly off screen). James Paul is interpreting in American Sign Language (ASL) next to her.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hi! [Signs &apos;hello&apos; while primarily voicing.] I’m Jamie Taylor. I am DeafBlind. I use ProTactile American Sign Language and spoken English. When I go to conferences and events, I depend on presenters to make their PowerPoints accessible.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;According to the National Deaf Center, 40% of deaf people have additional disabilities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I prefer large print on my computer or braille on my note taker. Accessible PowerPoints are important to me because they can easily be converted to braille. This allows me to relax because I can then look at the PowerPoint at my own speed and I do not have to memorize lectures because I can access it at home.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessible PowerPoints have alt text for pictures and labels for pie charts. All slides have a unique title so I know where I am.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Colors can be inaccessible to DeafBlind people. My computer is able to change these PowerPoints to colors that are accessible to me. I can read in whatever colors I want, such as white font on a black background. This saves me from many headaches [signs &apos;headaches&apos; and grimaces].&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Because there are so many people who need accessible PowerPoints, making your PowerPoints accessible is not about convenience [signs &apos;convenience&apos;], it’s about equality [signs &apos;equality&apos;]. Thank you [signs &apos;thank you&apos;].&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jamie Taylor for her important message to presenters.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;James Paul Beldon III, ASL talent&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>413455</id><Tag><Description/><Title>accessible technology</Title><Id>310264</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>citizen advocate</Title><Id>310308</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-12-19T15:26:07Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Action Alert: Fairview Chemical Dependency Program</Title><title>2019-12-13-action-alert-fairview-chemical-dependency-program</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-413159&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-12-13T18:49:44Z</Date><ShortDescription>Fairview Health Services has decided to close the Minnesota Chemical Dependency Program for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Individuals due to budget cuts. Please write to the hospital to show support for the program and the services they provide to deaf and hard of hearing individuals in recovery.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Please send letters in support of the program</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/npxkNopWujI&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendly ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/JIIF65ao4x8&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about Fairview Chemical Dependency Program&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It has come to MNCDHH’s attention that Fairview Health Services has decided to close the Minnesota Chemical Dependency Program for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Individuals due to budget cuts. They plan to close in February 2020. This is one of the few programs designed for people who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing and seeking treatment for chemical dependency in our country. They have been providing services for 30 years.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn more about the financial difficulties that led to the decision to shut down the program on &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/ADARAorg&quot;&gt;ADARA’s Facebook page&lt;/a&gt;. ADARA posted a letter from Debra Guthmann, Ed.D. on December 10, 2019.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have any questions, contact Dr. Guthmann directly at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:dguthmann@aol.com&quot;&gt;dguthmann@aol.com&lt;/a&gt; or call/text 925-788-2852.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are asking you to contact Fairview Health Services and explain, in your own words, why it is important to keep the Minnesota Chemical Dependency Program. You may want to include these important points:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Minnesota Chemical Dependency Program covers an important gap in chemical treatment services. No other program provides direct services in American Sign Language (ASL).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;In other chemical dependency programs, deaf and hard of hearing people can only access the program during times where accommodations such as interpreting services are provided. Sometimes those accommodations are only provided during group sessions and lectures. This means that deaf and hard of hearing patients do not experience the same level of access as their peers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The quality and accessibility of the Minnesota Chemical Dependency Program is rare and offers deaf and hard of hearing patients the best chance of success. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Describe the impact the Minnesota Chemical Dependency Program has had on your life.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please send your letters to&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;James Hereford, President/CEO&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Fairview Health Services&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2450 Riverside Avenue&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minneapolis, MN 55454&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can also contact your legislators and ask them to support additional funding for the program.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;James Paul Beldon III for ASL talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mark Zangara for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>413159</id><Tag><Description/><Title>citizen advocate</Title><Id>310308</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>health care</Title><Id>310254</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-12-13T18:57:01Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Ask MNCDHH: Crisis Line for Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing Minnesotans</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Sun icon with the words, &quot;Get help.&quot; in the circle. The bottom left corner has stripes in green, yellow, and blue.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/My%20Post%20%281%29%20%281%29_tcm1063-411294.jpg</Url></Image><title>2019-11-25-ask-mncdhh-crisis-line-for-deaf-deafblind-hard-of-hearing-minnesotans</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-411297&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-11-25T16:06:03Z</Date><ShortDescription>Answer provided by Maggie Bangert, Community Engagement Advocate, ThinkSelf. Question: As someone new to Minnesota and who also previously worked in Missouri on a crisis line, I was wondering if the Minnesota crisis line has the capacity or is set up to take calls from individuals who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing. The crisis line where I trained had the specific phone equipment to take such calls, and I think it is very important. If it is already set up, kudos to Minnesota. If not, I would hope that is something that is in the works. Thank you.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>You ask, we answer</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Question&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As someone new to Minnesota and who also previously worked in Missouri on a crisis line, I was wondering if the Minnesota crisis line has the capacity or is set up to take calls from individuals who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing. The crisis line where I trained had the specific phone equipment to take such calls, and I think it is very important. If it is already set up, kudos to Minnesota. If not, I would hope that is something that is in the works. Thank you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Answer&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota does not have a one-stop crisis line for Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing individuals seeking support for all types of crisis. However, there is a range of Deaf-specific resources available as well as Minnesota-based and national crisis lines that are accessible via text or online chat. Minnesota also has the option of texting to 911 for emergency situations; 911 is also accessible via TTY. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ThinkSelf has a program focusing on supporting individuals who are experiencing unsafe relationships, assault, harassment, stalking, or general crime. They assist people in safety planning, exploring options, and navigating systems. ThinkSelf also works with the community in creating opportunities for healing, self-empowerment, and community accountability. Their videophone hotline and email are monitored during business hours. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Outside of business hours, Minnesota has a statewide hotline - the Day One Crisis Line - for individuals concerned about their safety and those who are victims of general crime. Day One connects individuals with over 90 agencies around the state who provide shelter and resources. Since 2014, ThinkSelf and Day One have worked closely together to improve accessibility for Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing individuals via training, technical assistance, and co-advocacy. The Day One hotline is available via text, chat, and phone. They are trained in responding to video relay calls. Additionally, there is a national Deaf domestic violence hotline.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Resources&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are some various resources available to Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing Minnesotans seeking support.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Relationship Concerns, Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault &amp;amp; General Crime&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://thinkself.org/&quot;&gt;ThinkSelf Deaf Adult Education &amp;amp; Advocacy&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
M-F 8am-5pm
&lt;br /&gt;
Videophone: 651-829-9089
&lt;br /&gt;
Email: &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:advocates@thinkself.org&quot;&gt;advocates@thinkself.org&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Even if you’re not sure if ThinkSelf offers the service you need, please give them a call! They are happy to work with you to make sure you find the resources and support you deserve.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Day One 24-Hour Crisis Line (domestic violence &amp;amp; sexual assault)
&lt;br /&gt;
Text: 612-399-9995
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;https://dayoneservices.org/&quot;&gt;Online chat&lt;/a&gt; (Click on &quot;Chat Now&quot; on the top, left corner)
&lt;br /&gt;
1-866-223-1111 (voice)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Crime Victim Support Line
&lt;br /&gt;
Text: 612-399-9977
&lt;br /&gt;
1-866-385-2699 (voice)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.thehotline.org/help/deaf-services/&quot;&gt;National Domestic Violence Hotline - Deaf Services&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Instant Messenger or Email: &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:nationaldeafhotline@adwas.org&quot;&gt;nationaldeafhotline@adwas.org&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
24/7 TTY: 1-800-787-3224
&lt;br /&gt;
24/7 Videophone: 1-855-812-1001&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional Resources&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.crisistextline.org/&quot;&gt;Crisis Text Line&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Crisis Text Line serves anyone, in any type of crisis, providing access to free, 24/7 support and information via text.
&lt;br /&gt;
Text “MN” to 741741&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mental Health Crisis
&lt;br /&gt;
Mental health crisis resources in Minnesota will vary by city and county; refer to the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/dhs/people-we-serve/people-with-disabilities/health-care/adult-mental-health/resources/crisis-contacts.jsp&quot;&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Services Adult Mental Health Crisis Response Phone Numbers&lt;/a&gt; for the most current information available.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.peopleincorporated.org/program/deaf-mental-health-services/&quot;&gt;People Incorporated&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For ongoing mental health support, People Inc. has Deaf Mental Health services.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;General Questions about D/DB/HH Services&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Not sure where to start? The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-hard-of-hearing/about-us/&quot;&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Services Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD)&lt;/a&gt; can offer advice on a range of topics including assistive technology, information about hearing loss, and mental health services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional Information&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For this &quot;Ask MNCDHH&quot; question, MNCDHH decided to ask ThinkSelf, a Minnesota community organization that specializes in adult education and advocacy, to provide this response. We appreciate Maggie&apos;s and ThinkSelf&apos;s help. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up to receive MNCDHH newsletters directly to your inbox. &lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNCDHH/subscriber/new?email=&quot;&gt;Sign me up!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Do you have a question for MNCDHH? &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3665562/Questions-for-MNCDHH&quot;&gt;Send us your questions!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>411297</id><Tag><Description/><Title>ask the commission</Title><Id>310292</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-12-15T15:39:04Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Social-Emotional Support Webinars</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A screenshot of the page with all four videos</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Capture_tcm1063-410086.JPG</Url></Image><title>2019-11-11-Social-Emotional-Support-Webinars</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-410085&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-11-12T21:10:59Z</Date><ShortDescription>Produced by Infinitec, with funding provided by Metro ECSU and the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing, and shared with MN educators and Infinitec Coalition members with permission. 2019 Copyright Metro ECSU. All rights reserved.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Learn strategies directly from students and adults</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/social-emotional-development/webinars/index.jsp&quot;&gt;social-emotional webinar series&lt;/a&gt; was created for teachers of students who are deaf/hard of hearing and other school team members to help them understand the experiences of their students.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The webinar series was developed by adults who have lived experiences in the mainstream (general education) setting, adults who grew up as the only student with hearing loss in their learning environment, adults who grew up in small programs for students who are D/HH, and adults who lost hearing later in life. Their shared stories provide the context for the evidence-based strategies. Some individuals used American Sign Language (ASL), some used spoken English, and one also used Cued Speech along with spoken English.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This series of 30 short real-life stories provides strategies for teachers to support social and emotional development, encouraging them to look at the whole child and the unique challenges that students who are deaf/hard of hearing have when social language access is limited. The hope is that this webinar will spark discussions to consider IEP goals and activities that support social-emotional development and self-identity for deaf/hard of hearing students. Metro ECSU and MNCDHH provided funding for the production of this webinar.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are four videos in total. All videos have closed captions and descriptive transcripts. The videos are:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/n0VpnymJets&quot;&gt;Introduction&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/E2WBQTnzooo&quot;&gt;Elementary School Years&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/LR1e3QmBhUc&quot;&gt;Middle School Years&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/c3xAmb9FsdA&quot;&gt;High School to Post High School Years&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Teachers who work in a district that is a member of Infinitec can earn teaching professional development clock hours by taking the pre and post quizzes on &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.myinfinitec.org/&quot;&gt;Infinitec&apos;s site&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Social and emotional development can be addressed in your student&apos;s and child&apos;s IEP. Visit the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/iep-discussion-guide/index.jsp&quot;&gt;&quot;Developing a Language and Communication Focused IEP: A Discussion Guide&quot; page&lt;/a&gt; for information about writing IEP goals.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contributors and Credits&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many thanks to the following contributors,&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ingrid Aasan, Metro ECSU Director of Special Education&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Anna Paulson, MNCDHH Coordinator of Educational Advancement &amp;amp; Partnerships&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Infinitec&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Script Writers: Jessalyn Akerman-Frank, Emily Kedrowski, Emily Manson, Ann Mayes, Diane Schiffler-Dobe&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;On-Screen Talent: Adults: Jessalyn Akerman-Frank, Emily Kedrowski, Emily Manson, Ann Mayes, Diane Schiffler-Dobe; Young Adults/Teens: Jaemi Hagen, Kobe Schroeder, Hannah Taylor, Ka Lia Yang&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;2019 Statewide Collaborative Plan’s Deaf Education Summit Stakeholders &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This project is made possible, in part, with a grant from the Minnesota Department of Education using federal funding, CFA 84.027A, Special Education - Grant to States. This project does not necessarily represent the policy of the federal Department of Education or the Minnesota Department of Education. you should not assume endorsement by the federal government or by the Minnesota Department of Education.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Produced by Infinitec, with funding provided by Metro ECSU and the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing, and shared with MN educators and Infinitec Coalition members with permission. 2019 Copyright Metro ECSU. All rights reserved.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>410085</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-11-12T21:28:31Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Meet MNCDHH’s New Executive Director, Dr. Darlene Zangara</Title><title>2019-11-04-Meet-MNCDHHs-New-Executive-Director-Dr-Darlene-Zangara</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-409261&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-11-04T16:46:18Z</Date><ShortDescription>A little about Darlene and what she plans to do first. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Zangara will start on Tuesday, November 12, 2019</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/vAPOVOEsp3k&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendly ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/zxFzSViDMHU&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with Darlene&apos;s introduction&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello everyone. My name is Dr. Darlene Zangara. I am thrilled to have been chosen to be the new Executive Director at the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I’d like to thank Governor Tim Walz, Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, the community members who participated in the online search process survey, the Search Committee members, the Interview Committee members, the MNCDHH board, and the staff for all of their hard work during the Executive Director Search Process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I’d also like to thank my colleagues at the Olmstead Implementation Office and Minnesota Housing &amp;amp; Finance Agency for their support.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About My History&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For the past five and a half years, I served as the Executive Director for the Olmstead Implementation Office (OIO). OIO’s mission is to ensure that people with disabilities live their best lives. Through OIO, I worked with a subcabinet from 13 state agencies appointed by the Governor, first Governor Dayton and then Governor Walz. By working together, we carried out a statewide plan, partnering with people and organizations from all over Minnesota to ensure that all voices are heard and included. I also provided education and resources to our legislators and developed relationships at the Capitol. Thanks to 1) my experiences at OIO, 2) my previous work and volunteer experiences with nonprofit organizations and community organizations, and 3) my relationships with state agencies, community organizations, and legislators around the state, I feel ready and excited to work at MNCDHH.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Getting to Know Each Other Better&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During my first few months at MNCDHH, I plan to spend time with&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;board members,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Commission staff,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing community members,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;parents of children who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;legislators and policy makers,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;and partner agencies&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;to enhance our relationships and develop stronger partnerships. All of our stakeholders have an important part in MNCDHH’s mission, which is to remove systemic barriers in Minnesota. Together, we can ensure that deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Minnesotans enjoy communication access and equal opportunity.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please follow MNCDHH’s newsletter, website, and social media for additional updates on our work and progress. Thank you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Taylor Gjesdahl for voiceover. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>409261</id><pubdate>2019-11-04T20:00:02Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2020 Presidential Primary</Title><title>2019-10-29-2020-Presidential-Primary</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-408649&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-10-29T18:43:17Z</Date><ShortDescription>For example, did you know that Minnesota is having both a Primary and a Presidential Nomination Primary in 2020? They each have a different purpose.  </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Upcoming election dates and why</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/57TKgYvkSzo&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendly ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/y1nVMtR7cdw&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about 2020 Presidential Primary&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2016, the Minnesota legislature passed a law establishing a presidential nomination primary (Minnesota Statutes Chapter 207A). In March 2020, Minnesota will hold a presidential nomination primary to vote for each participating major party’s nominee for President.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The primary will take place on March 3, 2020. Most polling places will be open from 7 AM to 8 PM. Find your polling place and learn how to vote early in person or by mail at mnvotes.org. Early (Absentee) voting begins on January 17, 2020.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Ballot&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Only major political parties will participate. Each party has its own ballot with only their candidates listed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You will be required to request only one party’s ballot when you vote, whether absentee or in-person at your polling place.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Your ballot will only list nominees for President for the party you requested.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A record of which party’s ballot you selected will not be public data, but be made available to the major political parties. Each major party chair will submit a list of candidates for their party, and will decide:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If there will be a write-in space on their party’s ballot.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Which write-in candidates’ vote will be counted.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The presidential nomination primary results will determine Minnesota’s delegates for each major party.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What Happened to Precinct Caucuses&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Precinct caucuses and local and state nominating conventions will still take place for other party business.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Precinct caucuses are meetings run by state political parties. They are the first in a series of meetings where parties may endorse candidates, select delegates, and set goals and priorities (party platforms).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The 2020 precinct caucuses will be held on Tuesday, February 25 at 7 p.m. This is one week before the Presidential Primary. Caucus locations will be posted at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting/&quot;&gt;mnvotes.org&lt;/a&gt; shortly before the caucus date.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Voting in August 2020&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition to the Presidential Nomination Primary, Minnesota voters will have the State Primary Election- held August 11, 2020 for offices other than President that need a primary election- and the General Election for President, U.S. Representatives, and other offices, held on November 3rd.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Questions?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please visit &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting/&quot;&gt;mnvotes.org&lt;/a&gt; for more information on voting and elections or contact our voters outreach team at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;James Paul Beldon III for ASL talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mark Zangara for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State for the original content.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Upcoming Election Dates&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Vote and participate!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2019 Election Dates&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;November 5, 2019 - Election Day: Some parts of Minnesota will have elections on County Commissioner Elections, School District Elections, and Municipal Elections.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2020 Election Dates&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;February 25, 2020 - Precinct Caucus&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;March 3, 2020 - Presidential Primary &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;March 10, 2020 - March Township (If you live in a township, check the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting/&quot;&gt;mnvotes.org&lt;/a&gt; website to see if you have an election on this date.)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;August 11, 2020 - Primary&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;November 3, 2020 - General Election&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>408649</id><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-10-29T19:55:56Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2019 Collaborative Experience Conference is Full</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The banner includes the State of Minnesota logo and the following text, &quot;Collaborative Experience Conference for parents and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing and their families.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/2019%20CE%20Header%20-%20Website_tcm1063-376411.jpg</Url></Image><title>2019-10-24-2019-Collaborative-Experience-Conference-is-Full</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-408374&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-10-24T20:15:29Z</Date><ShortDescription>The 2019 Collaborative Experience Conference is happening from November 7 to November 9, 2019, for education professionals and parents.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Registration is now closed</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The 2019 Collaborative Experience Conference is completely sold out. We look forward to seeing teachers, professionals, and parents at Breezy Point from November 7-9, 2019!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you missed your chance to register, take heart. This conference will return in 2021.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Follow MNCDHH&apos;s website, newsletter, and social media to be notified of future conferences.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>408374</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-10-24T20:17:13Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2019 Collaborative Experience Conference *Almost* Sold Out</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The banner includes the State of Minnesota logo and the following text, &quot;Collaborative Experience Conference for parents and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing and their families.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/2019%20CE%20Header%20-%20Website_tcm1063-376411.jpg</Url></Image><title>2019-10-23-2019-Collaborative-Experience-Conference-Almost-Sold-Out</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-407854&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-10-23T14:21:34Z</Date><ShortDescription>The 2019 Collaborative Experience Conference is happening from November 7 to November 9, 2019, for education professionals and parents.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Registration will close by Friday, October 25, 2019</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The 2019 Collaborative Experience Conference is almost sold out. We anticipate closing the registration for this conference on Friday, October 25, 2019.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please note that if the few remaining slots are filled beforehand, the registration will close earlier.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So if you have been planning to register, you should hurry and register now.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>407854</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-10-24T20:24:29Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Ask MNCDHH: How Do I Know if I Have a Disability?</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Icon of a person surrounded by question marks. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/My%20Post%20Copy%202%20%281%29_tcm1063-407787.jpg</Url></Image><title>2019-10-22 Ask MNCDHH: How Do I Know if I Have a Disability?</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-407786&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-10-22T15:44:46Z</Date><ShortDescription>I am 65 and employed. I have several disabilities which are minor. I consider myself a supporter or concerned individual, rather than someone with a real disability. As I age, some disabilities may become worse. How will I know if something is bad enough that I am disabled? Thanks!</ShortDescription><Subtitle>You ask, we answer</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Question: I am 65 and employed. I have several disabilities which are minor. I consider myself a supporter or concerned individual, rather than someone with a real disability. As I age, some disabilities may become worse. How will I know if something is bad enough that I am disabled? Thanks!&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is a great question! There is no black and white answer to when a person has a disability. Rather, it is very much a gray area. However, here are a few things for you to consider. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can look at how the law has defined disability.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a person with a disability, as a “person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity, a person who has a history or record of such an impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Social Security Office will provide disability benefits to individuals who &quot;are no longer able to perform a &apos;substantial&apos; amount of work as the result of a physical or mental impairment that is expected to last at least 12 months.&quot;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can look at how a dictionary has defined disability.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Merriam-Webster online dictionary describes &apos;disability&apos; as, &quot;a physical, mental, cognitive, or developmental condition that impairs, interferes with, or limits a person&apos;s ability to engage in certain tasks or actions or participate in typical daily activities and interactions.&quot;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Disability is also a personal identity. You can do a self-assessment as frequently as you like. Ask yourself,&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Is (are) my disability(ies) impacting my life in a significant way?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Are there tools and resources out there that can help me navigate through life easier?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you answer yes to these questions, or questions that are similar to this, you can decide if you identify yourself as a person with a disability.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While the law has defined qualifications so that they can screen who is eligible for services and accommodations, you maintain personal power to assessing your needs and identity. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When you are ready, please reach out for help and resources. There are many in the state of Minnesota. We suggest starting with the following websites:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/disability-mn/&quot;&gt;Disability Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://disabilityhubmn.org/&quot;&gt;Disability Hub MN&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>407786</id><Tag><Description/><Title>ask the commission</Title><Id>310292</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-12-15T15:39:04Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Empowering Deaf-Hearing Interpreting Teams in Emergency Television Broadcasts Workshop</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Collage of three photos. One with an interpreter working at a press conference with a speaker behind the podium, one of presenter Arkady&apos;s headshot, and one with presenter Christine&apos;s headshot.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Empowering%20Deaf-Hearing%20Interpreting%20TeamsCopy_tcm1063-406610.jpg</Url></Image><title>2019-10-15 Empowering Deaf-Hearing Interpreting Teams in Emergency Television Broadcasts Workshop</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-406603&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-10-15T16:14:40Z</Date><ShortDescription>January 25, 2020, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM at Metro Deaf School. Offering 0.6 CEUs at some content knowledge level. Free!</ShortDescription><Subtitle>With Arkady Belozovsky, CDI, CLIP-R, ASLTA, and Christine West, CI/CT, SC:L, Ed: K-12</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, Deafblind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Presents, &quot;Empowering Deaf-Hearing Interpreting Teams in Emergency Television Broadcasts&quot; Workshop with Arkady Belozovsky, CDI, CLIP-R, ASLTA, and Christine West, CI/CT, SC:L, Ed: K-12.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;January 25, 2020, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Metro Deaf School, 1125 Energy Park Dr, Saint Paul, MN 55108&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Workshop Presenters&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Arkady Belozovsky&lt;/strong&gt; earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees as well as three professional certificates from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). He went on to teach ASL/Deaf Studies and Interpreting at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) at RIT. He also taught at the University of New Hampshire at Manchester (UNHM) and served as the Co-Director of UNHM’s Deaf Studies program. Arkady was the first full-time Deaf faculty member at Brown University. He has been in the teaching field for a total of 16 years and also has an American Sign Language Teachers Association (ASLTA)-Professional Certificate. Currently working as a full-time self-employed freelance Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI) and CLIP-R (legal) for 27 years, Arkady has traveled the world presenting on topics that include the immigrant experience, various topics in interpreting, and Deaf history &amp;amp; culture. Arkady also served as the After Hours Emergency Referral and CART Services coordinator for the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (MCDHH) for 2 years. Three years ago, he began interpreting emergency press conferences for the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Christine West&lt;/strong&gt; is a staff interpreter at the  Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Boston. Prior to that, Christine was both a contract and staff interpreter at the Rhode  Island Commission on the Deaf and Hard of  Hearing in Providence. Christine received her generalist certifications (CI/CT) from RID in 2001.  She has also received specialist certifications in educational interpreting (Ed:K  12) and legal interpreting (SC:L). She has a B.A. degree in Deaf Studies from New York University and a M.A. degree in Deaf Education from San Diego State University. Currently, she is a graduate student at St. Catherine University in St.  Paul, Minnesota, where she is pursuing a Masters in Interpreting Studies and  Communication Equity. With a passion for emergency management interpreting,  Christine has undertaken recommended coursework for sign language interpreter strike teams through FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute’s Independent  Study Program. With completed coursework in the National Incident Management  System (NIMS), the Incident Command System (ICS), the National Response  Framework, NIMS Public Information System, NIMS Communication and Information Management, Civil Rights and FEMA Disaster Assistance, and other training topics. Christine was formerly a regular interpreter for both the state of  Rhode Island’s Emergency Management Advisory Council (EMAC) meetings for the Rhode Island Office of the Lieutenant Governor and for emergency press conferences for the Rhode Island Office of the Governor and the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency (RIEMA).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Course Description&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sign language interpreters are becoming more prominently featured in the media, such as in emergency press conferences. However, there have been inconsistencies in the quality of interpretation provided. This workshop will explore the use of best practices in utilizing Deaf-Hearing Interpreter teams for emergency press conferences. Topics will include: a look at trends in the media with the use of fake or unqualified interpreters; understanding statutory responsibilities to ensure emergency preparedness, response, and recovery efforts are fully accessible to deaf and hard of hearing individuals; benefits of using Deaf-Hearing Interpreter teams; establishing protocol for securing Certified Hearing Interpreter (CHI)/Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI) team for all emergency press conferences; ensuring funds are available for interpreting services, lodging, food; interacting with government and emergency management officials; interacting with media personnel (camera operators, reporters); establishing camera shots to optimize sight lines; the use of facial expressions/eye gaze by the Deaf Interpreter; utilizing community allies and partner agencies to ensure compliance; public perception of the interpreter; implications for educating the public about language, culture, and the role of the interpreter in emergency press conferences. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Educational Objectives&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Participants will watch recorded samples of emergency press conferences &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Participants will engage in group discussions &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Participants will perform hands-on activities (such as interpreting mock press conferences)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Target Audience&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Hearing and Deaf Interpreters&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How to Register&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/5257493/Registration-for-Empowering-Deaf-Hearing-Interpreting&quot;&gt;the RSVP link&lt;/a&gt; today. Registration for this event will close on January 10, 2020. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cost: Free&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This workshop will be presented in ASL. If you require an accommodation, please make note of what accommodation you will need on the registration form.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All participants are expected to treat other attendees with the utmost respect, including respecting all of the attendees&apos; time, space, ideas, and thoughts. They are also expected to treat everyone fairly and equally, regardless of race, sexual orientation, place of origin, political beliefs, sex, or age. MNCDHH will not tolerate harassment or discrimination of any kind. For questions, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/RID%20ACET%20combo_tcm1063-310018.jpg&quot; title=&quot;RID ACET combo&quot; alt=&quot;RID ACET combo&quot; style=&quot;width: 150px; height: 75px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;RID ACET combo&quot; /&gt; MRID is an Approved RID CMP Sponsor for continuing education activities. This professional studies program is offered for 0.6 CEUs at some Content Knowledge level.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A &lt;a href=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Empowering%20Deaf-Hearing%20Interpreting%20teams%20in%20Emergency%20Television%20Broadcasts%20Flyer_tcm1063-406599.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Empowering Deaf-Hearing Interpreting Teams in Emergency Television Broadcasts Flyer&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Empowering Deaf-Hearing Interpreting Teams in Emergency Television Broadcasts Flyer&quot;&gt;printable, accessible flyer (PDF)&lt;/a&gt; is available. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>406603</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>emergency management</Title><Id>310293</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-12-20T16:36:27Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2019 Collaborative Experience Conference: Supporting the Whole Child</Title><title>2019-10-14 2019 Collaborative Experience Conference: Supporting the Whole Child</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-406391&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-10-14T15:00:52Z</Date><ShortDescription>Includes registration and pricing information.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Fantastic presenters, important information, and more!</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/wAv1rc5OWNg&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendly ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/k9qy4PUdFDk&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about the 2019 Collaborative Experience Conference&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration is open for the 2019 Collaborative Experience Conference! This is the fourth biennial conference and is for professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing and their families. Professionals include teachers, school counselors, Vocational Rehab counselors, Deaf Mentors, Deaf/Hard of Hearing Role Models, Parent Guides, interpreters, and more. The conference is also for parents of students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. The conference theme is “Supporting the Whole Child,” which emphasizes 1. Academics and 2. Social and emotional support systems.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Collaborative Experience Highlights&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We have amazing presenters, including:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Leala Holcomb &amp;amp; Jonathan McMillan from Hands Land, for an ASL Session &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Stephanie Cawthon from National Deaf Center on “Raising the Bar for Postsecondary Success”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kristina Blaiser from Idaho State, on “Assessment Results as a Tool for Effective Family-Based Communication Development”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Gloshanda Lawyer from Lamar University, on “Language Justice for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students: Bringing ‘Translanguaging’ to Life”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Karen Putz from Ageless Passions, on “Supporting the Whole Child: The Gift of a Different Ability”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf YOGA and how to engage students in the practice of YOGA&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;And workshops on working in rural areas, facilitating identity development, boundaries and consent, suicide intervention, student refugees, behavioral strategies, self-advocacy skills development, transition, and more.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;An expo with 25 exhibitors who have great resources and information for parents and professionals!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Parent Scholarships&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Scholarships are available for parents of children who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing. To apply, email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:liza@eventivemeetings.com&quot;&gt;liza@eventivemeetings.com&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please note that when you submit your application, there will be a one-time $25 fee.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration and Price&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The cost is either:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;$225 for registration, meals, hotel room shared with conference participant OR&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;$300 for registration, meals, hotel room not shared with a conference participant.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are 350 spots total and every year the conference is sold out. So far, over 1/3 of the spots are filled. If you plan to attend the conference, move quickly! The registration link is available. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn more about the conference at &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/collaborative-experience/&quot;&gt;MNCDHH&apos;s website&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We look forward to seeing you there!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;James Paul Beldon III for ASL talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mark Zangara for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>406391</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-10-24T20:25:02Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Can Do Canines: Making a Difference</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Collage of people with their hearing dogs doing various activities</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Can%20Do%20Canines%20Header_tcm1063-404555.jpg</Url></Image><title>2019-10-01 Can Do Canines: Making a Difference</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-404213&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-10-01T19:57:39Z</Date><ShortDescription>Alan answers questions about Can Do Canines, service animals, and how people can get involved. Interviewed by Dalena Nguyen.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Interview with Founder and Executive Director, Alan Peters</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tell us about Can Do Canines. How did your organization begin and what is your mission?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I founded the organization in 1987. I was interested in doing something with dogs that would encourage mutually beneficial relationships between people and dogs. My wife was an audiologist and learned about hearing dogs being trained in California. She brought back some information and that encouraged me to approach both the deaf and the hard-of-hearing communities to see if there was interest in having hearing dogs trained here. The response was very positive and I decided to begin a program in Minnesota. Can Do Canines is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for people with disabilities by creating mutually beneficial partnerships with specially trained dogs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I understand that Can Do Canines provides service animals that specialize in different areas such as seeing-eye dogs, seizure disorders, hearing dogs, etc. Could you share a little information about how dogs are trained for each specialty?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We train five specific types of dogs to help with different needs. When necessary, we can train one dog to help with two of these disabilities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hearing Assist Dogs&lt;/strong&gt; alert their deaf or hard-of-hearing partners to a variety of everyday sounds they cannot hear, like an alarm clock, telephone, doorbell or oven timer, and potentially life-threatening noises, like an intruder or a smoke alarm.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mobility Assist Dogs&lt;/strong&gt; help people with physical disabilities by retrieving objects, pulling wheelchairs, opening doors, and getting an emergency phone. They are specially trained for the needs of our client.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Diabetes Assist Dogs&lt;/strong&gt; detect low blood sugar levels for people with type one diabetes complicated with hypoglycemic unawareness. The dog senses a change in the smell of their partner’s breath and then alerts their partner by touching them in a significant way.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Autism Assist Dogs&lt;/strong&gt; keep children with autism safe in public settings and help them experience the world more fully by offering comfort and assurance. These special dogs also serve as a social bridge between the family and the public.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Seizure Assist Dogs&lt;/strong&gt; respond to a person having a seizure by licking their face, retrieving an emergency phone, and alerting other family members. They are custom trained for the needs of the individual.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How many hearing dogs and individuals are matched each year? Is there any kind of waiting list?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Since we trained the first hearing dog in 1989 we have trained and graduated 205 hearing dogs. The number we train each year varies. For example, we have trained 10 during 2015, seven during 2016, six during 2017. Ten of our hearing dogs also served a person who had a second disability as well. The wait for a hearing dog is not usually very long, varying between a few months and a year. We have a longer wait for diabetes and autism dogs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How does one apply for a service animal? Are there things that individuals should consider before applying?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Applying is a combination of an application, an in-home interview, getting references and completing medical forms, including an audiogram. For a hearing dog placement to be successful it is best if the applicant expects to be living in a fairly stable situation for the next year. So this is not something to do when you are about to move to a new home or expecting some other significant life event. However, we always do our best to make it work.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2017, Can Do Canines proposed a law that made it illegal to &quot;misrepresent an unqualified animal as a service animal and subjects violators to a penalty.&quot; In August of 2018, it was signed into law. There are many people who think that people falsely claiming their pets as service animals are harmless. Why do you think this law is important? &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What this law does is create consequences for pretending to have a disability and pretending to have a service dog. Previously, deceiving the public was improper and maybe unethical, but it was not illegal. Making this practice illegal changes public perception. It also gives local police the right to step in when there is a perceived problem.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How has the rise in falsely labeled service animals affected your organization? How has it affected the people with service animals?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A real service dog will be calm, quiet, well-behaved and unobtrusive in public. Imposters are often agitated, aggressive or anxious around other dogs, pulling at the end of the leash, barking, sniffing, urinating, begging or a combination of these behaviors. The public often can&apos;t tell the difference and begin to assume that these misbehaved dogs are really service dogs. It is unfair to people who have real disabilities and well-trained service dogs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Are there ways that individuals can participate in your organization such as volunteering?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We have a variety of opportunities to volunteer, from helping at the office to working on fundraisers to raising a puppy. There are many choices &lt;a href=&quot;https://can-do-canines.org/volunteer/&quot;&gt;outlined on our website&lt;/a&gt;. Or a reader can email or call our volunteer coordinators to discuss options.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our graduates often help by giving presentations or introducing friends and family to our organization. Fundraising is an important part of what we do, as the training of both the person and the dog are provided free of charge.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What has been your favorite part of working at Can Do Canines?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is difficult to answer because there are so many great benefits of working at Can Do Canines! Here are three of my favorites.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;1. I get to meet so many wonderful people while doing this job including clients, staff, and volunteers. Everyone is dedicated to the mission and we are all working together to provide these well-trained canine helpers to those people who need them. It&apos;s just great to be part of this team.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2. Witnessing these special dogs changing and sometimes saving the lives of our clients feels really good. Knowing that we are making a real difference in our client&apos;s lives makes hard work and long hours feel well worth the effort.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;3. Of course, high on the list is working with these wonderful and hard-working canines. They are smart, talented and dedicated workers, but they can also be goofy, fun-loving companions who are blind to color and disability, and love you for who you are without reservation. I am a lucky guy to work here!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;All photos provided by Can Do Canines.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>404213</id><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>community spotlight</Title><Id>432585</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-05-19T06:00:51Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing will Showcase Emergency Communications Accessibility next week at the Minnesota Broadcasters Association Annual Conference in Duluth</Title><title>2019-10-01 Minnesota Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing will Showcase Emergency Communications Accessibility next week at the Minnesota Broadcasters Association Annual Conference in Duluth</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-406684&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-10-01T11:14:12Z</Date><ShortDescription>Press Release</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Statewide media Initiative serves as a call to action that emergency communications are vital to all Minnesotans</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For Immediate Release&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact: Robb Leer 612.701.0608&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Minnesota Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing will Showcase Emergency Communications Accessibility next week at the Minnesota Broadcasters Association Annual Conference in Duluth&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Statewide media Initiative serves as a call to action that emergency communications are vital to all Minnesotans&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saint Paul, Minnesota (October 1, 2019) - The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing announced today that they will be participating at the Minnesota Broadcasters Association&apos;s (MBA) Annual Conference, October 9th &amp;amp; 10th, in Duluth to showcase an emergency communications accessibility initiative. This campaign is being implemented to ensure that news coverage is inclusive to all Minnesotans, whatever their hearing status or primary language may be.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The purpose of participating in this annual MBA conference is to increase media awareness to the importance of communication equity while covering weather-related emergencies and other disasters. The campaign encourages media to voluntarily include American Sign Language (ASL) interpreting teams during media briefings and updates, such as news conferences and other emergency related events. Providing this will help share important information in a timely manner with a population that relies on these services to be informed, and most importantly, safe. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Twenty percent of Minnesota’s population has some degree of hearing loss, which may prevent them from obtaining potentially life-saving information. The facts are: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Nineteen percent rely on closed captioning to get the information they need. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Just under one percent use ASL as a primary language. This is estimated to be approximately 50,000 Minnesotans. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This important campaign was created after a recent instance of how the media came up short in relaying important information to those Minnesotans who rely on ASL interpreting. On March 15, 2019, Governor Tim Walz called a Peacetime State of Emergency in response to the spring flooding. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety hired ASL interpreters so that the media briefing would be accessible to deaf Minnesotans. One interpreter stood to the Governor’s right, while the other interpreter was placed in a seated position in front of him. The two interpreters worked together to ensure the full message was interpreted accurately.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All local television crews covering the event zoomed cameras past the interpreter, framing the screen tight on the Governor and other state officials. The only part of the interpreter that the audience could see was an arm. For an example of this, visit example 1 or example 2.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As part of the campaign, MNCDHH has posted a video link on its’ website with suggested screen framing of newsmakers and sign language interpreters. Written guidelines on newsgathering using sign language interpreters and captioning to distribute to all newsroom employees are also located on the site.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With this call to action and with the tools provided, the MNCDHH hopes that the media will include interpreters onscreen to provide information through an interpreter that is critical and sometimes lifesaving. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Attention Duluth &amp;amp; surrounding market reporters and editors - the MNCDHH has experts in American Sign Language available to be booked for interviews about this initiative. To help make coordinating and scheduling interviews easy and hassle-free, contact media consultant Robb Leer 612-701-0608 or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:robbl@leercommunications.com&quot;&gt;robbl@leercommunications.com&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information about this campaign and other initiatives of the Commission, please &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/&quot;&gt;visit their website&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>406684</id><Tag><Description/><Title>emergency management</Title><Id>310293</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>press release</Title><Id>320250</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-10-15T20:23:20Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Town Hall Meeting with DHHSD and MNCDHH *Canceled*</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The MDMC and State of Minnesota logos side by side</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/My%20Post_tcm1063-404083.jpg</Url></Image><title>2019-09-26 Town Hall Meeting with DHHSD and MNCDHH</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-404081&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-09-27T15:00:46Z</Date><ShortDescription>Learn what DHHSD and MNCDHH do and how/when to contact them.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Hosted by the Minnesota Deaf Muslim Community (MDMC)</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Update: This event is now canceled. A new date and time will be announced at a later date. Watch for it! &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD) and the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) are two very different organizations and can offer you different kinds of assistance (help). &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn what DHHSD and MNCDHH do and how/when to contact them. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The presentation is from 2-3 pm. Spend the rest of the time socializing and eating with our community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDMC members will bring the food and drinks!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/5238098/MDMC-Town-Hall&quot;&gt;RSVP for this event&lt;/a&gt; to help us plan. Thank you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Details&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Date: Saturday, November 16, 2019&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Time: 1 – 4 PM (with presentation from 2 – 3 PM)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where: Griggs Midway Building Corp&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;1821 University Ave W, St. Paul, MN 55104&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2nd Floor Training Room&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters are provided. If you need an additional accommodation, please contact MNCDHH by Friday, November 1, 2019. Email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This event is co-sponsored by MDMC, DHHSD, and MNCDHH.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>404081</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-11-14T21:10:21Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Farewell to the Community from Mary Hartnett</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Woman onstage with microphone in hand. Two sign language interpreters are also onstage. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/My%20Post%20%282%29_tcm1063-402411.jpg</Url></Image><title>2019-09-11 Farewell to the Community from Mary Hartnett</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-401912&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-09-11T17:32:26Z</Date><ShortDescription>Mary&apos;s appreciation for the community and her next steps. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Speech from Mary&apos;s September 3, 2019 Celebration</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I am the luckiest person in the world. For 19 years I got to be part of this great organization and work with you all to make the changes you wanted to see.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Every day I have learned from you and it’s made me a better person. There are so many people to thank today. We have created a web of networks together. It is a web that has been woven from different communities and allies. Deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing. Visual language, spoken language, tactile language. Legislators, researchers, attorneys, judges, state agencies, teachers, physicians, interpreters, captionists, deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind and parent and citizen advocates using their collective power to advance communication equity for children and adults.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Nothing is more energizing than successfully solving problems together. And we have been able to do it time and time again. By working together we have made the voting process, the legislature, the courts, technology, the education, health and human service and the campaign process more accessible and equitable.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I am grateful to the legislators who became our champions. And the staff at the capitol who supported us along the way. And became friends.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I am grateful for the close relationships we’ve developed with the Minnesota DeafBlind Association, the Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens, the Minnesota Deaf Muslim Community, Black Deaf Advocates, Hearing Loss Association of America and Minnesota Hands and Voices.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I want to thank my co-workers for the great work they do and their commitment to engaging the community and having the community vision guide the way. I want to thank the board for their courageous leadership. The Disability Agency Forum for the cross-disability work we have done to create a more equitable world. I want to thank every person that testified at the capitol and were willing to share their stories. And to the consultants who provided us the community expertise and technical expertise we needed to achieve our goals.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And I want to thank my family and friends for always being there. I especially want to thank my husband Joe and my daughter Rose for giving me the time to do work that I love. It has been a dream to work here. To work with people that I have so much respect for. I am excited for my next chapter. I am going to take a break for a few months, get reacquainted with family and friends and figure out my next steps.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It&apos;s bittersweet to leave a workplace you&apos;ve enjoyed. I realize I have been very fortunate. This place, this work, and its people have meant so much to me. I am proud to have been a member of the team here. I am going to miss you all. You&apos;ve been part of my journey for a long time. I&apos;ve already packed memories of fun, collaboration, consultation, and friendship into my heart to take with me. I look forward to seeing what happens next and the great work you will do together. Those of you that have attended the beginning of our work groups. Know that I start them by saying “ If you want to go fast go alone. If you want to go far, go together. “ There is so much more work to be done. The board and community have worked hard on their search for a new Executive Director. The best and the brightest have applied and a final offer and decision will soon be made. With your continued commitment to work together, there is no limit to what you can do.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Special Thanks from Mary&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thanks to everyone who came. This includes Gallaudet University President Bobbi Cordano and our elected officials, Senator Dave Senjem, Senator, Ann Rest, Senator John Hoffman, and Representative Diane Loeffler. There were many community and state leaders who attended, too many to name. All have a special place in my heart.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional information&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For additional information about the MNCDHH Board&apos;s process and decision-making about the next Executive Director, visit &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/deaf-commission/news/index.jsp?id=1063-401225&quot;&gt;Today&apos;s Board Meeting Decision.&lt;/a&gt;&quot;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>401912</id><Tag><Description/><Title>staff</Title><Id>317343</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-09-11T19:39:27Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Meet the Minnesota Speaking DeafBlind Group (MSDBG)</Title><title>2019-09-04 Meet the Minnesota Speaking DeafBlind Group (MSDBG)</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-401499&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-09-04T16:45:21Z</Date><ShortDescription>Interviewed by Dalena Nguyen</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Interview with Adrienne &quot;Ade&quot; Haugen, the host of MSDBG</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Ade_tcm1063-401500.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Ade Haugen&quot; alt=&quot;Ade Haugen&quot; style=&quot;width: 150px; height: 199px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Ade Haugen&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Adrienne (Ade) Haugen has worked with and advocated for communities that are affected with dual sensorial losses of hearing and vision locally, and at state and national levels for two decades. Currently, Haugen &quot;hosts&quot; the Minnesota Speaking DeafBlind Group (MSDBG). MSDBG was created to increase its outreach to Greater Minnesota. They achieve this through a group support email, monthly recorded conference calls that discuss different important topics, and an annual 24-hour retreat.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hi, Ade. Thanks for taking the time to talk about MSDBG. Could you give us a brief history of MSDBG, its goals, and the work it has done?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thanks to you as well for inviting me to share about MSDBGroup.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Through my own interest, through my terms served at MNCDHH as a commissioned member and through various communities&apos; advocacy in behalf of DeafBlind Minnesotans, I gained a wealth of information and strategies to serve and to ensure that the voices be heard regarding the quality of life for all stages of hard-of-hearing, deaf, blind and deafblind conditions. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In more recent years, I became keenly aware that especially in Greater Minnesota older adults, seniors and elderly with dual sensorial loss of hearing and vision have unique issues that have not been widely addressed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are some examples:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Living in their own home where lack of sensorial stimulation leads to isolation because there is very little or no social interaction with people. Compared to their previous and enjoyed community life, there is less social interaction and internet social connection to keep their minds and souls healthy. Or, even the lack of transportation means to attend church services on weekends or evenings when public county transports are off duty or not running.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Living in an assistive senior residence where they can&apos;t participate in the dining hall or social group because appropriate communication interactions is missing. This has happened when professionals and staff develop a false impression that the deafblind resident has dementia. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;In medical situations, there could be a lack of voiceover interpreters or an appropriate alternative to allow the deafblind senior to speak for themselves when dialoguing with medical staff. Such as, at a doctor appointment and the deafblind patient cannot understand what some of the staff and/or doctor is saying because of poor dialect or because they are speaking too fast or softly. Another issue is the need of having proper sighted guiding. Environmental information is important for the blind patient to feel secure.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In collaboration with others that have a similar disability as me-people who are users of assistive listening devices and are legally blind, it was decided to take things into our own hands after many years of trying to get funded support for these specific needs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Around April of 2017, our pioneering small group of four decided to merge from our independent group emails by continuing to dialogue through Google Groups email support list system. We agreed to identify ourselves as the Minnesota Speaking DeafBlind Group with the acronym MSDBG. We agreed that the email group list would be a by invitation only status. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Mission of MSDBG is to have outreach throughout the Greater Minnesota regions outside of the 5-Counties Metro region who are underserved or unserved. The focus of MSDBG is to provide hard-of-hearing DeafBlind Minnesotans, those who are non-signers and use voice communication, at ages from young adults to elderly, to provide deafblind related information and resources.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So far, MSDBG has been highly supported by DHS/DHHSD, DBSM, VLR, and other great institutions in Minnesota. MSDBG has moved forward in our outreach goals through our email support group list, monthly conference calls featuring topics aligned toward deafblind issues, and after a successful 2018 MSDBG Retreat, we will be having our second “annual” MSDBG Retreat in 2019.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why do you think the work MSDBG does is important?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Oh, it is very important! Many hard of hearing people tend to not reach out any further than going to the ENT doctor, the audiologist or hearing aid dealers. They just put up with the usual isolation that tends to become a “norm”. For me, after reaching the legally blind status, I became proactive after encouragements from role models and mentors. I was informed regarding my own quality of life and rights; and, I increasingly asked questions and had many discussions with others similar to my own disability situation. I had an urgency to do more, not only for myself but for others with similar experiences. The urgency for the rights and dignity of the aging population has increased. I am a Baby Boomer and this particular group is going to not only need to be heard but served as well! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To prevent excessive isolation, loneliness, depression, and the development of dementia, appropriate intervention(s) must be provided; such as, (1) extending transportation funds to provide transportation to church services and events, and community events during evenings and weekends, (2) to develop funded systems of volunteer or minimal paid support systems specified to assist the hard-of-hearing deafblind do business or shopping for groceries.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The current MSDBG members are ranging in ages of about 30 to past 90 years old. It is agreed by MSDBG members that the importance of prevention of harm at its earliest stage is best.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How do you work toward achieving those goals? What have been barriers to achieving those goals?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MSDBG works with technology. All members are widespread in Minnesota. Currently, members are from Buyck, Duluth, Rochester, Faribault, Olivia, Alexandria area and McIntosh; and, some are in the Twin Cities.  Together, the MSDBGroup members share creativeness from past experiences and knowledge toward brainstorming outreach goals through emails and phone calls. I have basically been the ’go-to’ or the ‘host’ of MSDBG. With this honored privilege, I make the contacts to various VIPs who support MSDBG to work something into action or take suggestions where to go next. All of the contacts have been wonderfully supportive and encouraging. Most importantly, all of them have a willingness to make the MSDBG project a success. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Barriers for MSDBG has been minimal so far. To note, MSDBG’s project had a huge breakthrough with state funding beginning in the Spring of 2018, just one year after MSDBG’s conception!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How many members does MSDBG have? How did you find each other?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Currently, we have at least 12 subscribers to the MSDBGroup email support list. After the initial number of MSDBG members of four back in 2017, others were found through cooperative referrals to me by Minnesota state agencies that work with speaking, non-signing and hard-of-hearing deafblind clients. Due to ADA regulations, by an agreement with the client, referrals are given to me with careful information scrutiny.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Speaking DeafBlind is a rare perspective and identity. What does &quot;Speaking DeafBlind&quot; mean? Why do you and your group identify as Speaking DeafBlind?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our DeafBlind group does accept the term “DeafBlind” to mean that there is a medical issue of varying ranges of hearing loss and legal vision loss. Typically, the immediate understanding of the term DeafBlind by the general public may mean in this way: the word “Deaf” indicating a Deaf person who communicates in ASL, sign language, and signing interpreters. The word “Blind” indicating a person who has a legal vision loss. For the Hard-of-Hearing DeafBlind population, there is a difference in communication needs. This group can utilize communication with assistive listening devices and through voice interpreters.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The initial four MSDBG members voted unanimously to be identified SPEAKING DeafBlind people. This is to inform the public that by the word “speaking” we are a specific deafblind group and are not sign language based for communication. And that we are not a Deaf Culture society but grew up in the Hearing Culture society. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How can other communities and organizations be more inclusive to the Speaking DeafBlind community?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It has been noted for years that there has been an obvious discrepancy of website claims by Minnesota DeafBlind organizations and state agencies indicating that they do &quot;Minnesota outreach&quot; which is not true. Outreach implies that there is inclusiveness which means it should include the entire state of Minnesota. DeafBlind Metro headquartered organizations and some agencies assigned to include all Minnesota deafblind continually and inadvertently limits, usually severely limits, the opportunities for Greater Minnesota DeafBlind to participate in Metro located events. It has been known that Metro institutions either do not desire to share general funds or have limited funding or have not desired to consider events outside of the Metro region to provide access for the DeafBlind in Greater Minnesota. Flyers and invitations need to come promptly but because these materials do not come in time, the DeafBlind living farther than safe travel times are excluded.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Recognized common travel problems are the times of events and the non-existence of a budgeted per diem allowance that would fund travel expenses and a required overnight’s stay.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I can only ask that the Greater Minnesota DeafBlind be served with unique considerations. Some ideas could include expanding satellite locations to encourage more inclusion of participants rather than asking long-distance travelers to attend an event in the Metro area, and another one could be a mass conference call for those who can listen in on the events’ presentations. A third idea would be an agency, such as DHS/DHHSD, providing funding toward MSDBG Annual Retreats.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What have been your favorite parts about working with MSDBG? What have been your favorite memories?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;My favorite part about MSDBG is the joy of seeing that the outreach effort is working. There have been several joyous memories: a woman cried at the 2018 MSDBG Retreat saying that she was so grateful to meet others like herself in person; a woman during a conference call with the topic “Holiday Blues” expressed her relief in hearing such great tips and asked questions how she could acquire mental health counseling through DHHS; and, a husband and wife living deep in the north-east part of Minnesota excitedly appreciated the great information given by experienced call-ins during an “Open Forum” conference call. It seems that every time we have had a conference call or shared something in email to the group and at the first 2018 MSDBG Retreat that morale was built up toward more hope while living with deaf-blindness.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How can people in the community help MSDBG achieve its goals? Where can they find more information about MSDBG?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MSDBG exists through comradeship with a clear understanding in regard to hearing and vision loss resulted by genetics, illness or traumatic injury or aging influences. Children and young adults&apos; quality of life has benefited from legislative funding efforts by the  MNCDHH. Many of the older adults, seniors and elderly affected with deaf-blindness are the ones who have not gotten the kind of benefits to assist/provide humanitarian seniors quality of life. Thus, outreach to this population needs to better serve the underserved and the unserved who are residing in the deeper parts of Greater Minnesota. In the meantime, Minnesota state agencies and organizations working with hard-of-hearing Speaking DeafBlind clients can help asking if they desire to meet others like themselves and send a referral with contact information to the Minnesota Speaking DeafBlind Group. The participation and support toward their referrals and to MSDBG is appreciated!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To get more information about MSDBGroup, please contact me (Ade) at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:adrienne.haugen67@gmail.com&quot;&gt;adrienne.haugen67@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt; or at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:adriennehaugen@icloud.com&quot;&gt;adriennehaugen@icloud.com&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional information&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The views, information, or opinions expressed during this interview are solely those of the individual(s) involved and do not necessarily represent those of the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH), including board members and employees.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Special thanks to interviewer Dalena Nguyen. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>401499</id><Tag><Description/><Title>citizen advocate</Title><Id>310308</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>community spotlight</Title><Id>432585</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>deafblind</Title><Id>499876</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-09-20T18:41:42Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2019 Legislative Wrap Up</Title><title>2019-09-03 2019 Legislative Wrap Up</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-401255&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-09-03T15:19:59Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNCDHH is proud to share the results of the 2019 Legislative Session. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Led 7 bills (5 bills passed, 2 bills did not)</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/ivJRdKbQT78&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendly ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/EIrDEsls8gk&quot; title=&quot;ASL video of 2019 legislative wrap up&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;That’s a wrap! MNCDHH and advocates have had a great year at the Capitol. Thank you for your advocacy. Together, we introduced seven bills.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Five bills passed.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Two bills did not pass.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH’s Request for Increased Funding – Passed!&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/EIrDEsls8gk?t=83&quot;&gt;ASL version: 1:23&lt;/a&gt;] [&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/ivJRdKbQT78?t=153&quot;&gt;DeafBlind version: 2:33&lt;/a&gt;]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH will receive an increase of $450,000 per year from the Telecommunications Access Minnesota (TAM) fund. We will use the increase for several important things:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;To bring together groups to work on policy change in education, health care, employment, technology, access to public service that benefit the whole state, and encourage civic engagement.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;To cover the costs of a new policy analyst and a government relations director.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;With more staff and more work, our need for accommodations such as interpreters and CART has increased. This will help us cover the costs.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This brings MNCDHH’s annual budget from $1.2 million to $1.7 million (not $1.6 million).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Health &amp;amp; Human Services: Renew the Newborn Hearing Screening Advisory Committee – Passed!&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/EIrDEsls8gk?t=196&quot;&gt;ASL version: 3:16&lt;/a&gt;] [&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/ivJRdKbQT78?t=362&quot;&gt;DeafBlind version: 6:02&lt;/a&gt;]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Newborn Hearing Screening Advisory Group was scheduled to sunset, which means it was scheduled to end. Thanks to supporters, this committee will continue. The Newborn Hearing Screening Advisory Group evaluates Minnesota’s Early Hearing Detection &amp;amp; Intervention (EHDI) program outcomes. They make sure that the program is effective, culturally appropriate, and that children and families are getting the services they need.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Committee members have influence on Minnesota’s programs and services, including language acquisition. There is already a seat for a culturally Deaf person, typically someone from the Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens (MADC) and a seat for a hard of hearing person who primarily uses spoken language. This year, the law added seats for someone from the Deaf Mentor Family Program and someone from the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Education: Add a definition of interveners for deafblind children so it is clear they are an option to parents and to districts – Passed!&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/EIrDEsls8gk?t=358&quot;&gt;ASL version: 5:58&lt;/a&gt;] [&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/ivJRdKbQT78?t=684&quot;&gt;DeafBlind version: 11:24&lt;/a&gt;]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A definition of the work of intervenors for deafblind children is now in statute. The state has provided funding for interveners for deafblind children for almost 30 years but never defined the specific tasks and duties that they perform.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;National advocates asked MNCDHH to lead this effort because it will support advocacy efforts to get the Alice Cogswell and Anne Sullivan Macy Act passed, a bill that will strengthen IDEA and require more customized services for children who are blind, deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota is the first state to define intervenor services and duties, which we hope will lead to recognition of this service as a best practices and a requirement in all 50 states.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Employment: State employees with disabilities provisions modified, working group created, and report required – Passed!&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/EIrDEsls8gk?t=494&quot;&gt;ASL version: 8:14&lt;/a&gt;] [&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/ivJRdKbQT78?t=953&quot;&gt;DeafBlind version: 15:53&lt;/a&gt;]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thanks to this new law, the commissioner from each state agency is required to have a plan for implementing the state’s IT accessibility standards. All agencies are required to report the use of the state’s accommodations reimbursement fund and include the number of accommodations required, approved, and denied.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota Management &amp;amp; Budget (MMB) is required to consult with Vocational Rehabilitation Services and the State Services for the Blind (SSB) to improve the state’s hiring and retention rates if they identify problems in the Affirmative Action report.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2018, the state’s Affirmative Action report reported that 56% of state employees with disabilities leave state work within a year. We need to find out why.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;An advisory group will be established. This group will make recommendations to the legislature and MMB on how to improve the recruitment and retention of state employees with disabilities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MMB will need to continue to track and report the percentage of state employees with disabilities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The law also removed an old line that allowed the state to not pay employees with disabilities for trial work programs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessible IT at the Capitol – Passed!&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/EIrDEsls8gk?t=718&quot;&gt;ASL version: 11:58&lt;/a&gt;] [&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/ivJRdKbQT78?t=1398&quot;&gt;DeafBlind version: 23:18&lt;/a&gt;]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Legislative Coordinating Commission (LCC) will establish a work group to decide on the Legislative IT Accessibility Standards for the Capitol, including the House and the Senate. This work group will also develop an implementation plan so that legislative staff, legislators, and citizens with disabilities can participate in the legislative process and not experience barriers with digital technology. MNCDHH is excited and looking forward to the work group’s results.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Education: Change state law to allow charter schools to provide special education to deaf and hard of hearing students at early ages – Did not pass&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/EIrDEsls8gk?t=810&quot;&gt;ASL version: 13:30&lt;/a&gt;] [&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/ivJRdKbQT78?t=1581&quot;&gt;DeafBlind version: 26:21&lt;/a&gt;]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We wanted to change state law so Metro Deaf School, a special education Charter School, can be reimbursed for providing preschool services to deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing children aged birth to three. They are able to get reimbursed for children four and older, but the way the current statute is written, they are unable to get reimbursed for younger children. Babies and toddlers need access to preschools with language-rich environments. Sadly this did not go through. We’ll try again.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Education: Funding for teacher preparation program for teachers of the blind and low vision – Did not pass&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/EIrDEsls8gk?t=892&quot;&gt;ASL version: 14:52&lt;/a&gt;] [&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/ivJRdKbQT78?t=1744&quot;&gt;DeafBlind version: 29:04&lt;/a&gt;]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We were surprised that this did not pass since it received a lot of support from legislators and community advocates. We will work closely with the National Federation for the Blind and see what next steps they would like to pursue. This bill would have supported additional funding to explore, develop, and establish a teacher preparation program leading to licensure for teachers of the blind and low vision.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Bills that MNCDHH supported and were led by others&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/EIrDEsls8gk?t=958&quot;&gt;ASL version: 15:58&lt;/a&gt;] [&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/ivJRdKbQT78?t=1871&quot;&gt;DeafBlind version: 31:11&lt;/a&gt;]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH supported bills that were led by others. Here are brief summaries of their bills:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD) – This was led by DHHSD through the Governor and passed. The changes will modernize the Telecommunications Equipment Distribution (TED) program. The new changes will let the TED program staff help applicants apply for reduced cost phone service and provide more equipment options. The 2019 legislature also increased the grant funding used to make more interpreters available for community interpreting in Greater Minnesota by $422K ($211K a year). &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Statewide Longitudinal Education Data System (SLEDS) – The funding was scheduled to end this year but we supported it continuing. SLEDS is important to use as this is where we get the data to measure outcomes for children. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota State Academies – We supported and advocated for their funding increase. MSA got their base and they also received some of their funding increase but not all of it. They received a $515,000 increase. MSA shared their updates in their Superintendent updates. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The expansion on the health insurance mandate for hearing aid coverage. Right now, the mandate only covers children from ages 0-18. This year, MNCDHH supported efforts to get adults covered. Sadly it did not pass but we are working on getting a cost-benefit analysis done to help us plan for the future.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;James Paul Beldon III for ASL talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mark Zangara for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>401255</id><Tag><Description/><Title>accessible technology</Title><Id>310264</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>language acquisition</Title><Id>310294</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>hearing aids</Title><Id>310255</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>employment</Title><Id>310253</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-07-10T23:28:08Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Today&apos;s Board Meeting Decision</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Icons of board members at a meeting table. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/My%20Post%20Copy%203%20%282%29%20%281%29_tcm1063-401227.jpg</Url></Image><title>2019-08-30 Today&apos;s Board Meeting Decision</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-401225&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-08-30T20:55:21Z</Date><ShortDescription>A conditional offer has been submitted to finalist Darlene Zangara, Ph.D.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Results, the process, and how to follow the updates</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On Friday, August 30, 2019, the board members of the Minnesota Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) held an open special meeting to receive the Executive Director Search Committee recommendations and decide if they will submit a  job offer to one of the finalists.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The board decided to submit a &lt;strong&gt;conditional&lt;/strong&gt; offer to Darlene Zangara, Ph.D. The offer is subject to acceptance of the offer, background and reference checks, approval by the governor, and any other processes that might be required. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Search Process&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is another step forward during this long search process, which included:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Creating a search committee with community stakeholders and board members. The following organizations sent a representative: Hearing Loss Association of America - Twin Cities Chapter, Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens (MADC), Minnesota Deaf Muslim Community, Minnesota DeafBlind Association, Minnesota Hands &amp;amp; Voices, and St. Paul/Minneapolis Black Deaf Advocates. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Gathering community input on the important qualities needed in the next Executive Director.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Drafting the job posting, which included minimum and preferred qualifications.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Developing the interview questions and scoring rubric (criteria).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Designing the interview process, which included the first round of interviews via video and the second round of interviews in person.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Selecting the candidates to interview from the list of ten resumes forwarded by Human Resources (HR) who met the minimum qualifications. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Establishing an interview committee that included representatives of MNCDHH&apos;s board and major stakeholder groups. This committee interviewed the five chosen candidates on August 9 and narrowed the list down to three finalists. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Inviting three finalists to a second interview, who consented to having their names, pictures, and bios shared with the public. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Discussing and coming to a unanimous decision to recommend one finalist to the board.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Stay up to date&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For updates, follow MNCDHH&apos;s newsletter, website, videos, and social media. We will continue to share information as the board takes the next steps following up on today&apos;s decision. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have questions, contact Board Chair Michele Isham at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:misham@bentonstearns.k12.mn.us&quot;&gt;misham@bentonstearns.k12.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.  &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>401225</id><Tag><Description/><Title>board</Title><Id>310266</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>staff</Title><Id>317343</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-09-11T16:58:39Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Registration for the 2019 Collaborative Experience is Open</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The banner includes the State of Minnesota logo and the following text, &quot;Collaborative Experience Conference for parents and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing and their families.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/2019%20CE%20Header%20-%20Website_tcm1063-376411.jpg</Url></Image><title>2019-08-26 Registration for the 2019 Collaborative Experience is Open</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-400696&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-08-26T17:21:19Z</Date><ShortDescription>Updated information about registration, workshops, parent sponsorships, and CEU opportunities. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>For parents &amp; professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration is open!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Collaborative Experience Conference planning committee and staff have done a fantastic job developing this conference, but the community of attendees is what makes The Collaborative Experience so special each year. We look forward to sharing an inspiring, productive, and fun conference. Check out the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/collaborative-experience/&quot;&gt;Conference Schedule&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://2019collaborativeexperience.eventbrite.com/&quot;&gt;Register Now&lt;/a&gt; to guarantee your attendance. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/collaborative-experience/&quot;&gt;Parent Scholarships&lt;/a&gt; are available.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>400696</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-10-24T20:26:39Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Special Board Meeting Announcement</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Outline of the State of Minnesota on top of a marbled background. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/My%20Post%20Copy%203%20%281%29_tcm1063-400567.jpg</Url></Image><title>2019-08-23 Special Board Meeting Announcement</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-400566&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-08-23T23:42:55Z</Date><ShortDescription>Information about location, meeting agenda, and more</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Board will receive and review interview committee recommendations</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The board members of the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) is pleased to announce that we will host a special board meeting on Friday, August 30, 2019. The meeting is open to the public.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Meeting Location&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lifetrack Resources&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;709 University Ave, W&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;St. Paul, MN 55104&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Agenda&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;8:00 a.m. Call to order and board member attendance roll call&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;8:05 a.m. Review and Succession Planning Committee recommendation for Executive Director&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Committee recommendation presentation&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Board discussion&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Board response to committee recommendation&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Next steps&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;12 noon - Adjourn (meeting could end earlier if work is completed)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Parking and directions&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There is free parking on both sides of the building and around the block. Please, do not park in the bakery next door’s parking lot. You will be towed. We encourage carpooling or using the Light Rail. The Dale Street station is very close to Lifetrack.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL interpreters and CART will be provided. DeafBlind interpreters will be provided upon request. Please send requests to Dalena Nguyen at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:dalena.nguyen@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;dalena.nguyen@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; by Tuesday, August 27, 2019.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>400566</id><Tag><Description/><Title>board</Title><Id>310266</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>staff</Title><Id>317343</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-08-23T23:58:18Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Executive Order 19-15</Title><title>2019-08-14 Executive Order 19-15</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-399137&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-08-14T14:01:26Z</Date><ShortDescription>This is great news and our work continues. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Increased State Employment of People with Disabilities</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/Au0kMKpl2GA&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendly ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/mIDIT5XIELk&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about executive order 19-15&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH is pleased to share that on April 1, 2019, Governor Tim Walz signed &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/assets/2019_04_01_EO_19-15_tcm1055-378183.pdf&quot;&gt;Executive Order 19-15 (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;, which is a replacement for former Governor Mark Dayton’s Executive Order 14-14.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This executive order provides for increased state employment of people with disabilities from 7% to 10%.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tell me more about why we need this executive order.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 1999, ten percent of state employees had a disability. The number had plummeted to 3.8% in 2014. Governor Dayton&apos;s Executive Order 14-14 required that at least 7% of state employees be people with disabilities. The order included language that staff must be trained on the benefits of hiring people with disabilities, reinstates a state law that allows qualified applicants with disabilities to be hired without a competitive process (Connect 700), and that a website tracks and monitors the state&apos;s progress on meeting the hiring goals.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH helped to develop the website in collaboration with Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB). We also sit in on the cross-agency committee that meets bi-monthly to ensure implementation. Lastly, the Commission also led efforts with EO-14-14 and EO-19-15.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What happens next.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The State of Minnesota reached the 7% goal in August 2018. On April 1, 2019, Governor Tim Walz decided to continue the order and signed Executive Order 19-15, which requires that at least 10% of state employees be people with disabilities. This will bring the percentage up to what it was back in 1999 as well as provide a new component, which is section 6.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Section 6: is the requirement that MMB will collaborate with Minnesota IT Services to provide advice and guidance for updating hiring tools to ensure accessibility and usability for all people with accessibility standards developed by Minnesota IT Services under Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 16E.03, subdivision 9, and to provide information and communication technology content, tools, and resources that are accessible to and usable by employees with disabilities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Agencies will consult with the Chief Information Accessibility Officer (CIAO) or the CIAO&apos;s delegates prior to procuring new technology software or hardware.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Gratitude and Other Executive Orders&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH will continue to support the goals in the executive order.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you to all of the people who supported Executive Orders 14-14 under Governor Dayton, which is now 19-15 under Governor Walz. We would also like to thank the offices of both Governors for their support of people with disabilities and state employees.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are also pleased that Governor Walz has signed &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/assets/2019_03_29_EO_19-13_tcm1055-377973.pdf&quot;&gt;Executive Order 19-13 (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;, which supports people with disabilities through the implementation of Minnesota’s Olmstead Plan and &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/assets/2019_04_01_EO_19-14_tcm1055-378182.pdf&quot;&gt;Executive Order 19-14 (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;, which provides state agency coordination of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Office of Governor Tim Walz &amp;amp; Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Members of the Disability Agency Forum for their amazing work and unity:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNCDHH&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MN Council on Disability&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MN DHS/Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MN Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MN IT Services/Office of Accessibility&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MN Office of Ombudsman for Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MN Olmstead Implementation Office&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MN STAR Program&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MN State Services for the Blind (SSB)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Regina Daniels for ASL talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jamie Schumacher for voiceover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>399137</id><Tag><Description/><Title>employment</Title><Id>310253</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>accessible technology</Title><Id>310264</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-08-14T15:55:23Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>The Great Minnesota Get-Together is for Everyone!</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Photo collage of food on a stick, a Ferris wheel, and a crowd of people. The following text is visible, &quot;MN State Fair, MNCDHH, Accessibility, Legislators&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/State%20Fair%20Graphic-web_tcm1063-398376.jpg</Url></Image><title>2019-08-12 The Great Minnesota Get-Together is for Everyone!</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-398371&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-08-12T14:34:31Z</Date><ShortDescription>Where MNCDHH representatives will be, information about accommodations, and where to find legislators and state agencies. Special thanks to Maddy Schopf, Communication Access Intern, for putting this together!</ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNCDHH, Accessibility, &amp; Legislators</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visit MNCDHH&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing will be at the Minnesota State Fair on Monday, August 26, 2019, and on Thursday, August 29th, 2019.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon (OSS)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jessalyn Akerman-Frank and Sarah Arana are signed up to staff the SOS booth on Monday, August 26 at the Lower Grandstand. They will be there from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and will be glad to chat about voting and being civically engaged!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota Council on Disability (MCD)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Find us on Thursday, August 29, from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. in the Education Building at MCD’s booth. Maddy Schopf and Dalena Nguyen will be at the booth from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jessalyn Akerman-Frank and Lloyd Ballinger will be working from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Anne Sittner Anderson and Mohamed Mourssi-Alfash will be there from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Stop by MCD&apos;s booth to chat with us. We’d love to see you there!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota State Fair is committed to providing equal access and a pleasant experience for all its guests. Please visit the Minnesota State Fair’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mnstatefair.org/general-info/accessibility-guide/&quot;&gt;webpage for more information on accessibility&lt;/a&gt;. Some of the resources available are:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;During the fair, ASL interpreters are available from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Inquire about this free service at 651-288-4448 or stop by the Admin Too Building on Cosgrove Street. Special requests will be accommodated based on interpreter availability. (This means if you want an interpreter when you are visiting booths or other events that do not have a scheduled interpreter, call the number or stop by their booths to schedule this. We recommend calling ahead.)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Assistive Listening Devices are available free for use during Grandstand shows. Receivers and headsets are available from the guest services desk on the east side of the Grandstand Plaza. A valid driver&apos;s license or state ID and a credit card are required for a deposit. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A &lt;a href=&quot;https://assets.mnstatefair.org/pdf/19-accessibility-guide.pdf&quot;&gt;printable accessibility guide (PDF)&lt;/a&gt; includes a fair map, more information on special services, and accommodations for guests with disabilities.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Find it at the Fair: Booths&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visit Legislators and Voting Resources&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota State Senate – Education Building, in the building on the east wall.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Minnesota House of Representatives – Education Building, along the east wall. The House’s state fair poll, that lets fair goers give their opinions on a variety of legislative issues, will be available in Braille for the first time at the booth.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;FairVote Minnesota – Education Building, north center section.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;U.S. Senator Tina Smith – West side of Underwood St. between Dan Patch Ave. and Carnes Ave.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar – North side of Judson Ave. between Nelson St. and Underwood St.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Public Radio – Live broadcast of a political discussion with Amy Klobuchar and Rep. Jim Newberger. August 25th, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. North side of Judson Ave. between Nelson St. and Underwood St.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Dean Phillips for Congress – East side of Cooper St. between Wright Ave. and Dan Patch Ave.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visit your Political Party&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Independence Party of Minnesota – Dan Patch Ave. just off the corner of Underwood Street and next to the “Big Fat Bacon” booth.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Libertarian Party of Minnesota – West side of Nelson St. between Carnes Ave. and Judson Ave., adjacent to the DNR Music Stage.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Democratic Famer Labor Party – On the corner of Dan Patch Ave. and Cooper Street.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Republican Party of Minnesota – South side of Carnes Ave. between Nelson Street and Underwood Street.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Green Party of Minnesota – Is not participating in the fair this year, they will not have a booth.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visit your Government Agency&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota State Council on Disability – Education Building, north aisle.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Secretary of State – The Lower Grandstand, north center section in spaces 84 and 85.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Board of Aging – Education Building, in the back right corner.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Department of Education - Education Building, southwest corner.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Department of Health - two locations! 1) Randall Ave. in the Progress Center and 2) in the Education Building, east wall.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Department of Natural Resources - Dept. of Natural Resources Building, between Carnes &amp;amp; Judson avenues &amp;amp; Clough &amp;amp; Nelson streets.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Department of Revenue - Education Building, southeast section.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Department of Transportation - tow locations! 1) Randall ave, in the Progress Center and 2) Education Building, southeast corner.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs - Education Building, just inside the main entrance.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota IT Services - Education Building, southeast section&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Randall Ave, in the Progress Center&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Related Booths&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Lions Eye Bank &amp;amp; Hearing - Education Building, center aisle section&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Health Fairs - Southwest corner of Dan Patch Ave. &amp;amp; Cooper St. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;American Sign Language (ASL) Day at the Fair!&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;North Star American Sign Language Events is hosting ASL Day at the Minnesota State Fair. Join us on Monday, September 2nd, 2019 for a day at the fair filled with fun, food on a stick, friends, and ASL! Visit the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/events/2123037618014436/&quot;&gt;Facebook event page about ASL Day&lt;/a&gt; to learn more information about the ASL meetup schedule, and ASL interpreter schedule.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>398371</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-08-22T16:42:08Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Welcome to the New Board Members!</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Clockwise from top left: Maisie Blaine, Christine Morgan, Trish Oyaas, Peggy Nelson, Les Fairbanks, and Krista Nelson</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/New%20Board%20Members%202019_tcm1063-393638.jpg</Url></Image><title>2019-07-22 Welcome to the New Board Members!</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-393635&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-07-22T15:00:03Z</Date><ShortDescription>Five new members and 1 member reappointed. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>New members provide critical perspectives from all over Minnesota</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please join us in welcoming our new board members! We are excited to announce Maisie Blaine, Christine Morgan, Trish Oyaas, Krista Dillman, and Les Fairbanks were appointed by Governor Tim Walz for board membership! We are also happy to announce that Peggy Nelson has been reappointed. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All are warmly welcomed by the veteran board members and MNCDHH staff. Board Chair Michele Isham said,&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Thanks to the board, old and new, for their continued commitment to increasing accessibility and equal opportunity for the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing communities in Minnesota!&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Three seats remain unfilled, which we hope will change soon. The unfilled seats are all in Greater Minnesota: Northwest (Moorhead) Advisory Council, Southwest Rep, and West Central Rep. Individuals serving in these seats must also be a member of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (DHHSD) regional office advisory committee in their area. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Maisie Blaine, Northeast Representative (Term ends: 1/2/2025)&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Maisie Blaine is the NE Regional Ombudsman for Long Term Care in Minnesota. She serves 5 counties in Northeastern MN including Cook, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake and Northern and Southern St. Louis. Maisie holds both a Bachelors and Master’s Degree in Social Work and is licensed as an Independent Clinical Social Worker in the State of Minnesota. Prior to coming to the Office of Ombudsman, Maisie worked in Mental Health, the County System, and Long Term Care settings.  In her capacity with the Office of Ombudsman for Long Term Care Maisie serves individuals receiving Long Term Care services in the state of MN to provide advocacy and oversight and ensure quality care. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Maisie is in her second term as a Board Member on the NE Advisory Committee. She has served since November of 2014. In her career, she has had the opportunity to work with both clients who are culturally deaf or deafblind and those who are experiencing age-related hearing or sight loss. She hopes that her membership can bring value to the Commission and that she can serve as a liaison to bring the voices of those in North East Minnesota to the Commission to continue to enhance their work for those that are Deaf, Deafblind or Hard of Hearing in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;“I feel that it is important for me to serve on the board to give voice to those in NE Minnesota who are Deaf, DeafBlind or experiencing Age-Related Hearing Loss.”&lt;/em&gt; ~ Maisie Blaine&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Christine Morgan, Metro Advisory Council Representative (Term ends: 1/2/2025)&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Christine Morgan has adult-onset hearing loss due to an auto-immune disease and wears two cochlear implants. She received her Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration from the University of Minnesota and worked for 30 years managing various medical groups first in New Jersey, and since the early 1980s, in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2011, Christine “retired” from administration due to her progressive hearing loss. She would then put all her focus and efforts on advocating for people with hearing loss. Christine is the President of the Hearing Loss Association of America – Twin Cities Chapter and a certified Hearing Loss Support Specialist. She also sits on several Advisory Committees related to hearing loss in the Twin Cities. Christine is a hearing loss coach for people with hearing loss and a trainer for both businesses and communication partners to assist them in improving communication with people with hearing loss. Christine also owns and teaches at Balanced Life Tai Chi with her husband, Lionel (also a Hearing Loss Specialist and Certified Tai Chi Instructor).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;“I am excited to have a position on the Commission. I encounter so many people with hearing loss who aren’t aware that there are resources and support available to them. Many suffer in silence and lead less than full lives. I also advocate with live theater and other venues to be sure that they offer appropriate equipment and services to those with hearing loss. We (HLAA-TC) try to get the word out and to reach as many people as we can but the need is great and alone one organization cannot reach all those in need. Combining our efforts is vital!”&lt;/em&gt; ~ Christine Morgan&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tricia (Trish) Oyaas, At-Large Member (Term ends: 1/2/2025)&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At three years old, Trish was diagnosed as hard of hearing. As an adult, Trish attended the University of Minnesota-Duluth and obtained two bachelor’s degrees in Psychology (B.A.S.) and Political Science (B.A.) in 2015 and her Masters of Social Work (MSW) in 2017. She currently works at the University of Wisconsin – Superior in the Admissions Office. She aspires to work with students that have differing abilities in higher education so that they have access to college and support while they&apos;re in college. In Trish&apos;s spare time she volunteers with men’s restorative justice. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&quot;I am honored and excited to serve on the committee and to serve Minnesotans in getting access to technology and resources. I want every person to feel supported in their community and to know they have a voice.&quot;&lt;/em&gt; ~ Trish Oyaas&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Krista Dillman, At-Large Member (Term ends: 1/2/2025)&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Krista M. Dillman has been interpreting for over 25 years. She has a Master of Science degree in Rehabilitation Counseling and is a candidate for her doctorate degree in Higher Education Administration. Her dissertation research is on the importance of social integration of D/deaf and hard-of-hearing students in higher education and students’ decision to persist to graduation. Her interpreting credentials include the NAD IV, CI and CT, SC:L, SLPI:ASL-Superior, NIC-Master, and Oral Transliterating Certificate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Krista is also married into a family with both culturally Deaf and culturally deaf members and mother to D/deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing children. The importance of meeting the needs of individuals with varying levels of hearing and differing communication modes is a common consideration in her everyday life and she looks forward to the challenge of working as a board member.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;“I wanted to serve on the board to advocate for service provision and equal access for deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing people across Minnesota, whether they choose to use sign language or not. Having worked with Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals for over 25 years and living with a family with D/deaf and hard of hearing members using a variety of assistive technologies and communication modes, no one mode can be preferred over another. Each individual has the right to communicate and access their environment in a way they choose.”&lt;/em&gt; ~ Krista Dillman&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Les Fairbanks, Upper Northwest Representative (Term ends: 1/2/2025)&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Les Fairbanks is excited to serve on the board to make positive changes for the deaf community! Les graduated in Minnesota School for the Deaf (now the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf) in 1979 and graduated from post-secondary schools in 1985. He worked in different facilities for years before becoming an Over the Road driver for 15 years and retiring in 2017. Les hails from the White Earth Reservation, where he is an enrolled elder. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&quot;I am overly excited to be on the Board, knowing I can make a real impact, serving and representing my peers around and in the Upper Northwest Region.&quot;&lt;/em&gt; ~ Les Fairbanks&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Peggy Nelson, At-Large Member, Vice Chair (Term ends: 1/2/2025)&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Peggy Nelson, Ph.D. is a professor of audiology in the Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences at the University of Minnesota, where she has taught and conducted NIH-funded research since 2000.  