FLORIDA COORDINATING COUNCIL
FOR THE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING
Virtual Quarterly Meeting
Thursday, November 12, 2020
9:00 a.m.

Remote CART Captioning provided by
Lisa B. Johnston, RMR, CRR, CRC
www.providingcart.com 

This is being provided in a rough‑draft format.  Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) Captioning is provided in order to facilitate communication accessibility and may not be a totally verbatim record of the proceedings.  

* * * * *

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Hello, everyone.  This is Debbe Hagner for the Florida Coordinating Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.  This is November 12, 2020.  We'll wait a few more minutes for people to join us.  

>> LISA (CART CAPTIONER):  Hi, this is Lisa/CART.
If you can mute your telephone on the Whereby and only use the audio for the telephone line, that's where the captions will be displayed.  Thank you.  We're getting feedback is why I said that.  Thank you.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Good morning, this is Tiffany, the coordinator for the Council.  I just wanted to let you know, Debbe, that Karen Goldberg will not be at the meeting, I just got an e‑mail.  She has a court hearing for the State that she must attend.  

>> LISA (CART CAPTIONER):  Debbe, this is Lisa/CART.  We're not hearing you on the telephone line if you're speaking; I see you interpreting.  

[Pause]. 
[Talking over one another]. 

>> OPERATOR:  John Jackson has joined the conference.  

[Pause].  

[Note from CART Captioner]:  If you are going to speak during this council meeting, please use the telephone call‑in number.  No captions will be displayed if you are using the Whereby audio.  Thank you!  

>> OPERATOR:  Debbe Hagner has joined the conference.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  Again, my name is Debbe Hagner.  I would like to do the roll call, please.  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay, go ahead, Glenna.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Hi, this is Glenna Ashton, I'm representing Florida Association of the Deaf.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Oh, I forgot to unmute my mic, I'm sorry.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Chris?  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  Good morning, my name is Chris Littlewood.  I'm the representative for the Association of Late‑Deafened Adults.  I also work for St. Petersburg College.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  I would like to catch up with all the people on the chat and on the phone.  

[Pause].  

>> JOHN JACKSON:  Good morning, this is John Jackson from the Department of Children and Families.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Good morning, John.
Cindy said she can't wait to meet in person.  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  This is Gina Halliburton representing the Florida Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf; good morning.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  We also have Cecil who has to start up my home computer to watch the interpreters since my work laptop doesn't allow me to connect to Whereby platform at this time.
Am I missing anybody else that's on the chat or on the phone?

[No response] 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Go ahead, Chris.  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  Good morning.  I apologize, but I'm probably going to have to step away in about five minutes; my street is very busy with cleanup from the storm and I'm trying to get my neighbor; everybody on the other side of the street is without power and I'm trying to get him situated with my generator, so I'll be stepping out and back.  It will probably take me about ten minutes, so I'll be off in a few minutes.  

>> JOHN JACKSON:  Good morning, John Jackson has his hand up.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay, go ahead; sorry, go ahead, John.  

>> JOHN JACKSON:  Yes, good morning, everyone.  I hope everyone is doing okay.  Chris, I hope that everything is okay down there.
I have a ‑‑ I have to be in court, obviously electronically in court, at 10:00 o'clock this morning.  And then I have a medical appointment that I cannot get changed this afternoon starting at 1:30.
So I'm going to have to leave this morning around 10:00.  I shouldn't be more than 30 minutes, I'll get back on the call, and then I'll have to leave again at 1:30 for the rest of the day for the medical.  Sorry!  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  Thank you for letting me know, John.
Okay.  Do we ‑‑ Tiffany, do you want to introduce yourself?  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Good morning.  I'm Tiffany Baylor, I'm the coordinator for the Florida Coordinating Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and I'm representing the Department of Health as well.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  Great.  

[Pause].  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  On the chat, I see Cindy says that she is representing the audiologists.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay, great.
Do we have a quorum?  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  [Nods head].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay, great.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  I believe so.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Go ahead, Tiffany.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Right, I don't know if you were asking me, but yes, we do.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  All right.  Please wait until I call your name.  And please identify yourself when you're speaking so that the CART/Lisa will say who's speaking.
Great.  Has everybody had the opportunity to read the minutes from August 6, 2020?  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Glenna?  Go ahead, Glenna.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  I'm noticing that there is one mistake.  It says the approval for the minutes for the past meeting was May 7th?  Not August.  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Tiffany, go ahead.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Yes, the minutes that paper is reflecting what happened in the August meeting.  So I know it's confusing, because it literally confuses me on a regular basis, but the August date is there because it's talking about the minutes were approved on that August... um... you know, the minutes from ‑‑ on August 6th were approved the minutes from the minutes before, the meeting before.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Yeah, there's a paragraph right at the end, it says the minutes were read from August meeting and approved with no adjustment made. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Correct. 

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  And no corrections from May 7th. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  I got it, I see where she's at.  On the second ‑‑ on the second section, under the approval of the minutes and the agenda. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Yes. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  You need to change... [indicates]. 

[Pause].  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Okay.  I will do that.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Also, this is Debbe, I would appreciate if we can list those who are absent.  Don't we have to indicate that they're absent to be valid or legitimate.  It's not on here.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  I can do that.  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Any other comments about ‑‑ or corrections or anything related to the minutes?

[No response].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Glenna?  Go ahead.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  That one change is a very small change.  I propose that we can go ahead and accept the minutes with that one very small correction.  Everything else seems okay.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  So Glenna made a motion to accept the minutes.  Do we have a second?  Gina seconds, okay, great.  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  Now we're going to ‑‑ any comments, modifications for the agenda?  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Anybody have any comments or things you want to change or add to the agenda?

[No response].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Glenna, hold on, hold on.  Glenna, please repeat.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  I know on the agenda it says 11:00‑12:00 is the public comment and then from 12:00‑1:00 is the discussion, and then from 1:00‑2:00 is lunch.
Why is lunch at 1:00?  I was wondering if we could just split the 12:00 and 1:00 o'clock slot with the lunch slot and have lunch from 12:00‑1:00.
Is there a particular reason why lunch is at 1:00 o'clock instead of 12:00?  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Go ahead, Tiffany.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Actually the reason is I was double booked and I had something that I had to be at at 1:00, that has since changed, I managed to get them to change the time, so I'm okay with switching that.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  So everybody's okay to switch lunch back to noon instead of 1:00 o'clock?

