lhh.org

Meeting wonderful people at LHH
Josh Gendel is very knowledgeable in assisstive technology, kind and willing to help. What a great source of sharing and support. We discussed the possibilities of my project. Josh refered me to valuable resources.

Newsgroups that deal with hearing loss - alt.support.hearing-loss.
You can access it usually through your e-mail software or through Google groups at:
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.support.hearing-loss/topics?lnk=srg&hl=en

A. directs the community education programs, provided me with resources and information about activities in NYC and US.

D. Direct the educational programs for children, an amazing school psychologist who is working at LHH for 20 years. It was amazing to learn about the progress in the field in the last 50 years. We are planning to meet again to discuss ways in which educational technology can empower children with hearing loss.


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ABC - Association for better communication is a great organization and is active in LHH to promote a better access for people with hearinmg loss.

for example, supporting new legistration like
Dear a.b.c. members.

Joe G. sent me this announcement.

Both legislative houses in Albany have passed the Interagency Bills.

It is very important that we all write or email Governor Spitzerand
ask him to please sign this bill. Please ask your chapter members to write
also.

Here is the mailing address or email contact information for Governor
Spitzer.

Mailing address for Governor Spitzer:
Governor Eliot Spitzer
State Capitol
Albany, NY 12224

Email contact for Governor Spitzer : Congress.org


Here are the BILL NUMBERS, TITLE OF THE BILL, PURPOSE OF THE BILL,
JUSTIFICATION OF THE BILL, and a SUMMARY OF THE PROVISIONS OF THE
BILL.

> BILL NUMBER: A2461A/S1923
> SPONSOR: Morelle (MS)
>
> TITLE OF BILL:
> An act to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to
> creating the state interagency council for services to
> persons who are deaf, deaf-blind, or hard of hearing
> to promote a comprehensive service system for the
> deaf, deaf-blind, and hard of hearing population
>
>
> PURPOSE:
> Services for deaf, deaf-blind and hard of hearing
> persons are provided by many agencies of the State
> government and through funding from these agencies, by
> many private agencies and providers. This bill would
> establish an Interagency Coordinating Council for
> Services to Persons Who are Deaf, Deaf-Blind, or Hard
> of Hearing under the administrative lead of the New
> York State Commission on Quality of Care & Advo-
> cacy for Persons with Disabilities (CQCAPD). The
> Council would coordinate the collection of information
> on population needs, engage in comprehensive strategic
> planning and prepare legislative and policy
> recommendations to the Governor and the State
> Legislature.
>
>
> SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
> This bill proposes to amend the Mental Hygiene
> Law by adding a new section 45.21 to create a New York
> State Interagency Coordinating Council for Services to
> Persons who are Deaf, Deaf-Blind or Hard of Hearing.
> The Interagency Coordinating Council would be adminis-
> tered by the New York State Commission on Quality of
> Care & Advocacy to Persons with Disabilities (CQCAPD).
>
> The Council will include seven agency heads or their
> designees from the following agencies: the chairperson
> of the NYS CQCAPD, who will also serve as the chair of
> this council, the Public Service Commission, the
> Offices of Children & Family Services, Aging, and the
> Departments of Education, Health, and Labor.
>
> In addition to the agency representatives, the Council
> will include eight representatives appointed by the
> Governor and the State Legislature.
>
> Functions of the Interagency Coordinating Council and
> the NYS CQCAPD would include:
>
> 1) the promotion of a statewide program for
> coordinated services to persons who are deaf,
> deaf-blind and hard of hearing;
>
> 2) the maintenance of data on the incidence of
> deafness, deaf-blindness and other hearing loss;
>
> 3) to serve as a clearinghouse of information on
> available Services;
>
> 4) the dissemination of service information;
>
> 5) receipt of complaints affecting the deaf,
> deaf-blind and hard of
> hearing;
>
> 6) the ongoing evaluation of the needs of the deaf,
> deaf-blind and hard of hearing communities, including
> technology;
>
> 7) to report to the Governor and State Legislature
> beginning on or before November 1st 2009 with
> advisement on policy, legislative initiatives and, by
> the third year of funding, the development of a
> uniform
> statewide plan.
>
> JUSTIFICATION:
> This bill would significantly improve the delivery of
> services to individuals who are deaf, deaf-blind, or
> hard of hearing. It would provide a discussion focus
> on the delivery of comprehensive services for medical,
> housing, transportation, technology supports,
> personal care, family supports, and day programs for
> the deaf, deaf-blind and hard of hearing.
>
> Interagency discussion would result in an
> identification of the needs of the deaf, deaf-blind
> and hard of hearing communities and a more efficient
> matching of these needs to State resources. The
> establishment of a Council that includes persons who
> are deaf, deaf-blind or hard of hearing will do much
> to ensure that services for this population are
> responsive to the special needs of these groups. As of now,
> there is no single "impartial" place where deaf and
> multi-handicapped deaf individuals can receive
>information regarding available services.