Her research focuses on hearing loss and the problems of understanding speech in noise by a variety of populations, including children in schools, second-language learners, hearing aid users, and cochlear implant listeners. She is currently the founding director of the University of Minnesota’s new Center for Applied and Translational Sensory Science (CATSS). There she oversees interdisciplinary research in vision, hearing, balance, and tinnitus.   As Center director, Professor Nelson and colleagues have engaged the community in a discussion of sensory loss and sensory aids. Dr. Nelson served on the EHDI Advisory Board for 10 years and served on the US Access Board committee that developed acoustic guidelines for schools. Over the years, she has testified for the Commission on many different pieces of legislation. Fun fact: she used to be a certified sign language interpreter.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&quot;I serve on the board because I believe engaging with the community is essential for understanding sensory loss and its effects. I am eager to share information about cross-disciplinary research related to the development of devices and strategies key to approaching sensory loss, and plan to especially focus on age-related hearing loss.&quot;&lt;/em&gt; ~ Dr. Peggy Nelson&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>393635</id><Tag><Description/><Title>board</Title><Id>310266</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-07-25T17:05:10Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>The Accessible Health Care Video Series is Back!</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Icons of a hospital and interpreter</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/hospital%20and%20interpreter_tcm1063-393500.png</Url></Image><title>2019-07-19 The Accessible Health Care Video Series is Back!</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-393499&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-07-19T13:58:53Z</Date><ShortDescription>Many thanks to Cuong Nguyen, Lisa Holbrook, Rania Johnson, Heather Gilbert, Rick MacPherson, ZenMation, Minnesota Disability Law Center, Teika Pakalns, and Patty Gordon. All videos are in American Sign Language (ASL) with English voiceover, closed captions, and a descriptive transcript. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Has self-advocacy tips, info about your rights, and more</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) is excited to announce that the Accessible Health Care Video Series is back! This video series was first created in 2012 after it was requested by Deaf Minnesotan, former MNCDHH board member, and community advocate, Cuong Nguyen.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2006, Cuong was in a terrible bicycle accident that resulted in a 41 day stay in Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC). Of the 41 days he was an inpatient, Cuong was only provided 11 hours of interpreting services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After his experience, Nguyen worked with the Minnesota Disability Law Center to get a settlement agreement with HCMC to provide interpreters to patients and their family members. Cuong also asked MNCDHH to produce this health care advocacy video series for the community. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Although there has been some improvement since Cuong’s accident in 2006, MNCDHH continues to hear about accessibility issues in health care from the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing communities. As a result, MNCDHH has updated the video series in 2019 to make sure that the information is current to today&apos;s trends.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It is our hope that the videos will be a helpful resource for you with self-advocacy tips, your rights to effective communication, and how to request accommodations.  All videos are signed in American Sign Language (ASL), have closed captions, English voiceover, and a descriptive transcript.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do you want to explore the videos and resources? &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/healthcare/accessible-health-care/video-series/&quot;&gt;You can visit the Accessible Health Care video series today!&lt;/a&gt;   &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>393499</id><Tag><Description/><Title>health care</Title><Id>310254</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-07-19T14:11:33Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Sponsorship and Exhibitor Opportunities</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The banner includes the State of Minnesota logo and the following text, &quot;Collaborative Experience Conference for parents and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing and their families.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/2019%20CE%20Header%20-%20Website_tcm1063-376411.jpg</Url></Image><title>2019-07-17 Sponsorship and Exhibitor Opportunities</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-393255&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-07-17T14:13:47Z</Date><ShortDescription>With information about the different levels of opportunities and who you will reach. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>2019 Collaborative Experience Conference</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;From November 7 to November 9, 2019, the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) is excited to once again host the Collaborative Experience Conference in Brainerd, MN at Breezy Point Resort. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the past, the Conference has presented information on the most recent research and practice in Deaf/DeafBlind/Hard of Hearing (D/DB/HH) education to over 325 professionals.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Support from sponsors and exhibitors provide financial support for an event of this caliber. Being a sponsor and/or exhibitor will not only benefit the conference and its attendees but the sponsor and exhibitor, as well.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Collaborative Experience attracts professionals that work with D/DB/HH communities. These individuals are key leaders with direct exposure to parents, schools, and the medical community. Organizations are encouraged to participate in this event as a sponsor or exhibitor.  Hosting an exhibit will increase your connection and branding with your audience.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are many options for an organization to participate as a sponsor and/or exhibitor of the Collaborative Experience Conference, which are listed under &quot;Sponsorship Opportunities.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If your organization would like to register as a sponsor or exhibitor, please contact Liza at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:liza@eventivemeetings.com&quot;&gt;liza@eventivemeetings.com&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sponsorship Opportunities&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Access Sponsor (3 available) $1500 &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This sponsorship will provide accommodations for D/DB/HH attendees: ASL interpreters and captioning. Your sponsorship will allow you to showcase your organization at the conference along with pre-event marketing and onsite recognition: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Showcase table in the exhibit area with VIP placement&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Two (2) full conference registrations (Does NOT include hotel accommodations)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Signage with company logo prominently placed at Conference&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Logo listed on website and all pre-event marketing&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Company name and logo in Sponsor Section of Final program&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Onsite verbal recognition and logo on main screens as Access Sponsor &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Bag Sponsor (1 available) $2500 &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Bag sponsorship allows your company to be prominently displayed on the bags given to each attendee. This sponsorship will allow you to market your organization even after the conference is over.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Showcase table in the exhibit area with VIP placement&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Company logo prominently placed on attendee bag&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Logo listed on website and all pre-event marketing&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Company name and logo in Sponsor Section of Final program&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Onsite verbal recognition and logo on main screens as bag sponsor&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;One (1) conference registration (does NOT include hotel accommodations)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lanyard Sponsor (1 available) $1750 &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Lanyard sponsorship allows your company to be prominently displayed on the lanyards given to each attendee. This sponsorship will allow you to market your organization even after the conference is over.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Showcase table in the exhibit area with VIP placement&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Company logo prominently placed on attendee lanyard&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Logo listed on website and all pre-event marketing&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Company name and logo in Sponsor Section of Final program&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Onsite verbal recognition and logo on main screens as lanyard sponsor&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;One (1) conference registration (does NOT include hotel accommodations) &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Break Sponsor (3 available) $750 &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Break sponsorship allows your company to display items during a refreshment break during the conference. Your sponsorship will allow you to showcase your organization at the conference along with pre-event marketing and onsite recognition&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Showcase table in the exhibit area with VIP placement &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Signage with company logo prominently placed at Conference&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Custom signage with company logo displayed during sponsored refreshment break&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Opportunity to place company brochures on refreshment tables&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Logo listed on website and all pre-event marketing&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Company name and logo in Sponsor Section of Final program&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Onsite verbal recognition and logo on main screens as break sponsor&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;One (1) conference registration (does NOT include hotel accommodations) &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Event Partners &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The event partnerships allows your organization to sponsor by donating resources or in kind donations to be used during the conference. Your organization can be showcased at the conference with:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Showcase table in the exhibit area&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Signage with company logo prominently placed at Conference&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Logo listed on website and all pre-event marketing&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Company name and logo in Sponsor Section of Final program&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Exhibitor Resource Tables: Non-profit $150, For-profit $500 &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is for organizations looking to expose the conference professionals to their products or services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Showcase table in the exhibit area&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Company name listed in Exhibitor Section of Final program&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;One (1) conference registration (does NOT include hotel accommodations) &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>393255</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-07-17T14:20:54Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>MNCDHH is Hiring for an Executive Director </Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The following text is shown on a multi-colored marbled background, &quot;Executive Director Job Posting&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/executive%20director%20job%20posting_tcm1063-389017.jpg</Url></Image><title>2019-07-16 MNCDHH is Hiring for an Executive Director</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-392977&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-07-16T16:06:12Z</Date><ShortDescription>Visit the job posting at Minnesota Careers (the job id is 33524).</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Applications are due by Tuesday, July 23, 2019</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) is looking for our next fearless leader to serve as our Executive Director at our state commission. MNCDHH advocates for communication access and equal opportunity with the 20% of Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing. Learn more about MNCDHH by visiting our website. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To find the job posting, please visit Minnesota Careers. Under &quot;External Applicants,&quot; click on &quot;Search for jobs now.&quot; Search for job id &quot;33524.&quot; The deadline to apply is Tuesday, July 23, 2019. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Update&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We apologize that the job posting was prematurely taken down at midnight, 7/23/2019. The posting should have closed at 11:59 P.M. on 7/23/2019. If you planned to apply on the date of 7/23/2019 and if you were unable to send in your application, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; no later than 10:30 A.M. on Wednesday, 7/24/2019. We will connect you to HR so you can complete your application. Thank you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Second Update&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The job posting is now closed. Thank you. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>392977</id><Tag><Description/><Title>staff</Title><Id>317343</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-11-25T21:18:39Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing Launches Emergency Communications Accessibility Campaign</Title><title>2019-06-28 Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing Launches Emergency Communications Accessibility Campaign</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-390610&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-06-28T12:42:29Z</Date><ShortDescription>Press release</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Statewide media Initiative serves as a call to action that emergency communications are vital to all Minnesotans</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For Immediate Release &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact: Robb Leer 612.701.0608&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Launches Emergency Communications Accessibility Campaign&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Statewide media Initiative serves as a call to action that emergency communications are vital to all Minnesotans &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Saint Paul, Minnesota (June 28, 2019)&lt;/strong&gt; - The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/&quot;&gt;Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH)&lt;/a&gt; announced today the launch of an emergency communications accessibility campaign. This campaign is being implemented to ensure that news coverage is inclusive to all Minnesotans, whatever their hearing status or primary language may be. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The purpose of this campaign is to increase media awareness to the importance of communication equity while covering weather-related emergencies and other disasters. The campaign encourages media to voluntarily include American Sign Language (ASL) interpreting teams during media briefings and updates, such as news conferences and other emergency related events. Providing this will help share important information in a timely manner with a population that relies on these services to be informed, and most importantly, safe. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Twenty percent of Minnesota’s population has some degree of hearing loss, which may prevent them from obtaining potentially life-saving information. The facts are: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Nineteen percent rely on closed captioning to get the information they need. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Just under one percent use ASL as a primary language. This is estimated to be approximately 50,000 Minnesotans. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This important campaign was created after a recent instance of how the media came up short in relaying important information to those Minnesotans who rely on ASL interpreting. On March 15, 2019, Governor Tim Walz called a Peacetime State of Emergency in response to the spring flooding. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety hired ASL interpreters so that the media briefing would be accessible to deaf Minnesotans. One interpreter stood to the Governor’s right, while the other interpreter was placed in a seated position in front of him. The two interpreters worked together to ensure the full message was interpreted accurately.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All local television crews covering the event zoomed cameras past the interpreter, framing the screen tight on the Governor and other state officials. The only part of the interpreter that the audience could see was an arm. For an example of this, visit &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/2jTlsAGO-u0&quot;&gt;example 1&lt;/a&gt; or &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/Q_pwv5yRmMQ&quot;&gt;example 2&lt;/a&gt;.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As part of the campaign, MNCDHH has posted a video link &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/about/media/accessible/&quot;&gt;on its’ website&lt;/a&gt; with suggested screen framing of newsmakers and sign language interpreters. Written guidelines on newsgathering using sign language interpreters and captioning to distribute to all newsroom employees are also located on the site.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With this call to action and with the tools provided, the MNCDHH hopes that the media will include interpreters onscreen to provide information through an interpreter that is critical and sometimes lifesaving. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Attention reporters and editors – the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/&quot;&gt;MNCDHH&lt;/a&gt; has experts in American Sign Language available to be booked for interviews about this campaign. To help make coordinating and scheduling interviews easy and hassle-free contact media consultant Robb Leer 612.701.0608 or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:robbl@leercommunication.com&quot;&gt;robbl@leercommunication.com&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information about this campaign and other initiatives of the Commission please visit the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/&quot;&gt;Commission&apos;s website&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>390610</id><Tag><Description/><Title>emergency management</Title><Id>310293</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>press release</Title><Id>320250</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-06-28T11:30:05Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Ask MNCDHH: DHH Teacher Licenses up for Review</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Icons of a teacher and students within a building over a dark blue background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/ask%20mncdhh%20teacher%20licensure_tcm1063-389019.jpg</Url></Image><title>2019-06-26 Ask MNCDHH: DHH Teacher Licenses up for Review</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-389920&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-06-26T14:37:11Z</Date><ShortDescription>As teachers who service students who are DHH, I am wondering if we have to worry that the DHH Teacher License is going to go away. I heard that the licenses are up for review. What does that mean for us and our students? How can we be involved in the discussions?</ShortDescription><Subtitle>You ask, we answer</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Question: As teachers who service students who are DHH, I am wondering if we have to worry that the DHH Teacher License is going to go away. I heard that the licenses are up for review. What does that mean for us and our students? How can we be involved in the discussions?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You ask many great questions, thank you! We&apos;ll answer each one.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You asked if the DHH Teacher Licenses are going away. &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;No, they are not going away. Both the Teachers of Special Education: Deaf or Hard of Hearing (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/rules/8710.5200/&quot;&gt;8710.5200&lt;/a&gt;) and the Teachers of Special Education: Oral/Aural Deaf Education (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/rules/8710.5250/&quot;&gt;8710.5250&lt;/a&gt;) licenses are written in state law. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You asked if the licenses are going up for review.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) has asked stakeholders to look at the Tiered License System (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/rules/8710/&quot;&gt;Chapter 8710&lt;/a&gt;) developed in 2016. They want this group to be sure those who teach our children under the new system are qualified to teach. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;PELSB will set up a full review of qualifications for teachers to have either license later in 2020 or early 2021.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Just an FYI, there is another group of stakeholders who are reviewing the ASL World Language license, which is the teaching credentials for those teaching ASL in a general education classroom (middle and high school). &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are the stakeholders.&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deaf/Hard of Hearing Teacher License group&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Administrator - Bi-Bi Program (Metro Deaf School) - Susan Lane-Outlaw&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Administrator - Intermediate District - Ann Mayes and Jay Fehrman&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Administrator - State Academies - Terry Wilding&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens - John Fechter&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MDE D/HH Specialist - Mary Cashman-Bakken&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MDE Workforce Specialist - Rebecca Jackson&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNCDHH Coordinator of Educational Advancement &amp;amp; Partnerships - Anna Paulson&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Parent Representative - Gloria Nathanson&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Regional Low Incidence Facilitator - Ingrid Aasan-Reed&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rural Teacher D/HH - Diane Schiffler-Dobe&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rural Teacher D/HH - Michele Isham&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Supervisor - Workforce &amp;amp; Low Incidence Disabilities Unit at MDE - Aaron Barnes&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;University of Minnesota Teacher Prep Program - Debbie Golos&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Urban Teacher D/HH - Doobie Kurus&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Urban Teacher D/HH - Valerie Shirley&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Aural - Oral Teacher License group&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Administrator - A-O Program - Jay Fehrman&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Administrator - Northern Voices - Erin Loavenbruck&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Early Hearing Detection &amp;amp; Intervention specialist - Kathy Anderson&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens - John Fechter&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MDE D/HH Specialist - Mary Cashman-Bakken&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MDE Workforce Specialist - Rebecca Jackson&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNCDHH Coordinator of Educational Advancement &amp;amp; Partnerships - Anna Paulson&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Parent Representative - Laura Godfrey&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rural Teacher D/HH - Allan David&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rural Teacher D/HH - Michele Isham&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Supervisor - Workforce &amp;amp; Low Incidence Disabilities Unit at MDE - Aaron Barnes&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;University of Minnesota Teacher Prep Program - Debbie Golos&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Urban Teacher D/HH - Laurie White&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Administrators for Special Education - Erin Toninato&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Director of Student Support Services (Alexandria Public Schools) - Michelle Kaliher&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL World Language Teacher License group&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana;&quot;&gt;ASL Teachers - David Nathanson, Sherri Rademacher, and Mark Zangara&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;ASLTA - MN Loon Chapter Representative - Damon Johnson&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens - Rebecca Thomas&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MDE D/HH Specialist - Mary Cashman-Bakken&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNCDHH Coordinator of Educational Advancement &amp;amp; Partnerships - Anna Paulson&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNSCU Representative - Sue Rose, Ph.D.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;St. Catherine University Deaf Studies Program - Justin Small, Ed.D.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You asked what that means for you and your students.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Right now, nothing is different for you and your students. It is hard for us to predict what the stakeholders will recommend and what the board will decide to do. However, all of the stakeholders have the students&apos; best interests at heart and we are confident that they will make recommendations that will positively impact students and their teachers. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You also wanted to know how you can be involved in the discussions.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We will need perspectives like yours to make comments in the future when PELSB is collecting public comments. MNCDHH will send out an email when public comments are open.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;You can sign up to receive notices by the board on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/pelsb/&quot;&gt;PELSB website&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Remember that we have stakeholders representing teachers and students who are reviewing the Tiered Licensing System. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have more questions, please contact Anna Paulson at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:anna.paulson@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;anna.paulson@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>389920</id><Tag><Description/><Title>ask the commission</Title><Id>310292</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-12-15T15:39:03Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Accessible Emergency Communications Campaign</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A row of people are smiling behind a podium. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/IMG-4975%20850x368_tcm1063-390131.jpg</Url></Image><title>2019-06-24 Accessible Emergency Communications Campaign</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-390130&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-06-24T18:43:50Z</Date><ShortDescription>A campaign about making emergency communications accessible and how the media can help. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>A message for our media partners</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) is pleased to announce that we have launched our accessible emergency communications campaign. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This campaign is designed to increase media awareness of the importance of including American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters onscreen during weather-related emergencies and other disasters. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To carry out the campaign, MNCDHH signed up with Leer Communications &amp;amp; Consultants. With their help, MNCDHH has done the following:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Distributed a letter to our media partners, which alerts them to the issue and asks for their participation.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Created a web page with best practices, an explanation about why this is important to deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Minnesotans, and examples of suggested screen framing. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Filmed a mock news conference, which shows how the ASL interpreting team is appropriately used. The video is subtitled in English. Many thanks to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Rosa Ramirez, Jaemi Hagen, Kathy Manlapas, Maddy Schopf, Jessalyn Akerman-Frank, Robb Leer, James Paul Beldon, Patty Gordon, and MASTCOM.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There is more to do but this is a great start. All of the materials can be found on MNCDHH&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/about/media/accessible/&quot;&gt;Accessible Emergency Communications page&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have any questions, please contact Anne Sittner Anderson at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>390130</id><Tag><Description/><Title>accessible technology</Title><Id>310264</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>emergency management</Title><Id>310293</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-06-24T18:53:16Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Now Posted! Listing for MNCDHH&apos;s New Executive Director</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The following text is shown on a multi-colored marbled background, &quot;Executive Director Job Posting&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/executive%20director%20job%20posting_tcm1063-389017.jpg</Url></Image><title>2019-06-18 Now Posted! Listing for MNCDHH&apos;s New Executive Director</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-389015&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-06-18T17:10:12Z</Date><ShortDescription>We are doing a national search to find the right person for this important leadership position. The deadline to apply is July 23, 2019.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Please share far and wide</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) is pleased to share the job posting for our new executive director. The deadline to apply is July 23, 2019.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To find the job posting, please visit &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mmb/careers/&quot;&gt;Minnesota Careers&lt;/a&gt;. Under &quot;External Applicants,&quot; click on &quot;Search for jobs now.&quot; Search for job id &quot;33524.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are doing a national search to find the right person for this important leadership position. We encourage all qualified candidates to apply. We ask that you share this job posting with your contacts. Thank you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Job summary&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Advocating for communication access and equal opportunity with the 20% of Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing is a Governor-appointed Commission that focuses on large systems changes, civic engagement, and improvements that promote communication equity. We collaborate with a long list of community partners with diverse identities and philosophies to make change possible. &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/&quot;&gt;Learn more about the Commission.&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Executive Director for the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing is responsible for promoting, supporting, and advancing deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing communities in Minnesota by being a champion for communication equity. This position exists to achieve results for the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing within the parameters defined by statute and the board.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Executive Director implements decisions made by the governor-appointed board and advocates for public policies as recommended by the board.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One organization cannot do it alone. For maximum success, the incumbent must maintain inclusive, constructive, and positive relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders. Stakeholders include Commission staff, board, and contractors, nonprofits, health care organizations, advocacy organizations, constituency-based organizations, legislators, the judiciary, state agencies, other disability groups, parents, interpreters, CART providers, researchers, academics, attorneys, the media, schools, and other groups impacted by the policy in question. The Executive Director oversees establishment of committees and task forces that recommend shifts in policy to the Commission.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Day-to-day duties of this position include&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provide clear and open communications with and between key advocacy organizations, constituent groups, community leaders, and individual constituents. Recognize that different stakeholder groups have different philosophies and needs. Work to find common ground and start from there.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Protect the reputation of the organization by positively and professionally representing the commission to agencies, constituents, and general public.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provide all necessary policy compliance monitoring, educational, and incidental information the board requires according to their policies.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Assist with the board’s efforts to connect with constituent groups to secure input on strategic priorities and to report on organizational results. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Lead or participate in planning meetings with citizens, interest groups, communities, local or state agencies, the legislature, the judicial branch and/or the governor&apos;s office to develop solutions to barriers to communication access and equal opportunity and address gaps in services. Promote communication equity through all activities. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Supervise and manage direct and indirect reports, and maintain an environment that attracts, retains, and motivates diverse, high-quality employees.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Update&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We apologize that the job posting was prematurely taken down at midnight, 7/23/2019. The posting should have closed at 11:59 P.M. on 7/23/2019. If you planned to apply on the date of 7/23/2019 and if you were unable to send in your application, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; no later than 10:30 A.M. on Wednesday, 7/24/2019. We will connect you to HR so you can complete your application. Thank you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Second Update&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The job posting is now closed. Thank you. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>389015</id><Tag><Description/><Title>staff</Title><Id>317343</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-07-24T15:46:53Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>The Search for MNCDHH&apos;s New Executive Director</Title><title>2019-06-06 The Search for MNCDHH&apos;s New Executive Director</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-387470&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-06-06T15:03:40Z</Date><ShortDescription>Summary of survey results, what the committee has done so far, and our expected timeline.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Special Message from the Executive Director Search Committee</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/tgHRi44hzoY&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendly ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/h4BIEH6cuyI&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about mncdhh executive director search&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello community members. First, the Executive Director Search Committee wants to thank everyone who participated in the online survey about what qualities are important for the new executive director to have. We received roughly 90 responses before the survey closed on May 31, 2019.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many of you agreed with the list that was created by MNCDHH’s board and staff. Here is the list again:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Appreciates diversity and is culturally sensitive&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Transparent&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Thick skin&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Familiar with Minnesota D/DB/HH community and partners&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Relationship builder&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Willing to listen and learn&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Good manager&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Passionate advocate&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Innovative&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Skilled in advancing legislative proposals&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Member of the D/DB/HH community&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Fluent in English and ASL&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Comfortable with range of communication modes used by D/DB/HH community&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Your feedback&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many of you shared your thoughts in addition to the list. Here are a few examples:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Several felt that familiarity with Minnesota’s DDBHH community and partners is too limiting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our response: The search committee plans to do a national search.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many want someone who is familiar with legislative processes, a community builder, a servant leader, an influencer, a communicator, proactive, and culturally sensitive.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our response: We hear you and agree.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many want a leader who is representative of the community, i.e. someone who is deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our response: That is what we are looking for as well.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our work so far&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So far, the Search Committees has:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Created the job description, and drafted a job posting, including minimum and preferred qualifications.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Began to design the interview and selection process.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is coming next&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We anticipate posting the job announcement by mid-June, and encourage anyone who qualifies to help share the word and/or apply! Follow MNCDHH’s website, newsletter, and social media for updates on when and where to find the posting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By early July, the Search Committee expects to be able to identify a pool of candidates from the list that the Minnesota Department of Human Services Human Resources Department sends to us.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;July will be busy with the interview selection process and possibly a forum to meet the candidates.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We hope to make a final recommendation for a candidate in August 2019 and hope to have the new Executive Director start in September 2019.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Stay up to date&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To reach the Search Committee with any questions, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To stay up to date on what is happening, please continue to visit our web page.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional information&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks: The Executive Director Search Committee for their work. Barb Deming and Erica Klein from Management Analysis and Development for their group facilitation. James Paul Beldon for ASL talent. Mark Zangara for voiceover. Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>387470</id><Tag><Description/><Title>staff</Title><Id>317343</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-11-25T21:19:55Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>How and When to Use Text-to-911</Title><title>2019-05-29 How and When to Use Text-to-911</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-385948&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-05-28T13:59:44Z</Date><ShortDescription>PSA in both ASL and English</ShortDescription><Subtitle>The basics of texting emergency services</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/Yq8igPSmLck&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendly ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/KomoTixx3WA&quot; title=&quot;ASL video on how to use text-to-911&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Text-to-911 is now available statewide. It is an important alternative to calling 911.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When to use Text-to-911.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here is a list of when Text-to-911 could be used. 1. When it is too dangerous to call while a crime is in progress. 2. When someone must remain quiet to stay safe. 3. If peer pressure is strong. 4. When a person is deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How to use Text-to-911.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;First, in the “To” space, enter 911.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Then, in the text message, text your exact address or describe your location. Explain the type of emergency. You can also choose to self-identify as someone who is deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Press “send.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When you text 911, dispatch will ask if they can (voice) call you. If you haven’t already, you can let them know that you are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing and that text is the best way for you to get help.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You are not required to self-identify as deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing if you do not want to. However, be aware that the dispatcher will ask you to call if you are not in immediate danger. This is because the technology for calling is faster and more reliable than texting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When you get a message back, promptly answer any questions and follow instructions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do not use emojis, slang, GIFs, or photos. No shorthand texting (BRB, IDK, BTW, THX, etc.)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Does it really work? Can I test it?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Yes, it works! Several people who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing were part of the pre-arranged testing process during the rollout back in late 2017 and early 2018.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please do not try to test it yourself! That will take away the dispatcher’s ability to help people who are experiencing a real-life emergency.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Can I text 911 anywhere in Minnesota?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Yes, as long as you have text and cell service.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;However, if you are using roaming service, the 911 text will bounce back to you. So make sure you have good cell service.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are not in Minnesota, or along the border of Minnesota, dispatch may not receive your 911 text.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do I need to use an area code when I text 911? &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;No, you do not need to use an area code.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why is &quot;Call if you can, text if you can&apos;t&quot; the slogan? Why can&apos;t it just be &quot;Call or text 911?&quot;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dispatchers prefer to receive a call instead of text because 1. They can track your location better, 2. It is faster to exchange information and 3. They can listen to background noise and get an idea of what’s going on. However, you as a deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing person can choose between texting or calling. Use your best judgment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What do I do if I experience barriers while trying to text 911 in Minnesota?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;First, concentrate on the emergency at hand. Do what you need to do to get help. Second, save the text conversation. When the emergency is over, contact Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD) and describe what kind of barrier you experienced, as well as the date, time, and where you were located. In the past, there have been some instances where the dispatcher insisted that the person call instead of text, even after self-identifying as deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing. However, this should be less of an issue since there has been additional training for dispatchers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Are there other ways to contact 911 besides text?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Yes, there are several ways you can contact 911 in Minnesota. You can use your preferred device, whether it is a voice phone, captioned phone, IP relay, text, or videophone. If you use a videophone, make sure that the address linked to your videophone is correct. If you happen to use a TTY, 911 call centers are still required to have a TTY at their center.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional information&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Keep your text messages short. There is a 160 character limit. Learn more at the Minnesota Department of Public Safety&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/ecn/programs/911/Documents/text-911-fact-sheet.pdf&quot;&gt;Text-to-911 fact sheet (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks: The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Emergency Communication Networks Division for the original content. James Paul Beldon for ASL talent. Mark Zangara for voiceover. Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Special thanks to the Minnesota Department of Human Services Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD) for their input.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up to receive MNCDHH newsletters directly to your inbox. &lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNCDHH/subscriber/new?email=&quot;&gt;Sign me up!&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Do you have a question for MNCDHH? &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3665562/Questions-for-MNCDHH&quot;&gt;Send us your questions!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Correction&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;An earlier version of this announcement mentioned Real-Time Text (RTT) as an option. However, RTT is not yet an option for texting to 9-1-1. If you are using a cellphone with RTT compatibility, you might want to turn that feature off while texting 9-1-1.  &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>385948</id><Tag><Description/><Title>emergency management</Title><Id>310293</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>text-to-911</Title><Id>310260</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-11-05T19:47:41Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Transitioning to Life after High School: Resources</Title><title>2019-05-22 Transitioning to Life after High School: Resources</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-385338&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-05-22T15:00:52Z</Date><ShortDescription>A preparation tool for students, their families, and their teachers.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Online Transition Guide</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/t9ukQtuEMy8&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendly ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/a0xiB-tml5A&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about transition resources for students&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello, high school students! What do you plan to do after graduation? How do you prepare to transition out of high school to college or work?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Have you seen the Transition Guide online? It provides resources and information on services and supports available to high school students who are transitioning to post-graduate life. You can download the guide (the URL will be shared at the end of this video).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Guide&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The guide was created by representatives of state agencies, schools, and community organizations who work together to improve education and employment outcomes for students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. The guide was designed to help students like you, as well as teachers and families, learn how to navigate employment, education, and independent living resources!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Examples of how you can use the guide.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are thinking about employment, but it might affect your social security benefits, such as SSI, you can contact the Social Security Administration. You can also find answers to your questions at the Disability Benefits 101 website, which provides information and tools about employment and benefits.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Did you know that every high school in Minnesota has a VR counselor assigned to it? Please get connected with Vocational Rehabilitation Services. They have counselors ready to provide career assessments, job exploration and placement services, interpreters for interviews, job coaching and supports available if you qualify. Career Force locations (formerly known as the Work Force Centers) are all over Minnesota and online for help as well.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you want to go to school after you graduate, you can talk to your high school guidance counselor or someone who is in the transition program if your school has one. Additionally, check the guide for tips and suggestions about post-secondary education. You can also reach out to the college that you’re interested in and ask to talk to someone from that particular program. Make sure you have the grades and test scores necessary to apply!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you’re not interested in college, there are other education and training options available. You can take local community education courses in your area. Or you can find a short-term training program, which may be able to give you the skills needed to obtain a job in your area of interest. Or you can join an employment training program, such as Goodwill or the American Red Cross, which may also provide you necessary training to obtain a job. Or you could find some free classes that are offered for adults through Adult Basic Education.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are looking for housing, check out the Additional Considerations page of the guide under “housing assistance.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Information about financial aid.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do you need a way to pay for college or an education or training program?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Did you know you can apply for &lt;a href=&quot;https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa&quot;&gt;FAFSA (Free Application for Student Aid)&lt;/a&gt; to see what kind of financial aid you will be offered for your program? The deadline for Minnesota this year is October 1. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Another option is to take out student loans, which you will have to pay back over time. But while you are in school, you don’t have to make payments on your loans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are eligible for Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS), they may be able to provide financial assistance for your education, if it is needed to obtain your employment goal. They may be able to provide financial assistance for assistive technology if that is part of your employment plan with them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If relevant to you, there is also State Services for the Blind (SSB) that can provide support to you if needed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please review the guide and watch the videos.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Each page on the guide has great information and most of the pages have videos. Some of the videos are messages from professionals working with students like you, and some of the videos show young adults who are deaf and hard of hearing, also just like you. They describe how to use the guide and their experiences and their journeys.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please review the guide with your family and teachers as you plan your future.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Guide to Adult Services&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One page of the Transition Guide is especially helpful. It is called the “Guide to Adult Services” and has the direct link and contact information about who to contact for each topic such as transportation and housing. The specific page is also designed to be mobile friendly so you can sit with your parents or teacher over the app on a smartphone and get the information you want.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where to find the Minnesota Transition Guide.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is an exciting time in your life. You have many support services available in Minnesota. Good luck! You can find the &lt;a href=&quot;http://dhh-resources.umn.edu/transition-guide/&quot;&gt;Minnesota Transition Guide for Teachers of Deaf/Hard of Hearing here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional information&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks the Collaborative Plan stakeholders for developing the Transition Guide, James Paul Beldon for ASL talent, Mark Zangara for voiceover, and Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Special thanks to Elise Knopf for her input.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up to receive MNCDHH newsletters directly to your inbox. &lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNCDHH/subscriber/new?email=&quot;&gt;Sign me up!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Do you have a question for MNCDHH? &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3665562/Questions-for-MNCDHH&quot;&gt;Send us your questions!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>385338</id><pubdate>2019-05-22T15:01:04Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Reminder: Participate in New Executive Director Qualities Survey</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>This banner contains the following text, &quot;Executive Director Qualities,&quot; on top of a dark blue background, in between stripes of orange and green. On the bottom of the banner is a marbled, multi-colored pattern.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Executive%20Director%20Qualities_tcm1063-381255.jpg</Url></Image><title>2019-05-20 Reminder: Participate in New Executive Director Qualities Survey</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-384998&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-05-20T15:52:33Z</Date><ShortDescription>Which qualities are important in the next MNCDHH Executive Director?</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Deadline is May 31, 2019</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) is preparing to hire an executive director. (For more information about the search process, see Executive Director Search.) In preparation for this important task, the search committee is seeking input from the community on the qualities you hope to see in the next executive director. Please take a few minutes to respond to the question below by May 31, 2019.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The search committee will review responses as they prepare to interview candidates and make a recommendation to the MNCDHH board. Your responses will be used exactly as they are written and may become public. Please do not include anything that would identify you, such as your name or organization name.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you would like to participate in the survey, please visit the &quot;Executive Director Qualities survey.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>384998</id><Tag><Description/><Title>survey</Title><Id>310297</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>staff</Title><Id>317343</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-11-25T21:20:34Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Last Call: Submit Your Presenter Proposal for the 2019 Collaborative Experience</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The banner includes the State of Minnesota logo and the following text, &quot;Collaborative Experience Conference for parents and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing and their families.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/2019%20CE%20Header%20-%20Website_tcm1063-376411.jpg</Url></Image><title>2019-05-10 Last Call: Submit Your Presenter Proposal for the 2019 Collaborative Experience</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-384357&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-05-10T20:43:58Z</Date><ShortDescription>Also announcing registration date, costs, and key presenters. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Deadline is May 13, 2019 at 3:00 PM</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Collaborative Experience Conference “Supporting the Whole Child”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Nov. 7-9, 2019 Breezy Point Resort. Brainerd, Minnesota&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The planning committee for the 2019 Collaborative Experience Conference invites you to submit a proposal to present. The priority content topics include academic strategies and/or social-emotional support strategies for students of all ages who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, DeafBlind or D/HH with a Disability. Each proposal submitted will be reviewed by a subcommittee for relevancy of content to the anticipated audience of Teachers D/HH, Parents, Administrators, SLPs, Deaf Mentors, Parent Guides, Ed. Audiologists, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Yes, I would like to submit a presenter proposal today.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The deadline to submit your presenter proposal is May 13, 2019 at 3:00 PM.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Questions about the conference or proposals can be directed to Katy Kelley at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:katy.kelley@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;katy.kelley@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; or Anna Paulson at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:anna.paulson@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;anna.paulson@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Exciting Announcements!&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Registration will open on August 26, 2019&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Cost: $225 for registration, meals, hotel room shared with conference participant OR $300 for registration, meals, hotel room not shared with conference participant&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Leala Holcomb and Jonathan McMillan from Hands Land will lead the ASL Opening Workshop on Thursday, November 7th&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Keynote speakers: Stephanie Cawthon from the National Deaf Center (NDC) on Deaf Social Collateral on Friday, November 8th; Gloshanda Lawyer and Leala Holcomb on Social Justice - Deaf and Diverse on Saturday, November 9th.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Plenary Presentation: Kristina Blaiser, Idaho State University on Assessments Inform Strategies: Visual Data&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>384357</id><pubdate>2019-10-24T20:26:02Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Ask MNCDHH: Accessibility Resources for College Students</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Icons of a student with a graduation cap and a college building.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/College%20Accommodations_tcm1063-383587.jpg</Url></Image><title>2019-05-07 Ask MNCDHH: Accessibility Resources for College Students</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-383586&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-05-07T15:17:30Z</Date><ShortDescription>My 19 year old daughter attending the U of M grew up deaf in one ear. Recently her good ear has declined dramatically. She is struggling emotionally and academically. Are there supports for young people who have similar issues? The groups we see for [D/HH] youth seem to be for people who are proficient in ASL or are completely deaf.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>You ask, we answer</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Question: My 19 year old daughter attending the U of M grew up deaf in one ear. Recently her good ear has declined dramatically. She is struggling emotionally and academically. Are there supports for young people who have similar issues? The groups we see for [D/HH] youth seem to be for people who are proficient in ASL or are completely deaf.&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The response to this question was written by Dann Trainer and Haley Kimmet, University of Minnesota Disability Resource Center (DRC).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Answer:  This is an important question and one that we see sometimes with Deaf/Hard of Hearing students who may not use sign language to communicate. We have a few suggestions to get you and your daughter started.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;First, we encourage your daughter to connect with the University of Minnesota&apos;s Disability Resource Center (DRC). Our office is here to help students set up reasonable accommodations (such as live captioning of classes, closed captions on videos, notetakers and more) that can help reduce a lot of the stress and strain that can come with navigating a hearing loss in the classroom and on campus.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To get started at the DRC, you can set up an initial meeting with one of our access consultants on staff by calling 612-626-1333 or emailing &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:drc@umn.edu&quot;&gt;drc@umn.edu&lt;/a&gt;. If your daughter is nervous about connecting, some students prefer to stop by our office&apos;s drop-in hours to gather more information in a short 15-20 minute meeting. Our drop-in hours are listed online. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During the initial meeting, the access consultant will ask questions about your daughter&apos;s experiences in and out of the classroom and work with her to set up an accommodation plan, which can include accommodations in the classroom, in employment, for group projects, and at other events/meetings on campus. In addition to the accommodations, the access consultant can help your daughter explore other potential resources on campus that might be helpful. The Disabled Student Cultural Center (DSCC) is a student-led group that has a gathering space on campus and provides opportunities for students navigating campus-related barriers to gather. The consultant can also share mental health resources that can help with counseling and building strategies for managing stress, such as:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Boynton Mental Health Clinic&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Student Counseling Services&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Learn to Live (online counseling that is free to UMN students)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;UMN Student Mental Health&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are also a variety of academic supports and other services available, including:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Writing Support Center&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Multicultural Center for Academic Excellence&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;SMART Learning Commons&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Julia M. Davis Speech-Language-Hearing Center&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For other high school students who may be applying for college, there is usually an office or a designated point of contact to help you navigate services and accommodations that can help make your time on campus more accessible. Some suggestions for questions/accommodations to get started include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Interpreters - does the college have staff or contract interpreters they work with; will you have the same interpreters for the class for the whole semester?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Captionists - does the college work with captionists trained in CART, TypeWell or C-Print and do they work in-person or remotely?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Media Captioning - does the college have a process for adding captions to uncaptioned videos, podcasts, and other audio content offered as part of your classes?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;FM Systems - does the college have equipment they can loan or do you need to provide this?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Arrange for advanced notification of course materials to be emailed to students before class.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Request that instructors repeat questions or comments from students in the class.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Request instructors provide written instruction to students before in-class activities begin.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;During small discussion groups, ask for permission for your group to find alternative spaces such as hallways or another empty classroom if quieter than the classroom.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are thinking about attending college, we encourage you to start thinking now about your top preferences for school and to consider a campus tour or overnight stay as an opportunity to learn more. Be sure to request accommodations if they will help you have a more meaningful campus tour/experience!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many colleges also have the option for you to visit their disability services office by making an appointment or using drop-in hours. This may be a good time to bring along an IEP or 504 plan from high school if you have one, and use this to begin a conversation about accommodations. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Much like we have here, it can be helpful to inquire about the college&apos;s tutoring services, housing accommodations, clubs/organizations, career services, audiology clinic, etc, and see if the disability services office can help connect you. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>383586</id><Tag><Description/><Title>accessible technology</Title><Id>310264</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>ask the commission</Title><Id>310292</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-12-15T15:39:03Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>April Legislative Update</Title><title>2019-04-30 April Legislative Update</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-382745&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-04-30T15:34:13Z</Date><ShortDescription>The legislature reached its third deadline on April 12th. All of MNCDHH&apos;s bills and the bills led by others that MNCDHH is supporting have progressed on to the next level, except for one; the hearing aid insurance bill.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Which bills are moving on to the next stage</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/lg37mAAmMPY&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendly ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/6NddBOft2TQ&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with the April 2019 legislative update&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On April 12, 2019, the legislature reached its third deadline for bills to be heard. MNCDHH has good news to report; all of the bills that we took the lead on advanced to the next level. The DeafBlind Intervenor bill is on its way to final passage. The remaining 6 bills are in omnibus bills, which is a large bill that includes many different bills that were heard and passed out of a committee. These 6 bills are either in the House omnibus bill only, or the Senate omnibus bill only, or they are in both bills. All will be part of the conference committee and could still get passed so we are hopeful.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The bills led by others and MNCDHH supports, have similar status as MNCDHH’s bills. They have passed out of committee, either through the House, the Senate, or both, and will move on to the next step.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Only one bill did not make it through, the hearing aid insurance bill.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Next, we will share specific updates for each bill.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH: Funding increase. Jobs and Economic Commerce and Energy Omnibus HF2800 / Energy and Utilities Omnibus SF1692. MNCDHH leads.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission’s request for an increase of $450,000 was included in both the House and the Senate bills. The additional funds would cover a government relations specialist, a policy analyst, studies and research, leadership training, and increased costs of accommodations. This bill will be discussed in the House and Senate Jobs, Energy and Utilities Conference Committee.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Education: Metro Deaf School. Ed Finance Omnibus HF2400. MNCDHH leads.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The House created a special grant program for MDS for $100,000 to cover the costs of children birth to age three for the next four years. The Senate would not give the bill a hearing. We will work to convince the Senate to agree to include the grant in the final bill. This will not completely fix MDS’s problem but will provide the school with enough money to cover the estimated costs of children birth through 36 months for several years. Once they have demonstrated their success, they will be in a stronger position to get into the regular payment system and can come back to the legislature in two to four years. First, we have to get the Senate to agree to the House positions. This bill will be discussed in the House and Senate Education Policy and Finance Conference Committee.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Education: Reestablish teacher prep program for teachers of the blind and visually impaired. Higher Ed Omnibus HF2544 / Higher Ed Omnibus SF2415. Led by others.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The House included $64,000 for 2020 and 2021 to study reestablishing a program. The Senate included $50,000 for one year. This will be discussed in the House and Senate Higher Education Conference Committee.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Education: Support additional funding for the Minnesota State Academies. MSAD Bonding - Capitol Bonding bill HF2529. MSAD Operations- Senate Education Finance Omnibus SF7. Led by MSA.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MSAD got the request for their operating costs in the House, but they only got their base in the Senate. They got $13 million in the House for asset preservation, a safety corridor and improving mechanical systems and accessibility in the dormitories. MSA has been providing legislative updates in their monthly Superintendent’s Corner. Be sure to follow them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Health and Human Services: Add a definition of interveners, paraprofessionals who work with deafblind children, HF1983 (Loeffler) / SF2126 (Abeler). MNCDHH leads.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The bill had its final passage in the House. We will advocate for its final passage in the Senate. We think this will happen soon. Thanks to Sally, Mike and Andrew Prouty for their advocacy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Health and Human Services: Renew the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Advisory Committee in the Minnesota Department of Health and amend the statute include Deaf Mentors and the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf staff. HHS Omnibus HF2200. MNCDHH leads.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The bill is in the House Health and Human Services Omnibus Bill. It didn’t get a hearing in the Senate because they ran out of time. The Chair of the Senate Committee said she would agree with the House version. The bill will be discussed in the House and Senate Health and Human Services Conference Committee.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Health Insurance: Mandate for fully-insured health plans to cover hearing aids for adults, HF486 (Schultz) / SF811 (Little). Led by others.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This bill did not advance. We will try again in the future.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Employment: Retention study for state employees with disabilities and strengthen affirmative action laws. Senate Government Policy Finance and Elections Omnibus SF2227. MNCDHH leads.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This bill was included in the Senate, but not in the House. We believe this bill is very important and are working hard to make sure that it gets included in the final bill and that the conference committee supports the Senate position. We are working to address Minnesota Management and Budget’s concerns. It’s not OK that 56% of state employees with disabilities leave state government within a year. The state needs to create a more inclusive and welcoming environment for people with disabilities to contribute their talents and meet workforce needs. The study will be addressed in the House and Senate Government Policy and Finance State Government Conference Committee.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Employment: Support $8 million increase for Vocational Rehabilitation Services. House Jobs and Economic Commerce and Energy Omnibus HF2800 ($8 million) Senate Jobs Omnibus Bill SF2611 ($7 million). Led by DEED.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;VR got its request for full funding in the House at $8 million and it got $7 million in the Senate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessible IT at the Capitol. State Government Finance Omnibus HF1935 / Senate Government Policy Finance and Elections Omnibus SF2227. MNCDHH leads.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The bill is in both the House and the Senate omnibus bills and will be heard in the House and Senate State Government Finance and Policy Conference Committee.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Modernization of the Telecommunication Equipment Distribution Program. HHS Omnibus HF2200 / Human Services Reform and Finance SF92. Led by others.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Both the House and the Senate included their request for $211,000 to address interpreter shortages and to make policy changes that will allow them to provide more services and more equipment in the telecommunication distribution program.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Voting: Remove limit on number of voters a person may assist in an election, HF94 (Vang) / SF586 (Hawj), Led by others.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The bill was heard in the House and didn’t get a hearing in the Senate. It does not have a good chance of passage. It will be discussed in the State Government and Elections Conference Committee.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What happens next?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The conference committees began their discussions on the House and Senate versions of bills after legislators returned from their spring break on April 23, 2019. The House and the Senate are busy appointing members of the Conference Committees. The Committees will have to agree on what will be in the final bills. Once the bills are passed from their Committees, they will go to the floor of the House and the Senate for final passage. Then they get sent to the Governor to be signed. The Governor can either sign the bills, or veto all or parts of the bills. Things are moving fast. We still have more work to do before session ends on May 20, 2019.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>382745</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>hearing aids</Title><Id>310255</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>accessible technology</Title><Id>310264</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-09-24T13:45:43Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota Digital Accessibility Law Celebration</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The Minnesota State Capitol dome is featured along with the State of Minnesota logo and the following text, &quot;Celebrate! Celebrating Ten Years of Disability Inclusion in One Minnesota! Minnesota Digital Accessibility Law Celebration. Tuesday, May 7, 1:45-4:00 p.m. 1:45-2:15 p.m. Recognition Ceremony, 2:15-4:00 p.m Experience Lab!&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/10YearsDigitalAccessibility_tcm1063-381869.JPG</Url></Image><title>2019-04-25 Minnesota Digital Accessibility Law Celebration</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-381868&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-04-25T15:08:52Z</Date><ShortDescription>Please join us.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Celebrating Ten Years of Disability Inclusion in One Minnesota!</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please join MNCDHH at the event celebrating Ten Years of the Digital Accessibility Law, which was passed in 2009. This event is being organized by:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Minnesota It Services Office of Accessibility, and&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota&apos;s accessibility coordinators from state agencies, boards, and commissions&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where: Minnesota State Capitol, Rotunda, 75 Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When: Tuesday, May 7, 2019, 1:45-4:00 p.m.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accommodations: ASL interpreters and CART provided. For additional accommodations or information, contact &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:MNITAccessibility@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;MNITAccessibility@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; or 651-201-1118.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We will begin with a brief recognition ceremony from 1:45-2:15 p.m. and honor some of the individuals who recognized the need for the digital accessibility law and who worked to draft and pass the law.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Recognized guests include: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Senator Ann Rest&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Senator Torrey Westrom&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mary Hartnett, Executive Director, MNCDHH&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Dave Andrews, Engineering Supervisor, State Services for the Blind &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jamie Taylor, deafblind advocate,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;and several more.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Then join the Experience Lab after the ceremony in the Rotunda where you can experience the value of digital accessibility for people with disabilities. We look forward to having you join us!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>381868</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>accessible technology</Title><Id>310264</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-04-26T14:27:59Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Deaf Awareness Day 2019 is this Saturday</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Icons of people in a crowded room</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/DAD2019_tcm1063-381461.jpg</Url></Image><title>2019-04-24 Deaf Awareness Day 2019 is this Saturday</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-381463&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-04-24T13:37:32Z</Date><ShortDescription>We are excited about connecting with you in person.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNCDHH&apos;s booth and presentation information</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens (MADC) is hosting their 6th annual &lt;a href=&quot;https://dadmadc.com/&quot;&gt;Deaf Awareness Day&lt;/a&gt; this Saturday, April 27, 2019. Public admission begins at 10 AM. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH has a booth again this year and we are excited to see you! Here is what you can do at MNCDHH&apos;s booth:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Practice meeting with your legislator.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sit down with either a board or staff member to discuss a large system barrier that you experience as well as your ideas for solutions.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Learn about the advocacy work that is being done.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition, Michele Isham (Board Chair) and Rebecca Thomas (At-Large Member, member of the Executive Director Search Committee) will present onstage from 12:30-1:00 p.m. Be sure to attend! Michele and Becky will cover:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The MNCDHH board application and appointment process.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The search for the next MNCDHH Executive Director.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are attending but have not pre-registered to attend Deaf Awareness Day (it is free), you should do so. It will save you from waiting in line. Here is the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.eventbrite.com/e/deaf-awareness-day-2019-registration-45181867181&quot;&gt;DAD registration link&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>381463</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-04-24T13:43:02Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>New Executive Director Qualities</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>This banner contains the following text, &quot;Executive Director Qualities,&quot; on top of a dark blue background, in between stripes of orange and green. On the bottom of the banner is a marbled, multi-colored pattern.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Executive%20Director%20Qualities_tcm1063-381255.jpg</Url></Image><title>2019-04-23 New Executive Director Qualities</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-381257&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-04-23T13:31:09Z</Date><ShortDescription>Please participate in this important survey for the Executive Director Search Committee.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Which qualities are most important to you?</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) is preparing to hire an executive director. (For more information about the search process, see Executive Director Search.) In preparation for this important task, the search committee is seeking input from the community on the qualities you hope to see in the next executive director. Please take a few minutes to respond to the question below by May 31, 2019.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The search committee will review responses as they prepare to interview candidates and make a recommendation to the MNCDHH board. Your responses will be used exactly as they are written and may become public. Please do not include anything that would identify you, such as your name or organization name.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you would like to participate in the survey, please visit the &quot;Executive Director Qualities survey.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>381257</id><Tag><Description/><Title>board</Title><Id>310266</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>survey</Title><Id>310297</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>staff</Title><Id>317343</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-11-25T21:23:27Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2019 Collaborative Experience Reminder! Send in Your Presenter Proposal</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The banner includes the State of Minnesota logo and the following text, &quot;Collaborative Experience Conference for parents and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing and their families.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/2019%20CE%20Header%20-%20Website_tcm1063-376411.jpg</Url></Image><title>2019-04-12 2019 Collaborative Experience Reminder! Send in Your Presenter Proposal</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-379739&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-04-12T14:22:42Z</Date><ShortDescription>The conference theme is &quot;Supporting the Whole Child.&quot; </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Deadline is May 13, 2019 at 3:00 PM</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Collaborative Experience Conference “Supporting the Whole Child”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Nov. 7-9, 2019 Breezy Point Resort. Brainerd, Minnesota&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The planning committee for the 2019 Collaborative Experience Conference invites you to submit a proposal to present. The priority content topics include academic strategies and/or social-emotional support strategies for students of all ages who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, DeafBlind or D/HH with a Disability. Each proposal submitted will be reviewed by a subcommittee for relevancy of content to the anticipated audience of Teachers D/HH, Parents, Administrators, SLPs, Deaf Mentors, Parent Guides, Ed. Audiologists, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Yes, I would like to submit a presenter proposal today.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The deadline to submit your presenter proposal is May 13, 2019 at 3:00 PM. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Questions about the conference or proposals can be directed to Katy Kelley at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:katy.kelley@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;katy.kelley@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; or Anna Paulson at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:anna.paulson@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;anna.paulson@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>379739</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-10-24T20:25:39Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Community Survey on Text-to-911 in Minnesota</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Icon of a mobile phone, with a text bubble and the words, &quot;Text-to-911&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/My%20Post%20Copy_tcm1063-378441.jpg</Url></Image><title>2019-04-05 Community Survey on Text-to-911 in Minnesota</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-378440&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-04-05T15:00:16Z</Date><ShortDescription>Please participate in this important survey.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Have You Used It? Did It Help?</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Text-to-911 has been available statewide in Minnesota since December 5, 2017. It is coordinated by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Emergency Communication Networks Division (DPS-ECN) as a vital alternative to calling 911 in an emergency. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Individuals who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing or those with a speech disability may use Text-to-911 as a first contact option. It is one of several options you have depending on your unique communication preferences and devices. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please take this survey and let us know if you are prepared to use Text-to-911 in an emergency in Minnesota if you need it. If you have already tried the Text-to-911 service in our state, we are interested in learning about your experience.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4934570/Text-to-911-in-Minnesota-2019&quot;&gt;Yes, I want to take the Text-to-911 survey.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And always remember this motto, &lt;em&gt;&quot;Call if you can, text if you can&apos;t.&quot;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>378440</id><Tag><Description/><Title>text-to-911</Title><Id>310260</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>survey</Title><Id>310297</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-04-05T15:01:11Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Spring is Here! March in Photos</Title><title>2019-04-01 Spring is Here! March in Photos</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-378058&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-04-01T14:43:27Z</Date><ShortDescription>Photos from legislative hearings, meetings with legislators, and Lobby Tuesday/Thursday in March. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>A month full of hearings and meetings with legislators</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Is March really over and April here? So hard to believe since the time has gone by fast! MNCDHH staff and community advocates worked hard last month on getting our bills passed into law. Here are a few photos of some from our work in March.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There will be more updates coming soon, including a legislative update and a 2019 Lobby Day wrap up in both American Sign Language (ASL) and English. Watch for those!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Affirmative%20Action%20bill_tcm1063-378127.jpg&quot; title=&quot;2019_03_Affirmative_Action&quot; alt=&quot;2019_03_Affirmative_Action&quot; style=&quot;width: 797px; height: 491px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2019_03_Affirmative_Action&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Both Kody Olson and Eric Nooker testified in support of SF 2004 on March 12, 2019.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kody&apos;s testimony: &quot;My name is Kody Olson and I am speaking on behalf of the Minnesota State Council of Disabilities to support SF2004. We are part of the Disability Agency Forum, a group of agency divisions, councils and commissions that work on cross-disability issues to address barriers citizens and state employees with disabilities face. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;People with disabilities face the highest unemployment rates in the country. They are eager to be part of the workforce. Governor Dayton signed Executive Order 14-14 and we were able to go from 3.8% of state employee with disabilities to 7% last year. We strongly support this bill. Having such a large percentage of people with disabilities leave state government is alarming and we need to have a study that is led by people with disabilities and a plan to ensure we are able to retain employees with disabilities. We need to gather more information to see what we are doing well and how we can improve by the changes to the affirmative action plan.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Part of Eric&apos;s testimony: &quot;Earlier today there was a discussion about the workforce shortage. There is an untapped pool – people with disabilities. I want to see more people with disabilities who have so much to contribute, and want to contribute, as state employees. I want the state to have a level playing field, and others to have the same positive experience that I have had as a state employee with disabilities. I urge you to support the study that will help retain state employees with disabilities, define which disabilities qualify for non-competitive appointments, and increase accountability and transparency by strengthening the state affirmative action statutes. Let’s learn how we can recruit and retain the talent needed to address the workforce shortages in the state.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/MDS%20resized_tcm1063-378137.jpg&quot; title=&quot;2019_03_MDS_Bill&quot; alt=&quot;2019_03_MDS_Bill&quot; style=&quot;width: 800px; height: 559px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2019_03_MDS_Bill&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Susan Lane-Outlaw (Executive Director of Metro Deaf School), parents Laura White and Sara Klarstrom, and Senator Carla Nelson met to discuss the Metro Deaf School bill on March 14, 2019.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_02291_tcm1063-378132.jpg&quot; title=&quot;2019_03_DeafBlind_Intervenors_Bill&quot; alt=&quot;2019_03_DeafBlind_Intervenors_Bill&quot; style=&quot;width: 800px; height: 588px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2019_03_DeafBlind_Intervenors_Bill&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Andrew, Sally, and Mike Prouty testify in support of inserting the definition of intervenor into state law in front of the Minnesota Senate Committee on Human Service Reform Finance and Policy on March 15, 2019. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here is part of Sally&apos;s testimony: My name is Sally Prouty and I was here in the early 1990&apos;s asking for funding to support Interveners in the home or community for children who are deafblind. Our son, Andy&apos;s success is directly linked to his having Interveners. Andrew is DeafBlind, lives independently, works full time in competitive employment and recently graduated from Metro State University. Interveners have helped scores of children who are deafblind. Now I am asking for a definition of Intervener to help the approximately 400 children in Minnesota who have combined vision and hearing losses. A definition for Interveners would help: 1. Make expectations of the role of Intervener clear to families and the state. 2. Help influence national legislation that will make interveners part of the national delivery system. 3. Lead to a definition and certification in educational settings.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here is part of Andrew&apos;s testimony: &quot;My name is Andrew Prouty and I am DeafBlind. I live independently and have worked full time for the federal government or the last 18 years. I recently graduated with a Bachelors Degree from Metro State University. Please support adding a definition of interveners to Minnesota law. This way more people would understand how interveners work and make the world more accessible for deafblind children. Thank you.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/hearing%20aid%20bill%20resized_tcm1063-378129.jpg&quot; title=&quot;2019_03_hearing_aid_bill&quot; alt=&quot;2019_03_hearing_aid_bill&quot; style=&quot;width: 796px; height: 523px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2019_03_hearing_aid_bill&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Emory David Dively and former Commission member Patti Morelli Teachout, one of the lead parent advocates who helped to get the hearing aid insurance for children under the age of 18 passed, testified in support of HF 486, the bill to get hearing aids for adults 18 and older covered under the same policy. This happened on March 15, 2019.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here is part of Emory&apos;s testimony: &quot;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing hosts a cross-agency, cross-sector task force on age-related hearing loss. The Commission is on its second task force working on proposals to guide us for the next several years. This issue, the cost of hearing aids, has been the primary issue our task force and the Minnesota Commission hears about every time we collect feedback. The Commission is committed to improving the people of Minnesota’s access to hearing aids. Nearly 20% of all Minnesotans have a clinically significant level of hearing loss. Hearing aids are needed for Deaf, DeafBlind, Hard of Hearing, and hearing people who begin to lose their hearing from noise pollution, age, or medical conditions. Despite costing $2,000.00 to $4,000.00 for a pair (which need to replaced every 3-5 years), the vast majority of Minnesotans have no health insurance coverage to help with these out of pocket costs. This means that many people who need hearing aids are not getting the help they need in college, to be productive and successful at work, to connect with their families, and to age in a healthy way. People desperately look to grants, charity or family to help pay for these expensive costs—some use old, recycled hearing aids. We know that people who lose their hearing as they age are 2-5x more likely to develop cognitive decline and dementia – and are more susceptible to falls, depression, and other serious issues – if they do not get hearing aids.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here is Patti&apos;s testimony: &quot;I am the mother of two adult children. My son has a bilateral hearing loss. Sixteen years ago when my son was five years old, I opened my door to an incumbent candidate who was door knocking. He asked for my vote and asked if I had any concerns. I invited him in and for two hours in tears told him how my husband and I were struggling financially because of the $4000 hearing aids we had to pay for our son. We were told that his hearing loss would fluctuate and that we would have to purchase new hearing aids every two to three years. We had two young children. We had to take out loans to cover the cost. We didn’t know how we would juggle the costs of mortgage payments and hearing aids. Insurers told us that hearing aids were ‘cosmetic’ - we couldn’t get insurance coverage. There was no insurance mandate in the state. Soon after Senator Wiger introduced a bill that became MS62Q.675. I had no experience advocating at the capitol but found another mom with twin boys who needed hearing aids. She and I quit our jobs from January through May 2003 and became citizen advocates to get the bill passed. We worked closely with the Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing. We worked with other moms with kids who had hearing loss and got the bill passed. We were able to successfully argue that hearing aids are not cosmetic, but an essential medical device needed to prevent the serious, the permanent consequences of untreated hearing loss. That it cost less to cover the cost of hearing aids than the cost to society of social, emotional and educational delays caused by the lack of coverage. Here I am, fifteen years later. The bill was a success. My son has been able to benefit from the coverage in his elementary and secondary education. He has a full social life and did well in school. Now he is an adult in college and does not have insurance coverage. He needs hearing aids just as much now as he needed them as a child.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/EHDI%20bill_tcm1063-378128.jpg&quot; title=&quot;2019_03_NewEHDIBill&quot; alt=&quot;2019_03_NewEHDIBill&quot; style=&quot;width: 800px; height: 489px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2019_03_NewEHDIBill&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On March 19, 2019, several representatives of Minnesota Hands &amp;amp; Voices and the Deaf Mentor Family Program testified in support of the EHDI bill. From left to right are Laura Godfrey, Mary Hartnett, Representative Heather Edelson, Linda Murrans, and Danelle Gournaris. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here is an excerpt from Laura&apos;s testimony: &quot;We’re asking you to renew HF910/SF1021 which is to the renewal of the Newborn Hearing Screening Advisory Committee. When my son was born the average age of identification of a child with a hearing loss was three and a half years old. Because of the work of this committee babies get a diagnosis of hearing loss from a medical provider at close to 3 months. Since 2007, the Newborn Hearing Screening Advisory Committee has brought together professionals, parents, and advocates that have a stake in improving Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) systems; they wouldn’t all be in the same room if we didn’t have the committee- we learn from each other and monitor and continuously improve the system. Because of our work, Minnesota has one of the best systems in the country. Because of it, we have strong standards and policies. The work of the committee needs to continue.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here is an excerpt from Linda&apos;s testimony: &quot;Minnesota was late in its passage of the newborn hearing screening mandate. We need to continue to track and build out the system. Newborn hearing screening processes are still evolving. We are identifying babies earlier as a result of newborn hearing screening mandate. In fact, I just identified a 3 week old with hearing loss yesterday. On the other hand, I identified a five-year-old with hearing loss earlier this week; some are still falling through the cracks. Our committee measures not only the number of babies screened at birth, but how many parents follow up for a referral and get a diagnostic audiological evaluation, and early intervention services. We have workgroups that develop protocols for pediatric audiologists, primary care providers, and otolaryngologists. We ask that you approve the extension of the life of the committee so we can continue to improve our newborn hearing screening and early intervention system. We need to continue to work to make it better and to ensure that children are screened and make it to diagnostics and receive early intervention by six months of age so they can achieve developmental milestones. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to testify.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here is an excerpt from Danelle&apos;s testimony: &quot;The amendment adds Deaf Mentors to the advisory board and I am here to explain why it’s important. Deaf Mentor Family Program focuses on the communication needs of families with children who are deaf and hard of hearing from birth to age 6. The Deaf Mentor Family program assists these families by providing instruction in American Sign Language, early visual communication methods, and Deaf Culture, through a trained Deaf Mentor who is Deaf or Hard of Hearing at the family&apos;s home environment. Deaf mentors have been chosen based on their fluency in American Sign Language, their ability to communicate easily with hearing families, their comfort with young children, and their ability to support family decisions. The Deaf Mentor sessions are provided to the family with Deaf or Hard of Hearing children for 1.5-2 hours weekly sessions for 2 years. When the bill passed in 2007, they were a small grant program. Now Deaf Mentors are written into statute as part of the EHDI system. Adding DM to the advisory committee would strengthen the monitoring and tracking process we have in place and add visual language acquisition. The advisory committee could add guidelines for visual language acquisition. Because of changes that were made in the federal EHDI reauthorization law, the federal funder for state EHDI systems, HRSA, will add reporting requirements for visual language acquisition. Minnesota is ahead of the game because we have a funding mechanism in place that covers the cost and a system in place. They need to be integrated into the system and made part of the Advisory Committee&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Jamie%20meeting%20in%20the%20Governor%27s%20office_tcm1063-378133.jpg&quot; title=&quot;2019_03_Jamie_Governors_Office&quot; alt=&quot;2019_03_Jamie_Governors_Office&quot; style=&quot;width: 400px; height: 534px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2019_03_Jamie_Governors_Office&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On March 27, 2019, MNCDHH&apos;s board member, Jamie Taylor, meets with Governor Walz’s office to advocate for stronger provisions in the Governor&apos;s new Executive Order on state employees with disabilities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/xavier%20testifying_tcm1063-378143.jpg&quot; title=&quot;2019_03_Commission_bill_hearing&quot; alt=&quot;2019_03_Commission_bill_hearing&quot; style=&quot;width: 800px; height: 513px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2019_03_Commission_bill_hearing&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commission board member Xavier Arana testifies before the Senate Energy and Utilities Committee for Senator Senjem’s bill that increases funds for MNCDHH on March 27, 2019. Fellow board member Jamie Taylor is also seated at the table.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here is part of Xavier&apos;s testimony, &quot;The Commission was founded in 1985 and has 15 Governor-appointed members. Eight are regional advisory members and 7 are at large members, the majority are deaf, deafblind or hard of hearing. Every five years we convene citizens to develop a strategic plan to overcome communication barriers identified by Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing, 20% of the state’s population. Each meeting requires interpreters, tactile interpreters for deafblind and captioning. Materials for meetings with deafblind members need to be brailed. News alerts and our website content are produced in both English and American Sign Language. This requires a great deal of coordination and planning. But the results have been worth it. People with hearing loss have greater access to government services, and improved employment, education and health outcomes. Over 70 pieces of legislation have been passed in the past 17 years. This year we have eight bills that we are leading, two at the request of state senators Senator Senjem and Senator Westrom. You have in your packets more detailed examples, but I will mention a few. You experience some of the results of our advocacy work every day. All of the rooms in the Minnesota State Senate Building have loops for people with hearing aids and all of the floor sessions and televised committee hearings are captioned.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Kody%2C%20Rep%20Hornstein%2C%20and%20Anne%20post%20hearing_tcm1063-378134.jpg&quot; title=&quot;2019_03_Disability_Affirmative_Action_Bill&quot; alt=&quot;2019_03_Disability_Affirmative_Action_Bill&quot; style=&quot;width: 800px; height: 557px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2019_03_Disability_Affirmative_Action_Bill&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kody Olson, Representative Frank Hornstein, and Anne Sittner Anderson supported the bill to study the state&apos;s ability to retain employees with disabilities in a hearing on March 27, 2019. Rep. Hornstein made some important points, &quot;This bill will address a problem we have as a state. 56% of state workers leave state employment after a year. By contrast, only 9% of state employees without disabilities leave state employment. We have a serious employee retention issue and we need to address it. Why are people with disabilities leaving at such an alarming rate? An estimated 1 in 5 Americans, nearly 56.7 million, live with a disability. While expressing an ability, desire and willingness to work in the community and contribute to the economy, many adults and youth with disabilities experience significant barriers to employment. Despite the passage of the ADA people with disabilities still experience unemployment rates far above the national average, and the percentage of people with disabilities participating in our workforce is far below the rate for people without disabilities. According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, only about 20 percent of people with disabilities participate in the workforce compared to about 70% percent without disabilities, and the unemployment rate for people with disabilities is close to 9 percent, compared to about 3% percent for people without disabilities.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/LobbyTThRachelKelseyResized_tcm1063-378136.jpg&quot; title=&quot;2019_03_LobbyTuesdayThursday_Practice&quot; alt=&quot;2019_03_LobbyTuesdayThursday_Practice&quot; style=&quot;width: 800px; height: 600px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2019_03_LobbyTuesdayThursday_Practice&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lobby Tuesday/Thursday took place on March 28th! Here are Rachel Eggert and Kelsey Dahl practicing how to meet with their legislator with Emory K. Dively.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Rep%20Richardson%20Eric%20and%20Kelsey%20resize_tcm1063-378141.jpg&quot; title=&quot;2019_03_LobbyTuesdayThursday_VisitRepRichardson&quot; alt=&quot;2019_03_LobbyTuesdayThursday_VisitRepRichardson&quot; style=&quot;width: 800px; height: 508px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2019_03_LobbyTuesdayThursday_VisitRepRichardson&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Representative Ruth Richardson meets with Eric Nooker and Kelsey Dahl as a part of Lobby Tuesday/Thursday.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Rep%20Noor%20Kaity%20and%20EKD_tcm1063-378140.jpg&quot; title=&quot;2019_03_LobbyTuesdayThursday_VisitRepNoor&quot; alt=&quot;2019_03_LobbyTuesdayThursday_VisitRepNoor&quot; style=&quot;width: 800px; height: 600px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2019_03_LobbyTuesdayThursday_VisitRepNoor&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jaemi Hagen participated in Lobby Tuesday/Thursday with Emory Kevin Dively. Here they are standing with Representative Mohamud Noor. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>378058</id><Tag><Description/><Title>citizen advocate</Title><Id>310308</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-04-01T18:11:38Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Availability of D/HH Licensed Teachers: The Data and the Story</Title><title>2019-03-29 Availability of D/HH Licensed Teachers: The Data and the Story</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-377754&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-03-29T15:00:53Z</Date><ShortDescription>We currently have a shortage of DHH licensed teachers. Learn more about the shortage and what is being done. If you are thinking of becoming a qualified DHH teacher, now is a great time!</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Thanks to all contributors for their information</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/yUNz5Gc7SNs&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendly ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q839qTTSg3U&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about availability of D/HH licensed teachers&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH is aware of a critical shortage of DHH teachers in Minnesota and we have collected information from other organizations to share this information about the shortage with you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Every two years, the State of Minnesota is required to share information about the current status of the teacher workforce here in our state, which is called a “Teacher Supply and Demand Report.” The report includes information from school districts about if they are able to hire qualified teachers for their students. This includes all teacher positions, not only teachers of deaf and hard of hearing students or teachers in special education. The most important question the report tries to answer is, “Is there enough of a supply of teachers to meet the demand for them?”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Data%20from%20District%20Surveys%20Included%20in%20MDEs%202017%20Supply%20and%20Demand%20Repor_tcm1063-377768.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Level of difficulty in hiring DHH teachers&quot; alt=&quot;Level of difficulty in hiring DHH teachers&quot; style=&quot;width: 800px; height: 454px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Level of difficulty in hiring DHH teachers&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Answer&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Unfortunately, no. There are currently 373 teachers in Minnesota who have a DHH license and 72 with an Oral/Aural license, but we need more teachers to meet the needs of students who are D/deaf or hard of hearing. There is a serious shortage of teachers all over the United States. This includes teachers with deaf/hard of hearing licensure. We will focus on D/HH licensed teachers in Minnesota. The D/HH licensing includes teachers with the D/HH license and teachers with the Auditory/Oral license.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;From 2013-2017, Minnesota’s school districts statewide have reported that hiring teachers with DHH licensure were either “difficult to fill” or they “could not fill” the vacancies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The 2019 Teacher Supply and Demand Report included a list of positions in the 2018-2019 school year that were not filled because of a lack of qualified applicants. D/deaf or hard of hearing teaching positions were at the top of this list.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Data%20from%202015%20DHH%20Teacher%20Age%20Stats_tcm1063-377765.jpg&quot; title=&quot;2015 teacher age data&quot; alt=&quot;2015 teacher age data&quot; style=&quot;width: 800px; height: 451px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2015 teacher age data&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Retiring teachers&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Adding to the concern is that a high number of Minnesota’s current DHH teachers are expected to retire over the next few years. The median age of Minnesota’s DHH teachers are 45.9 years old. A July 2018 Gallup poll indicated that the average age a teacher retires is about 58. They will need to be replaced as they retire.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Data%20of%20Number%20of%20Licenses%20Issued_tcm1063-377763.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Number of licenses issued from FY 2014-2016&quot; alt=&quot;Number of licenses issued from FY 2014-2016&quot; style=&quot;width: 800px; height: 441px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Number of licenses issued from FY 2014-2016&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Teacher prep programs&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The number of teacher preparation programs in deaf education in the U.S. is going down. In 2007, there were 68 teacher prep programs for deaf education. In 2019, there are 57. We are lucky to have the University of Minnesota’s program, but even they are receiving fewer applicants and producing fewer graduates every year. This is part of a national trend. Between the academic years of 2007-08 and 2015-16, there was a 23% decline in the number of people completing teacher preparation programs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There is some good news though. This year (2019), the University of Minnesota received an increase in applications to their program, probably because they secured federal funding for some students. This funding is called Project PACT and is good for 5 years. The University of Minnesota is currently in their 2nd year.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Since cost is often a barrier to becoming a teacher, there are many financial programs being offered, including Project PACT. Watch MNCDHH’s video, “&lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/deaf-commission/news/index.jsp?id=1063-364132&quot;&gt;Minnesota Needs Teachers&lt;/a&gt;!” to learn more about those programs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Minnesota%20DHH%20Teacher%20Licenses_tcm1063-377762.JPG&quot; title=&quot;Minnesota DHH Teacher Licenses&quot; alt=&quot;Minnesota DHH Teacher Licenses&quot; style=&quot;width: 800px; height: 453px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Minnesota DHH Teacher Licenses&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Standards for our teachers&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota must have high standards for our teachers. Our students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing deserve quality teachers who can teach them in their preferred language. Our teachers must know how to teach all of the school requirements (math, science, reading, writing, etc.). They must understand the importance of communication equity, and be able to advocate for their students. They must also understand the whole child approach and ensure that their students have access to social opportunities with their peers. We also need more teachers who mirror the students they teach, which includes representation of teachers of color and representation of teachers who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Erin Toninato, who is the representative for Minnesota Administrators of Special Education and serves on PELSB’s Auditory-Oral Advisory and D/HH Advisory Subcommittees, recently said, &lt;em&gt;“We all want high-quality teachers – but we need to keep our licenses attractive and attainable to potential teacher candidates.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/agreement_tcm1063-377761.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Hands in an infinity circle&quot; alt=&quot;Hands in an infinity circle&quot; style=&quot;width: 800px; height: 534px;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Hands in an infinity circle&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What can we do?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are three PELSB Advisory Subcommittee groups meeting to address these issues. One group is discussing licensure standards for those who teach American Sign Language (ASL) as a world language in K-12 settings. The second group is focused on Auditory-Oral DHH licensure, for teachers who work with students who primarily use spoken English. The third group is discussing DHH licensure, for teachers who work with students who primarily use American Sign Language (ASL). They will be working hard over the next year to make recommendations to PELSB related to these licenses.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are not sure what PELSB is, it is short for Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board, which was created by the legislature to oversee and implement teacher licensing for the state of Minnesota. Special education and deaf education is a very small part of a very big job that PELSB must do.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There is a national trend to generalize all special education licenses. So far, we have been successful in keeping specialized licensure in Minnesota so that students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing can have qualified teachers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And for you, have you ever thought about becoming a qualified DHH licensed teacher? Minnesota needs you. Please reach out to Becca Jackson to talk about your options. Her email is &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:rebecca.jackson@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;rebecca.jackson@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here is information about applying for the University of Minnesota’s teacher preparation program. While the deadline has passed for 2019, applications for those interested in starting fall 2020 will be due on March 1, 2020 (not March 2, 2020). For questions about the University of Minnesota’s program, please contact Debbie Golos at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:dgolos@umn.edu&quot;&gt;dgolos@umn.edu&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional information&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Correction: The actual deadline to apply for the University of Minnesota is March 1, 2020, not March 2, 2020.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Special thanks to the information provided by the Minnesota Department of Education, the University of Minnesota Teacher of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing training program, and the Minnesota Administrators for Special Education for the information provided in this video.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up to receive MNCDHH newsletters directly to your inbox. &lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNCDHH/subscriber/new?email=&quot;&gt;Sign me up!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Do you have a question for MNCDHH? &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3665562/Questions-for-MNCDHH&quot;&gt;Send us your questions!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>377754</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-03-29T14:17:42Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota Employment Center (MEC) Employment Supports</Title><title>2019-03-26 Minnesota Employment Center (MEC) Employment Supports</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-376966&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-03-26T15:06:56Z</Date><ShortDescription>This newsletter and video explain what employment supports does and why Minnesota has it. One of the grantees, Minnesota Employment Center (MEC), shares their data and personal impact stories about their work in employment supports. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>How employment supports is making a difference</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/giBJRsqh9fw&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendly ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/BMLE_ASFZL0&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about employment supports in Minnesota&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On December 1, 2018, MNCDHH’s Executive Director Mary Hartnett represented MNCDHH at a town hall meeting hosted by the Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens (MADC). Mary shared information about MNCDHH’s mission, goals, and accomplishments. She received several questions about legislation and funding accomplished by MNCDHH and advocates back in 2014 and 2015; a policy that requires employment supports be offered to workers who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing and funding for $1 million on an annual basis.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At the same time, MNCDHH and the Minnesota Employment Center (MEC) have been considering ways we should share information about what a difference employment supports make to deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing youth and adults.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MEC is one of several grantee through the Minnesota Department of Economics and Employment Development (DEED). DEED is responsible for awarding the grants to entities who will carry out these employment supports work.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH is grateful to MADC for hosting the town hall meeting, to the audience who asked great questions, and to community members for their great advocacy. This seems like a great time to share news about MEC’s work in providing employment services to our community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When people who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing are in the workforce, they may work with employers and coworkers who are not sure how to communicate with them. Sometimes there are cultural differences that lead to misunderstandings and possible conflict. Sometimes the employee stays at the same job for years without knowing how they can advance to a higher position. This is where employment supports can help.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Trained employment specialists from organizations like MEC can provide resources and solutions. Examples include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;train co-workers and supervisors about communication strategies and tools,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;resolve any misunderstandings between co-workers and supervisors, and&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;foster advancement in the workplace.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MEC has summary reports of their work in 2017 and 2018. In 2017, they expanded services beyond the Metro area, and they have offices in Duluth, Faribault, Moorhead, and St. Cloud. MEC not only supported individuals who are deaf, deafblind or hard od hearing but also worked closely with businesses, schools and other community partners throughout the state. They served 103 people under the grant in 2017 and 110 people under the grant in 2018.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Capture_tcm1063-377117.JPG&quot; title=&quot;Number of People Served in 2017&quot; alt=&quot;Number of People Served in 2017&quot; style=&quot;width: 367px; height: 210px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Number of People Served in 2017&quot; /&gt; &lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Capture2_tcm1063-377118.JPG&quot; title=&quot;Number of people served in 2018&quot; alt=&quot;Number of people served in 2018&quot; style=&quot;width: 379px; height: 210px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Number of people served in 2018&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Capture3_tcm1063-377119.JPG&quot; title=&quot;People Served in 2017 (Demographic Area)&quot; alt=&quot;People Served in 2017 (Demographic Area)&quot; style=&quot;width: 299px; height: 245px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;People Served in 2017 (Demographic Area)&quot; /&gt; &lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Capture4_tcm1063-377120.JPG&quot; title=&quot;Number of People Served in 2018 (Demographic Area)&quot; alt=&quot;Number of People Served in 2018 (Demographic Area)&quot; style=&quot;width: 347px; height: 246px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Number of People Served in 2018 (Demographic Area)&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Capture5_tcm1063-377121.JPG&quot; title=&quot;Number of People Served in 2017 (Race)&quot; alt=&quot;Number of People Served in 2017 (Race)&quot; style=&quot;width: 298px; height: 215px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Number of People Served in 2017 (Race)&quot; /&gt; &lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Capture6_tcm1063-377122.JPG&quot; title=&quot;Number of People Served in 2018 (Race)&quot; alt=&quot;Number of People Served in 2018 (Race)&quot; style=&quot;width: 340px; height: 211px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Number of People Served in 2018 (Race)&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Capture7_tcm1063-377123.JPG&quot; title=&quot;Number of People Served in 2017 (Gender)&quot; alt=&quot;Number of People Served in 2017 (Gender)&quot; style=&quot;width: 297px; height: 208px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Number of People Served in 2017 (Gender)&quot; /&gt; &lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Capture8_tcm1063-377124.JPG&quot; title=&quot;Number of People Served in 2018 (Gender)&quot; alt=&quot;Number of People Served in 2018 (Gender)&quot; style=&quot;width: 280px; height: 244px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Number of People Served in 2018 (Gender)&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Capture9_tcm1063-377125.JPG&quot; title=&quot;Number of people served in 2017 (Age-range)&quot; alt=&quot;Number of people served in 2017 (Age-range)&quot; style=&quot;width: 406px; height: 284px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Number of people served in 2017 (Age-range)&quot; /&gt; &lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Capture10_tcm1063-377126.JPG&quot; title=&quot;Number of People Served in 2018 (Age Range)&quot; alt=&quot;Number of People Served in 2018 (Age Range)&quot; style=&quot;width: 393px; height: 284px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Number of People Served in 2018 (Age Range)&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are a few success stories. All stories were provided by MEC and shared with permission.