[No response].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Cindy, do you have any comments?  Gina is saying yes to that is okay.  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Yes, okay.  All right.  So Tiffany, go ahead.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Generally there would be a difficulty with that, because of the fact that it has been posted on the Florida Administrative Registry, but at the bottom of the agenda I put that line that all times are approximate and may vary depending on FCCDHH business.
So because of that, we are able to, had that line not been there, it would not be allowed; just for future reference, because it's been posted on the Florida Administrative website.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  So I guess we can't change it.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  We can, we can now.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Oh, okay.  All right.  So we will have lunch at noon.  And the biennial report planning at 1:00 o'clock.  Okay?  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay, great.  All right.  Tiffany, you can go ahead with your action items and any other things.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Okay.  Pardon my jumping in, but I'm not sure, but I think we have to still approve the ‑‑ this agenda.  Do we?  I'm not quite sure.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  Could I have someone please make a motion to accept the minutes as modified?  Glenna?  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Cindy says in the chat ‑‑ 

>> INTERPRETER:  I'm sorry, I missed ‑‑ I'm requesting to have that repeated.  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  She says so we can do the comment as a standard for flexibility, is what Cindy said.  And Cindy seconded it and Cecil says he's on his smartphone.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Sorry, I'm just jumping back and forth between the interpreters and the comments, so... 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  All right.  So we have a second.  And all in favor to have the agenda, say aye, approved.  

>> JOHN JACKSON:  Aye. 

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Aye.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Chris?  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  Chris, this is Chris, aye.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Thank you.  Any other things that's going on in the Department of Health, Tiffany?  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Um... nothing much more outside of what we're at now.  I think as far as the Department of Health report, that's gonna have to be a different representative of Department of Health.
However, I thought you were ‑‑ are you needing me to do... let me see... I can go into the issues from the action items, but I'm not really able to report too much on the Department of Health business.
We do have someone from the Department of Minority Health that's through the Department of Health that will be speaking at 10:00 o'clock today and he'll be able to provide a little more information about things related to the Department of Health.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  Go ahead with the action items, please.  

[Pause].  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Okay.  This is the Florida Coordinating Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing action report for this conference, for the conference for November.

One of the first action items was to check with the Governor's Appointment Office for updated or recent appointments to the FCCDHH Council.

I have reported to them because they needed to know, they sent me an e‑mail because they were requesting information who is left on the Council, how many, and who is planning to return.
And I updated her with the information that I received from all of you.

I provided a sheet to you in the packet that looks ‑‑ that looks something like this [indicates] and it says Florida Coordinating Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing membership status.
So this is the up‑to‑date list that is with the Appointments Office.
So, this information, I believe, is as of November 4th, so it's very up‑to‑date, with what we have.

I think what I would like to give your attention to is down here at the bottom, where it says "new applicants to the FCCDHH Council based on Appointments Office," these are the names of the people who have a filled‑out, completed application with the Appointments Office down at the Governor's Office and who they are planning to fill in the vacant seats.  And if it's already been approved or just fully received and awaiting Governor approval.

The reason why was a little unsure why they suddenly wanted detailed information regarding who is planning to return and how many members we actually have, how many are the deficit of members.
And I believe it may have been because they're looking to really start appointing.  That's my feelings, personally.

Because I was told by the representative there that the Governor's team there makes sure all of these applications are full and ready and they just pretty much are ‑‑ they wait for the Governor to take time out to fill all of the seats for all of the Council.

So they just like to have everything completely ready, so that whenever he does say he wants to begin, they can go right to it.
And so that's who we have now.

You should still continue to suggest more people on the ‑‑ for the ‑‑ to apply.  Because we are still ‑‑ we have several vacancies in there.  Even if we took the people who are coming in, we still have vacancies.

Our A.G. Bell person who is applying is good timing because our recent representative has resigned.  And the individual for the deaf‑blind is good, because we have that person leave.

But prior to that, we still have something, like, three or four vacancies.  So it would be great if you guys can suggest some people to go ahead and expedite their application.  Because I believe that the Governor is getting ready to look at it now.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay, Chris Littlewood?  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  [On mute]. 

>> INTERPRETER:  This is Chris [echo]. 

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  My apologies, my mic was muted.
I've already submitted my application for reappointment.  And my name is not on the list here.  Or maybe it's a list that you have that I don't or it's on a different page.  I can't see what it is 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  This is it, Chris.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  [Indicates].  I can speak ‑‑ oh, let me raise my hand.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Go ahead, Tiffany.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  The section where it says ‑‑ 

>> OPERATOR:  Has joined the conference. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  The remaining FCCDHH council members are, and Chris, you're in that section and it says your application is fully sent.  All you have to do is just wait, you're in good standing.

And just for clarification, Karen Goldberg is almost in good standing, she's been very active in getting her application put together and sent back up to them.

So, pretty soon all the people in the middle table will be all fine.  So you guys are actually looking good, compared to what it was when we first started this discussion; you guys have been very proactive.  I appreciate that.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  What happened to Jim Scott?  He applied [audio cutting in and out]. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Technically they didn't have anything they can give me on that specifically because they're only able to report on what they have.

However, I do remember this conversation about him and he stated that he sent in the application, he found out he needed something else that had to be filled out and he... um... then just... um... started to fill out the new part and did not do it yet.
And so he's kind of paused.

But if you would speak to him at your earliest convenience and let him know that it would be the time to go ahead and expedite that, that would be great.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Glenna, go ahead.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  I had tried to contact him and this is for James Scott and I don't ‑‑ I haven't heard anything back from him, so I really don't know what's happening with James at this point.  But... um... 

[Pause]. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Yes, this is Debbe. 

[Talking over one another]. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  I have James Scott. 

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Do you have James Scott's contact information?  So I can go ahead and just, you know, I have something different.  So I can go ahead and contact him.

Also I want to mention, can I still mention this?  I also have an audiologist who from before has told me she wanted to apply again and has asked.  And so I think she dropped it because she was going to be involved with another organization and, shoot, that is something that's been going on too and I want to let you know that I think she dropped the application process.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Any other comments related to this?  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  I'm sorry, say again, please.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  I said any other comments related to this?  

