WI Northcentral Technical College Makes Changes to ITP Program

Northcentral Technical College in Wausau, WI has been reviewing their Educational Interpreter Technician Program (EITP) and have made the decision to remain open.  However, a change is being made to only allow new students into the program every two years.

Northcentral Technical College is currently recruiting new students for the fall 2010 semester, and are hoping to have the program filled by April 1.   

Highlights of changes being made to the program include:

• Sign Language Interpreting – Program name change, but the focus is still on Educational Interpreting
• The program will be an every other year start
• An ASL 3 class has been added

Prospective students interested in joining the EITP program should contact Krista Reince at 715-803-1003 or email reince@ntc.edu for more details.

Changes to WI TEPP Program Go Into Effect

The Public Service Commission has announced that effective December 21, 2009, all Hard of Hearing vouchers issued for the Wisconsin Telecommunications Equipment Purchase Program (TEPP) will be valued at $100.00, instead of the $125.00 that had been in effect since 2004.

These changes are a response to a projected budget shortfall for the Wisconsin TEPP Program, which provides financial assistance to residents of Wisconsin who have hearing loss, mobility or motion impairments, to help them purchase specialized phone-related equipment.

By lowering the dollar amounts for Hard of Hearing vouchers, which accounts for the vast majority of all vouchers issued through the TEPP program, the Public Service Commission hopes to save enough money to prevent the TEPP fund from running out prior to the end of their fiscal year in June.

Any Hard of Hearing vouchers issued prior to December 21, 2009, as well as any applications submitted prior to this date, will be honored at the $125.00 voucher amount.  This change will only affect new applications received as of December 21.  Currently, no changes have been made to the voucher dollar amounts for the Severely Hard of Hearing/Deaf Categories, or the Speech or Mobility/Motion Impaired Categories.

The Wisconsin TEPP program is adminstered by the Public Service Commission, and is available to any Wisconsin resident, of any age and any income level, who has a hearing loss, speech or mobility impairment, and who could benefit from specialized telephone equipment.  Individuals may apply for the TEPP program once every three years.  UniversaLink at the Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing is an approved TEPP vendor.

For more information about this program, please visit the TEPP website, or contact UniversaLink at 800-755-7994 or via email at universalink@cdhh.org.

CDHH Awarded Grant from Home Instead Senior Care Foundation

CDHH is pleased to announce that it recently received a grant from the Home Instead Senior Care Foundation to provide speechreading and communication strategies classes to seniors in SE Wisconsin.  And on Tuesday, December 8, CDHH was honored to attend a reception at the Milwaukee Art Museum for Home Instead founder Paul Hogan, who recently co-authored the book, “Stages of Senior Care” with his wife Lori Hogan.  At this event, CDHH Executive Director Dorothy Kerr and Communications Director Kerry Malak had the opportunity to meet Mr. Hogan, as well as David Kyhn, owner of the Milwaukee County – South & Waukesha CountyHome Instead, to formally accept this grant on behalf of the Center.

This grant from the Home Instead Senior Care Foundation will provide funding for ten 8-week speechreading class series within SE Wisconsin, giving seniors the opportunity to gain the skills and training they need to manage their hearing loss and communicate more effectively so they can continue to live safely and independently and remain active in the community.  Classes will be held at the Center as well as at locations within the community to make them more widely available to seniors who otherwise could not participate due to transportation issues or concerns about driving long distances.

Providing speechreading training in a group setting is a key factor in the long-term success of participants, as the classes provide a built-in support system and social network.  This peer support provides participants with more real-world experience practicing their newfound communication skills and creates a positive social environment in which good communication and self-advocacy skills are consistently reinforced and encouraged among the group.

 Classes will cover basic speechreading (lipreading) techniques, strategies for preventing communication breakdowns, effective use of assistive technology, self-advocacy skills and more.  Each class will be one-hour long, one day per week for eight weeks.  Individuals with ANY degree of hearing loss are invited to participate.

If you or a loved one are interested in discovering new ways to successfully deal with hearing loss, contact Pam Bergum at 414-604-7209 or email pbergum@cdhh.org to find out how to get involved in this program.  Or, if you are a professional in the aging community and would be interested in hosting a series of speechreading classes at your facility, please contact Kerry Malak at 414-604-7202 or email kmalak@cdhh.org.