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Employment%20Supports%20collage_tcm1063-376967.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Employment Supports Collage&quot; alt=&quot;Employment Supports Collage&quot; style=&quot;width: 850px; height: 281px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Employment Supports Collage&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dustin has worked at the Walmart store in Roseville for over 3 years and has received follow up services from MEC. Here is a quote from Dustin, &lt;em&gt;“Walmart has given me a great opportunity to learn and use my skills. My dream job is to be a Walmart store manager; I really admire the managers.&quot;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;John was referred to MEC through Minnesota Vocational Rehabilitation in Mankato for job placement. MEC staff assisted John in getting a job at a juice bar doing light cleaning. As time went on, John’s hours were cut due to the fluctuating needs of the business. Under the employment support grant, MEC was able to work with John to get him a second job at an assisted living facility with stable hours and a variety of tasks for him to learn and complete. John is happy at his new job and gets regular visits from MEC staff who touch base with John and his employer.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ARCH has at least 3 deaf employees, of which at least 2 received services from MEC. One employee is Susan Mahler, who works in their Financial Services department. Here is a quote from Twila from a supervisor’s perspective, &lt;em&gt;“It has been great to partner with MEC and I appreciate their support. Each person brings unique attributes and barriers, and MEC has been there all along to provide resources and education about working with Deaf employees. I often call on Susan’s Occupational Communication Specialist (OCS) to relay new information to Susan to help ensure she gets the information quickly and has an opportunity to ask questions and seek clarification in return.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MEC is proud of the work they have done so far but there is so much more to do. Their services are available to you too. If you would like to contact them and receive employment supports, please contact Program Manager Sheila Ritter at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:sritter@rise.org&quot;&gt;sritter@rise.org&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional information&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Do you want to learn more about the employment supports legislation? Visit MNCDHH&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/employment/employment-supports.jsp&quot;&gt;Employment Supports page&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up to receive MNCDHH newsletters directly to your inbox. &lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNCDHH/subscriber/new?email=&quot;&gt;Sign me up!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Do you have a question for MNCDHH? &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3665562/Questions-for-MNCDHH&quot;&gt;Send us your questions!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>376966</id><Tag><Description/><Title>employment</Title><Id>310253</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-03-26T16:56:22Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Accessible Emergency Communications in Minnesota</Title><title>2019-03-25 Accessible Emergency Communications in Minnesota</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-376965&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-03-25T14:33:02Z</Date><ShortDescription>Thanks to community advocates, work has been done to ensure that Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing will have equitable access to emergency news. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Including ASL interpretation &amp; real-time captioning</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/_cyduTL0Dds&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendly ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/HCEdGSptw4Y&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about accessible emergency communication&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During the 2017 hurricane season, Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria blew in leaving behind a trail of destruction from August to October. We also watched the news coverage that included ASL interpreters and captioning onscreen, some successfully, some not.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During this time, many community advocates, including MNCDHH”s board member Lloyd Ballinger, contacted MNCDHH and asked if the State of Minnesota plans to have ASL interpreters, including Certified Deaf Interpreters (CDIs), and live captioning onscreen if there is an emergency. MNCDHH agreed with community advocates. This is an important issue and needs to be addressed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anne Sittner Anderson, communications coordinator at MNCDHH, researched the emergency communications protocols in other states. In September 2017, she used the information to create a special memo for the Office of Governor Mark Dayton titled, “Emergency Management Communications that are Inclusive to People Who are Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing.” In this memo, she provided the following recommendations along with resources to federal law and the policy in other states:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provide concurrent methods of communicating emergency information in spoken English with live-captioning and American Sign Language (ASL). &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Include a team of certified and qualified ASL interpreters with a Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI) as a member of the interpreting team. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provide real-time captioning during disasters. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Budget to include accessibility during emergencies. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provide an auditory description of any graphics, so that visual information is inclusive to listeners who are blind, low vision, or deafblind.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Governor’s Office agreed that this is an important issue. People who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing must have equitable communication access to emergency information. They connected us with the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) to discuss solutions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH and DPS had already been working together on the statewide Text-to-911 rollout along with the Minnesota Department of Human Services Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD) so MNCDHH was happy to work with DPS on another project.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In December 2017, MNCDHH and DPS met, partially to review the Text-to-911 rollout, but also to talk about accessible emergency communications.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DPS suggested that they insert language into the Minnesota Emergency Operations Plan to include sign language interpreters and real-time captioning during emergencies. MNCDHH agreed that this was a great idea.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The process to update the plan was complicated and took almost a year but as of October 2018, the language is in! The language is as follows:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Arrange to provide American Sign Language interpretation and captioning services for news conferences, briefings, and other media activities. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Arrange for sign language interpretation for the Governor and other senior officials when they travel to disaster sites or otherwise address the citizens of Minnesota, following a disaster.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This plan is updated on an annual basis and will continue on no matter which governor is in office.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional information&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;This new addition to the emergency communications process comes with a learning curve. Notably, the local TV news needs to become used to filming interpreters onscreen next to the person speaking. For example, on March 15, 2019, WCCO4 only included the interpreter&apos;s arm onscreen in &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2019/03/15/gov-walz-sen-klobuchar-get-update-on-spring-flood-preps/&quot;&gt;Gov. Walz, Sen. Klobuchar Get Update on Spring Flood Preps.&lt;/a&gt;&quot; Please contact WCCO4 and remind them that receiving the information in American Sign Language (ASL) is important to Minnesotans who use ASL as a primary language. You can contact WCCO4 using &lt;a href=&quot;https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/contact/&quot;&gt;their online form&lt;/a&gt;, Attention To &quot;WCCO Programming.&quot; You can also reach out to other main channels (KARE, KMSP, and KSTP) and share the same message.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Anne Sittner Anderson at MNCDHH will continue to monitor and work on this topic, ensuring that all deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Minnesotans have equitable communication access during emergencies. If you would like to reach her, email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up to receive MNCDHH newsletters directly to your inbox. &lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNCDHH/subscriber/new?email=&quot;&gt;Sign me up!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Do you have a question for MNCDHH? &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3665562/Questions-for-MNCDHH&quot;&gt;Send us your questions!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>376965</id><Tag><Description/><Title>emergency management</Title><Id>310293</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>text-to-911</Title><Id>310260</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>citizen advocate</Title><Id>310308</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>accessible technology</Title><Id>310264</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-03-25T16:21:01Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>A Call for Presenter Proposals: 2019 Collaborative Experience Conference</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The banner includes the State of Minnesota logo and the following text, &quot;Collaborative Experience Conference for parents and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing and their families.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/2019%20CE%20Header%20-%20Website_tcm1063-376411.jpg</Url></Image><title>2019-03-19 A Call for Presenter Proposals: 2019 Collaborative Experience Conference</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-376415&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-03-19T18:17:21Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Collaborative Experience is back! The conference planning team is searching for presenters at this high-level, important conference. A printable and accessible &quot;Save the Date&quot; flyer is also available.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Theme is &quot;Supporting the Whole Child&quot;</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Collaborative Experience Conference “Supporting the Whole Child”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Nov. 7-9, 2019 Breezy Point Resort. Brainerd, Minnesota&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The planning committee for the 2019 Collaborative Experience Conference invites you to submit a proposal to present. The priority content topics include academic strategies and/or social-emotional support strategies for students of all ages who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, DeafBlind or D/HH with a Disability. Each proposal submitted will be reviewed by a subcommittee for relevancy of content to the anticipated audience of Teachers D/HH, Parents, Administrators, SLPs, Deaf Mentors, Parent Guides, Ed. Audiologists, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4889999/2019-Collaborative-Experience-Conference-CALL-FOR-PRESENTER-PROPOSALS&quot;&gt;Yes, I would like to submit a presenter proposal today.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Questions about the conference or proposals can be directed to Katy Kelley at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:katy.kelley@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;katy.kelley@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>376415</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-03-19T18:38:09Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota&apos;s Collaborative Plan for the Next Five Years</Title><title>2019-03-05 Minnesota&apos;s Collaborative Plan for the Next Five Years</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-374170&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-03-05T15:51:47Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Collaborative Plan stakeholders recently completed 10 years of working together. Wilder Reseach was contracted to help us plan our goals for the next five years. The goals are now available for you to see. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Working together for better education and career outcomes for our students</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/ijPoc65jVi8&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendly ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/8jUsXqv74I0&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about the new 5 year strategic plan for the Collaborative Plan Stakeholders&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Collaborative is a network of agencies and organizations who work together to create positive, systematic changes in order to achieve better education and career outcomes for students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. Collaborative Plan stakeholders recently wrapped up a 10-year span of work focused on specified goals. Key achievements included:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reviewed resources that families receive from different sources. Based on the Birth to 5 workgroup recommendations, and approved by the Minnesota Department of Health and the EHDI advisory committee, a binder of current, unbiased, and research-based resources is mailed to families after a child is identified as deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing. The book of resources is available in both hard copy format and online in an e-reader format. (Birth to Age 5 work group)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Published the “Developing a Language and Communication Focused IEP: A Discussion Guide,” designed to help families get the best possible Individual Education Program (IEP) for their children. Two supporting materials were developed; mini-lessons for teachers, for which they can earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs), and webinars to help families and school professionals understand how to use the guide the best way possible. (School Age work groups)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Released a Guide to Adult Services for transition-age students and their families to use as they prepare for life after they graduate from high school. (Secondary/Transition work group)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How we got here&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the summer of 2018, MNCDHH (Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, Deafblind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing) contracted with Wilder Research to review the work of the last 10 years along with several data sources. These sources (including the &lt;a href=&quot;http://sleds.mn.gov/&quot;&gt;Statewide Longitudinal Education Data System&lt;/a&gt;, the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.improveehdi.org/mn/state/&quot;&gt;EHDI annual report&lt;/a&gt;, child counts and outcomes, and others) provided rich information about the children in Minnesota who are D/DB/HH.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Wilder also conducted a series of facilitated sessions with each Collaborative work group (birth to age 5; a combined group with kindergarten to 4th grade and 5th to 8th grade work group members; and the transition group of 9th grade through age 21) and interviews with professionals in fields working with and serving the D/DB/HH community and parents of children who are D/DB/HH. The full list of Collaborative Plan stakeholders can be found at &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/collaborative-plan/&quot;&gt;mncdhh.org/collaborative-plan&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Setting future priorities&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These engagement activities helped Wilder and the Collaborative to develop a set of proposed strategic areas based on voices from work groups and interviews, as well as a scan of existing supports. At a summit hosted by MNCDHH in October, work groups came together to review these study results and brainstorm strategic priorities and action items for the next 5-year plan.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Several strategic issues rose to the top at the summit:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Increase consistency and organization of resources to ensure all children and families have access.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Collaborate and network across stakeholder groups to ensure programs and services are supporting (and not duplicating) each other’s work.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Promote mental health and using a “whole child” approach to help children develop a strong identity and ability to self-advocate.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Assess and address licensure and qualifications for teachers and interpreters to ensure quality and to improve shortages.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Next, MNCDHH and the Collaborative work groups will develop action plans to address these strategic issues through 2023, with efforts to streamline and align strategies across the work groups as appropriate. The 50 Collaborative Plan stakeholders are excited to continue our mission to improving education and employment outcomes for children who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing and their families.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/assets/MNCDHH_5YearCollaborativePlan_1-19_tcm1063-369758.pdf&quot;&gt;Read the plan here (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>374170</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>language acquisition</Title><Id>310294</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-07-10T23:28:08Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Answering Questions about Interpreter Licensure Bill in Minnesota</Title><title>2019-03-04 Answering Questions about Interpreter Licensure Bill in Minnesota</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-374075&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-03-04T22:19:31Z</Date><ShortDescription>In this letter, MNCDHH explains how we make decisions on which bills to support, oppose, or neutral. An ASL version of the letter is included.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNCDHH is currently not opposing the bill</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/zRHJ14EE4Kw&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendly ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/x_uNUHhDrzY&quot; title=&quot;ASL version of letter about interpreter licensure bill&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dear Community Members,&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Several people contacted the Commission and asked if the Commission is trying to block a bill on interpreter licensure in Minnesota. The bill has not been introduced this session. Right now, we have no plans to oppose it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In February, the Commission heard that a bill might be submitted on interpreter licensure this legislative session. We emailed the Minnesota Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (MRID), Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens (MADC), and Minnesota DeafBlind Association (MDBA). After rereading the email, it could have been written more clearly, and for that, we apologize. But the intent of the email was:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;To make sure that MRID, MADC, and MDBA were prepared to respond if a bill was introduced. We know that MRID and MADC have an Interpreting Task Force and thought it was important to share the information with them.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;To encourage the three groups to work together to develop a response if a bill is introduced. They are the groups that would be most affected.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In September 2018, the MNCDHH board was asked by Sonny Wasilowski to support an interpreter licensure bill; the board discussed it and decided not to support it. There were three reasons:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;They learned the bill was not yet endorsed by MADC, MDBA, or MRID. The board believed these groups should be leading this effort.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It was not clear what problem the license intended to fix.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It’s not part of our 2014-2019 five-year strategic plan. Based on past experience with the educational interpreter bill, we know it would be time-consuming to work on this issue. We wouldn’t have time to work on this and follow through on our other commitments.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH has a webpage that describes &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/what-we-do/how-we-make-decisions/&quot;&gt;how the board makes decisions&lt;/a&gt; about which bills to support or oppose.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me or Deputy Director Emory David Dively.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sincerely,&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mary Hartnett, Executive Director&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;cc: Michele Isham, Board Chair&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>374075</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-09-23T14:20:00Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing Minnesotans to Advocate for Communication Equity at the Most Accessible Event of the Year at the Minnesota State Capitol</Title><title>2019-03-04 Press Release: Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing Minnesotans to Advocate for Communication Equity at the Most Accessible Event of the Year at the Minnesota State Capitol</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-374102&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-03-04T21:47:22Z</Date><ShortDescription>Press release</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Community rally and awards ceremony will be held</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;March 4, 2019&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact: Anne Sittner Anderson&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;612-404-2441&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing Minnesotans to Advocate for Communication Equity at the Most Accessible Event of the Year at the Minnesota State Capitol&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Community rally and awards ceremony will be held between 1:00 PM and 2:00 P.M., Wednesday, March 6, 2019 at the Minnesota Capitol Rotunda, with a special drum pre-show provided by students at the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf. The event will be captioned, have sign language interpreters, and tactile interpreters for advocates who are deafblind. Tours of the capitol will be provided in American Sign Language by Deaf tour guides. The press, legislators and staff are invited from 2:30-4:00 to a Deaf and Hard of Hearing Immersion experience in the L’Etoile du Nord Vault Room B15.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saint Paul, Minnesota – On March 6, hundreds of Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing and their family and friends will gather at the Minnesota State Capitol to ask their legislators to support bills proposed or supported by the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Support Communication Equity” is the theme of our Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing Lobby Day. Communication barriers prevent us from being able to get the education we need, the jobs we are qualified to do, and from participating in civic life. These bills increase communication equity for the 20% of Minnesotans who are deaf, Deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing and were developed with community partners.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;House Speaker Melissa Hortman, Senator Torrey Westrom, and Representative Ruth Richardson will speak. All three are longtime allies for people with disabilities. Awards will be given to Minnesotans who have made significant contributions to the advancement of deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Minnesotans. Receiving awards are:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Shivali Choudhury, high school sophomore, for establishing an ASL Club at her school, Farmington High School (Youth Award);&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Liza Sylvestre, an artist from Minneapolis who is currently an MFA candidate at the University of Illinois, for an “Art and Sensory Loss Symposium she hosted for sensory loss scientists (Citizen Advocate Award);&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Stonearch Employment Solutions for their employment placement work for people who are deafblind (Civic Engagement Award);&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jay Fehrman, Principal Manager for ISD 916, for his advocacy work on education policy and dedication to working for better outcomes for students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing (Education Excellence Award);&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Emergency Communication Networks for the statewide Text-to-911 rollout (Access Award);&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;the Honorable Donovan W. Frank Senior U.S. District Judge, District of Minnesota for presiding over a case which opened doors for people who are deaf or hard of hearing to work in delivery jobs (Making a Difference Award);&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mary Edwards, a Deaf Community Health Worker who specializes in working with deaf immigrants (Lifetime Achievement Award). &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;More &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/deaf-commission/news/index.jsp?id=1063-372563&quot;&gt;information about the award recipients&lt;/a&gt; can be found on the Commission&apos;s website.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Legislators will be asked to support:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;HF975 (Richardson) / SF1107 (Senjem) - Support an increase in funds from the Telecommunications Access Minnesota fund for the Commission so we can continue to bring groups together to work on policy change in education, health care, employment, technology and access to public service that benefit the whole state and encourage participation in civic life. The additional funds would cover a government relations specialist, provide more support for our Education collaborative, support for our Age-Related hearing loss, leadership training and increased costs of accommodations.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;HF1382 (Richardson) / SF1500 (Chamberlain) - Change state law so Metro Deaf School, a special education Charter School, can be reimbursed for providing preschool service to deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing children aged birth to three. They are able to get reimbursed for children four and older, but the way the current statute is written, they are unable to get reimbursed for younger children. Babies and toddlers need access to preschools with language-rich environments.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;HF1983 (Loeffler) / SFxxx (Abeler) - Add a definition of interveners, paraprofessionals who work with deafblind children. This will help 1) Make expectations of the role of interveners clear to families and the state. 2) Help influence national legislation that will make interveners part of a national service delivery system 3) Lead to definition and certification in education settings.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;HF910 (Edelson) / SF1021 (Abeler) - Renew the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Advisory Committee in the Minnesota Department of Health and amend the statute to include Deaf Mentors and the Minnesota State Academies on the Advisory Committee.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;HF1968 (Hornstein) / SF2004 (Westrom) - According to the state’s Affirmative Action Plan, over 56% of people with disabilities leave state government within their first year of employment. Require the state to conduct a retention study, have state agencies on disabilities give input and change the affirmative action laws to strengthen implementation and reporting and update out-of-date language.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;HF1962 (Nelson) / SF1727 (Westrom) - Pass legislation that requires Accessible IT standards for the legislature so everyone can participate and have accessible documents and websites. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;As well as bills being led by others that the Commission board has agreed to support.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information about the Commission’s legislative agenda, &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/deaf-commission/legislation/legislative-agenda/&quot;&gt;visit the agenda page on our website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the Commission &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Minnesotans is a Governor-appointed Commission that advocates for communication access and equal opportunity for the 20% of Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing. For more information about the Commission, visit &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/deaf-commission/&quot;&gt;our website&lt;/a&gt; or join us on &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/MNCDHH&quot;&gt;Facebook&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/MNCDHH&quot;&gt;Twitter&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>374102</id><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>press release</Title><Id>320250</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-03-04T21:54:38Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2016-2017 Annual Report Available Online</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Cover of MNCDHHs annual report 2016-2017</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Capture_tcm1063-374059.JPG</Url></Image><title>2019-03-04 2016-2017 Annual Report Available Online</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-374058&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-03-04T15:25:03Z</Date><ShortDescription>Learn about some of the great accomplishments done during this time frame by the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing community, our legislators, and our supporters. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Special thanks to AllOut Marketing</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Minnesotans is pleased to share our &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/assets/MNCDHH%20Annual%20Report%202016-2017_tcm1063-373985.pdf&quot;&gt;2016-2017 annual report (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;. In this report, you will learn about some of the great accomplishments of the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing community, our legislators, and our supporters.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All of our success is only possible because we work collaboratively for better communication equity. Nothing about us, without us, and there are a lot of us. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The annual report for 2018 is under development. We expect to release it in the summer of 2019. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission expresses our deep appreciation to &lt;a href=&quot;http://alloutsuccess.com/&quot;&gt;AllOut Marketing&lt;/a&gt; for their amazing design work.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>374058</id><Tag><Description/><Title>board</Title><Id>310266</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>citizen advocate</Title><Id>310308</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>staff</Title><Id>317343</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-03-04T15:58:29Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>February Wrap Up! More Photos of Community Advocates</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>9 photos of various community members visiting various parts of the Capitol building</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/End%20of%20February%20Collage_tcm1063-373932.jpg</Url></Image><title>2019-03-01 February Wrap Up! More Photos of Community Advocates</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-373938&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-03-01T18:57:35Z</Date><ShortDescription>Photos from Lobby Tuesday/Thursday, training interpreters and volunteers, and testifying in support of HF 486, the bill for fully-insured health plans to cover hearing aids for adults. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Thank you for all that you do for our communities. </Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are photos from several Lobby Tuesday/Thursday events, training for interpreters and volunteers, and a hearing during which community members testified in support of HF 486, the bill for fully-insured health plans to cover hearing aids for adults.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Top row: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Faline and Natalie Rizner pose with Sarah Arana during Lobby Tuesday/Thursday. They are in the State Office Building by the elevators and are holding the &quot;green book&quot; which has information about all the current legislators.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Members of the DeafBlind community, plus Support State Providers (SSPs) and interpreters attended Lobby Tuesday/Thursday for hands-on training on lobbying. Some of the people in the picture are Jimmy Beldon, Philip Steinbruckner, Estina Beldon, Jamie Taylor, Hannah Furney, Molly Peterson, Benjamin Chung, Rach Eggert, Jose Herrera, and Debbie Lentz.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNCDHH and Keystone Interpreting Solutions (KIS) provided training to ASL interpreters, including interns from St. Catherine University, which included a tour of the Capitol. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Middle row:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Some of our great community advocates on Lobby Tuesday/Thursday! From left to right are Sarah Arana, Jessalyn Akerman-Frank, Xavier Arana, Migdalia Colon-Rogers, Philip Steinbruckner, Eric Nooker, Cookie Roang, Judy Klopp, and Kathy Manlapas.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Meeting our legislators is an important aspect of successful lobbying! From left to right are Sarah Arana, Representative Zerwas, James Paul Beldon, Philip Steinbruckner, and Jessalyn Akerman-Frank.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Bottom row:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;DeafBlind community members visit the room where the governor typically holds press conferences during Lobby Tuesday/Thursday. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;More interpreters during their training! Pictured are Naomi Sheneman, Daisy Jo Shuda, Janine Cashman, Emory Kevin Dively (trainer), Albert Walla, and Quincy Craft Faber. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jessalyn Akerman-Frank providing training to members of the DeafBlind community. In the photo are Debbie Lentz, Molly Peterson, Benjamin Chung, and many others. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/IMG_1365_tcm1063-373935.JPG&quot; title=&quot;John Wodele and Paul Sommers testifying in a hearing&quot; alt=&quot;John Wodele and Paul Sommers testifying in a hearing&quot; style=&quot;width: 750px; height: 500px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;John Wodele and Paul Sommers testifying in a hearing&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On February 27, 2019, John Wodele and Paul Sommers testified in support of HF 486, the bill for hearing aid insurance to be expanded to cover adults over the age of 18. The law already requires coverage for children from ages birth to 18.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;John, during his testimony, said, &quot;I am one of the co-chairs of a task force that the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing hosts on age-related hearing loss. Nearly 20% of all Minnesotans have a clinically significant level of hearing loss. Hearing aids are needed for Deaf, DeafBlind, Hard of Hearing, and hearing people who begin to lose their hearing from noise pollution, age, or medical. We know that people who lose their hearing as they age are 2-5x more likely to develop cognitive decline and dementia – and are more susceptible to falls, depression, and other serious issues.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Here is Paul&apos;s testimony, &quot;My name is Paul Sommers. Thank you for hearing my testimony today. I’m a middle school teacher at Justice Page School in Minneapolis and have been teaching for 27 years. I have been wearing hearing aids for the last 22 years.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It is not a stretch to say that I cannot do my job without my hearing aids. Much like people who wear glasses, my aids are essential to my abilities to teach. Hearing aids don’t make my hearing perfect by any means, but they do make possible opportunities to build relationships with students, teaching and challenging each other to go beyond the limits of our own abilities and imaginations. Aids make possible the ability to collaborate with my colleagues and student families, helping to create the best learning environment for all people in our school community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;And believe it or not, middle schoolers are great at recognizing the need for my aid and responding compassionately. That’s not to say I don’t have to remind them to speak up. I use my disability as a teaching tool and figure that if I can’t hear, neither can others in the classroom, encouraging students to participate in ways that all voices and abilities matter.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;I paid $4,700 for my first pair of hearing aids. I have paid for every single hearing aid during these last years out of my own pocket. I have had employer-sponsored health coverage since I became a teacher that costs more than $600 a month for family coverage. Never has my health insurance covered this cost.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Purchasing two hearing aids on a teacher’s salary (my first job was at a private Catholic school in Bloomington) put strains on our family budget. At the time as a parent of one toddler with another soon on the way, paying nearly $5,000 for hearing aids was a huge expense. Twenty years later, these toddlers now in college, the $5,000 is no less of an issue nor can it be included in our FAFSA statements.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Carrying an extra hearing aid - mine is a Costco one - is paramount. On a number of occasions, my main aid has gone on the fritz and I’ve needed a backup at a moment’s notice. Can you even imagine what it would be like in a classroom of 12-yr olds? Yes, you’d miss the pencil tapping and gum snapping. But you’d also miss their crazy comments and insightful questions as they seek to find their places in this world. And you’d be unable to respond compassionately.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;I believe that people with disabilities deserve the necessary supportive devices to thrive - and contribute to our communities - wheelchairs, iPads, - - - and hearing aids.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Being able to work is a human right. I practice this right in the world of education. Teaching is a great job, and a huge responsibility. Having quality hearing aids makes this possible.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Thank you …..Having affordable and effective access to hearing aids keeps me productive and effective at my job, allows me to communicate with family and friends, and improve my life by giving me access to communication.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>373938</id><Tag><Description/><Title>citizen advocate</Title><Id>310308</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-03-01T19:14:06Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Today is the Last Day! Sign up for Lobby Day</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Three mirror images of the Capitol. The two outside images are in green and white. The center image that is sandwiched between them is blue.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Capitol_tcm1063-335650.JPG</Url></Image><title>2019-02-25 Today is the Last Day! Sign up for Lobby Day</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-373183&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-02-25T15:57:58Z</Date><ShortDescription>We look forward to seeing you there. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day is on March 6, 2019</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Today (Monday, February 25, 2019) is the last day to sign up!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our big Lobby Day event is happening on Wednesday, March 6, 2019! Registration is open. This is your chance to educate your legislators about the importance of communication equity! Lobby Day includes appointments with your state representative, training on how to speak with your legislators, a rally with awards, and a tour at the Minnesota State Capitol! You can choose which part of Lobby Day you want to attend.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To register, visit Yes, I will register for Lobby Day.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>373183</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-09-22T17:17:18Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2019 Lobby Day Award Winners!</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Headshots and logo of award winners. Top are Alan Kenney and Cori Giles, Shivali Choudhury, Liza Sylvestre, and Mary Edwards. Bottom are Jay Fehrman, Judge Donovan Frank, and the DPS and ECN logos.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/2019%20Lobby%20Day%20Award%20Winners%20Collage_tcm1063-372578.jpg</Url></Image><title>2019-02-21 2019 Lobby Day Award Winners!</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-372563&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-02-21T15:06:40Z</Date><ShortDescription>Special thanks to the Awards Selection Committee members and congratulations to the award recipients. Please join us on Lobby Day and celebrate. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Learn who will be recognized for their advocacy</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Good news! The deadline to sign up for Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; 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! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Yes, I want to sign up to attend Lobby Day. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;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.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Youth Award: Shivali Choudhury&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Awarded to youth who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing who have demonstrated strong leadership skills.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;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&apos;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, &quot;Farmington High School club sparks interest in ASL.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;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).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;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.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shivali is currently a sophomore. She plans to become a doctor and is taking a rigorous course load.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Citizen Advocate Award: Liza Sylvestre&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Awarded to individuals who have done exemplary work in advocating for and with deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Minnesotans.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;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&apos;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 &quot;Sensory Loss and Art&quot; symposium at the Weisman Art Museum on September 13, 2018.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;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.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One of the sensory loss scientists described his experience in the following article, &quot;Access (taken for) Granted: the Sensory Loss and Art Symposium at the Weisman.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Liza is currently an MFA candidate at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Civic Engagement Award: Stonearch Employment Solutions&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Awarded to an organization or public official that has worked to increase the civic engagement of deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Minnesotans.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Stonearch Employment Solutions is owned by Alan Kenney and Cori Giles.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;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.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Education Excellence Award: Jay Fehrman&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;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.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;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.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;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, &quot;Reducing Isolation through Collaboration.&quot; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Access Award: Minnesota Department of Public Safety Emergency Communication Networks&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;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.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;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&apos;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. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;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. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dana Wahlberg, the Director of the Emergency Communications Networks (ECN) division, will be accepting the award on the division&apos;s behalf. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Making a Difference Award: Judge Donovan Frank&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;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.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;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.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;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&apos; case and the employee&apos;s case then ruled in favor of the employee. The employee&apos;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. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lifetime Achievement Award: Mary Edwards&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;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.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;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.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mary has worked and volunteered for Minnesota&apos;s Deaf Community Health Workers Program, CSD&apos;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.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;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.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mary makes sure that deaf immigrants gain the tools to navigate the &quot;system,&quot; get the services they need and have opportunities to become successful. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;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. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mary is a person who has truly changed lives.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>372563</id><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-09-22T17:24:05Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Where to Go: A Guided Tour for 2019 Lobby Day</Title><title>2019-02-16 Where to Go: A Guided Tour for 2019 Lobby Day</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-371999&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-02-16T16:00:15Z</Date><ShortDescription>This video is narrated in American Sign Language, with closed captions, English voiceover, and a descriptive transcript.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>State Office Building and Minnesota Capitol Building</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tour video&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/woZvPBUnTKI&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with the tour of the State Office Building and Minnesota State Capitol&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Descriptive transcript&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Opening credits with MNCDHH’s logo and the following text, “Lobby Day 2019 Guided Tour”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[A woman appears. It is snowing and she is standing outside of the State Office Building (SOB). She smiles and begins to sign.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sarah: Hello!  I&apos;m Sarah and I&apos;m an outreach specialist with MNCDHH, working towards Lobby Day! Hmm, where are we?  We are in front of the SOB, also known as the State Office Building. We will have Lobby Day here at the Capitol but we encourage the community to come and enter here at the SOB. If you ride Metro Mobility (MM), there is a cul-de-sac where you can be dropped off.  Take a look!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Camera rotates 180 degrees to show the cul de sac and returns to Sarah. She resumes signing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sarah: Once you get dropped off there, you will walk this short pathway to these doors. Here you will see volunteers and SSPs waiting to help guide you!  So come on in!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Camera fades and returns to Sarah inside the entry way of the State Office Building. She continues to sign as she walks through the hallway.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sarah: Now we have entered the State Office Building (SOB).  You will walk straight ahead for a bit. You will see stairs to go down to the tunnel (which leads to the Capitol).  There are also elevators to go down if needed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Sarah walks past the elevators and continues on.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sarah: Here are the elevators.... For the stairs, keep walking down the hallway. Again, we will have volunteers and SSPs to help guide you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Sarah points to the stairs.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sarah: This is the stairway that you want that will lead you to the tunnel that leads to the Capitol. Now, before we go down, you can see we are on the 1st floor.  We want to go down to level G (Ground). You will notice that when you walk through to the Capitol, G level is now labeled B (Basement).  Ok, let&apos;s go!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Sarah walks downstairs. She stops at the G level and signs.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sarah: Now you will see the sign for G level! Don&apos;t keep going down!  Go through this doorway to reach the tunnel.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Sarah is going through the doors that lead to the tunnels.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sarah: We are now entering the tunnel that leads to the Capitol.  You can see the sign above me. Please don&apos;t worry about being lost or confused.  We will have plenty of volunteers and SSPs placed along the way. Once in this tunnel, you will have no choice but to keep walking forward. See how far you&apos;ll get to walk! It&apos;s good exercise, especially in the winter! See, you really can&apos;t be lost once you come here - you just keep going straight. More signs!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Sarah points to signage on the wall, the camera shows “Tunnel to Capitol Building, Minnesota Senate Building”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sarah: Be sure to pace yourself as you go up this part. Take your time - we will soon arrive! More information!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Sarah points to signage, “To State Capitol. Tunnel to Judicial Center. Tunnel to Minnesota Senate Building and Administrative Building. Rathskeller. Elevator. Restrooms.”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sarah: If you need to sit and rest, there&apos;s a place here too!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Sarah points to an area with seating available.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sarah: They just remodeled this area two years ago.  It looks great! Take a left... then a right!  Then down this hall....&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Sarah goes off camera and the camera wanders the basement until it finds Emory K. Dively who is standing outside a door.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Emory: Hello there!  I&apos;m Emory K. Dively. I&apos;m standing here in front of Room B 015. Also known as the Vault. This is where we will congregate.  If you are lost, there will be volunteers here out front to help guide you in. Do you remember in years past, we would have you register, check in, etc? It will all happen in this room now. Everything will happen right here, such as registration, legislation workshops, meeting your interpreters... everything! Come on in and check it out.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Emory walks in the Vault, the camera follows, showing the view of the room. Many people are gathered in this room and they are chatting with each other.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Emory: Notice how everyone is in a group, having a discussion?  This is how legislation works.  We will do something similar to this. If you&apos;re feeling hungry, there&apos;s a place to eat around the corner from here.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Emory walks out of the Vault. The camera follows.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Emory: You can&apos;t get lost... all you do is walk straight down this hall. Easy, right?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[The camera walks down the call towards the Rathskeller. Then fades out and fades into Emory again, who once more is standing outside of the Vault.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Emory: Oh!  What&apos;s the time now? (Checks his phone) It&apos;s time to go up and get ready for the rally and presentations! Don&apos;t wait until 1 pm to go up.  It&apos;s better to go at 12:45 pm.  The chairs are reserved for DeafBlind consumers, presenters, and award giving. So where do you go?  You should grab a place to circle the rotunda on several different levels. Remember, if you have a disability or if going upstairs is hard, there are elevators nearby.  See?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Camera rotates 90 degrees to view the elevators and then returns to Emory.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Emory: Now, we are going to get some exercise and walk up. This is exciting!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Continuing to sign, Emory begins to walk towards the stairs. The camera follows.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Emory: Remember, if you wait until 1 pm to arrive, it will be full and you will be trying to see past crowds of people! Arrive early! Either doorway is fine... (Points to signage) See the G meaning Ground floor? This means we need to keep going up the stairs! Again, either way around.  Security is really friendly and helpful here. Paintings of famous people. (Points to signage) First floor! (Points to the Capitol Rotunda) The rotunda is right through here.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Emory walks into the Rotunda and continues to sign.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Emory: Remember, don&apos;t come at 1 pm.  Come earlier! See where there is more opportunity for you to stand and watch the proceedings.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[The camera rotates 360 degrees around the interior of the rotunda, and then returns to Emory.] &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Emory: I will see you here!! Before 1 pm!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Emory walks offscreen. The camera fades out and then fades back in. Emory is standing in a different spot within the rotunda.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Emory: I&apos;m standing on the first floor of the rotunda.  We do have a second and third floor.  Take a look. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Emory points up, the camera turns upwards and focuses on two women waving from the 2nd (Anne) and 3rd (Sarah) floor. The camera then returns to Emory.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Emory: Come with me and I&apos;ll show you one more place you need to know.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Emory walks out of the rotunda and into the hallways past the front doors. The camera follows.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Emory: Notice the big sign saying &quot;Information &amp;amp; Tours.&quot; This is right next to the rotunda. This is where you will take a guided tour around the Capitol. You can&apos;t sign up for tours last minute! I suggest you register online ahead of time. If you choose to take a tour, you&apos;ll learn about history and see the renovations made here. I won&apos;t tell you much - you will need to come and see for yourself and take the tour after the rally!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[The camera fades out and the credits appear. “The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, Deafblind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing thanks: Mark Zangara for voiceover, Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.”]&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>371999</id><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-04-15T18:05:09Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Many Community Advocates at the Capitol this Week</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The calendar pages for February and March are shown. The are orange squares over the Tuesday/Thursday dates in February and there is a green square for the March 6th main Lobby Day event. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Lobby%20Tuesday%20Thurs%20Web_tcm1063-369867.jpg</Url></Image><title>2019-02-15 Many Community Advocates at the Capitol this Week</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-371936&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-02-15T17:21:13Z</Date><ShortDescription>Reminders, announcements, and this week&apos;s photos.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Lobby Tuesday/Thursday and more</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reminders and Announcements&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If you are planning to only go to the rally at Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day on Wednesday, March 6th, we still need you to register so that we have an accurate headcount. Visit the Lobby Day registration form to complete your registration.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Are you a school or organization that wants to bring a group? Please contact &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; to coordinate your visit.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Some people asked us if they can do both the main Lobby Event on March 6th and Lobby Tuesday/Thursday? The answer is yes! You are welcome to participate in any event you choose. Just register and let us know you are coming.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This Week&apos;s Photos&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This week at the Minnesota State Capitol with community advocates. Here are a few photos from Lobby Tuesday/Thursday; providing testimony about the Legacy funding, which impacts Thompson Hall; and providing testimony about the importance of licensure for teachers of the blind, which has an impact on students who are deafblind.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/WeekAtCapitolCollage_tcm1063-371935.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Collage of Community Advocates at the Capitol&quot; alt=&quot;Collage of Community Advocates at the Capitol&quot; style=&quot;width: 850px; height: 478px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Collage of Community Advocates at the Capitol&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Top row:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Bethany Gehman and Kathy Manlapas are smiling with Representative Brian Daniels.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Bethany Gehman and Kathy Manlapas are participating in Lobby Tuesday/Thursday (Thursday, February 14th). They are standing and smiling with Jessalyn Akerman-Frank in the halls of the Capitol building.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Middle row:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota State Academies superintendent Terry Wilding and National Federation of the Blind advocate Steve Jacobson testify at a hearing for SF 777, the bill to support additional funding to explore, develop, and establish a teacher preparation program leading to the licensure of teachers of the blind and visually impaired.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kathy Manlapas is smiling with Rep. Kristin Robbins inside the halls of the State Office Building during Lobby Tuesday/Thursday.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Herman Fuechtmann testifies about the Legacy funding that the Thompson Hall Board of Trustees received to preserve and renovate their building.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Bottom row:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Terry Wilding, superintendent of the Minnesota State Academies, is chatting with MNCDHH executive director Mary Hartnett inside a hearing room.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Herman Fuechtmann participated in Lobby Tuesday/Thursday (Tuesday, February 12th). Here he is with outreach consultant Shawn Vriezen and a sign language interpreter inside the Capitol Rotunda. They are role-playing a meeting between a legislator and a constituent.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>371936</id><Tag><Description/><Title>citizen advocate</Title><Id>310308</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-09-22T17:19:35Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2019 Legislative Agenda</Title><title>2019-02-13 2019 Legislative Agenda</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-371792&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-02-13T21:31:03Z</Date><ShortDescription>What is on the agenda this year and reminders about Lobby Day and Lobby Tuesday/Thursday.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Together we advocate for communication equity</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/AcfhIiq6-YY&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendly ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/b4J7V242K48&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with the 2019 legislative agenda&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are pleased to announce that the board members of the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing has voted on our legislative agenda this year. Together, advocates and MNCDHH, are working hard to address disparities in communication equity and the agenda reflects that.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Education &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Change state law so Metro Deaf School, a special education Charter School, can be reimbursed for providing preschool services to deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing children aged birth to three. They are able to get reimbursed for children four and older, but the way the current statute is written, they are unable to get reimbursed for younger children. Babies and toddlers need access to preschools with language-rich environments. (MNCDHH leads)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Support changes recommended by advisory groups to the Professional Educators Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) to Tier I and Tier II Licensure for teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing. (PELSB leads)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Add a definition of interveners for deafblind children so it is clear that they are an option to parents and to districts. (MNCDHH leads)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Support additional funding for the Minnesota State Academies for the Deaf and Blind. (MSA leads)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Support additional funding to explore, develop, and establish a teacher preparation program leading to licensure for teachers of the blind and visually impaired. (MNCDHH supports)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Health and Human Services&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Renew the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Advisory Committee in the Minnesota Department of Health. (MNCDHH leads)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Employment&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Support changes that will make it easier for qualified candidates with disabilities to get and keep state jobs. Request a study on the retention of employees with disabilities. (MNCDHH leads)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Support an increase in funds for the Commission for additional costs for accommodations, communication access, a Government Relations Director, and a part-time Age-Related Hearing Loss Specialist and other related costs. (MNCDHH leads)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Modernization of the Telecommunication Equipment Distribution Program&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;DHHSD is waiting for the governor’s budget to find out if DHS will lead modernization of the Telecommunications Equipment Distribution Program this year. Modernizing the Telephone Equipment Distribution program will offer more helpful tools for telecommunications accessibility. The Telephone Equipment Distribution program specialists will also be able to demonstrate how these tools work, and assist people in applying for discounted phone services. The specialists will also give people information about other kinds of technology to help with everyday communication access. (DHS leads)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hearing Aid Affordability&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Expand the health mandate for hearing aid insurance to cover adults who over 18 years old. Currently, it only covers children from ages 0-18. (MNCDHH supports)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our big Lobby Day event is happening on Wednesday, March 6, 2019! Registration is open. This is your chance to educate your legislators about the importance of communication equity! Lobby Day includes appointments with your state representative, training on how to speak with your legislators, a rally with awards, and a tour at the Minnesota State Capitol! You can choose which part of Lobby Day you want to attend. To register, visit mncdhh.org/lobbyday.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lobby Tuesday/Thursday&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The 2019 legislative session has already started. We have many new members of the Legislature and it is important to help the new legislators become familiar with our community and why communication equity is important. That is why MNCDHH is scheduling special visits to members of the Senate on Tuesday and Thursdays this legislative session. This is different from Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day on Wednesday, March 6, 2019. Learn more about (and sign up to participate on a date you choose). To register, visit mncdhh.org/lobbytuesdaythursday.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional information&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Things change fast at the Legislature. At the time of filming, all of the information was current. Between now and our next update, you can visit our &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/legislation/legislative-agenda/&quot;&gt;2019 Legislative Agenda web page&lt;/a&gt; for changes. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up to receive MNCDHH newsletters directly to your inbox. &lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNCDHH/subscriber/new?email=&quot;&gt;Sign me up!&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Do you have a question for MNCDHH? &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3665562/Questions-for-MNCDHH&quot;&gt;Send us your questions!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>371792</id><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-02-24T15:42:50Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Send Your Lobby Day Awards Nominations ASAP</Title><title>2019-02-05 Send Your Lobby Day Awards Nominations ASAP</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-370907&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-02-05T14:36:07Z</Date><ShortDescription>There are seven award categories. You can choose which category to send nominations (as many as you like).</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Deadline is THIS Thursday, February 7th</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/dQskM-1i1_0&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about 2019 Lobby Day Award Nominations&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello, my name is Sarah Arana and I am one of MNCDHH’s Outreach Specialists. My current project is to lead the 2019 Lobby Day Awards Search Committee. This means I am collecting nominations for community members, organizations, and groups who are doing amazing work in Minnesota. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We will have different award categories. &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/get-involved/lobby-day/awards/&quot;&gt;Learn about each Award categories.&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you think of a great person or organization to nominate, please send your &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4768596/Lobby-Day-Awards-Nomination-Form&quot;&gt;nominations through the online form&lt;/a&gt; by February 7th, 2019. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A selection committee with community representatives will review all the nominations and make a decision. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We will announce the Award Winners on February 15th, 2019. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You will have the opportunity to congratulate and celebrate our winners at the rally. Please feel free to thank the winners for their hard work for our community. The rally will be on March 6th, 2019 at 1:00 p.m. So please come and congratulate our winners. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So be ready and remember to send your nominations today so that some of our amazing community members can be recognized. Thank you.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>370907</id><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-02-05T14:41:21Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2019 Lobby Day Reminders</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The calendar pages for February and March are shown. The are orange squares over the Tuesday/Thursday dates in February and there is a green square for the March 6th main Lobby Day event. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Lobby%20Tuesday%20Thurs%20Web_tcm1063-369867.jpg</Url></Image><title>2019-01-29 2019 Lobby Day Reminders</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-369865&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-01-29T16:38:08Z</Date><ShortDescription>Reminders to register for Lobby Day on March 6, 2019, and to nominate deserving candidates for awards. Also introducing Lobby Tuesday/Thursday. Please participate and make sure your legislators know about issues that are important to you. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Introducing Lobby Tuesday/Thursday</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our big Lobby Day event is happening on Wednesday, March 6, 2019! Registration is open. This is your chance to educate your legislators about the importance of communication equity! Lobby Day includes appointments with your state representative, training on how to speak with your legislators, a rally with awards, and a tour at the Minnesota State Capitol! You can choose which part of Lobby Day you want to attend. To register, visit &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/get-involved/lobby-day/&quot;&gt;Yes, I want to learn more and register for Lobby Day&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Award Nominations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A big part of Lobby Day is to recognize individuals and organizations who have made a difference in the lives of Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. They will be recognized at the rally. Please send in your nominations by February 7, 2019. Learn about the award categories and send nominations at &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/get-involved/lobby-day/awards/&quot;&gt;Yes, I want to nominate someone for an award&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lobby Tuesday/Thursday *NEW!*&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The 2019 legislative session has already started. We have many new members of the Legislature and it is important to help the new legislators become familiar with our community and why communication equity is important. That is why MNCDHH is scheduling special visits to members of the Senate on Tuesday and Thursdays this legislative session. This is different from Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day on Wednesday, March 6, 2018. Learn more about (and sign up to participate on a date you choose). To register, visit Yes, I want to learn more and register for Lobby Tuesday/Thursday.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>369865</id><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-02-24T15:41:09Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Registration is Open! 2019 Lobby Day</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Icon of the Capitol Building in green, with icons of people (in orange and blue) standing besides the building in unison over a dark blue background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Lobby%20Day%20Registration_tcm1063-367888.jpg</Url></Image><title>2019-01-17 Registration is Open! 2019 Lobby Day</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-368273&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-01-17T17:21:45Z</Date><ShortDescription>With a link to the registration form. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing Day at the Capitol</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration for the 2019 Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day is now open! You can register today. Yes, I want to register for Lobby Day.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lobby Day is an exciting event that brings together deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing constituents, friends, family members, and allies, and their legislators to discuss issues that are near and dear to their constituents&apos; hearts. This year it will be on Wednesday, March 6, 2019. This is your chance to educate your legislators about the importance of communication access and equal opportunity! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please register by February 22nd, 2019.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can come to Lobby Day for part of the day OR for the full day, whichever works best for you! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are several parts to the day. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Training in the morning to increase your confidence when you meet your legislator!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Appointments with legislators!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A big rally and an award ceremony at 1:00 PM! Come and show the community&apos;s strength! Special guest presenters to be announced.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Having trouble with this registration form? Email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; for any questions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And please nominate deserving people or organizations to win an award and be recognized at Lobby Day. Yes, I want to send a nomination.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>368273</id><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-09-22T17:10:51Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Ask MNCDHH: Available Services for People with Age-Related Hearing Loss</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Icons of 4 senior citizens, all facing the audience and smiling. Above their heads is the following text, &quot;Available Services for People with Age-Related Hearing Loss&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/ARHL%20Services_tcm1063-362555.jpg</Url></Image><title>2019-01-16 Ask MNCDHH: Available Services for People with Age-Related Hearing Loss</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-362556&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-01-16T16:07:55Z</Date><ShortDescription>How do we access your services for assessment for our elderly mom?</ShortDescription><Subtitle>You ask, we answer</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Question: How do we access your services for assessment for our elderly mom?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Answer:&lt;/em&gt; Thanks for your question! The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) does not provide any direct services to the community. We have a different role, which is to advocate for policy changes and improvements in systems. This includes healthy aging by recognizing the importance of age-related hearing loss as a public health issue. You can learn more about that by visiting our &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/hearing-loss-matters/&quot;&gt;Hearing Loss Matters website&lt;/a&gt; and by watching the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.tpt.org/hearing-loss-matters/&quot;&gt;documentary film by the same name&lt;/a&gt;, which MNCDHH co-produced along with TPT Twin Cities PBS. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Depending on the type of service you are referring to, you might be interested in contacting the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/dhs/people-we-serve/children-and-families/services/deaf-hard-of-hearing/programs-services/telephone-equipment.jsp&quot;&gt;Telephone Equipment Distribution program (TED)&lt;/a&gt;, which is a part of the Department of Human Services&apos; Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD). Depending on income, they can offer equipment like captioned phones or amplified phones to provide access to phone communication for people who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are looking for other types of services, we would recommend you contact the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/dhs/people-we-serve/children-and-families/services/deaf-hard-of-hearing/contact-us/&quot;&gt;Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services division office&lt;/a&gt; in your region. They offer information referral to the appropriate state or private organization for support.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>362556</id><Tag><Description/><Title>age-related hearing loss</Title><Id>310251</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>ask the commission</Title><Id>310292</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-12-15T15:39:02Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2019 Lobby Day Award Nominations</Title><title>2019-01-09 2019 Lobby Day Award Nominations</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-364549&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-01-09T19:16:17Z</Date><ShortDescription>Fun fact: We have created two new award categories this year; Youth Award and Education Excellence Award.  </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Send in your nominations today!</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/dQskM-1i1_0&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about 2019 Lobby Day Award Nominations&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello, my name is Sarah Arana and I am one of MNCDHH’s Outreach Specialists. My current project is to lead the 2019 Lobby Day Awards Search Committee. This means I am collecting nominations for community members, organizations, and groups who are doing amazing work in Minnesota. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We will have different award categories. &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/get-involved/lobby-day/awards/&quot;&gt;Learn about each Award categories.&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you think of a great person or organization to nominate, please send your &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4768596/Lobby-Day-Awards-Nomination-Form&quot;&gt;nominations through the online form&lt;/a&gt; by February 7th, 2019. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A selection committee with community representatives will review all the nominations and make a decision. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We will announce the Award Winners on February 15th, 2019. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You will have the opportunity to congratulate and celebrate our winners at the rally. Please feel free to thank the winners for their hard work for our community. The rally will be on March 6th, 2019 at 1:00 p.m. So please come and congratulate our winners. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So be ready and remember to send your nominations today so that some of our amazing community members can be recognized. Thank you.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>364549</id><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-01-09T21:35:11Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota Needs Teachers</Title><title>2019-01-08 Minnesota Needs Teachers</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-364132&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-01-08T23:46:52Z</Date><ShortDescription>With direct links to grants, loan forgiveness, and teacher licensure programs.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Programs and grants are available</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/qbeQukf0utc&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about teacher grants and loan forgiveness in Minnesota&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Let us remember: One book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;-Malala Yousafazi&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Education is the foundation for a successful future and the foundation for a great democracy. Teachers are the root of education and they influence the future of our country and our children. Unfortunately, Minnesota has a shortage of teachers. This includes teachers with DHH licensure and oral/aural licensure. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One barrier to getting a teaching degree is cost. Earning a college degree and a license to teach can be expensive. The cost can make the degree inaccessible for teacher candidates. To make the degree and license more affordable, a future teacher can apply for grants, loans and loan forgiveness programs on the state and federal level.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At the federal level, there are several options. TEACH grants are available, as well as teacher loan forgiveness for Direct Subsidized Loans, Direct Unsubsidized Loans, Subsidized Federal Stafford Loans, and Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans, and teacher cancellation for Federal Perkins Loans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At the state level, the Minnesota Office of Higher Education offers a Minnesota Teacher Candidate Grant, a Teacher Shortage Loan Forgiveness Program, and a long-term, low-interest student loan, the SELF loan.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are interested in becoming a teacher, or if you know someone who is interested, please look into (and pursue!) the resources listed below. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have any questions, please contact Rebecca Jackson at the Minnesota Department of Education. Her email is &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Rebecca.Jackson@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Rebecca.Jackson@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;[video slide text]&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Breaking news! Project PACT at the University of Minnesota offers funding for those who want a teaching license for Deaf/Hard of Hearing (DHH), Academic and Behavioral Strategist (ABS), or both. Learn more by visiting the link at the end of the video. Access all grant and loan information at the links below. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Grant links and more&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/types/grants-scholarships/teach#eligibility&quot;&gt;Teach Grants&lt;/a&gt; (federal)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/teacher#teacher-loan-forgiveness&quot;&gt;Teacher loan forgiveness for Direct Subsidized Loans, Direct Unsubsidized Loans, Subsidized Federal Stafford Loans, and Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans, or Teacher cancellation for Federal Perkins Loans&lt;/a&gt; (federal)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ohe.state.mn.us/mPg.cfm?pageID=2248&quot;&gt;Minnesota Teacher Candidate Grant&lt;/a&gt; (state)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ohe.state.mn.us/mPg.cfm?pageID=2191&quot;&gt;Teacher Shortage Loan Forgiveness&lt;/a&gt; (state)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.selfloan.state.mn.us/index.cfm&quot;&gt;SELF Loan&lt;/a&gt; (state)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.cehd.umn.edu/edpsych/programs/specialed/project-pact/&quot;&gt;Project PACT&lt;/a&gt; (University of Minnesota)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.cehd.umn.edu/edpsych/programs/specialed/dhh-licensure/&quot;&gt;DHH Licensure&lt;/a&gt; (University of Minnesota)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.cehd.umn.edu/edpsych/programs/specialed/abs-licensure/&quot;&gt;ABS Licensure&lt;/a&gt; (University of Minnesota)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up to receive MNCDHH newsletters directly to your inbox. &lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNCDHH/subscriber/new?email=&quot;&gt;Sign me up!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Do you have a question for MNCDHH? &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3665562/Questions-for-MNCDHH&quot;&gt;Send us your questions!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>364132</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-01-08T16:30:51Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>T-coil and Bluetooth Survey</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A person icon is shown to be receiving sound through his/her hearing device. To the person&apos;s top and right side are the symbols for Bluetooth and for hearing loops.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Tcoil_Bluetooth_Survey_tcm1063-362563.jpg</Url></Image><title>2019-01-08 T-coil and Bluetooth Survey</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-362567&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-01-08T20:43:54Z</Date><ShortDescription>Survey opportunity.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Test your knowledge about hearing loops, t-coils, and Bluetooth</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How well do you know the capabilities of your hearing aids and cochlear implants? Do you know what hearing loops are and if your devices are compatible with them? Test your knowledge today.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Yes, I will participate in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4637038/T-Coil-Survey&quot;&gt;T-coil &amp;amp; Bluetooth Survey&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>362567</id><Tag><Description/><Title>hearing aids</Title><Id>310255</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>survey</Title><Id>310297</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>accessible technology</Title><Id>310264</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>looping</Title><Id>310267</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-01-18T17:52:19Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Farewell 2018, Welcome 2019</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Skyline of the Twin Cities with &quot;2019&quot; displayed over the sky.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/2019_end_of_year_tcm1063-362544.jpg</Url></Image><title>2018-12-31 Farewell 2018, Welcome 2019</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-362546&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-12-31T16:00:05Z</Date><ShortDescription>What MNCDHH, partners, and the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing community accomplished in 2018.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>End of year review</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2018 was an exciting year! The legislative session was only 58 days, which made time our biggest challenge this year. With the help of community partners and organizations, we accomplished so much! Here are just a few of the things that happened in 2018.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;January&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Held our first board meeting of the year and approved the 2018 legislative agenda, which mainly focused on changes to MNCDHH&apos;s statute (MS 256C.28).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;On January 15th, we celebrated Martin Luther King Jr Day. Thanks to Kim Wassenaar for her leadership with the Governor&apos;s Council who worked on the celebration plans.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We also released the IEP webinars, a valued resource for parents and teachers about language and communication-focused Individualized Education Programs (IEPs).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;February&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;February was an exciting month for us! The Super Bowl was hosted in the Twin Cities. We were so excited that so many community members, including Jessica and Rachel Eggert, were involved with the Super Bowl.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Katy Kelley joined our team as our Office Administrative Coordinator. We are so glad she is here. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Emory David Dively presented about Home Care training at the MAA conference. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;March&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jessalyn Akerman-Frank attended an Airport Payphones Discussion and provided input on solutions for Deaf and hard of Hearing Travelers at MSP Airport. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Planning began for the upcoming 2019 Lobby Day at the Capitol. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Emory David Dively and Anne Sittner Anderson co-presented on digital accessibility at the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits Communications and Technology Conference.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;April&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The bill to get MNCDHH’s statute updated was passed in several committees. Thanks to our wonderful board members Lloyd Ballinger, Rosanne Kath, and Michele Isham, as well as Executive Director, Mary Hartnett, for testifying.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNCDHH had a table at Deaf Awareness Day, which was hosted by the Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens (MADC).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We also announced the date for Lobby Day next year, March 6, 2019.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;May&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Andrew Palmberg (evaluator) and Anne Sittner Anderson (crash survivor) participated in an FAA-mandated large-scale emergency response exercise at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport. This is the second time that deaf people were involved in this activity. Andrew became the first back in 2014, where he had the role of a crash survivor. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jessalyn Akerman-Frank was interviewed on radio about her experience in Partners in Policymaking (PIP) course. Jessalyn graduated from PIP on May 19, 2018.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We also worked with Ann Mayes to release 9 IEP Discussion Guide Mini-Lessons.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNCDHH held our second board meeting of the year.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Emory Kevin Dively, Anna Paulson, Jessalyn Akerman-Frank, and Anne Sittner Anderson taught closed-captioning advocacy to elementary students at the Health and Wellness Summit hosted by the Sanneh Foundation.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;June&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNCDHH board members and employees had the opportunity to be involved in the 2018 Nonprofit Leadership Conference at the University of Minnesota.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;From June 21-24 Hearing Loss Association of America’s National Convention was hosted in Minneapolis, MN. MNCDHH had a booth at the event, and our staff and board members attended different events.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Voters Outreach Team began to meet to plan the voters workshops. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;July&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Michele Isham, Anna Paulson, Jessalyn Akerman-Frank, Anne Sittner Anderson, and Mary Hartnett attended the National Association of the Deaf&apos;s biennial conference in Hartford, CT. We attended workshops on deaf education, language acquisition, racial justice, emergency planning, and so many more.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNCDHH hosted an Education Policy Meeting at the Wilder Foundation. The staff who worked at this meeting were Anna Paulson, Mary Hartnett, Katy Kelley, Emory David Dively, and Jessalyn Akerman-Frank.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;August&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Say What Club hosted their annual conference in Minnesota! MNCDHH had a booth there. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Age-Related Hearing Loss Task Force resumed its meetings. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Katy Kelley and Jamie Taylor represented MNCDHH at the State Fair when they worked at the Minnesota Council on Disability&apos;s booth.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Voters Outreach group provided their first workshops of the year. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;State agencies increased the employment of state employees with disabilities to 7% by August 2018, as required by Executive Order 14-14. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;September &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Emory David Dively began his classes at the Humphrey Institute.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Anne Sittner Anderson began her classes at the Emerging Leaders Institute.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jessalyn Akerman-Frank began her classes at the Change Network.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNCDHH&apos;s staff attended Metro Deaf School&apos;s groundbreaking ceremony at their new school site.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNCDHH held our third board meeting of the year.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ann Mayes joined our team as our part-time Education Specialist.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;October&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;In October MNCDHH hosted a fun, peer-led interactive evening about voting to get prepared for the midterm elections in November.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We also held a two-day planning summit from October 25 and 26, on education and outcomes for students, who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. It was attended by 50 stakeholders of the Collaborative Plan work groups, and together they developed the plan for the upcoming five-year cycle.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Anna Paulson worked at the Transition Fair for youth who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing at St. Paul College.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Emory David Dively provided three presentations at Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) meetings regarding age-related hearing loss and its impact on senior citizens. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ann Mayes, Jessalyn Akerman-Frank, and Anna Paulson attended the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf&apos;s (MSAD) Homecoming events. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Our staff and consultants provided voters outreach workshops all around the state of Minnesota. One of our biggest events was a live recording at the St. Paul Neighborhood Network (SPNN) studio, where community organizations explained why it is important to vote, answered common questions about voting, and also explained how to research candidates.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;November&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We wrapped up our voters outreach. Election Day was on Tuesday, November 6, 2018. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;On November 10th, we attended the 37th Annual Thanksgiving Banquet hosted by the Minnesota DeafBlind Association.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We had a board and staff retreat in Brainerd, MN. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sarah Arana represented MNCDHH at the &quot;Live Well with Hearing Loss&quot; conference, hosted by the Hearing Loss Association of America - Twin Cities chapter.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;December&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mary Hartnett represented MNCDHH at the town hall meeting hosted by the Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens (MADC) at Metro Deaf School. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNCDHH sponsored Christian Vogler, Ph.D., from Gallaudet University&apos;s Technology Access Program (TAP) to present at the Gov IT Symposium. He provided two workshops, one on updates to Real-Time Text and one on the accessibility of audio interfaces. He also provided workshops about his life as a deaf person, his work in technology, and how technology makes a difference to students at Metro Deaf School, the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf (MSAD), Humboldt High School, VECTOR, and ThinkSelf. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Have a fun and safe New Years Eve, and we are looking forward to partnering with you next year!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>362546</id><Tag><Description/><Title>staff</Title><Id>317343</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>board</Title><Id>310266</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2018-12-31T16:01:04Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Lobby Day at the Minnesota State Capitol</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Three mirror images of the Capitol. The two outside images are in green and white. The center image that is sandwiched between them is blue.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Capitol_tcm1063-335650.JPG</Url></Image><title>2018-12-28 Coming in March: Lobby Day at the Minnesota State Capitol</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-363524&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-12-28T17:02:57Z</Date><ShortDescription>Coming in March</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Registration and other announcements coming soon</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We look forward to seeing you at the Minnesota Capitol Building for &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/get-involved/lobby-day/&quot;&gt;Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day&lt;/a&gt;! Save the date for Wednesday, March 6, 2019. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Watch for some surprise reveals and more details coming soon!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>363524</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2018-12-28T17:07:24Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Commission Gains Two New Board Members</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Two photos, side by side. To the left is Elizabeth who is standing outside, facing the camera and smiling. To the right is Xavier who is standing in front of the State Office Building, smiling, and facing the camera.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/collage%20-%20Elizabeth%20and%20xavier_tcm1063-362885.jpg</Url></Image><title>2018-12-21 Commission Gains Two New Board Members</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-362886&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-12-21T16:00:18Z</Date><ShortDescription>Welcome!</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Introducing Xavier Arana and Elizabeth Merz</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Minnesotans is pleased to introduce two new members to our board. They were appointed by Governor Mark Dayton. The members are:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Xavier Arana, Deaf, fluent in American Sign Language, English, and Spanish; strong background in project management, mechanical engineering, and process design&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Elizabeth Merz, hard of hearing herself as are most of the women in her family; has served as a Guardian ad Litem for children, an advocate for survivors of sexual assault, and an elected school board member&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&quot;The Commission strives to gain diverse perspectives as our senior board members retire and new board members join. We are thrilled to welcome the addition of Xavier and Elizabeth&apos;s valued insight and look forward to their continued involvement with the commission,&quot;&lt;/em&gt; said Chair Jason Valentine. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please join us in welcoming Xavier and Elizabeth!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Xavier Arana, At-Large Member&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Xavier Arana is a Deaf Latino from Nicaragua. At the age of ten, with no knowledge of ASL and English, he and his family moved to Miami, Florida then later relocated to Houston, Texas. Xavier proceeded to attend Rochester Institute of Technology where he graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering technology. Currently, he lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with his family.  Xavier works as a Senior Lead Mechanical/Process specializing in designs related to HVAC, plumbing, and piping for various type of food plants and large buildings. In his free time, he likes to cook, travel, scuba dive and spend time with his family. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&quot;The work, the Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing Minnesotans do, is important because their work helps to eliminate all different kinds of barriers-new and existing, from education to public access. Public access is important for airports, parks, shopping malls, and anywhere that hosts special events for people to enjoy. We have a lot of things we can work on. For example, proposing accessibility improvements for both sides, not just for “owners.”   I am very excited to be a board member because I enjoy doing work that benefits all. I also really like learning new things and experiencing new things. I hope to see improvements in the lives of Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing Minnesotans.  Together as a community, we stand united to support Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing Minnesotans!”&lt;/em&gt; ~ Xavier Arana&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Elizabeth Merz, NorthWest Representative&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Elizabeth Merz is from a hard of hearing family including her grandmother, mother, sisters, daughter, cousins, and niece. She has lived and worked all over the U.S. and in Florence, Italy. When her daughter was young, Elizabeth and her husband bought a farm in west central Minnesota, expecting to retire. Life had other plans. Elizabeth became an advocate, which led to serving as a Guardian ad Litem for the 8th Judicial District. Some of that work was with children and parents who were deaf or hard of hearing. She also served on her school board for 12 years and represented her district on the regional 9-school Special Education Cooperative. Elizabeth has a BA from the University of Iowa in Iowa City and an MA from Middlebury (Vt) College. She taught at the University of Iowa, the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, and Concordia College in Moorhead. Her children live in Raleigh, NC and Minneapolis. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&quot;I appreciate the opportunity to work on ensuring that the deaf and hard of hearing and deafblind children and adults in Northwest Minnesota have access to the same programs and services that are available in other parts of the state, and to expand those services in spite of the great distances and required travel. Where policies or statutes or funding prevent that, I’d like to be part of the team working to fix them.&quot;&lt;/em&gt; ~ Elizabeth Merz&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>362886</id><Tag><Description/><Title>board</Title><Id>310266</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2018-12-21T16:10:19Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Ask MNCDHH: Socialization for Seniors with Age-Related Hearing Loss</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Icons of six human figures stand beside a city skyline underneath clouds.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Socialization%20for%20Seniors%20with%20Hearing%20Loss_tcm1063-362535.jpg</Url></Image><title>2018-12-19 Ask MNCDHH: Socialization for Seniors with Age-Related Hearing Loss</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-362536&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-12-19T18:03:19Z</Date><ShortDescription>I am a senior citizen experiencing hearing loss. One of the issues facing seniors is socialization or loneliness. Hearing loss adds to that issue for seniors who want to continue being active in their communities. Is this being addressed in your group?</ShortDescription><Subtitle>You ask, we answer</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Question: I am a senior citizen experiencing hearing loss. One of the issues facing seniors is socialization or loneliness. Hearing loss adds to that issue for seniors who want to continue being active in their communities. Is this being addressed in your group?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Answer:&lt;/em&gt; Absolutely! We are focusing specifically on how age-related hearing loss can directly cause barriers for people to communicate with their community, friends, and loved ones. You can learn more about that by visiting our &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/hearing-loss-matters/&quot;&gt;Hearing Loss Matters website&lt;/a&gt; and by watching the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.tpt.org/hearing-loss-matters/&quot;&gt;documentary film by the same name&lt;/a&gt;, which MNCDHH co-produced along with TPT Twin Cities PBS. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Research shows that untreated age-related hearing loss does lead to isolation, depression, and other negative health outcomes. This is serious, and we are working on this.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Recently we provided presentations to local public health staff throughout the state to explain the dangers that you mentioned about age-related hearing loss and isolation. We also created a training program for home care and assisted living care staff to explain how age-related hearing loss works, the negative health outcomes that can come with it, and information for them to share with their patients/clients and their families.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This crucial issue is one of our main strategic goals, and we will continue to advocate for healthy aging as a critical part of our work going forward. If you have any further questions, our age-related hearing loss project lead is Emory David Dively. You can reach him at 651-431-3211 or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:emory.david.dively@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;emory.david.dively@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>362536</id><Tag><Description/><Title>age-related hearing loss</Title><Id>310251</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>ask the commission</Title><Id>310292</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-12-15T15:39:01Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Ask MNCDHH: How Do I Learn More About My Audiologist</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A hearing aid inserted in an ear icon, along with the words, &quot;Audiologists &amp; Hearing Aids&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Hearing%20Aids%20Audiologists_tcm1063-362501.jpg</Url></Image><title>2018-12-14 Ask MNCDHH: How Do I Learn More About My Audiologist</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-362502&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-12-14T23:44:19Z</Date><ShortDescription>I recently bought a hearing aid costing more than $2,000. I have a severe loss in that ear, nothing much left in the other. My husband paid for it right away, while I would have preferred checking with other dealers for the best cost. Too late to change now. I hope my audiologist is a reputable one. Is there any way I can check online for this info? Thanks!</ShortDescription><Subtitle>You ask, we answer</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Question: “I recently bought a hearing aid costing more than $2,000. I have a severe loss in that ear, nothing much left in the other. My husband paid for it right away, while I would have preferred checking with other dealers for the best cost. Too late to change now. I hope my audiologist is a reputable one. Is there any way I can check online for this info? Thanks!”&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Answer:&lt;/em&gt; This is a great question! Audiologists in the state of Minnesota are held to the highest standards. There is also a strong Minnesota hearing aid return law in place. If you would like to return your hearing aid because it isn’t working well for you or you feel it was not worth the cost, you can and should return it to your audiologist within 45 days after your purchase. We cannot evaluate the cost of your hearing aid because we would need to know more information. However, the price you quoted is in the range of what is expected of a good quality hearing aid. If you go talk to your audiologist, they will be more than happy to work with you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If 45 days are not past, you can check and see if your hearing aids have a t-coil. T-coils are not required to be part of the package and some dispensers think that they are old technology, but the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) and other advocacy organizations encourage consumers to request them. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH recently &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/deaf-commission/news/index.jsp?id=1063-319758&quot;&gt;passed a law that requires that Capitol Bonding projects have meeting rooms install looping systems&lt;/a&gt;. Loop Minnesota has successfully advocated for over 150 meeting spaces to be looped. If your warranty period has not expired, and you do not have a t-coil, go back and ask for an exchange with the coils. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So for anyone who is purchasing hearing aids, we encourage you to ask your audiologist for a t-coil, so that you can connect to loop systems in your area. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Now let&apos;s address your question on how you can check if your audiologist is reputable. There are two ways you can get an idea:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;You can see if complaints have been made against an audiologist or a hearing instrument dispenser, you can visit the Better Business Bureau.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;You can call the Department of Health at 651-201-3729 (voice only) to see if an audiologist or hearing aid dispenser has been disciplined. They can also provide you with a copy of a disciplinary action. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional information&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Special thanks to Dr. Peggy Nelson, one of MNCDHH&apos;s board members and an audiology professor, for her help with answering this question. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;You can learn more on MNCDHH&apos;s website about &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/healthcare/hearing-aids-adults/&quot;&gt;hearing aids for adults&lt;/a&gt; with information regarding your rights while purchasing hearing aids in accordance with state and federal laws.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For further information on &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-rights/a-z/?id=1097-289421&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s Hearing Aid Return Policy&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up to receive MNCDHH newsletters directly to your inbox. &lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNCDHH/subscriber/new?email=&quot;&gt;Sign me up!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Do you have a question for MNCDHH? &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3665562/Questions-for-MNCDHH&quot;&gt;Send us your questions!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>362502</id><Tag><Description/><Title>hearing aids</Title><Id>310255</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>ask the commission</Title><Id>310292</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>looping</Title><Id>310267</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>accessible technology</Title><Id>310264</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-12-15T15:38:59Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Collaborative Plan Summit&apos;s Opening Remarks</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Many of the Collaborative Plan workgroup members are shown in the conference room where the 2018 Summit took place. They are seated, facing the camera, and smiling.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/cpsh_original_tcm1063-359330.jpg</Url></Image><title>2018-11-15 Collaborative Plan Summit&apos;s Opening Remarks</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-359331&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-11-15T14:36:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Here is a copy of the opening remarks. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>About the Collaborative&apos;s beginning &amp; making a difference</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The fifty members of the Collaborative Plan workgroups participated in an education summit from October 25-26, 2018 to celebrate the first ten years of work and to develop a strategic new plan for the next five years. The Collaborative Plan is a network of agencies and organizations who work together to create positive, systematic changes in order to achieve better education and career outcomes for students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mary Hartnett, the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing&apos;s Executive Director, gave a speech at the beginning of the summit. Her speech covers how the Collaborative was created, why we work together even with our different philosophies and beliefs, and how we make a difference together. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Without further ado, here is the speech.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Speech&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are here to celebrate the success of working together for the past eight years for the common good and to dream of what the next five years will be like for children who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In a divisive world, the Collaborative is a beacon of hope. There is no community building experience more powerful than getting people to solve problems together. Each of you has had to give up the idea of being totally in charge when you join the Collaborative and that’s hard to do. I know most of you and you are smart, effective, and experts in your fields. Parents, you are effective and committed advocates for your child. Each of you brings your values, your experience and opinions to the table. Some of you experience pressure from your organizations not to compromise or listen to other’s perspectives. But you do. We thank you for your courageous leadership and willingness to participate in the difficult conversations that have led to the development and success of this plan.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At the Collaborative, we share our power and decision making authority. Decision making is based on civil discourse and is highly participatory with final plans established by consensus. It has made us smarter, more flexible, creative, emphatic and resilient.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We have made progress because no matter how hard it’s been, you’ve hung in there and we’ve reaped the rewards of this work. And we have become the envy of many other states- they all want to know how we’ve done it. There is no better high that I know. Dreaming big and winning together. It keeps us coming back again and again.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How did we do it?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Going way back, All of this work started in 1985 because advocates worked to create the Commission so the deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing community and parents would have a place at the table when decisions were made that affected them at the legislature. We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us. We owe it to them to keep this effort going.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission brought groups together in the 1990&apos;s to try to get a newborn hearing screening mandate. The legislature wouldn’t pass a mandate but required the Department of Public Health to develop a voluntary screening process. MDH brought together a team of diverse stakeholders and kept inviting more and more people to the table. In 2006 we learned that despite our efforts the Center for Disease Control determined that we were in the bottom five of states in our identification and reporting of babies with hearing loss. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We all rallied and sat at the table and wrote and introduced seven bills that became the foundation for Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) in the state. We passed a screening mandate, created an EHDI Committee, funded Deaf Mentors, Parent Guides, a Hearing Aid Loaner Bank, a Hearing Loss Coordinator, EHDI Specialist - Minnesota Low Incidence Projects, and expanded hearing aid coverage for deaf and hard of hearing children. We also got employment services for transition-aged youth who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. It was exhilarating. We thought we were done.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;But no! There was more to do. We had told the legislature that if we passed the newborn hearing screening, that it will improve outcomes for kids - but the bills we passed only tracked kids outcomes up until the age of 3. How could we know if we had made a difference when they got older? So In 2009, we got legislation passed that required MDE to report test results for deaf and hard of hearing kids up to the age of 21 and to provide the report to the legislature and the Commission. They were also charged with making recommendations on how to improve outcomes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is part of the story where it could have fallen apart. In 2010, the Commission and MDE signed up to participate in the National Deaf Education Project Video Conference; its purpose was to encourage states to work together to set goals from birth to twenty-one. We invited about 20 people and organizations. It was held in Colorado and had great speakers including Dr. Tom Allan from the Gallaudet National Center for Language Science. We were pumped. But we were pretty naive and assumed there wouldn’t be any technology glitches. All of our planning revolved around listening to the speakers remotely.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It was a complete disaster. The technology failed and after several hours of struggling we gave up and realized we couldn’t participate. The saving grace - we’d ordered from D’Amicos and everyone waited until lunch came. And while we waited, we began to talk. And instead of giving up and going home after lunch, we stayed. Some of you were there - Bart, Jay, Michele Isham, Nicole Brown, Anna Paulson, Mary Cashman Bakken. We realized we could start solving our problems together without the national organization. We started talking and problem-solving and before we knew it, we were energized. The time flew and we came up with six pages of goals.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A smaller group formed that will be recognized later today who committed to making the Collaborative happen. We contracted with a parent and facilitator to support the effort. We listed all of the stakeholders who work with kids and invited them to develop the plan. It took two years to finalize it and is super long. Each stakeholder went back to their organizations and endorsed the plan. It was a great effort!! But it was overwhelming. And there weren’t any staff to implement it. Dr. Sue Rose personally gave us the funds to keep it going and we were able to contract very part-time with Julie Storck, Joyce Daugaard, and later Kathy Arnoldi.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With the plan in hand, the 2014 Commission was able to get additional funds from the legislature to fund our education efforts. The Collaborative Steering Committee hired the very able Anna Paulson to host the plan.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Her job has been to be a host and be a servant leader - to provide a safe space for you to share your ideas, build consensus, so you can set goals and implement the plan. She was also charged with following the Joint Commission on Infant Hearing’s recommendation to have the majority of workgroups comprised of people who are deaf, deafblind or hard of hearing. We sent out a survey in 2016 from Wilder to evaluate the first two years of our efforts. This is what one of you wrote. “The Commission has worked tirelessly to get stakeholders to be involved and invested. It is not an easy task, but they should be commended. In particular, Anna Paulson has led this effort in a professional, positive, and well-organized manner. She is the glue that sticks this effort together. We are lucky to have her leadership.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I completely agree. It’s not an easy job. But her efforts at hosting and giving you opportunities to find common ground and work together have paid off.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What are some of the wins in the past four years in addition to the relationship and trust that has been built with each other?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Creating four work groups that set goals and produce great products together&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Data sharing agreements between MDE, MDH, and DEED&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Data collection through the State Longitudinal Data System&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Data collection supported by the National Deaf Center &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Three Collaborative Experiences conferences with national and local experts presenting that received rave reviews and built community &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Training on the Visual Communication Sign Language (VCSL) Inventory &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Early Childhood Portfolio &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The &quot;Developing a Language and Communication Focuses IEP: A Discussion Guide&quot; with Video Webinars and Mini-Lessons for Teachers &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Online resources for families with children identified as deaf or hard of hearing&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A &quot;Transition Guide to Adult Services&quot; for youth who are deaf and hard of hearing and their parents&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Creating videos and web pages that explain our education work&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Hiring a part-time specialist, Ann Mayes&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;And this planning summit  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;But most of all because of our success we have hope for the future&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What have we learned?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It hasn’t been easy. We have multiple priorities, limited resources, and great expectations.  But we have learned that there is no community-building experience more powerful than getting people to solve problems together. And we’ve solved many. We’ve made it this far and we are signing up for another five years together to solve even more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is our superpower? What makes this all work? You and your belief that we are stronger, smarter and better together. And our fundamental belief in democracy. That all of us are created equal and have been endowed with certain unalienable rights. To life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness and that includes language acquisition and access to the world whether you are a visual, auditory, tactile, or multimodal learner. We are part of the melting pot that makes America great. We fight for communication equity for our children. People who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing and hearing people who use their hearing privilege to make a more just and equitable world.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And as an extension of your belief in the democratic process, be sure and vote this November. Vote for candidates who support our work. Establish a relationship with them and educate them about the work you are doing and keep this effort going.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In closing - Welcome to the 2018 Education Summit. Everything has been carefully planned. We have the top research organization Wilder Research leading the data collection and report writing. We have the top facilitator in the state, Judy Plante, and the amazing Jessalyn Akerman-Frank co-facilitating. There are TED talks from some of your colleagues. Our staff worked hard to make you all feel welcomed and prepared. You have all worked hard to get here and get ready for today. Thank you! We are ready to roll. This will be my last summit. It’s been awesome to be a part of it. I can’t wait to see what you all come up with your plan. It will be amazing. Dream big.