[Pause].  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Yes.  Let me tell you exactly ‑‑ well, you all have the updated ‑‑ I sent the new... um... membership page in your packets that I sent to you last week.  So I know many of you probably thought it was exactly the same, but it has all of the council members who are accounted for and the actual vacancies that we have listed on the back.

So, when you contact colleagues and such, please take a look at this and use it as a resource for what spaces we need to fill.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  We could ‑‑ is it okay we can post this on FCCDHH Facebook page, that these are vacant?  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  I believe you definitely can; I'm sure you can.  But one of you have to post it, unfortunately I can't do it.  But that would be good, because that would be a way to recruit, you know, we are looking for someone to fill these slots on this Council.  You know, that would be really great, that would be really great.

Also, I want you to please take a look at the addresses and such and how I've written your name on this particular one, because this is now the official updated version.

If you could possibly e‑mail me later, you don't have to do it right now, I'm sure, but e‑mail me later if you have changes or you would like it to represent a different way.

Meaning, you know, if, you know, you would rather have your work address that's posted on here rather than your home address or if you want your home address rather than your work address.  Just send me an e‑mail and let me know.  Because otherwise this will be the one that's just going to be the stagnant/official one.  

[Pause].  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  If you're ready for the rest of the action items, I can share that with you now.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Yes, please.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Okay.  The second action item was to provide a list of interpreter agencies from NAD white paper list.  I've assessed the NAD updated website and it's not been updated yet and I provided a list of interpreting agencies that provide services in Florida in various organizations that we use and who we can use and recommend when people call in and ask to find an interpreter.

So in that packet of what I've given you is something that looks like an Excel‑type sheet that has the interpreters that I have listed and that I share with the community when they ask for assistance in picking an interpreter agency.

All of these that I got were not just word of mouth, I actually called them and spoke to the people and asked them would they cover, and it's more than a research effort, rather than just looking it up and putting it down here.

However, I'm the newbie and you guys are the experts and so are your organizations, you're old members, so if you know of any others, please e‑mail me others and I will add them to the list.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Yes, I have my hand up; this is Glenna.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Yes, go ahead, Glenna.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  I also have one more, an agency that is set up by a Deaf person, and so I will send you that information, Tiffany.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Okay.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Not seeing it, it's not realize on an RID list, but he does provide interpreters.  And so if you're looking for interpreters, that's someone I can perhaps have you add.

Because I'm not sure if whether or not... um... that's what you're looking for, was an agency or a list of interpreters, but I will send you that information.
Because they just started out.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Wonderful, wonderful, very good.  Okay.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Any other ‑‑ oh. 

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Oh, no, no, no, just hang on just a second; this is Glenna.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Gina, go ahead.  

[Talking over one another]. 

>> [Indiscernible]. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Hi, this is Gina Halliburton.  Tiffany, what am I missing?  I don't see the list of interpreting agencies.  I see on the handout that was sent that you accessed the NAD website and had a list of agencies.  I do not see the list of agencies.  Am I missing something here?  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Um... it would look like this [indicates]. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Okay, I cannot see it.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Oh, I'm so sorry!  I'm sorry.
It has a blue heading that says company name, then address, and phone number, contact person.  It's a two‑page, stapled item.  And it would have been in the mix of some of the other paperwork that would have been in the resource section of what I've sent.  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Okay.  I only have ‑‑ yeah, I only have an electronic copy ‑‑ [echo] ‑‑ sorry!
Okay.  I only have the electronic copy, so maybe the entire copy will arrive in the next day or two.  But I will let you know.  Thank you.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Okay.  I can still ‑‑ but you do have the electronic of it right now, right?  Or not?  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  No, it is not in the electronic copies that I received.  I just have the action items, but nothing on the interpreter agencies.

[Background noise].
  
>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  I will, on the first break, send you a copy of this, okay?  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Great.  Thank you!  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  Glenna, did you want to say something?  Go ahead.

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  [Speaking; audio cutting in and out]. 

[Background noise].  

[Note from CART Captioner]:  CART is not getting Glenna.

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  [Speaking; audio cutting in and out]. 

[Note from CART Captioner]:  Interpreter will need to voice for Glenna, please.

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  [Speaking; audio cutting in and out]. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Hold on, hold on, Glenna.  Somebody ‑‑ the interpreters are not voicing for Glenna.  Ryan or Lisa, you're supposed to voice for Glenna.  

>> LISA SCHAEFERMEYER:  This is Lisa, the interpreter.  Glenna is voicing for herself; you can't hear her?  Okay.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Go ahead, Glenna, try again.  

[Glenna and Interpreter talking over one another]. 

>> INTERPRETER RYAN:  This is Ryan, the interpreter.  We're hearing double, so I'm wondering if Glenna can just mute Whereby, because I think we're hearing double.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Do you want me to use my voice or not?  

>> INTERPRETER:  You can use your voice, but are you also using your voice and also using the video?  

[Note from CART Captioner]:  Glenna will need to mute Whereby. 

>> INTERPRETER:  For CART to hear you, for Lisa, the CART person, has to hear you through the phone.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Oh, technology is so complicated sometimes these days!  Okay, I got it.  Right.  We're all here, it's so much easier when we're all in person!
Okay.  I won't speak.  Read my lips.
Just a second.  Let me double‑check.  Lisa Johnston, can you hear Glenna through the speaker or do you want me, Lisa, to voice for Glenna?  

>> LISA (CART CAPTIONER):  This is Lisa/CART.  Interpreter, please voice for Glenna.  Thank you.  

>> INTERPRETER:  Okay.  So, Glenna, she can't hear you enough, so she wants me to voice so she can hear, so I'm going to go ahead and voice and I'm going to watch you.  

>> LISA (CART CAPTIONER):  Thank you!  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Okay.  I'll continue then.  And my voice is off.  Which would you prefer?  

>> INTERPRETER:  Whatever you want.  If you want to voice or I'll voice for you.  But go ahead.  

[Glenna and Interpreter talking over one another]. 

[Note from CART Captioner]:  No, no, no.  Glenna and the interpreter are both talking at the same time; I am unable to caption both of you.  

>> LISA (CART CAPTIONER):  Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop.
I am unable to hear both Glenna and Lisa talking at the same time.  If Glenna can mute her Whereby and only have Lisa, the interpreter, voice for her, I would be able to caption.  Thank you.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Mute your Whereby.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Okay.  So do you want me to add on the phone, Lisa?  Would that be what you prefer?  

