August 31, 2007
Conferences Emphasize ‘Working Together’ for Hearing Impaired
There are numerous avenues available to improve the lives of the hearing impaired.
Attendees at a pair of national conferences in Missoula over the next two weeks will have the opportunity to discuss current methods and share new ideas on ways to enhance accessible telecommunication efforts for the deaf.
The National Association of State Relay Administrators (NASRA) convention is Sept. 4 – 7, 2007, while the Telecommunications Equipment Distribution Program Association (TEDPA) event is Sept. 9 – 12, 2007.
Both are free and open to the public and take place at the Holiday Inn Parkside located at 200 South Pattee. The events are sponsored in part by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS).
Montana Telecommunications Access Program (MTAP) executive director Connie Phelps of DPHHS says it’s a rare opportunity for the state to host both conferences back-to-back. “That’s two conventions coming to Montana,” Phelps said. “It gives us a chance to show off our state while introducing whole new groups of people to the deaf community and the issues surrounding hearing loss and telecommunications.”
The NASRA agenda features presentations on Internet Protocol and Voice over Internet Protocol. In addition, one panel discussion will tackle the current national issue of abuse and fraud in relation to the hearing impaired. Those in attendance will also learn how advances in technology are helping the deaf.
Secretary of State Brad Johnson will help kick off the NASRA conference with opening remarks at 8:30 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 5.
NASRA is an organization responsible for administering each state’s relay service, a system for enabling phone calls between the text telephones used by people who are deaf and the standard phones used by hearing people. The services are required by the Americans with Disabilities Act, and represent the foundation of equal access to telecommunications for the ten percent of Americans who have some degree of hearing loss.
The TEDPA conference will be highlighted by keynote speaker Sarah Eyer of the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind. As a parent of a deaf child, Eyer collaborates very closely with MTAP to meet the educational and technology needs of deaf Montanans. Eyer, an outreach consultant for the school, holds a master’s degree in deaf education.
The TEDPA event brings together various state program officials who distribute assistive communications equipment for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, speech disabled or mobility disabled.
Phelps, the National Chairperson of TEDPA, said equipment to help the hearing impaired is constantly improving. “Our relay and equipment program have always been on the cutting edge in this field,” she said. "It’s an exciting time for accessible telecommunications, with lots of new technologies. Montana has a history of embracing those new technologies early.”
The TEDPA conference will also feature a presentation on Monday, Sept. 10, 2007 at 1 p.m. by the Expressions of Silence, a group of MSDB students who perform American Sign Language choreography and drama. The conference theme this year is ‘Working Together’.
A NASRA conference agenda can be accessed at www.nasratrs.org and the TEDPA agenda is available at www.tedpa.org.
The two conventions will bring approximately 200 people to Missoula for a total of nine days.
For more information call DPHHS Outreach Coordinator Leyetta Way at (406) 444-4208.
Page last updated: 08/31/2007