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;~ Mary Hartnett, Executive Director, Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH)&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>359331</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>language acquisition</Title><Id>310294</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-07-10T23:28:07Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Ask MNCDHH: How Do I Find the Right Hearing Aid for Me?</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Two silhouettes of a human face but with a cloudy sky as their skin. They are facing each other. In between them is an icon of a hearing aid in an ear and the following text, &quot;The right hearing aid for me.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/My%20Post%20%2810%29_tcm1063-357887.jpg</Url></Image><title>2018-11-14 Ask MNCDHH: How Do I Find the Right Hearing Aid for Me?</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-357888&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-11-14T15:15:29Z</Date><ShortDescription>I was born with nerve damage to both ears and have not had much success hearing with analog or digital type hearing aids. I hear low pitch, high db sounds, but struggle to hear high pitch sounds or noise. I also find most digital hearing aids are cost prohibitive and experience feedback and whistling from the two types of digital hearing aids that I purchased in the past. I would like to be more part-of-the-conversation in a group setting and one-on-one with my wife as she finds my hearing is more and more frustrating that she has to repeat things to me that she or someone else has said. I feel it is unfair to her and everyone else in that regard. Is it possible to obtain assistance in purchase of hearing aids or would MNCDHH recommend hearing aids that would help with my type of hearing loss?</ShortDescription><Subtitle>You ask, we answer</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I was born with nerve damage to both ears and have not had much success hearing with analog or digital type hearing aids. I hear low pitch, high db sounds, but struggle to hear high pitch sounds or noise. I also find most digital hearing aids are cost prohibitive and experience feedback and whistling from the two types of digital hearing aids that I purchased in the past. I would like to be more part-of-the-conversation in a group setting and one-on-one with my wife as she finds my hearing is more and more frustrating that she has to repeat things to me that she or someone else has said. I feel it is unfair to her and everyone else in that regard. Is it possible to obtain assistance in purchase of hearing aids or would MNCDHH recommend hearing aids that would help with my type of hearing loss?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Answer&lt;/em&gt;: We are sorry that you&apos;ve been having trouble with current hearing aids. That&apos;s very frustrating. Some people need 4 or 5 tries before they find something that really works well for them. Almost all hearing aids are digital now (analog hearing aids are difficult to find), and they should be able to control the feedback now. Sometimes it has to be tried and tweaked and tried again. Hopefully, you have a great audiologist who will allow you to do that. If you haven&apos;t found such an audiologist yet and you are looking for other options, perhaps you can check and see if your local university has an audiology program that provides services to their local community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cost is a big issue, we know. There are efforts ongoing to try to find low-cost hearing aids for people, but there aren&apos;t many options right now, especially for people with more than a mild hearing loss.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can check in with your local &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/dhs/people-we-serve/seniors/services/deaf-hard-of-hearing/contact-us/&quot;&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Services Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD) office&lt;/a&gt; and see if they have resources that can help you. On their website, they have a &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/dhs/people-we-serve/adults/services/deaf-hard-of-hearing/resources/hearing-aid-financial-resources.jsp&quot;&gt;list of hearing aid financial resources&lt;/a&gt;, from which you might find financial assistance.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are some new devices on the market now for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss, and others coming soon, that are over-the-counter hearing assistant devices. One of these was recently in the news (FDA Approves Bose Hearing Aid) and it might be worth checking. We can&apos;t endorse this, but since it&apos;s so new, we thought you might want to be aware of it. They can be tried at a Bose store, such as at the Mall of America.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are other over-the-counter devices, but it is not likely that they will work for you, as you describe your hearing loss.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Most importantly, we hope that you can find a trusted audiologist who can take the time with you to explore, try, reject, and re-try products to find the one that seems best for you. It can be life-changing. All the best in your efforts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional information&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Special thanks to Dr. Peggy Nelson, one of MNCDHH&apos;s board members and an audiology professor, for her help with answering this question. We also thank Mary Bauer from the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD) for her guidance.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;You can learn more on MNCDHH&apos;s website about &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/healthcare/hearing-aids-adults/&quot;&gt;hearing aids for adults&lt;/a&gt; with information regarding your rights while purchasing hearing aids in accordance with state and federal laws.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up to receive MNCDHH newsletters directly to your inbox. &lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNCDHH/subscriber/new?email=&quot;&gt;Sign me up!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Do you have a question for MNCDHH? &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3665562/Questions-for-MNCDHH&quot;&gt;Send us your questions!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>357888</id><Tag><Description/><Title>hearing aids</Title><Id>310255</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>ask the commission</Title><Id>310292</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-12-15T15:38:59Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Have You Experienced a Fire or Carbon Monoxide Emergency?</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Three icons on top of a dark blue background: an alarm clock, a flame of fire, and a fire hydrant.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Fire_Carbon_Monoxide_Stories_Graphic_Banner_tcm1063-358977.jpg</Url></Image><title>2018-11-09 Have You Experienced a Fire or Carbon Monoxide Emergency?</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-358979&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-11-09T19:24:05Z</Date><ShortDescription>If you have a hearing loss and if you have experienced a fire or carbon monoxide emergency, please contact us.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>We need your stories.</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Are you Deaf, DeafBlind, or hard of hearing?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Have you ever experienced a fire or carbon monoxide emergency?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Are you willing to tell your story?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If yes to all, please contact us:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Anne.Sittner-Anderson@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Anne.Sittner-Anderson@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Marie.Koehler@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Marie.Koehler@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:Liz.G.Brown@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Liz.G.Brown@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>358979</id><Tag><Description/><Title>emergency management</Title><Id>310293</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>accessible technology</Title><Id>310264</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2018-12-10T21:05:42Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Voter Access Survey</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Icon of a hand placing a ballot in a ballot box. To the right is the following text, &quot;Voter Access Survey.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/My%20Post_tcm1063-355749.jpg</Url></Image><title>2018-11-07 Voter Access Survey</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-355750&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-11-07T17:39:37Z</Date><ShortDescription>How was your voting experience? MNCDHH wants to know. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>For people who are deaf, deafblind or hard of hearing</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Are you deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing? Did you vote yesterday? If yes to both, please participate in the Voter Access Survey. MNCDHH wants to know what your experience was like and we will use that to prepare for the next Election. Thank you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4610725/Voting-Access-Survey-2018&quot;&gt;Yes, I will participate in the Voter Access Survey.&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>355750</id><Tag><Description/><Title>survey</Title><Id>310297</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2018-12-10T21:05:41Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Election Day is Tomorrow!</Title><title>2018-11-05 Election Day is Tomorrow!</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-357931&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-11-05T21:27:40Z</Date><ShortDescription>Helpful information and resources plus the highlights video from one of our favorite voting event!</ShortDescription><Subtitle>You are important, be sure to vote</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are a few helpful links as you get ready to vote! Visit the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting/&quot;&gt;Minnesota Office of the Secretary of State&apos;s website&lt;/a&gt; to do any of the following:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Check online to see if you are registered to vote.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Learn how you can register to vote on Election Day&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Look up where you go to vote. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Find out what is on your ballot.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Check on your absentee ballot if you voted early. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you want to access the same information in American Sign Language (ASL), visit MNCDHH&apos;s YouTube Playlist on &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgGl-eYKwskGR22td_jlT9NLlbHZwW1cS&quot;&gt;Voting in Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Did you know?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;In Minnesota, your boss is legally required to give you paid time off to go and vote and return back to work. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Promote civic engagement!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Share your voter&apos;s pride! Send us your pictures with your &quot;I voted&quot; sticker or your &quot;absentee ballot.&quot; MNCDHH will be glad to post your photo. Email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Post your photo on your social media along with the hashtag #DeafIVote, #HoHIVote, or #DeafBlindIVote&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Voting Night at SPNN Highlights Video&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For fun, watch this great video with highlights from the Voting Night at SPNN. The highlights show parts of the actual live filming of presentations by community organizations as well as the Voters Fair, where community members could visit booths and register to vote, learn how to find their ballots, and chat with Michael Wall from the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State and get their voting questions answered.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/BpzznbJO0t8&quot; title=&quot;Voting night at SPNN highlights video&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A descriptive transcript for the highlights video is available (scroll down). &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Special thanks to Dack Virnig and Amanda Smith of DackCube as well as Leah Bender-Dolezal and Estina Beldon from Keystone Interpreting Solutions for the highlights video.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thanks again to the wonderful community organizations and members for making this event so fun and successful. The participating organizations were:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf Equity: Migdalia Rogers and Dr. Darlene Zangara&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf Queers of Minnesota: Eric Nooker&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf Women of Minnesota: Kathy Manlapas&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Family Tree Clinic: Bethany Gehman&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Metro Deaf School: Jason Valentine and Kou Vang, Student Body President&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minneapolis/St. Paul Black Deaf Advocates (BDA): Kim Wassenaar&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens (MADC): John Fechter&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH): Outreach Staff&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Deaf Muslim Community (MDMC): Fardowsa Ali&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Services Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD): Dan Millikin&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (MRID): Shawn Vriezen&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;National Association of the Deaf (NAD): Alicia Lane-Outlaw&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;ThinkSelf: Maggie Bangert and Kaitlyn Mielke&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;ASL Interpreting Services (ASLIS): Jon Ainsworth&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MN DEED - Elise Knopf&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota State Academies - Terry Wilding&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Highlights Video - Descriptive Transcript&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Dack Cube logo]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[People are chatting in the filming studio. Some are seated, some are standing.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Jessalyn is shown hovering over something on a chair.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[A camera is shown, being adjusted by a cameraman.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[The sign language interpreters are shown seated and chatting with each other.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Several people, including Jason Valentine and Jessalyn Akerman-Frank are onstage, in front of several seated audience members, getting ready for filming.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Jessalyn is onstage, getting ready for the filming. She begins to sign.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jessalyn: Ok, yay! Welcome! Yay! Thank you for coming. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jessalyn (off camera, while the camera shows seated audience members): I&apos;m excited to have you all here. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Stage technician taps Jessalyn on the shoulder. They remove the chairs from the stage.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Brief shot of seated audience members.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jessalyn (onstage): We have three different cameras in different angles. It is not just one&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Brief shot of seated audience members.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kathy (onstage): we represent Deaf Woman of Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kaitlyn (onstage with Maggie): Hello I&apos;m Kaitlyn&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Brief shot of working interpreters (Patty McCutcheon, Tarra Grammenos, and Danny Frank.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shawn (onstage): I&apos;m Vice President of Minnesota Registry Interpreter for the Deaf.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Brief shot of Tarra receiving a microphone.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jessalyn (onstage with Patty): I think you are fine.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Fardowsa (from the camera’s point of view): I represent the Minnesota Deaf Muslim Community&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kim (onstage): I&apos;m President of the St Paul and Minneapolis Black Deaf Advocates.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Brief shot of those onstage but seen through the camera.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[MNCDHH’s Voting Outreach Staff and Board Members are onstage during the panel discussion moderated by Jason Valentine.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Brief shot of panel participants (Fardowsa Ali, Kim Wassenaar, Shawn Vriezen, and Xavier Arana.] &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jason (onstage): We will take turns introducing ourselves.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Fardowsa (onstage): Hello my name is Fardowsa&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kim (onstage): Hello I am Kim.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Brief shot of seated audience member. Janine Cashman is nodding her head.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shawn (onstage): Read and explain who is on the list to let them know who to vote for.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Xavier (onstage): How to frame it... we look at ASL and close captioning&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jason (onstage with John Fechter and Alicia Lane-Outlaw): Let them know about our candidates and who they are/what they support. How do we find this?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Brief shot of John Fechter seated onstage and signing through the camera view. John is actually onstage in the distance but out of focus. The focus is the camera’s eye.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Shot of community organization representatives lined up, waiting for their turn to go onstage.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Shot of other representatives lined up.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jessalyn (onstage): The team will travel the state of Minnesota to hear different voting stories. We also want to hear your feelings about your need for teaching resources.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Eric Nooker (onstage): As an American it&apos;s my duty to vote for what I believe in&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Darlene Zangara (onstage with Migdalia Rogers): It&apos;s my right as an American to vote. If I vote, that means my voice is being heard&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kou (onstage): Voting makes a difference. One voice makes a difference in the world. When I vote, I make a difference. I want to make my voice clear for the youth to show I can vote.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Bethany (onstage): Also, we need the leaders who care about all of our whole well beings.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kaitlyn Mielke (onstage with Maggie Bangert): Let you know you need to know what you want in your life, your future, and the future of your community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jon Ainsworth (onstage): Destiny of my home state and nationwide. Voting gives me the power to influence the future for the better.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Elise Knopf (onstage): Support finances for programs you use and need. The government relies on you&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Fardowsa (onstage): I&apos;ve experienced oppression, fear of not being safe. But America is my home.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Terry Wilding (onstage): I can choose candidates who shares the same beliefs and the same values. If I do not vote, I might be restricted by a representative who does not share the same vision&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dan Millikin (onstage): Our division depends on the Minnesota state legislative biennial budget funding to endorse that we give high quality service.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kim (onstage): When we vote together, we will make a difference in the lives and the community itself. Go and vote please! Don’t sit around and drink coffee.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;John (onstage): The deaf community have different issues that need to be fought for their rights especially with communication accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jason (onstage with Sarah Arana): The voting network group who will answer my questions&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shawn (onstage with Fardowsa, Kim, and Xavier): Before that day, go to your county’s office to go in and vote&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jason (onstage): Not finished? Not registered? How do I know if I have registered?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kim (onstage with Sarah, Fardowsa, Shawn, and Xavier): Go to www.mnvotes.org and click on the tab.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sarah (onstage with Fardowsa and Kim): Fill out your address and zip code and it will tell you where is your voting pool for you to go to.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Shot of Estina taking pictures and the cameraman filming.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;John (onstage with Jason and Alicia): Who runs for office in Minnesota, fill that out. You will find different categories such as governor, attorney general, and secretary of state,&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alicia (onstage with John): Type in “sample ballot Minnesota.” The first thing you will see is the Secretary of State’s website.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Shot of Shawn seated in the audience watching what is happening onstage.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Shot of seated audience members (Xavier Arana, Anne Sittner Anderson, Kathleen Smith, and Kim Wassenaar).]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;John (onstage with Alicia): Asked can you provide interpreter or cart? They will tell you the answer. Sometimes they will say “No.” Ask them why. Once you get your reason why, it will help you plan for the next step.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Shot of hands waving in the air from the audience as Jason, John, and Alicia prepare to leave the stage.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Shot of several presenters gathered together (Kathy, Bethany, Jon, John, Kou, Migdalia, Darlene)]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[A wider shot of presenters gathering together, getting ready for photos to be taken.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Shot of Leah Bender-Dolezal with a camera.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Shot of presenters smiling for photos.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Everyone is lined up for photos and signing “vote.”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Shot of Leah and Estina Beldon taking pictures.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Shot of everyone lined up for photos and signing “vote.”]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Shot of the presenters and audience leaving the stage to exit the studio and begin the Voters Fair!]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dack: Hello everyone! I have someone here with me who I will ask questions, ok?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Shot of Terry congratulating Kou.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Shot of Sarah and Xavier smiling.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Shot of Jessalyn and Elise hugging.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Shot of Estina taking pictures.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Shot of SPNN staffers learning how to sign “vote.” Emory David Dively and Steve Brunsberg shake hands.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Shot of a large “VOTE – Voter Info &amp;amp; Registration” sign.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Shot of Michael Wall interacting with voters at the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State’s table inside the Voters Fair room.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Shot of someone writing on the dry erase board about why voting is important to her.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Dack and Meredith are in the Voters Fair room in front of an American flag.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dack: What is up with this voting event? What brings you here?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Meredith: I live in a small town and I am the only person who I know that signs. Sometimes I have interpreters during a meeting. But this is so many people who signs!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dack (standing next to Meredith): She comes from a small town that does not have access to signing so she is here to learn more about voting and get her signing access! Nice!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Shot of “Register to vote here!” sign.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Shot of Tarra voicing for Michael.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dack and Katy Kelley in the Voters Fair room.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dack: What made you feel like it’s your duty to host this kind of event?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Katy: I want to support and empower the people who are not sure how to vote. We are hosting this event to show them they can vote and register. This is an “one stop centered” event.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dack: What is your advice for the future?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Katy: For this November you mean?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dack: For this election, yes&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Katy: This election is important because Minnesota is electing their new Governor. We want to empower the people to know which candidates they want rather than they do not know and complain about it. Now it is an important time to vote. A new Governor will impact the state of Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Terry and Dack in the Voters Fair room]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dack: How does voting impacts schools?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Terry: Each individuals have different perspective on education. We need to find the right candidate who support schools, school funding, teacher licensing, plus many more issues needed in the education system. It is important to find the right candidate who supports the same thing and we are to vote for them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Dack and Sok inside the Voters Fair room]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dack: What are the differences for voting in America compared to voting in other countries?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sok: We can vote so I want to learn how to communicate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dack: So you mean in America, you can succeed with learning signing and that leads you to be able to learn how to vote? And in other countries it is hard to do so?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sok: Yes that is right.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Shot of American Flag waving.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Dack and Shawn in the Voters Fair room]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dack: Related to our rights, why it is so important to vote?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shawn: It is important because there are many things I want to keep and in order to continue to have them, we need to vote who supports the same idea. If I feel I do not agree or something needs to change, do your research to investigate the right candidates. If I do not vote, I will waste that power.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Dack and Cookie Roang in the Voters Fair room.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dack: Why is it important to vote for a deaf person?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cookie: It is important because the US have many deaf people and our rights and needs are really important. Deaf people would understand our needs to sign and for accessibility to communicate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Close-up of the American flag.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Shot of Xavier and Jessalyn getting ready for selfie booth pictures.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Shot of Emory, Sarah, Xavier, Sok, Kim, and Jessalyn posing at the selfie booth with voting props.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Dack with Xavier and Sarah in the Voting Fair room.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dack: How does voting affect deaf business owners?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Xavier: I see big companies thriving while other smaller business struggling&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sarah: Deaf business owners are very important to encourage and support.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dack: How does voting affect deaf families?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sarah: If the president want to eliminate something like captioning accessibility on television or special education for deaf services. We need them!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Xavier: Candidates who does not know deaf people could oppress them. Other candidates might be aware of deaf people and can work with them. Of course we will support that candidate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sarah: We need funding to keep them including ADA. Every vote counts! It makes an impact and makes a huge difference.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Dack and Leah in the Voters Fair room]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dack: How can I convince the young people to vote?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Leah: It&apos;s easy! I thought it would take me a long time to register. No! Actually, it took me 2 minutes online feeding my name, address, and driver’s license. That&apos;s it!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Dack and Jessalyn in the Voters Fair room]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dack: Wow! Here is the host for this event! Everything worked out smoothly. What made you decide to do this kind of event?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jessalyn: There was a story that impacted me. There was a 74 years old woman who had never registered to vote. After this, I travelled and found people who said “why vote? What for?&quot; Traveling again, I met people in the ages 18 to 20 that said “why vote? Voting is for old people.” No no no! I thought why not pull together different organization to work with certain people that they serve.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dack: All together thought we need to vote together. That is amazing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Dack is in front of the American flag. He begins to sign.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dack: We learned a lot today about voting, registration, and rights. Now what is next? You vote!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>357931</id><Tag><Description/><Title>citizen advocate</Title><Id>310308</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2018-12-10T21:05:41Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Voting Night with Peers at SPNN</Title><title>2018-10-31 Voting Night with Peers at SPNN</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-357262&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-10-31T17:09:56Z</Date><ShortDescription>This video was originally filmed live by the St. Paul Neighborhood Network (SPNN) and covered the important topic of why it is important to vote and how to vote. Representatives from some of Minnesota&apos;s community organizations share their thoughts and information. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Access the full 29 minute video!</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Video&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/fOunrHObNHs&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about voting at SPNN&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Description&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) hosted a fun, interactive evening about voter information on Thursday, October 11, 2018 from 5:30-8:00 p.m. Representatives from confirmed organizations presented on why voting is important. There was representation from the diverse racial, ethnic, gender, and generational communities we serve. MNCDHH&apos;s Voting Outreach Team and board members participated in a panel to share Voting Info 101. In addition, Alicia Lane-Outlaw from the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) and John Fechter from the Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens (MADC) explained how they research political candidates. Moderated by MNCDHH Board Chair Jason Valentine. This video is 29 minutes in length. Filmed by the St. Paul Neighborhood Network (SPNN).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This video was filmed live in American Sign Language (ASL) with English voiceover, and closed captioning. A post-production descriptive transcript is also available. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Descriptive transcript&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Music and opening credits.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“The Minnesota commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Presents: A Voter Information Event. October 11 2018, SPNN Studio, Saint Paul, Minnesota.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Jessalyn is onstage. She begins to sign.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Welcome. My name is Jessalyn Akerman-Frank. I am the Community and Civic Engagement Director at the Commission for Deaf, DeafBlind, and hard of Hearing Minnesotans. This is the Network Outreach Group. We want to take this opportunity to thank everybody within the community and all of the organizations that have come together to talk about deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing, our history of voting, and the campaign. The voting outreach team goes throughout Minnesota to talk about voting and their stories. The stories have inspired us to set up the first video of outreach here for all of you. So you feel inspired and motivated to get out and vote. We also want to hear if you have any needs and provide education and resources to give you equal access. This live taping is for you, to empower you with information and knowledge that you need so that you feel that you, your vote matters.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Jessalyn leaves the stage. Jason comes onstage.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Hi, and welcome. So happy for everyone who has come. My name is Jason Valentine and I’m the board chair for the Minnesota Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing Minnesotans. Thank you again for coming.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Jason leaves the stage. Eric comes onstage.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Hello, I’m Eric Nooker and I’m with the Deaf Queers of Minnesota. As an American, I vote because I feel it is my duty to vote for candidates that believe the same things I do, regardless of ethnicity, sexual orientation, the point is that I vote for equality. I also vote for the betterment of everyone and I vote for people who believe in people. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Eric leaves the stage, Migdalia and Darlene come onstage.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Hi, I’m Migdalia Rogers and the representative of Deaf Equity and I vote because many services are missing in our community for the deaf, the deafblind and hard of hearing. We believe it’s important to vote to secure resources and funding to fulfill those missing gaps.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; And my name is Darlene Zangara. I represent Deaf Equity. I also work as the director for the State of Minnesota, Olmstead Implementation Office. Voting is such an important thing and an important right in America to vote. Voting gives me a voice that is heard. Many people can’t vote, like children, who then depend on you to go out and vote. To make the right decisions on their behalf. So please, do vote.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Migdalia &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Please vote.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Migdalia and Darlene exit the stage. Kou comes onstage.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Hello, my name is Kou Vang and I am the student body president of Metro Deaf School. I represent MDS today and the younger generation getting out to vote so we can make a difference using our voices and impact the world. I stand with them today, the voice of the youth, to get out and vote, to make a difference.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Kou exits the stage and Bethany comes onstage.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Hi, I’m Bethany Gehman and I represent Family Tree Clinic. I’m voting because we believe everyone no matter who they are should have the opportunity to reach their highest level of health. Every person in the country deserves accurate information resources about health including sex, sexuality, and resources. We need leaders who actually care about our whole well-being and we need to make our communities healthy and strong.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Bethany goes offstage, Kathy comes onstage.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Hi, I’m Kathy Manlapas with Deaf Women of Minnesota. The elections are coming up soon and your opinions and concerns are valuable and it’s important to vote. So go and vote. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Kathy leaves the stage. Maggie and Kaitlyn come onstage.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Hi, my name is Maggie.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Hi, I’m Kaitlyn.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Maggie &amp;gt;&amp;gt; And we’re from ThinkSelf. Minnesota’s Deaf Adult Basic Education and Advocacy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kaitlyn &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Voting is important because it’s your opportunity to tell the government what you want for your life, your future, and the future of our community. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Maggie and Kaitlyn exit. Jon comes onstage.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Hello, I’m Jon Ainsworth and I represent American Sign Language Interpreting Services and I vote because as a deaf person, I care about the destiny of my home stage and the nation. Voting is my opportunity to effect change.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Jon leaves the stage and Elise comes onstage.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Hi, I’m Elise Knopf and I work for the State of Minnesota as a state coordinator for deaf services for Vocational Rehabilitation Services. Many years ago, my great grandmother fought for the rights of women to vote and I’m proud of that and take that responsibility seriously. We can choose to vote for those who support our beliefs and wishes, and I have seen the impact of voting on many issues, education, employment, healthcare and equal rights for all. Voting allows you to choose who represents your beliefs and can support funding for the programs you use and everything you need. The government depends on you. Go out and vote.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Elise goes offstage and Fardowsa comes onstage.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Hello, my name is Fardowsa and I represent the Minnesota Deaf Muslim Community: MDMC. It’s important to vote because I’ve experienced oppression and fear as a deaf Muslim. This is my home in America and you – you shouldn’t go to vote without knowing what you’re voting for. Be aware of all of the diversity and embrace it and make sure that the candidates embrace it too and vote for that candidate. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Fardowsa leaves the stage and Terry joins the stage.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Hello, everyone, my name is Terry Wilding, I’m the superintendent for the Minnesota State Academies for the Deaf and for the Blind, in Faribault, Minnesota. I vote because I like candidates and representatives, state and federal legislative government who support my beliefs and needs for the school and the community. And the people that we work with voting is important because we can select candidates who represent the same beliefs and values that we do. If you don’t vote, we may not be satisfied by the person who is elected. It’s important to do your research and learn what the candidate’s stances are. Go out and vote.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Terry leaves the stage. Sarah comes onstage.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Hi, my name is Sarah Arana, and I’m with the Voting Networking Team. The only way for us to be heard is to vote. So go vote. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Sarah goes offstage, Dan comes onstage.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Hello, my name is Dan Millikin and I am the division director for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division within the Minnesota Department of Human Services. I vote because I want to exercise my vote to vote as a Minnesotan, a parent, a husband, and an individual, a community member and a professional. As a director, I oversee the division that provides statewide programs and services for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind, and late-deafened who have some level of hearing loss in Minnesota. We depend on the Minnesota Legislature biennial budget allocations to insure that we continue to provide the high quality services statewide. It takes a group of votes to make a difference on any important issue including programs like Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division. It all starts with one vote and that’s why I vote.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Dan leaves the stage, Kim comes onstage.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Hello, I’m Kim Wassenaar, president of St. Paul/Minneapolis Black Deaf Advocates. You need to go and vote if you cherish your community especially with the hearing black community as well. We have rights that we need to go out and vote and come together and we’ll make a difference in our lives throughout our community. So thank you and go out and vote, please! Don’t stay home and drink coffee, get out and vote!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Kim leaves the stage, Alicia comes onstage.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Hi, I’m Alicia Lane-Outlaw, a board member for the National Association for the Deaf. You need to vote to make sure our state and our country doesn’t forget about me and my community. Thank you.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Alicia exits and John comes onstage.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Hello, I’m John Fechter, board president for Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens. And I vote because of the deaf community. There are several issues where we are fighting for our rights. For example, communication access.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[John leaves the stage and Xavier comes onstage.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Hello, I’m Xavier Arana and I’m here to represent MN Commission for the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing. Your votes are very important. Please, go out and vote. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Xavier leaves the stage and Shawn appears.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Hello, I’m Shawn Vriezen, I’m the vice president of the Minnesota Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. Voting is important. Growing up here in Minnesota, I cherish the state and look forward to future generations of deaf individuals enjoying it as much as I do. This is a wonderful state and we need to continue that legacy. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Shawn leaves. Jason (moderator) is onstage now and there is a panel of seated individuals behind him. They are Sarah Arana, Fardowsa Ali, Kim Wassenaar, Shawn Vriezen, and Xavier Arana.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jason &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Thank you for your involvement in this important conversation about voting. We know voting is very important and we know that some folks may feel overwhelmed or confused about the process. So now, we are here with this panel, the voting outreach team and they’re going to answer some of my questions. And we also have a board member on the Commission as well. Thank you so much for coming. Let’s start with our questions. My first question is, when are the elections? &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shawn &amp;gt;&amp;gt; The Election happens on November 6th. That’s a Tuesday. You can show up and vote in person that day. But that’s not the only time you can vote. You can vote before that. If you go into your county office, you can vote then. And there are other opportunities as well. You can request a ballot be sent to your home that you can fill out and send back. You can send it through regular mail, through FedEx or UPS.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jason &amp;gt;&amp;gt; There’s many options to vote. Good to know. So if I work that day, am I allowed to take time off to go and vote?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Fardowsa &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Yes, you are. You have that right. You can leave work and go to your polling place and get back to work. They cannot deduct your pay, your vacation or your personal leave. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jason &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Good to know. That’s very accessible that way. So if I’m not sure or if I don’t remember if I’ve registered or not, how do I know if I’m actually ready to vote? &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kim &amp;gt;&amp;gt; You can go online to mnvotes.org. Then you go to the tab for Elections. And voting. And that tab, you’re able to put in your Zip code and that will show the address you can verify and that’s how you can register. If you’re not registered, there’s a form online you can fill out or you can mail in.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jason &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Oh, thank you for explaining all of that. Now I know that I’ve registered, but where do I go? How do I know where I go to actually vote? Where is that information posted?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sarah &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Sure, you go to mnvotes.org, click on the tab, Elections and Voting, you’ll see a tab that says Election Day Voting and type in your address and you’ll find your voting poll. It will tell you exactly where to go.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jason &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Good to know. So I know there’s a lot of people on the ballot, is it possible for me to review that ahead of time and I know whose information is on there?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sarah &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Yes, you can. You do have the ability to look at it ahead of time on that same website, they have a tab that says Election and Voting and you will see a tab that says What’s on my Ballot. You will see a box that says Sample Voting Ballot. There will be a list of names of candidates and it will give examples on who you can vote for and give you time to research and study.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jason &amp;gt;&amp;gt; So if I need assistance or help if I’m deaf or deafblind and need assistance at the voting poll, is that possible to get that assistance?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shawn &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Yes, suppose you need support, the most common type is for deafblind individuals. They’re allowed to have Support Service Providers join them at their polling place for help. Another option is that you can have a friend join you. However, if a friend is joining you or not able to join you, you may also request to have a voting judge, an election judge, come and help you vote. The support they provide you is that they can tell you who is on the ballot and what issue is being voted on. Another option is that if you need help filling out the ballot, you can tell them who you plan to vote for and they can fill it out. The one thing they can’t do is coerce or advise you on who to vote for.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jason &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Good to know, thank you for that information. I’m happy to know there’s support there if needed. What other resources should I be looking for? &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Xavier &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Yes, there are additional resources available. If you go to the Commission’s website, mncdhh.org, on our website we have several videos we have produced. You can click on them to review. They are closed captioned and they’re produced in American Sign Language and there’s also spoken English interpretation. That’s a wonderful resource, I suggest you check it out. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jason &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Can you tell me the website again? &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Xavier &amp;gt;&amp;gt; mncdhh.org&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jason &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Well, thank you for your time and I’m so glad that you guys have come today. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Panelists &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Thank you, thank you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[The panelists leave the stage and 2 new panelists appear. They are Alicia and John. Jason continues to be the moderator.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jason &amp;gt;&amp;gt; I’m honored to introduce these two – we have the president of the Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens, John Fechter. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;John &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Hi.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jason &amp;gt;&amp;gt; And next to him, we have a board member from the National Association of the Deaf, Alicia Lane-Outlaw. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alicia &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Hi.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jason &amp;gt;&amp;gt; So, I have questions for these two. Let’s get started. Would you mind explaining where I could search for information about political candidates? There’s a lot out there, but how do I sort through that information? &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Certainly, that’s a good question and it’s challenging to find this information. One thing I would suggest is what my first step is, I typically go to the Google search engine and type up a key word. For example, who is running for office in Minnesota. You can start there and that will pull up a variety of search results. I would suggest the top two as the most accurate information. For example, those two could be minnpost.com and another would be startribune.com. Once you click on those, you’ll have information regarding categories of candidates. So, if they are running for attorney general, governor, secretary of state, or congress and senate. Once you click on one of those different links posted there, for example, governor, you can see who is running, if they are a Republican, Democrat, or Independent. You will also see their websites or links to their specific websites. You can get information about their background and what issues they support or not.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alicia &amp;gt;&amp;gt; For me, I will typically first figure out who my candidate is. So it depends where I live. Typically I’ll google “sample ballot Minnesota” and that first hit usually gets me to the Secretary of State’s website. From there, I can go in and put my address and it will show me the national and state, county, and city level candidates. If I need more, I’ll look at the list and if there’s a candidate that has his own website, there’s a link there – that’s very nice. Also, if I look at my candidate and don’t know them well, and I want to know more about them, before I make a decision, I’ll usually take their name and put it in Google News. Google News has the most recent information or articles about that particular candidate. Pro and Con. If I’m still feeling like I need more information, I’ll typically go to their website or the Facebook page or other social media to look at the candidate and what they’re saying. Sometimes I’ll chat with friends. My friends on Facebook, I’ll read what they’re posting about candidates. I know several friends who are savvier on political issues and share my beliefs. If I really struggle, sometimes I can ask their opinion. Typically, I learn best through reading about the candidates, but everyone has their own feel. Sometimes I’ll go, in the past, but not often, I’ve gone to debates to learn more about that candidate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jason &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Great options on how to research these candidates more. Great ideas. Thank you. There’s many issues out there, how do we know we can find a political candidate that supports the issues that we support? &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;John &amp;gt;&amp;gt; As we both mentioned, you can access the specific candidate’s campaign website. For example, for governor, you can see everybody running will have their own website, their stance or their issues and what they believe, and for example issues related to gun control or education, healthcare, immigration, employment. You can go on to the candidate’s website. However, understand most of the things you see there, the issues highlighted are ones that impact most Minnesotans. If you’re looking for things more related to deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing, specifically discrimination and how to combat that, you may have to contact that specific candidate’s office and ask questions or go to debates and ask a question live and in person. There are several options.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alicia &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Before I look at the candidates, and their issues, I feel like I have to understand the candidate and what they’re running for and at a national level, state level, maybe local or county or city. Also, what kind of position they’re running for. Is it administrative, like president, vice president, governor, mayor? Or perhaps legislative or judicial. I’ll research that to get a better understanding. For example, recently I was a delegate for a county convention. I went to the conference and the hot issue was actually the commissioner. County commissioner. Now, at that time, I wasn’t really sure what a county commissioner does. So I did my research and realized, year, at the county level they are strongly involved with Child Protective Services – or CPS. CPS within the deaf community, working with deaf children and deaf parents, has become a big issue nationwide. And the National Association of the Deaf posts articles and white papers about that issue, so once I knew that, I could go to an event or debate at the county – for the county commissioner, write my question about CPS to the coordinator, and all of the candidates will answer that question and I can compare their responses. That was a great experience. So that’s an example of my experience. Now, once I understand what the role is, and their view on different issues, I can go to a broader search, if they’re within different parties like Republican, Democrat, Independent… And then all of the parties, they do have a platform. These are issues they support. I can often go on the national level or state level and sometimes they have different views from each other and I can look at their platform and that helps me understand the candidates and whether I’m for or against their issues. For example, I might have to dig more by going to the candidate’s website and Googling a particular issue and seeing what they’re saying about it. If there’s nothing there, I may talk to friends. And at the national organizations and state organizations that have particular issues that they’re addressing, oftentimes those organizations will send out questions or issues that they know candidates support and I can read about them there. If there’s still nothing, oftentimes I’ll just reach out directly to the campaign office and ask them their views on my particular issue. Or I’ll go to an event where I can actually meet and ask questions directly.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jason &amp;gt;&amp;gt; That really helps give me a visual image of what this looks like. It’s a lot of issues. So now, speaking as a deaf person and within the deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing community, how do I know a candidate really, truly understand the law and things important to our community? How do I find out that information? &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;John &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Well, as I mentioned previously, with specific issues, I can’t always be sure if they’re also going to address my needs so I have to dig deeper on that. I’ll contact the campaign office and ask if they support that or not. Plus, I can also, with accessibility and accommodations, I can ask if they’ll provide sign language interpreters or CART services. Sometimes they may say no – it’s important then to ask why, to get the reasons behind their response, which helps to plan for the next step. For example, you could contact mnvotes.org, and go on to their website. They have several links, and you would go into Voting and Voters. There are ways on the website to file a grievance. And I would emphasize though, that can be a lengthy process. So another option would be to contact the Commission and they can also provide help and resources with information on how to get your accommodations. They also may be able to match that financially so you can get your accommodations. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jason &amp;gt;&amp;gt; That really is an important part. If I want to go to an event, I want to make sure there’s accommodations there. Thank you for answering that. If we need interpreting or CART captioning, we need to ask, and if they say no, there are other options. That’s good to know. Thank you for answering my questions. Thank you both for your time. Thank you for coming, what a wonderful discussion. I want to thank everyone who has been involved. It’s been a very inspiring and important event for voting. So thank you so much for you time, and… please get out and vote!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Rolling credits]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Special thanks to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jessalyn Akerman-Frank /MN Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jon Ainsworth / American Sign Language Interpreting Services&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Fardowsa Ali / Minnesota Deaf Muslim Community&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sarah Arana / Voters Outreach&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Xavier Arana / MN Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Maggie Bangert / ThinkSelf&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;John Fechter / MN Association of Deaf Citizens&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Bethany Gehman / Family Tree Clinic&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Elise Knopf /MN Department of Employment and Economic Development&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alicia Lane-Outlaw / National Association of the Deaf&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kathy Manlapas / Deaf Women of Minnesota&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kaitlyn Mielke / ThinkSelf&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Daniel Millikin / MN Department of Human Services – Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Eric Nooker / Deaf Queers of Minnesota&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Migdalia Rogers / Deaf Equity&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jason Valentine, Chair / MN Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kou Vang, Student Body President / Metro Deaf School&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shawn Vriezen / MN Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kim Wassenaar / Black Deaf Advocates&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Terry Wilding, Superintendent / Minnesota State Academies&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[end]&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>357262</id><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>citizen advocate</Title><Id>310308</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2018-12-10T21:05:39Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Access TED Talks-Style Videos about Minnesota&apos;s Collaborative Plan</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The following text is shown, &quot;Stories about Minnesota&apos;s Collaborative Plan&quot; upon a background of the Northern Lights.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/My%20Post%20%281%29_tcm1063-356956.jpg</Url></Image><title>2018-10-29 Access TED Talks-Style Videos about Minnesota&apos;s Collaborative Plan</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-356957&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-10-29T15:22:21Z</Date><ShortDescription>Covering some of the work performed during the first 10 years of the Collaborative Plan Stakeholder Groups.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Working together for better language access, education, and outcomes</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ten years of partnership in the Collaborative Plan has yielded many successes and lessons learned. Five members of the Collaborative Plan stakeholder group shared a TED Talks-style presentation that covers some of the works that have contributed to and improved services to children and families over the past ten years. Each presenter chose a topic that was near and dear to their heart. We hope you enjoy these as much as we have and we are excited for the next ten years together!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The presenters and topics are:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Nicole Brown, &quot;10 Years Strong - Minnesota&apos;s Early Hearing Detection and Intervention System&quot;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Danelle Gournaris, &quot;Love and Language: Connecting with Deaf and Hard of Hearing Adults&quot;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jody and Logan Waldo, &quot;IEPs - Confusion Lifted&quot;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Elise Knopf, &quot;Collaborative Efforts: Supporting Transition Students&quot;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jay Fehrman, &quot;Reducing Isolation through Collaboration&quot;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All videos are available in American Sign Language (ASL), with spoken English, and closed captions. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/collaborative-plan/ted-talks/&quot;&gt;Don&apos;t delay, enjoy the videos today.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>356957</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>language acquisition</Title><Id>310294</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-07-10T23:28:05Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Two Day Planning Summit on Education and Outcomes for Students who are Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing  </Title><title>2018-10-25 Two Day Planning Summit on Education and Outcomes for Students who are Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-356496&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-10-25T12:30:22Z</Date><ShortDescription>Press release</ShortDescription><Subtitle>50 Stakeholders of the Collaborative Plan Workgroups to Develop the Upcoming Five-Year Cycle </Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact: Anne Sittner Anderson, &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; / text: 651-888-1519&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;St. Paul, Minnesota (October 25, 2018)&lt;/strong&gt; – The Collaborative Plan Steering Committee is hosting a two-day Collaborative Plan Summit from October 25, 2018 to October 26, 2018.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The organizations represented in are&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Metro Deaf School&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Department of Education&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Department of Health&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Employment and Economic Development – State Services for the Blind&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Employment and Economic Development – Vocational Rehabilitation Services&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Hands &amp;amp; Voices&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota State Academies&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Northern Voices&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;PACER&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;University of Minnesota&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;As well as various school districts both urban and rural&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During these two days, summit participants will review the accomplishments of the past ten years – now known as Collaborative Plan 1.0; and to set a plan for the next five of collaborative work – Collaborative Plan 2.0.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The summit will take place at the Minnesota Department of Education (1500 Commerce St., Roseville, MN 55113. Members of the public may attend and observe. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A special feature that will be released for the first time at the summit are TED Talk-style videos from five members of the Collaborative Plan workgroups. Each talk will cover some of the works that have contributed to and improved services to children and families over the past ten years. Each presenter chose a topic that was near and dear to their heart. The videos will be shared with the public next week. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Past successes of Collaborative Plan 1.0 include but are not limited to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Hosting a Collaborative Experience Conference in 2015, 2016, and 2017. The purpose of the conference is to bring together teachers and professionals serving students who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing. These teachers and professionals are often isolated in their field and cited a great need for access to the most current research and learn new information.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Publishing a document called “Developing a Language and Communication Focused IEP: A Discussion Guide,” to be used by parents and schools to ensure that students who are deaf and hard of hearing have an Individual Education Program (IEP) that caters to their language and communication needs.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Creating a Guide to Transition Services for Teachers of Deaf/Hard of Hearing, which is hosted on the University of Minnesota website. This guide is designed for teachers to use with their transition-aged students with hearing loss who are preparing for life after graduating from high school.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the Collaborative Plan&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Collaborative Plan is a network of agencies and organizations who work together to create positive, systematic changes in order to achieve better education and career outcomes for students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the Commission&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Minnesotans is a Governor-appointed Commission that advocates for communication access and equal opportunity for the 20% of Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing. For more information about the Commission, visit our website or join us on Facebook and Twitter.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>356496</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>press release</Title><Id>320250</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2018-12-10T21:05:39Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Captioning</Title><Id>247354</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Captioning</Title><Id>247358</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Ask MNCDHH: Help with Captioning Videos</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Graphic of three human heads facing an open laptop. Onscreen is the following text that appears like captions, &quot;Are the captions on?&quot; </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/My%20Post%20%286%29_tcm1063-355740.jpg</Url></Image><title>2018-10-17 Ask MNCDHH: Help with Captioning Videos</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-355743&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-10-17T16:01:17Z</Date><ShortDescription>Hello MNCDHH, my question is about captioning video resources. What options exist for people who want to caption videos they share with others?</ShortDescription><Subtitle>You ask, we answer</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It&apos;s extremely important to caption the videos you share. Right now in Minnesota, it is estimated that just over 1 million people have some degree of hearing loss. Further, a study by John’s Hopkins Medicine found that nearly a fifth of all Americans 12 years or older have hearing loss. That’s 20%!!! With these numbers, there’s a good chance that someone you share a video with is deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing and could benefit from captions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are many different options for captioning videos depending on the type and length of the video one wishes to caption. MNCDHH has a wonderful web-based training course hosted on MNIT’s Office of Accessibility website, &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit-accessibility/captioningessentials/&quot;&gt;Video Captioning Essentials&lt;/a&gt;. This training explains the different types of captions and things to consider when preparing to caption a video. The training also goes over various methods of captioning, such as web-based tools and computer-based captioning programs. There is even a section on how to use YouTube’s automated transcription and captioning services, which is an easy way to add captions to a short video you wish to share with friends. If taking the entire training seems like too much, you can use the “My Syllabus” tool in the training to navigate to the specific sections of interest. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition to Video Captioning Essentials, there are many online resources regarding video captioning. See below for a list of our personal favorites:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/captioning-tips.jsp&quot;&gt;Captioning Tips&lt;/a&gt;: MNIT’s Office of Accessibility web page with tips, legal information, and links to other captioning resources. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://ncdae.org/resources/cheatsheets/youtube.php&quot;&gt;Captioning YouTube Videos&lt;/a&gt;: The National Center on Disability and Access to Education (NCDAE)’s web page with a printable PDF cheat sheet, a video tutorial, and step-by-step instructions on how to caption YouTube videos.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbqPe-IceP4&quot;&gt;Closed Captioning Demo Video&lt;/a&gt;: a video explaining basic captioning etiquette, such as caption placement.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1G6tuh46ZRo&amp;amp;feature=youtu.be&quot;&gt;How to Fix the Automatic Closed Captioning on a YouTube Video&lt;/a&gt;: a video demonstrating how to add closed captions to YouTube by updating and fixing the auto-transcribed captions on a video. Have you heard of the #NoMoreCRAPtions campaign aimed specifically at the poor quality captions produced if one simply uses YouTube’s auto transcribed captions? This video will show you how to fix those! &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://digiterp.com/new/how-to-caption-asl-youtube-videos/&quot;&gt;How to Caption ASL Videos&lt;/a&gt;: instructions in both ASL and English on how to caption an ASL video via Digiterp Communications.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://help.vimeo.com/hc/en-us/articles/224968828-Captions-and-subtitles&quot;&gt;Vimeo&apos;s Captions and Subtitles&lt;/a&gt;: Vimeo’s web page providing instructions on how to add captions or subtitles to your Vimeo video.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>355743</id><Tag><Description/><Title>ask the commission</Title><Id>310292</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>captioning</Title><Id>247356</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>accessible technology</Title><Id>310264</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-12-15T15:38:59Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Community and Peer-Led Interactive Evening about Voting</Title><title>2018-10-11 Community and Peer-Led Interactive Evening about Voting</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-355465&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-10-11T15:58:55Z</Date><ShortDescription>Press release</ShortDescription><Subtitle>State Commission and Deaf Organizations Co-Lead Strong Civic Engagement Efforts</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact: Anne Sittner Anderson, &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; / text: 651-888-1519&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;St. Paul, Minnesota (October 11, 2018) – The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) is hosting a fun, interactive evening about voter information  on Thursday, October 11, 2018 from 5:30-8:00 p.m. This will take place at St. Paul Neighborhood Network (550 Vandalia St., St. Paul, MN 55114).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Representatives from confirmed organizations will present on why voting is important as well as share important information about the voting process. This portion will be filmed. The organizations are: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf Equity: Migdalia Rogers and Dr. Darlene Zangara&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf Queers of Minnesota: Eric Nooker&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf Women of Minnesota: Kathy Manlapas&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Family Tree Clinic: Bethany Gehman&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Metro Deaf School: Jason Valentine and Kou Vang, Student Body President&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minneapolis/St. Paul Black Deaf Advocates (BDA): Kim Wassenaar&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens (MADC): John Fechter&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH): Outreach Staff&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Deaf Muslim Community (MDMC): Fardowsa Ali&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Services Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD): Dan Millikin &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (MRID): Shawn Vriezen&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;National Association of the Deaf (NAD): Alicia Lane-Outlaw&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;ThinkSelf: Maggie Bangert and Kaitlyn Mielke &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;ASL Interpreting Services (ASLIS): Jon Ainsworth&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MN DEED - Elise Knopf&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota State Academies - Terry Wilding&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After the filming is complete, audience members will go to the Voters Fair outside of the studio. They will have the opportunity to visit tables where they can write down their thoughts on voting, pick up voting resources, take selfies with fun props, learn how to find their ballot ahead of time, find out how to vote early, and visit with Michael Wall from the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State to register to vote and answer any voting questions.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This program is in American Sign Language (ASL) with voice interpretation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the Commission&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Minnesotans is a Governor-appointed Commission that advocates for communication access and equal opportunity for the 20% of Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing. For more information about the Commission, visit our website or join us on Facebook and Twitter.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>355465</id><Tag><Description/><Title>citizen advocate</Title><Id>310308</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>press release</Title><Id>320250</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2018-12-10T21:05:36Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Ask MNCDHH: DeafBlind Friendly Emails</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Green email icon on top of a striped light blue and dark blue background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/My%20Post%20%283%29_tcm1063-354714.jpg</Url></Image><title>2018-10-03 Ask MNCDHH: DeafBlind Friendly Emails</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-354722&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-10-03T13:43:09Z</Date><ShortDescription>How can I make sure that my emails are accessible to deafblind people?</ShortDescription><Subtitle>You ask, we answer</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Question: How can I make sure that my emails are accessible to deafblind people?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Answer: It’s important to make sure the content of your email is accessible to all recipients. Deafblind people use different tools to access their email depending on their preferences. One person may prefer to use a braille reader exclusively while another person prefers using a software program that magnifies the screen view in the morning and then an amplified screen reader later in the day. Since there are so many variations, see below for a list of best practices regarding email accessibility for standard emails:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use HTML format. This ensures your email is compatible with different email programs a person may be using. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Choose fonts that are easy to read. Sans serif fonts such as Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, Tahoma, and Veranda are good options. Also, make sure your font-size is at least 14 point bold. MNCDHH typically uses Arial Bold 14 font.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Make sure there is sufficient contrast between the text color and the email background. For example, if you use white text on a yellow background, the text will be difficult to read. There are a few online resources for checking color contrast, such as WebAIM’s Color Contrast Checker. Also, don’t use a background with patterns, texture or pictures as these make it challenging to read the text as well. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It’s important to make sure color isn’t the only way information is conveyed. To emphasize something, put asterisks (*) before and after the word or phrase. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Add alternative text to images. Graphics such as photos and charts should have alternative text describing the image. For example, if you use Outlook right click on the image and select “Format Picture.” From there, you can then select “Layout &amp;amp; Properties” and then “Alt Text.” &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When sharing information from a web page, copy and paste the plain text directly into the email along with the link to the web page using meaningful text (more about this in the next bullet). This will make things much easier for people who wish to avoid navigating potentially tricky websites. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When labeling links to web pages, use meaningful hyperlink text that is descriptive yet concise. Hyperlink text should let readers know what information they will find when they click on the hyperlink. Never ever use “click here” because it is too vague.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If you add an attachment, let your reader know. Mention what documents are attached in the body of your email. Make sure they are also accessible. This is easy to do with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint by using the Accessibility Checker.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When you copy (CC) others on an email, name them in the body of the message. If your email is being sent to a large group you can use a group greeting, such as “Hello Team,” instead of naming each recipient. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Repeat any important information included in the subject line in the body of the email as well. Depending on how one processes emails, one may not see the subject line unless looking for it. For example, if you say “Meet next Friday?” in the subject line make sure you reiterate that you’re wondering if they can meet next Friday in the body of the email as well. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Don’t add any information after signing your name. A person might assume your name is the end of the message, stop reading, and then miss any additional text.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If your reader must click a link and sign in to view your email due to a security system, this is not accessible. If you must use a system like this, provide an alternative email address that does not require this process. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When forwarding messages, let readers know you’re forwarding a message and the name of the original sender. Remove the extra clutter in email forwards and only include the name and message of the original sender. Your email recipients will thank you for this. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For longer emails, use built-in formatting styles such as lists and subject headings. This makes it easier to tab through in the correct reading order.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Most importantly, be willing to make any changes a deafblind recipient may ask for in regards to email accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While the list of above best practices might seem hard or overwhelming, it really isn&apos;t! Try out these simple adjustments and you will sense a change in your comfort level. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional information&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Special thanks to Jamie Taylor (DeafBlind MNCDHH board member), John Lee Clark (DeafBlind community advocate), and Paul Deeming (DeafBlind Services Minnesota) for their contributions to this newsletter.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Special thanks to Nikki Peterson for her writing expertise. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up to receive MNCDHH newsletters directly to your inbox. &lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNCDHH/subscriber/new?email=&quot;&gt;Sign me up!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Do you have a question for MNCDHH? &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3665562/Questions-for-MNCDHH&quot;&gt;Send us your questions!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>354722</id><Tag><Description/><Title>ask the commission</Title><Id>310292</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>accessible technology</Title><Id>310264</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>deafblind</Title><Id>499876</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-12-15T15:38:57Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>You&apos;re Invited! Fun, Peer-Led Interactive Evening about Voting</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A green voting icon (a hand placing a ballot in a box) is placed on top of a blue background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/My%20Post%20%285%29_tcm1063-354533.jpg</Url></Image><title>2018-10-01 You&apos;re Invited! Fun, Peer-Led Interactive Evening about Voting</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-354534&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-10-01T20:57:53Z</Date><ShortDescription>Presentations and filming. Voting selfie booth and voting rights. Pizza, water, and soda, oh my!</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Join MNCDHH &amp; community partners</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) invites you for a fun, peer-led interactive evening focused on voting! The first half will be a series of video-recorded presentations by community organizations. The second half will cover a Voters Fair, where you can visit booths and chat with your community peers about voting. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thursday, October 11, 2018&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Location&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;St. Paul Neighborhood Network (SPNN)
&lt;br /&gt;
550 Vandalia St, Ste. 170
&lt;br /&gt;
St. Paul, MN 55114&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Schedule&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;5:30 pm: Doors open. Audience members can arrive and take their seats. Please do this before 6 pm! &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;6:00 pm: Filming begins. Please stay in your seats for the duration of filming. If you arrive after 6 pm, please wait in the hall so you do not interrupt the filming. You can still attend the Voter&apos;s Fair at 7 pm.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;7:00 pm: Voters Fair begins! Visit booths with your community representative. Take a selfie at the Voting Selfie Booth! Enjoy pizza, water, and soda. Most importantly, learn about your voting rights!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;8:30 pm: Doors close. Drive home safe!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Confirmed Organization Representatives&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf Equity: Migdalia Rogers and Dr. Darlene Zangara&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf Queers of Minnesota: Eric Nooker&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf Women of Minnesota: Kathy Manlapas&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Family Tree Clinic: Bethany Gehman&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Metro Deaf School: Jason Valentine and Kou Vang, Student Body President&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minneapolis/St. Paul Black Deaf Advocates (BDA): Kim Wassenaar&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens (MADC): John Fechter&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH): Outreach Staff&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Deaf Muslim Community (MDMC): Fardowsa Ali&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Services Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD): Dan Millikin &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (MRID): Shawn Vriezen&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;National Association of the Deaf (NAD): Alicia Lane-Outlaw&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;ThinkSelf: Maggie Bangert and Kaitlyn Mielke &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;ASL Interpreting Services: Jon Ainsworth&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MN DEED: Elise Knopf&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota State Academies: Terry Wilding&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This event will be primarily in American Sign Language (ASL) with voice interpretation. If you would like to attend and need additional accommodations, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; no later than Friday, October 5, 2018.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are excited to see you there! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;#DeafIVote #HoHIVote #DeafBlindIVote&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>354534</id><Tag><Description/><Title>citizen advocate</Title><Id>310308</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2018-12-10T21:05:34Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Captioning</Title><Id>247354</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>MN Campaign Law Requires Accessibility: Caption Your Ads</Title><title>2018-09-25 MN Campaign Law Requires Accessibility</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-355370&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-09-25T14:17:48Z</Date><ShortDescription>On September 25, 2018, MNCDHH sent the following notification letter to candidates running for office in Minnesota. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNCDHH sends notification to campaign candidates</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dear Candidate Community Member,&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As the General Election approaches, the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing would like to remind you of the legal requirements to make your campaign videos and radio ads accessible to the 20% of the electorate with varying degrees of hearing loss. Nearly two-thirds of the elderly population are in this demographic. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Not only is it law, but it will also allow candidates, such as yourself, to increase the number of voters who will access and understand your advertisements.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Minnesota Statutes 10A.38 requires legislative candidates who agree to spending limits to make their ads accessible as follows:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Broadcast or cable campaign ads&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“A campaign advertisement that is disseminated as an advertisement by broadcast or cable television must include closed captioning for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers unless the candidate has filed with the board before the advertisement is disseminated a statement setting forth the reasons for not doing so.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ads on a candidate’s website&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“A campaign advertisement that is disseminated as an advertisement to the public on the candidate&apos;s Web site must include closed captioning for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers, unless the candidate has posted on the Web site a transcript of the spoken content of the advertisement or the candidate has filed with the board before the advertisement is disseminated a statement setting forth the reasons for not doing so.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Radio ads&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“A campaign advertisement must not be disseminated as an advertisement by radio unless the candidate has posted on the candidate&apos;s Web site a transcript of the spoken content of the advertisement or the candidate has filed with the board before the advertisement is disseminated a statement setting forth the reasons for not doing so.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can find more information and resources for making your ads accessible on our website at &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/get-involved/voting/candidate-campaign-ad-captioning/&quot;&gt;Candidate Campaign Ads: Captioning is the Law&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please let us at the Commission know if you have questions or need additional information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our email address is &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Taking this step will demonstrate that you want to communicate with this demographic group. Not surprisingly, deaf and hard of hearing individuals have told us that they have an improved perception of the candidates who have captioned campaign advertisements and are more inclined to vote for these candidates.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you in advance for making your campaign messages accessible to Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sincerely,&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mary Hartnett&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Executive Director&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>355370</id><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>captioning</Title><Id>247356</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-07-01T21:37:21Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Language Acquisition Video Series: Part 4</Title><title>2018-09-20 Language Acquisition Video Series: Part 4</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-352160&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-09-20T15:08:29Z</Date><ShortDescription>A four-part series about language acquisition, data collection and kindergarten readiness.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Laws for Minnesota’s Children who are Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/-Ejn2KZLVS8&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/RV0yWfPlAeg&quot; title=&quot;language acquisition ASL video part 4&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A four-part series about language acquisition, data collection and kindergarten readiness: Part 4&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the first video, we explained LEAD-K and how we already have similar laws here in Minnesota since 2007. In the second and third videos, we explained the laws we have for language acquisition and kindergarten readiness for Minnesota children who are deaf, deafblind &amp;amp; hard of hearing. In this fourth video, we will explain how these laws make a difference to children and families in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Part C Services Results and Part B Services Results&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Part C Services covers children in special education (not just deaf and hard of hearing) from the age of 0-3. Here is a bit of quick data.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Children who left Part C (turned 3 years of age or left early intervention services) between 7/1/16 and 6/30/17:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;110 children reported to have hearing loss; 32 of the 110 had cognitive delay/disability&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;73.07% of children who are DHH with no cognitive delays/disabilities exiting Part C were reported to be demonstrating early literacy skills within age expectations. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;75.64% of children who are DHH with no cognitive delays/disabilities exiting Part C were reported to be demonstrating early numeracy skills within age expectations.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Part B Services covers children in special education (not just deaf and hard of hearing) from the age of 3-5 years old or until they transition to kindergarten. Here is a bit of quick data.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Children who left Part B Preschool Special Education services between 7/1/16 and 6/30/17 to transition to kindergarten.   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;133 children reported to have hearing loss; 46 of the 133 had cognitive delay/disability&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;76.4% of children who are DHH with no cognitive delays/disabilities exiting Part B and transitioning to kindergarten were reported to be demonstrating early literacy skills within age expectations.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;88.50% of children who are DHH with no cognitive delays/disabilities exiting Part B and transitioning to kindergarten were reported to be demonstrating early numeracy skills within age expectations.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This and more data will be reported to the Legislature this year and published on the Minnesota Department of Education website. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment / 3rd Grade Reading Scores&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2017, the first students identified from the Universal Newborn Hearing Screening were tested on the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCAs)/3rd grade reading scores last year, and their scores will be available this year (2018). We will see the outcomes of early identification from their scores, thanks to the memorandum of understanding shared between the Minnesota Department of Health and the Minnesota Department of Education. Minnesota is one of the very few states that have data sharing agreements (numbers only, no personal information). The scores will be shared on the Minnesota Early Childhood Longitudinal Data System website. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Children and Families Today&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The children who were born in 2007 are now around 11 years old. These children and their younger peers are still on their journey through Minnesota’s education system and hopefully meet their milestones as they grow. These children and their families have the following programs and services available to them thanks to community advocates and our state laws:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Newborn Screening/early identification &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Hearing Aid Loaner Bank &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf Mentor Family Program &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Parent to Parent Support &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf/Hard of Hearing Role Model Program  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Any questions?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We hope this four-part video series answers your questions about what Minnesota has in place for language acquisition, data collection and kindergarten readiness for children who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. Our system is not perfect but we have the laws in place for kindergarten-readiness and language acquisition. We all want successful outcomes for students who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing. If you have any questions, please &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3665562/Questions-for-MNCDHH&quot;&gt;send us your questions through our online form&lt;/a&gt; so that we can respond. Thank you! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional information&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Important update! The full &quot;Students Who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Minnesota&quot; report to the legislature is now on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://education.mn.gov/MDE/dse/sped/cat/dhh/&quot;&gt;DHH page of Minnesota Department of Education website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Did you miss Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3? &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/deaf-commission/news/index.jsp?id=1063-348859&quot;&gt;Access Part 1 now.&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/deaf-commission/news/index.jsp?id=1063-348883&quot;&gt;Access Part 2 now.&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/deaf-commission/news/index.jsp?id=1063-350558&quot;&gt;Access Part 3 now.&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Special thanks to Danelle Gournaris and Jessi Aguilar from Lifetrack Resources Deaf Mentor Family Program (DMFP) for starring in the video series to share this important information.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For additional information on the laws and funding, please visit MNCDHH&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/early-hearing-detection-and-intervention/&quot;&gt;Early Hearing Detection and Intervention page&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up to receive MNCDHH newsletters directly to your inbox. &lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNCDHH/subscriber/new?email=&quot;&gt;Sign me up!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Do you have a question for MNCDHH? &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3665562/Questions-for-MNCDHH&quot;&gt;Send us your questions!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>352160</id><Tag><Description/><Title>language acquisition</Title><Id>310294</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-07-10T23:28:05Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Ask MNCDHH: Tell Me about Employment (Part 3)</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Three women are seated at a conference table and they are in conversation. Two women have laptops in front of them while the third has a notebook and a pen. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/adult-american-asian-1061574_original_tcm1063-351219.jpg</Url></Image><title>2018-09-19 Ask MNCDHH: Tell Me about Employment (Part 3)</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-351395&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-09-19T14:58:45Z</Date><ShortDescription>I am deaf, deafblind &amp; hard of hearing OR I am starting to lose my hearing. I believe that I am experiencing audism, or discrimination, at work because of my hearing loss. How do I file a complaint?</ShortDescription><Subtitle>You ask, we answer</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH received similar questions about employment options for people who are deaf, deafblind &amp;amp; hard of hearing and what they can do if they believe they are experiencing employment discrimination. To address a topic that many people have questions about, we decided to create a three-part series on employment. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Part 3: I am deaf, deafblind &amp;amp; hard of hearing OR I am starting to lose my hearing. I believe that I am experiencing audism, or discrimination, at work because of my hearing loss. How do I file a complaint?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Federal and state laws prohibit discrimination against employees based on their disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, both offer protection to employees and job applicants with disabilities, including deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing individuals.  An employer may not discriminate against individuals with disabilities in hiring, firing, promotions, benefits, training, or any other aspect of employment. Also, the ADA requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities unless doing so would cause an undue hardship.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have experienced employment discrimination based on your disability status, you may file a complaint with either the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR). Most employers have internal complaint procedures for filing a complaint of discrimination. This includes all government employers or those that contract with the government and many other employers. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As the case with all legal claims, deadlines are crucial, and employees need to safeguard their right to sue and file a charge of discrimination with a state or a federal government agency relatively quickly. Generally, an employee needs to file a charge of discrimination within 180 days following an &quot;adverse employment action.&quot; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Private lawsuits are an option for employees with disabilities. However, an employee with a disability who believes s/he was discriminated against may not file a lawsuit until after the EEOC or MDHR has investigated their complaint and provided them with a notice of “right to sue.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The following are resources for you to consider about your rights, filing a complaint, and the legal process. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdhr/yourrights/what-is-protected/employment/&quot;&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.eeoc.gov/employees/&quot;&gt;U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.db101.org/mn/situations/workandbenefits/rights/program2.htm&quot;&gt;Disability Benefits 101&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.adaminnesota.org/&quot;&gt;ADA Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.adagreatlakes.org/&quot;&gt;DBTAC: Great Lakes ADA Center&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Navigating the legal system is a long and complicated process. You may want to consider hiring a lawyer to help you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For other possible resources, contact the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/dhs/people-we-serve/seniors/services/deaf-hard-of-hearing/contact-us/&quot;&gt;Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD) office&lt;/a&gt; in your region.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional information&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Special thanks to Mohamed Mourssi-Alfash (MNCDHH board member), Elise Knopf (DEED), Ann Feaman (DEED), and Sheila Ritter (Minnesota Employment Center) for their contributions to this newsletter series.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up to receive MNCDHH newsletters directly to your inbox. &lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNCDHH/subscriber/new?email=&quot;&gt;Sign me up!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Do you have a question for MNCDHH? &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3665562/Questions-for-MNCDHH&quot;&gt;Send us your questions!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>351395</id><Tag><Description/><Title>ask the commission</Title><Id>310292</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>employment</Title><Id>310253</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-12-15T15:38:57Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Please Attend Candidate Forums and Ask Questions</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A person&apos;s silhouette has a hand raised. There is an overlay with the following text, &quot;Possible disability questions for political candidates.&quot; </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/My%20Post%20Copy%20%281%29_tcm1063-351625.jpg</Url></Image><title>2018-09-14 Please Attend Candidate Forums and Ask Questions</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-351626&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-09-14T12:32:24Z</Date><ShortDescription>Here is the full list of questions MNCDHH received from community members and information about where to find candidate forums.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Voting is powerful!</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On August 30, 2018, MNCDHH sent out a survey, collecting questions related to deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing topics for the League of Women Voters Minnesota to use at various candidate forums around the state. We thought it would be a great idea to also share the questions we received through the survey with you. This is just in case you would like to ask these questions too or if you want ideas for new questions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor &amp;amp; Lt. Governor candidates&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;People with disabilities experience the highest unemployment rates and lowest labor participation rates in the country.  They also experience barriers in housing, education, healthcare, access to public services and amenities including parks and trails and barriers to participating in civic life. If elected Governor would you be willing to add a line item for accommodations and accessibility in the state budget, so planning and budget assumptions include all Minnesotans, including the 20+percent with disabilities?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Governor Dayton signed Executive Order 14-14, which requires that 7% of the state employees be people with disabilities.  In 1999  10% of state employees had disabilities, those numbers plummeted to 3.8% in 2013.   Because of the order, we are now at 7%. If elected, would you reauthorize Executive Order 14-14?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;School districts are waiting too long to place Deaf children in fully accessible educational settings, severely hindering their language development just to keep dollars in the district. What will you do to incentivize appropriate placement?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;I would like to know if and how they have plans to fully fund special ed.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How do they feel about occupational licensure overall? In the Deaf/DB/HH community, there is a great need for ASL interpreter licensure, are you open to support this?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Dockless bicycles and scooters are a new presence in the public right of way. Should Minnesota allow them to park on sidewalks or should the companies that offer them be responsible for a parking method that does not obstruct people with disabilities such as the blind or people using wheelchairs?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Discuss future funding for training seeing eye dogs, hearing ear dogs, and special needs dogs as well as affordable veterinarian health insurance care.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Discuss future funding for affordable elder care, housing, health and long term insurance for deaf, deafblind, late deafened, and hard of hearing population.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;U.S. Representative candidates&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How will you protect and strengthen the American with Disabilities Act?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;I would like to know if and how they have plans to fully fund special ed.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How can we speed up innovations that will greatly benefit people with disabilities such as driverless vehicles, apps that allow us to order food and services, access to captions and augmented realities everywhere?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;U.S. Senator candidates&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How will you protect and strengthen the American with Disabilities Act?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;I would like to know if and how they have plans to fully fund special ed.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How can we speed up innovations that will greatly benefit people with disabilities such as driverless vehicles, apps that allow us to order food and services, access to captions and augmented realities everywhere?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State Representative candidates&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;School districts are waiting too long to place Deaf children in fully accessible educational settings, severely hindering their language development just to keep dollars in the district. What will you do to incentivize appropriate placement?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;I would like to know if and how they have plans to fully fund special ed.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How do they feel about occupational licensure overall? In the Deaf/DB/HH community, there is a great need for ASL interpreter licensure, are you open to support this?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Discuss future funding for MNCDHH or DHHSD.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Discuss future funding for Metro Deaf School and Minnesota State Academy for Deaf and Deafblind Students.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Discuss future funding for Deafblind and Blind clientele at the State Services for the Blind.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Discuss the idea of asking the Mayo Clinic in Rochester to share office space for a DHHSD regional office there to jointly share services in the form of sign language interpreters and social work personnel.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Secretary of State candidates&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How will you ensure our polling places are accessible to Deaf and DeafBlind citizens?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Are there data on the user experience of people with disabilities at the polls? At the recent primary, poll workers attempted to use my small children as sign language interpreters, I was aghast!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State Auditor candidates&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How does your office&apos;s work impact the Deaf and hard of hearing community, and what will you do to improve its impact?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Will you support the establishment of sunset committees. To evaluate whether the entities should remain to exist or not?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Attorney General candidates&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Deaf community is a popular target for scammers. What will you do to help us protect ourselves? What are some of our needs that you see as unique?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;There are a severe unemployment and under-employment with people with disabilities. Will you be their champion?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;County Commissioner candidates&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When Deaf children are removed from homes, they are often not told what is happening or placed in an environment that meets their language needs. This failure to recognize their language and communication needs greatly compounds their trauma. What will you do to ensure your county follows the best practices for ensuring equal communication access for families with Deaf individuals?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How will you continually assess and enhance accessibility for people with disabilities in your County?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;County Sheriff candidates&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What will you do to ensure that Deaf prisoners have equal access to their rights while in your jail(s)?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Do you have a plan for keeping people who can&apos;t hear commands or communicate in ASL safe around police officers?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How will you continually assess and enhance accessibility for people with disabilities in your County?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;County Attorney candidates&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How does your office&apos;s work impact the Deaf and hard of hearing community, and what will you do to improve its impact?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How will you continually assess and enhance accessibility for people with disabilities in your County?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Why do County Court continue to systemically dismiss Deaf/DB/HH individuals from jury duty? What will you do about it?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Soil and Water candidates&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What will you do to ensure that your Deaf constituents have equal access to your office&apos;s services and resources?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How will you continually assess and enhance accessibility for people with disabilities in your County?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Council Member candidates&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What will you do to ensure that your Deaf constituents have equal opportunity for input as stakeholders?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How will you continually assess and enhance accessibility for people with disabilities in your County?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hospital District Board Member candidates&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How will you work to address the problem of inappropriate video remote interpreting usage in place of onsite interpreters?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How will you continually assess and enhance accessibility for people with disabilities in your County?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Chief Justice - Supreme Court candidates&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What will you do to ensure that your Deaf constituents have equal access to your office&apos;s services and resources?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How will you continually assess and enhance accessibility for people with disabilities in your County?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Associate Justice - Supreme Court candidates&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What will you do to ensure that your Deaf constituents have equal access to your office&apos;s services and resources?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How will you continually assess and enhance accessibility for people with disabilities in your County?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Judge - Court of Appeals candidates&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What will you do to ensure that your Deaf constituents have equal access to your office&apos;s services and resources?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How will you continually assess and enhance accessibility for people with disabilities in your County?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Judge - District Court candidates&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What will you do to ensure that your Deaf constituents have equal access to your office&apos;s services and resources?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How will you continually assess and enhance accessibility for people with disabilities in your County?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;School Board candidates&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;School districts are waiting too long to place Deaf children in fully accessible educational settings, severely hindering their language development just to keep dollars in the district. What will you do to incentivize appropriate placement?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Individual schools are not prepared for DHH students, teachers are not required to have ANY training in DHH and other students are typically not inclusive. Do you have any ideas to make school life better for DHH students?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How will you continually assess and enhance accessibility for people with disabilities in your County?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Candidate Forum Events&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The League of Women Voters Minnesota has a list of various candidate forums occurring around the state. Please go and be a fully informed voter! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While each district is responsible under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for providing their own accommodations, in some cases, MNCDHH can help sponsor access. Email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; if needed.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>351626</id><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>citizen advocate</Title><Id>310308</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-04-15T17:39:26Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Ask MNCDHH: Tell Me about Employment (Part 2)</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A man is at his workbench He is sanding a wooden board. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/job-man-person-374049_original_tcm1063-351218.jpg</Url></Image><title>2018-09-12 Ask MNCDHH: Tell Me about Employment (Part 2)</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-351352&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-09-12T15:00:29Z</Date><ShortDescription>I am deaf, deafblind &amp; hard of hearing OR I am starting to lose my hearing. I am experiencing communication barriers in my workplace. What are my options?</ShortDescription><Subtitle>You ask, we answer</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH received similar questions about employment options for people who are deaf, deafblind &amp;amp; hard of hearing and what they can do if they believe they are experiencing employment discrimination. To address a topic that many people have questions about, we decided to create a three-part series on employment. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Part 2: I am deaf, deafblind &amp;amp; hard of hearing OR I am starting to lose my hearing. I am experiencing communication barriers in my workplace. What are my options?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Private sector: &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you feel that there are communication barriers at your workplace and you would like someone to come in and coach your employer about how to better work with you, you can contact the Minnesota Employment Center (MEC). They provide ongoing employment support services such as accommodations consultations and awareness training for both employees and employers at no cost via grant funds. &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/employment/employment-supports.jsp&quot;&gt;MNCDHH and advocates successfully lobbied for this program and funding.&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You do not need to have currently used or formerly used Vocational Rehabilitation Services to receive ongoing employment support from MEC. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Public sector: &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can also contact MEC for ongoing employment support services. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Federal employee:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Federal agencies normally welcome accommodations assistance from other entities such as state agencies and MEC. Sometimes state vocational rehabilitation staff can come to a federal work-site to help identify necessary accommodations for their clients who are employed in the Federal sector. Nevertheless, it is possible that some federal agencies may have varying policies on accepting assistance from outside or non-federal entities.  It is recommended that both the federal employee requesting reasonable accommodations and the State Agency willing to assist with the implementation of these accommodations coordinate services with HR and/or the Office of Equal Opportunity and Inclusion in the federal agency where the requesting employee works. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mnemploymentcenter.org/&quot;&gt;Minnesota Employment Center (MEC)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Coming next&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Next week, we will share information for individuals who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing and believe that they are experiencing discrimination in the workplace.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional information&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Special thanks to Mohamed Mourssi-Alfash (MNCDHH board member), Elise Knopf (DEED), and Sheila Ritter (Minnesota Employment Center) for their contributions to this newsletter series.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up to receive MNCDHH newsletters directly to your inbox. &lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNCDHH/subscriber/new?email=&quot;&gt;Sign me up!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Do you have a question for MNCDHH? &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3665562/Questions-for-MNCDHH&quot;&gt;Send us your questions!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>351352</id><Tag><Description/><Title>employment</Title><Id>310253</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>ask the commission</Title><Id>310292</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-12-15T15:38:56Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Ask MNCDHH: Tell Me about Employment (Part 1)</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A woman is at her desk in front of an open laptop. She has a pen in her hand. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/book-business-business-woman-68761_original_tcm1063-351217.jpg</Url></Image><title>2018-09-05 Ask MNCDHH: Tell Me about Employment (Part 1)</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-351211&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-09-05T19:31:03Z</Date><ShortDescription>I am deaf, deafblind or hard of hearing OR I am starting to lose my hearing. I am also looking for employment. Will my hearing affect my job search?</ShortDescription><Subtitle>You ask, we answer</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH received similar questions about employment options for people who are deaf, deafblind &amp;amp; hard of hearing and what they can do if they believe they are experiencing employment discrimination. To address a topic that many people have questions about, we decided to create a three-part series on employment. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Part 1: I am deaf, deafblind or hard of hearing OR I am starting to lose my hearing. I am also looking for employment. Will my hearing affect my job search?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Figures from the American Community Survey (ACS) and other related data sources show that hearing loss is the most common type of disability in Minnesota and in the United States.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;According to a 2011 research study conducted by a group of researchers at John Hopkins University, one out of five in the U.S. population twelve years of age and older experience some degree of hearing loss. However, an individual with hearing loss of any type or level should remain optimistic about their career aspirations and about finding employment opportunities. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Recent statistics from the ACS indicate that among the six known types of disabilities, the people who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing have the highest employment rate in Minnesota and nationwide. Deaf people who work full-time report average annual earnings that are comparable to the general population. The advancements in technology and medical solutions, services offered by various Minnesota state agencies and nonprofits, and the relative affordability of accommodations needed for hearing loss have led to better labor force outcomes.      &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Job seekers who are deaf, deafblind or hard of hearing are encouraged to register with the State Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS) or State Services for the Blind (SSB) to find out if they are eligible for employment services, including job development and placement, and to determine the kinds of reasonable accommodations needed for pre- and post-employment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Job search resources&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For help with the job search, check out:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/job-seekers/disabilities/counseling/&quot;&gt;Counseling, Training and Job Skills (DEED)&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://askjan.org/&quot;&gt;JAN: Job Accommodation Network&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mmb/careers/diverse-workforce/people-with-disabilities/connect700/&quot;&gt;Connect 700 program&lt;/a&gt; (if you are interested in working with the State of Minnesota)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Coming next&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Next week, we will share information for individuals who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing and are searching for resources for their current place of employment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional information&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Special thanks to Mohamed Mourssi-Alfash (MNCDHH board member), Elise Knopf (DEED), and Sheila Ritter (Minnesota Employment Center) for their contributions to this newsletter series.