>> LISA (CART CAPTIONER):  This is Lisa/CART ‑‑ 

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  I can do that, I can join the conference call right now if we can take a minute to do that. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Glenna?  Glenna?  

>> INTERPRETER:  I'm sorry for the technology confusion everybody on my part. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Glenna, if you want, you can type your comments in the chat. 

[Note from CART Captioner]:  Glenna can sign and interpreter can voice.  Is that okay?  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Glenna, you can type your comments in the chat and then I will read it for you. 

>> LISA (CART CAPTIONER):  This is Lisa/CART.  If Glenna wants to sign and the interpreter can voice for her, that's perfect.  Or if she wants to call in and voice, that's perfect too.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Okay.  What I'm going to do, Lisa, is I'm going to call into the conference.  This way, if I want to interject and use my voice, then I will do that, okay?

Okay.  Here we go.  Again, I'm sorry this is going on longer than it should, but I wanted to mention, okay, again!  [Chuckles] ‑‑ I wanted to mention that the discussion about the interpreter agencies on that list, I saw that RID was put down as one of them, but the reason that RID is not a provider of direct services.  So they don't provide interpreters and they're not, I guess, an agency.

So it should not be necessarily as listed, because they are not a direct provider of interpreters.  That's RID.

The only thing that they can do is that RID is you can go in in a searchable database for interpreters.

So I think that you can probably loop RID off of that list, because we don't want people thinking that they can call up RID and request an interpreter, you know, service, and that's not what they do.  Because that's not what's going to happen.  So I wanted to clarify that.

So let's go ahead and remove RID from that list.  And I think that's it.  That's what I wanted to mention.
Okay.  Let's move on [laughs]!  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Okay.  This is Tiffany ‑‑ 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Are you sure, Glenna?  Are you sure?

[Music playing]. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Okay... 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Are you sure you don't want to add anything?  

[Pause]. 

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  On the chat, Gina says:  Yes, Glenna is correct.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Tiffany, go ahead.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  I believe that that was added back then, because it's one of those sites that DOH has us sharing with people when they call, because they're searching for an interpreter.  And they're actually aware that they have to go on there and have a searchable demographics about what type of interpreter they want and details like that and they can use it to, you know, find the database.
But I think that's why it got added.

But for this sheet, I do agree it probably does not need to be on there, because the sheet that we're providing is a sheet that shows people that they can look at and find an agency.
So I will definitely take that off of there.

Now, action item three, it says send the representative agencies' contact information to Linda Cavanaugh for her to include in her resource guide of the Little Black Book resource guide that she spoke about last August.
And I e‑mailed her and she said she received that.

Did someone just call me?  Okay.

So, and then number four was for the Council to brainstorm ideas and send to the EMOT Committee regarding a template letter explaining protocols for interpreters and sending to news channels in Florida and have the draft shared with the audience ‑‑ I'm sorry ‑‑ it was supposed to be shared at the November council meeting.
And we sent an e‑mail out to the FCCDHH members and a reminder to have draft ideas.
We had a few people send things in, but very few.

And because this would be a letter that's going to represent the entire Council, the EMOT Committee suggested that we not only have that meeting that we had to come up with ideas, but then plan for another opportunity and for people to send stuff in.  And we just did not get much of a response, I must say.  And I do realize that we all are dealing with a lot of stuff right now, so I understand this isn't to shake a finger or anything, I just want to tell you that that's why it is now on agenda in this meeting, because we knew we'd all be here for this meeting and we can do part of that EMOT planning and for the biennial report as well.
So, that will happen today on the agenda ‑‑ well, it was at 12:00 noon and now we've moved it to 1:00.

Number five is to provide FCCDHH Facebook information to representative organizations and encourage them to share the information and "like" the Facebook page.
And this was ‑‑ in direct response to this one was to the council members, so I'm not quite sure how that went.

Is there any council member that might want to share if they were able to get any people to ‑‑ from their organizations to "like" the page or have you spoken with anybody, maybe, from your representative agencies?
I don't know, that might be a question for Deb to ask, so I will pause on that and let her do that.

And number six was updated settings for Open Voice and allow participants to raise their hand and speak in the meeting.

Over to the column of that on the right where it says "status," I cut and pasted what they sent me from Open Voice regarding how to raise hand and that would be that star nine.

I remember that at the last meeting, I believe it might have been Gina or Mary who mentioned it was not working.  So I went back into Open Voice and requested that I change it in my settings.  And I have changed it in my settings.

Yet, when I did a dry run, it still didn't work.  So it might be something related to the handshake between Open Voice maybe and Whereby and ‑‑ I doubt Whereby ‑‑ or something, but it's not working.

So I will have David Blodgett who is our tech person at DOH take a look at it and see if we can have it working by the February meeting, if that's okay.

In the meantime, I sent you guys another sheet ‑‑ 

>> OPERATOR:  Chris Littlewood has left the conference.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Okay.  So number seven said send a link to members regarding meeting with HLAA, which has already been scheduled for the entire year.  I think that was going to be Debbe was going to send that out.  She was sending ‑‑ it was going to come to me.  Do we have that list?  I need that list so I can send it to any of you guys to add.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Yeah. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Okay.  So if you could e‑mail that to me and all of you guys, I will e‑mail that to you right away.

And Chris was going to send a link to the ALDA monthly meetings.  And I need to get that link from him; but he's dealing with the electricity.  So I will send him another e‑mail.

The ninth one was contact Barbara Page from Disability Rights Florida requesting a presentation.  I have contacted her.  We have had many conversations about the content of her presentation and if she would like to discuss that, and that would be applicable to our members and our community, and she will be here at 3:45‑4:30, and I have provided you her PowerPoint to look over first.

And number ten was to make a list of the contact information for the TV broadcasters again, and I've already discussed that, and we are going to do that during this meeting.

And I believe... uh... that is almost all, except that now I do have an update with the contact log.  If you guys would look over at the contact log, it looks like a pie chart, a rather colorful pie chart at that, and notice the calls that we're getting.

Now, you know that we are working from home and there are some connections phone‑wise that I'm finding, having difficulty with and I'm going to the office and catching callbacks and that kind of thing.

