ADA Law and Deaf Services

Voting Resources for Hoosiers with Disabilities

Thousands of people with disabilities in Indiana are waiting for services. Medicaid recipients face cutbacks. Too many Hoosiers with disabilities are unemployed. These issues, and many others, are why citizens with disabilities – you – need to get involved in elections. Policymakers make decisions that impact most aspects of your daily life, so you need to have a say. Exercising your right to vote gives you a voice in this process.

Do you know your voting rights? Are you interested in helping others register to vote? Use the resources listed below to make sure your voice is heard this Election Day on Tuesday, November 8th.

Order Your Voting Guide

This free 54 page booklet provides information on voting including key dates, access requirements for polling places and voting machines, how to check to make sure you are registered, how to find out who your candidates are and research their records, different ways to cast your ballot, voter identification requirements, helpful resource groups and more.

Click here to view the PDF or visit GCPD.in.gov.

Click here to order your copy.

Count Us In! Campaign Launch

The ARC of Indiana, INARF, the Self-Advocates of Indiana, and the Direct Support Professionals of Indiana have partnered together to launch the 2016 statewide Count Us In! Campaign.

Connect with your local SAI Chapters, Chapters of The Arc, INARF Members, and DSPIN Members and begin planning how you can work together to reach the goal of 92 Voter Registration Events to occur between September 6 and October 11.

#HoosiersVote

#HoosiersVote is an initiative of Indiana Disability Rights. Exercising the right to vote is an essential element of our civil rights. Every person who has registered to vote and has proper identification should be able to cast their vote privately and independently at their polling place or through absentee voting. Unfortunately, some people with disabilities may experience issues when they try to vote.

Visit HoosiersVote.org for more information and resources to help you exercise your right to vote and be sure to follow the project on Facebook and Twitter by searching for HoosiersVote.

Indiana Institute on Disability and Community Voting Guide

This guide from IIDC provides links to some of the great resources developed by the members of the Developmental Disabilities Network. The network is made up of the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, Indiana Disability Rights and the Governor's Council for People with Disabilities.

Video Phone Available for the Deaf Community at

Easter Seals:Easter Seals Arc of Northeast Indiana located at:

4919 Coldwater Rd, next to Red Lobster.

and The League at DeafLink!

League is located at:

5821 S. Anthony Blvd.

Video Phones are also available at

Fort Wayne International Airport

(visitor's center)

and at the

Downtown Allen County Public Library

(Reader Services)

Deaf Link

5821 South Anthony Blvd, Fort Wayne, IN 46816

Voice/TTY: 260-441-0551 or 800-889-3443

Fax: 260-441-7760

After Hours Emergency Pager: 260-481-8153

Email: deaflink@the-league.org

www.the-league.org

DeafLink strives to provide effective communication through sign language interpretation between the Deaf/Hard of Hearing and hearing communities 24 hours a day 7 days a week. DeafLink provides on-staff and independent contract sign language interpreters on a fee for service basis. Our services assist you to achieve optimal communication, best practices, and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

On-Site: Whether it be a doctor’s appointment, educational environment, legal appointment, church gathering, or employee meeting, interpreters arrive at your location to provide face to face interpreting.

Video-Remote Interpreting: We have the newest technology in Video Remote Interpreting (VRI). Interpreters connect securely to your location through video/audio equipment. This can be an economical alternative to traditional interpreting services and is particularly beneficial in emergency situations, long distance travel, and/or short interpreting sessions. VRI is available nationwide.

Contact:

Garth Sponseller, NIC, RID Ed:K-12

Director of DeafLink

Voice/TTY: 260-441-0551 or 800-889-3443

VP: 260-240-8736

Email: garths@the-league.org

Amanda Witzke, DeafLink Administrative Assistant

Voice/TTY: 260-441-0551 or 800-889-3443

Email: deaflink@the-league.org

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DeafLink also has a Case Coordinator to assist with your life issues. Whatever the need — filling out applications, help with job interviews, looking for apartments, budgeting, referral to available community resources and advocacy — the Case Coordinator is here to help promote your independence.

Contact:

Bob Larimore, Case Coordinator

VP: 260-440-3013

Email: bobl@the-league.org

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (DHHS)

would like to create an email distribution list so that everyone can be informed directly when the State of Indiana DHHS is scheduling something which might be of interest to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community. This email distribution list is applies to anyone who is Deaf, Hard of Hearing, CODA, or hearing with a Deaf heart who wants to know what we are doing. If you are interested in joining our email distribution list, please send your e-mail address to DHHSHelp@fssa.in.gov with a subject line of “E-mail Distribution List”. In order for you to be kept in the loop, you will need to inform us of any changes to your email address.