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Learn more about the state&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/job-seekers/disabilities/&quot;&gt;Vocational Rehabilitation Services&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up to receive MNCDHH newsletters directly to your inbox. &lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNCDHH/subscriber/new?email=&quot;&gt;Sign me up!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Do you have a question for MNCDHH? &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3665562/Questions-for-MNCDHH&quot;&gt;Send us your questions!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>351211</id><Tag><Description/><Title>ask the commission</Title><Id>310292</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>employment</Title><Id>310253</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-12-15T15:38:56Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Political Candidates Survey</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Minnesota&apos;s iconic red &quot;I Voted&quot; sticker is attached to a person&apos;s finger. Underneath is the following text, &quot;What would you ask political candidates if you had the opportunity?&quot; </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/My%20Post_tcm1063-350936.jpg</Url></Image><title>2018-08-30 Political Candidates Survey</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-350937&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-08-30T18:17:28Z</Date><ShortDescription>Share your questions and we will pass them on to the League of Women Voters Minnesota to use at various Candidate Forums around the state. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>What questions do you have for them?</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The League of Women Voters Minnesota is collecting questions for candidates to answer at various 2018 Candidate Forums around the state. They have asked MNCDHH if we can suggest questions related to deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing issues. MNCDHH can think of many questions but we think it would be best if we start by asking YOU what questions you have for candidates. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4530163/Survey-Candidate-Questions&quot;&gt;Yes, I will share my questions.&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>350937</id><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>survey</Title><Id>310297</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2018-12-10T21:05:29Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2018 Legislative Wrap Up</Title><title>2018-08-29 2018 Legislative Wrap Up</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-350610&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-08-29T14:00:50Z</Date><ShortDescription>Changes to the language in MNCDHH&apos;s statute, supporting the bills led by others, and additional news.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Of the 3500 bills, only 100 became law, including ours!</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/dmxAsSQ25qA&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/4-4b4lJXvWE&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with the 2018 legislative wrap up&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Legislative Session ended on May 21, 2018. The MNCDHH introduced one bill, tried to amend other bills so they included deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing people, and worked to increase technology accessibility at the Capitol. We also supported bills introduced by Minnesota State Academies and the State Council on Disability, and supported Thompson Hall. The legislature combined many agency bills together into one large bill and the Governor vetoed it. The Governor also vetoed the tax bill. All but a few standalone bills and the bonding bill passed. Of the 3500 bills that were introduced in FY18, only 100 became law, including MNCDHH’s bill!  Here are the results!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Changes to the language in MNCDHH’s Statute (MS 256C.28). (HF3290 / SF2777) - PASSED &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The law solved several problems. Over the years if the governor’s office got busy and old members terms had expired, new members wouldn’t be selected to replace them.  At times we were down to five members.  Next, the board wanted to hold brief meetings in between full board meetings to discuss issues like contract approvals and the Executive Director’s performance review.  Last, they wanted to change our name to one that was easier to remember.   Our new statute solves these problems by: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Allowing members to serve up to three 4 year terms, or continuing to serve until a new member is appointed.  It also builds in a transition period so there is a balance of experienced and new members.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Adding an Executive Committee that can take care of business in between full board meetings and &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Changing the name from the Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Minnesotans to the Minnesota Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing. (Minnesota goes to the front of the name instead of at the end of our name. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Starting on August 1, 2018, call us the “Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing.” You can call us “MNCDHH” or “The Commission” for short.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Support the Minnesota State Academies bills for campus improvements and security corridor.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This was partially successful. $2 million was awarded to preserve and repair their campus. They had requests in for over 6 million dollars, which included the funds to build a safety corridor.  They were included in the Governor’s budget and both parties were supportive of their requests.   In the end, there were over $3 billion in bonding requests and many groups didn’t get funding.  MSA did a great job and got $2 million for maintenance.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Education legislation and rulemaking &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We met with legislators during the session to discuss our concerns about the new tiered licensure law that passed in 2017 that created the Professional Educators Licensure and Standards Board.  The new teacher licensing law is one size fits all- it doesn’t require a specialized license and training to teach deaf and hard of hearing students for Tier 1 and Tier 2.  We are very worried about this.  We also testified at PELSB hearings to express our concerns and to say we believe that all teachers who work with kids who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing need a specialized license.  Later this summer we are meeting with a group from the board of educators, parents and advocates to set policy goals and proposed legislation together that we hope will overcome barriers and challenges in deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing education.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thompson Hall&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Historical Society selected Thompson Hall to be one of two grantees out of 2200 to present about the success of the Legacy Fund.  The Commission provided support and helped organize the hearing.  Herman Fuechtmann, president of the Thompson Hall Board of Trustees, presented to the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Legacy Finance Committee on March 7, 2018. John Fechter, president of the Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens (MADC) and Deaf Equity board member, presented to the House Legacy Committee on March 26, 2018. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessible IT at the Capitol&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Senator Torrey Westrom asked the Commission, the State Council on Disabilities and the Office of Accessible Technology to meet in March to discuss potential legislation to make the House, Senate and the Legislative Coordinating Commission websites more accessible.  The Commission played a key role in a compromise that would create a study group that will make recommendations on how to increase access at the capitol, including policy changes and funding.  Senator Westrom decided not to introduce legislation but has asked the leadership of the House, the Senate and the Legislative Coordinating Commission to create the group that will make recommendations for the FY19 session.  The Commission will be part of the study.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Elder Abuse&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We tried to get seniors with age-related hearing loss and seniors who are Deaf included in elder abuse legislation.   The House and the Senates supported us being part of it but disagreed on how to approach the problem.  The entire Human Services bill was vetoed by the Governor.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Support the Minnesota Council on Disabilities bill for ADA accommodations in state parks and rest stops (HF3549 / SF2963) &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This was partially successful. $500K was awarded for accessibility improvements in state parks in the state bonding bill.   The Department of Natural Resources will use the money to make William O’Brian State Park more accessible. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Of Interest - Service Animals&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Beginning August 1, 2018, it will be illegal to misrepresent an animal as a service dog. The first violation of this law will be a petty misdemeanor and subsequent violations a misdemeanor. Businesses may post the sign, “Notice: Service Animals Welcome. It is illegal for a person to misrepresent an animal in that person’s possession as a service animal.”  The Commission was not part of the advocacy efforts because there were enough advocates actively supporting it, but know many in the community were supportive of this legislation. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For More Information and Updates&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information and to sign up for alerts, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/&quot;&gt;visit our website&lt;/a&gt;.  &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>350610</id><Tag><Description/><Title>board</Title><Id>310266</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2018-12-10T21:05:26Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Language Acquisition Video Series: Part 3</Title><title>2018-08-28 Language Acquisition Video Series: Part 3</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-350558&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-08-28T15:00:36Z</Date><ShortDescription>A four-part series about language acquisition, data collection and kindergarten readiness</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Laws for Minnesota’s Children who are Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/rp_wzQZcgg8&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/VqKxKdOcqF4&quot; title=&quot;Language Acquisition ASL video part 4&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A four-part series about language acquisition, data collection, and kindergarten readiness: Part 3&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the first video, we explained about the national LEAD-K efforts and how we already have similar laws here in Minnesota since 2007. In the second video, we explained some of the laws we have for language acquisition and kindergarten readiness for Minnesota children who are deaf, deafblind &amp;amp; hard of hearing. In this third video, we will explain the remaining laws.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What are the foundations in place for language acquisition and kindergarten readiness in Minnesota? (Continued.)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are many laws in Minnesota for language acquisition and reporting. We will briefly explain each law and we will provide the law and statute number too. We also want to make sure it is clear that while we successfully advocated for these laws and we continue to track their results, other state agencies or organizations are responsible for the implementation and do the day to day work. We will explain who. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Collaboration of MDE’s Part C EHDI Coordinator and MDH’s EHDI Coordinators &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here is a quick explanation of EHDI and Part C. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;EHDI stands for Early Hearing Detection &amp;amp; Intervention. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Part C is the program for the special education services that the Minnesota Department of Education provides to children from age 0-3. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It can be challenging to remember who is from the Minnesota Department of Health and who is from the Minnesota Department of Education so we will explain. Both agencies have an agreement to share data with each other (like evaluation data and milestones but nothing that identifies a child or family) so that they can track outcomes better.    &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MDE has a Part C EHDI Coordinator. Since 2007, MDE’s EHDI Coordinator ensures a seamless transition between identification and educational intervention, as required by 125A.63 Subd 5. Also, the coordinator oversees 15 EHDI teams around the state who train service providers to complete the developmental assessments including language acquisition and Kindergarten Readiness for students.  The results of the assessments (again, data only) are reported to both MDE and MDH. Also, the EHDI Coordinator receives input from the EHDI Advisory Committee. Parents receive reports about their child every six months.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MDH has two EHDI coordinators who work on the 1-3-6 goals, which focuses on Universal Hearing Loss Screening. In case you missed the first video, the 1-3-6 goals are hearing loss screening by one month, confirmation of hearing loss by three months, and beginning intervention services by six months.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The coordinator gathers all of the collected data from the assessments and reports it biennially to the Legislature, MNCDHH, and the EHDI Advisory Committee, as required by 125a.63 Subd 4 – Outcomes report on students who are deaf and hard of hearing. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2017, the Visual Communication and Sign Language Checklist for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children (VCSL) has been added to the list of assessments used by teachers who have an advanced SLPI score and have been trained to use the tool.   The MN Deaf Mentors were also trained to use the VCSL to collect data.  This year the Deaf Mentors are partnering with teachers in a pilot project to see if the partnership offers more accurate data. Why is this a big deal? Before Gallaudet launched VCSL in 2016, no assessment test existed to measure ASL language development.  Before this year, the Deaf Mentors have never partnered with the educators.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota is the first state to partner Deaf Mentors with early childhood teachers. We flew Dr. Laurene Simms to train our teachers and Deaf Mentors on VCSL during the 2017 Collaborative Experience. The data will be jointly collected and reported by teachers and Deaf Mentors. When enough data has been collected (data is needed from at least 10 families to keep family identities private), it will be included in the biennial report. We are excited! We have a national audience who is watching our state because we are the first.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;EHDI Advisory Committee&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This advisory committee is mandated by Minnesota Statutes, section 144.966. Representatives from various stakeholder groups develop EHDI medical and educational guidelines. In the statute, it requires two Deaf representatives to be a part of the advisory committee. This committee measures and reports the results to the state and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) biennially. In this report, they include the percentage of parents who use Deaf Mentors, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Role Models, and Parent Guides along with the data collected about the 1-3-6 goals. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How are the deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing communities involved?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Did you know that deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing people are involved in this journey? They serve on various advisory boards and committees, including the EHDI Advisory Committee. They are Deaf Mentors, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Role Models, and Parent Guides. They are teachers, paraprofessionals, counselors, and more. They contact their legislators and help get important laws passed. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Giving our children a good start to life involves families, service providers, state agencies, legislators, and community advocates of various hearing identities. It is truly a collaborative effort, as demonstrated by the stakeholders of the Collaborative Plan. Learn more about the Collaborative Plan and see who is involved on MNCDHH’s website: &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/collaborative-plan/&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s Collaborative Plan&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To be continued&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In our next video, we will share how these laws and programs make a difference to children who are deaf, deafblind &amp;amp; hard of hearing in Minnesota and their families.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional information&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Did you miss Part 1 and Part 2? &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/deaf-commission/news/index.jsp?id=1063-348859&quot;&gt;Access Part 1 now.&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/deaf-commission/news/index.jsp?id=1063-348883&quot;&gt;Access Part 2 now. &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Part 4 of this series is coming soon. Watch for it!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Special thanks to Danelle Gournaris and Jessi Aguilar from Lifetrack Resources Deaf Mentor Family Program (DMFP) for starring in the video series to share this important information.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For additional information on the laws and funding, please visit MNCDHH&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/early-hearing-detection-and-intervention/&quot;&gt;Early Hearing Detection and Intervention page&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up to receive MNCDHH newsletters directly to your inbox. &lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNCDHH/subscriber/new?email=&quot;&gt;Sign me up!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Do you have a question for MNCDHH? &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3665562/Questions-for-MNCDHH&quot;&gt;Send us your questions!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>350558</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>language acquisition</Title><Id>310294</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-07-10T23:28:05Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Dack + Shawn = Informed Voter</Title><title>2018-08-27 Dack + Shawn = Informed Voter</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-350683&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-08-27T13:45:20Z</Date><ShortDescription>What happens when a voter becomes informed? Magic. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Voting is powerful!</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH is hosting voting workshops all around Minnesota! The voting workshops will be led by a crew of fun and dynamic presenters. Learn more at MNCDHH&apos;s website!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/ewN5rAnVrQk&quot; title=&quot;ASL skit video with Dack and Shawn about educated voting&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Dack Cube Entertainment logo]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A visual of the Capitol is shown. In the distance, we can see that someone is sitting on the steps.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Closer up, we can see that it is Dack sitting on the steps of the Capitol. He sighs and seems upset.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shawn is walking up the steps. He looks at Dack and stops.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shawn, &quot;Hey man, are you OK?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dack, (gestures towards the Capitol) &quot;I...  Ugh...&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shawn (looks at the Capitol and then back at Dack), &quot;Why are you here?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dack, &quot;Today is voting day and I&apos;m clueless about politics!&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shawn, &quot;I see. Come on, I&apos;ll help you!&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shawn walks up the steps and Dack follows. They enter the Capitol Rotunda. Dack looks amazed by the beautiful ceiling. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shawn and Dack walk in front of an old flag that is protected by glass. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shawn, &quot;Look at that!&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dack, &quot;I see!&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A visual of the Senate Chamber is shown. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Then Shawn and Dack are shown in front of a statue.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shawn, &quot;...long ago, he was the fourth highest...&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shawn and Dack are shown walking past tall marble columns and a bright red tapestry. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shawn, &quot;...different for both.&quot; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dack, &quot;Oh, I understand!&quot; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shawn and Dack are standing in front of a painting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shawn, &quot;...Governor for a short time, but people loved him!&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A visual of the tall columns and walls on the third floor. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dack and Shawn are shown in front of one of the hearing rooms chatting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dack, &quot;...Research both of them and know their issues, I can vote better.&quot; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shawn, &quot;Correct!&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visual of Dack thinking. He smiles.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dack, &quot;I understand now!&quot; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dack and Shawn walk out of the Capitol building. Dack is bouncing and boxing into the air.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dack, &quot;Whoo!  I&apos;m ready to vote!&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dack shakes hands with Shawn and moves on with confidence. Shawn watches him walk onwards.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dack does a celebration dance. We see the Capitol steps and lawn ahead of him. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Credits: &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Voting questions? Contact our Voters Outreach Team today! &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn more about voting at MNCDHH&apos;s website. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A special thanks to: Dack Virnig, Shawn Vriezen, Amanda Smith, Anne Sittner Anderson, Jessalyn Akerman-Frank, Katy Kelley, KIS, MNCDHH&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>350683</id><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-09-22T17:14:10Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Language Acquisition Video Series: Part 2</Title><title>2018-08-22 Language Acquisition Video Series: Part 2</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-348883&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-08-22T16:05:06Z</Date><ShortDescription>A four-part series about language acquisition, data collection and kindergarten readiness</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Laws for Minnesota’s Children who are Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/DJLqLr1J4lk&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/cM5Wndxy0QM&quot; title=&quot;ASL video and part 2 of the language acquisition series&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A four-part series about language acquisition, data collection, and kindergarten readiness: Part 2&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the first video, we explained about the national LEAD-K efforts and how we already have similar laws here in Minnesota since 2007. In this video, we will continue to explain the laws we have for language acquisition and kindergarten readiness for Minnesota children who are deaf, deafblind &amp;amp; hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What are the foundations in place for language acquisition and kindergarten readiness in Minnesota?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Since 2007, Minnesota’s children and their families have benefited from the public policy set in place by our legislators, thanks to the efforts of community advocates, parents and MNCDHH board members.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The laws that were passed require:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;An advisory committee with deaf, hard of hearing, and parent representation on the board&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Each child’s progress is measured using evidence-based assessments to track their progress on meeting benchmarks including language acquisition.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Minnesota Department of Education and the Minnesota Department of Health must report the data to parents and summary information to the state.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf Mentors to serve as role models and provide ASL and Deaf Culture information in the home. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A mandate for Universal Newborn Hearing Screening.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Loaner Bank for hearing aids&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are many laws in Minnesota for language acquisition and reporting. We will briefly explain each law and we will provide the law and statute number too. We also want to make sure it is clear that while we successfully advocated for these laws and we continue to track their results, other state agencies or organizations are responsible for the implementation and do the day to day work. We will explain who. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Mandate&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota adopted the Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Mandate in 2007, Minnesota Statute section 144.966. The earlier a baby is identified to have a hearing loss, the sooner the family can work to ensure language acquisition and receive services. The legislation is essential because it requires hearing loss screening by one month, confirmation of hearing loss by three months, and beginning intervention services by six months. This is called the 1-3-6 goals. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Since the implementation of the EHDI mandate in July 2007, screening for hearing loss in newborns has gone from 75% of newborns were screened to 99% of newborns were screened. The Minnesota Department of Health is responsible for this program. Visit their &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.improveehdi.org/mn/&quot;&gt;Improve EHDI website&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Parent to Parent Support&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is led by experienced parents of children who are deaf, deafblind or hard of hearing for new parents and families. Parent to Parent Support provide resources and support networks about parenting, attachment, resources, and schooling through a national curriculum without bias. This gives families the information they need to make decisions for their family. The program is run by Minnesota Hands &amp;amp; Voices and is called Parent Guides. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deaf Mentors&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After the 2007 legislative session, funding for Deaf Mentors was written into session law to provide in-home American Sign Language and Deaf Culture instruction. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Deaf Mentor Family Program (DMFP) is provided to families who have a child identified as deaf or hard of hearing (DHH). The DMFP is focused on building a positive foundation for and improving access to communication by facilitating early language through American Sign Language (ASL) and sharing valuable insight about the social-emotional development of children who are DHH. The Minnesota Department of Human Services received funding for the program beginning July 1, 2007 and contracts with Lifetrack Resources for the service. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2013, Deaf Mentors were added in statute and funds dedicated to their program through the newborn blood spot fee for heritable conditions (Minnesota Statute 144.125). The Minnesota Department of Health contracts with Lifetrack Resources for the service. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deaf and Hard of Hearing Role Models&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2016, Lifetrack Resources began to provide Deaf and Hard of Hearing Role Models, in addition to the Deaf Mentor Family Program. These wide ranges of services provides unbiased family support, connections to the DHH community and the opportunity to develop relationships with successful Role Models who are deaf or hard of hearing. This family-focused program offers guidance, resources, and a vision for the future to parents of children, who are key in fostering their child’s optimal development. The funding is provided by the Minnesota Department of Health. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hearing Aid Loaner Bank Program&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Health has a contract with the University of Minnesota to run the Hearing Instrument Loaner Program, which loans hearing aids to families who have a child with a hearing loss immediately upon request. The family uses the loaned hearing aids until their insurance comes through or until the family figures out a way to finance a pair of hearing aids for their child. Since 2007 to the present, every family who has requested to borrow hearing aids through this program has received it. The funding is provided from the Minnesota Department of Health. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To be continued&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In our next video, we will continue to explain the language acquisition and tracking laws here in Minnesota.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional information&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Did you miss Part 1? &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/news/?id=1063-348859&quot;&gt;Access Part 1 now.&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Part 3 of this series will be released next week. Watch for it!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Special thanks to Danelle Gournaris and Jessi Aguilar from Lifetrack Resources Deaf Mentor Family Program (DMFP) for starring in the video series to share this important information.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For additional information on the laws and funding, please visit MNCDHH&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/early-hearing-detection-and-intervention/&quot;&gt;Early Hearing Detection and Intervention page&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up to receive MNCDHH newsletters directly to your inbox. &lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNCDHH/subscriber/new?email=&quot;&gt;Sign me up!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Do you have a question for MNCDHH? &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3665562/Questions-for-MNCDHH&quot;&gt;Send us your questions!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>348883</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>language acquisition</Title><Id>310294</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-07-10T23:28:05Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Time for the Great Minnesota Get-Together!</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>To the left are icons for an apple stand, a ticket, and a Ferris Wheel. The following text appears to the right, &quot;Minnesota State Fair Accessibility Legislators MNCDHH&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/State%20Fair%202018%20%281%29_tcm1063-349117.jpg</Url></Image><title>2018-08-21 Time for the Great Minnesota Get-Together!</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-349118&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-08-21T13:43:10Z</Date><ShortDescription>Accessibility information and when/where you can meet MNCDHH representatives.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Accessibility, legislators, and MNCDHH</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota State Fair has a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mnstatefair.org/general-info/accessibility-guide/&quot;&gt;webpage with accessibility information&lt;/a&gt;. The information includes:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Events with American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters scheduled&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Contact information to use for additional requests. This depends on interpreter availability.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Electric mobility scooters, strollers, wagons, and wheelchairs available for rent&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Accessible parking (as well as free Park &amp;amp; Ride lots)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A printable accessibility guide (PDF), which includes information on borrowing assistive listening devices during Grandstand shows&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visit legislators, political candidates, and voting resources&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you would like to request an interpreter when you visit fair exhibitors (e.g. legislators, candidates, and more), you will have to submit a special request. Special requests for interpreter services will be scheduled depending on availability and should be directed to 651-288-4448 or the Admin Too Building on Cosgrove Street. Interpreters are scheduled between the hours of 8:30 AM and 3:00 PM.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Dean Phillips for Congress - East side of Cooper St. between Wright &amp;amp; Dan Patch avenues&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Doug Wardlow for MN Attorney General - East side of Nelson St. between Carnes &amp;amp; Judson avenues&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;FairVote Minnesota - Education Building, north center section&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Housley for U.S. Senate - West side of Cosgrove St. between Wright &amp;amp; Dan Patch avenues&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Johnson for Governor - West side of Underwood St. between Carnes &amp;amp; Judson avenues&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota House of Representatives - Education Building, east wall&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Secretary of State -  Grandstand, lower level, north center section&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota State Senate - Education Building, east wall&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Senator Amy Klobuchar - North side of Judson Ave. between Nelson &amp;amp; Underwood streets&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Senator Tina Smith - West side of Underwood St. between Dan Patch &amp;amp; Carnes avenues&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visit your political party&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Green Party of Minnesota - Education Building, south aisle&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Independence Party of Minnesota - South side of Dan Patch Ave. between Nelson &amp;amp; Underwood streets&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Libertarian Party of Minnesota - West side of Nelson St. between Carnes &amp;amp; Judson avenues&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Democratic Farmer Labor - Northeast corner of Dan Patch Ave. &amp;amp; Cooper St.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Republican Party of Minnesota - South side of Carnes Ave. between Nelson &amp;amp; Underwood streets&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Find MNCDHH&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Katy Kelley, MNCDHH&apos;s Office Administrative Coordinator, and Jamie Taylor, MNCDHH&apos;s board member, will be at the Minnesota State Council on Disability&apos;s table in the Education building, north aisle. Find Katy and Jamie on Thursday, August 30, 2018, from 1-3 PM!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>349118</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2018-12-10T21:05:23Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Travelers with Disabilities Advisory Committee Influences Airport Accessibility</Title><title>2018-08-20 Travelers with Disabilities Advisory Committee Influences Airport Accessibility</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-349108&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-08-20T19:30:59Z</Date><ShortDescription>Learn about the Travelers with Disabilities Advisory Committee (TDAC), what it is, what it does, and why TDAC matters to you. Personal experiences with a plane crash simulation will also be shared. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>An interview with Anne &amp; Andrew</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/ofScyF0CUYY&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/MwnFMC_Ei78&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with the TDAC Airport interview&quot; width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anne: Hi! I&apos;m Anne Sittner Anderson. I&apos;m the Communications Coordinator at the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Andrew: My name is Andrew Palmberg. I am here as a representative for TDAC (Travelers with Disabilities Advisory Committee) at the airport. I represent MNCDHH on the Committee. Today we will talk about what TDAC is, what TDAC does, and why TDAC matters to you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anne: Plus we will share our experiences with crash simulations. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;(photo of grounded plane and two fire trucks)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anne: Enjoy watching us! Come on!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Question 1: Can you share information about how you became involved with the Travelers with Disabilities Advisory Committee (TDAC)? &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Andrew: I joined TDAC back in 2014. I work here at the Commission (MNCDHH). Mary Hartnett asked me if I wanted to join the airport&apos;s committee to advise the airport on how to make the airport more accessible for people with disabilities. I had interest because I love airplanes and transportation, and I have an architectural background. I said, &quot;Yes. Sure, I will join.&quot; I joined in 2014. I became the Chairperson of that committee in 2015 through today. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Question 2: Tell us more about TDAC. What does it do and how does it work? &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Andrew: TDAC is an acronym for the Travelers with Disabilities Advisory Committee at the airport (MSP: Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport). The committee was set up in 2014 by Phil Burke, Director of MSP Operations. He had an interest in making the airport (MSP) more accessible for people with disabilities. Our motto is to promote equitable access for all airport users. How do we do that We have members on TDAC who are deaf, blind, deafblind, people with muscular dystrophy, and people with autism. There are several disabilities represented on that committee. We meet about four times a year to discuss accessibility topics the airport wants us to think about and give feedback. We give feedback and the airport decides to establish a new policy or a new service to make the airport more accessible. Since 2014 to now (2018), we are still continuing work on improving the airport and hopefully will continue in the future.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Question 3: What has MSP Airport done to make the airport more accessible?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Andrew: MSP improved accessibility at the airport in many ways. Some examples include VRI (Video Remote Interpreting) at all information booths at the airport. Staff members can use their tablet to connect with the VRI service and speak with deaf or hard of hearing customers who use sign language to communicate. Staff members can help them find restaurants, restrooms, or help. The airport has that accessibility now. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;(photo of a room full of crash simulation participants, some seated, some standing, and including Anne, facing forward during the orientation)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Andrew: Secondly, all restaurants are required to have TV captions on. Thirdly, the airport improved the rest area for service dogs to make it more beautiful and more efficient so people may feel comfortable using that space for their service dog. Fourthly, VRS (Video Relay Service) is coming soon; a phone service for deaf, hard of hearing, or deafblind who use sign language can use VRS at the airport. It&apos;s coming soon; it&apos;s not yet available. That&apos;s a few examples of how the airport improved accessibility but there&apos;s really a lot more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Question 4: If a traveler notices an accessibility issue, what should they do? &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Andrew: If you notice accessibility issues or you have comments on how to make the airport more accessible, please contact MNCDHH (the Commission): &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; Please contact them. The Commission will inform me and I will bring up the issues at the airport at our next meeting. Thank you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Question 5: What is a crash simulation and why does the airport do this? &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Andrew: What is a crash simulation? It&apos;s a simulated air force crash at MSP (Minneapolis). They do that to train firefighters, police, and ambulance responders to a crash; and also outside firefighters and police who respond from outside the airport to help the airport staff. That training exercise is also required by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration). Every three years, the airport must do a simulation. That exercise also helps train the airport staff&apos;s public affairs team because newspaper and TV reporters arrive at the airport to ask why the plane crashed, what happened, and how many people lived. The airport can practice how to respond to those kinds of questions. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;(photo of the fire truck spraying water from approximately 4 hoses)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Andrew: It also trains staff members who are trained in helping survivors from that aircraft crash: help them find the next flight, find them a hotel room, and help them find their car if they can&apos;t find it. That&apos;s why the airport does that every three years as required by the FAA.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Question 6: Describe your role and your experience during the crash simulation. &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anne: One day Andrew contacted the Commission and said the airport wants a deaf person involved with a crash simulation. I volunteered because it was a &apos;once in a lifetime&apos; opportunity to do that. Andrew sent me all the information I needed to know: where to go, what time, etc. I showed up, showed my ID, checked in, and moved along. I was given my role: &quot;survivor&quot; (not injured). I went into orientation where they explained all the rules, what to expect, etc. The airport hired an interpreter for me. That interpreter only covered before and after the simulation because they needed a &apos;real life&apos; experience. If I was alone during a crash, they needed to know what my experience would be like--obviously I wouldn&apos;t have an interpreter at that moment. I took a bus to where the crash simulation was happening: the runway field. It had an old plane there. I moved along with my group. Some people&apos;s role was &quot;injured&quot; so some sat around with &quot;injuries.&quot; Some people were &quot;dead&quot; so they played dead. I was a &quot;survivor&quot; so I sat around waiting. Because I wasn&apos;t injured, I waited the longest. When the firefighters arrived, they saw all the smoke. The first thing they did was spray water from the truck to put out the fire. It was cool to see the water in action. I had no idea trucks hold that much water! Then after the fire was put out, the firefighters came around to assess who were injured, who were alive, who were not alive; and grouped them together. I waited and looked around. I felt lost without information--that, I think, was a &apos;real life&apos; experience of a survivor: looking around unsure of what&apos;s going on. When you contact a police officer or firefighter, you use gestures. Some wrote notes; some were more creative. One firefighter asked around: &quot;Anyone have pen and paper?&quot; It was interesting to see my experience interacting with different emergency respondents--how each handled. One firefighter came up to me speaking and I gestured I couldn&apos;t understand. They only held my hands crossed over my head. I didn&apos;t know what that meant and found out later it meant I wasn&apos;t injured. So, a lot of waiting because I wasn&apos;t injured. I observed them assess and take care of the injured first. Finally it was our turn to ride the bus to the survivors&apos; center where they had Red Cross volunteers, food, and water. They sat me down and wrote on paper--told me they will have an interpreter for me. I expected a live in-person interpreter but found a laptop instead that was connected with a VRI. I was surprised. I&apos;ve never used a VRI before but I was fine with using one. I remember thinking: &quot;OK, this is a good backup to have: a VRI.&quot; I think if I was a little kid, if I was deafblind, or if I was emotional, then a VRI probably wouldn&apos;t work. Hopefully the airport has a plan if they need a backup in that situation. When we were finished, they thanked me and let me go; and that&apos;s my story. I know you have a lot more experience, Andrew.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Andrew: Yes, I&apos;ve had two experiences with crash simulations. One in 2015 and also recently in 2018. In 2015, I had the same experience as Anne. I became a survivor on the field and pretended my arm was broken. The first time I did that, I don&apos;t know what I expected. Like Anne, I experienced riding a bus to an old aircraft. I got off, walked, and waited. When the exercise started, I saw a fire truck drive up and spray water around. It was cool! When that finished, firefighters went over to where survivors or victims were. Firefighters checked each person and then approached me. I signed that I&apos;m deaf and asked what they were saying. The firefighter got awkward and didn&apos;t know what to do. They needed help. During that exercise, they pretended there was an interpreter there. So the interpreter--a real interpreter, yes--translated for the firefighter to me. For that first year, that was MSP&apos;s first time they invited a person with a disability. They wanted to start slow before picking up more experience. That&apos;s why they had an interpreter the first year. During that experience, it felt like it was almost not real yet but it gave firefighters an interesting experience figuring out what to do. The plane was from Amsterdam--so what happens if there&apos;s a person on that plane who doesn&apos;t speak English? Same concept: a deaf person who can&apos;t communicate. So, it was a good experience for the first responders to address that issue. For the second year (2018), the airport involved a deaf person (Anne) and also a blind person who had a service dog with him; so the airport has experience with a service dog and becoming a survivor. My role in 2018 was &quot;observer&quot;--watch everything: how first responders interacted with Anne and with the person who is blind. My job was to report what I noticed the airport did, what they could do better next time, and what could be improved. I did that for the 2018 crash simulation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Question 7: Why is it important to include people with disabilities in the crash simulation? &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anne: Why is it important to include people with disabilities? 1 in 5 persons here in the USA has a disability. Many people with disabilities do experience things like car accidents, hurricanes, earthquakes, and plane crashes. It&apos;s a good experience for training to develop muscle memory and have a better idea of what to do and how to manage that. It&apos;s a good experience for emergency responders to think about communication barriers and what can be done to address them. I&apos;m happy and I appreciate the airport included people with disabilities for this training exercise. I think it&apos;s important and I&apos;m hoping in three years they&apos;ll include the deafblind in the training exercise. I&apos;m letting you know, Andrew!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Andrew: OK! I&apos;m looking forward to it in three years.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anne: Good!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Andrew: Also, I think it&apos;s important to include people with disabilities because now with the &apos;baby boomers&apos;-- those people are getting older and are now almost over the age of 60. They&apos;ll have a big population of people with disabilities or are in need of additional assistance. Also, my comments from the previous question applies, too: what happens if a person who can&apos;t communicate in English comes and is involved in a crash? How will they get information? What&apos;s their injury? Do they need help? How does interaction work? People with disabilities--for example, deaf people can inform first responders how to interact with people who can&apos;t communicate well or in a different way than what they&apos;re used to.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anne: Right.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Photo slideshow&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;(photo of a fire truck shooting water at the aircraft)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;(photo of firemen preparing to board the aircraft)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;(photo of Andrew standing in a circle with the other crash simulation observers/evaluators)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;(photo of Ken Rodgers and his service animal preparing the board a bus to be taken to the Survivor Center)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;(photo of a police officer signing, &quot;thank you.&quot;)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;(photo of Anne sitting on the bus in the middle of communicating with the off-screen police officer)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All pictures provided by the Metropolitan Airports Commission.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you for watching&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anne: Thank you for watching this interview. Hopefully, you learned from, benefited from, and enjoyed our experiences with crash simulations. Plus that you learned more about TDAC.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Andrew: The MSP airport is still improving accessibility. If you have ideas or opinions, please contact MNCDHH. The Commission will inform me and I can inform the airport who will know what to do and how to improve. Thanks for watching!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>349108</id><Tag><Description/><Title>airport</Title><Id>317204</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>emergency management</Title><Id>310293</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2018-12-10T21:05:23Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Language Acquisition Video Series: Part 1</Title><title>2018-08-17 Language Acquisition Video Series: Part 1</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-348859&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-08-17T13:33:33Z</Date><ShortDescription>A four-part series about language acquisition, data collection and kindergarten readiness</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Laws for Minnesota’s Children who are Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/keTdDJv-utU&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/O8Ktzn_Wojg&quot; title=&quot;language acquisition video part 1&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A four-part series about language acquisition, data collection, and kindergarten readiness: Part 1&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sometimes a community member asks MNCDHH if we can advocate for LEAD-K in Minnesota. We tell them that MNCDHH, parents, and advocates got LEAD-K laws passed back in 2007. It doesn’t have the name, LEAD-K. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is LEAD-K?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Maybe not everyone knows what LEAD-K is so let’s explain a little.  LEAD-K is short for Language Equality and Acquisition for Deaf Kids. It is a national coalition that advocates for states to pass laws to make sure that deaf, deafblind &amp;amp; hard of hearing kids from ages 0-5 have a good start to life. A good start to life includes language acquisition and kindergarten readiness. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;LEAD-K is about making sure that children are meeting milestones for one or both languages – ASL and English. It also requires that assessments and data reporting include language to make sure that children from ages 0-5 are meeting their language milestones. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are 6 parts of LEAD-K, which was described in a brilliant article in Gallaudet Odyssey (Spring 2016), “&lt;a href=&quot;https://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ODYSSEY2016.pdf&quot;&gt;The Power and Promise of a Handshake: Milestones in Collaboration (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;”, written by Dr. Roz Rosen. Minnesota already has these 6 parts in our state laws. The parts are:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Establishing a clear goal – children will be ready for kindergarten&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Agreeing on a principal – children have the right to language, ASL and/or English. Parents need language milestones starting at their child’s birth. The state, already mandated to provide early intervention programs, needs to be held accountable for outcomes.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sharing important information – data sharing must be done so that legislators and stakeholders are fully aware of the needs and outcomes of children.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ensuring that diverse stakeholders are at the table – different perspectives and experiences strengthen the outcomes. This is very, very important.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Collaborating between various organizations and legislative bodies can lead to positive results.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Making sure that deaf leaders are involved and that goals and processes are deaf-centric. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In Minnesota, our laws are the building blocks to ensuring that children who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing are successful. It is not perfect but we have a strong foundation to build upon. We are a great model for other states to follow.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To be continued&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So, we have covered the national LEAD-K campaign and a little about the importance of working together. In the next video, we will focus on the language acquisition and tracking laws here in Minnesota. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional information&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Part 2 of this series will be released next week. Watch for it!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Special thanks to Danelle Gournaris and Jessi Aguilar from Lifetrack Resources Deaf Mentor Family Program (DMFP) for starring in the video series to share this important information.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For additional information on the laws and funding, please visit &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/early-hearing-detection-and-intervention/&quot;&gt;MNCDHH&apos;s Early Hearing Detection and Intervention page&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up to receive MNCDHH newsletters directly to your inbox. &lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNCDHH/subscriber/new?email=&quot;&gt;Sign me up!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Do you have a question for MNCDHH? &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3665562/Questions-for-MNCDHH&quot;&gt;Send us your questions!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>348859</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>language acquisition</Title><Id>310294</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-07-10T23:28:03Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Voting in August and Why We Should Vote</Title><title>2018-08-02 Voting in August and Why We Should Vote</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-347891&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-08-02T15:33:48Z</Date><ShortDescription>What you need to know about voting in the Primary Election in Minnesota in 2018.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Minnesota&apos;s Primary Election</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/9487f3_xFOs&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/wzn4dUBhIM0&quot; title=&quot;Primary Election ASL video&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In Minnesota, you will have two chances to vote this year – first this summer.  Second this fall. This video focuses on the summer election. You have to decide if you will vote Democrat or Republican, not both. We will explain more in this video.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The summer election is called the Primary. The Primary helps voters decide which candidates will continue on and have their name listed on the ballot in November in the General Election.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Exactly which races you’ll get to vote in at the Primary vary depending on where you live.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All voters will be able to vote on &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Governor / Lt. Governor &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;U.S. Senator (two seats) &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;U.S. Representative &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Secretary of State &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;State Auditor &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Attorney General &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;State Representative &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Judicial offices &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Candidates in these races are like the presidential candidates in that they run as either a Democrat or a Republican.  If these races are on the ballot, you’ll be able to vote in either the Democratic race or the Republican one, not both.  The ballot will have a line down the middle and the names of the Republican candidates will be on one side and the names of the Democrats will be on the other. If you both for both Democrats and Republicans, your vote won’t count! The machine will reject your ballot.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On the back of the ballot, there will be other races, like judges, and maybe mayor, city council, or school board depending upon where you live.  In these races, the candidates are not with a party – they are “nonpartisan”.  The votes in the Primary will determine which candidates will be included in the General Election ballot. You may be able to vote for more than one candidate. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So, how do you find out what’s on your ballot?  It’s easy!  Go to the Secretary of State’s website at mnvotes.org.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Select “What’s on my ballot?”  Then “View your sample ballot”.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Type in your address, following the directions and you will get a list of the candidates who will be listed on your Primary ballot.  If the candidates provided the Secretary of State’s Office with a link to their website, you can find it there to research the candidates.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There is also a link to a copy of what your actual ballot will look like.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When can I vote?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can either wait until Primary Election Day, Tuesday, August 14, 2018, and go to your normal polling place to vote or you can vote early either by mail or in person.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are lots of ways to vote.  What’s important is just that you do it!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>347891</id><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2018-12-10T21:05:22Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Opportunities for Direct Engagement with Real-Time Text</Title><title>2018-07-31 Opportunities for Direct Engagement with Real-Time Text</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-347327&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-07-31T20:41:55Z</Date><ShortDescription>Presented by Christian Vogler, Ph.D., Director of the Technology Access Program at Gallaudet University. December 6, 2017, Gov IT Symposium, St. Paul, MN. Presentation duration: 90 minutes.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>A presentation given at the 2017 Gov IT Symposium</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Presented by Christian Vogler, Ph.D., Director of the Technology Access Program at Gallaudet University. December 6, 2017, Gov IT Symposium, St. Paul, MN. Presentation duration: 90 minutes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Presentation description: In this session, you&apos;ll learn about real-time text (RTT), which is being deployed by wireless carriers. You&apos;ll learn how RTT offers access to your services by people with disabilities, how RTT can be used for direct engagement with constituents, and what to expect as the technology is deployed. You&apos;ll be able to make informed decisions about whether to adopt RTT and what needs to be done to deploy it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Workshop video&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/p2vISQNGhjM&quot; title=&quot;Real-time text presentation video&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Descriptive transcript&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[PowerPoint Slide: Gallaudet University&apos;s logo is on the top. Beneath is the following text, &quot;Opportunities for Direct Engagement with Real-Time Text. Christian Vogler, Ph.D. Director, Technology Access Program, Gallaudet University, December 6, 2017]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Jay Wyant and Christian Vogler are standing in a training room behind a podium. Next to them is a sign language interpreter. Jay begins to voice.] &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jay &amp;gt;&amp;gt; I’m Jay Wyant, Chief Information Accessibility Officer for the State of Minnesota, and I am happy to welcome Christian Vogler. He is the head of the Technology Access Program at Gallaudet University. He came here to present about Real-Time Text. RTT. He will be talking about current data – it’s a long, complex process. Hopefully, it will happen soon – RTT. We have a 90 minutes presentation. So, he is not going to go overtime. 90 minutes, that’s it. We’ll be letting him know when there’s a 10-minute break. One more thing, I’m sure you have heard this but use an app on your devices to complete an evaluation. We’d appreciate your feedback. So please use the app. If you don’t have the app on your device, you can get the evaluation in paper from me. The evaluation is confidential. Thank you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Jay and the interpreter exit the camera&apos;s view. Christian begins to present.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Christian &amp;gt;&amp;gt;Hello! Thank you. Thank you, Jay, for the introduction. So – as he already mentioned, I work for Gallaudet University. My perspective is academic. My presentation will be talking about what happened from academic research and development to companies and to the Federal Communications Commission regulations and so on. A lot of changes are happening right now. I had to revise my slides again to align with recent developments that came up. This is a hot topic and a lot of changes are happening right now. Ok. All right. So… I’ll briefly explain who I am, who we are, and what we do. Gallaudet University is a liberal arts college for the deaf and hard of hearing. We are a research group focused on technology for the deaf and hard of hearing. How to make technology more accessible. We have a strong goal. We want the deaf and hard of hearing people to be able to function equally as a hearing person. Whatever a hearing person can do, we can have the privilege to do the same. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So far, there has been a lot of research on phone communications. Access to phone communication – but we also do a variety of topics. Today – Real-Time Text. RTT, in short. I’ll be saying RTT going forward.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This falls in the area of phone communication access. This will provide a lot of new opportunities for the deaf and hard of hearing to gain as much access as a hearing person has.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anyways, we have a team of five people working on this. You’ll see a picture of our lab. We have four researchers—two deaf and two hearing. If you want a summary of who I am… That. Professional troublemaker. We collaborate closely with a variety of companies with government agencies and deaf and hard of hearing consumer advocacy groups, as well. Often they don’t like to hear what we have to say. Too bad! We believe it is the right way.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[PowerPoint Slide: Gallaudet University&apos;s logo is on the top. Beneath is the following text, &quot;What we do *Deaf-led accessible communication technology R&amp;amp;D for people who are deaf or hard of hearing * Neutral and independent: We work with people from all modes of communication, and with a variety of stakeholders - Our mission is to make sure you can use the technology you want and need, irrespective of your preferences * Strong ties to consumers, industry &amp;amp; government agencies to translate research into practice&quot;] &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Christian &amp;gt;&amp;gt; We want to emphasize that we’re neutral… regardless of the means of communication. It doesn’t matter if you sign or talk or use visual communications or auditory -- it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter which government agency. It doesn’t matter which company. If your goal is to support access for people with disabilities, we’ll work with you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[PowerPoint Slide: Gallaudet University&apos;s logo is on the top. Beneath is the following text, &quot;Overview * Real-time Text (RTT) - What is it? - What are the benefits? - Current status * RTT and direct engagement - Accessibility requirements today and in future - What is missing? - The role of RTT in direct communication with constituents * Next steps&quot;]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Christian &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Today, our focus is on RTT. There are two parts to this presentation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the first part, I’ll be explaining what exactly RTT is and what’s up with that.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the second part, I’ll be discussing how government agencies and other organizations could take advantage of RTT to improve communication for both people with disabilities and important people with disabilities. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[PowerPoint Slide: Gallaudet University&apos;s logo is on the top. Beneath is the following text, &quot;What is RTT&quot; Then a screenshot of the following conversation, &quot;Hello Christian, do you have a minute?&quot; &quot;Sure...&quot; &quot;Here you can see real-time text preview, invented by TAP member Norman Williams - you can see the message right here as I type th&quot; &quot;Neat!&quot;]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Christian &amp;gt;&amp;gt; OK. I have a visual to show of RTT. In this visual, you will see a conversation using text going back and forward. This is different. As you can see on the bottom, there is a person that is currently typing. As he types, the message shows up. He has not finished his message. So, this means with RTT you can read exactly what the person is typing. What is being typed is being sent out at the same time. It types and sends at the same time. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Basically, what I type is being sent out immediately. The other person can read it immediately. If… a hearing person … calls another person and use their voice. The other person hears this person speak. Sometimes the person would misspeak and self-correct. This concept applies to RTT.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With RTT you see what is being typed out and sometimes you will see mistakes, yes. You self-correct but the important thing is that it helps a lot&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If a hearing person calls and the other end hears what this person is saying—he notices that his question is not being answered. The speaker is going off the point and the other person can tell the speaker to stop. Slow down, say “That’s not what I meant.”  This works out a better conversation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;RTT has this same concept. If you type something and a person notices you’re going off the point, this person can tell you to stop and try to reel it back to the right topic.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I’ll be explaining with more depth later—on what’s the difference between RTT and text messaging. Hold that for now.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[PowerPoint Slide: Gallaudet University&apos;s logo is on the top. Beneath is the following text, &quot;What is RTT. * The ability to have text flow and be instantly seen as it is typed - Just as speech does - Frequently looks like character by character transmission, but can be also in larger chunks - Real-time nature, with low delays, is key * Plus the ability to have text flow at the same time as you speak - Enables captioned telephony - Text to augment speech for hard-to-understand words or number strings&quot;] &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Christian &amp;gt;&amp;gt; RTT has two important characteristics.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;First, it sends out what you type immediately. You read it immediately. That means typing has no delay; the other person can read it immediately.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And the second important characteristic is that you can accommodate typing with voicing at the same time.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some people are profoundly deaf like me, for example. I’ll only be able to use the typed part. But the people who use voice or those who are hard of hearing, those people will be able to use both at the same time. Sometimes they’ll speak. Sometimes they’ll type. Sometimes a person would speak and they can understand fine. Sometimes they would not be sure what the speaker means and they would type it. That could happen.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I have a few videos to show to help you understand what it really means. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[PowerPoint Slide: Gallaudet University&apos;s logo is on the top. Beneath is the following text, &quot;Video examples * High-stress emergency situation, with people responding to partial content * Low-stress situation making a movie theater appointment that highlights better interactivity via RTT compared to message-based conversion. &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/tfmAblNvr8E&quot;&gt;Link to AD version&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/gallaudetu/videos/10154979015940854/&quot;&gt;Link to Non-AD version&lt;/a&gt;.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Christian &amp;gt;&amp;gt; OK. I’ll be showing two videos. The first video will show two situations. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The first situation is between deaf and hearing neighbors. Ok, the deaf house has a kid. This kid goes to the hearing neighbor’s house and interacts with them. The deaf neighbor just saw a tornado warning. In a hurry, he talks to the neighbor to make sure he knows and to make sure they are safe. There is no time for a longer process of communication. He needs to call and be connected immediately. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Various old TTY and telephone devices are shown, with the words &quot;In the past&quot; displayed onscreen. Then a new slide appears with the words, &quot;Now to the future.&quot; Then a man is shown onscreen. A slider identifies him as Norman Williams, Senior Research Engineer, Technology Access Program. He begins to sign, &quot;We have exciting news! FCC – Federal Communications Commission. FCC had a historical vote of 5-0 yesterday on a new communication technology—RTT. Real-time text for all of you, deaf, hard of hearing, or hearing. For everyone out there. On new mobile phones, by next year—December 2017—you can type on a live phone call. The goal is to replace TTY with RTT everywhere in the next few years. Here’s what RTT looks like.&quot; The following RTT conversation is then shown. Visual of fingers typing on a keypad. The person who answers the phone responds with, &quot;hello&quot; Caller, &quot;This is your neighbor. Are my kids with yours at your home?,&quot; while the first person types, &quot;Yes they&apos;re here,&quot; Caller, &quot;There is tornado warning in two mins.,&quot; while the first person types, &quot;wow thanks!,&quot; first person continues, &quot;You must..&quot; while the first person says,  &quot;will seek shelter now,&quot; and the caller replies, &quot;whew.&quot;]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Christian &amp;gt;&amp;gt; OK. So, you’ve seen the video—You probably noticed a few things. First, the conversation is fast. Notice how the neighbor answered the phone and at the same time the typed text is being sent talking about the tornado warning. Before he finished typing, the neighbor answered telling him not to worry and that the kids are safe. People type/send messages together at the same time. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you communicate with a text message, this is what will happen: I’ll text that there is a tornado warning. I got to type the whole thing without the neighbor reading it. When I finish the text and send it, then the neighbor will get the message. The neighbor answers “Oh, OK. Thank you. We’re safe.” While he types this, I have to wait. Then he sends it and I get it. That’s prolonged. With RTT, you see the conversation is fast and fluid. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;OK. I don’t want to highlight RTT as being only for emergencies. No. It is also useful in other situations. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The next video I’ll show is an informal conversation between two friends. They’re making plans to go to a movie theater. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Instant messenger (IM) style conversation begins. Christian, &quot;So, let&apos;s talk about our plans today.&quot; The recipient is typing out, &quot;So, we will meet at watch Star Wars Rogue Tonight! Any idea when and where?&quot; We watch as Christian is typing (messenger says &quot;...is typing&quot;) before his response appears, &quot;I want to meet at Regal Chinatown next to Verizon Center. At 10:00 pm. My wife will come, too, I just asked her.&quot; The recipient rapidly types out, &quot;No stop! I prefer open captions, not those caption glasses! Let&apos;s do AMC Germantown instead of 9 pm. They have OC.&quot; We watch as Christian is typing (messenger says &quot;...is typing&quot;) before his response appears, &quot;Ooops.&quot;]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video continues &amp;gt;&amp;gt; A different conversation begins in the RTT style. Christian, &quot;So, let&apos;s talk about our plans today.&quot; The recipient is typing out, &quot;So, we will meet and watch Star Wars Rogue tonight! Any idea when an-&quot; Christian: &quot;I want to meet at the Regal Chinatown next to-&quot; &quot;-d where?. Recipient: &quot;No.. Stop. I-&quot; Christian: &quot;Verizon and .. oh?&quot; Recipient: &quot;] prefer open captions. Not those caption glasses&quot; Christian: &quot;Ok, let&apos;s do AMC Germantown! Will ask wife too&quot; Recipient: &quot;Great. Let me know!&quot;]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Christian &amp;gt;&amp;gt; OK. What you just saw here had two examples for comparison. The first example is your regular back and forward texting. The friend told me to go to that movie theater and that he will tell his wife to meet at that movie theater. Then after I read it, I tell him to go to the other movie theater. But he already told his wife. Now, he&apos;s got to tell his wife the change of plans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The second example is RTT. Both people can see what is being typed at the same time. I told I want to go there and my friend interrupted me. He tells me to go to the other theater. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;That situation avoided misunderstandings. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There is one more video I want to show. So far, RTT focuses on typing only. Now, I’ll show an example of how RTT combined with voice will help. In the next video, you’ll see an example where a doctor’s office calls a hard of hearing person. The hard of hearing person can hear on the phone and understands most of it but sometimes they misunderstand something. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So, the doctor office uses RTT to send a message, ensuring the person understands completely. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Graphic with two text boxes and a pointed arrow between them. First box, &quot;Doctor&apos;s Office. Making a real-time text call with voice to Ms. Smith.&quot; The arrow points to the second box, &quot;Ms. Smith (Hard of Hearing). Receiving a real-time text call with voice from her Doctor&apos;s office.&quot;] &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video continues &amp;gt;&amp;gt; A woman appears with a phone headset in her ear. She is speaking on the phone, &quot;Hi Ms. Smith - We changed your appointment to this afternoon.&quot; (Ms. Smith, off-screen, &quot;OK see you in 20 minutes.) The woman says, &quot;Uh, not until this afternoon, Ms. Smith.&quot; She then proceeds to text on her phone (linked to the headset). A box appears onscreen, showing what the woman is texting, &quot;The appointment is this afternoon.&quot; (Ms. Smith, off-screen, &quot;Yes, see you at the office soon.&quot;) Woman: &quot;Uh, Ms. Smith, please look at your phone.&quot; (Ms. Smith, off-screen, &quot;Oh I see. This afternoon? I thought it was this morning.&quot; Woman: &quot;Uh, no, we moved it to 3:00... (types &apos;3:00.&apos;)]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Video continues &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Acknowledgments. The contents of this video were developed in part with funding from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, U.S. Department of Education, grant number H133E040013 (RERC on Telecommunications Access). However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. The call was made using ACEApp. For more information on RTT. Credits: Technology Access Program, Gallaudet University.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Christian &amp;gt;&amp;gt; So, you saw a hard of hearing person thought the appointment was confirmed for this morning. This person is ready to go to the doctor’s office this morning. The doctor’s office noticed that this person had misunderstood and she typed to clarify that it is an afternoon appointment. By the way, if you have any questions—please feel free to ask me anytime. You can interrupt me. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[PowerPoint Slide: Gallaudet University&apos;s logo is on the top. Beneath is the following text, &quot;RTT calls differ from text messaging in key ways.&quot; (two screenshots of conversations, one is RTT, the other is IM)]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Christian &amp;gt;&amp;gt; OK, as I’ve mentioned, RTT and text messaging are different. Now, I’ll be explaining with, more clarity, of how these two are different. I have many experiences with many people who are not sure why we need RTT when we already have text messaging. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You know, most of you, maybe all of you use text messages often. It doesn’t matter if you’re hearing, deaf, or hard of hearing. We all text often. Even though you’re hearing and you use text—that’s fine. But, often hearing people make voice calls. In many different situations, text messages are usually informal and more casual. You send text messages saying “Hello. What’s up?” and so on. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sometimes you don’t expect the other end to read it immediately. Sometimes you have to wait an hour or two hours for the person to read it and respond. Sometimes something comes up in the conversation and the person has to go and will not respond for a while. Later, in three, four hours, or tomorrow the person comes back and the conversation is continued. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With voiced calls, the situation requires the conversation to happen now. You have to have a full conversation and you have to make sure you get the person’s attention and discuss until the issues, whatever it is, is resolved. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So, the text messaging is accessible to the deaf/hard of hearing while the voice calls are not fully accessible as of now. So, RTT is connected with voice calls. This concept makes sure whether you’re hearing, deaf, or hard of hearing, [with RTT] the voice calls are more accessible. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[PowerPoint Slide: Gallaudet University&apos;s logo is on the top. Beneath is the following text, &quot;* RTT is for making voice telephone calls accessible * Messaging is used more informally, you can respond whenever&quot;]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Christian &amp;gt;&amp;gt; OK. The goal is whenever you give the voiced phone number, it would allow the people to call you. The goal is also to allow RTT to be used at anytime a call happens. So, if you can’t speak on the phone or can’t hear on the phone, you can use RTT. OK. Now, I have a question. If you don’t mind, raise your hands if you’ve heard of TTY. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[PowerPoint Slide: Gallaudet University&apos;s logo is on the top. Beneath is the following text, &quot;* RTT is a huge advance over TTYs - Works on IP telecom networks - Both sides can type at the same time - Can talk and type or receive text at the same time - Full Unicode character support - Can transmit faster than you type - You know if text has been garbled&quot;]  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Christian &amp;gt;&amp;gt; So, RTT technology exists because we have to replace the TTY. You have to. It’s not optional. TTY is a fifty-year-old technology. It started showing up for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in the 1960s, 1970s. Back then, the release of this made phone communication accessible first time for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. But, it has a lot of downsides and many limitations. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The biggest, the most severe downside is that TTY does not work for internet phone calls. If you make a TTY call on the internet, you run a high risk of having the text garbled. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Also, many people have moved on to more advanced technology. Many people are now using captioned telephone and video relay services. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These are excellent technology but they have a big downside, as well. With TTY, you can place a direct call with a person without a third party. Both video relay service and captioned telephone involve a third party to conduct the call.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For example, the video relay service—I’d be talking through a sign language interpreter. With the captioned telephone, you receive the captions through an operator who talks to an automatic speech recognition system. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Both of these are not perfectly accurate. For example, the interpreter sometimes does not understand what I’m saying. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For example, suppose I have a deep and complicated conversation about a medical issue or a legal question. If the interpreter doesn’t know the subject, the interpreter will be prone to misunderstandings. That will mangle the conversation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Captioned telephones have a lot of issues with errors and delays.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So, these services are great but not perfect. Sometimes it’s better to have a direct conversation. A direct communication with a person because he is an expert and I know exactly what I want. Better to have a direct conversation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the past, that was the TTY. Now TTY is obsolete. TTY does not work on the internet. TTY is slow. Very limited. And so on. It’s time to replace that with RTT.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are two examples of how RTT is much better than TTY. First, with RTT, you can type and send at the same time. You can interrupt each other since you type at the same time. With the TTY, you have to wait for your turn because typing at the same time would garble the conversation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Second, TTY only works for American English. If you call a minority who has a different language and possibly uses a different alphabet, the TTY doesn’t work. You can’t communicate with that person.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With RTT, you can. It supports Unicode completely. Unicode—which means it supports any language in the world. If your phone supports that language, that means RTT will support that language too. So if, for example, you call a person who speaks Chinese, RTT will communicate with them. It works.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[PowerPoint Slide: Gallaudet University&apos;s logo is on the top. Beneath is the following text, &quot;RTT: Potential Benefits * Can call anyone with mainstream phone: - Without them needing a special phone or software installed on their phone - Call your government agency - and use text - Call the pizza place - and use text - Call our neighbors, the pool, wherever, to find our children when a tornado approaches - Call for help from others if 911 not available - Call a stranger - call a friend - call our extended family - all without them having to have a special phone * Get rid of limitations of TTYs&quot;]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Christian &amp;gt;&amp;gt; I’ll cover some benefits of RTT, why it is good for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and why it’s good to provide access. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are several examples. The most important thing—the most significant thing is that RTT will become available on every mobile phone. We’re getting there soon. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Compare this with the past when the TTY was a special equipment for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. If someone wanted to communicate with a (deaf/hard of hearing) person, he/she or a government agency had to go a buy a TTY and set it up.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many people said, “No, thanks. It’s too much work or too expensive. I’m not interested.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;RTT is on every phone. That’s different. That means in the future, every person will be able to send and receive RTT. You don’t need special equipment anymore. That means for the first time deaf and hard of hearing people will have more access to communications just like a hearing person with a phone. So, we should be able to call a government agency effortlessly. Or call a company and order a pizza. Call whoever we want. A neighbor to meet at the pool. Anything. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If 911 is not available for any reason—I’m going to give an example of that. Emergencies can happen anywhere. If there’s a long wait on the phone and I need immediate help, I can tell my neighbor to come and help. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To the point, this has a lot of benefits for the deaf and hard of hearing. OK. RTT actually can be beneficial for everybody. It doesn’t matter if you’re deaf, hard of hearing, or hearing. I’m going to show you how it can benefit hearing people.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[PowerPoint Slide: Gallaudet University&apos;s logo is on the top. Beneath is the following text, &quot;RTT: Potential Benefits * Benefits for everyone: - Fast phone trees: transmit options as RTT - Easier way to give a phone number or credit card number - Easier way to spell their name for someone - much faster than &quot;V as in Victor, A as in Alpha&quot; - A more private way to give confidential information or their name or phone number with eavesdroppers nearby - Way to communicate reliably in any noisy situation - Way to communicate silently if a home invasion if hiding&quot;]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Christian &amp;gt;&amp;gt; First of all, I really hope people will adopt this idea: Often a call would be connected to a phone tree. “Press one for English. Press two for Spanish.” Press for English. “Please listen carefully for your options. These changed recently. Press one customer service. Press two for sales. Press three for an officer. Press four for complaints. Press five for insanity and professional help.” You go through this tree. It’s terrible. You have to wait and listen a long time. When you press your button, you just listen to it again. So, if every phone has RTT, what it’ll do is that it could send a list of options before speaking. You can read the options immediately—RTT. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reading has two upsides. First, for most people, reading is faster. Second, it is easier to search and find the option I want. I can avoid waiting and listening.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Another example is when you need to provide your credit card number or a phone number. If you’re speaking, the person on the other end has to remember it or write it down. If you send the information by using RTT, it’ll be easier for the other person to receive it. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Also, if you spell out a name over a phone, you’ll need to provide phonetic help such as “V as in Victor, A as in Alpha,” and so on. People misspell my last name and my wife’s last name often. It’s just easier to type and send names.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Or suppose you book a flight through an airline and they ask for your credit card number. When there are people around, they can hear you speaking on your mobile phone. They’ll hear your credit card number. There’s no privacy. If you type it, it’s private. Nobody can read your text and get your number.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This also helps when you’re in a noisy environment. Suppose you’re making a call next to a jackhammer, it would be impossible to have a verbal conversation. The other end will not hear anything. Typing and sending your message will help. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Yes?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Unknown audience member &amp;gt;&amp;gt; You’ll probably be talking about this later, but are there current laws regarding RTT?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Christian &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Yes. I’ll be mentioning that later. OK. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[PowerPoint Slide: Gallaudet University&apos;s logo is on the top. Beneath is the following text, &quot;Current Status * FCC released wireless RTT rules in 12/2016 - RTT+voice part of the same call - Backward compatible with TTY - RFC4103 safe harbor technical standard - Phase-in 12/2017-12/2019 for tier-1 carriers - Further notice of proposed rulemaking on relay services, deafblind access, TTY sunset&quot;]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Christian &amp;gt;&amp;gt; I just explained a lot of the pros about adopting RTT. Now, I’ll be giving a brief summary of what is happening right now. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As of right now, the FCC is working on replacing TTY with RTT. They’re making new rules on the mobile phones. Yes, mobile devices. In short, they require giving the phone companies options—to continue supporting TTY or switch to RTT.  All phone companies will definitely switch to RTT. The phone companies hate the TTY requirement. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If they switch, they are required to support RTT and voice features in the same call. And they must be backward compatible with TTY. Backward compatible. TTY is the old technology, RTT is the new technology. If I use RTT, I must be able to call a TTY. More specifically, 911 and 711 relay services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All of the phone companies that provide RTT are required to be able to interoperate. Yes, interoperate. Interoperate has a very simple definition. Suppose I use AT&amp;amp;T, you use Verizon, and you use Sprint—we should still be able to use RTT to call each other.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You may remember that when the mobile devices first showed up, the different companies couldn’t call each other. That has been resolved. This requirement makes sure that this isn’t an issue with RTT. With RTT, we will be able to call each other.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Somebody just asked me how that works. Technology standard, or open standard, everybody uses it. It’s called RFC4103. It interoperates perfectly with voice over IP phone communications. That means, if the company supports VoIP it’s easy for the company to support that technology. It’s very easy. It’s the same as if it supports video and voice; it’s easy to add this. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;That’ll be important later in the second part of the presentation focusing on what the government agencies can do. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We’re getting back to what is happening right now. Remember when I mentioned that the FCC had released new rules? It will be effective three weeks from now. On December 32—sorry. 31. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The big four phone companies—Verizon, AT&amp;amp;T, Sprint, and T-Mobile must support RTT as of December 31st. Some of the other subjects are still being investigated by the FCC. Ok.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[PowerPoint Slide: Gallaudet University&apos;s logo is on the top. Beneath is the following text, &quot;RTT: 12/31/2017 * First roll-out deadline is in just 3 weeks * The Big Four phone carriers must at a minimum make a downloadable app available on one phone * Eventually we will switch to built-in RTT on phones (2018-2019) * Hot off the presses: iOS 11.2 supports RTT on Verizon (screenshot of the RTT/TTY feature in the Accessibility section of a mobile device)&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Christian &amp;gt;&amp;gt; So, as I’ve mentioned it’s 3 weeks later. Very soon! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The first step is a baby step. The phone companies will make a downloadable app available. Later in 2019, all new phones must have built-in RTT. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The downloadable app is temporary. Two years from now, the phones will have it built-in. It’s interesting to see some phone companies start offering downloadable apps. Other phone companies have started the built-in with the phone makers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The recent iOS 11.2 upgrade with Verizon phones let you use RTT. You can see that it shows up on your options. If you turn it on and make a voice call to another person with RTT, an icon will show up on the phone screen. Clicking on this icon will turn on RTT. Some of my friends have tested and verified it. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[PowerPoint Slide: Gallaudet University&apos;s logo is on the top. Beneath is the following text, &quot;RTT: 12/31/2017 * Even hotter off the presses: &lt;a href=&quot;https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.att.rtt&quot;&gt;AT&amp;amp;T published their RTT app&lt;/a&gt; on the Play store today - with the iOS version pending approval.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Christian &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Just today—this morning, AT&amp;amp;T published their app on the android store. It’s available now, I’ve already checked. As for iOS, they’re still waiting for approval. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Any questions so far? Jay.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jay &amp;gt;&amp;gt; So for someone who uses an Android phone with Sprint, you’re saying that if I want the app, but if I don’t use the iPhone, can I download the app on January 1st?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Christian &amp;gt;&amp;gt; I can’t speak for Sprint. I don’t know what they’re doing. Two things are happening… you probably can go to the Android store and find an app for Sprint. Find an app for Sprint. Possibility… another possibility is that maybe Sprint will say “sorry, we don’t support old Android phones right now.” Or maybe they’ll support only iPhones. I don’t know for now. The first step requires them only to support one phone. AT&amp;amp;T seems to be supporting a variety of phones right now. I hope Sprint is the same but I can’t confirm that. I don’t know what they’re doing right now. Wait until December 31st and find out. Any questions? No. OK.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[PowerPoint Slide: Gallaudet University&apos;s logo is on the top. Beneath is the following text, &quot;Opportunities for Direct Engagement. RTT will be on every wireless phone - no matter if you&apos;re deaf or hearing. How can we use that? How could an agency handle RTT calls?&quot;]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Christian &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Remember this point—RTT will be on every mobile phone in the future. It’s starting now and it will continue with an end date in 2019. That’s for the big phone companies. The small companies have to be ready by 2021. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So, as I mentioned, this is the first time a regular phone will be fully accessible for the deaf and hard of hearing using voice calls. It’s an exciting opportunity and a great win. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[PowerPoint Slide: Gallaudet University&apos;s logo is on the top. Beneath is the following text, &quot;Laws &amp;amp; Rules. * Federal and state agencies have TTYs - Both from ADA and old Section 508 * VoIP communications are covered by the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act * New Section 508 defers to FCC on RTT - But has reserved a section for future direct incorporation of RTT requirements&quot;]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Christian &amp;gt;&amp;gt; I’ll begin to briefly talk about the legal situation right now. So, we have ADA Title II, and of course, Section 508. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Two things: So far, many federal and state agencies have TTYs. Of course, less and less people use TTY. Many of them have put the TTY in a corner and let the dust gather. They don’t use them for calls anymore, they are just sitting there.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Second, Voice over IP communications is under a completely different law. This law is the 21st Century Communication and Video Accessibility Act, CVAA for short. CVAA. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This law basically says if you provide an advanced communication service, then it must be accessible. Voice over IP, RTT, and video communications all are under “advanced communication service.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This does not force you to provide RTT. Correct, it does not force you to provide RTT. But if you do provide RTT, you have to make sure it’s accessible to people who are deaf, hard of hearing, DeafBlind, blind, and so on. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Now, this part is where it gets complicated. Jay, just before lunch, Jay was talking about Section 508. He talked about the changes. He mentioned the changes in phone communications and asked me to talk about it. So, I’ll be talking a bit about what is happening. Unfortunately, as of right now, there is a lot of confusion. The old language in Section 508 said, “You have to provide voice communications and a TTY.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The new Section 508 removed the TTY language and they’re saying they will hold off on RTT until later. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The (U.S.) Access Board said that there are too many changes happening and they’re not ready to put it in Section 508. They’re waiting for FCC to figure it out. They’re waiting to see what happens over there and will come back to it later. So I can’t predict what will happen. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please don’t hold me to this but this is what I think will happen—As FCC figures out what to do with RTT for mobile phones, they will be looking at Section 255 for phone communications access. We don’t know but after they figure that out, they might go back to Section 508 to make sure they both work together.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anyways, even though Section 508 is vague, if you provide fully accessible services to all citizens, then you need to make sure you provide as many communication options as possible. Even though the legal requirement is not currently there, I encourage you to proactively think about how to make RTT available. Two reasons: First, access. The other reason is that it will benefit everyone. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Now, I will talk about what could happen in the near future. How, today—or soon, government organizations or agencies can receive a call from a mobile user using RTT? How can I get that call? &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[PowerPoint Slide: Gallaudet University&apos;s logo is on the top. Beneath is the following text, &quot;Possible Communication Flows. Wireless RTT user to TTY at Agency.&quot; (image of an RTT conversation, then a red arrow pointing to a TTY) &quot;Expect to see a short-term increase in TTY calls at agencies - RTT and TTYs are required to be able to call each other&quot;]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Christian &amp;gt;&amp;gt; The first situation you see is a customer with a mobile phone using RTT to call the agency and the agency receives the call through a TTY. That is expected to work because FCC requires these two to be interoperable. This, however, is an easy and cheap way out.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I don’t recommend this because you become stuck with an old, severely limited technology for a while. This is not my idea of a good service. It forces you to type slowly and it’s limited. No. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;But, if you do have a TTY… what could happen in the near future is that you start receiving more calls. Like I mentioned, many of these TTYs are abandoned and gathering dust. Now is a good time to check your TTY call handling protocols and make sure it works. Make sure somebody knows how to use it. Jay.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jay &amp;gt;&amp;gt; So, I’m curious. TTY is an ancient technology. How does “same-time” communications work? If you interrupt, how does that work?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Christian &amp;gt;&amp;gt; OK. I’ll tell you what I want and then I’ll tell you what the phone companies agreed to do. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When RTT connects with TTY, the problem is when they both type at the same time—the RTT user doesn’t know that the other end is a TTY. The RTT user would think they’re typing at the same time but this will scramble the conversation. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So, in that situation, you just got to make sure both ends wait for their turn to type. This is another reason why you should throw out the TTY and figure out how to offer RTT in your office. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Let’s move on to the second situation. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[PowerPoint Slide: Gallaudet University&apos;s logo is on the top. Beneath is the following text, &quot;Possible Communication Flows. Wireless RTT user to agency RTT terminal.&quot; (Screenshot of a one RTT conversation and then a red arrow pointing to another RTT conversation) &quot;Requires your agency&apos;s VoIP system to interwork with the wireless carriers&quot;]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Christian &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Again, we’re talking about mobile phones. The agency sets up a software that supports RTT. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It’s already part of the software that is available today. I have some on my phone right there. If there’s time after the presentation, I welcome you to come and play with it yourself. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The software is available and it works through the Internet. This software uses the exact same technology as mobile phones. It sends and receives RTT. It sends and receives audio.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The FCC rule mentions one standard for interoperating, RFC4103. RFC4103. The software supports this and the mobile phone, as well. It will interoperate. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One thing is missing right now—one thing is missing. We have to set up a connection between the phone company and the VoIP provider for your agency. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I don’t know what the companies are using but suppose the provider is Vonage then they have to figure out an agreement with the phone company to add RTT. Connect to it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;But again, I want to emphasize with the technology of today, it’s not hard to do it. It’s not hard to do. Technology is not hard. OK. This is the goal for the future. It takes time to establish this and to get the software edited and developed. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you’re ambitious and you’re looking for immediate benefits, you have a third option. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[PowerPoint Slide: Gallaudet University&apos;s logo is on the top. Beneath is the following text, &quot;Possible Communication Flows. Web-based RTT user to web-based agency RTT. (Screenshot of a web-based call with a red arrow pointing to another web-based call with video.] &quot;You can integrate RTT into web-based communication today to let anyone use it while calling you - even if they don&apos;t have a wireless phone.&quot;]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Christian &amp;gt;&amp;gt; The third option is, some of you already know this. For example, a company such as Amazon and other companies; they’ve set up a web-based communication system. Once you have a problem, you connect through a website. A lot of website communication systems are already out there. Some offer video and audio. Some are starting to offer RTT. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The nice thing about a website-based system is you could set it up tomorrow. It’s already there. There’s so many available.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;That means the mobile phone user can’t use their phone right now. You have to send the user to the webpage. They have to connect to be provided with services. Whether or not they’re disabled or not disabled; they can use voice, video, or RTT. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So, you got three options. It seems that you have to make some effort to figure out how to plan for that. You may have to purchase some software and figure out how to keep it operating. A lot of work, maybe. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I’m emphasizing again on why it’s so important. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[PowerPoint Slide: Gallaudet University&apos;s logo is on the top. Beneath is the following text, &quot;Why do this? * Because otherwise, your agency won&apos;t be accessible to all! - TTYs are 50-year old technology and use has declined * Because direct communication without intermediaries will give you better results - Relay calls are too depending on the skills of the relay operator/interpreter *Because RTT is much more immediate and interactive than back and forth messaging - You&apos;ll complete sessions much faster * Because RTT is a way to make phone trees more efficient and less painful - Transmitting options as RTT is faster than speaking them&quot;] &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Christian &amp;gt;&amp;gt; First-- the top reason, you’re supposed to be accessible. Right? You must be accessible. If you don’t provide this, you’re not fully accessible. A voice phone number is not enough. You should provide an option for direct communication. As I’ve mentioned, a third party on video or captioned telephone can mangle the conversation sometimes. Direct conversation minimizes the risk of miscommunication. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some companies and agencies have set up a text chat on their websites. If you have that, consider RTT. The reason is that conversation would be faster and fluid than when you read and start thinking of a response as the other person types.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If it’s a conventional forth and back text chat, you don’t have that option. With RTT you speed up the conversation. And I’m telling you it’s a lot more fun too. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lastly, even if you neglect people with disabilities, I know you all care about but suppose you didn’t care about them. RTT also benefits people who can hear. For example, the phone tree!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[PowerPoint Slide: Gallaudet University&apos;s logo is on the top. Beneath is the following text, &quot;Next steps. * Technology is there today -  you could take steps toward deploying RTT tomorrow * The biggest remaining task is interworking wireless and wired RTT * RTT is standards-based on RFC4103 - which is part of the SIP and IMS/VoLTE worlds - So interworking actually is more a question of the will to get it done * You can and should ask wireless carriers to interwork with your VoIP technologies&quot;]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Christian &amp;gt;&amp;gt; What has to happen. The technology is ready. Anyone can start to get going right now. The biggest remaining task is to figure out how the VoIP provider and RTT connect with mobile phones. The technology standards are there. Both the VoIP *video cuts*&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[PowerPoint Slide: Gallaudet University&apos;s logo is on the top. Beneath is the following text, &quot;Next steps: * In the meantime you have options -- none of these constitute an endorsement by me: * Deploy clients in a SIP environment - E.g. eCTouch, PUC, some video relay service clients, Linphone, and others * Deploy web-based methods - E.g. ACE Direct, SOLVES, eCWeb, and others * Many of these offer all-in-one: video, audio, RTT * Whatever you do, review your TTY call handling protocols&quot;]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Christian &amp;gt;&amp;gt; So, I want to share some specific names of software we have today. If you’re interested, you can explore these today. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All of the mentioned software is either the ones I know and used or the ones my friends and coworkers use. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;But to be clear, my talking about these software does not mean I endorse it. It’s just information. This is not a complete list. There are other companies out there that are starting to work on this.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you set up RTT in its own VoIP environment, these are some of the options you have. One is eCTouch. eCTouch. I have it here. Then we have PUC… SIP, yes. OK. Jay asked what SIP means. SIP stands for Session Initiation Protocol. That specifies how any VoIP phones and new mobile phones can set up a connection.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The first is eCTouch. PUC. Make sure you Google for more. Some video relay services also offer this. And open source. Open source Linphone also offers this. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Second, you have options of the web-based services. First, the ACE Direct—this was developed by a contract with the FCC. MITRE. MITRE developed this. It’s available today. You can download it and set it up today. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Other companies that provide services with a similar concept are SOLVES, eCWeb, and a lot of others. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One of the cool things about these options is that most of them support all three—video, audio, and RTT. Three in one. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So, you got to think big. Don’t focus on just audio and RTT. Suppose you hire a lot of deaf signers, you can use the video to hire some who signs. This set up will do videos, too. Plus RTT. Plus audio. It’s got everything. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Basically whatever you do—again I’m emphasizing—review your TTY protocols. If you still got the TTY, review the protocols for you probably could get some calls. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[PowerPoint Slide: Gallaudet University&apos;s logo is on the top. Beneath is the following text, &quot;Summary. * RTT has the potential to significantly streamline your communications and improve accessibility * RTT will be on wireless phones, no matter what * Many companies have implemented RTT into their platforms or are starting to implement it, among them federal contractors.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Christian &amp;gt;&amp;gt; So, I want you to think about three things. One, RTT can make communication much more efficient and more accessible. Two, RTT is coming to mobile phones. No matter what, it will come. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many companies are starting to implement RTT in their software and their platforms. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I’m letting you know that RTT is also an important part of the next generation 911. A lot of areas are starting to implement this. Some federal contracts are looking into this too. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[PowerPoint Slide: Gallaudet University&apos;s logo is on the top. Beneath is the following text, &quot;Discussion questions. * What opportunities and potential barriers do you see for deploying RTT? * What can we do to get RTT requirements into telecommunications contracts at agencies? * Others?&quot;]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Christian &amp;gt;&amp;gt; In general, my perspective is academic. From the University’s perspective. I work closely with the users because they want it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I know what the phone companies are planning to do. I know what the government is planning to do. But what I don’t know is the perspective of state agencies, agencies who closely interact with their clients. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So, I’m going to give two discussion points. You don’t have to follow this. If you have any other questions or ideas, that’s fine. Go ahead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The two discussion questions, from the perspective of an agency: what opportunities and barriers do you see for deploying RTT? And—how do we make sure in the future, when setting up a new contract for a phone communication service, to include RTT? Go. Quiet. Does this mean I’ve overwhelmed you? Jay. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jay &amp;gt;&amp;gt; The defining factor, from my perspective, is that Section 508 is that the hardware requirements in Section 508 require full accessibility. So the hardware intervention in Section 508, what we should do is ask the VOIP vendors, what are you doing? And they said we will get back to you later. They are presenting this Friday. What I plan to do is ask and hopefully find out soon about their plan for RTT. From the hardware perspective, I think it can be supported? But for the wireless perspective, it won’t be easy.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Christian &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Thank you for your comments. It’s nice to see some positivity. So, I’ve always said that the hardware should be ready because most of the phones have a screen. If it has a screen, any recent hardware will be able to develop software to receive and show RTT. Also, some of the hardware has the ability to connect an exterior keyboard through Bluetooth. It’s a part of the requirement for accessibility, anyways.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Suppose there’s a blind person who uses braille—braille… that means it should be able to connect with any keyboards. If you got both, the screen and the keyboard then RTT will not require much computing power. Most of the hardware has these two things. A screen and a keyboard. It should be able to support RTT. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So, my view is don’t ask the hardware manufacturers—the hardware will support it. Instead, ask “What about your software?”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Yes?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Wait for the interpreter. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Off-screen audience member &amp;gt;&amp;gt; With new RTT, with VoIP compatibility, the new phone tree integrates with VoIP. As phone system, VoIP separates video and audio.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Christian &amp;gt;&amp;gt; You’re right. The software ACE Direct was developed by the FCC for that specific purpose. To integrate video and voice calls into one. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Off-screen audience member &amp;gt;&amp;gt; The speaking part is similar to autoplay for screen readers attached to their (blind people) phones. So, if you’re listening to a call and you get a text at the same time…how can blind users pause the screen reader so you don’t get both at the same time?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Christian &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Excellent question. That is an issue right now. FCC has established an advisory committee. It’s called the Disability Advisory Committee, DAC for short. DAC looked into that issue recently—they’re looking into how to make sure that RTT is fully accessible to people who are blind. And how to interoperate it with the screen reader and braille. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There will be a roundtable next year, I’m guessing around February. I’m not quite sure yet. They’ll be getting people from manufacturers, phone companies, screen reader manufacturers, and braille manufacturers. They all are getting together to figure out how to better delegate responsibilities and to decide who does what. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What we know right now is that it is technically possible. I know that because the DeafBlind community has used that system in the past—based on IP --It will happen. It has to happen. If it doesn’t happen that means it’s breaking the law.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jay &amp;gt;&amp;gt; This is Jay again. You asked me about barriers. One barrier is culture because when we talk about RTT, we can forget about the relay services. If we focus on the texting part, we forget about the videophone and call directly but that person could try signing and we don’t know if there’s a person who can read sign language. So what can we do? Hope the person is smart enough to say, “I don’t understand sign language, please type what you are telling me?” We need to have a lot of training and a lot of cultural developments. Will that happen in the future? &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Christian &amp;gt;&amp;gt; There’s one way how we can avoid confusion—to make sure there’s no confusion. If an agency or organization is not ready to sign, don’t offer video. Only offer audio and RTT. That’s one way.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some people will object. Some people prefer to sign and that’s fine. But, you got to start at step one. Figure out the next step after that. With RTT, you’re reaching out to a larger potential audience. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;OK. I know there’s not much time left. I see a lot of people scribbling in their notes and getting ready to leave. But, I’m letting you know that if you want to play with some of the technology I have right now—if you want to stay a bit and take a look to see what it looks like, go ahead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[PowerPoint Slide: Gallaudet University&apos;s logo is on the top. Beneath is the following text, &quot;Questions. * Questions? Comments? * Contact us: &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:christian.vogler@gallaudet.edu&quot;&gt;christian.vogler@gallaudet.edu&lt;/a&gt; * &lt;a href=&quot;https://tap.gallaudet.edu/&quot;&gt;Gallaudet University Technology Access Program&lt;/a&gt; * &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.deafhhtech.org/rerc/&quot;&gt;Deaf/Hard of Hearing Technology Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center&lt;/a&gt; * The contents of this presentation were developed under a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant number 90RE5020-02). NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of this presentation do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.&quot;]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jay &amp;gt;&amp;gt; This is Jay. One question I wanted to ask for clarification. With mobile phone technology, does RTT work with 3D and 4D? Sorry interpreter error—3G or 4G? So, if the 3G is connected, you can’t use it. Right?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Christian &amp;gt;&amp;gt; RTT supports 4G and WiFi. That’s the reason why RTT is starting to spread right now. More phone companies want to offer WiFi calls. AT&amp;amp;T did their own investigations and they found out that it’s impossible to use TTY through WiFi calls. So, they’re stuck. By offering WiFi calls, it means they’re breaking the rule. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>347327</id><Tag><Description/><Title>accessible technology</Title><Id>310264</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2018-12-10T21:05:20Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>You&apos;re Invited to Celebrate 28 Years of the ADA</Title><title>2018-07-17 You&apos;re Invited to Celebrate 28 Years of the ADA</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-346549&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-07-17T21:32:08Z</Date><ShortDescription>Disability Community hosts ADA 28th Anniversary Celebration – ADA &amp; Mental Health: Removing the Stigma</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Special theme is &quot;ADA &amp; Mental Health: Removing the Stigma&quot;</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/yRwu7VN2oNo&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/5D_0BQ8VvJI&quot; title=&quot;28th anniversary of the ADA video&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Disability Community hosts ADA 28th Anniversary Celebration – ADA &amp;amp; Mental Health: Removing the Stigma&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On July 26, 2018, a coalition of disability organizations and state agencies will partner with the Science Museum of Minnesota to celebrate the 28th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The event will be held at the Science Museum of Minnesota, on 120 West Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, and will bring together the disability community to openly discuss the Americans with Disabilities Act and mental health and also celebrate the rights guaranteed under the ADA.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Festivities begin at 1:00 p.m. in the Discovery Hall with a keynote address by Marya Hornbacher; a Minneapolis based award-winning writer, journalist, teacher and lecturer. Other speakers and entertainers include; Adina Burke who uses storytelling through spoken word poetry and punk music and Sam Miltich and Friends who will highlight cultural contributions of famous artists with mental illness and inspiring hope through Sam’s own story and original compositions. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The event is free and open to the public. ASL interpreters, audio description and CART captioning will be provided as well as light refreshments.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information and/or to register for this free event please visit: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.disability.state.mn.us/events/28th-ada-celebration-registration/&quot;&gt;28th Anniversary of the ADA Celebration &amp;amp; Registration&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When you arrive, pick up your ADA Celebration wristband.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Free admission into the Science Museum, including the Mental Health: Mind Matters exhibit&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>346549</id><pubdate>2018-12-10T21:05:19Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Meet the Staff</Title><title>2018-06-22 Meet the Staff</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-343448&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-06-22T15:31:21Z</Date><ShortDescription>This video is signed in American Sign Language (ASL) with closed captioning, English voiceover, and a descriptive transcript. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Who we are and what we do</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/e55e5gDo6WQ&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with meet the staff&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version with a descriptive transcript&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[An overview of downtown St. Paul with cars driving on the roads and both short and tall buildings.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[People are shown walking in front of the Minnesota State Capitol.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Outside of the Golden Rule Building is a connecting skyway and a tall street clock with the words, “The Golden Rule” etched on it.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Outside the Golden Rule Building entrance doors.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[From within the interior of the Golden Rule Building. The electronic door into MNCDHH’s office opens. A man is sitting inside of the waiting room. The camera point of view (POV) enters through the door, goes past the reception desk, and enters through another door. We are then led down the hall past several rows of cubicles and offices until we stop at one office and go through that door. A man is seated at his desk. He smiles and begins to sign.