So most of my communication within the community is via the ZZ Feedback, which is a program through the Department of Health, where incoming e‑mails sent to ZZ Feedback where they ask any questions of the Department of Health, there is someone there that distributes them to the appropriate department.

And once they have distributed them, I get the ones that are related to anything with deaf and hard of hearing, service dogs, interpreters, and all these other concerns that you see listed on this pie chart.
And so I answer these out.

I gave an example in your paperwork, a sample response.  It isn't a quick "oh, be sure to call so and so," it is actually a very detailed response back to people about the laws, about ‑‑ it's after I contacted that company and asked them about it.  It's more troubleshooting than just a quick report or a quick answer, a quick reference; it's not that.
So that's what goes on on that pie chart.
So you'll see that not too many people are looking for sign language classes right now.
Independent living is what that ILP stands for.

And the other one, we didn't raise this at all as far as figuring out what's going on with school.  Suddenly when we went to virtual, it was a bigger spike than a lot of the others because people were trying to figure out how to deal with virtual school and if they were deaf.

I had one that I sent an example to you, it's in this paperwork, it's an e‑mail from ZZ Feedback, where a lady had a ‑‑ she was deaf and her student is ‑‑ 

>> OPERATOR:  John Jackson has left the conference. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  ‑‑ and she cannot help the child in any of the virtual things from the school.  So these are problems that generally everybody seems to be having and so the rest is here.  Hearing aids, service dogs.  Identifying hearing loss.

And you'll notice that the biggest chunk of the pie is the interpreters, hence why I'm asking you if at all possible, please send me any information you have about how to ‑‑ other organizations that are offering interpreters to, like, school settings or anything.  Legal, anything.
And that is the conclusion of the action items.

Do you have any questions?  I'm ready for them.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  Gina has her hand up.  Go ahead.  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Gina?

[No response].  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Okay.  I was having trouble on my end too.  This is Gina Halliburton.  I just want to piggyback what Glenna and Tiffany were saying about the availability of interpreters.  I agree with Glenna that RID is not an actual agency.

However, on our information website, we may be able to put something like, if you're in need of an independent contractor or a freelance interpreter, there are searchable databases on RID and FRID websites.  That may be an option.
That way when a person is not trying to hire an interpreter for an extended period of time, if they need someone for a wedding or funeral or etc., they may search the database that lives near them.
Just a thought.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Or if they're looking for an interpreter outside of the state of Florida, go to the RID website.
Okay.  Cecil says I noticed the fewer people on the webcams on.  We can see the interpreters more clearly and smoothly in their signing.
Okay.  It's now 9:54.  At 10:00 o'clock, we're scheduled to have a speaker.  So should we take a five‑minute/four‑minute break?  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Yes. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Is that okay with everybody?  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Yes, I agree.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay, go ahead.  So we'll be back exactly at 9:59.  

[Break].  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Hi.  The speaker for 10:00 o'clock is here, but he is in that little black square right there, so we're trying to figure out how to get him so we can see.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay, I see him. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Because you guys can't see him.  

[Pause].  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  What do we need to do to make his visible?  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  It's 9:59, we are going to continue the Florida Coordinating Council.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  He is attaching to the audio. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  I would like to do a roll call. 

>> OPERATOR:  Owen Quinonez has joined the conference. 

[Talking over one another]. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  They're going to tell you what to do.  Okay, thank you, thank you.  Bye‑bye.  

>> OWEN QUINONEZ:  Hello?  I'm here.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Go ahead, Tiffany.  

>> OPERATOR:  Glenna Ashton has joined the conference.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Our 10:00 o'clock speaker is present.  His screen is black and we're trying to figure out why.  What do we need to do to make his visible to you all?  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  I would like to do a quick roll call.  My name is Debbe Hagner, I represent HLAA Florida State Association.
What would like to go next?  

>> OPERATOR:  Glenna Ashton has left the conference.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Glenna, go ahead.

[Background noise].  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  This is Gina Halliburton representing Florida Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Thank you.  

>> CINDY SIMON:  This is Cindy Simon representing audiologists.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Thank you, Cindy.  Glenna?  Go ahead.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  This is Glenna Ashton representing Florida Association of the Deaf.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Anyone in the chat or on the phone?

[No response].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  All right, Tiffany?  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Hi, this is Tiffany Baylor, I'm representing the Department of Health and the coordinator for the Florida Coordinating Council.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  So we're having some minor technical issues with the speaker, so we'll just give it a ‑‑ Lisa, go ahead.  

>> LISA SCHAEFERMEYER:  Hi, this is Lisa with AQI.  I just wanted to help and assist, maybe, with the speaker.
I see him on video here but I did not have a test call with him, but I'm not sure what he's using, but he needs to use Chrome or he needs to use Firefox.  I suspect that's why he has a black screen.  

>> OWEN QUINONEZ:  Okay.  

[Talking over one another]. 

>> OWEN QUINONEZ:  I'm using Chrome, like it says in the e‑mail to use Chrome or Firefox.  Let me see... 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  It looks like your video is off.  You may want to turn your video on. 

>> OWEN QUINONEZ:  The video is off?  It's on, it's on.  I can turn it off right now, and it's off.  And now it's on.  Um... 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Do you have a cover over the bar?  

>> OWEN QUINONEZ:  I couldn't hear you, sorry.  What are you saying?  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  The slider that goes over the camera or tape, is there tape over it?
Lisa, go ahead.  

>> LISA SCHAEFERMEYER:  This is Lisa with AQI.  Owen, do you have ‑‑ maybe you need to shut down any other video platforms, such as Zoom or FaceTime.  The camera may not be recognized, that's why it's not showing up.
Can you shut down those other programs?  

>> OWEN QUINONEZ:  Okay, let me see... um... 

[Pause].  

>> OWEN QUINONEZ:  Um... I don't have ‑‑ let me see... I don't see anymore other things or... um... everything is closed.
What I see ‑‑ what I can see right now, I don't have any ‑‑ anything else open.  Um... let me see... um....
I can see everyone, but it's black each.  I can see the name and people, you know [audio cutting in and out] I have something about share, but that is for documents.  Um... 

[Pause]. 

>> OWEN QUINONEZ:  I don't have anything else open, Tiffany.  I'm looking, but I don't have anything else... um... let me see... [Sighs]... 