Submitted by DHHS

Laura Genrich-Perkins

Program Coordinator

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services

402 W. Washington Street, W-453 (MS 23)

Indianapolis, IN 46204

VP: 317/353-3413

E-Mail address: Laura.Genrich-Perkins@fssa.in.gov

Valuable Resources and Tools to Get Out the Disability Vote

Have you joined the Disability Advocacy Coalition Voter Education Project? This is a great non-partisan resource that supports people with disabilities, their families, friends, and advocates to be involved in the election process, and support issues that are important to them.

It is easy to become a member of this coalition. Simply go to www.dacvep.org and click on the BECOME A MEMBER tab. By joining, you will be added to our e-mail list and receive announcements, information and tools on voter registration, voter education and efforts to get out the vote and increase the voting power of the disability community.

You can also browse the pages www.dacvep.org to find valuable information and tools for individuals and organizations. You may also request information by e-mailing dacvep@gmail.com to be added to the membership list. Follow the Disability Advocacy Coalition Voter Education Project on Facebook and Twitter for updates efforts toward voter participation, education, and assistance.

While this project is primarily focused on serving Indiana’s 3rd Congressional District, the resources and links provide valuable information for anyone who is interested in increasing voter participation within their community.

Join the Disability Advocacy Coalition Voter Education Project Today.

The Top 5 Reasons to Join:

5. Reaching out effectively to your legislators and candidates gives you opportunities to advocate for disability issues.

4. Become part of a dynamic network of individuals, disability organizations, advocates, and providers helps to build relationships and form partnerships around issues you care about.

3. Receive access to valuable information to maximize the voting potential of the disability community.

2. Increase voting among the disability to influence decisions made by elected officials and policy makers.

1. It’s Free!!!

The disability community comprises about 20% of society, making this the largest minority constituency in the country. As a non-partisan effort, this project strives to increase the voting power of the disability community and identify key issues that are pertinent in the 2012 elections so that individuals may make informed decisions when choosing elected officials.

Free Tax Help!

United Way is partnering with the League to provide free tax help for people and providing interpretation as long as they meet a couple requirements. For the full info you can go to www.the-league.org, and click the YouTube link at the bottom of the page and view the Vlog about it. If you would like to schedule an appointment, you need to call United Way (not the League) from a landline: 211, or from your videophone: 744-0700.

Fifth Freedom Network

(FFN) is an independent non-profit organization in Fort Wayne. It is directed by Sheri Caveda, an advocate for people with disabilities.

FFN's mission is to teach and train disabled persons to advocate (gain inclusion) for themselves.

FFN's goal is to teach us the steps in learning how to properly advocate for ourselves.

FFN Will not advocate for us!

FFN will help us clarify the different issues we have and organize them.

FFN will help us prioritize our issues.

FFN will help us develop our plan of action.

FFN promotes finding solutions to problems and not fighting battles.

If an organization has good leaders, it will learn from FFN, learn to provide for others.

If an organization is successful and recognized as a good organization in the Fort Wayne area, they can apply for funding and become their own non-profit organization.

Bryan Zimmerman, M.Ed.

New Vocational Rehabilitation

Counselor for residents in Allen County Only. Celia is still VR counselor, but for OTHER counties in Indiana - NOT Allen County.

To contact Bryan for your VR needs:

219 West Wayne Street

Fort Wayne, IN 46802

711-260-424-4653

Toll-free: 1-877-715-5292

Fax: 260-426-3617E-mail: Bryan.Zimmerman@fssa.in.gov

Still need a Fire Alarm???

Smoke Alarms for the DeafThe Fort Wayne Fire Department (FWFD), The League, DeafLink Division, and the Delta Gamma Chapter of Psi Iota Xi Sorority partnered on a project to provide special smoke alarm systems for as many members of Fort Wayne's deaf and hard of hearing community as possible. They provided a demonstration today of how the special smoke alarm system from Silent Call Communications operates.

The alerting system this partnership is providing includes a mobile receiver with a built-in alarm clock and Ni-Cad battery backup, which interacts with special wireless smoke detectors, doorbells, and a standard telephone line. When a transmitter activates, it sends a digitally coded signal thus activating the mobile receiver and alerting the occupants via a strobe light and vibrator. The system allows residents to add other devices such as carbon monoxide detectors.