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Hello. My name is Emory David Dively, and I am the Deputy Director here at the Commission. My work involves age-related hearing loss, business contracts, coordinating office operations, and supporting our staff. Thank you.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[The camera POV scrolls over to a woman sitting on the other side of Emory’s desk. She smiles and begins to sign.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Hello. My name is Tami Ness. (Director of Finance) I work for the Commission 20% of the time and for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division 80% of the time. I handle the budget and work very closely with the Director and Assistant Director. Nice to meet you!” (Waves goodbye.)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[The camera POV leaves Emory’s office and returns to the hallway and heads towards a cubicle. Inside the cubicle is a woman sitting at her desk. She smiles and begins to sign.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Hello. I’m Anne Sittner Anderson. I’m the Communications Coordinator. I’m responsible for website development, social media, newsletters, and video production. Nice to meet you!”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[The camera POV leaves Anne’s cube and heads towards the cubicle next to her. A woman is standing. She smiles and begins to sign.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Hello! Welcome! I’m Jessalyn Akerman-Frank. I’m the Civic and Community Engagement Director. My role is to go out into the community, interact with members, and listen to their diverse perspectives and needs. As a result, I have a big project that results in focusing on community expansion and building through leadership development programs, conflict resolution, and transparent communication, and providing support to people and organizations. I do all that to improve the quality of life for all people who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[The camera POV exits Jessalyn’s cube and returns to the hallway and heads over to another row of cubs adjacent to large windows. We enter another cube where a woman is standing. She smiles and begins to sign.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Hi! I’m Katy Kelley. I’m the Office Administrative Coordinator. I’m here to support staff and the Executive Director to make sure this office operates well. I help schedule interpreters. I facilitate Collaborative Plan meetings. I make sure this office operates well! Thank you!” (Waves goodbye.)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[The camera POV steps out of Katy’s cube and enters the cube next to her. A woman is seated. She removes her glasses, smiles and begins to sign.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Hello! Welcome! I’m Anna Paulson. Nice to meet you! I’m the Coordinator of Educational Advancement &amp;amp; Partnerships. What do I do? I gather people: students, parents, professionals, organizations and agencies statewide. Why? To improve education for deaf, deafblind, and hard-of-hearing children ages 0-21. Come on!”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Anna steps out of the cube and joins the staff who are standing in the hall in a row. The camera POV follows her and shows the staff. Everyone is smiling. From our left to right are Katy, Tami, Anne, Jessalyn, Emory, and Anna stands next to him. Front and center is a woman we have not met yet. She smiles and begins to sign.]  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Hi! I’m Mary Hartnett. I’m the Executive Director. My job is to work with the Board of Directors and support their goals. Secondly, work with legislators and get laws passed to support the community. Thirdly, work with this creative team to increase communication access and the rights of deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing people. Thank you for coming here. We really appreciate it!”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Everyone waves goodbye and returns to their workstation. The camera POV walks forward to leave and fades to black.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[MNCDHH’s logo is shown. It is the State of Minnesota M in blue with an extra green leg. Next to the “M” are the words, “Commission of Deaf, Deafblind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Minnesotans”]&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>343448</id><Tag><Description/><Title>staff</Title><Id>317343</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2018-12-10T21:05:19Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Fire Safety Survey</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The header has 3 images of a lit match with blue flames, each in a different shade of blue. On the bottom is the following text, &quot;Fire Safety Survey.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/fire%20safety%20survey_tcm1063-342664.jpg</Url></Image><title>2018-06-15 Fire Safety Survey</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-342665&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-06-15T16:44:07Z</Date><ShortDescription>Please fill out this survey and let us know if you are prepared for fire or carbon monoxide emergencies</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Share your feedback!</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Minnesotans (MNCDHH), the Minnesota Department of Human Services Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD), and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety State Fire Marshal Division want to know if Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing are prepared if they experience a fire or carbon monoxide emergency. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please fill out the following survey to help us understand your needs for this important and potentially life-saving topic.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Yes, I will participate in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4402487/Fire-Safety-Survey&quot;&gt;Fire Safety Survey&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>342665</id><Tag><Description/><Title>survey</Title><Id>310297</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2018-12-10T21:05:17Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Hearing Loss Association of America&apos;s National Convention</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A visual of the Twin Cities skyline and highways. There is an orange text box with the following words, &quot;HLAA Convention&quot;.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/HLAA%20Convention_tcm1063-342641.JPG</Url></Image><title>2018-06-14 Hearing Loss Association of America&apos;s National Convention</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-342644&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-06-14T15:44:36Z</Date><ShortDescription>From June 21-24, 2018</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Happening in Minnesota, Join Us!</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) is hosting their annual national convention in Minneapolis, MN from June 21-24, 2018! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH staff and board members are attending. We are registered to attend events and we will also have a booth for you to stop by and visit. We are looking forward to seeing you in person. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are also excited that Deputy Director Emory David Dively and Board Member Dr. Peggy Nelson are two of the convention presenters. Their workshop will be on Saturday, June 23, 2018 from 9:45 - 10:45 AM. &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Workshop Topic:&lt;/strong&gt; Partnership to Improve Care for Seniors with Hearing Loss. &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you want to register to attend the convention events and workshops, you can register onsite. Online registration is closed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The HLAA exhibit hall is free and open to the public, which means, even if you are not registered to attend the convention, you can still visit the vendors and learn about the latest technologies and services available to people who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing. Be sure to first check in at the registration table.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn more about the convention at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.hearingloss.org/programs-events/convention/&quot;&gt;HLAA&apos;s 2018 convention site&lt;/a&gt; and follow the convention on social media by using this hashtag: #HLAA2018&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>342644</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2018-12-10T21:05:17Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>IEP Discussion Guide Mini-Lessons are Now Available</Title><title>2018-06-01 IEP Discussion Guide Mini-Lessons are Now Available</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-341533&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-06-01T17:25:35Z</Date><ShortDescription>Designed for educators and school administrators</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The IEP Mini-Lessons are intended to prepare educators and school administrators on how to use the IEP Discussion Guide in the best way possible. Each mini-lesson covers a chapter in the IEP Discussion Guide.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Special thanks to Ann Mayes for her hard work in drafting the mini-lessons. The mini-lessons are being distributed jointly by the Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Minnesotans (MNCDHH) and the Minnesota Department of Education.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are 9 lessons in total.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Each mini-lesson is expected to take 5-8 minutes of your time. Teacher licensure renewal clock hours will be offered upon completion of a final evaluation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If teachers wish to earn licensure renewal clock hours, they will need to complete viewing of mini-lessons and demonstrate application of skills to show changes on IEPs that include PLAAFPs, goals, and objectives that are language- and communication-focused for students who are deaf and hard of hearing.   De-identified (removing all identifying information of students, teachers, and districts) IEPs should be shared and rewriting of IEP PLAAFPs, goals, objectives and updated adaptations for the same student(s) should be emailed to Anna Paulson (anna.paulson@state.mn.us) who will grade and then assign CEUs for each IEP completed. Teachers may earn up to 5 CEUs per IEP.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/iep-discussion-guide/mini-lessons-for-teachers/&quot;&gt;Access the IEP Mini-Lessons now.&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>341533</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2018-12-10T21:05:17Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Position Paper: Teachers of Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: A Critical Resource Needed for Legal Compliance</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Logo for the Council of Exceptional Children (figure of an adult and a child holding hands), with the name of the &quot;Division for Communicative Disabilities and Deafness&quot; next to it.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/cec_tcm1063-338928.jpg</Url></Image><title>2018-05-14 Position Paper: Teachers of Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: A Critical Resource Needed for Legal Compliance</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-338929&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-05-14T13:56:46Z</Date><ShortDescription>Originally published for the D/HH Constituency of the Council of Exceptional Children (May 2017). Reprinted with permission.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>On Behalf of the Board of Directors of the Division for Communicative Disabilities and Deafness Becca Jackson, Ph.D., Anna Paulson, M. Ed.,</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Originally published for the D/HH Constituency of the Council of Exceptional Children (May 2017). Reprinted with permission.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&quot;Successful teachers tend to have both training in the subject matter being taught and knowledge about the learning styles and patterns of students who are deaf or hard of hearing&quot;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;(Spencer &amp;amp; Marschark, 2010, P. 151)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Position Statement&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It is the position of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Division for Communicative Disabilities and Deafness (DCDD) that, for students who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH), credentialed teachers of students who are DHH (TODHH) are critical to the provision of appropriate evaluation, educational programming and planning, and student-centered instruction. They are essential to students’ achievement of their academic, linguistic, and social–emotional potential. As a part of the educational team, qualified TODHH enable schools to meet the requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2006) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA, as amended by the ADA Amendments Act, 2009), while also securing positive outcomes for students. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Although there is a high level of variation in service delivery across education settings, the specialized instruction and support from TODHH remain the preferred model to meet the specific language, communication, academic, and social needs of students who are DHH. DCDD recognizes TODHH as the expert educational team member and service provider qualified to promote and provide these services. DCDD recommends that all Local Education Agencies (LEAs) ensure the services of credentialed TODHH, in order to appropriately meet the needs of students who are DHH, as required by IDEA and ADA.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rationale &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The field of the education of students who are deaf or hard of hearing has undergone significant shifts in recent decades, including increases in indirect service provision and the percentage of students receiving instruction in inclusive settings. In addition, nationwide teacher shortages (U.S. Department of Education, 2016) have affected the availability of skilled educators. The current context raises the question of who is being asked to provide services to students who are DHH. Evidence from the field indicates that these changes have resulted in an underutilization of the expertise of TODHH. According to a 2017 survey about the role of itinerant TODHH, 51% of respondents felt that “IEP teams usually underestimate the level of student needs, thereby specifying DHH services that are not as intense/frequent as are needed by most/many of my students” (Anderson, 2017, p.5). Thus, it is imperative to address the importance of using a credentialed TODHH to meet the unique needs of students who are DHH.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Because deafness is a low incidence disability, there is not widespread understanding of its educational implications, even among special educators. This lack of knowledge and skills in our education system contributes to the already substantial barriers to deaf students in receiving appropriate educational services. (U.S. Department of Education, 1992, p. 2)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The purpose of this position paper is to support the requirement for qualified TODHH in all aspects of educational programming and planning for students who are DHH. IDEA defines qualified personnel as &quot;personnel who have met State approved or recognized certification, licensing, registration, or other comparable requirements that apply to the areas in which the individuals [provide services]” (34 C.F.R. § 303.31). Qualified TODHH have the experience, knowledge, and skills to “design an educational program that will help the student be involved in, and progress in, the general curriculum” (U.S. Department of Education, 2000, p.1). The inclusion of such a professional is necessary to meet the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requirement that States ensure equitable access to excellent educators (ESSA, Title II, Part A). &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;CEC expects at a minimum that entry-level special educators possess a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, have mastered appropriate core academic subject matter content, and can demonstrate that they have mastered the knowledge and skills in the CEC Common Core and an appropriate Area of Specialization. (Council for Exceptional Children, 2004, p.3)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Teachers of Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hearing [status] has a significant impact on a child’s language development and communication abilities, including social language skills. Students with varying [hearing levels] frequently require specialized and direct instruction to develop functional pragmatic as well as academic language and communication skills. (Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing Minnesotans, 2015, p.4)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;According to Critical Needs of Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: A Public Input Summary, the need for qualified direct service providers as well as issues related to curriculum, instruction, and assessment are some of the barriers that prevent students who are DHH from achieving their academic, linguistic, and social–emotional potential (Szymanski, Lutz, Shahan, &amp;amp; Gala, 2013). As the field of special education has evolved to a more inclusive approach to meeting the needs of students, TODHH often find themselves in the position of explaining why their specific qualifications are critical to achieving positive outcomes for students who are DHH. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Teachers of students who are DHH have been prepared to meet the unique individual needs of, and provide specialized instruction for, students with varying hearing levels by earning a specialized degree, meeting state requirements, and becoming a credentialed TODHH. CEC and the Council on Education of the Deaf (CED) offer standards and accreditation for programs preparing TODHH. CEC is the recognized leader for the professional standards used in special education teacher preparation programs. DCDD assists CEC in the revision of the DHH Specialty Sets, which are recognized as an essential resource for informing teacher preparation programs and accrediting organizations. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Currently, teachers graduating from specialized and accredited programs for the education of students who are DHH and who receive appropriate state licensing are qualified to be employed as classroom teachers, itinerant teachers, or consultants, and can provide direct and indirect educational services. Depending on individual state requirements, many of these TODHH can support children and youth who are DHH with services from birth to postsecondary age. TODHH can help provide specialized instruction in areas of academic need as well as in the expanded core curricular areas including communication, self-advocacy, technology, and social–emotional skills. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These teachers have also been prepared to support families of children who are DHH as they make decisions during critical early intervention and language development windows. They are qualified to coordinate the implementation of technology and the provision of related services. In addition, TODHH have the knowledge and resources needed to provide guidance for successful transition to postsecondary life.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Teachers of students who are DHH know that variation in hearing status impacts language acquisition and creates barriers limiting equal access to the general education curriculum and extracurricular activities, resulting in unique communication, language, academic, and social–emotional needs. TODHH assist local education agencies in understanding these learning challenges, as well as the instruction, modifications, accommodations, and other supports necessary to provide an appropriate education program. Therefore, TODHH are necessary participants in all IDEA-related programming and planning for students who are DHH (e.g., multidisciplinary evaluation team (MET), individualized education program (IEP), individualized family services plan (IFSP), and transition planning teams). &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Legal Guidance &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The services of credentialed TODHH are essential to ensure the educational programming and planning for students who are DHH are in compliance with current legal requirements. Legislative mandates such as IDEA, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, Title II of ADA, and ESSA, provide guidance to ensure students who are DHH have the same access to the general education curriculum as their peers. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Special Factor IV of IDEA emphasizes the importance of language and communication: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Consider the communication needs of the child, and in the case of the child who is deaf or hard of hearing, consider the child’s language and communication needs, opportunities for direct communications with peers and professional personnel in the child’s language and communication mode, academic level, and full range of needs, including opportunities for direct instruction in the child’s language and communication mode. (34 C. F. R. § 300.324[2][iv])&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 1992, in response to concerns from the Commission on Education of the Deaf, the U.S. Department of Education released a guidance document, Deaf Students Education Services. The document delineated the educational and social needs of students who are DHH, and emphasized the need for careful consideration of the needs of the individual, specifically “meeting the unique communication and related needs of a student who is deaf is a fundamental part of providing a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to the child” (U.S. Department of Education, 1992, para. 12).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Supreme Court of the United States recently provided an updated definition of IDEA’s requirement that LEAs provide a reasonable education program, stating that IEPs must be reasonably calculated to enable a child to make progress that is “appropriate in light of the child’s circumstances”. Services must be “appropriately ambitious” considering the circumstances, just as advancement from grade to grade is appropriately ambitious for most children in the regular classroom. The goals may differ, but every child should have the chance to meet “challenging objectives” (Endrew F v Douglas County School District, 2017). &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ADA Title II states that access for individuals with disabilities should be “equal to their non-disabled peers” (28 C. F. R. § 35.160 [a][1]). This provision requires that educational settings must “afford an equal opportunity to obtain the same result, to gain the same benefit, or to reach the same level of achievement as that provided to others” (28 § C.F.R. 35.130 [b][1][iii]). &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Role of TODHH &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In order to fulfill the requirements of these regulations, the expertise of TODHH is required to appropriately assess, plan, and implement IEPs for students who are DHH. According to the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE), a TODHH “assesses, diagnoses, evaluates, plans, and implements the educational program for students who are deaf or hard of hearing in collaboration with other educational professionals, the parents, and, when appropriate, the student” (NASDSE, 2006, p.78). From the evaluation process to the implementation of programs and services, TODHH are vital to students’ advancement toward educational goals. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Given their in-depth knowledge of the types of services from which a student who is DHH may benefit, TODHH are able to collaborate with professionals included on the IEP/IFSP team and to provide field-specific expertise. TODHH should be involved in initial and ongoing evaluations to determine special education services and accommodations needed to access instruction and standardized testing. “Any professional evaluating ... deaf or hard of hearing students should be knowledgeable of the language, literacy and communication characteristics unique to this population of students” (NASDSE, 2006, p.79). Because many parts of the IEP are related to communication, TODHH can best ensure that the child’s language, communication, and educational needs are addressed thoroughly. Therefore, TODHH must have a fundamental role in developing IEP or IFSP goals specific to the needs of students who are DHH, in both academic and nonacademic areas (e.g., social–emotional skills, self-advocacy, transition, functional listening, access to instruction). Finally, the specialized training required for TODHH to become licensed or certified makes them the DCDD-recommended resource for direct service provision to students, as supported by Marschark and Hauser’s observation that “Teachers of the deaf have a wealth of knowledge about how deaf and hard-of-hearing children learn and how to teach them” (2011, p. 127).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Summary&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Credentialed TODHH are critical to: &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Providing appropriate evaluation&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Effective educational programming and planning &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Providing student-centered instruction in academic, linguistic, and social-emotional content&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Meeting the requirements of IDEA and ADA&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Securing positive outcomes for students and schools&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Providing specialized instruction and support to meet the specific language, communication, academic and social needs of students who are DHH&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DCDD recommends that all Local Education Agencies ensure the services of credentialed TODHH, in order to appropriately meet the needs of students who are DHH, as required by IDEA and ADA. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Approved by the Board of Directors of DCDD on May 22, 2017&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>338929</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2018-12-10T21:05:16Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>MSP Airport Practices Crash Simulation with Deaf Passenger</Title><title>2018-05-10 MSP Airport Practices Crash Simulation with Deaf Passenger</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-338926&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-05-10T13:46:57Z</Date><ShortDescription>Formal press release</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Emergency Responders Train on Surprise Communication Barrier</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MSP Airport Practices Crash Simulation with Deaf Passenger&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Emergency Responders Train on Surprise Communication Barrier&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;St. Paul, Minnesota (May 10, 2018) –&lt;/strong&gt; The Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Minnesotans is participating in an emergency response exercise at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) on Thursday evening, May 10, 2018.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Every three years, the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) conducts a large scale emergency response exercise involving a plane crash simulation.  One of the participants playing the part of a victim in the crash is Anne Sittner Anderson, who is deaf. Emergency responders aren’t told in advance that there is a deaf passenger and will have to work out quickly how to communicate with her during the exercise.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are three parts of the simulation. The first part covers an aircraft evacuation. Passengers will be evaluated and sorted by the first responders on the airfield. The second part will take place in the “survivors’ center,” where “victims” are further evaluated by medical staff. The third part will be done from the perspective of family members asking for information about their loved one. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sign language interpreters will be on hand to interpret the exercise instruction but they will not have a role in the actual exercises. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sittner Anderson, who is the Communications Coordinator at the Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Minnesotans (MNCDHH), a governor-appointed commission that advocates for communication access and equal opportunity with the 20% of Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing, feels that this is an important experience for emergency responders.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;“Twenty percent of the population has some degree of hearing loss. At any time, any of us can be caught in a life-threatening situation. We need to be prepared if that happens and emergency responders, medical staff, and airport personnel must to be able to react swiftly to communication barriers,” said Sittner Anderson. &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition, one of this year’s crash simulation evaluators, Andrew Palmberg, is also deaf. Palmberg has served on the airport’s permanent Travelers with Disabilities Advisory Committee (TDAC) since 2014 and is currently the Chair. Palmberg previously served in the role of a deaf passenger in a crash simulation, creating a surprise communication barrier for emergency responders to train on back in 2015.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;“Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport has made great strides with accessibility since they have implemented the Travelers with Disabilities Advisory Committee in 2014. Involving people with disabilities in their CrashEx training exercise is just another example of how inclusive MSP is with considering people with disabilities in their everyday operation of the airport. Few airports in North America actively involve people with disabilities in their emergency preparedness response training to educate first responders on how to interact with and assist people with disabilities,” explains Palmberg.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Crash simulations are FAA-mandated events to help airports prepare for real-life emergencies. The MAC strives to make Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport (MSP) the most accessible airport in the world. This is why they made sure that people with disabilities participated in this important training.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;“We appreciate our relationship with the Commission of Deaf, Deafblind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Minnesotans and their involvement in our crash simulation once again this year,” said Phil Burke, Director of MSP Operations at the Metropolitan Airports Commission. “We have an aspirational goal to be the most accessible airport system in the world and our partnership with MNCDHH is vital to achieving it.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the Commission &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Minnesotans is a governor-appointed Commission that advocates for communication access and equal opportunity with the 20 percent of Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind or hard of hearing. For more information about the Commission, visit &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/&quot;&gt;www.mncdhh.org&lt;/a&gt; or join us on Facebook and Twitter.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>338926</id><Tag><Description/><Title>airport</Title><Id>317204</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>press release</Title><Id>320250</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-09-24T13:46:24Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>What Does Digital Accessibility Mean to Me?</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The header has 4 horizontal layers. The top layer is a solid orange. The second layer is dark blue and has the following text, &quot;What does digital accessibility mean to me?&quot; The third layer is a solid green. The bottom layer is a pattern of rainbow-colored hearts painted on wood.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/What%20does%20digital%20accessibility%20mean%20to%20me_tcm1063-337416.jpg</Url></Image><title>2018-04-27 What Does Digital Accessibility Mean to Me?</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-337417&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-04-27T15:00:58Z</Date><ShortDescription>Global Accessibility Awareness Day is coming up on May 17, 2018. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Share your feedback!</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thursday, May 17, 2018, is the seventh annual Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). This is a day that promotes and celebrates digital accessibility to make sure that people with disabilities experience inclusion online.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH will be posting quotes from community stakeholders about what digital accessibility means to them on our social media to celebrate GAAD.  If you would like to participate, please go to the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4320331/Digital-Accessibility&quot;&gt;What Does Digital Accessibility Mean to Me survey&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>337417</id><Tag><Description/><Title>accessible technology</Title><Id>310264</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>survey</Title><Id>310297</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2018-12-10T21:05:13Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Ask MNCDHH: How Can I Get Involved?</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Black and white photo of a cat peering closely into the camera lens.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/cat-70844_tcm1063-337299.jpg</Url></Image><title>2018-04-26 Ask MNCDHH: How Can I Get Involved?</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-337301&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-04-26T17:24:15Z</Date><ShortDescription>Are there any employment opportunities or other ways to become involved with MNCDHH?</ShortDescription><Subtitle>You ask, we answer</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Are there any employment opportunities or other ways to become involved with MNCDHH?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Employment opportunities at MNCDHH are rare. When there is a job opening, we send out a newsletter announcement and cross-post it on our website, Facebook, and Twitter. If you have not subscribed to our newsletters, be sure to subscribe today! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visit our Get Involved page on our website. There is information on subscribing to our newsletters, joining the board, attending Lobby Day, voting, finding your legislator, and to events to attend such as our board meetings or events we are hosting or sponsoring.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are several other ways of getting involved.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Your community organization&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH mainly works with community organizations. We encourage you as an individual to get involved with the community organization that represents your interests. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens (MADC): visit the MADC membership page to become a member. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota DeafBlind Association (MDBA): email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:mdba1979@gmail.com&quot;&gt;mdba1979@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;. In the subject heading, put down &quot;Join MDBA&quot; or &quot;MDBA Membership&quot; or something similar.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Hearing Loss Association of America - Twin Cities chapter: visit the HLAA-TC membership page to become a member.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Hands &amp;amp; Voices, an organization for parents and families, has volunteer opportunities and events: visit the MNH&amp;amp;V volunteer page to start.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Voting and your legislators&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Exercise your voting rights and contact your legislators. MNCDHH will soon begin providing voter outreach workshops! If you would like MNCDHH to provide a workshop for you and your friends or for an organization you are with, please contact Jessalyn Akerman-Frank to schedule one. Her email is &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;jessalyn.akerman-frank@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lobby Day&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can also participate in the 2019 Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day on Wednesday, March 6, 2019. This is a biennial community event hosted by multiple organizations and identities. On this day, you can attend the rally, take &quot;Meet Your Legislator&quot; training, and meet with your legislators in person. We will need volunteers on this day and will send out a call for volunteers closer to the date.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Surveys&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are in the last year of MNCDHH&apos;s current five-year strategic plan and will soon begin surveying the Minnesota community to find out what you would like us to work on for the next 5 years. Please participate in this important process. Your voice makes a difference.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>337301</id><Tag><Description/><Title>ask the commission</Title><Id>310292</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>citizen advocate</Title><Id>310308</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-09-22T16:50:07Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>April Legislative and Policy Update</Title><title>2018-04-24 April Legislative and Policy Update</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-336816&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-04-24T17:08:09Z</Date><ShortDescription>This update includes information on the language to update MNCDHH&apos;s statute, Thompson Hall presentations, Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf (MSAD), rulemaking for tiered licensure, elder abuse, school safety, accessibility for public buildings, and the Fairview Chemical Dependency Program. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNCDHH&apos;s statute and more</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/H4DZacb6RKo&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/1qAV1SLdeqY&quot; title=&quot;ASL version of the April 2018 legislative update&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A lot has happened since our March 1, 2018, legislative agenda announcement. Here are a few updates for you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Language to update MNCDHH’s statute&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our bill to update MNCDHH’s statute, describing the role and responsibilities of MNCDHH, HF3290 and SF2777 has passed in several committees. HF3290 passed out of the Health and Human Services Reform committee and State Government Operations committee with minor changes. It was referred to the General Register. We asked our House author, Representative Pugh, to request that the Rules and Legislative Administration Committee put it on the Calendar for the Day for its third reading and final passage. Thanks to board members Lloyd Ballinger,  Rosanne Kath,  and Michele Isham for testifying. SF2777 passed in the Health and Human Services Policy committee and the Government Policy Finance and Elections committee. Thanks to board member Lloyd Ballinger and Executive Director Mary Hartnett for testifying. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Legacy Committee&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Historical Society selected Thompson Hall to be one of a few selected out of 2200+ grantees to present about the success of the Legacy Fund, which was passed by the 2008 Legislature. Herman Fuechtmann, president of the Thompson Hall Board of Trustees, presented to the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Legacy Finance Committee on March 7, 2018. John Fechter, president of the Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens (MADC) and Deaf Equity board member, presented to the House Legacy Committee on March 26, 2018. Thompson Hall hopes to be awarded another grant from the Legacy Fund to renovate the building and make it fully accessible. Mary Hartnett is helping in the search for other sources of funding. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The board voted to support the Academies’ bonding requests. Mary has attended one hearing and MNCDHH plans to send our consultants and board members to meet with the Chairs of the House and Senate bonding committees to encourage the committees to include the Academies’ (4) requests in the bonding bill. Superintendent Wilding is a gifted testifier, and he has been doing a great job. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rulemaking for Tiered Licensure&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH submitted public comments on the new tiered license law to the Professional Educators Licensure and Standards Board for the consideration of Rulemaking. Ann Mayes, a teacher, testified in front of the board and did a brilliant job. David and Gloria Nathanson testified on concerns for ASL teachers. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Elder Abuse&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH is meeting with AARP and the Chairs of the HHS Committees from both Senate and House. We are trying to get our optional training on Age-Related Hearing Loss for care-providers to become mandatory. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;School Safety&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are trying to get visual signaling added to the school-safety infrastructure improvements grants. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility for Public Buildings&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission voted to support the State Council on Disabilities’ accessibility for public buildings bill (SF2064 / HF2013). It passed unanimously in the Senate and had an additional committee to pass in the House. If passed, it means that the building code for public buildings constructed or remodeled after July 1, 1963, must be accessible for people with disabilities. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;New information – Fairview Chemical Dependency Program&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At the January board meeting, the Commission board voted to support Fairview’s Chemical Dependency Program and their need for funding. Changes on a national level to Medicare and Medicaid have resulted in other states not paying to send their clients here. In March, Fairview notified us that the financial issue has become worse. We are actively reaching out to legislators to find funding to allow the program to continue. We will share more information in a future update. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For More Information and Updates&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information and to sign up for alerts, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/&quot;&gt;visit our website&lt;/a&gt;.﻿&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>336816</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>heritage</Title><Id>310257</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>age-related hearing loss</Title><Id>310251</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>health care</Title><Id>310254</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2018-04-24T12:58:34Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Save the Date! Join Us Next Year at the Capitol for Lobby Day</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Three mirror images of the Capitol. The two outside images are in green and white. The center image that is sandwiched between them is blue.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Capitol_tcm1063-335650.JPG</Url></Image><title>2018-04-12 Join us at the Capitol for Lobby Day</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-335651&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-04-12T15:00:23Z</Date><ShortDescription>Together as a community, we will gather at the Capitol and connect with our legislators about issues that are important to us.  </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Lobby Day will take place on March 6, 2019</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Get your voices heard!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Minnesotans (MNCDHH) and community stakeholders are excited to announce the date for the 2019 Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;March 6, 2019&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;9:00 am - 4:00 pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rally at 1:00 pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota State Capitol&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;More information will be announced closer to the event.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/Accessible%20Save%20the%20Date%202019%20Lobby%20Day_tcm1063-335649.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Accessible Save the Date 2019 Lobby Day&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Accessible Save the Date 2019 Lobby Day&quot;&gt;Accessible printable flyer (PDF)&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/get-involved/lobby-day/&quot;&gt;Learn more about Lobby Day on MNCDHH&apos;s website&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/deaf-commission/news/index.jsp?id=1063-299718&quot;&gt;Watch the fantastic video trailer from the 2017 Lobby Day (Film credit: Copper &amp;amp; Water)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>335651</id><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2018-04-12T19:01:17Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Captioning</Title><Id>247354</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Captioning and Subtitling Benefit All Students for Increased Literacy</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Word cloud with the following words: Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Writing, Accessible, Benefits, Flipped Classrooms, Closed captioning, Reading, and Literacy.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/closedcaptioningbenefitsforliteracyWord%20Art.fw_tcm1063-335384.png</Url></Image><title>2018-04-11 Captioning and Subtitling Benefit All Students for Increased Literacy</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-335385&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-04-11T16:27:08Z</Date><ShortDescription>Originally published for the D/HH Constituency of the Council of Exceptional Children (April 2018). Reprinted with permission.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>By Ann Mayes, M.A., Teacher of Learners who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For many years, teachers of deaf/hard of hearing have advocated for teachers and administrators in the schools to turn on captions in order to make videos accessible to students.  Often captioning resources were unavailable, a hassle, or simply not a priority for classroom staff.  Within our schools, the benefits of closed captioning have primarily focused on the 0.1% of students who are deaf and hard of hearing and their need for captions in order to understand spoken language on videos and tv programs. There has been limited consideration for the larger population of students who benefit from seeing words on screens.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition, the issue of access has become more apparent as more schools are using teacher-produced videos for flipped classroom instruction or are showing online videos resources from YouTube.  The CCs are simply not turned on, and if they are, the captions may be auto-generated which means they’re more distracting than helpful.  Closed captioning is a simple tool that may help improve the literacy skills for all students, both hearing and deaf/hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This article will focus on the benefits of captioning for all students and people of all ages.  Multiple research sources indicate that captions and subtitles offer advantages for increased literacy for almost 100% of students in grades kindergarten through twelfth, as well as those in college. With that information, more people might be inclined to seek out and encourage captioning or subtitling use in homes and schools. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The United States is not the only country that has same-language subtitling or closed captions available for people to watch.  In Finland and India, closed captions and same-language subtitles have long been used to promote literacy.  Although Finnish children do not begin formal schooling until they are seven years old, they consistently earn top reading scores compared to other countries.  Interestingly, they are also some of the highest users of same-language subtitling in homes.  In India, researchers studied the impact of children learning to read by watching Bollywood films that were subtitled.  They found that exposure to same-language subtitles increased literacy skills as students watched subtitles and even wrote down lyrics that they listened to and read. (Can Closed Captioning Improve Literacy? 2016)  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There is significant concern about literacy rates throughout the United States.   Various curricula, strategies, methods have been vetted and applied.  It appears two pieces of equipment have been overlooked as potential literacy vehicles.   Ninety-seven percent of schools and homes in the United States have televisions and computers. Therefore, a simple solution to increasing printed word exposure would be to turn on the CC1 setting on televisions and filter educational YouTube videos for accurate subtitles. Dana Suskind, author of “Thirty Million Words: Building a Child’s Brain,” provides research that when children have exposure to 30 million words through parent-child interaction, they are better prepared for academic achievement when entering school.  This principle may also be applied to the concept of printed literacy.   When more words pass before children’s eyes, increased exposure to print creates more fluent and proficient readers, and in turn, background knowledge, vocabulary and literacy skills also increase.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Using closed captions or subtitles has the potential to close the divide, not only for students who are deaf and hard of hearing, but also those who struggle with reading, those who are learning English as a second language and people who need to increase their literacy skills.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“The specific areas that captioning can improve include: word recognition, word comprehension, vocabulary, identifying the main idea of a story, phoneme recognition, listening comprehension, and oral reading skills.  Captioning also helps students understand and retain more of the concepts presented in the video, remember more of the dialogue of a film, take better notes, and participate more in class discussions of video content, making it a great tool for teachers of any subject at any level.” (Captions for Literacy, 2013)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The benefits of closed captioning are evident for students in public schools. For those in high school, who are deaf/hard of hearing and placed in a general education flipped classroom learning environment, closed captioning is essential to learning and academic achievement. Providing closed captioning is also best practice for visual learners through the Universal Design for Learning method.  “The potential benefits to all learners when instructors employ these methods should be a standard feature in online courses. “ (Kmetz Morris &amp;amp; Brodosi, 2015)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Increased understanding is also evident for college students who use closed captions.   There are qualitative benefits for students taking online college courses.  In a study conducted in 2015  by the University of South Florida St. Petersburg (USFSP) Distance Learning Accessibility Committee, results indicated that 99% of all students reported that they found closed captions to be helpful when taking online classes. Only 7% of those students surveyed were deaf or hard of hearing.  The breakdown of the 99% indicated that  5 % of those students responded that captions were slightly helpful, 10% felt captions were moderately helpful, 35% said captions were very helpful, and 49% found captions to be extremely helpful. (Kmetz Morris &amp;amp; Brodosi, 2015)  The results of this study were very similar to the findings from the National Research Study: “Student Uses and Perceptions of Captions &amp;amp; Transcripts”. Conducted by Oregon State University’s (OSU) Ecampus Research Unit, the national study found that “98.6% of students reported finding captions helpful.”  In particular, students noted the following benefits:  increased clarification when there was poor audio in classes, better understanding of difficult academic vocabulary including spelling of jargon, and improved note-taking that helped students to identify key terms and phrases when creating references.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Literacy continues to be a priority initiative for the United States Department of Education.  As such, a literacy campaign should include closed captioning and subtitling access for all students, of all ages.  Students who see more words are inclined to read more, and those who read more become more educated and literate citizens. The National Reading Panel 2000 concluded, &quot;There is ample evidence that one of the major differences between poor and good readers is the difference in the quantity of total time they spend reading.” The benefit of using captions and subtitles on televisions and when streaming instructional content on computers is evident since many people, including children, are frequently watching media through website videos and television.  Because access is the legal right for all students, let’s make literacy through same-language subtitling or closed captioning a priority for all students.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;References&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://blog.cminyla.com/blog/can-closed-captioning-improve-literacy&quot;&gt;Can Closed Captioning Improve Literacy?&lt;/a&gt; 2016. Retrieved from CMI.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://captionsforliteracy.org/index.php&quot;&gt;Captions for Literacy.&lt;/a&gt; 2018. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Edelberg, Elisa.  (2018, January 4). &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.3playmedia.com/2017/07/28/captions-improves-faculty-evaluations-and-helps-students-learn/&quot;&gt;Study Shows Adding Captions Improves Faculty Evaluations + Helps Students Learn.&lt;/a&gt;  Retrieved from 3PlayMedia.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kmetz Morris, Karla and Brodosi, David. (2015, November 5). &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.qualitymatters.org/qa-resources/resource-center/conference-presentations/closed-captioning-matters-enhancing-0&quot;&gt;Closed Captioning Matters: Enhancing Accessibility and Improving Learner Experience in Online Learning.&lt;/a&gt; Retrieved from Quality Matters.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Thirty Million Words: Building a Child&apos;s Brain. Dana Suskind - Dutton - 2016&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Note&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The DCDD Board members prepare briefs about topics of interest for our members. As a DCDD member, you are receiving this brief on the topic of resources for professionals who work with students who have communication disorders and/or who are deaf or hard of hearing. We appreciate your continued membership with DCDD!  Please feel free to discuss this article on &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8201148&quot;&gt;DCDD Linkedin&lt;/a&gt; or &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/dcdddcdd&quot;&gt;DCDD Twitter&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>335385</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>captioning</Title><Id>247356</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-07-01T21:35:49Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Text-to-911 Survey</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A two-column header: To the left is a solid green background with the following words, &quot;Hi, I have a hearing loss. I am on the corner of Main St. &amp; South Lake Rd. My grandfather slipped on ice and cannot get up.&quot; To the right is a woman. Most of her body is not visible but her arm is prominent. She is holding a mobile phone and is typing. She is dressed in warm clothing and is clearly outside.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/Text%20to%20911%20v3_tcm1063-333639.jpg</Url></Image><title>2018-03-29 Text-to-911 Survey</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-333640&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-03-29T14:19:38Z</Date><ShortDescription>Are you ready to use Text-to-911 if you need it? Have you already used the service and want to share your experience? </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Text-to-911 is available statewide in Minnesota. Share your feedback!</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Text-to-911 arrived in Minnesota on December 5, 2017. It is coordinated by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Emergency Communication Networks Division (DPS-ECN) as a vital alternative to calling 911 in an emergency. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Individuals who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing or those with speech impairments may use Text-to-911 as a first contact option. it is one of several options you have depending on your unique communication preferences and devices. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please take this survey and let us know if you are prepared to use Text-to-911 in an emergency in Minnesota if you need it. If you have already tried the Text-to-911 service in our state, we are interested in learning about your experience. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4248508/Text-to-911&quot;&gt;Yes, I want to take the Text-to-911 survey.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And always remember this motto, &lt;em&gt;&quot;Call if you can, text if you can&apos;t.&quot;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>333640</id><Tag><Description/><Title>text-to-911</Title><Id>310260</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>survey</Title><Id>310297</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2018-03-29T16:52:25Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>My Experience with Connect 700: Eric Nooker</Title><title>2018-03-22 My Experience with Connect 700: Eric Nooker</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-330636&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-03-22T15:00:12Z</Date><ShortDescription>Connect 700 is a trial state employment work program for people with disabilities with the goal of becoming an official state employee.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Soil Scientist with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/W6M-UNy-vcU&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/JkzpVCZJI4A&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with Eric Nooker&apos;s personal Connect 700 experience&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Cookie Roang: Governor Dayton issued Executive Order 14-14 in 2014, directing state agencies to increase employment for people with disabilities to at least seven percent by August 2018.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2016, Governor Dayton and state leaders announced the Connect 700 (C 700) program. This program is designed to remove barriers and create opportunities for Minnesotans with disabilities to be hired for state jobs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Are you deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing and interested in working for the State of Minnesota? Consider signing up for the Connect 700 program. Eric Nooker will share his experience with you so that you can get an idea of how the program works. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt;Eric: I turned in a completed C700 application, and a few days later I received a C700 certificate. Since all full-time permanent state jobs are eligible, I began searching for a state job that would fit my experience, skills, and interests. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I have a Master’s of Science in soil science, so I applied for a soil science job at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. I completed my application as typically is done, and also e-mailed the hiring manager my C700 certificate. I made sure I tailored my resume to the position description to show that I was qualified and that I met the minimum requirements for the job.  During my interview, the interviewers and I went back and forth asking each other questions. We all wanted to make sure that I was a good fit for this job. I was considered qualified, and I decided to accept the job. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I was assigned to complete 700 hours of pre-probationary work, which meant I was working the job, but I did not receive full benefits. Typically, once you work 700 hours and are evaluated, you will move into a six-month probationary period. You will then begin receiving full benefits. However, if your hiring manager decides you’re a great fit before 700 hours, you can be converted to the probationary period after you’ve been on the job for 30 work days like in my case. &lt;em&gt;(Hiring managers can decide to work with Human Resources to advance the C700 employee earlier than 30 days if they want to do that.)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In my experience, working for the state is hard work, but if you are passionate about your work, it can be a lot of fun. I’ve had a great experience working for the State of Minnesota. As part of my job, I’ve had to advocate for different important issues. I have also been lucky in that I’ve had a large support system that includes, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) commissioner’s office, the Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Minnesotans (MNCDHH), my hiring manager, and the ADA Coordinator at the Department of Agriculture.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Cookie: Eric got his opportunity to work for the state thanks to the Connect 700 program. He applied for jobs that met his skills and made sure that his resume showed the skills that the job required. He worked hard and his hiring manager saw that he was a great fit for the job. Connect 700 can work for you too. Learn more about Connect 700 at the Connect 700 webpage.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>330636</id><Tag><Description/><Title>employment</Title><Id>310253</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2018-03-22T17:48:51Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Learn about the Connect 700 Program</Title><title>2018-03-19 Learn about the Connect 700 Program</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-330625&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-03-19T15:00:26Z</Date><ShortDescription>Learn more about the program and how to participate. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>A trial state employment work program for people with disabilities</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/z8fD-wOr4wg&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/ffbL6S7f0MA&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about the Connect 700 Program&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In October 2016, Governor Mark Dayton announced the Connect 700 Program (abbreviated C700). The C700 Program is a pre-probationary trial work program that allows eligible individuals with disabilities the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to perform a specific job through C700 for up to 700 hours. C700 employees will receive wages that fit the pay scale for their job but will not receive full benefits.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If the C700 employee is successful at their job, they can then enter the probationary status typical for all new state employees (including benefits).  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If the hiring manager is impressed during the C700 employee&apos;s first 30 days then they can decide to advance the employee to probationary status any time after the employee’s first 30 days. &lt;em&gt;(Hiring managers can work with Human Resources to advance the C700 employee earlier than 30 days if they are really impressed with the employee.)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If the C700 employee does not satisfactorily do their job, they might lose the job. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When the employee completes probation, he or she becomes an official state employee. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Connect 700 Eligibility&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To be eligible for the Connect 700 program, individuals must:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Meet the minimum qualifications for the job&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Have a disability that makes them unable to demonstrate their skills and abilities in the standard competitive selection process, as described in law&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Have a Proof of Eligibility Certificate, which is valid for 4 years. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Interested individuals can find the application form at the Minnesota Careers website. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Process for individuals with a Proof of Eligibility Certificate&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are an individual with a disability and you have a Proof of Eligibility Certificate, the next step is to look for a job that matches your skills and interests. The application process is simple.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Go to the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mmb/careers/&quot;&gt;Minnesota Careers website&lt;/a&gt; and apply for jobs in which you meet the minimum qualifications&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;After you apply for the position, contact the individual listed in the job announcement. Tell them 2 things:
&lt;br /&gt;
1. You have a Proof of Eligibility Certificate for Connect 700, and
&lt;br /&gt;
2. You are interested in the position&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will then meet with the hiring manager to discuss job requirements and your skills.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If selected, you will be given an on-the-job trial work experience up to 700 hours to demonstrate that you can perform the job satisfactorily. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Connect 700 is now 1 year old&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Special thanks to the members of the advisory committee who have worked carefully together along with Minnesota Management &amp;amp; Budget staff to ensure the success of the Connect 700 program. They are:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mary Hartnett - Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Minnesotans &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ann Feaman - Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Steve Kuntz - Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Dacia VanAlstine - Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Vikki Getchell - Minnesota Department of Health&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ken Rodgers - Minnesota Department of Transportation&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kim Luchsinger - Minnesota Housing and Finance Authority&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Femina Ajayi-Hackworth - Minnesota Management and Budget (originally from the Minnesota Department of Corrections)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At the time of this video’s release, these are the numbers for individuals with disabilities who gain state employment through Connect 700.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;799 individuals are certified through the program&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;190 have been appointed&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;80 have been converted to regular employment&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Guide for state hiring managers &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH wants to see the numbers improve. We waited to promote the program until we were confident that there were systems in place that support people who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. Most hiring managers haven’t had experience working with people with disabilities, including people who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. MNCDHH led efforts to develop a guide for hiring managers that explains what they should do to make sure the work environment is accessible and welcoming. This guide has now been distributed to state hiring managers by Minnesota Management &amp;amp; Budget.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are interested in state employment, applying for a Proof of Eligibility Certificate, and participating in the Connect 700 program, visit &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mmb/careers/diverse-workforce/people-with-disabilities/connect700/&quot;&gt;MN Careers Connect 700 page&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>330625</id><Tag><Description/><Title>employment</Title><Id>310253</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2018-03-19T20:30:03Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Ask MNCDHH: Addressing Barriers Experienced in an Over 55 Building</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A squirrel perches on a tree branch. Green leaves and more branches cover the background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/pexels-photo-773051_tcm1063-325876.jpg</Url></Image><title>2018-03-14 Ask MNCDHH: Addressing Barriers Experienced in an Over 55 Building</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-325877&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-03-14T15:31:41Z</Date><ShortDescription>How can those living in an over 55 building become more accepting of hearing and vision loss? Some living therein have such losses but not all. Amplification (microphone) is available for gatherings but some have a reluctance and even refusal to use the mic. Money is available for proper lighting. Some are reluctant and even want to refuse to spend the money.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>You ask, we answer</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How can those living in an over 55 building become more accepting of hearing and vision loss? Some living therein have such losses but not all. Amplification (microphone) is available for gatherings but some have a reluctance and even refusal to use the mic. Money is available for proper lighting. Some are reluctant and even want to refuse to spend the money.&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This seems like a great opportunity to share information about age-related hearing loss (ARHL) with individuals and organizations who simply do not understand the barriers you are experiencing and why it is important to remove those barriers so that you can remain fully engaged in your community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are a few ideas to get you and others started:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Contact the Minnesota Department of Human Services Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD) to get the individual support you need, which includes learning about communication strategies and technology that may improve communication, and find out more about possible training opportunities on age-related hearing loss. Call 651-431-5940 to be directed to the regional office near you or send an email to &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:dhhs.metro@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;dhhs.metro@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Encourage home care workers to participate in online training modules on ARHL as a part of their continuing education requirements.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Host a viewing party to watch the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.tpt.org/hearing-loss-matters/&quot;&gt;Hearing Loss Matters documentary film&lt;/a&gt;. Invite your friends, family members, other residents, staff, etc.. After the film, have a conversation about age-related hearing loss. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Visit the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/hearing-loss-matters/&quot;&gt;Hearing Loss Matters website&lt;/a&gt; that MNCDHH created for individuals who need information about ARHL. This site has information on where individuals can get help, information for health providers, and information for policy advocates. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Is this answer helpful? If you have more questions, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>325877</id><Tag><Description/><Title>age-related hearing loss</Title><Id>310251</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>ask the commission</Title><Id>310292</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-12-15T15:38:53Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>MADC&apos;s Deaf Awareness Day is Coming Soon!</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Two pictures of various community members in the crowded hallways at the 2016 Deaf Awareness Day. Then the third picture has the following text, &quot;5th Annual Deaf Awareness Day April 21, 2018 9 AM - 4 PM&quot;.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/DAD%20header_tcm1063-328692.jpg</Url></Image><title>2018-03-12 MADC&apos;s Deaf Awareness Day is Coming Soon!</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-328693&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-03-12T20:04:48Z</Date><ShortDescription>Deaf Awareness Day is a great way to meet deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing community members from all walks of life as well as meet great vendors from around the state. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNCDHH has a booth, please stop by and say hello!</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens (MADC) is hosting their 5th annual Deaf Awareness Day. This is a perfect day for members of the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing communities from all over Minnesota to gather together and socialize, meet new people, see old friends, and learn about programs and services here in Minnesota. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH has a booth again this year and we are excited to see you! Please stop by our table and say hello plus learn about recent legislative activities and the work that has been done by board members, staff, contractors, and advocates. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If you plan to attend, be sure to register! Having an accurate headcount will help MADC plan for this popular and busy event.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If you want to be an exhibitor, the very last day to register is April 16, 2018.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For additional information, and see who is on the Deaf Awareness Day committee, please visit the Deaf Awareness Day website.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>328693</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2018-12-10T20:59:04Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Thompson Hall Invited to Minnesota Historical Society Presentation</Title><title>2018-03-09 Thompson Hall Invited to Minnesota Historical Society Presentation</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-328561&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-03-09T16:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Special thanks to Herman Fuechtmann, president of the Thompson Hall Board of Trustees, for representing the project.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Senate committee learns about Legacy Grants outcomes</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On Wednesday, March 7, 2018, the Minnesota Historical Society invited The Thompson Hall Board of Trustees to present on the success of the Legacy Fund (passed in 2008) to the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Legacy Finance Committee. The Legacy Fund is managed by the Minnesota Historical Society (MHS). MHS asked only two out of 2200+ grantees to present at this hearing, one of which was Thompson Hall. This grant that was given to Thompson Hall Board of Trustees, Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens (MADC), and the Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing Minnesotans (MNCDHH) to apply for the National Register of Historic Places. Most recently the Board of Trustees applied for and received a Historical and Cultural Heritage Grant and are in the process of getting bids from an architectural firm for a Historic Structure Report and they plan to apply for future funds to renovate the building. Herman Fuechtmann represented the project. Seated next to him are Steve Elliott and Dave Kelliher of the Minnesota Historical Society. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/yZ-g5YmKnYw&quot; title=&quot;MHS presentation about Thompson Hall Legacy Grant&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Steve Elliott &amp;gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; ...Deaf, Deafblind and hard of hearing Minnesotans first applied for a grant to have Thompson Hall listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This is the first step of preserving a historic property. More recently, Thompson Hall was awarded a grant to study their building for a historic structure report to prepare for more detailed design and structural work. While historic buildings are intrinsically interesting, what makes them even more compelling is learning about the people whose lives and stories are connected to these historic places. Herman Fuechtmann is the Chair of the board of trustees of Thompson Hall. Herman will tell us more about his community’s experience.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;[Pause as interpreter turns on the microphone]&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Herman Fuechtmann &amp;gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Madame Chair and Members of the Committee and Executive Director,  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;My name is Herman Fuechtmann and I am the President of the Board of Trustees of the Charles Thompson Memorial Hall. Thank you for allowing me to provide testimony to today to describe the important role that the Legacy Fund plays for the Deaf Community.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 1916 Margaret Brooks Thompson donated Charles Thompson Memorial Hall so the Deaf community of Minnesota would have a free space to gather.  The building, located on the corner of Marshall and Fairview, was given as a memorial to Margaret’s husband, Charles, both of whom were Deaf and met at the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf. It was the first Deaf clubhouse in the United States. The building was designed by architect Olof Hanson, widely regarded as the nation’s first Deaf architect, and a close friend and former classmate of Charles Thompson. His design techniques accounted for good natural lighting and sight lines to enhance communication through visual sign language.    The building continues to serve as the social hub for deaf people in the Twin Cities and has played an important role in the growth of Minnesota’s vibrant Deaf community.  Minnesota is home to dozens of Deaf-supportive organizations and social groups and is regarded among the nation’s most inviting places for Deaf people. &lt;em&gt;[Verifies that interpreter is following the written script.]&lt;/em&gt; The thriving Minnesota Deaf community can be attributed in large part to Thompson Hall. We celebrate, grieve, plan, learn, organize, advocate and socialize in this historic site. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The building is showing its age and needs repairs. It isn’t accessible- there is no elevator. The Trustees and community want to preserve this architectural gem and community treasure.  In 2011, we applied for a legacy grant so we could hire experts who could help us get on the National Register of Historic Places. The MHS staff were terrific and helped us throughout the process, and the building received the designation.  Most recently the Board of Trustees applied for a Historic Structures Grant and are in the process of getting bids from an architectural firm.   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We hope to continue to apply for funds, including Legacy Grants, with the nonprofit, Deaf Equity, so we can 1) upgrade Thompson Hall&apos;s electrical, plumbing, and heating systems, 2) Provide accessibility (e.g. ramps and elevators and accessible restrooms), 3) Share the stories of Thompson Hall (both architectural and cultural) with the public as part of Minnesota history, and most importantly, 4) Preserve Thompson Hall as an irreplaceable &quot;living history&quot; resource for future generations to appreciate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We invite you to visit us!  Thank you for your time and the role you play in ensuring that these funds are made available to small volunteer-based organizations like ours.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;[Steve Elliott and Herman Fuechtmann shake hands]&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>328561</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>heritage</Title><Id>310257</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2018-03-14T14:14:09Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2018 Legislative Agenda</Title><title>2018-03-09 2018 Legislative Agenda</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-328574&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-03-09T14:01:02Z</Date><ShortDescription>The primary focus is to update MNCDHH&apos;s statute so that we can increase our efficiency and effectiveness. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Short legislative session means prioritized focus</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/aVR1FvR9b4w&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendly ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/Mad62YZ8U7w&quot; title=&quot;ASL video of the 2018 legislative announcement&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Minnesotans is pleased to announce our 2018 Legislative Agenda, which was approved by the Commission Board in January 2018. We have one bill we are introducing, one bill we are supporting and other bills we will be watching.  The 2018 Legislature is facing many challenges this year, the biggest challenge is time. This session is only 58 days long with a week off for spring break.    &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Are you ready to learn about MNCDHH’s legislative agenda? Here it is!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Agenda Items&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Introducing: Changes to the language in MNCDHH’s Statute (MS 256C.28).  Changes are needed to make the Commission operate more efficiently, make sure we always have 15 board members, make our name easier to remember and add duties we are currently performing. Visit our &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/legislation/legislative-agenda/&quot;&gt;legislative agenda page&lt;/a&gt; to read all of our talking points.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Supporting: We will support the Minnesota State Council on Disabilities bill to get funds for ADA accommodations in state bonding bills so state parks and state rest stops can be made accessible.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Watching: We will watch elder abuse legislation and see if we can add pieces that support seniors with age-related hearing loss in assisted care facilities.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Watching: We will continue to watch education legislation and rule-making with the new tiered licensure and the Professional Educators Licensure and Standards Board and try to protect education for children who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Because we only have one bill that we are introducing, we will not be sending out weekly legislative updates. Instead, we will frequently send out a mix of &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNCDHH legislative updates &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;more information about our work in education and employment &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;and federal topics that will have an impact on our community here in Minnesota&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For More Information and Updates&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information and to sign up for alerts, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/&quot;&gt;visit our website&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>328574</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2018-03-09T16:51:25Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Ask MNCDHH: Question about MNCDHH &amp; DHHSD</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A bee is shown extracting nectar from a yellow flower.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/bee_tcm1063-328051.jpg</Url></Image><title>2018-03-01 Ask MNCDHH: What&apos;s the Difference between MNCDHH &amp; DHHSD?</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-328052&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-03-01T13:47:02Z</Date><ShortDescription>What&apos;s the difference between MNCDHH &amp; DHHSD?</ShortDescription><Subtitle>You ask, we answer</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What&apos;s the Difference between MNCDHH &amp;amp; DHHSD?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH and DHHSD are both agencies that work to advance the lives of people who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing in Minnesota. However, there are clear and distinct differences between us.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DHHSD (also known as the Division)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/dhs/people-we-serve/children-and-families/services/deaf-hard-of-hearing/&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Services Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Services Division (DHHSD)&lt;/a&gt; was created first. It was created thanks to advocacy done by the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing communities. In 1978, a study showed that people who were deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing were not able to access the same services as people who can hear. The community demanded that a law be passed to fix the problem. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DHHSD, with its statewide regional offices, was created in 1980 to serve as a central entry point for deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing individuals and their families seeking access to human services. The regional offices also provide technical assistance and training to public and private entities about how to provide appropriate services to the community. The regional offices have established advisory committees that provide input on current and future service delivery. In addition to the regional offices, DHHSD oversees the Telephone Equipment Distribution Program, the mental health program and community-based grant contracts for specialized services.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DHHSD provides direct client services and, as a state agency, is bound by state regulations, policies and budget parameters set by the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Governor. The way DHHSD influences policy is by submitting legislative proposals to DHS. DHS and other state agencies propose ideas to the Governor and the Governor decides what to include in the budget he or she proposes to the legislature.   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH (also known as the Commission)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/&quot;&gt;The Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing Minnesotans (MNCDHH)&lt;/a&gt; was created in 1985, five years after DHHSD was established.   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why was a separate agency needed and what is different about what the Commission is allowed to do? &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing advocates were frustrated when the Governor didn’t support requests for new services or more funding.  The community wanted to influence laws and policies in education, health, and employment and other parts of state government, not only Human Services (which is where DHHSD is located). &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH works with community stakeholders through its strategic planning process,  task forces, and work groups to: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;identify barriers, or problems &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;develop, advocate and implement solutions &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH promotes civic engagement through voter education and advocacy. In addition, MNCDHH works with state agencies, nonprofits, lawyers, legislators, community organizations, researchers and lobbyists to advocate for policies and laws that protect or increase communication access and equal opportunity. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How are MNCDHH &amp;amp; DHHSD related?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are related in two ways:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;First, one member from each of the 8 DHHSD Regional Advisory Committees is appointed by the Governor to serve on the MNCDHH board to ensure there is regional representation of local community needs and so they can influence policies that affect their local areas.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Second, MNCDHH is an independent agency that purchases technology, budget and human resource services through the Department of Human Services (DHS). &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sometimes MNCDHH and DHHSD partner together in community efforts but we are separate agencies with different roles. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Is this answer helpful? If you have more questions, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>328052</id><Tag><Description/><Title>ask the commission</Title><Id>310292</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-12-15T15:38:54Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Four Individuals Appointed to Commission</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Members of the board at the conference table. Present are Jamie Taylor and her interpreting team (Robyn, Shawn &amp; Paula), Jason Valentine (showing a thumbs up), a partial view of John Wodele, Nancy Diner, and Kathryn Rose. Across is the following text, &quot;new board members.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/new%20board%20members%20header%20v2_tcm1063-326945.jpg</Url></Image><title>2018-02-15 Four Individuals Appointed to Commission</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-326947&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-02-15T15:35:45Z</Date><ShortDescription>Please welcome Dr. Mohamed Mourssi-Alfash, Michele Isham, M.Ed., Dr. Peggy Nelson, and Rebecca Thomas, M.Ed. to the Commission.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNCDHH board gains new experts in education, employment &amp; age-related hearing loss</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Minnesotans is pleased to introduce four new members &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/about/who-we-are/board/&quot;&gt;to our board&lt;/a&gt;. They were appointed by Governor Mark Dayton. The members are:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Dr. Mohamed Mourssi-Alfash, deaf, expert in disability advocacy and employment&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Michele Isham, M.Ed., hard of hearing, expert in deaf education and family services&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Dr. Peggy Nelson, hearing, expert in audiology and age-related hearing loss&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rebecca Thomas, M.Ed., Deaf, expert in teacher licensure and education&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&quot;We feel honored that Mohamed, Michele, Peggy, and Becky have been appointed to the Commission by the Governor&apos;s office. Their presence at the last two commission meetings has proven their input, guidance, and wisdom are an invaluable asset to the work we do,&quot;&lt;/em&gt; said Chair Jason Valentine. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We have several senior board members who are completing their terms and expect to continue to welcome additional new board members in the near future. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Without further ado, meet our newest board members!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dr. Mohamed Mourssi-Alfash, At-Large Member&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dr. Mohamed Mourssi-Alfash is the Supervisory Records and Information Management Specialist at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Mohamed grew up in suburban Alexandria, Egypt and moved to the U.S. in 1996.  He has a 28-year career in both private and public sectors that includes working for the University of Minnesota as a research accounting principal, and serving as an economics &amp;amp; labor market research analyst, coordinator of the state’s Job Vacancy Survey, and disability employment expert at Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).  He has a bachelor’s degree in business/accounting from Alazhar University in Cairo, a master’s degree in cost accounting from the University of Alexandria, Egypt, an MBA from Globe University, a master of public affairs from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota, and a Ph.D. in organizational development from Capella University. Mohamed also volunteers as a social justice and disability advocate and is a member of several state committees and the board of directors for nonprofit organizations providing services to people with disabilities. He is also the author of many research articles focusing on disability affairs, employment of people with disability, the intersection of disability, race, and poverty, as well as other related topics aiming to the improvement of lives of people with disabilities in the state and the nation.  Mohamed is deaf and is fluent in two spoken languages. He hopes to learn ASL next.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&quot;I am dedicated to serving the public, social justice, and advocating for people with disabilities in general, especially those who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing. I primarily focus on integrating individuals with disabilities in their communities and will share my expertise in policy analysis and employment strategies with the board and staff. I also possess excellent knowledge and experience in applying federal, state, and local laws and regulations regarding accessibility and equal opportunity for people with disabilities.&quot;&lt;/em&gt; ~ Dr. Mohamed Mourssi-Alfash&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Michele Isham, M.Ed., East Central Representative &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Michele Isham, M.Ed, has been working as a Deaf/Hard of Hearing licensed teacher for Benton Stearns Education District (Sartell, MN) since 1992. She graduated from Western Oregon State College with a degree in Special Education with an emphasis in Deaf Education. She also received a degree in Elementary Education from the University of Oregon (note her shirt, go Ducks!!). Michele is a member of the E/W Regional Advisory Committee with Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD). She has participated as a representative of her district for the Collaborative Plan stakeholders group, especially with the school-age workgroups. In addition to MNCDHH and the Collaborative Plan, Michele serves on the MN Deaf/Blind network, Region 5 and 7 Teachers of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing network, and her regional Early Hearing Detection &amp;amp; Intervention (EHDI) team. Michele is hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&quot;I am proud to once again serve on the Commission so that I can continue to advocate not only for deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing Minnesotans, but also the families and students I work with.&quot;&lt;/em&gt; ~ Michele Isham&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dr. Peggy Nelson, At-Large Member&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Peggy Nelson, Ph.D. is a professor of audiology in the Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences at the University of Minnesota, where she has taught and conducted NIH-funded research since 2000.  Her research focuses on hearing loss and the problems of understanding speech in noise by a variety of populations, including children in schools, second-language learners, hearing aid users, and cochlear implant listeners. She is currently the founding director of the University of Minnesota’s new Center for Applied and Translational Sensory Science (CATSS). There she oversees interdisciplinary research in vision, hearing, balance, and tinnitus.   As Center director, Professor Nelson and colleagues have engaged the community in a discussion of sensory loss and sensory aids. Dr. Nelson served on the EHDI Advisory Board for 10 years and served on the US Access Board committee that developed acoustic guidelines for schools. Over the years, she has testified for the Commission on many different pieces of legislation. Fun fact: she used to be a certified sign language interpreter.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&quot;I serve on the board because I believe engaging with the community is essential for understanding sensory loss and its effects. I am eager to share information about cross-disciplinary research related to the development of devices and strategies key to approaching sensory loss, and plan to especially focus on age-related hearing loss.&quot;&lt;/em&gt; ~ Dr. Peggy Nelson&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rebecca Thomas, M.Ed., At-Large Member&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rebecca (Becky) Thomas, M.Ed, graduated from St. Cloud State University with a BS degree in Social Work (1999). In 2006, she graduated from the University of Minnesota with an M.Ed. in Special Education - Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Currently, Becky teaches American Sign Language (ASL) at Blaine High School and Anoka Ramsey Community College. She has been actively involved with the Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens (MADC) since 2011, serving as a Member at Large (2011-2013) and Secretary (2013-present). She is a former president of the Minnesota Loon American Sign Language Teachers Association and is still actively involved. Becky is a dedicated teacher (she&apos;s won 11 teaching awards!) and working with young people is when she is most fulfilled. She has been a foster mom to high-risk children for 4 years and she is also a family advocate for hard of hearing students at her high school. Becky grew up as a hard of hearing kid who became Deaf as a young adult.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&quot;Serving on the Commission allows me to speak up, advocate for change, and add my voice to Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing Minnesotans across the state. Together we can accomplish many things.  It&apos;s an honor to be serving on the board.&quot;&lt;/em&gt; ~ Becky Thomas&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>326947</id><Tag><Description/><Title>board</Title><Id>310266</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2018-03-08T15:28:22Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>The Eggert Sisters take on the Super Bowl!</Title><title>2018-02-02 The Eggert Sisters take on the Super Bowl!</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-325715&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-02-02T16:09:05Z</Date><ShortDescription>Featuring Jessica and Rachel Eggert</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Deaf, deafblind &amp; hard of hearing people #CanDoAnything</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/7ag_YD9qlFQ&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; title=&quot;ASL video interview with Jessica and Rachel Eggert about their Super Bowl experience&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/ybuCmbLcGjM&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendly ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Monday, January 22, 2018 was an unforgettable day. A snowstorm brought over 1 feet of snow around Minnesota and Vikings fans were recovering from a defeat the day before.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jessica and Rachel Eggert carried their #BoldNorth pride and came over to MNCDHH&apos;s office in St. Paul, MN to be interviewed for our very first #CanDoAnything campaign. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The #CanDoAnything campaign showcases people who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing at work, giving them an opportunity to share what they do at their jobs and explain how communication access works for them. This campaign will show what our community can do, which is... we can do anything!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Special thanks to filmmaker Melissa Jane (MJ) Kielbus&apos; #BoldNorth spirit as well.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hi! Please tell us your name and a little bit about you.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jessica: Hello, my name is Jessica Eggert. I&apos;m deafblind, raised in Minnesota. And I&apos;m very excited to work for the Super Bowl soon, starting my first season this Saturday, Monday, and on Game day, Feb 4th. I&apos;m looking forward to welcoming everyone to Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rachel: Hello, I&apos;m Rachel Eggert, deafblind, I was raised in Minnesota. I work at the US Bank Stadium as a guest experience representative. And I volunteer for Crew 52. I&apos;m motivated and looking forward to the Super Bowl. I will be volunteering for Crew 52 and also work at the Super Bowl game!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Congratulations! Tell us what you will be doing at the Super Bowl? &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rachel: Okay. For Crew 52, my role is skyway host, I&apos;ll be available in the skyway, and if guests have any questions, I can answer them, for example, where the best restaurants are... local events... US information... and simple things like that. At my job, I would be working at Legacy Gate. It&apos;s a bit of the same stuff, from answering questions about seating, checking tickets, and answering questions of where things are, like where bathrooms are. And I have a list of different local food establishments. It&apos;ll be a very different experience from a regular Vikings game!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jessica: My responsibilities, my role with Crew 52, I&apos;ve completed my training, just last Saturday night with interpreter. I absorbed and reviewed quite a bit, yes. Since because I&apos;m also majoring in CJ (criminal justice) at college and completing my degree. So it was good to review everything, and there was good new information. And plus, I met the committee too. It was nice! My role is skyway host, welcoming guests, making sure guests feel welcome, friendly, and hopeful - especially here in Minnesota. If guests have questions, relating to things like Super Bowl events. I&apos;ll also provide information as to where to find Super Bowl Life, NFL Experience, where the game is... Where the US Bank Stadium seating is... Which restaurants, whether they&apos;re open or not open... Which stores to go to... where hotels are... and whether there were lost children where I can help. I&apos;ll have a service dog with me to help me navigate my way around. And plus, if people are lost, I can help them navigate using an special app on my phone, and to distribute maps to workers. It&apos;ll show where places are. I communicate using a whiteboard to write back and forth. If there&apos;s a deaf, hard-of-hearing or deafblind guest, perhaps from another country, I can communicate and help using a little bit of BSL and I can help foreign hearing people using gestures and body language if we&apos;re unable to speak their language. For example, I can gesture using simple, clear gestures like &quot;drink,&quot; &quot;eat,&quot; or where they may need to go. Plus help supervise the area for any suspicious activity and to help reduce sex trafficking. I have to watch for any barcode tattoos on young kids and children. I have to watch out for that type of thing to prevent it from happening. I also watch for any odd or weird smells or objects to keep people and the area safe. I want to make sure everybody is safe and able to enjoy their time. And make sure everyone feels comfortable and welcome here.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What does Crew 52 mean?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jessica: Crew 52 represents those that are part of the Super Bowl number 52. With the Crew 52, it&apos;s a large group of exciting, amazing, very cool, far out people. We all work together as a team, delegating responsibilities to each member. We&apos;re very unified in our teamwork. Next year will be Super Bowl 53!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How did you learn about and apply for the job?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jessica: Well, I heard about that job, volunteering position, through my sister because she works at US Bank. She let me know about it, and I was pretty excited about the prospect. I went ahead and applied last August online, the first interview was in September I was waiting to hear back, rather impatiently, until I heard back and found out that we both were one of the very few lucky 10,000 picked out of about 30,000 applicants. Plus, they interviewed about 15,000. It was VERY exciting! I experienced no discrimination during this process, nothing. I had a good feeling throughout it all, with the committee. Everything worked out very well. Communication was very great and open. It all felt very positive! I&apos;m VERY impressed. The committee worked very hard, I&apos;m impressed with them, how they&apos;re very well organized, patience was very vital for when we received our uniforms - we couldn&apos;t wear them until the season started. We were excited, looking forward to the Bold North! Yea! [fist pump]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rachel: Relating with US Bank, before opening in the Spring 2016, I knew I needed to get another job. So, I thought, why not go ahead and try something new, in a new environment. I checked the website, and decided to go ahead and fill out an application online. Then several days later, I got a screening callback. They asked questions about my customer service experience. So, I made it through the phone interview, and that they&apos;ll send an email with information to go to work - FTR. I went and interviewed in person, but the interpreters were a no-show, unfortunately, so... One woman who works there was willing to interpret some of the interview... But there were quite a bit of writing involved. Finally, I got hired! After I got hired, I had to take training and classes for the job. And when I finished all the training, then I could start working. My first big event that I worked on was an open house, lots of people. I remember in July 22nd, 23rd, and 24th. Lots of people came, the weather was nice. And, for Crew 52, as it happens, my friend posted some news that said Crew 52 needed 10,000 people to apply. I thought, &quot;why not?&quot; - it seems like a good match. I went ahead and applied about a year ago in March. It wasn&apos;t until the Summer that I finally set an interview date. Then, in the fall, I completed an interview. I recently completed training classes last Saturday with an interpreter. So - I was so very excited, got my uniform in a big, heavy box... But I&apos;m very enthusiastic and motivated! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You must be excited! What are you most excited about?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rachel: I was excited about Minneapolis having the Vikings vs. Saints game, but... the Vikings had lost last night! But whichever team makes it to the Super Bowl, doesn&apos;t matter which team. I&apos;m still excited that Minnesota has the world looking at it. And that people can see that Minnesota can be everything. Last time the Super Bowl was here 26 years ago, it&apos;ll be a VERY different experience! Especially from my time at the regular National game work days. It&apos;ll be very, very different! It&apos;ll be very, very exciting!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jessica:  I really think it’s exciting and am looking forward to do some &quot;people-watching&quot; as well. There must be so many different people, and there should be a lot of purple colors. It doesn&apos;t really matter which teams get in, now that it&apos;s New England and Philadelphia Eagles, I hope everyone enjoys the game, they&apos;re welcome here, and I&apos;m thrilled for my first experience at a Super Bowl. I&apos;ve never worked at one before, and the last time the Super Bowl was hosted here it was 26 years ago! I had no idea about that, and now I have the opportunity to work at Crew 52 and represent Minnesota, the Bold North!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How do you communicate with your coworkers and with the public?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jessica: How do I communicate with my other coworkers? We do write back and forth, some of them know sign language which is good. Some will be coming from another country to work with us, such as Hawaii, Australia, the UK, and all over the world. It&apos;s all very exciting. We also can use texting, talk to our team captains, who will be wearing purple, and we volunteers will be wearing blue.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rachel: As for me, my way of communicating at the US Bank Stadium, I use the whiteboard to write back and forth. Some people already know sign language, and some gesture, some of them are already Deaf. I think there are 3 or 4 DeafBlind people working there. Sometimes people show me their tickets and I just show them where to go on the map, and point the directions. And for the Super Bowl with Crew 52, we have whiteboards ready to use, maps, and I know some foreign languages, I know some Spanish but I&apos;m a bit rusty so I&apos;ll try my best.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do you know if other deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing people will work at the Super Bowl? Or work at U.S. Bank Stadium?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jessica: Yeah, we have a few deaf workers that are also in Crew 52, I&apos;ve met them during training and orientation last November. I really enjoyed that, and last Saturday night we had a Crew 52 volunteers kickoff party. I met the same deaf people who will work during the Super Bowl from orientation. It&apos;s really cool, fun and am super excited! I know about the US Bank Stadium because I was raised in Minnesota, and I know who the deaf workers are. My sister is also working with Crew 52 as well!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rachel: For the US Bank Stadium there are deaf workers in different departments, some work at the janitorial department, some in food preparation, but it seems like most of us are in guest services, and there are deafblind individuals working at guest services, about 3 of us. Me and two other deafblind men, so three of us.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do you have any advice for other deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing people who want to find new opportunities such as work or volunteering? &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jessica: My advice? Go for it. If it happens in your state next year, check online to become a Super Bowl Volunteer. I can do it, and I&apos;m DeafBlind, it might be challenging, yeah, but I&apos;m really excited about it. I can do anything, there are no limits to my ability except to hear and see. There are other ways to use my skills. Besides, my guide dog will be the first guide dog to represent Minnesota for the Super Bowl from the Guiding Eyes for the Blind, who interviewed us too. I&apos;m very excited!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rachel: I encourage Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing people to do what they like to do, for example, I like sports, so I found a job that fits my passion. And don&apos;t let people put you down, tell you that you&apos;ll work at McDonald&apos;s as a fry cook forever, or work at Walmart or something like that- don&apos;t believe that. You can find a way out and look for new experiences. I worked in the government for many years and felt that it was time for me to do something different. So I discovered that you shouldn&apos;t let yourself down and it&apos;s important to be motivated and show people that you can do it. I can do everything except hear and see some.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Any final words?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jessica: Oh yes, we braved the blizzard to come here, my guide dog couldn&apos;t come here because of that. It lasted all day and that&apos;s ok, we are able to come and do it! Show everyone that we&apos;re the Bold North! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rachel: The Bold North hopes that whoever the best team wins, the Eagles or the New England -- should know that I don&apos;t support any teams, I&apos;m completely neutral! And I hope the fans behave themselves at the game, not like last night with all the beer throwing!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Photo: Jessica’s selfie, wearing blue and purple.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Photo: A Crew 52 volunteer headquarters sign]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Photo: Jessica and Rachel, wearing Vikings attire and standing in front of a number 52, with Jessica’s guide dog, Matt.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Photo: Matt, wearing a black &amp;amp; white referee shirt.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Photo: Jessica and Matt, next to a huge Vikings helmet.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[The following text is displayed, “Special thanks to Jessica Eggert and Rachel Eggert for letting the Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Minnesotans interview them about their once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work at the Super Bowl. People who are deaf, deafblind &amp;amp; hard of hearing can do anything. #CanDoAnything”]  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Correction: An earlier version of this newsletter listed Jessica&apos;s guide dog&apos;s name as Nan. It has since been corrected to Matt.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>325715</id><Tag><Description/><Title>employment</Title><Id>310253</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>deafblind</Title><Id>499876</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-09-20T18:42:59Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>IEP Meetings can be Designed to Meet Your Child&apos;s Language and Communication Needs</Title><title>2018-01-31 IEP Meetings can be Designed to Meet Your Child&apos;s Language and Communication Needs</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-325413&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-01-31T16:00:01Z</Date><ShortDescription>This webinar series is based on the Language and Communication-Focused IEP for Learners who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing Discussion Guide, which was created by the 2015 members of the Collaborative Plan, a network of organizations working together to improve outcomes for our students. The webinars are a joint project of the Minnesota Department of Education and the Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing Minnesotans.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Learn how through a webinar series created by families, teachers and students who are deaf, deafblind &amp; hard of hearing</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/xPMAC9Ev2n8&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; title=&quot;ASL video announcing the IEP Discussion Guide Webinar Series&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, higher contrast format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/Iz2RcQIAQeE&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendlier ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello, I am a parent of children who are deaf and I’m always learning about the IEP process. The Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Minnesotans (MNCDHH) and the Minnesota Department of Education have worked together and produced webinars that will help parents like us and also teachers of our children.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are some questions you might have:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;You might need more information about how the IEP process works for your child.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;You may want to learn how language and communication needs that are unique for your child can be talked about in IEP meetings.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Maybe you are curious about a transition meeting for your teenager and how they can have a leadership role in the meeting.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Your child may have additional special needs and you want to know what the team could include in the discussion at an IEP meeting.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Maybe you are a teacher who wants to have more ideas for writing a language-focused IEP for your students.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn the answers and more when you watch the webinars that show examples on how the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/assets/Language-and-Communication-Focused-IEPs-for-Learners-Who-Are-Deaf-or-Hard-of-Hearing-Discussion-Guide_tcm1063-154134.pdf&quot;&gt;Language and Communication-Focused IEP for Learners who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: Discussion Guide (PDF)&lt;/a&gt; can be used effectively in IEP meetings.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We would like to thank the following individuals for their work in creating both the Discussion Guide and the Webinars that help to explain how to use it. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Discussion Guide was originally created by the members of the Collaborative Plan stakeholders in 2015. The members were:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kelly Anderson - Metro Deaf School&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Melissa Buck - Northern Lights Districts&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deanne Curran - Pacer Center&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mandy Fredrickson - Metro Deaf School&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Carla Larson - Duluth Public Schools&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Emily Manson - St. Paul Public Schools&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ann Mayes - ISD 917&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Nanette McDevitt – GM Launch Pad&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Susan Meredith – Minneapolis Public Schools&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jody Olson -  Minnesota State Academies&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mark Schwartz -  Minnesota State Academies&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Susan Rose - University of Minnesota&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Valerie Shirley - ISD 196&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jody Waldo - ISD 916&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We want to thank the following local community members who were involved with the production of the Discussion Guide webinars:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kelly Anderson&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mary and Luke Stadelman&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jenna, Justin and Javanna Johnson&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sheridan Anderson and Norah&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sahra Geed and Sekeriye&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Adan Burke&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jody Waldo&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ann Mayes&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mai Lor &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Nanette McDevitt&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Susan Lane-Outlaw&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jay Fehrman&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Susan Boinis&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Anna Paulson&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Anne Sittner Anderson&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Digiterp Solutions&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Are you ready to view the webinars? Visit the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/iep-discussion-guide/webinars/&quot;&gt;IEP Discussion Guide webinars&lt;/a&gt;! &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>325413</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2018-02-01T13:22:34Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2018 Precinct Caucus in Minnesota</Title><title>2018-01-29 2018 Precinct Caucus in Minnesota</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-325297&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-01-29T18:37:47Z</Date><ShortDescription>Participate in your neighborhood caucus and make sure your vote counts!</ShortDescription><Subtitle>What a caucus is and what they do</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/woTFJYRf-No&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about the 2018 Minnesota caucus&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a darker, slower format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/_lfi80q8xQg&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendly ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do you plan to vote in Minnesota’s November 2018 election? Are you eligible to vote? If yes, you should go to your precinct caucus that will happen on Tuesday, February 6, 2018. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where is my caucus meeting?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Your vote is important! You can find out where your caucus meeting, go online to the &lt;a href=&quot;http://caucusfinder.sos.state.mn.us/&quot;&gt;Caucus Finder website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Put in your address and it will tell you where the meetings are for both the Republicans and the Democrats.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is a precinct caucus and what happens there?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In Minnesota, the voting is done at a neighborhood meeting called a precinct caucus.  The Republicans meet separately from the Democrats.  So there will be a Republican caucus meeting in your neighborhood and a DFL caucus meeting in your neighborhood.  You can only go to one, so you have to choose which political party’s caucus to go to.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All of the caucus meetings will be held on Tuesday, February 6, 2018.  They begin at 7:00 pm, but a lot of people are expected to go, so you might want to go early.  There might even be a line to get in!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When you get to your caucus, you will have to sign in.  You will write down your name, your address and will sign your name to say that you agree with the ideas of that political party.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Then they will give you a ballot with the names of the gubernatorial candidates for that political party.  Check the name of the candidate you like and turn your ballot in. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You’re finished voting.  Then you can stay for a meeting, if you want.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At the meeting, they probably will: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Choose people (called “delegates”) to represent your neighborhood precinct at future meetings&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Elect officers for your neighborhood group &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Discuss and vote on issues that people want the political party to support&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Decide which candidate they will endorse for governor&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How do I request accommodations?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you want an interpreter, you need to contact either the Republican or DFL Party in writing and ahead of time.  You can send your request by email.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To request an interpreter, send an e-mail to: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;DFL Party: &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:vwright@dfl.org&quot;&gt;vwright@dfl.org&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Republican Party: &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:pds@mngop.com&quot;&gt;pds@mngop.com&lt;/a&gt;                                                                           &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Be sure to include your name and your home address (so they know which precinct caucus you’ll be attending).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is your chance to have a say in who your party picks to run for governor.  Make sure your vote counts!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>325297</id><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2018-01-31T14:05:53Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>About MNCDHH: True or False Quiz</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A marbled blue background. Within a striped triangle is the following text, &quot;True or false?&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/True%20or%20false_tcm1063-324897.jpg</Url></Image><title>2018-01-26 About MNCDHH: True or False Quiz</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-324900&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-01-26T16:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>An answer key will be available after you send your answers. We&apos;re so glad you are participating!</ShortDescription><Subtitle>How much do you know about MNCDHH? </Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Take a quiz on how much you know about the Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Minnesotans (MNCDHH) - and learn some interesting facts about the Commission too! Your goal is simple: decide if the sentences are true or false. After you submit your answers, a page with the answers will be provided. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Go ahead and take the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3956978/About-MNCDHH-Survey-True-or-False&quot;&gt;True or False quiz&lt;/a&gt;. Enjoy!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>324900</id><Tag><Description/><Title>survey</Title><Id>310297</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2018-01-26T16:02:12Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Ask MNCDHH: Questions about DHHSD</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A hummingbird is shown, mid-flight.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/hummingbird-bird-birds-349758_tcm1063-324731.jpg</Url></Image><title>2018-01-22 Ask MNCDHH: Questions about DHHSD</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-324734&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-01-22T16:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>DHHS had been &quot;neglected&quot; for a long time until a crisis of funding arrived. Finally, action took place and got legislator additional funding. Will the deaf/DB/hoh see improvements; or, is there an obvious need to get more funding support?</ShortDescription><Subtitle>You ask, we answer</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DHHS had been &quot;neglected&quot; for a long time until a crisis of funding arrived. Finally, action took place and got legislator additional funding. Will the deaf/DB/hoh see improvements; or, is there an obvious need to get more funding support?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Over the years, the Minnesota Department of Human Services Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD) has faced the same budget problems as most other state agencies. In 2014, MNCDHH&apos;s board voted to include addressing DHHSD needs as goal #4 of 6 goals.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;From 2015-2017, the Commission advocated for laws that would support and modernize DHHSD. DHHSD worked hard to ask the community what services they wanted them to deliver and estimated how much it would cost.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Improvements&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The division received some temporary funding in 2015 that was good for two years. In 2017, DHHSD received permanent new money. There are many improvements people who are deaf, deafblind or hard of hearing will see from the 2015 and 2017 funding:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana;&quot;&gt;Northwestern Minnesota has a DHHSD mental health specialist fluent in American Sign Language.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Northern Minnesota has culturally affirmative mental health services for children.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesotans who are deafblind and were on the waiting list for technology and training funds have all been served and additional people are being served.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;All of the DHHSD regional office technology labs have updated equipment so people who are deaf, deafblind or hard of hearing can try out modern equipment.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;People will soon have an easier-to-use DHHSD website with information available via video in American Sign Language and with more consumer-useful content; the division hopes to finish development of its new website by summer 2018. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;People who are deafblind will have training available in ProTactile and other communication systems starting in spring 2018. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Families on the waiting list for deaf mentors and hard of hearing role models will begin receiving services in 2018. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Psychiatric services will be available in American Sign Language; target starting date is fall 2018.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What&apos;s next&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The next budget year is 2019 (budget years occur during odd-numbered years, e.g. 2015, 2017, and 2019). It is too soon to know if either MNCDHH as a Governor-appointed commission or DHHSD through the Governor&apos;s Office will need to send another bill to increase funds. DHHSD will not be able to announce any funding requests unless the Governor agrees and includes it in his/her bill.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For additional information, you can review DHHSD&apos;s strategic plan: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can also contact temporary Acting Director Amy McQuaid-Swanson at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:amy.mcquaid.swanson@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;amy.mcquaid.swanson@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; with any additional questions.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>324734</id><Tag><Description/><Title>ask the commission</Title><Id>310292</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-12-15T15:38:18Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Text-to-911 is Available Statewide in Minnesota</Title><title>2017-12-15 Text-to-911 is Available Statewide in Minnesota</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-320252&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-12-15T16:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Please use this information so you are ready if you experience an emergency.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Watch announcement, learn more information</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DPS Highlights: Minnesota Deploys Text-to-911 Service Statewide&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/5uXjU6raD_8&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; title=&quot;DPS video about text-to-911&quot; gesture=&quot;media&quot; allow=&quot;encrypted-media&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Text-to-911 arrived in Minnesota on December 5, 2017. It is coordinated by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Emergency Communication Networks Division (DPS-ECN) as a vital alternative to calling 911 in an emergency. Remember this motto, &quot;Call if you can, text if you can&apos;t.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Individuals who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing or those with speech impairments may use Text-to-911 as a first contact option (one of several options depending on your communication preferences and devices). &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please spend some time doing two things:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Plan how to get help during an emergency&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Think about how you will contact 911 in an emergency. What you might do at home or work might be different than what you do when you are out (at the store, at the park, etc.)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For example, if you have a videophone, TTY, or CapTel phone at home/work, you might plan to use that when you are home/work and plan to text 911 when you are somewhere else. The 911 call centers can still receive TTY calls.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Whatever you decide to do, make sure the address linked to your videophone is right.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn about Text-to-911&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Review the information that the Minnesota Department of Public Safety has provided. Knowledge is power. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Read instructions on how to text 911 so you understand what dispatchers need to know. For example, if you are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing, tell the dispatcher right away so they don&apos;t ask you if they can call you instead. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Also, read through and become familiar with the technical challenges of using Text-to-911. For example, if your phone is roaming, then texting will not work.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/5uXjU6raD_8&quot;&gt;Text-to-911 highlights video (3:51)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/YMm9Oxkz7gY&quot;&gt;full Text-to-911 press conference (13:56)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Visit the &lt;a href=&quot;https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/ecn/programs/911/Pages/text-to-911.aspx&quot;&gt;Emergency Communications Networks Text-to-911 web page&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Read the &lt;a href=&quot;https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/ecn/programs/911/Documents/text-to-911-fact-sheet.pdf&quot;&gt;Text-to-911 fact sheet (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing and have questions about Text-to-911, you can contact your local &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/dhs/people-we-serve/seniors/services/deaf-hard-of-hearing/contact-us/&quot;&gt;Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD) regional office&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Public Safety will release a new video in both ASL and English about Text-to-911 in the next few months. MNCDHH and DHHSD will contribute to this project. Watch for it.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>320252</id><Tag><Description/><Title>accessible technology</Title><Id>310264</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>text-to-911</Title><Id>310260</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2017-12-15T16:01:12Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Explanation about Minnesota&apos;s New Acoustics and Looping Law</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>An outline of white lines that symbolizes a human ear with a slash going through it. On the bottom corner is a &quot;T&quot; and underneath is the following text, &quot;Hearing Loop. Switch hearing aid to T-coil.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/11953889-loop-logo_tcm1063-319757.jpg</Url></Image><title>2017-12-04 Explanation about Minnesota&apos;s New Acoustics and Looping Law</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-319758&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-12-04T21:04:50Z</Date><ShortDescription>Good acoustic design benefits almost everyone</ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNCDHH &amp; stakeholders&apos; next steps</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Perhaps you have seen this symbol around and wondered what it meant? This is the symbol that indicates that a room or location has hearing loops. Hearing loops are an assistive listening system that transmits sound directly to most hearing aids and cochlear implant users through a telecoil, which provides a direct sound feed from the speaker to the person without background noise.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The new law&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During the 2017 legislative session, the Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing Minnesotans (MNCDHH) successfully lobbied for the passage of the bill that requires good acoustics and hearing loops in public meeting spaces in state-funded construction projects. This bill was signed into law as part of the capital investment bill. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;First came the acoustic standards for public primary and secondary schools&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is not the first time MNCDHH has worked on acoustic standards. Back in 2005, we successfully advocated for a law that requires school boards to consult acoustic standards when creating designs for new classrooms. This law creates an improved learning environment for students.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota schools love the improved acoustic standards. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the Acoustical Society of America, the average American student can only understand 75% or less of what is being said when they are in a classroom that was not designed with improved acoustical standards. When you consider that children are still developing language, having them try to understand their teacher&apos;s voice in noisy environments has a negative impact on their learning experience.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This new 2017 law has expanded state standards for good acoustic design in a whole new area.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Good acoustics benefit everyone&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Good acoustic design provides improved communication access for almost everyone. This is not just for people who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing. People who can hear benefit too. Good acoustic design has two goals:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minimize background noise (think about how noisy heating, air conditioning, and water running in pipes can be). This is also called ambient noise.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minimize echoes in sound. This is also called reverberation.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By minimizing ambient noise and reverberation, it is much easier for peoples&apos; voices to be heard and understood (especially for the people who are sitting in the back of the room).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hearing loops benefit both hearing aid &amp;amp; cochlear implant users&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many hearing aids and cochlear implants have t-coils (telecoils) built in, which allows users to access hearing loops directly with the push of a button. Many people do not realize that their devices have t-coils so check your hearing aids or cochlear implants. You might even want to talk with your audiologist about t-coils. Hearing Loss Association of America has an online brochure with helpful information called, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.hearingloss.org/programs-events/get-hearing-loop/&quot;&gt;Get in the Hearing Loop&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition, hearing loops can also send sound to portable loop receivers with headphones. Attendees at an event can request the facilities&apos; headphones to be able to access high-quality, clear sound (if they have loops installed where the event is located).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH&apos;s responsibilities under this new law&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Minnesotans (MNCDHH) has two responsibilities under this law:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provide consultation for the implementation of acoustic design or looping&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Produce a report to the state legislature every two years that includes a list of the projects that applied for a waiver for these two building code requirements&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH is also creating resource documents and giving presentations to communicate to public and private agencies the new requirements and the industry best practices so that Minnesotans will experience the best that acoustic design and looping has to offer.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Watch for more information&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;More information will continue to be shared about hearing loops as the technology increases in popularity. Watch for future learning opportunities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For example, our Deputy Director, Emory David Dively, is presenting at the Gov IT Symposium about hearing loops on December 6, 2017. Also presenting are Steve Walsh and Rick Korinek, who are the President and Vice President respectively of Midwest Hearing Loops.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>319758</id><Tag><Description/><Title>accessible technology</Title><Id>310264</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>looping</Title><Id>310267</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-01-21T23:12:25Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Ask MNCDHH: Tell Me about Hearing Aids (Part 3)</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A middle-aged woman wtih a thoughtful facila expression. She is seated in an outdoor restaurant.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/hearing%20aids%20arhl_tcm1063-313556.jpg</Url></Image><title>2017-10-18 Ask MNCDHH: Tell Me about Hearing Aids (Part 3)</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-313567&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-10-18T15:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNCDHH received many similar questions about hearing aids, insurance coverage, and affordability. To address a topic that many people have questions about, we decided to create a three-part series on hearing aids.