[Pause]. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Lisa?  

>> OWEN QUINONEZ:  Yes?  Lisa?  

>> LISA SCHAEFERMEYER:  Yes ‑‑ 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Owen, go ahead and speak and we'll just not have the video and we'll have the interpreter and the CART.  So, go ahead, we don't want to hold you up. 

>> OWEN QUINONEZ:  Okay.  Can I start right now?  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Yes, yes, you may.  

>> OWEN QUINONEZ:  [Speaking in a strong accent].  Okay.  Well, good morning, everyone.  Before I begin, I want to thank you, Tiffany, and I also want to thank you for being in this audience attendance.  And also I wish we could be together, but because of COVID‑19, we have to respect the space and the work we are doing everyday.
Thank you for the opportunity to talk about the advocacy in the Deaf community, and where do we go from here.

My name is Owen Quinonez, I am the director of ‑‑ I am an officer at the Office of Minority Health in the Department of Health.

So, before we start, I would like to talk about our mission for the Department of Health.  It's to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida, through integrated states and counties, when we say integrated states, we mean the Department of Health is we are one system within the 67 counties within the department.

[Speaking in a strong accent].  And what we need to think about, we need to think about in the different public health services that we work for and the framework for public health and promote the health and welfare of all people in the communities.

These are ten essential things that we look to do in any area of the Department of Health, including our office.
Number one is access and monitor the population and to understand how we are doing, what is our [background noise] and if we have area [indiscernible] and we do that through an assessment in the community and also in the community, at the community level.

The second one is investigate and address health governance and the population.

Number third is communicate effectively and inform and communicate to people about health, and factors that influence their health, and how to influence our health.

And number four is the strength, strength and support from mobilized communities and partnership in improved health and this is key and important when we talk about health equity in terms of mobilizing our partnership.

Number five, create, champion, and create policies, plans, and laws that impact health.

Number six, legal and various actions to protect the public health.

Number seven is assure an effective piece and bring equitable access and services and care needed to reach out.

Number eight, build and support a diversity with the public health workforce.

Number nine, to bring function and bring the quality of [indiscernible].

And number ten, build and maintain a strong organization infrastructure for public health.

[Speaking in a strong accent].  So we can see here how we can use these ten essential services for the work that we are doing [background noise] and also in these ‑‑ in this Council and provide recommendations to improve the health of the deaf and the Deaf community and [indiscernible].

When we talk about health equity, what is health equity?  The definition that we use right here is that payment for the highest level of health for all people and achieving health equity is to evaluate everybody and working on wide‑spread efforts in global health equity and bringing justice and the administration of health and health [indiscernible] and what this is when we talk about this definition, we talk about equality and equity, to make more easy to understand these concepts.

[Speaking in a strong accent].  So when we do equality, we are going to talk about the difference between equality and equity.  When we do equality, when we have a program to provide with the funding and have policies and recommendations to serve everyone the same.
And, um, when we talk about health equity is when we provide what every individual needs to achieve that optimal health.

So, we have the example of an apple tree.  And of course it would be a better picture on your screen, but let's imagine an apple tree.  And we are going to do equality.  When we respond and when we respond in the state for services.

We provide in the tree for the individuals that need services.  Children.  And we have a tall one and one middle size and one small.  And we provide a box for each one and the same size box for each one.
And we're talking about equality.

The top down ‑‑ the tall children ‑‑ child, he can reach the apples really easy.  The middle and the small child cannot reach the apples.

We are providing the same box for everyone, every station, customer, client, service, however, only one can reach the apple and get the apple.

Now, when we talk about equity is when we consider the needs of the people that we serve, when we create ‑‑ whether we create plans or policies or recommendations.

Now, we are getting a box, a side box, with ‑‑ that makes that every person can reach the apple with the same amount of efforts and they can take the apple at the same time.

So that's when we talk about equity, when we consider the needs of the people when we do this type of work.

First, one easy example we can apply these essential services and with the equity and equality is when we create messages.  We have to make sure those messages are, you know, are understood within the population, if we are working on strategies and the products and consider those barriers and the needs that people have.

And they have to be worked with the appropriate things we are servicing because if we don't do that, even though we have the best resource data available today and intervention, it may not produce what we are expecting to help us out with individuals.  

[Pause].  

>> OWEN QUINONEZ:  [Speaking in a strong accent].  Now, let's talk about the Office of Minority Health and health equity.  The Office of Minority Health in Florida was established in 2004 by the UH measure (sp) and it's to serve as a coordinating office within the Department of Health and work with training in the areas of culture (sp) and competency, coordination, building, and other comprehensive efforts to help the needs of Florida minorities and to help minorities statewide.

[Speaking in a strong accent].  In 2016, [indiscernible] at the Office of Minority Health and became the Office Minority Health and Health Equity.

The Office of Minority Health and Health Equity continues to be ‑‑ to promote various services and ensure the needs of minorities and responding to various populations are implemented and addressed within health‑related problems.

To talk a little bit more about how this works, there are a few elements when we try to address health equity [background noise] and within the system that we are working with.

So the first one area that we are working [background noise] is work with the other programs that we have.  So we are constantly working to other recipients [background noise] of grants that we often have, to provide grants, and they are efficient and effective [background noise] under evaluation and we require they use evidence‑based practices.

Also the data of the programs that we have in order to assess the impact of various programs.

The other area that we require in our grand process is partnership.  Because the complexity of the health of somebody does not only rely on the hospital and the clinic, also we need to have partners in order to address many of the barriers that people have to access with health.

So we would require that people work in partnership and establish relationships with those partners.

The other piece that we feel is important about health equity is the workforce diversity.  It's imperative that agencies [indiscernible] have representation of the people they serve.  No matter, we can understand and we can create those recommendations and to those who have [background noise] of the programs that serve everyone.

The next one is training and assessment.  Current the Department is working in a health equity assessment and it is intended to be completed in 2021 and this assessment basically is a measurement of the capacity of our skills to address health equity, work with the health equity and the assessment and a training plan needs to be created in order to improve our workforce when they work in health equity.

The next one is ‑‑ I have two more ‑‑ the coordination of unity, it's important in our programs with the Department of Health and our communities have some coordination and unity effort.  Why is that?  Because we serve basically the senior population.  We serve many populations, underrepresented, minorities, people within the communities, we serve these communities and we serve them all under the Department of Health.  All that we have within our population.