"Money to pay for the systems came from a competetive FEMA Fire Prevention and Safety Grants program," explained Captain Dave Meadows, FWFD Safety Educator, and coordinator of the project. "We previously worked with DeafLink, Psi Iota Xi, and the local HUD office in providing 16 alarm systems to deaf individuals last year. We discovered very quickly that there were many more families in need that were unable to afford these systems. Again this year, the Delta Gamma Chapter of Psi Iota Xi Sorority stepped forward and generously offered to pay for the interpreter's time to assist with the installation at the homes," he added.

Garth Sponseller, DeafLink Director at The League, said they were excited about this project. "People, in general, are often unaware of the many barriers people with disabilities experience," he said. "In this particular situation, people who are deaf or have different ranges of hearing loss experience significant financial impact. For a person without hearing-loss the cost of a smoke alarm may range from $10 - $30 whereas an alarm system needed by a person who is deaf can cost nearly $350." During this special project, DeafLink will be incorporating its new delivery method of sign language interpreting services by use of video remote interpreting (VRI). This technology uses video conference equipment to facilitate effective communication in a more time and cost efficient manner.

A special form to request a system is available by contacting Mr. Sponseller at DeafLink at

441-0551, Captain Meadows at 427-1483, or here Smoke Alarms for Deaf / Hearing Impaired and www.the-league.org.

ADA Contact Information

To contact Stephanie Buckner U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

312 886 5896 (voice)

312 353 5693 (TTY)

Stephanie.Buckner@hhs.gov

http://www.hhs.gov/ocr

Department of Justice

ADA Information Line

800 514 0301 (voice)

800 514 0383 (TTY)

www.ada.gov

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (DHHS)

402 W. Washington St., W453

P.O. Box 7083

Indianapolis, IN 46207

317-232-1143 (voice or tty)

317-233-1566 (fax)

When you have a complaint about places not providing interpreters, you need to call the numbers above and report it. Change will only happen in Fort Wayne when you make it happen. Furthermore, you must do this immediately — the sooner you can document this, the better it is for everyone. Once you have made the call, the Civil Rights office will take it from there. Your Civil Rights — nobody can bully you into not calling the Civil Rights office. This is your civil right. Doctors, nurses, office personnel only need to be asked one time to provide you with an interpreter — if they refuse, then leave — go home and make the call to the number above and report it.

If the complaint is at a state or federally funded facility then do NOT call the Civil Rights office — call DHHS. State and Federal funded offices are the only ones governed by DHHS.

Think of it like this — how many times are you going to put your hand in the fire before you realize that you’re going to get burned? The same thing with these places that won’t provide an interpreter. There’s no excuse whatsoever for businesses that don’t comply! If they tell you “NO”, then call the numbers above — that's all you need to do, Nothing more!

BOTTOM LINE — EMPOWERMENT!!

Grants for Families

The United Health Care Children’s Foundation

is providing grants to families who have children ages 16 or younger with medical needs not covered or not fully covered by their commercial health benefit plan.

Individuals who receive care via Medicaid, Medicare, or other state or federally subsidized health insurance programs are not eligible.

The amount awarded to an individual within a 12-month period is limited to $5000 or 85% of the final balance, whichever amount is less. Awards to any one individual are limited to a lifetime maximum of $7500.

Driving Test/Written Test

If you need to take a Driver’s test and or written test, contact your local Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) to set up a date and that you are in need of an interpreter. OR you may contact Madonna Hoover, Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Drivers Services Department, phone 317-234-3392 or her email is mahoover@bmv.IN.gov DHHS gave BMV a list of all the interpreter agencies in the state so that when a request comes in they will contact 2 interpreting agencies (per your request or doesn’t matter – choice is yours). And an interpreter will be provided on your test date.

If you have ANY problems or questions, contact Madonna at the above info.

American Society for Deaf Children

Indiana School for the Deaf (ISD) has joined "The American Society for Deaf Children" as an Education Member, and with this comes a special offer! This entitles you to a FREE one-year membership! To start your free membership, click on the link below, fill out the application, and mail it to:

American Society for Deaf Children

3820 Hartzdale Drive

Camp Hill, PA 17011

American Society for Deaf Children Membership Form

Need a TTY?

The League for the Blind & Disabled have TTY's for free, for those that need them. They are older models that have been donated but in working condition. If you (or someone you know) need one, please call:260-441-7760 (fax)

260-441-0551 (voice/TTY)

260-441-0550 (Sorenson VP-200)

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