Part 3: I&apos;m losing my hearing as an older adult and I think I need hearing aids. What do I do?</ShortDescription><Subtitle>You ask, we answer</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MNCDHH received many similar questions about hearing aids, insurance coverage, and affordability. To address a topic that many people have questions about, we decided to create a three-part series on hearing aids.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Part 3: I&apos;m losing my hearing as an older adult and I think I need hearing aids. What do I do?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The first thing to do is recognize that you are not alone. Hearing loss is a common part of aging and it takes time to adjust. Now is the time to get resources and help and bring your family and friends along with you on your journey. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We suggest that you begin by watching &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.tpt.org/hearing-loss-matters/&quot;&gt;the movie, Hearing Loss Matters&lt;/a&gt;, a 26-minute documentary film about age-related hearing loss, co-produced by MNCDHH and TPT Twin Cities PBS. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After you have watched the film, visit MNCDHH&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/hearing-loss-matters/&quot;&gt;special Hearing Loss Matters website&lt;/a&gt; for adults experiencing age-related hearing loss, their families, friends, coworkers, health providers, and public policy workers. Help and resources are available and listed on this site. Please use it to research your options.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are interested in purchasing hearing aids, here is what you can do.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Schedule an appointment with an audiologist or licensed hearing aid dispenser&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Contact your insurance company to find out about your coverage for hearing health care&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Financial resources&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are pursuing financial aid to help with the costs of hearing aids, below are lists that individual organizations have put together.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.hearingloss.org/hearing-help/financial-assistance/&quot;&gt;Hearing Loss Association of America - List of financial resources&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/dhs/people-we-serve/children-and-families/services/deaf-hard-of-hearing/resources/hearing-aid-financial-resources.jsp&quot;&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Services Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD) - List of financial resources&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional information&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If you missed the earlier newsletters, check out &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/deaf-commission/news/index.jsp?id=1063-313562&quot;&gt;Part 1: Hearing Aids for Children (Birth to 18)&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/deaf-commission/news/index.jsp?id=1063-313565&quot;&gt;Part 2: Hearing Aids for Adults&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Read MNCDHH&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/deaf-commission/news/index.jsp?id=1063-309768&quot;&gt;newsletter about the legalization of Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids&lt;/a&gt;, which will be a future option for adults with suspected mild to moderate hearing loss. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Special thanks to Mary Bauer from the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD) for her help with the hearing aid newsletter series.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Is this answer helpful? If you have more questions, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>313567</id><Tag><Description/><Title>ask the commission</Title><Id>310292</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>hearing aids</Title><Id>310255</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>age-related hearing loss</Title><Id>310251</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-12-15T15:38:18Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>VCSL Training at the Collaborative Experience Conference</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>There are three sections to this header. The far section shows a stack of brightly colored workbooks and a row of brightly colored pencils. The top section has the State of Minnesota &apos;M&apos; with the word, &quot;Minnesota,&quot; next to it. In the section on the bottom are the words in white font, &quot;Collaborative Experience Conference,&quot; and a dark blue background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/CE%20Banner%20-%20Facebook_tcm1063-314850.jpg</Url></Image><title>2017-10-13 VCSL Training at the Collaborative Experience Conference</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-314854&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-10-13T15:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Information about the type of seating available at the VCSL workshop as well as other Saturday events. Registration for the full conference continues to fill fast so hurry if you plan to sign up. There are 10 parent scholarships still available. #CollaborativeExperience</ShortDescription><Subtitle>VCSL = Visual Communication and Sign Language Checklist for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is VCSL? It is a &lt;a href=&quot;http://vl2.gallaudet.edu/resources/vcsl/&quot;&gt;standardized comprehensive checklist&lt;/a&gt; used to assist in tracking young children&apos;s sign language development from birth to age 5. This checklist is authored by &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Laurene Simms, Ph.D., Gallaudet University, &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sharon Baker, Ed.D., The University of Tulsa, and &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;M. Diane Clark, Ph.D., Gallaudet University. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are extremely lucky that Dr. Laurene Simms is attending the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/collaborative-experience/&quot;&gt;2017 Collaborative Experience conference&lt;/a&gt; as both a keynote speaker and to present on VCSL. If you are registered to attend the conference and want to watch her VCSL presentation, there are two ways to do it (one of which is already full).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Training Seat - FULL&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The training seats are reserved for participants who have an Intermediate Plus or Above SLPI rating and are committed to staying until 5:00 p.m. at Breezy Point on Saturday, November 4th. There are only 30 training seats in order to ensure that the workshop is effective. The seats were given to participants who:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;are on a Regional EHDI team&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;are a Deaf Mentor&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;are representing their school or district as a teacher of students who use ASL and are at the preschool language level&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;are pulled into the training from the Gallery Seat waiting list&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Gallery Seat - no limit on the number of seats&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The gallery is meant for registered conference participants who have an interest in learning about the assessment tool but&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;are not currently serving students with a preschool language development level&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;are not able to stay at Breezy Point until 5:00 pm on Saturday&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;are not at or above the Intermediate Plus SLPI rating&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;are on a wait list for attending the full day training&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Other Saturday events&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If neither seats are a fit for you, don&apos;t worry! We have several other fantastic sessions occurring on Saturday, November 4th, from 8:30 - 11:30 am. They are:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A conference debriefing breakfast hosted by Minnesota Hands &amp;amp; Voices - for parents only&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;ASL level 2 and 3 classes with Jonathan Penny, David Reinhart, and Brad Hardin from the University of Minnesota&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Educational Interpreting Concepts: Math &amp;amp; Science workshop by Jimmy Beldon, CDI&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Supporting Emerging Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Learners in an E-12 System by Martina Wagner and Jacob Law from Metro ECSU&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Not yet registered for the Collaborative Experience?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Are you planning to register but have not done it yet? You might want to register today because space continues to fill up fast. Go to the conference registration site &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Word to the wise, there are still 10 scholarships left for parents. Learn more about scholarship opportunities &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>314854</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>language acquisition</Title><Id>310294</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-07-10T23:28:03Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Ask MNCDHH: Tell Me about Hearing Aids (Part 2)</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A man faces the camera with a serious facial expression. He has a beard, mustache, and is wearing business attire.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/hearing%20aids%20adult_tcm1063-313555.jpeg</Url></Image><title>2017-10-12 Ask MNCDHH: Tell Me about Hearing Aids (Part 2)</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-313565&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-10-12T15:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNCDHH received many similar questions about hearing aids, insurance coverage, and affordability. To address a topic that many people have questions about, we decided to create a three-part series on hearing aids.

Part 2: Hearing aids for adults and insurance coverage</ShortDescription><Subtitle>You ask, we answer</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MNCDHH received many similar questions about hearing aids, insurance coverage, and affordability. To address a topic that many people have questions about, we decided to create a three-part series on hearing aids.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Part 2: Hearing aids for adults and insurance coverage&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In theory, any health insurance could potentially cover hearing aids and hearing health. However, most insurance plans do not. For example, Medicare does not cover hearing aids while Medicaid does.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The very first thing you should do is contact your insurance company and ask them about hearing aid coverage.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Below is information that we hope will be helpful to you. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you purchase private insurance and you are not of Medicare age (typically 65+)&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For personal insurance purchased through the state or national exchange, hearing aids insurance is not an “Essential Health Benefit,” so it is not mandated by law. Those private plans from the exchange most likely will not offer any hearing aid insurance coverage. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you would like to see it become state law for private insurance companies to cover hearing health care, please write to your legislators and let them know.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have insurance through your employer&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For employer-sponsored health insurance, each company determines what services they want to be covered and what percentage is covered, or co-pay is required. Of course, the smaller the copay or, the smaller the deductible, the more expensive the premiums will be. Also, the more medical coverage the plan offers, the more expensive it will be. Most employer-sponsored health plans do not include hearing aid coverage. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;However, we recommend that you advocate with your Human Resources department to see if they would be willing to add hearing health, and hearing aids in particular, to their coverage plan. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.asha.org/public/coverage/model-benefits/&quot;&gt;See this post by ASHA&lt;/a&gt; (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association) to see the model coverage for hearing aids and hearing health.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are a vet with service-related hearing loss&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition, if you are a veteran and you have a hearing loss that is a service-related injury, the VA does provide hearing aids. Visit the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.prosthetics.va.gov/psas/Hearing_Aids.asp&quot;&gt;U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Rehabilitation and Prosthetic Services page&lt;/a&gt; for more information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional information&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Visit MNCDHH&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/healthcare/hearing-aids-adults/&quot;&gt;Hearing Aids for Adults page&lt;/a&gt; to read a brief overview of your rights while purchasing hearing aids, in accordance with state and federal laws.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If you missed the earlier newsletter, check out &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/deaf-commission/news/index.jsp?id=1063-313562&quot;&gt;Part 1: Hearing aids for children (birth to 18) and insurance coverage&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Special thanks to Mary Bauer from the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD) for her help with the hearing aid newsletter series.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Is this answer helpful? If you have more questions, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>313565</id><Tag><Description/><Title>hearing aids</Title><Id>310255</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>ask the commission</Title><Id>310292</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-12-15T15:38:15Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Ask MNCDHH: Tell Me about Hearing Aids (Part 1)</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A young girl is smiling and facing the camera. She is laying on grass and has her face cupped in her hands.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/hearing%20aids%20birth%20to%2018_tcm1063-313554.jpeg</Url></Image><title>2017-10-04 Ask MNCDHH: Tell Me about Hearing Aids (Part 1)</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-313562&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-10-04T15:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNCDHH received many similar questions about hearing aids, insurance coverage, and affordability. To address a topic that many people have questions about, we decided to create a three-part series on hearing aids.  

Part 1: Hearing aids for children (birth to 18) and insurance coverage</ShortDescription><Subtitle>You ask, we answer</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MNCDHH received many similar questions about hearing aids, insurance coverage, and affordability. To address a topic that many people have questions about, we decided to create a three-part series on hearing aids.  &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Part 1: Hearing aids for children (birth to 18) and insurance coverage&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The very first thing you should do is contact your insurance company and ask them if they cover hearing health care. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State programs and services &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are a lot of resources available for children and families when it comes to getting hearing aids for children.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If your child is covered by a MNSURE insurance plan, all plans sold on MNSURE are required to provide hearing aid coverage for children who are 18 and under.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If you obtain insurance through your employer, it is important that you contact your Human Resource department to ask if your health plan is: 1) a Minnesota plan or if it is issued out of another state; and 2) whether it is fully insured or self-insured (most small companies are fully insured while most large companies are self-insured). The next bullet point explains why you need to ask these questions.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Hearing aids are covered for children from birth to 18 in Minnesota insurance plans that are fully insured. If your insurance denies coverage for hearing aids for your child, don&apos;t worry, resources are available. Please contact DHHSD to request a Hearing Aids Appeals packet. Call 651-431-5940 (voice) / 651-964-1514 (videophone). This packet only has information about appealing denied hearing aid insurance coverage for children (birth to 18).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Loans and financial resources&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://cfhp.health.state.mn.us/hearbank/home.xhtml&quot;&gt;Loaner hearing devices&lt;/a&gt; are available for children (age 0 to 18 years) in Minnesota to give families time to decide which approaches to take and also to secure funds. A typical loan period is 6 months and over 800 Minnesota children have benefited since the loaner bank began in 2007, although it can last much longer, based on family need thanks to legislation passed by advocates with MNCDHH.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Services Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD) has a &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/dhs/people-we-serve/adults/services/deaf-hard-of-hearing/resources/hearing-aid-financial-resources.jsp&quot;&gt;list of Hearing Aid Financial Resources&lt;/a&gt;. This list is also included in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.health.state.mn.us/docs/people/childrenyouth/cyshn/ehdibinder.pdf&quot;&gt;What You Need to Know: Resources for families binder (PDF)&lt;/a&gt; (pages 23-24), which is provided to families of newly identified children with hearing loss by the Minnesota Department of Health.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional information&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Visit MNCDHH&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/healthcare/hearing-aids-children/&quot;&gt;Hearing Aids for Children (Birth to 18)&lt;/a&gt; for an overview of your rights while purchasing hearing aids by state and federal law. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Review MNCDHH&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;/deaf-commission/assets/2.02-Hearing%20Aids%20Law%203-2017-Web_tcm1063-529917.pdf&quot; title=&quot;hearing-aids-18-years-or-younger-minnesota-law&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;hearing-aids-18-years-or-younger-minnesota-law&quot;&gt;quick fact sheet (PDF)&lt;/a&gt; regarding an expanded law for coverage of hearing aids for children who are 18 years of age or younger in Minnesota.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Special thanks to Mary Bauer from the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD) for her help with the hearing aid newsletter series.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Is this answer helpful? If you have more questions, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>313562</id><Tag><Description/><Title>ask the commission</Title><Id>310292</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>hearing aids</Title><Id>310255</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-12-15T15:38:15Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Online Resources for Families with Children Identified as Deaf or Hard of Hearing</Title><title>2017-08-24 Online Resources for Families with Children Identified as Deaf or Hard of Hearing</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-308973&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-08-24T13:58:13Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Collaborative Plan stakeholders reviewed the information that families receive from different organizations. Based on their recommendations, the MN Dept of Health updated the content. The binder is available online and will be updated each year.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>A resources binder for families</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/6qkP0YHxv1Y&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about the resources binder for families&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;.&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a darker, slower format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/_KrstTmyrGM&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendly ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.health.state.mn.us/docs/people/childrenyouth/cyshn/ehdibinder.pdf&quot;&gt;“What You Need to Know: Resources for Families” (PDF)&lt;/a&gt; is a collection of resources that is mailed to parents as soon as a child is identified as deaf or hard of hearing. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Beginning in August 2017, parents, extended family members, and professionals can get the same resources online. Rural families with limited access to broadband and Wi-Fi can download the materials in a .pdf format to an e-reader (i.e. on smartphones, tablets) and access them anytime, anywhere.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH) has identified the following goal (1.2) to “develop a mechanism that ensures family access to all available resources and information that is accurate, well-balanced, comprehensive, and conveyed in an unbiased manner.” Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has been authorized through statute to provide these resources to families of children who are D/HH. During the past year, stakeholders of the Collaborative Plan reviewed the materials to ensure that the materials met JCIH goals. They made recommendations for changes which were approved by MDH. At MDH’s request, stakeholders of the Collaborative Plan have agreed to review the resources annually to ensure that the information is accurate, well-balanced, comprehensive, and conveyed in an unbiased manner. MDH and the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) advisory committee make final decisions on the inclusion of materials in this group of resources.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing Minnesotans (MNCDHH) provided funding to make this resource available online and accessible. MDH hosts “What You Need to Know: Resources for Families” on the MDH website.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Involved stakeholders&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many thanks to the stakeholders who reviewed the resource binder:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kathy Anderson – Low Incidence: EHDI Projects&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Nicole Brown – EHDI Coordinator: MN Dept of Health&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Laura Godfrey – MN Hands &amp;amp; Voices&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Debbie Golos – University of Minnesota&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Danelle Gournaris – Deaf Mentor Family Program&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Michele Isham –Teacher D/HH: Region 5/7&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Susan Lane-Outlaw – Executive Director: Metro Deaf School&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Darcia Dierking – Audiologist: MN Dept of Health&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Chelsea Paulson – Deaf/Hard of Hearing Role Model Program&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Lyndsey Raffelson - Teacher D/HH: Region 10&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kara Tempel - Part C Coordinator: MN Dept of Education&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Anne Grace Donatucci – Administrator: Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;More information&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn more about the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.jcih.org/&quot;&gt;Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visit the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/advocacy-issues/education/collaborative-plan/&quot;&gt;Collaborative Plan website&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Read the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=144.966&quot;&gt;2016 Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program statute&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn more about &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.improveehdi.org/mn/state/&quot;&gt;EHDI in Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And now, you can access the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.health.state.mn.us/docs/people/childrenyouth/cyshn/ehdibinder.pdf&quot;&gt;Online Resources for Families (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>308973</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>language acquisition</Title><Id>310294</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-07-10T23:28:02Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Ask MNCDHH: Where Do I Find You?</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Three turtles enjoy the sun on a rock by a body of water. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/three-amigos-1393109-640x480_tcm1063-305648.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Three turtles enjoy the sun on a rock by a body of water. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/three-amigos-1393109-640x480_tcm1063-305648.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>2017-08-09 Ask MNCDHH: Where Do I Find You?</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-305649&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-08-09T15:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Do you have local offices in each county? And how do I contact them? Thanks.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>You ask, we answer</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do you have local offices in each county? And how do I contact them? Thanks.&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH has an office in St. Paul, MN. The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/contact-us/&quot;&gt;Contact Us page&lt;/a&gt; on our website has the information about how to visit us (along with parking and public transportation instructions), our phone number (both voice and videophone), our fax, our email, and our mailing address (separate from our physical location).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please get in touch with us if you have questions related to legislation and public policy. We also want you to let us know if you experience barriers to communication access and equal opportunity that could possibly be resolved through public policy. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When to contact DHHSD&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have questions about services that the state can provide or would like a referral related to a hearing loss resource, you can contact the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/dhs/people-we-serve/children-and-families/services/deaf-hard-of-hearing/contact-us/&quot;&gt;Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD)&lt;/a&gt;. They have six physical locations around Minnesota. We recommend that you contact the office that is closest to you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deciding who to contact&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;People often wonder when they should contact MNCDHH and when they should contact DHHSD. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While MNCDHH and DHHSD are both dedicated to deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing issues, our agencies have different roles. We are hoping that we can make the distinction clearer between both agencies. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;DHHSD&apos;s role is to provide social services and resources to people who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing so that they can enjoy the same level of access as anyone else.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNCDHH&apos;s role is to work with advocates, community organizations, legislators, and other policymakers to create systems changes and new laws.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here is a good example. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We recently received an inquiry from a community member who wanted information about public transit resources for people with a disability. We explained that if she wanted to discuss &lt;em&gt;public policy&lt;/em&gt; related to transit for people with a disability, that we were the correct group to contact. Since she wanted information on transit resources, we advised her to contact DHHSD instead. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Is this answer helpful? If you have more questions, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Question for MNCDHH?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do you have a question for MNCDHH? &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3665562/Questions-for-MNCDHH&quot;&gt;Send us your questions&lt;/a&gt;!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>305649</id><Tag><Description/><Title>ask the commission</Title><Id>310292</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-12-15T15:38:15Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Ask MNCDHH: Where Do I Fit In?</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A flock of Canadian geese inflight. The trees are in a blur in the background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/flock-of-birds-canada-geese-geese-wing-55832_tcm1063-303570.jpeg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A flock of Canadian geese inflight. The trees are in a blur in the background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/flock-of-birds-canada-geese-geese-wing-55832_tcm1063-303570.jpeg</Url></Thumbnail><title>2017-07-19 Ask MNCDHH: Where Do I Fit In?</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-303571&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-07-19T16:20:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>I have had no hearing in my left ear since I was 17 years old. Am I considered a part of this group?</ShortDescription><Subtitle>You ask, we answer</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I have had no hearing in my left ear since I was 17 years old. Am I considered a part of this group?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH advocates for communication access and equal opportunity with the 20% of Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing. Our work is about people with hearing loss from all walks of life and identities. So yes, as a person with a hearing loss, you are considered to be part of the demographic that we work with.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are searching for services related to hearing loss, please reach out to your local &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/dhs/people-we-serve/children-and-families/services/deaf-hard-of-hearing/contact-us/&quot;&gt;Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD)&lt;/a&gt; office.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;From your question, I believe you may be looking for community and to possibly connect with other people with hearing loss. Here are a few suggestions you, and others in a similar situation, may want to try:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Join &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.minndeaf.org/&quot;&gt;Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens&lt;/a&gt; (uses American Sign Language - ASL)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Join &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.hlaatc.org/&quot;&gt;Hearing Loss Association of America&lt;/a&gt; (CART - captioning - is provided at all meetings, can hire sign language interpreters upon request)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Search for events at &lt;a href=&quot;http://deafmn.com/&quot;&gt;DeafMN&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sign up for ASL classes at your local community college&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Join the online community at the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.saywhatclub.com/&quot;&gt;SayWhatClub&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are many special interest groups, such as &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.thdeafclub.com/&quot;&gt;Thompson Hall&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/stpaulmplsbda/&quot;&gt;St. Paul &amp;amp; Minneapolis Black Deaf Advocates&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/Minnesota-Deaf-Muslim-Community-MDMC-386531481450598/&quot;&gt;Minnesota Deaf Muslim Community&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://minnesotadeafseniorcitizens.org/&quot;&gt;MN Deaf Senior Citizens&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mndeafblind.wordpress.com/&quot;&gt;Minnesota DeafBlind Association&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/groups/1394664477498957/&quot;&gt;Deaf Women of 10,000 Lakes&lt;/a&gt; (you must be signed in to Facebook to view their page), deaf churches and churches with deaf congregations, and more. Hopefully, you will find a place where you can connect with others.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Is this answer helpful? If you have more questions, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Question for MNCDHH?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do you have a question for MNCDHH? &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3665562/Questions-for-MNCDHH&quot;&gt;Send us your questions&lt;/a&gt;!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>303571</id><Tag><Description/><Title>ask the commission</Title><Id>310292</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-12-15T15:38:15Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Ask MNCDHH: Hearing Dogs</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Close up of a brown dog with warm, expressive eyes and a white snout.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/dog-brown-snout-fur_tcm1063-302703.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Close up of a brown dog with warm, expressive eyes and a white snout.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/deaf-commission/assets/dog-brown-snout-fur_tcm1063-302703.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>2017-07-12 Ask MNCDHH: Hearing Dogs</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-302702&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-07-12T21:06:45Z</Date><ShortDescription>Does MNCDHH help with hearing dogs?</ShortDescription><Subtitle>You ask, we answer</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Does MNCDHH help with hearing dogs?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Where MNCDHH comes in:&lt;/strong&gt; MNCDHH&apos;s role is to promote communication access and equal opportunity through legislative activity and by building community partnerships.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here&apos;s an example. We might advocate, along with community experts, for legislation that improves access for individuals and organizations who work with service animals. However, we are not involved in the process of training and matching service animals. That is done by the community experts and organizations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Where DHHSD comes in:&lt;/strong&gt; Anytime you are searching for information about services and referrals related to hearing loss resources, we suggest that you contact the Minnesota Department of Human Services Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD). You can &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/dhs/people-we-serve/children-and-families/services/deaf-hard-of-hearing/contact-us/&quot;&gt;contact your local regional office&lt;/a&gt; or you can download DHHSD&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/dhs/people-we-serve/children-and-families/services/deaf-hard-of-hearing/resources/resources-publications-reports.jsp&quot;&gt;Professional and Consumer Resource Guide&lt;/a&gt;. Good luck!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Does this answer make sense? If not, please email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; to learn more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Question for MNCDHH?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do you have a question for MNCDHH? &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3665562/Questions-for-MNCDHH&quot;&gt;Send us your questions&lt;/a&gt;!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>302702</id><Tag><Description/><Title>ask the commission</Title><Id>310292</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-12-15T15:37:57Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Funding for Vocational Rehabilitation Services Correction</Title><title>2017-07-10 Funding for Vocational Rehabilitation Services Correction</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-302427&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-07-10T20:13:27Z</Date><ShortDescription>The 2017 Legislature awarded $3.5 million/year to Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS) for the next 2 years. Category 1 services will remain open to new people who qualify, Categories 2-4 will keep a waiting list.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>$7 million will cover Category 1 services</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/v4n3uTuxGCw&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with the correction about VRS funding&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;nbsp;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a darker, slower format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/fBO1tksqR14&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendly ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In January 2017, the Commission board voted to support the Governor’s funding request for $3.5 million a year for Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS), for a total of $7 million.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We thought that the funds would be used to eliminate all waiting lists for adults for VRS services. We were mistaken. There are four categories of service at VRS and three have waiting lists that will continue. Only Category 1 remains open to new people. If we didn’t get new funding, VRS was in serious danger of having to start a waiting list for Category 1. If a person qualifies for Category 1, they will get service. People who apply for VRS will be assessed by a VR counselor who will determine if they qualify. Every person’s situation is unique.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Youth from 16-24 are treated differently, under a federal law called the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Most youth with a disability will receive VR services. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Categories of Services&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Under federal law, VRS serves 4 different categories of individuals with disabilities who are seeking job placement assistance. Federal law also requires that when there are insufficient resources to provide services to everyone who is eligible for VR services, people with the most significant disabilities must be served first.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The 4 categories are:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Category 1: three or more functional limitations in employment (No waiting list)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Category 2: two functional limitations in employment (Has a waiting list since 2014)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Category 3: one functional limitation in employment (Has a waiting list since 2014)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Category 4: no functional limitations in employment (Has a waiting list since 1993)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Functional Limitations&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Functional limitations in employment? What is that?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Functional limitations in employment” is a term used at the federal level that categorizes how an individual’s disability impacts their ability to find and maintain employment. For example, one individual can have one disability but the disability might impact more than one area of “functional limitations in employment.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The list of functional limitations in employment are:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Communication&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Interpersonal skills&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mobility&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Self–care&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Self–direction&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Work skills&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Work tolerance&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are glad the funding came through and thank you for advocating so people who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing who qualify can get the services they need from VRS. The $7 million in funding is only for the next two years. VRS expects to return to the Legislature in 2019 to ask for funding again,&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>302427</id><Tag><Description/><Title>employment</Title><Id>310253</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2017-09-05T15:28:51Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Corrections: DHHSD Law for DeafBlind Services</Title><title>2017-06-25 Corrections: DHHSD Law for DeafBlind Services</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-301056&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-06-26T15:52:50Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing Minnesotans (MNCDHH) and Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD) were contacted by community members with several questions about the changes to DeafBlind services in the new DHHSD law. MNCDHH apologizes for not getting the information correct in our previous video. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>How the new law impacts the DeafBlind community</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/kyIWag6BfTI&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with the DHHSD Law for DB Services Corrections&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;nbsp;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a darker, slower format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/ZeFuj-6jJho&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendly ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello! In our last vlog, we explained the new law for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD). We realize that we made some mistakes in how we explained how services for DeafBlind people will be impacted. There are two parts to this correction:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Regional Offices Continue DeafBlind Services&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;1. The Regional Offices will continue to offer services to people who are deafblind, including mental health services and all of the other great services offered to the general public. DeafBlind consumers can still call, make appointments and get those services from DHHSD.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Two Agencies Could Receive DeafBlind Grants.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2. We thought one organization would administer both: 1. consumer-directed grants and 2. grants for Support Service Providers (SSPs) and Intervenors. That’s what we had hoped the new law would do, because this is what the community asked for in the studies that DHHSD did last year. The community said it would be easier if one place offered both types of grants.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;However, we found out we were wrong. The new law does not require that one organization run both programs. DHHSD will select a vendor or vendors after asking who is interested through a request for proposals. It could be the same organization, or services might be offered to by two different organizations. We will have to wait to see.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are sorry for not getting it right in the first vlog. We will work at providing more accurate information as we go forward.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For More Information and Updates&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information and to sign up for alerts, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/&quot;&gt;visit our website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>301056</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>deafblind</Title><Id>499876</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-09-20T18:45:30Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>New DHHSD Law Explained</Title><title>2017-06-15 New DHHSD Law Explained</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-299692&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-06-15T13:43:15Z</Date><ShortDescription>This video summarizes the community&apos;s vision shared during the 2015-2016 studies and how the new law helps make it happen.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>New law for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/HuZVXbNK9CE&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with the new DHHSD law explanation&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;nbsp;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind, or prefer to watch the video in a slower format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/Ntsy1z5Rrh4&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendly ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The law that created the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD) was originally written 37 years ago, in 1980. Of course, the rest of the world has changed a lot since 1980, with the adoption of the Americans with Disabilities Act and huge advancements in technology. DHHSD’s law became out of date and the funding wasn’t enough to meet current needs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DHHSD conducted studies and got feedback from the community in 2015 and 2016 about our shared needs and vision for the future. The Commission worked with DHHSD and legislators during the legislative session to make the community’s vision a reality.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The update will describe what’s new about the law. DHHSD will continue to provide the excellent services they have always provided including:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;individual assistance, as needed, to people whose needs are not met by other agencies&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;mental health services in American Sign Language&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;grants for Children’s mental health services, DeafBlind services, Deaf Mentor Family Program, and greater access to interpreters&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;the law also allows DHHSD to provide psychiatric services in American Sign Language, if funding is available.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What’s new?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Community’s Vision: Resource Centers&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here&apos;s the community&apos;s vision. DHHSD is one of the first places where people look to find resources and advice; it’s easy to find them, contact them and receive services no matter where we live in the state. Regional offices become gathering places for our community, including our families, interpreters, itinerant teachers, SSPs, and interveners and collaborate with nonprofits and other state agencies to maximize involvement and connection, build community strength, and increase communication access.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How the new law helps make it happen&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;DHHSD will expand connections with other government agencies, nonprofit agencies, and businesses that serve our communities&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;DHHSD will explore sharing offices with other agencies&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;In addition to having DHHSD staff provide trainings, the new law encourages them also host trainings led by other experts&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;DHHSD will refer clients to other agencies that can provide the services in a way that will meet a client’s needs.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;DHHSD will have a new, independent website with more content available in ASL&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;DHHSD will provide stationary or mobile equipment labs in every region of the state so that people can see which equipment works best for them before purchasing it for themselves.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;DHHSD will add a directory of real-time captioning (CART) providers and agencies in addition to the interpreter directory they already provide.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Community’s Vision: Access to Technology&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here&apos;s the community&apos;s vision. DHHSD finds classrooms around the state with technology that allows people to fully participate in fully accessible interactive trainings. People without good internet access at home can communicate with DHHSD and get needed services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How the new law makes this happen:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;DHHSD will keep a minimum of 6 regional offices (can be satellite or physical offices)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;DHHSD will explore new partnerships with other state agencies or organizations with great technology to expand DHHSD services and trainings&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The law sets aside some funding for technology and training about technology for staff, which will make it easier for people to get services.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Community’s vision: Communication with Community&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here&apos;s the community&apos;s vision. DHHSD will receive feedback from the community about our needs and report back to the community and Legislature about its activities. This two-way communication will ensure that DHHSD is meeting the community’s changing needs and that the Legislature knows what is needed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How the new law makes this happen:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Regional advisory committees will annually identify regional needs and provide feedback on how to better address service gaps&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;DHHSD will report on its activities and progress and service gaps to the Legislature every other year, starting in January 2019&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;DHHSD and the Commission will develop recommendations for modernizing the Telephone Equipment Distribution (TED) program by January 2018&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;DHHSD will do a report by January 2018 on the costs and benefits of potentially billing for mental health services&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Community’s vision: DeafBlind Services&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here&apos;s the community&apos;s vision. Services are provided to DeafBlind people in a way that is as easy to access as possible and provides flexibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How the new law makes this happen:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;All DeafBlind services will be provided through an organization that receives funding from DHHSD, instead of DHHSD providing some of the coordination of services themselves&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;DHHSD will provide funding for trainings about ProTactile and possibly other tactile communication methods. The trainings will be offered to people who are DeafBlind, Support Service Providers (SSPs), interveners and interpreters&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Community’s vision: Accessible Government Services&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here&apos;s the community&apos;s vision. All government agencies understand how to serve and provide communication access to deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing people, so that we can receive government services from the same agencies as everyone else.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How the new law helps make this happen:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;DHHSD will expand and standardize training to other state agencies, counties and departments in DHS (like chemical dependency and aging) on the needs of Deaf, DeafBlind and hard of hearing people.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;DHHSD will research and develop best practices advice for emerging technologies and emerging issues, such as when it is best to use of Video Remote Interpreting or Certified Deaf Interpreters&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you to the community members who participated in the 2015-2016 surveys, to the legislators, to the DHHSD staff, and to the Commission board for all of their hard work that led to the passage of this bill. This law is the result of many years of work and the dedication shown by everyone who helped.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For More Information and Updates&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information and to sign up for alerts, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/&quot;&gt;visit our website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>299692</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>deafblind</Title><Id>499876</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-09-20T18:45:23Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Lobby Day Trailer</Title><title>2017-06-12 Lobby Day Trailer</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-299718&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-06-12T23:05:05Z</Date><ShortDescription>Video trailer of the 2017 Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day. Filmed and edited by Copper &amp; Water.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Watch this fantastic trailer of Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day (2017), created by our vendor, Copper &amp;amp; Water. The video has open captioning. Enjoy!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZZDnezENO3o&quot; title=&quot;2017 Lobby Day trailer by Copper &amp;amp; Water&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;nbsp;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Video description&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Screenshot of the &quot;Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Day at the Capitol&quot; sign. The following words briefly appear across, &quot;Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day March 8, 2017,&quot; appear. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Scene change: Group of people, some standing, some sitting in a room. They appear to be practicing during the &quot;How to Talk with Your Legislator&quot; training.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Scene change: Emory K. Dively and Kathy Manlapas are shown chatting with Kathy&apos;s students. Emory signs, &quot;a list of bills&quot; which also appear in the open captioning.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Scene change: View of seated audience members during the &quot;How to Talk to Your Legislator&quot; training.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Scene change: Another view of the seated audience members in the training.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Scene change: Emory David Dively and Senator Foung Hawj are presenting during the training. Emory signs, &quot;supporting several commission proposals that support the Deaf and Hard of Hearing,&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Scene change: The elaborately decorated blue and gold ceiling inside of the Capitol Rotunda.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Scene change: View of seated audience members during the rally inside of the Capitol Rotunda.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Scene change: Representative Matt Dean is shown presenting at the podium during the rally. CDI Jimmy Beldon is shown interpreting next to him.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Scene change: Audience members watch the rally from the 2nd floor balcony in the Capitol Rotunda.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Scene change: Audience members wave their hands in &quot;deaf applause.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Scene change: Jimmy Beldon is interviewed. He explains, &quot;I am excited to see that there will be more accessible services regarding to communication.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Scene change: Jonathan Ainsworth is shown taking pictures of audience members.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Scene change: MNCDHH contractor Sarah Arana is shown providing information to Lobby Day attendees. Interpreter Megan Bolduc is voicing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Scene change: MNCDHH board member Jamie Taylor is voicing at the podium. Interpreter Robyn Lehmann-Doane is using ProTactile to communicate the audience&apos;s responses to Jamie. Next to Jamie, Shawn Vriezen, CDI, is interpreting for the audience.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Scene change: Minnesota DeafBlind Association president Debbie Lentz is being interviewed. Her interpreter, Alan Kenney, is standing next to her and watching her. Debbie is explaining, &quot;help get more DeafBlind people involved, to vote...&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Scene change: Overhead view of the audience inside of the Capitol Rotunda during the rally.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Scene change: Hearing Loss Association of America President, Christine Morgan, is presenting at the podium. Next to her stands interpreter Jimmy Beldon.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Scene change: MNCDHH board member Valerie Shirley is presenting at the podium. Jimmy Beldon is interpreting onstage next to her.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Scene change: DeafBlind and hard of hearing blind members of the audience who are attending the rally.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Scene change: Brief overview clip of the stage during the rally.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Scene change: Brief overview clip of the North Star on the floor and seated audience members.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Scene change: Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD) employee Liz Brown is interviewed. She explains, &quot;..supporting equality, that makes it worth coming to work everyday&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Scene change: Emory K. Dively is shown working with a student during the &quot;How to Talk to Your Legislator&quot; training. He says, &quot;Now, lets start. I enter the office, and say hi...&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Scene change: MNCDHH board chair Jason Valentine is shown at the rally. He is saying, &quot;we should support each other and look forward...&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Scene change: View of Shawn Vriezen interpreting from behind. The audience is shown watching.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Scene change: Heath Gilbert of Gilbert Law PLLC is shown receiving an award from Eric Nooker and Dawson Moder.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Scene change: Audience members are shown applauding, both the hearing and the deaf way.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Scene change: The following words appear on a blank page, &quot;Thanks to:&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Scene change: Logos for MNCDHH, MRID, CSD of Minnesota, Minnesota Employment Center, Minnesota State Academies, DeafBlind Services of Minnesota, Keystone Interpreting Solutions, Hearing Loss Association of America - Twin Cities, Minnesota Deaf Muslim Community, Minnesota DeafBlind Association, Minnesota Black Deaf Advocates, Minnesota Hands and Voices, Metro Deaf School, and Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens are shown on a single page.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;End of video.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>299718</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-12-12T17:48:28Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2017 Legislative Wrap Up</Title><title>2017-06-05 Legislative Wrap Up</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-298447&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-06-05T20:12:36Z</Date><ShortDescription>This is the complete summary of our 2017 legislative session, with an explanation about the result of each bill we pursued or supported. We outline next steps for the new law that allows for training for staff at assistive living facilities. We also thank those who responded to the action alert that we sent out for VR funding - your efforts worked! </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Thanks to legislators &amp; citizen advocates for your great work</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/aTCMM7U4dNM&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with the 2017 legislative update&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;nbsp;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a darker, slower format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/l6MGk2TH2EU&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendly ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The legislative special session is finally over and the Governor has taken action on the bills, so we can now tell you what was accomplished at the Legislature this year.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission succeeded in getting many of our bills passed. Thanks to all who advocated for the bills. The Commission’s legislative agenda comes from the community and is set by commission members. Your participation made a difference!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thanks to the legislators and citizen advocates who fought long and hard on our behalf to help us get our bills passed. Here’s what we accomplished together:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Education: Increased funding for Deaf Mentor Family Program: PASSED&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Deaf Mentor Family Program will receive an increase in grant funding from the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD). DHHSD will decide how large the increase is.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Age-Related Hearing Loss: Require good acoustics and hearing loops in state-funded construction: PASSED&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;From now on, whenever the state helps pay for construction or remodeling of a public gathering space in which it’s important to be able to hear, contractors will be required to consider including good acoustics and hearing loops. They can waive the requirements if it is too expensive. This new law is the first in the nation and sets a new national standard for accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Age-Related Hearing Loss: Training for staff at assisted living facilities: PASSED&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This new law clarifies that many staff who work with senior citizens can take training about age-related hearing loss and have it count towards their training requirements. The Commission will bring together a group of stakeholders to develop the training. The group will include Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division, audiologists, and the University of Minnesota. The student group at the College of Audiology at the U has agreed to develop an online version of the training and the U has agreed to host the online training. The bill goes into effect on January 1, 2018.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD): Modernize the services and increase funding: PASSED&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The new law will modernize the way services are provided statewide for deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing adults and children across the state and increase the funding for DHHSD. We will provide more details about this new law in the next few weeks.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Strengthening Commission: Increase funding to expand Commission’s impact for advocating with deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing Minnesotans: PASSED&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Funding for the Commission will be increased by $370,000 per year. This will allow us to put more information into American Sign Language (ASL), continue our work on age-related hearing loss, and spend more time ensuring that laws are implemented the way they should be.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Education: Funding for Adult Basic Education at ThinkSelf: NOT PASSED&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Legislature did not increase the funding for the Adult Basic Education (ABE) programs in Minnesota. This year the Deaf ABE program partnered with other programs in the state to ask for an increase for all of them. Unfortunately, they were not successful.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Education: Funding and infrastructure for the Minnesota State Academies for the Deaf and Blind: PASSED&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The State Academies will receive almost everything they asked the Legislature for. The Education Budget bill includes an increase of almost $2.8 million for the State Academies over the next two years, which will allow them to add staff and update resources. They will also receive over $2 million to maintain and update buildings on the campuses and to increase safety for students on campus. They had also asked for money to build a track on campus, but this did not pass.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Part of the funding increase for the State Academies will continue in future years, but not all of it. They will need to go back to the Legislature and ask again for an increase in funding in 2019.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Education: Assistive Technology in Education: PASSED&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Education is required to do an analysis of how assistive technology is used by students with disabilities. They must give the legislature a report of their findings in February 2018.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Employment: Eliminate waiting lists for Vocational Rehabilitation Services: PASSED&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Vocational Rehabilitation Services will receive an additional $3.5 million per year will help ensure that people with disabilities do not have to wait if they need assistance in finding a job or in getting the support they need once they have a job. Thank you to the people who responded to our Action Alert and contacted legislators to support this. You were a big help!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Employment: Keep Accommodation Fund for State Employees: GOOD &amp;amp; BAD PARTS PASSED&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Accommodation Fund for state employees will continue to receive $200,000 per year. However, the new law also requires agencies to pay half of the cost for accommodations. This is a new policy that we tried to convince legislators to change, but we were not successful.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Communication Access: Limitations on requirements to make websites available: NOT PASSED, which is good news&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Early in the session, we were worried that the Legislature would introduce a bill or an amendment that would say that businesses do not have to make their websites accessible. Luckily, none of the legislators offered this bill or amendment this year.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Elections: Changes to accessible voting equipment: NOT PASSED, which is fine&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There was a bill that would have changed the law to allow for a new type of accessible voting equipment to be used on Election Day in Minnesota. If it passed, we wanted to be sure the bill included a policy to protect the secrecy of who each person voted for. However, the bill did not pass so the special policy to protect voters’ secrecy is not needed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Over the next few weeks, we will provide more detailed information about several of the bills that passed this year. Stay tuned!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For More Information and Updates&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information and to sign up for alerts, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/&quot;&gt;visit our website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>298447</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>employment</Title><Id>310253</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>age-related hearing loss</Title><Id>310251</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2017-09-05T15:17:22Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Legislative Update - Not Yet at the Finish Line</Title><title>2017-05-30 Legislative Update - Not Yet at the Finish Line</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-297220&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-05-30T13:37:51Z</Date><ShortDescription>This is what we can share that is included in the bills as stands but the bills still could change. We should also know later today if the Governor decides to sign the bills or veto them. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>What we know right now</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/kwbKxiG22pk&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with the May 30, 2017 legislative update&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;nbsp;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a darker, slower format, watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/VPSRO0-4MMg&quot;&gt;DeafBlind friendly ASL version&lt;/a&gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Legislature was supposed to finish their work and end on Monday (May 22nd). However, they did not finish negotiating with the Governor in time, so they are holding a special session to finish passing the budget bills. The special session was only supposed to last one day, but there are disagreements between all of the legislators, so the special session will last longer.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For the most part, we can share what is included in the bills that the legislature is considering. Depending on what happens in negotiations, the bills still could change. Also, we do not know if the Governor will sign the bills or veto them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here’s where things stand:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD): &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Modernize the services and increase funding: INCLUDED IN BILL, WITH A SMALLER FUNDING INCREASE THAN WE ASKED FOR&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Strengthening Commission: &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Increase funding to expand Commission’s impact for advocating with deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing Minnesotans: INCLUDED IN BILL&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Education: &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Increased funding for Deaf Mentor Family Program: INCLUDED IN BILL BUT DOES NOT SPECIFY HOW MUCH&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Education: &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Funding and infrastructure for the Minnesota State Academies for the Deaf and Blind: INCLUDED IN SEVERAL BILLS&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Education: &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Analysis on how assistive technology is used by students with disabilities and have MDE give report to legislature in February 2018: INCLUDED IN BILL&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Education: &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Funding for Adult Basic Education at ThinkSelf: NOT INCLUDED IN BILL&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Employment: &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keep Accommodation Fund for State Employees: Keep $200,000 in funding per year but a new (and bad) policy was added. Now only half the cost will be refunded for each accommodation: INCLUDED IN BILL WITH BAD POLICY CHANGE&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Employment: &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Funding to eliminate waiting lists for Vocational Rehabilitation Services: INCLUDED IN BILL&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Age-Related Hearing Loss: &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Require good acoustics and hearing loops in state-funded construction: INCLUDED IN BILL&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Age-Related Hearing Loss: &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Training for staff at assisted living facilities about age-related hearing loss. Next, we will work with stakeholders to develop the training. The stakeholders include Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division, audiologists, and the University of Minnesota. PASSED INTO LAW (Effective January 1, 2018)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Communication Access: &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Good news. Our fears that a bill would be introduced by another organization to impose limits on requirements to make websites accessible did not happen: NOT INCLUDED IN BILL, which is what we wanted.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Elections: &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Changes to protect voters’ privacy when using accessible voting equipment: NOT INCLUDED IN BILL, because it was only needed if a certain new type of accessible voting machine was allowed. It was not, so it is a non-issue.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For More Information and Updates&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information and to sign up for alerts, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/&quot;&gt;visit our website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>297220</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>employment</Title><Id>310253</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>age-related hearing loss</Title><Id>310251</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2017-09-05T15:16:15Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>May 15, 2017: Legislative Update</Title><title>2017-05-15 Legislative Update</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-294569&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-05-15T17:31:15Z</Date><ShortDescription>In this update, we cover the negotiations between legislative leaders and the Governor about the budget bills. We also share information about the results of the three action alerts we sent out. There is good news about HF 952, the bill to ensure that staff of assisted living facilities and home care receive training about age-related hearing loss.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Budget bills negotiations, action alerts follow-up</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/wGxnf2gfiaQ&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with the May 15, 2017 legislative update&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;nbsp;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Last week, legislative leaders and the Governor were negotiating back and forth about the budget bills. Then they got frustrated and the legislature stopped negotiating. Instead, they decided just to pass the budget bills they had written, even though the Governor had said that he would veto them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Legislators and the Governor will be negotiating more this week and the legislature will need to pass another version of all of the budget bills. According to the State Constitution, the legislature is required to adjourn by next Monday, May 22nd. If the governor and the legislators have not agreed on a budget bill by then, they will need to hold a special session to work on it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Follow-up to Action Alerts&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you to everyone who made calls or sent emails in response to the action alerts!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One action alert was about the Accommodation Fund for state employees. Your calls and emails convinced legislators to continue putting $200,000 in the fund per year. Yay! Unfortunately, the bill continues to require agencies cover at least half the cost of accommodations. We are still hoping that we and the Governor can convince the legislators to eliminate this bad policy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Another action alert was about funding for the Minnesota State Academies. You succeeded at convincing legislators to give the State Academies some of the extra funding that they requested. Legislators gave them an additional $400,000 per year. There is a chance that this number could still go higher if the Governor can convince them to add more funding.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The third action alert was about funding for Vocational Rehabilitation Services. We do not have news about this to report yet.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Bill for training staff who work with seniors about age-related hearing loss&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On Wednesday, the Senate passed, HF 952, the bill to ensure that staff of assisted living facilities and home care agencies can take training about age-related hearing loss and have it count towards their annual training requirements, on the Senate floor. Senator Karin Housley did a great job explaining the bill and it passed unanimously. Now it will be sent to the Governor to sign it into law.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For More Information and Updates&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information and to sign up for alerts, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/&quot;&gt;visit our website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>294569</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>employment</Title><Id>310253</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>age-related hearing loss</Title><Id>310251</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2017-09-05T15:14:07Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Action Alert for Vocational Rehabilitation Services</Title><title>2017-05-12 Action Alert for Vocational Rehabilitation Services</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-294491&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-05-12T20:41:20Z</Date><ShortDescription>Ask the legislators to include the $7 million for Vocational Rehabilitation Services so that people with disabilities on waiting lists can receive employment services.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Please call or email today!</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/ordy9dlYQ-0&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with the VRS action alert&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;nbsp;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The state’s Vocational Rehabilitation Services needs additional funding. Voc Rehab assists people with disabilities to find and keep jobs by providing job counseling, job search assistance, training and job placement. If they do not receive more funding, they will have to put people on waiting lists, which will make it even harder for people with disabilities to get help to keep their job or find a job in the first place. The Governor has asked for an additional $7 million for Vocational Rehab Services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please call or email the following people to ask them to include the additional $7 million for Voc Rehab Services in the Jobs bill. If you live in the legislator’s district, be sure to mention that.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sample script for a call&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello. My name is _____. [If you live in the legislator’s district say that now.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I am calling about the Jobs bill. Please include the $7 million for Vocational Rehabilitation Services that the Governor requested to eliminate the waiting list. Voc Rehab plays an important role in people with disabilities getting jobs and helping them keep them. It is a good investment of state dollars.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[If you have any personal experience using VR services, you can mention how it helped you here].&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can see an English version of this script in the description below this video.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>294491</id><Tag><Description/><Title>employment</Title><Id>310253</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-09-24T13:53:00Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>May 8, 2017: Legislative Update</Title><title>2017-05-08 Legislative Update</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-293920&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-05-08T19:15:54Z</Date><ShortDescription>In this update, we will share new information about the budget bills, the Capital Investment bill, and the bill for training staff who work with seniors about age-related hearing loss.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Budget bills, Capital Investment bill &amp; more</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/V66ooISD-Qg&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with the May 8, 2017 legislative update&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;nbsp;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In this update, we will share new information about the budget bills, the Capital Investment bill, and the bill for training staff who work with seniors about age-related hearing loss.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Budget Bills&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As you remember from last week, the Conference Committees, which is made up of members of the House and Senate, were negotiating with each other to figure out the differences between the House and Senate versions of the budget bills. Over the last week, they made these decisions and are now negotiating with Governor Dayton about the differences between what they decided and what the Governor wants.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In most cases, we have good news about what the conference committees decided.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the Jobs and Energy Omnibus Bill (SF 1937), they kept the increase in funding for the Commission. They did not include additional money for Vocational Rehabilitation; however, we know that the Governor will still be pushing for this increase.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the Health and Human Services Omnibus Bill (SF 800), the legislators kept the bill to modernize and increase funding for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD) and the Deaf Mentor Family Program.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the Education Omnibus Bill (HF 890), the legislators decided to increase the Minnesota State Academies’ budget by $800,000 over two years. Your calls and emails likely helped convince them. This amount is not as much as the State Academies requested, but is better than receiving no increase or even a budget cut. The Governor may be able to negotiate even more funding for the State Academies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the State Government Omnibus Bill (SF 605), the legislators decided not to cut the funding for the Central Accommodation Fund for state employees that the Commission got passed two years ago. They provided the full $200,000 per year. Your calls and emails had an impact! Unfortunately, the bill still requires agencies to pay for 50% of the cost of accommodations. Eric Nooker testified before the Conference Committee on Tuesday and asked them to change this -- not to require agencies to pay half, especially for new employees. He explained that state agencies would be more likely to hire people with disabilities if they could get money from the Fund to pay for accommodations, at least at the beginning. This would give new employees a chance to prove themselves and give agencies time to work the cost of accommodations into their budget. We are still hoping to convince legislators not to require agencies to pay 50% of the costs of accommodations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Capital Investment Bill or Bonding Bill&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The House Capital Investment Committee unveiled their omnibus bill, usually called the Bonding Bill, because it pays for construction projects by selling state bonds. There is a lot of good news. The House bill includes the Commission bill that would require that good acoustics and hearing loops be considered in construction projects that the state helps to fund. The bill also includes over $2 million for the Minnesota State Academies for maintenance and updating buildings on the campus and for planning to improve student safety. It does not include funding for a track that the State Academies want to build.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Senate Bonding Bill also includes over $2 million for the State Academies. The House and Senate and Governor will all negotiate to decide what will be in the final bill. Since the funding for the State Academies is in both the House and Senate bills and the Governor supports it, it is very likely that it will be included in the final bill. We are hopeful that the Senate and Governor will agree to also include the policy for good acoustics and hearing loops.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Bill for training staff who work with seniors about age-related hearing loss&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;HF 952, the bill to ensure that staff of assisted living facilities and home care agencies can take training about age-related hearing loss and have it count towards their annual training requirements was heard on the House floor on Thursday. Rep. Deb Kiel did a great job explaining the bill and there was a lot of support for it. It passed unanimously. It will be heard on the Senate floor sometime soon, possibly this week.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For More Information and Updates&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information and to sign up for alerts, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/&quot;&gt;visit our website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>293920</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>age-related hearing loss</Title><Id>310251</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>looping</Title><Id>310267</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2017-09-05T14:58:08Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Action Alert for the State Accommodation Fund</Title><title>2017-05-01 Accommodation Fund Action Alert</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-291761&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-05-01T21:53:36Z</Date><ShortDescription>The State Accommodation Fund is an important program that shows that the State of Minnesota is committed to hiring people with disabilities. UPDATE: The Senate has decided to continue putting $200,000 in the fund per year BUT the bill will have agencies cover half the cost of accommodations.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Please contact legislators today! </Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/nHQzWzT2oV4&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with the action alert about the state accommodations fund&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;nbsp;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;UPDATE:&lt;/strong&gt; The Conference Committee for the State Government Budget Bill has finished their negotiations between the House and the Senate. We have some good news and some bad news about the Accommodation Fund for state employees. Good news: they are not cutting the Accommodation Fund - they will still put $200,000 in it per year. Bad news: the bill would require state agencies to pay 50% of the cost of accommodations. We still encourage you to email legislators today and ask them not to require agencies to match the Accommodation Fund. The sample letter has been revised to reflect this. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Original information:&lt;/strong&gt; We encourage you to please call or email legislators today! The Senate State Government bill cuts funding for the Accommodation Fund for state employees and requires state agencies to find half of the money to pay for accommodations in their own budgets. The House bill and the Governor’s bill do not. Please call or email the members of the State Government Conference Committee today. If you live in the legislator’s district, be sure to mention that.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sample script&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Subject Line: Accommodation Fund&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello. My name is _____. [If you live in the legislator’s district say that now.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you for agreeing to keep the funding for the State Agency Accommodation Reimbursement Fund at $200,000 in the State Government Finance Bill, SF 605. This is a very good step. However, I urge you to also change the policy in the bill so that agencies are not required to provide a 50% match for the cost of accommodations. Allowing agencies to be fully reimbursed means that hiring managers can hire people with disabilities without worrying about finding money for accommodations in their own budgets. Requiring a match makes it harder for people with disabilities to get hired. Please remove the language requiring a 50% match. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Your name and address]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here is the list of legislators with their phone numbers:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State Government Conference Committee Members&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Senate&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer (30 - Big Lake)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sen. Bruce Anderson, B. (29 – Buffalo)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sen. Mark Koran (32 – North Branch)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sen. Dan Hall (56 – Burnsville)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sen. Carolyn Laine (41 – Columbia Heights)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;House&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rep. Sarah Anderson (44A – Plymouth)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rep. Tim O&apos;Driscoll (13B – Sartell)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rep. Bob Dettmer (39A – Forest Lake)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rep. Kelly Fenton (53B – Woodbury)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rep. Jim Nash (47A – Waconia)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>291761</id><Tag><Description/><Title>employment</Title><Id>310253</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-01-25T21:23:05Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Action Alert for Funding for the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf</Title><title>2017-05-01 MSAD Action Alert</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-291760&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-05-01T18:54:10Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Minnesota State Academies for the Deaf and for the Blind need additional funding to increase staff, improve student safety, and to maintain the buildings and campus.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Please call or email legislators today!</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/Mzbi_iXsbpY&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with the action alert for funding for MSAD&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;nbsp;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We encourage you to please call or email legislators today!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota State Academies for the Deaf and for the Blind need additional funding this year. The money is needed to increase staff, to improve student safety and to maintain the buildings and campus.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Governor included an additional $2.7 million over two years for the State Academies.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Senate included an additional $800,000 over two years.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The House did not give the State Academies any increase to their budget.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please call or email the members of the Education Conference Committee today. If you live in the legislator’s district, be sure to mention that.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sample letter &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello. My name is _____. [If you live in the legislator’s district say that now.] &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I am calling about the Education Bill, HF 890. Please fully fund the Minnesota State Academies like the Governor suggested. $2.7 million over two years will make a big difference for deaf and blind students. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Please add 1-3 more sentences about why funding MSA will make a big difference.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you,&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Your name and address.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here is the list of legislators with their phone numbers:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Education Conference Committee Members&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;House&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rep. Jenifer Loon (48B – Eden Prairie)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rep. Sondra Erickson (15A – Princeton)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rep. Peggy Bennett (27A – Albert Lea)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rep. Ron Kresha (9B – Little Falls)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rep. Mary Murphy, M. (3B – Hermantown)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Senate&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sen. Carla Nelson (26 – Rochester)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sen. Eric Pratt (55 – Prior Lake)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sen. Justin Eichorn (5 – Grand Rapids)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sen. Bill Weber (22 – Luverne)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sen. Chuck Wiger (43 – Maplewood)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>291760</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-01-25T21:24:58Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>May 1, 2017: Legislative Update</Title><title>2017-05-01 Legislative Update</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-291759&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-05-01T18:51:25Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Commission is following four of the budget conference committees as they impact the bills that we are pursuing this legislative session. Learn more about the committees and bills. MNCDHH is also sending out two action alerts this week - act fast!</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Budget Conference Committees &amp; Upcoming Action Alerts</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/J7ES2Kh1Y1Y&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with the May 1, 2017 legislative update&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;nbsp;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As you remember from last week, the House and Senate have passed their budget bills. They have assigned members from each body to meet in conference committees to work out the differences between the bills. The Commission is following four of the budget conference committees:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;1st is the Jobs and Energy Omnibus Bill (SF 1937) which includes an increase in funding for the Commission. The increase is included in both the House and the Senate bills. Since this is the same, it is likely that it will be included in the final bill.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Jobs and Energy Omnibus Bill also is the bill that contains the budget for vocational rehabilitation services. Both the House and the Senate bills keep the funding for Voc Rehab the same as last year. However, vocational rehab needs a budget increase – there are currently waiting lists for services because they do not have enough funding. The House and Senate bills do not include this needed increase. Luckily the Governor supports the increase in funding for Voc Rehab, and we are sure he’ll push hard for it in the negotiations with the House and Senate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The 2nd budget omnibus bill that we’re paying attention to is the Health and Human Services Omnibus Bill (SF 800) which includes the bill to modernize and increase funding for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD) and the Deaf Mentor Family Program. The funding is included in both the House and Senate bills.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;3rd is the Education Omnibus Bill (HF 890) which includes two things that we’re following.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;One is funding for the Deaf Adult Basic Education (ABE). Unfortunately, neither the House nor the Senate bill includes an increase for Deaf ABE. The Governor did not include this increase in his budget either. All of this means that Deaf ABE will probably not get a funding increase this year.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The other is funding for the Minnesota State Academies. The House and Senate bills both continue funding for the State Academies at the same level as this year. They do not increase the funding as the State Academies had requested. There is still hope that the State Academies could receive an increase in funds because the Governor supports the increase and he will be part of the negotiations before the bill is finalized. The Commission is also lobbying the legislators on the Conference Committee to support funds for the State Academies.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;4th is the State Government Omnibus Bill (SF 605) which includes funding for the Central Accommodation Fund for state employees that the Commission got passed two years ago. The House bill continues to provide $200,000 a year for the Accommodation Fund. The Senate does not. Instead, the Senate only provides $100,000 a year and requires agencies to provide half of the funds themselves out of their agency’s budget. The Commission supports the House’s version with the full funding and no agency money required. Currently, the fund receives $200,000 per year, and it runs out each year. This is a definite sign that state employees need and use this fund. A cut will make the issue worse.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Watch for action alerts we are sending out for more information. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For More Information and Updates&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information and to sign up for alerts, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/&quot;&gt;visit our website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Related content&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visit the action alert about &lt;a href=&quot;http://tinyurl.com/MSAD-action-alert&quot;&gt;funding for the Minnesota State Academies&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visit the action alert about &lt;a href=&quot;http://tinyurl.com/accommodations-action-alert&quot;&gt;funding for the State Accommodations Fund&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>291759</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>employment</Title><Id>310253</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2017-09-05T14:56:38Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>April 24, 2017: Legislative Update</Title><title>2017-04-25 Legislative Update</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-291033&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-04-25T15:55:52Z</Date><ShortDescription>Short update, with a Lobby Day pictures slideshow</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/2grSV0brJr0&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with the April 24, 2017 legislative update&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;nbsp;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The legislature returned last Tuesday from a week away. You remember that both the House and Senate passed their own versions of the budget bills before they left. The next step is to have a group called a “conference committee” work out the differences between the House and Senate versions of the bills. Conference committees are made up of representatives from the House and the Senate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On Tuesday the House and Senate decided which of their members would serve on the budget conference committees. The committees have begun to meet and have been learning about what is included in the other side’s bill. What is the same?  What is different?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One of the big differences for all of the budget bills is that the House and Senate spent different amounts in the different areas. The conference committees won’t be able to make too many decisions until the leaders in the House and Senate agree to the amount that each committee gets to spend.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;But you never know when there will be an important discussion or a conference committee will make a decision, so the Commission is going to the Capitol every day to watch the meetings and talk with the legislators.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lobby Day Pictures&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For fun, here is a slide show from the March 8, 2017 Lobby Day. All photo credits go to Melissa Jane Kielbus of Copper &amp;amp; Water and Jonathan Ainsworth. Enjoy! [Image descriptions are at the bottom of this newsletter.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For More Information and Updates&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information and to sign up for alerts, visit our website.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Image Descriptions&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Senator Foung Hawj (DFL) District 67 raises both of his hands and smiles during the morning &quot;How to Meet with Your Legislator&quot; training. Interpreter, Megan Bolduc, stands next to him and signs, &quot;thank you.&quot;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota DeafBlind Association (MDBA) president Debbie Lentz, interpreter Alan Kenney, MNCDHH board member Valerie Shirley (presenter), and Diane Lentsch of DeafBlind Services MN, LLC stand onstage during the rally. MDBA and DBSM both received awards for their civic engagement activity.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNCDHH board member Valerie Shirley is presenting onstage. Next to her stands interpreter Jimmy Beldon.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jessalyn Akerman-Frank and MNCDHH board member Emily Smith-Lundberg jointly hold Jessalyn&apos;s award. Jessalyn was recognized for her citizen advocacy work. Both are smiling.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNCDHH&apos;s Outreach &amp;amp; Civic Engagement Specialist, Sarah Arana, answers Anne Baynton and another community member&apos;s questions.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Debbie Lentz and Diane Lentsch watch the rally.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Six Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf (MSAD) students watch the rally from the second floor balcony over the Capitol rotunda.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNCDHH&apos;s Outreach &amp;amp; Civic Engagement Specialist, Kim Wassenaar, practices with community members during the morning training.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Community members fill the Capitol rotunda and watch the events onstage. Some are standing on the outskirts, most are seated.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNCDHH&apos;s Outreach &amp;amp; Civic Engagement Specialist, Emory K. Dively, and VECTOR teacher, Kathy Manlapas, prep with Kathy&apos;s students about how to meet with their legislators. Only the top of some of the students&apos; heads is visible in this shot.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Senator Karin Housley (R) District 39 is smiling and looking upwards as she speaks onstage at the rally. Standing next to her is interpreter Jimmy Beldon.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;HLAA president, Christine Morgan, is presenting. Next to her is interpreter Jimmy Beldon. The audience is facing the presenter, their backs to the camera.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Two community members practice meeting with their legislators.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Representative Matt Dean (R) District: 38B is speaking onstage. He is flanked by interpreter Jimmy Beldon.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Two men practice meeting with their legislators.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens (MADC) president, Adan Burke, presents to the crowd during the rally, both hands raised.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNCDHH Board Chair, Jason Valentine, presents to the crowd during the rally.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Steve Oglesbee at the rally. Also pictured are interpreters Richard Laurion and Susan Sweezo.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A stack of &quot;How to Meet with Your Legislators&quot; papers on top of a table.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The artistic blue and gold ceiling inside the Capitol rotunda.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mike Cashman, Hannah Breitbach, and two additional women laugh and chat.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A group of people who attended one of the hearings gather outside of the hearing room and smile. Pictured are Peter Fettig, MNCDHH Government Relations Director Beth Fraser, Emory K. Dively, Emily Gold, Nikki Fargo, Danelle Gournaris, Emily Smith-Lundberg, Senator John Hoffman, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division Director David Rosenthal, Sonny Wasilowski, Justin Small, Shawn Vriezen, Adan Burke, Jamie Taylor, Paul Deeming, MNCDHH Executive Director Mary Hartnett, Casandra Xavier, and Diane Lentsch.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Dr. John Gournaris testifies at a hearing. Seated next to him is Senator Hoffman. Also visible are interpreters Susan Boinis and Cathy Mosher.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Inside a hearing room. The legislators are seated at a long table. MNCDHH board member Jamie Taylor is seated and ready to testify. Facing the audience members (whose backs are to the camera) is interpreter Lauri Krouse.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Capitol building from the outside. Bright cloudy blue sky above and yellow grass/bare trees in front.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNCDHH&apos;s Communication Coordinator, Anne Sittner Anderson, chats with CART provider Lisa Richardson.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Emily Smith-Lundberg, Rep Nels Pierson, interpreter Maria Dively, and Jamie Taylor are seated and ready to testify at a hearing. Rep. Pierson is speaking.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Breanna Schumacher, Derek Schumacher, Liz Brown and Candace Lindow-Davis smile in front of the interior Capitol steps. Derek&apos;s mother, Kathy, and Liz Brown were recognized for their lifetime achievements.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Emory K. Dively and Jessalyn Akerman-Frank are leading the morning training.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Aaron Gutzke, of ThinkSelf, a Program of CSD and Brian Nisbit, hold Marisa Bocanegra&apos;s award in front of the interior Capitol steps. Marisa received the General Award for her advocacy work with survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Debbie Lentz and Diane Lenscht hold their awards in front of the interior Capitol steps.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Fardowsa Ali and Jessalyn Akerman-Frank hold their awards in front of the interior Capitol steps.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNCDHH Vice Chair, Brenda Ackerson, present onstage.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jamie Taylor presents onstage at the rally. Behind her is Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI) Robyn Lehmann-Doane, interpreting via Pro-Tactile.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The audience watches Emory K. Dively and Jessalyn Akerman-Frank at the morning training.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The gold and white North Star seal, at the center of the rotunda floor.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Derek Schumacher accepts an award on behalf of his mother, Kathy. Standing next to him is CDI Shawn Vriezen.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Liz Brown accepting her award. Candace Lindow-Davies points enthusiastically in her direction.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Candace Lindow-Davies presents. Next to her is interpreter Shawn Vriezen.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Dawson Moder presents Jimmy Beldon with an award for his work in increasing the accessibility of services by paving the way for Deaf Interpreters to become Certified Deaf Interpreters.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Eric Nooker and Dawson Moder presenting onstage at the rally.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Senator Ann Rest (DFL) District 45 presents. Interpreter Shawn Vriezen is working next to her.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>291033</id><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2017-09-05T14:55:15Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>LEAD-K and Minnesota</Title><title>2017-04-17 LEAD-K and Minnesota</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-290161&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-04-17T20:16:05Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNCDHH collected feedback about LEAD-K from community members and asked if MNCDHH should pursue it in Minnesota. This is the feedback we received.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Community members advise on next steps</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/F1v0mfqlZMM&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about LEAD-K&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;nbsp;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many community members have asked the Commission about LEAD-K.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is LEAD-K? It is short for Language Equality and Acquisition for Deaf Kids. LEAD-K is a national coalition that advocates for states to pass laws that make sure that deaf, deafblind &amp;amp; hard of hearing kids are ready for kindergarten.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On November 29th, the Commission decided to ask community members. Do you think Minnesota needs LEAD-K?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We invited Gloria Nathanson (MADC), Mary Cashman-Bakken (MDE), Tom and Carole Virnig (parents and grandparents of Deaf children and grandchildren), and Susan Lane-Outlaw (MDS).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Their response&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;They all said that it’s great that other states are pursuing LEAD-K. Minnesota is ahead of the game however because we already have the same laws as LEAD-K. Now we should focus on structural improvements to our system.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2007, Minnesota passed laws that require:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Each child’s progress be measured using evidence-based assessments to track progress on meeting benchmarks including language acquisition.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MDE must report the data to parents and summary information to the state.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A law was passed that provides funding for Deaf Mentors to serve as role models and to provide ASL and Deaf culture information in the home. The 2007 funding was increased in 2015. We hope funding will be increased again this legislative session (2017).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So the kindergarten-readiness and language acquisition goals are already law.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What to improve&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Gloria, Mary, Tom, Carole, and Susan recommended two ways that we can improve the education system.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Improve data collection.