So we can understand and we can coordinate those efforts and hoping have synergistic efforts, we will have a better outcome in these populations.

The last is evaluation.  This is a key and important element, because we need to ‑‑ we need to know ‑‑ we need to allay our efforts and see how ‑‑ what areas of improvement and where we are going to be successful and work with shared goals and success with other ones.

The work in health equity is, even though it is an all concept in terms of to providing needs to those people [background noise], also it is being... um... trained through the health equity lenses where we serve based on the needs and it's creating a ‑‑ it's ‑‑ we literally have an important ‑‑ it's important in the agency to different plans that we have in the Department of Health.

We have a couple plans.  We have the state agency plan, which has a selection of folks and various objectives from different divisions and areas to work forward and this is just a sample of the work that we do.  And health equity is embedded in that agency.

Also we have a bigger plan with the state health improvement plan which involves different partners and different organizations.  Not only the state agencies, but also other organizations... um... different provider associations and other ones, community centers, and other organizations, who work within the health community.

So, um... now I want to talk a little bit more about the grand program that we have here in the office that I briefly mentioned before.

Within the Office of Minority Health and Health Equity we talked about things before ‑‑ sorry ‑‑ we also provide funding to... um... to be distribute and projects for improving health outcomes of the minority community.

So basically the purpose of this is to fill the gap for this main program is to promote improvement of Minority Health outcome and to help the development and be coordinated in neighborhood‑based projects.

These closely‑knit programs are open to the public and... um... [indiscernible] we are in the third year of this cycle, meaning we will have a new cycle that will start on July 1, 2021.

On our website, the Florida Department of Health Office of Minority Health under the tab "closing the gap," you can see the last closing the gap's guidance where people use this guidance to widen their proposal.

We expect to release another guidance, because we need to have friends for July 1st to be ready and to check it out often.

Also, within the guidance, there are two websites you must raise or you need to raise and you can receive update on any grants within the Department of Health, including ours.

Who is eligible for this?  Anyone is eligible within the organization, within the counties, they can apply for closing‑the‑gap grant program and they can serve as a list agency for these various activities within the counties and in the local partnerships and implement this.
This is on the Section 381783 (?) Of Florida Statute.

[Speaking in a strong accent].  And this is also available for the July 1, 2021, and it's expected to be 4 million and this is something [indiscernible].

There are many number of awards [indiscernible] and we have 4 million and the number of applications that we have and also an amount that is requested for each applicant.

The range of the awards, we don't have a minimum and maximum, but also they will be impacted on how many ‑‑ the amount that we provide for every grantee.
Um... so this is about closing the gap program.

[Speaking in a strong accent].  Now, you can, whether you apply for closing the gap and you can see in the guidelines, you will notice a new base on the Florida Statute 7355 and we have priority areas and we have 11 priority areas and they are adult and child, disease and related nature, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, HIV AIDS, [indiscernible], and general infant mortality, elder health, sickle cell disease, and [indiscernible] and you will notice that we have these ‑‑ for example, you have cancer and cardiovascular and diabetes, you can see many products related to cancer and cardiovascular and diabetes, because many of the prevention efforts the people propose, in fact, cardiovascular and diabetes outcome in communities.
We look for prevention activities in this proposal.

Also, we list in the guidance a list of guides used and this is not restrictive, you can bring evidence‑based that you believe is adequate for your community.

[Speaking in a strong accent].  So we have other ones, immunization and elder health and [indiscernible] infant child [thick accent, CART Provider having difficulty].
And one of the measures for any content within the country is to measure infant mortality, and unfortunately we have a big disparity in black infant mortality in this area.

The last on the list that I wanted to comment to you is that we have here in Florida, we have our data shows how people over 65, it's increasing every year, and there is a lot of disparities in this area, we have [indiscernible].

[Speaking in a strong accent].  The Department of Health, one of the last areas that we have, when we talk about social determent, we talk about barriers and how people access public health and these barriers, they also can try to help the outcomes that the communities have and this is one of the most important ones in terms of when you propose any ‑‑ any ‑‑ [background noise] ‑‑ any program to our CDC grant, for example from the last one, we want to consider how people access the clinic, the services [indiscernible] how they understand [indiscernible] that means a level of [speaking in a strong accent].

And you have a lot of ‑‑ a lot of factors in the health, it's not just the hospital and doctor that determine the health outcomes on an individual.  Actually it's more of a weight for the Department of Health and health and the community.

Some of the Department of Health things we have that we talk is in the community, if you don't have enough funding for food, you cannot take care of diabetes than one that may have the funding to provide the food that you need.

Also, we have healthcare access and policy (sp) health is included here and we have neighborhood and environment and social and community content and these are the five areas that we talk about when we talk about health.

[Speaking in a strong accent].  Multiple... um... descriptions of Department of Health in the west [indiscernible] different organizations leading this effort on health.

To define this health because it's important in your proposal [speaking in a strong accent] are the conditions and environment that people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age, and affects a wide range of health for the quality of life.

So this is a key and an important area that you want to [background noise] [indiscernible].

Um... I wanted to finish with two more slides ‑‑ or two more comments that we work, is a proposal for change.  We use these when somebody wants to ‑‑ a new group or more like you, I am sure you are in the system already, but any partner that you have that is interesting to look for recommendations or proposed policies, we have four areas and we say ‑‑ four... um... four bullet points laid out.

First is assessment and needs of barriers, where we identify the needs on various issues, and various depending on the situation and assessment of their needs.

Secondly, what resources we have presently and what do we have.  There is ‑‑ how we measure this progress.

And we use in the Department of Health a flow chart and also there are other data sources that we can use for planning your efforts and your priorities and your efforts.

And the number four is policies and recommendations.  We constantly talk with our grantees to identify... um... policies and various barriers they may have to achieve [indiscernible] in the work they're doing [background noise] assessments and resources and policy recommendations [background noise].

[Speaking in a strong accent].  And talking about the flow chart, we have a health equity file by department and county and I think that would be ‑‑ I would like to look forward to see if we have any work in working with your communities and see if there is an indicator that we can recommend and things to measure progress or to identify areas of need per county and that these profiles are produced for each county.