&lt;br /&gt;
The most recent state report posted in the Minnesota Department of Health Website said that only one family uses ASL only. &lt;strong&gt;(Clarification and correction: The data is reported through a form called &quot;Child Outcome Summary Form (COSF)&quot; and is collected from the family when the child is 3 and again when the child is 5. The report is available on the Minnesota Department of Education&apos;s website, not the Department of Health.)&lt;/strong&gt; Members of the committee said they know many &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;more families who use ASL only in the home. They asked, “How is the information collected?” Public school district early childhood deaf and hard of hearing staff report the data on each child to MDE. If the student and family information isn’t reported by staff, the state doesn’t have complete information. We need to make sure each child is included in the report.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Make sure appropriate assessment tools are being used to measure language acquisition.
&lt;br /&gt;
Some members of the group wanted to make sure that the tools measure language acquisition, not just speech acquisition. They wanted more information about the tools and how they are used. For example, the Deaf Family Mentor Program do evaluation reports but they are currently not included in school districts.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Recommendation&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What was their recommendation instead?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;They recommended that the state develop comprehensive assessment centers in the north, middle and southern parts of the state to standardize assessments and get parents the information and support they need for their children to acquire language.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is next&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What’s next? These recommendations will be brought to the board. They will consider the recommendations and decide if they need more study or accept them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thanks to everyone who participated in the group and advocates for children. Again, Minnesota already has the key parts of LEAD-K. Leaders are recommending to the Commission board that we focus on structural improvements to our current system.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>290161</id><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>language acquisition</Title><Id>310294</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-07-10T23:28:03Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>April 10, 2017: Legislative Update</Title><title>2017-04-10 Legislative Update</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-286876&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-04-10T22:38:10Z</Date><ShortDescription>Legislators on break, Lobby Day recap</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/0cK5SNl2P74&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with the April 10, 2017 legislative update&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;nbsp;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There is not a lot of news to report from the legislature last week. The House and Senate spent most of their time debating and voting on the rest of the finance bills. They did not make changes to the pieces of the bills that we are focused on.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The legislature has a week off this week – they always take a spring break around Easter and Passover. They will get back to work on Tuesday, April 18th.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When they return the House and Senate will assign members to sit on conference committees for each of the budget bills. These members will negotiate with each other and with the Governor over the differences between the bills and the Governor’s original budget proposal.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lobby Day Recap&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Special thanks to everyone who helped to make Lobby Day a great success! 178 people signed up for legislative appointments with both the House and the Senate. Because you met with your legislators and explained why funding for deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing programs are important, it made a big difference! Thank you so much.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;An estimated 300-400 people were present at the rally and awards ceremony. What a great number!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you to the legislators who met with constituents and attended the rally and awards ceremony as well as the “How to Meet with Your Legislators” trainings. The legislators who attended Lobby Day are:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Representative Matt Dean (rally)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Senator Karin Housley (rally)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Senator John Hoffman (rally)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Representative Peggy Flanagan (rally)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Senator Ann Rest (rally)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Senator Foung Hawj (morning training)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you to the organizations involved with planning Lobby Day. They are:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;CSD Minnesota&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf and Hard of Hearing Role Model Program, the Deaf Mentor Family Program, Minnesota Employment Center, and Minnesota Hands &amp;amp; Voices of Lifetrack Resources&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;DeafBlind Services of Minnesota&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Hearing Loss Association of America – Twin Cities&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Keystone Interpreting Solutions (KIS)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Metro Deaf School&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Deaf Muslim Community&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota DeafBlind Association&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (MRID)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota State Academies&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;St. Paul &amp;amp; Minneapolis Black Deaf Advocates&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you to our Civic Outreach and Engagement Specialists&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jessalyn Akerman-Frank, Fardowsa Ali, Sarah Arana, Emory K. Dively, and Shawn Vriezen.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you to event coordinator AJ Herculeidez who kept us organized and going.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Special thanks to our amazing volunteers. We could not have done this without you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Special thanks to Melissa Jane Kielbus of Copper &amp;amp; Water, Jonathan Ainsworth, and Ryan Johnson for their photography and videography. We will distribute their photos and videos soon&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And thank you to our board&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Brenda Ackerson (Vice Chair), Lloyd Ballinger, Kay Cameron, Mark DeRuiter, Nancy Diener, Tracy Ivy, Roberta Johnson, Kathryn Rose, Emily Smith-Lundberg, Valerie Shirley, Jamie Taylor, Jason Valentine (Chair), and John Wodele. You are our fearless leaders.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For More Information and Updates&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information and to sign up for alerts, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/&quot;&gt;visit our website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>286876</id><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2017-09-05T14:53:59Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>April 3, 2017: Legislative Update</Title><title>2017-04-03 Legislative Update</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-285868&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-04-03T17:58:55Z</Date><ShortDescription>Updates about the Commission funding bill, DHHSD modernization of services and funding bill, training for staff who care for seniors bill, good acoustics and hearing loops bill, reorganization of state education agencies &amp; teacher licensing, superior SLPI rating for teachers and more.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>New information about bill hearings and statuses</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We have approximately one month&apos;s worth of updates to share with you. Under Part 1, there are updates about:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Increase the Commission&apos;s funding&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;DHHSD and deaf mentors&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Training for staff who care for seniors&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Good acoustics and hearing loops&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Assistive Technology bill&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Accessible websites for businesses legislation&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Under Part 2, there are updates about:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reorganization of state education agencies &amp;amp; teacher licensing&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Superior SLPI rating for teachers&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Adult Basic Education funding&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota State Academies funding&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Vocational Rehabilitation funding&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Central Accommodations Fund&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing Lobby Day&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have any questions, please contact MNCDHH at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;mncdhh.info@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Part 1&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/zM-hWDBt7eo&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with part 1 of the April 3, 2017 legislative update&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;nbsp;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So much has happened since the last update, including many bill hearings, and of course Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing Lobby Day! Because we have so much to share with you, we are dividing this update into a two-part series. This is the first video of a two-part update regarding the status of the bills the Commission is supporting this year:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Increase the Commission’s funding&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Several weeks ago, there was a hearing on the bill to increase the Commission’s funding in the Senate Energy and Utilities Committee. Commission member John Wodele, Andrew Palmberg, and Mary Hartnett testified. Several legislators said that the Commission does great work and deserves more funding. The following week the Senate committee included funding for the Commission in their omnibus budget bill. The House also included the funding in their Jobs Omnibus Finance bill (SF 1937). Having the funding in both the Senate and the House bills puts the Commission in a good position as the Legislature moves into the next round of negotiations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DHHSD and Deaf Mentors&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The bill to modernize and increase funding for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD) and the Deaf Mentor Family Program had many hearings in recent weeks. A lot of people testified for the bill, including: Emily Smith Lundberg, Bren Ackerson, Jamie Taylor, Jaime Munson, John Gournaris, Casandra Xavier, parents of Deaf and DeafBlind children who receive intervener services or who are part of the Deaf Mentor Family Program: Nikki Fargo, Michele Paulson, and Emily Gold. Sonny Wasilowski testified and suggested some changes he would like to see made to the bill. Both the House and Senate committees have now included this funding in their Health &amp;amp; Human Services Omnibus Finance bills (SF 800 / HF 945). This is a good sign that the funding is likely to ultimately pass.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Training for staff who care for seniors (HF 952 / SF 818)&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The bill about training for staff who care for seniors also had multiple hearings in recent weeks. Kathleen Marin, the Vice President of the Hearing Loss Association of America – Twin Cities Chapter, testified for the bill at all of the hearings.  The bill was amended to make the training optional, instead of required, for staff at assisted living facilities and who provide home care to seniors. The amendment also eliminated the state cost of the bill, which makes it much easier to get it passed this session. Once the trainings are developed and facilities see the value of providing them to their staff, we could always come back to the legislature in a few years to pass a bill to make the trainings required.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Both the House and Senate committees passed the bill unanimously. The next step is to have it passed by the full House and the full Senate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Good Acoustics and Hearing Loops&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The bill to require that good acoustics and hearing loops be considered in state-funded construction had a hearing last week. Commission member John Wodele and Beth Fraser testified for the bill. Several legislators said that they think that this policy proposal is very important. The Committee did not vote on the bill. They set it aside and may include it in the Capital Investment Omnibus bill, also known as the Bonding Bill), which will be revealed sometime in April.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Assistive Technology Bill&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There was a hearing in the House Education Policy Committee on HF 1339, the bill to require consideration of assistive technology in IEPs and IFSPs. Representatives from PACER showed some of the assistive technology that can really make a difference for children with disabilities. Jay Fehrman testified about the need to ensure that teachers include captions in any video that they make for their students. The Minnesota Association of Special Education Directors did not testify but did tell legislators that they were concerned that the bill would require special education teachers to do more paperwork.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rep. Sondra Erickson has included a slightly different proposal in the House Education Policy Omnibus bill (HF 1376). The bill requires the Minnesota Department of Education to do a report on the use of assistive technology in school districts across the state. The report must include recommendations for the legislature about ways to encourage IEPs and IFSPs to incorporate the use of assistive technology, as appropriate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessible Website Legislation&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So far we have good news about this topic. You might remember that we had originally heard that some legislators planned to introduce an amendment that would say that state law does not require businesses to have accessible websites and would prevent anyone from suing a business to make their website accessible. The Commission has been thinking more about this proposal and has concluded that if it is offered we have to fight against it -- even against the business lobbyists who have so much power at the Capitol. The good news is that so far legislators have not offered this amendment and it is beginning to look like this will not be brought in this year.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Watch part 2 of this update for additional information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Part 2&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/DSTuXtHzl1k&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with part 2 of the April 3, 2017 legislative update&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;nbsp;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is the second video of a two-part update regarding the status of the bills the Commission is supporting this year:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reorganization of State Education Agencies &amp;amp; Teacher Licensing&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The bill to create four tiers of licenses for teachers that we mentioned in our last update has a new number. It is included in several different bills: HF 140, SF 4 and the Education Finance Omnibus bill (HF 890, SF 718).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This bill also restructures which state agencies oversee teacher licenses. Currently, the Board of Teaching does part and the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) does part. Having two agencies manage the process has caused confusion. The bill would remove MDE from the process entirely. It renames and restructures the Board of Teaching. It would now be called the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The House and Senate bill both establish four tiers for teachers, but the bills have differences in the requirements for getting a license in each tier. The Commission is talking to legislators to ensure that deaf and hard of hearing students are only taught by teachers with the appropriate training to meet their needs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Superior SLPI Rating for Teachers&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A few weeks ago we were surprised to see an amendment to the Teacher Licensing bill that would have required all teachers for deaf and hard of hearing students to have a minimum of superior rating on the Sign Language Proficiency Interview. This would have included teachers with a regular DHH teaching license and an Aural / Oral teaching license. Superior is a rating that is typically achieved by native ASL users or those immersed in ASL in their formative language-learning years. If this change was made to the law, it would have disqualified many DHH teachers. The Commission was not aware that anyone was asking legislators to make this change. We always try to be sure that all of the affected groups sit down and talk and try to find agreement before a bill is introduced, especially on issues related to teacher licensure.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission needed to respond quickly. We contacted education experts we have worked with in the past on teacher licensure. Jay Fehrman, Ann Mayes, Kitri Kyllo and board member Bren Ackerson. Jay Fehrman was unable to come to the Capitol but wrote a letter asking the legislators to drop the amendment. Ann, Kitri, and Bren came to the Capitol to ask legislators to drop the proposed amendment requiring a minimum of Superior rating on the SLPI for now. The legislators agreed and it was not added to the bill.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Adult Basic Education Funding&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The bill to provide additional funding to Adult Basic Education (ABE) programs, including the Deaf ABE program has been introduced. In the House, it is SF 1973 and is authored by Representatives Roz Peterson (Lakeville), Jerry Hertaus (Greenfield) and Carlos Mariani (Saint Paul). In the Senate, it is SF 1792 and is authored by Senators Carla Nelson (Rochester), Paul Anderson (Plymouth), Eric Pratt (Prior Lake) and Patricia Torres Ray (Minneapolis). Unfortunately, this additional funding for ABE was not included in either the House or Senate Education Finance Omnibus bills. Jessalyn Akerman-Frank and Beth Fraser testified. They explained the critical services that Deaf ABE provides and asked legislators to try to find more money for ABE as the bill moves through the process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota State Academies Funding&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Governor recommended that the Minnesota State Academies receive an additional $2.7 million to increase staff, purchase updated resources and to maintain the facilities. Unfortunately, the House did not include any additional funding for the State Academies in its Education Finance Omnibus bill. The Senate included an additional $800,000 in its Education Finance Omnibus bill. Terry Wilding and two students from the Academies testified and urged the committee to provide all of the additional funding that had been requested. The Committee did not make a change at this point. There is a chance that funding for the Minnesota State Academies could be increased as the Legislature negotiates with the Governor over the Education Finance Omnibus bill.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota State Academies also asked for $2.6 million in funding for improving the facilities on campus. We do not know yet whether these funds will be included in the Capital Investment Omnibus (Bonding) bills.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Vocational Rehabilitation Funding&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Governor recommended an additional $3.5 million per year be dedicated to Vocational Rehabilitation to eliminate waiting lists for these services. Unfortunately, this funding was not included in either the House or Senate Jobs Finance Omnibus Bill (SF 1937). We expect that the Governor will push hard for this funding in negotiations with the legislature.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Central Accommodation Fund&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2015, the Commission successfully convinced the state to establish an Accommodation Fund to help state agencies hire more employees with disabilities. Money is included in the state budget for the accommodation fund each year. Unfortunately, however, Senator Mary Kiffmeyer proposed removing all of the money from the Accommodation Fund in the Senate State Government Omnibus bill (SF 605). Eric Nooker testified before the committee about how the Accommodation Fund has helped him as a state employee. As a result of his testimony, Senator Kiffemeyer added back ½ of the funding. Senator John Hoffman offered an amendment on the Senate floor to restore the rest of the money for the Accommodation Fund. Unfortunately, the amendment failed on a party-line vote with all of the Republicans voting against it. Rep. Sarah Anderson kept the funding in the House State Government Finance bill. The next step is for the House and Senate to negotiate over the differences between the bills, including this one. We will continue to urge legislators to restore the full amount of money to the Accommodation Fund.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing Lobby Day&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thanks to you, Lobby Day was a tremendous success. We had record numbers of appointments, volunteers, and new leadership to make it successful. We will follow up next week with a vlog dedicated to Lobby Day. We are all still recovering from the big day and haven’t had time to thank everyone, but we will! Stay tuned!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For More Information and Updates&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information and to sign up for alerts, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/&quot;&gt;visit our website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>285868</id><Tag><Description/><Title>age-related hearing loss</Title><Id>310251</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>looping</Title><Id>310267</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2017-09-05T14:52:32Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Joint Message from MNCDHH &amp; DHHSD</Title><title>2017-03-31 Joint Message from MNCDHH &amp; DHHSD</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-285736&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-03-31T15:34:27Z</Date><ShortDescription>The following videos provide important information about the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD) survey process. The first video, with Commission Chair Jason Valentine, explains the legislative process, how we drafted and proposed the bill. The second video, with DHHSD Director David Rosenthal, explains the process within DHHSD. It is important to recognize that approximately 1,700 individuals were surveyed throughout the state of Minnesota. The survey feedback guided MNCDHH and DHHSD with their decision-making process to the draft bills that were sent to the 2017 legislative session. We truly value your input. If you feel your values/input have not been portrayed, please contact us, and teach us how to reach people like you. We want the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing community to be accurately represented. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Thank You for Your Advocacy</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The following videos provide important information about the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD) survey process. The first video, with Commission Chair Jason Valentine, explains the legislative process, how we drafted and proposed the bill. The second video, with DHHSD Director David Rosenthal, explains the process within DHHSD. It is important to recognize that approximately 1,700 individuals were surveyed throughout the state of Minnesota. The survey feedback guided MNCDHH and DHHSD with their decision-making process to the draft bills that were sent to the 2017 legislative session. We truly value your input. If you feel your values/input have not been portrayed, please contact us, and teach us how to reach people like you. We want the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing community to be accurately represented.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commission Chair Jason Valentine discusses the DHHSD bill&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/VTFvvAoXRpw&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with Commission Chair Jason Valentine discussing the DHHSD bill&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;nbsp;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello, my name is Jason Valentine. I am the Chair of the Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing Minnesotans. I want to explain how the Commission made its decision about the DHHSD legislation. Every five years the Commission asks the community what priorities they want us address. For the 2014-2019 strategic planning process, more than 600 people participated. The board voted and set six goals. They are listed on our website in ASL and English.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Every January, the board approves a staff work plan that shows how they plan to achieve their goals. And every January, the board approves the legislative agenda.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One of the goals in the strategic plan is to increase communication access across the state by advocating for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division – their budget had been shrinking and they didn’t have a plan for the future.   In 2015, the board included in its legislative agenda a bill for 2 years of additional funds for DHHSD and for a study to plan for the future. The bill passed and the studies that include surveying hundreds of community members were conducted in 2016. All of the meeting times and focus groups were posted and announced to the public. DHHSD was required to analyze the studies and write a report to the legislature by January 2017.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On January 20, 2017, at the Commission full board meeting, community organizations and staff presented recommendations for the 2017 legislative agenda that included a bill for the DHHSD.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commission staff informed the board that the legislature had set early deadlines (almost a month earlier than usual) and that we needed to get a bill in as soon as possible. Staff used the community feedback given in the DHHSD studies and drafted legislation for the board to review. The board approved the bill and authorized a policy committee to meet and make a few changes if needed. That included adding a study to see if there was a benefit to billing for mental health services. The bill was sent to the legislature to get the bill into its proper form and ready for signatures. It took a week and on February 2, HF 774 was introduced.   On February 6th, we informed the community through a vlog in ASL and in English and gave the bill number. Anyone who was interested could have looked up the bill and provided us with feedback. We provided weekly progress on the bill. One individual contacted us with questions about deafblind services, otherwise, we were not contacted with any requests for changes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We held our Lobby Day on March 8th and two hearings were held on the DHHSD bill. We were surprised when testimony was given that requested that the legislature make changes to the bill. None of the changes requested were raised by the community members who attended the focus groups and filled out surveys for the studies. Some of the changes would have required the bill to go to additional committees and added costs that would have reduced funds to services the community said they wanted increased, including funds for Deaf Mentors. March 8th was the last day that our bills were heard and the week before final decisions about the bills were being made.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are committed to involving the community in decisions that affect them. If there are individuals or organizations who have ideas for legislation, including licensing for interpreters, please bring them to the board for us to consider. When we make decisions about what to take on, we determine if they will support our strategic plan and make measurable change and if we have the staff time and resources to hold meetings to plan for policy meetings. If you are interested in the work the Commission is doing, our detailed board approved work plan and meeting minutes are posted on our website.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are interested in attending board meetings, our schedule is posted.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have concerns or more questions, please contact me or Executive Director Mary Hartnett. Thank you for your time and for watching this video.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DHHSD Director David Rosenthal discusses the DHHSD bill&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/hEzUq78rYp0&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with DHHSD Director David Rosenthal discussing the DHHSD bill&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;nbsp;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Greetings.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;My name is David Rosenthal. I am the Director of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division, with the Minnesota Department of Human Services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Today I’d like to discuss how in 2015, the State Legislature gave us funds for 2 years for the following reasons:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;to help eliminate waiting lists for services,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;update our resources and display equipment that the community wanted,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;to conduct an analysis of how the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division is operated, and&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;whether deafblind services are being provided in the best and most efficient way.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We then partnered with the Commission of Deaf, Deafblind, and Hard of Hearing Minnesotans to plan how to implement this. We formed a committee with representatives from the Commission and DHHSD staff to lead the survey and analysis. We contracted with 2 vendors to do the studies for us. One vendor studied DHHSD plus our DeafBlind services. The other vendor studied the TAM fund TED program. Both vendors did consumer surveys, town hall meetings across Minnesota, and individual face to face meetings with many people in the state. They went to Deaf clubs and organizations to get their members’ thoughts about what is needed. They talked with organizations and agencies that serve people who are deaf and collect their thoughts as well. Some surveys were gathered by email and by phone calls, including TTYs. We contacted people all over Minnesota. When the surveys were finished, we compiled a report. The studies were posted online upon completion. (Click on &quot;Reports and plans.&quot;) We encourage you to go and look.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We also met with service and advocacy organizations to get their input and feedback. This included organizations representing DeafBlind groups, Black Deaf groups, immigrant groups, aging groups, hard of hearing groups and get feedback from as many organizations as possible. Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens (MADC) was there. We showed them what we learned from the studies and asked them to help us prioritize our goals. We listened and collected that feedback. We (DHHSD) used that information to write a report to the legislature and asked Governor Dayton to include the recommendations and our funding request in his budget.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Governor’s budget process is a closed process. Once we begin this process, we cannot share any information with the public until the Governor releases his budget. Then if it is in the released budget, we can share the news. The Commission developed their own bill separately. We could not work on this together due to the Governor’s closed process. The Commission sent their bill to the Legislature while we waited for the Governor to release his Budget bill. When his budget came out last February, we were happy he included our legislative proposal and funding request in it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The two bills are similar but there are some differences between their bill and the Governor’s Budget bill. However, both address the recommendations made by community members. We are working together to get legislation passed. There is only a short time left for the legislative session.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We appreciate your support of the bills because, without them, difficult choices will have to be made to address the budget deficit.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you for your support. Please contact me if you have any questions.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>285736</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>board</Title><Id>310266</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-09-23T14:23:04Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Brief Legislative Update on the Budget Bills</Title><title>2017-03-29 Brief Legislative Update</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-285613&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-03-29T20:41:33Z</Date><ShortDescription>This is a brief update on the bills connected to the state&apos;s budget, with both good and bad news. More details will be provided next week when we resume our work with our videography vendor.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/1fCuZxuGHGM&quot; title=&quot;ASL vlog with the brief update on budget bills&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;nbsp;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello! We are sorry that we have gotten behind on sending out legislative updates. Our contract renewal with our videographer was delayed and we couldn’t produce videos until it was signed. We decided we would do a brief update and share a little about what has happened. This is temporary until we can resume our regular updates (soon). We will share more details in the next update.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All the deadlines in the House and the Senate have ended. Now the House and Senate are both in the process of putting together their budget proposals and deciding which bills to include. They will each write separate budget bills and pass them. Then they will negotiate with each other to work out the differences. Once the Senate bills and the House bills are passed, they will also have to negotiate with Governor Dayton.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Republicans control both the House and the Senate. They want to pass very large tax cuts. To do so, they need to cut the budget in other places. They are proposing budget cuts for many state agencies – even agencies that have asked for more funding because they do not get enough funding now to provide all of the services that people need.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The biggest cuts are being made to the Department of Human Services and to the Department of Health. The House and Senate are proposing to take away hundreds of millions of dollars from them. There are huge cuts to mental health services, to family planning services, and to the State Hospital.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here is what we know so far about the bills the Commission is supporting that include budget increases.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Good news first:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Both the House and Senate Health &amp;amp; Human Service Omnibus Bills include the additional funding that we requested for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division -- $1.6 million per year, ongoing into the future. This includes an ongoing increase in funding for the Deaf Family Mentor Program.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Both the House and Senate bills include a funding increase for the Commission -- $370,000 per year, ongoing into the future.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Now the bad news:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Neither the House nor the Senate Education Omnibus Finance bills include additional funding for Adult Basic Education (ABE).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For the Minnesota State Academies, the Senate Education Omnibus Finance Bill includes some of the increase in funding that the Minnesota State Academies requested -- $400,000 per year, ongoing into the future. This is much less than what the Academies wanted.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The House Education Omnibus Finance Bill does not include any of the funding increase that the State Academies requested.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Finally, the Commission is supporting an increase in funding for Vocational Rehabilitation, since there are waiting lists for these services. The Governor had proposed an increase of $3.5 million for Vocational Rehabilitation services. Neither the House nor the Senate Jobs bill includes any increase in funding for Vocational Rehabilitation. This means there are long waiting lists for people who need their services to get jobs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The other bills that the Commission is working on this year do not impact the state budget.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We will provide a more detailed update soon. Thanks for your advocacy! It makes a difference. Please keep it up.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information and to sign up for alerts, &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/deaf-commission/&quot;&gt;visit our website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>285613</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>employment</Title><Id>310253</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2017-09-05T14:51:20Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Update on HF 774 (DHHSD Bill)</Title><title>2017-03-16 Update on HF 774 (DHHSD Bill)</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-284436&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-03-16T20:24:53Z</Date><ShortDescription>Can we change the language of the bill?</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/_hRhlqTqMFw&quot; title=&quot;Still frame from the ASL video about HF 774&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;nbsp;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello, my name is Jessalyn Akerman-Frank. I am an independent contractor with the Commission.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello, my name is Emory Kevin Dively. I am an independent contractor with MNCDHH. Jessalyn and I are working together today.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jessalyn: Yes. The purpose of this vlog is to answer questions we received from the community about HF 774. Your questions are important to us. You requested more history and background, which is included in this vlog. Forty years ago, the community gathered together and advocated for legislation to overcome communication and access barriers. As a result, funding was approved to set up DHHSD offices. Over the past 40 years, changes in technology, services, and what people need have taken place. This means DHHSD needs to modernize their services. Two years ago we asked the Legislature for funding for a study, to examine how DHHSD can improve their services. During the study, members of the community who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing had 20 different opportunities to share their feedback. There were in-depth discussions also. Members of organizations, businesses, and nonprofits gathered together to deeply analyze for the study. All of these discussions resulted in the bill that we proposed to the Legislature for funding. The plan is for modernized services that match your needs. We will explain more in depth about what is HF 774.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Emory: This is an update on the status of HF 774. You did great work sending comments and feedback to your legislators and MNCDHH! Now, what is the bill&apos;s status? The deadline has passed. One deadline was last Friday, March 10. The second deadline is tomorrow, Friday, March 17. The opportunity to add new things to the bill at the last minute is gone. Why is it too late to change things in the bill? It requires sending the bill to new committees and the deadline has passed for that. Adding new language at this point would kill the bill. The deadline has truly passed. What happens if this current HF 774 bill dies and what is the impact? $3.2 million funding for two years will be on hold. DHHSD services will not have the funding to expand services, staff or technology. Funding for Deaf Mentor, DeafBlind and Mental Health services will be put on hold. It will likely be harder to re-do it in 2 years. We do VALUE any community input, we encourage the community to work with us together. MNCDHH has passed 70 bills, which means we can and we will serve the community to improve more services that make a difference in the deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing community. We look forward to continuing working with you all!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jessalyn: Thank you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/bills/billnum.asp?billnumber=774&quot;&gt;Learn more about HF 774&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/deaf-commission/legislation/&quot;&gt;Learn more about MNCDHH&apos;s legislative activity&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>284436</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2017-09-05T14:50:18Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Lobby Day Award Winners Announcement</Title><title>2017-03-03 Lobby Day Award Winners Announcement</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-282741&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-03-03T23:55:45Z</Date><ShortDescription>Learn who has been recognized for their amazing work</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Minnesotans is pleased to announce the award recipients for the 2017 Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day Awards.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These awards will be given at the rally during our Day at the Capitol at the Minnesota State Capitol Building on Wednesday, March 8, 2017 at 11 AM.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Come and watch these wonderful individuals and organizations receive their awards. You can still &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3257526/Registration-for-2017-Deaf-DeafBlind-Hard-of-Hearing-Lobby-Day&quot;&gt;register to attend Lobby Day&lt;/a&gt; if you have not yet done so.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The awards are:&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Citizen Advocate Award&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;(Awarded to individuals who have done exemplary work in advocating for and with deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Minnesotans.)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Recipients:&lt;/strong&gt; Fardowsa Ali and Jessalyn Akerman Frank&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Fardowsa is being recognized for her amazing advocacy for improved access for Minnesota&apos;s Deaf Muslim and immigrant communities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jessalyn Akerman-Frank is someone who volunteers with passion along with the Deaf GLBTQIA and immigrant communities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Civic Engagement Award&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;(Recognizing an organization or public official that has worked to increase the civic engagement of deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Minnesotans.)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Recipients:&lt;/strong&gt; DeafBlind Services of Minnesota (DBSM), Minnesota DeafBlind Association (MDBA), and Deaf Grassroots Movement (DGM) - Minnesota&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DBSM and MDBA representatives put in a lot of work organizing and facilitating voter registration and access for DeafBlind Minnesotans during the 2016 general election.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DGM - Minnesota organized in a period of 4 months as a part of a nation-wide movement. They inspired hundreds of deaf and hard of hearing Minnesotans to come to the Capitol.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Access Awards&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;(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.)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Recipients:&lt;/strong&gt; Jimmy Beldon, Gilbert Law, PLLC, and Jay Wyant/Office of (Information Technology) Accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jimmy Beldon paved the way for deaf interpreters to become Certified Deaf Interpreters (CDIs), whose services provide greater communication access for Minnesota&apos;s Deaf community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Gilbert Law, PLLC was part of a large-scale legal settlement designed for removing communication barriers for deaf inmates in four jails.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Under Chief Information Accessibility Officer Jay Wyant&apos;s leadership, the State Office of Accessibility paves the way to ensure all technology and content created and used by the state are accessible to everyone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;General Awards&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;(Nominations for those who have done distinctive work for and with deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing Minnesotans that is not recognized within other award categories.)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Recipients:&lt;/strong&gt; Marisa Bocanegra (posthumous)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Marisa was CSD of Minnesota&apos;s Positive Quote Lady and a strong advocate for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lifetime Achievement Awards&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;(Nominations for those who have done distinctive work for and with deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Minnesotans that spans their 20+ years of contributions.)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Recipients:&lt;/strong&gt; Liz Brown, Kathy Moran (posthumous), and Kathy Schumacher (posthumous)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Liz Brown has dedicated over 40 years of working with the deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing communities at St. Paul College, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division, and St. Paul/Minneapolis Black Deaf Advocates.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kathy Moran spent 30 years working with deaf seniors creating innovative programming.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kathy Schumacher was a pioneer in domestic violence advocacy, provided employment support, and was a volunteer at Charles Thompson Memorial Hall.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Last Minute Lobby Day Registrations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do you want to attend Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day but you have not yet registered? Have no fear, you can still sign up. At this point of time, we will do our best to schedule an appointment with your legislator but can not guarantee that they will be available. Nonetheless, there is still plenty that you can do, including:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Attend any of the three hearings that will cover our bills
&lt;br /&gt;
(8:30 AM: Senate Aging and Long-Term Care Policy Committee Hearing on SF 818, the bill to require training for senior care workers, 1:00 PM: House Health &amp;amp; Human Services Finance Committee Hearing on 2 bills: HF 774, bill to modernize and increase funding for DHHSD (and Deaf Mentors) and HF 952, the bill to require training for senior care workers; and 3:00 PM: Senate Human Services Reform Finance and Policy Committee Hearing on SF 738, the bill to modernize and increase funding for DHHSD (and Deaf Mentors).)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Attend the rally
&lt;br /&gt;
(11 AM - 12 PM, Capitol Rotunda)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Meet hundreds of other deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing and hearing community members from all walks of life &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To join us, go to &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3257526/Registration-for-2017-Deaf-DeafBlind-Hard-of-Hearing-Lobby-Day&quot;&gt;Yes, I want to register for Lobby Day&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>282741</id><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2017-09-05T14:49:54Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Action needed by Tomorrow (Tuesday, February 28th) at 1:00 p.m.</Title><title>2017-02-27 Action Alert</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-281944&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-02-27T22:08:14Z</Date><ShortDescription>SF 948 will be heard in the Senate Energy and Commerce Committee tomorrow at 1:00. We need your support. </ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dear Advocates:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;SF 948 will be heard in the Senate Energy and Commerce Committee tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. We need your support.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please contact the legislators who haven&apos;t decided if they will support our bill and ask them to vote for it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Senator Eric Pratt&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Two legislators do not have emails, but they have online contact forms you will need to fill out.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Senator Goggin&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Senator Matthew&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Suggested text&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Subject line: Please support SF948&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dear Senator [name]:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please support SF 948, a bill that will increase funding to the Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing Minnesotans who work with the 20% of Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. The funds would come from a surcharge on phone lines that goes into the Telecommunication Access Fund.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The funds are needed to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Continue the work they do to engage people who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing in developing solutions for communication barriers they face,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Continue their collaborative work on education, including the annual education conference for advocates, parents and professionals,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Move forward with education and advocacy around age-related hearing loss to promote healthy aging,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ensure that Commission has the capacity to monitor the implementation of laws passed, including those related to employment and accessible technology.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please vote for the bill. Thank you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Your name]&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>281944</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-01-25T21:45:04Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>February 27, 2017: Legislative Update</Title><title>2017-02-27 Legislative Update</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-281830&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-02-27T17:30:28Z</Date><ShortDescription>Additions to legislative agenda, accessibility bill update &amp; more bill introductions </ShortDescription><Subtitle>This past week has been busy, which means we have a lot of news to share with you. </Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/xHojQV45L9c&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with the February 27, 2017 legislative update&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;nbsp;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This week we had a hearing, additions to the Commission’s legislative agenda, new understanding of a bill already on the agenda, and more bill introductions. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hearing on training for staff who care for seniors&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The bill to require training for staff who care for seniors (HF 952) had a hearing in the House Subcommittee on Aging on Wednesday, February 22, 2017. The author, Representative Deb Kiel, described challenges experienced by her family members with hearing loss while communicating with staff in care settings. Board member Dr. Mark DeRuiter gave an overview of the Commission’s work on age-related hearing loss. Dr. Rebecca Younk explained that seniors with age-related hearing loss miss out on connections with their family members.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Representatives from organizations that represent assisted living facilities shared that they have concerns about the proposal, but that they are in discussions with us about what is workable. The committee unanimously passed the bill. It will be heard again next week in the House Health and Human Services Policy Committee.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hearing on increasing the Commission’s funding&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Also on Wednesday, there was a hearing on HF 1043, a bill that will increase the Commission’s funding in the Commerce Committee in the House. There was a brief hearing, MNCDHH was given five minutes and Mary Hartnett testified. It passed and was sent to the Job Growth and Energy Affordability Policy and Finance where there will be a full hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additions to the Commission’s Legislative Agenda – Education &amp;amp; Voting&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission has added a new education policy to the list of bills that we will be working on this legislative session. The Legislature is looking at restructuring the way that teachers in the state are licensed. The primary bill being considered in the House is HF 1079, which is authored by Representative Sondra Erickson (Princeton).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are four licensure tiers proposed in order to address the dire shortage of teachers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The licensing proposals would have a big impact on deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing students, ASL teachers and Deaf/Hard of Hearing licensed teachers. We will be in conversation with the legislators working on these bills about the needs of all of these groups.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission also decided to support a bill related to voting. The bill’s goal is to protect the privacy of voters who use equipment that makes voting accessible. Some new accessible voting equipment being used in Minnesota has ballots that are smaller than those used by other voters. This means election judges who worked in the polling place on Election Day could automatically know who cast that ballot. This bill protects voters’ privacy by preventing election judges from conducting a recount of votes in that precinct if fewer than 10 voters used the accessible voting equipment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;New understanding of a bill already on the agenda&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The legislative agenda released in January explained that the Commission is opposed to any efforts to weaken laws that require businesses websites to be accessible. As we have worked with our allies on this issue, we have come to understand that the ADA, other federal laws, and the state law do not explicitly require that businesses make their websites fully accessible, i.e. screen reader friendly, closed captions, etc.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To add on to the bad news, business groups want to clarify that the state law does not require businesses’ websites to be accessible and that individuals cannot bring a lawsuit to force them to be accessible. The business groups have a lot of influence with legislators and this type of bill is likely to pass.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;However, we will be asking legislators to at least add a few good things such as&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Include language encouraging all businesses to make their websites fully accessible.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Require the state to give preference to doing business with businesses that have accessible websites.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Furthermore, require that the state only give business to IT companies that have accessible websites, since IT companies at least should know how to make their sites accessible.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Elections bill introduced&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The elections bill described above has been introduced. In the House, it is HF 1569, and is being authored by Representatives Roz Peterson (Lakeville), Paul Thissen (Minneapolis), and Tama Theis (St. Cloud). In the Senate, it is SF 1141 and is authored by Senators Carla Nelson (Rochester), Karin Housley (Stillwater) and John Hoffman (Champlin).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Assistive Technology Bill Introduced&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The bill to require that assistive technology be considered when developing an Individual Education Plan or an Individual Family Support Plan has been introduced. In the House, it is HF 1339 authored by Representatives Sondra Erickson (Princeton), David Bly (Northfield), Peggy Bennett (Albert Lea), Glenn Gruenhagen (Glencoe) and Ron Kresha (Little Falls). In the Senate, it is SF 1198 and is authored by Senators John Hoffman (Champlin) and Jim Abeler (Anoka).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Bill Hearings This Week&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Watch our &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/MNCDHH/&quot;&gt;Facebook page&lt;/a&gt; for notices of bill hearings this week.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hearings on Lobby Day&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On Lobby Day, there will be three hearings on bills that the Commission is working on. This gives you even more reason to come. We want to fill the hearing rooms so they can see how large the community is. The hearings are:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;8:30 to 10:00 in Senate Aging and Long-Term Care Policy Committee.‬ Hearing on SF 818, the bill to require training for senior care workers‬ (‪1100 Minnesota Senate Building), ‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;3:00 to 4:30 in Senate Human Services Reform Finance and Policy Committee.‬ Hearing on SF 738, bill to modernize and increase funding for DHHSD (and Deaf Mentors) (‪1200 Minnesota Senate Building‬), and‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;‪1:00 to 2:45 in House Health and Human Services Finance Committee.‬ Hearing on 2 bills: ‬HF 774, bill to modernize and increase funding for DHHSD (and Deaf Mentors) and‬ HF 952, the bill to require training for senior care workers‬ (‪200 State Office Building).‬‬‬‬‬‬‬&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Award Nominations&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you to everyone who sent in nominations for the 2017 Lobby Day Awards. The nominations are being reviewed by the Commission board and staff. Watch for our announcement on who will receive awards for their achievements and contributions benefiting people who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;‬Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;400 deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing and hearing Minnesotans have signed up to attend Lobby Day! If you have not registered to join us and you want to come, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3257526/Registration-for-2017-Deaf-DeafBlind-Hard-of-Hearing-Lobby-Day&quot;&gt;sign up by February 28&lt;/a&gt;, 2017. This will give us time to coordinate your schedule and accommodations.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>281830</id><Tag><Description/><Title>age-related hearing loss</Title><Id>310251</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>accessible technology</Title><Id>310264</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>voting</Title><Id>250119</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2017-09-05T14:49:32Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>February 22, 2017: Legislative Update</Title><title>2017-02-22 Legislative Update</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-281410&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-02-23T00:07:21Z</Date><ShortDescription>Hearing on Good Acoustics and Loops, More Bills Introduced, Hearings next week and on Lobby Day </ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/YDUpIiTpfsY&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with the February 22, 2017 legislative update&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;nbsp;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hearing on Good Acoustics and Loops&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The bill to require Good Acoustics and Hearing Loops in State Funded Construction (SF 161) had a hearing in the Senate State Government Committee. The author, Senator Ann Rest, explained that the bill is a common sense approach to make spaces accessible to the 20% of the population with hearing loss. Rick Nelson, of Loop Minnesota and Beth Fraser, the Commission’s Government Relations Director, testified in favor of the bill. The Committee did not vote on the proposal. Instead, they held onto the bill. Later in the session, they may choose to include this policy in a larger bill that includes many separate bills, called “an omnibus bill.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MSAD Bonding Bills Introduced&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Last week we explained that some of the Minnesota State Academies’ funding request are included in a bill that includes all of the Governor’s bonding proposals. This week, two of the Minnesota State Academies’ bonding requests have also been introduced as separate bills. One is for $2 million for building maintenance and improvements. It is SF 904, authored by Senators John Jasinski from Faribault, Julie Rosen from Vernon Center and Torrey Westrom from Elbow Lake. In the House, it is HF 763, authored by Representatives Brian Daniels from Faribault and David Bly from Northfield.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The other is for $50,000 to improve security for students at MSAD. It is SF 902 and being authored by Senators John Jasinski from Faribault, Julie Rosen from Vernon Center and Torrey Westrom from Elbow Lake. In the House, it is HF 764, authored by Representatives Brian Daniels from Faribault and David Bly from Northfield.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commission Bill Introduced&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A bill to increase funding for the Commission to expand our ability to work with the community was introduced in the Senate. It is SF 948 and is authored by Senators Dave Senjem, Scott Dibble, Jim Abeler, and John Hoffman.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor&apos;s Job Bill Introduced&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Governor’s Jobs bill has been introduced, which includes an additional $3.5 million per year to eliminate the waiting lists for Vocational Rehabilitation, which the Commission supports. It is SF 942 and is authored by Senators Jeremy Miller from Winona, Bobby Joe Champion from Minneapolis and Gary Dahms from Redwood Falls. In the House, it is HF 1081 and is authored by Representative Pat Garofalo from Farmington.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Upcoming Hearings&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Over the next few weeks, we expect the legislative committees to hold many hearings on the bills the Commission is supporting. Some will be scheduled well in advance, in which case we will let you know about them so that you can come and watch the hearing if you are available. Check our Facebook page for more timely updates. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hearings on Lobby Day&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On Lobby Day, there will be three hearings on bills that the Commission is working on. This gives you even more reason to come. The day will include an exciting rally with hundreds of deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, and hearing community members, a chance to talk to your legislators in person and tell them why these issues are important to us, and a chance to observe the legislators discussing and debating bills that are important to us. We want to fill the hearing rooms so they can see how large the community is. Plan to come for the whole day, if you can. The hearings are:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;‪8:30 to 10:00‬‪ in Senate Aging and Long Term Care Policy Committee‬‬ Hearing on SF 818, the bill to require training for senior care workers‬ (‪1100 Minnesota Senate Building),&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;‪‪3:00 to 4:30‬‪ in Senate Human Services Reform Finance and Policy Committee‬‬ Hearing on SF 738, bill to modernize and increase funding for DHHSD (and Deaf Mentors) (‪1200 Minnesota Senate Building‬‬),&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;‪‪1:00 to 2:45‬‪ in House Health and Human Services Finance Committee‬‬ Hearing on 2 bills: ‬‪HF 774, bill to modernize and increase funding for DHHSD (and Deaf Mentors) and‬‬ HF 952, the bill to require training for senior care workers‬ (‪200 State Office Building).‬‬&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;350 deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing and hearing Minnesotans have signed up to attend Lobby Day! We are excited and looking forward to this amazing day. If you have not registered to join us and you want to come, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3257526/Registration-for-2017-Deaf-DeafBlind-Hard-of-Hearing-Lobby-Day&quot;&gt;sign up by February 28, 2017&lt;/a&gt;. This will give us time to coordinate your schedule and accommodations. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For More Information and Updates&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information and to sign up for alerts, &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/deaf-commission/&quot;&gt;visit our website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>281410</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>events</Title><Id>310256</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>employment</Title><Id>310253</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>looping</Title><Id>310267</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>age-related hearing loss</Title><Id>310251</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2017-09-05T14:48:00Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>February 13, 2017: Legislative Update</Title><title>2017-02-13 Legislative Update</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-280315&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-02-13T21:34:29Z</Date><ShortDescription>DHHSD bill, Training bill, Commission bill, and MSAD bills introduced. Information about upcoming hearings and Lobby Day. Register for Lobby Day by February 28th! Nominate community members for landmark achievements! Awards to be given on Lobby Day. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Several bills introduced, upcoming hearings &amp; Lobby Day</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/mlkMfngmTPM&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with the February 13, 2017 legislative update&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt; &lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many more of the bills that we are following were introduced to the House and the Senate last week. Here’s the update:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DHHSD bill introduced&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The bill to modernize and increase funding for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division, which includes an increase in funding for the Deaf Mentor Family Program, was introduced in the Senate. It is SF 738, and is authored by Senators John Hoffman from Champlin, Jim Abeler from Anoka, and Foung Hawj from Saint Paul.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Training bill introduced&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The bill to require staff at assisted living facilities to receive training about age-related hearing loss and how to identify it. It was introduced in both the Senate and the House. In the Senate, it is SF 818 and is authored by Senators Karin Housley from Stillwater, Tony Lourey from Kerrick, Kent Eken from Twin Valley, Jim Abeler from Anoka, and Jerry Relph from Saint Cloud. In the House, it is HF 952 and is authored by Representatives Deb Kiel from Crookston, Tama Theis from Saint Cloud, Erin Murphy from Saint Paul, Susan Allen from Minneapolis and Dave Baker from Willmar.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commission bill introduced&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A bill to increase funding for the Commission to expand our ability to work with the community was introduced in the House. It is HF 1043 and is authored by Representatives Dave Baker from Willmar, Bob Gunther from Fairmont, Karen Clark from Minneapolis, Marion O’Neill from Maple Lake, Jason Metsa from Virginia and Jim Davnie from Minneapolis. We expect it to be introduced in the Senate early next week.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MSAD bills introduced&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As we explained in detail in last week’s update, the Minnesota State Academies, both for the Deaf and the Blind, are requesting funding for facility maintenance and improvement and to improve educational outcomes. These funding requests are included in much bigger bills introduced this week.  Three of the requests are included in the Governor’s bonding bill. It is HF 892 being authored by Representative Dean Urdahl from Grove City and SF 640 being authored by Senator Sandy Pappas from Saint Paul. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The other two requests are included in the Governor’s Education bill. It is HF 890 and is authored by Representative Jenifer Loon from Eden Prairie and SF 718 and is authored by Senator Carla Nelson from Rochester. For more details about these requests, please see the &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/deaf-commission/news/index.jsp?id=1063-277334&quot;&gt;February 6, 2017, update&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Upcoming Hearings &amp;amp; Lobby Day&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Have you signed up for Lobby Day? We are working with legislators and staff (and scheduling interpreters) to arrange for hearings on all of the legislation we are supporting. It looks like two of our bills will have hearings on Lobby Day (DHHSD &amp;amp; Training bills). We are excited to have you come to watch the legislature discuss on March 8th. We are excited that this means that many of you will be there in-person to support and watch the legislature discuss the bills that are important to the community in Minnesota. If you haven’t already &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3257526/Registration-for-2017-Deaf-DeafBlind-Hard-of-Hearing-Lobby-Day&quot;&gt;registered, please do so today&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please register by February 28th. Legislator and interpreter schedules book fast so early registration is best! Please sign up before the deadline.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Awards will be presented during the rally. MNCDHH is seeking nominations for community members who have accomplished a landmark achievement or contributed to the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing community within the past 2 years (2015-2016). Please &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3338089/2017-Awards-Nominations&quot;&gt;nominate individuals you believe should be recognized&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For More Information and Updates&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information and to sign up for alerts, &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/deaf-commission/&quot;&gt;visit our website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>280315</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>age-related hearing loss</Title><Id>310251</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2017-09-05T14:46:18Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>February 6, 2017: Legislative Update</Title><title>2017-02-06 Legislative Update</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-277334&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-02-06T22:28:49Z</Date><ShortDescription>A summary of the successful bill hearing on Good Acoustics and Hearing Loops, the introduction of the DHHSD bill to the House, and an explanation regarding how the funding will be used for MSAD and DHHSD. Sign up to attend Lobby Day AND nominate community members who should be recognized at the rally!</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Acoustics &amp; loops, funding for DHHSD &amp; MSAD and more</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/GFZIvP3Nlxw&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with the Feb 6, 2017 legislative update&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;nbsp;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It was another busy week at the Capitol. Here’s the update&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Bill Hearing on Good Acoustics &amp;amp; Loops&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The bill to require Good Acoustics and Hearing Loops in State Funded Construction (HF 423) had a hearing in the House Government Operations Committee. The author, Representative Tama Theis, told the committee that she cares deeply about the bill because she’s seen her husband, who has hearing loss, struggle to participate in noisy settings.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There was testimony given by Rick Nelson, of Loop Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;He explained how good acoustics and hearing loops go with hearing aids and cochlear implants, the same way that ramps go with wheelchairs – the hearing aid or wheelchair by itself does not make a space accessible for people with hearing loss.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;More testimony was provided by Beth Fraser, the Commission’s Government Relations Director.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;She educated the committee that 20% of Minnesotans have hearing loss and that 2/3 of people over 70 have age-related hearing loss. She argued that making places more accessible to people with hearing loss will keep them more active and healthier, which is good for them and ultimately for the state budget. The trio convinced the committee that the bill is a good idea. Several legislators on the committee spoke in favor of the bill and said that they want to add their names as co-authors. They passed the bill unanimously. It now needs to be heard by the House Capital Investment Committee.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DHHSD Bill Introduced&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The bill to modernize and increase funding for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division, which includes an increase in funding for the Deaf Mentor Family Program was introduced in the House.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;HF 774 is authored by Representatives Nels Pierson from Rochester, Joe McDonald from Delano, and Dave Pinto from Saint Paul.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We expect it to be introduced in the Senate next week.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are working on getting the rest of our bills written and lining up legislative authors for them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What will funding for MSAD and DHHSD be used for?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We received questions from a person that receives these updates about what the funding for MSAD and DHHSD would be used for. We’re glad that you’re reading and curious for more information. Here’s the answer:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota State Academies – both for the Deaf and for the Blind – have five different requests for funding. Three are included in the Governor’s bonding proposal – this means that the State would sell bonds to help pay for construction or maintenance of the state’s assets, like buildings and roads. They are:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;$2 million to preserve and update Noyes Hall&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;$50,000 for design planning to improve the safety of the school buildings&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;$600,000 to build a track for the students&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Then the academies have two requests included in the regular state budget:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;$500,000 to repair, replace and maintain the facilities.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;$2.2 million dollars over two years to improve the educational programs. This funding would be used to add 7 staff, including a specialist to help students explore careers, a communication specialist, a middle school teacher, two Assistant Principals to create curriculum and provide training, two dormitory staff, an American Sign Language Specialist, and a maintenance worker. The funds would also allow the academies to purchase updated resources, textbooks, and assessments.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The increased funding for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division would pay for:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;the continuation of mental health services in American Sign Language (ASL) for children and adults throughout the state&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;the continuation of services for DeafBlind children and adults&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;the addition of a psychiatrist who can provide services in ASL&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;technology and training for staff so that they can establish satellite offices in other regional centers and/or places in other regional centers where clients can connect to staff using video phones or other technology&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lobby Day&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A lot will be happening this year and we need you to be a part of it. Sign up for Lobby Day on March 8th.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And stay tuned for alerts! You can sign up for part of the day, or the full day, whatever works best for your schedule! &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3257526/Registration-for-2017-Deaf-DeafBlind-Hard-of-Hearing-Lobby-Day&quot;&gt;Please register by February 28th.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Legislator and interpreter schedules book fast so early registration is best!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Awards will be presented during the rally. MNCDHH is seeking nominations for community members who have accomplished a landmark achievement or contributed to the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing community within the past 2 years (2015-2016). &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3338089/2017-Awards-Nominations&quot;&gt;Please nominate individuals you believe should be recognized.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For More Information and Updates&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information and to sign up for alerts, &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/deaf-commission/&quot;&gt;visit our website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>277334</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>lobby day</Title><Id>310265</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>looping</Title><Id>310267</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>age-related hearing loss</Title><Id>310251</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2017-09-05T14:45:31Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>January 30, 2017: Legislative Update</Title><title>2017-01-30 Legislative Update</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-275246&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-01-30T18:56:26Z</Date><ShortDescription>Information about new agenda items for education and communication access. The Governor released his budget proposal. We also cover what has happened so far in the Legislature.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>New items on legislative agenda and more</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/IodlCauiYqU&quot; title=&quot;ASL video with the January 30, 2017 legislative update&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;nbsp;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A lot is happening and we have lots of news to share this week. The Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Minnesotans board met in January and added to the legislative agenda, the Governor released his budget proposal this week, and the legislature is already busy hearing and passing bills.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additions to Legislative Agenda&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;First the additions to the legislative agenda:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission voted to also support three measures related to education and one related to communication access.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The three related to education are:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Support funding and infrastructure requests for the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Support increased funding for Deaf ABE (Adult Basic Education) provided in ASL&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Require that a student’s need for assistive technology be considered when developing an Individual Education Plan (IEP) or Individual Family Support Plan (IFSP)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The proposal related to communication access is:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Oppose efforts to weaken laws that require business’s websites to be accessible&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Now that the Governor has released his budget proposal, we know that we will support another initiative for vocational rehabilitation:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Eliminate waiting lists for Vocational Rehabilitation Services by requesting $3.5 million a year for a total of $7 million.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When we get bill numbers and additional information about these proposals, we will share them with you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor’s Budget Proposal&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Second, the Governor released his budget proposal, which includes good news for our communities. The Governor’s budget includes funding for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD) as well as funding for the Minnesota State Academies of the Deaf and Blind.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It is now up to the Legislature to decide whether to follow the Governor’s budget recommendations or to do something else entirely. We will be working with you to urge them to provide even more funding to DHHSD than the Governor recommended and to provide funding for the State Academies, for the Commission, for Deaf ABE, and for the Deaf Mentor Family Program.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Legislature Taking Action&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Third, the Legislature is already taking action.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You may have heard that the House and Senate took quick action and within days of the start of the session passed a health care bill. When the House passed the bill, it included language that would have gotten rid of the requirement for many insurance policies to provide coverage for a long list of items, including cancer treatment, mental health care, and especially concerning to us, coverage for children’s hearing aids. Many groups took action and MNCDHH did too. Luckily Senator Michelle Benson from Ham Lake and Governor Dayton both blocked this proposal. It was dropped before the bill was approved by both the House and Senate last week.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The bill to require Good Acoustics and Hearing Loops in State Funded Construction has been introduced in both the House and the Senate. In the Senate, it is Senate File (SF) 161 and is authored by Senators&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ann Rest from New Hope,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;John Hoffman from Champlin,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Julie Rosen from Vernon Center,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Matt Klein from Mendota Heights&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;and Dave Senjem from Rochester.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the House, it is House File (HF) 423 and is authored by Representatives&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tama Theis from Saint Cloud,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jeff Howe from Rockville,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tim O’Driscoll from Sartell, and&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Paul Anderson from Starbuck.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are working on getting the rest of our bills written and lining up legislative authors for them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A lot will be happening this year and we need you to be a part of it. Sign up for &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3257526/Registration-for-2017-Deaf-DeafBlind-Hard-of-Hearing-Lobby-Day&quot;&gt;Lobby Day on March 8th&lt;/a&gt; and stay tuned for alerts!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For More Information and Updates&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information and to sign up for alerts, &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/deaf-commission/&quot;&gt;visit our website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>275246</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>employment</Title><Id>310253</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>hearing aids</Title><Id>310255</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2017-09-05T14:40:15Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>New Accessibility Features at the Minnesota State Capitol</Title><title>2017-01-23 New Accessibility Features at the Capitol</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-274209&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-01-23T22:19:22Z</Date><ShortDescription> Learn about increased seating, bathrooms on every floor, a Mother&apos;s Room, better WiFi, changes to entrances, assistive listening (hearing loops and FM systems), closed captioning, and Capitol tours. We have also provided a link to participate in Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Improvements benefit all Capitol visitors</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/-ClezW3rH0E&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about new accessibility features at the Capitol&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;nbsp;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Capitol Building has been undergoing restoration since 2015. The renovation is still ongoing but we were able to return the Capitol in 2017! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Changes at the Capitol&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So far, there have been many wonderful changes. For example:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Increased seating/accessibility features in hearing rooms&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Public, accessible bathrooms on every floor&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mother’s Room on 1st floor&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;New public meeting rooms&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;New Visitor Center&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;New classroom&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;More dining options&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Better WiFi&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;New Accessibility Features&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Before there were 3 accessible entrances. Now there are 4. The accessible entrances are:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;South via main entrance at ground level.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;West via ground level - accessible to those with card-reader access. The East Ground entrance will be open with card-readers in April 2017.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;North via Tunnel access from the Minnesota Senate Building.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There is also tunnel access from the State Office Building with no stairs but there is a steep slope. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The closest Metro Mobility drop off site is on Cedar Street, East of the Capitol, near the entrance.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Parking at the Capitol&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There is a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mn.gov/bms-stat/assets/capitol%252E07.pdf&quot;&gt;map that shows the locations for both public parking and disability parking (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;. Visitors might want to take the Light Rail. The closest stop is the Capitol/Rice St. Station.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Assistive Listening&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hearing loops, which enable hearing aid users with t-coils to have sound direct transmitted into their hearing aids, have now been installed in:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;All hearing rooms in the Capitol building and the Minnesota Senate Building. Loops are not installed in the State Office Building, where most House hearings happen.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;House and Senate Chambers &lt;strong&gt;*Correction: There are no hearing loops in the House and Senate Chambers, but they do have an FM system.*&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Supreme Court Courtroom &lt;strong&gt;*Correction: There is no hearing loop installed in this room, but they do have an FM system.*&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Assistive Listening Devices&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Assistive Listening Devices (FM Systems) can be checked out for use from two locations. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Senate Building, Room G-430, 651-296-1119&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;House Sergeants’ Office, Room B-17, 651-296-4860&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can use the FM system in the State Office Building and in the House Chamber. Learn more at the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/faq/faqtoc?subject=19&quot;&gt;Legislative Coordinating Commission FAQ Section&lt;/a&gt;.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Closed Captioning&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All live and archived House and Senate television programming is closed captioned. Learn more at the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/faq/faqtoc?subject=19&quot;&gt;Legislative Coordinating Commission FAQ Section&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Public Information and Tours&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Historical Society is now providing free guided tours of the Capitol building during business hours. Come and learn more about the Capitol history, architecture, and state government. If you are requesting accommodations or if you are in a group of 10 or more, please contact &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:grouptickets@mnhs.org&quot;&gt;grouptickets@mnhs.org&lt;/a&gt; or call 651.259.3003. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mnhs.org/capitol/activities/tours&quot;&gt;More information about the tours is available&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sign Up for &lt;a href=&quot;/deaf-commission/get-involved/lobby-day/index.jsp&quot; title=&quot;000 Lobby Day Page Intro&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;000 Lobby Day Page Intro&quot;&gt;Lobby Day&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Have you &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.tinyurl.com/lobby-day-rsvp-2017&quot;&gt;signed up to attend Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Lobby Day&lt;/a&gt; on Wednesday, March 8, 2017? Join us!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>274209</id><Tag><Description/><Title>accessible technology</Title><Id>310264</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>captioning</Title><Id>247356</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>looping</Title><Id>310267</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>communication access</Title><Id>310259</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2018-02-13T20:35:27Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>2017 Legislative Agenda</Title><title>2017-01-17 2017 MNCDHH Legislative Agenda</title><url>&lt;tcdl:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:1063-273458&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-01-17T22:11:39Z</Date><ShortDescription>This is the legislative agenda approved by the Commission board. A finalized agenda will be announced after the next board meeting that will take place on Friday, January 20, 2017.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNCDHH announces the legislation they will pursue this year.</Subtitle><publication>1063</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/_9bfBIagfB4&quot; title=&quot;ASL video about the 2017 legislative agenda&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot;&gt;nbsp;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;English version&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Minnesotans is pleased to announce our 2017 Legislative Agenda. These are items that the Commission Board voted on and approved at our November 2016 board meeting. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Education:  Increase funding for the Deaf Mentor Family Program&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;This early intervention program provides trained deaf adults as role models, language models, and ASL teachers for families with children who are deaf or hard of hearing. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It is evidence-based and recommended by the National Academy of Pediatrics.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mentors help parents adjust, teach communication, give parents hope and children language and self-esteem. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Program needs more funding to eliminate waiting list and expand its reach.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Age-Related Hearing Loss:  Require good acoustics and hearing loops in state-funded construction&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Projects paid for with state funding should be built with acoustical standards in mind and include Hearing Loops (the hearing assistive technology preferred by those with hearing aids), when financially feasible.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Age-Related Hearing Loss:  Require training for staff at assisted living facilities &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Age-related hearing loss impedes communication and is linked to increased rates of dementia, falls, hospitalizations, depression, and isolation.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Staff at senior facilities need to know how to recognize and accommodate age-related hearing loss to facilitate communication and engagement.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD):  Modernize the services and increase funding&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;As a follow-up to the studies done over the last two years, update law to modernize services statewide for deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing adults and children. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Increase funding to ensure funding for DeafBlind services, for mental health services in ASL and for equipment labs with updated equipment continue.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Strengthening Commission:  Increase funding to expand Commission’s impact for advocating with deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing Minnesotans&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provide more information in American Sign Language (ASL) through video.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Expand work on age-related hearing loss, education, and employment.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ensure that Commission has the capacity to monitor the implementation of laws passed.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commission Board Meeting&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The board will gather again for a full Commission meeting on Friday, January 20, 2017, at the Golden Rule Building in St. Paul. We know that several community members plan to attend and ask for our support. The board will vote on the potential new items to add to the legislative agenda.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For More Information and Updates&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information and to sign up for alerts, &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/deaf-commission/&quot;&gt;visit our website&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>273458</id><Tag><Description/><Title>legislation</Title><Id>310258</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>education</Title><Id>310252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>looping</Title><Id>310267</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>age-related hearing loss</Title><Id>310251</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2017-09-05T14:37:32Z</pubdate></list></results>