Also, we are in ‑‑ and in our office, we are interested in a census.  You have the county, you have the [indiscernible] and census track and the main census track and a ZIP code and sometimes a ZIP code can be looked at, okay, as a health indicator and when you provide that ZIP code and you can identify an area, say, UBC4, and it will provide the partners who are working in the areas for different funding.

So I invite you ‑‑ I will share with Tiffany ‑‑ I think Tiffany already has this, the health equity profile and everything and I invite you to review this profile and see if there is any area that you would recommend to us and include us as an indicator for our profile.

Um... the last thing is I wanted to comment that we have programs and in this case we have a health equity program council within the Department of Health and this is a community which is established and ‑‑ and ‑‑ and people who work there work with the people within the county health department and people who work within the various departments of health and we have communications, committees, data and assessment, and training.

And these are some key areas that we are working to improve health equity in the state.  And when I say improve health equity in the state, we want to work with the underrepresented and minorities within the community.

I think with that, I want to conclude my presentation.  I don't know if you have more questions, or if you have any questions?  Um... 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  I want to thank you so much for coming here.  Anybody have any questions for him?  Glenna, go ahead.  Go ahead, Glenna.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Thank you very much for this in‑depth and detailed information.  
I am curious, the word "minority," who does that cover?  Is it only the Latino and African‑American population?  Who else does this cover?  

>> OWEN QUINONEZ:  Okay.  That's a very good question.  Based on the Florida Statute, we are... um... we are... um... our work is ‑‑ is focused in minorities, however, we are also [Background noise] we can talk about seniors, we can talk about people with disabilities.  It's an important area also [background noise].

And based on the status of the office of Office of Minority Health [background noise] however we also work with other underrepresented communities in the state.  Um....

We have a program in the department, they also work with people that we work in partnership with them [background noise] and... yeah.

[Speaking in a strong accent].  So we are welcome ‑‑ welcome to... um... um... welcome any partnership and work that your agency [background noise] is [indiscernible] we are open doors to work with you.  

[Pause]. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  Go ahead, Glenna.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  So you say you work with other agencies that focus on disabilities.  But unfortunately, there's really no agencies that represent the Deaf community.  APB is not included with the deaf.  We have VR.  But they're more general, not specifically focused on the Deaf population.

And so many times, Deaf are left out or marginalized.  And really, the number one thing with Deaf is providing interpreting services in the healthcare setting.
And also getting accurate information to the Deaf community so that they can understand readily is a challenge.

So I'm excited to try to figure out a path that we can partner with you.  But how we would go about that, I don't know.

So I'm just wondering if we could develop something specific that would focus on the Deaf community that would separate them from the general population of the disabled community so that they can have specific support for their needs.
Because there are unique problems with communication among the Deaf community.  

>> OWEN QUINONEZ:  Yes.  You mentioned two important areas.  You say translation in the healthcare setting, right?  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Yes. 

>> OWEN QUINONEZ:  And you say also ‑‑ what was the second one?  Pardon me.  Um... 

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Really, Deaf are not represented in any group related to disabilities.  The Deaf are not represented at all.  

>> OWEN QUINONEZ:  Representation.  Okay.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  So ‑‑ 

>> OWEN QUINONEZ:  Okay. 

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  ‑‑ they don't have a voice, they just get lost and marginalized even talking about the subjects of rights and disabilities, those with disabilities.  So ‑‑ 

[Talking over one another]. 

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  So maybe you can add that population.  

>> OWEN QUINONEZ:  Yes. 

[Talking over one another]. 

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Minorities, with the seniors, with the Hispanics, with the underprivileged, with the Deaf community, every possible minority that's underrepresented could be included, which could include the Deaf community as well.  

>> OWEN QUINONEZ:  Yes, I agree with you.  Currently we are planning to have a translation interpretation training.  We are in the early stages.

And we didn't think about... um... you know,... um... training for interpretation in the healthcare settings... um... in the Deaf community, um, you know, interpreters.
Um... that's something that we can look into.

Also, I ‑‑ the data, I think, could be an important area that we can look to see what indicators... um... your community can recommend and we can, of course, that can be a directional... um... I think when somebody starts brainstorming questions or recommendations and coming up with ideas and it's easy for me to think about them, to propose solutions.  That's basically what I'm trying to say.

So also, I think I hear you about the policies that could be a presentation of the Deaf and hard of ‑‑ and the hard‑of‑hearing community into the Department program.

We have ‑‑ this is an example.  We have, of the work that we need to do, we have contracts within the Department of Health with translation and interpretation and also... um... um... a need for sign language, we also have that.  However, not every office has the instructions to use those contracts.

So it's one of my goals... um... one of the activities that I need to ‑‑ that I'm looking forward to complete is to have those companies to get the instructions to me, in the way I can use those services, those contracts that we have within the Department of Health ‑‑ 

>> OPERATOR:  John Jackson has joined the conference.  

>> OWEN QUINONEZ:  ‑‑ when we have somebody to approach this who speaks a different language or someone who is deaf or in this case who is hard of hearing.  That could be an important... um... um... an important step... um....

Relating to ‑‑ I would be happy to have further... um... meetings and communications with your agency and other ones who want to talk about how we can improve their interpretation in the healthcare setting and also representation of this community in healthcare, in the public workforce.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Go ahead, Glenna.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Within the Deaf and interpreting community, there is already copious amount of interpreting, about information providing interpreting and providing medical interpreter training to sign language interpreters.  The resource is available and it is out there.

Also, we have a national organization called the National Association of the Deaf and they have a lot of information that you can access through their website.  It is full of a lot of information regarding medical and healthcare setting interpreting.  And the access is ‑‑ the information is very accessible to you there on the website.

The second thing is I would like to get your e‑mail address so that we can have a person ‑‑ we have a person at the University of Florida, their time is Tyler James, and he is a Ph.D. candidate for healthcare and Deaf community interpreting in Florida.  And he's already done a survey.  So you might want that information.
We actually already have that started and I can share that with you.  

>> OWEN QUINONEZ:  Great, yes.  Taylor (sic), should I provide the information to you right now on the phone?  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Yes, you may. 

>> OWEN QUINONEZ:  Okay.  The e‑mail ‑‑ I know you have the e‑mail but I will provide it right now.  My e‑mail is owen.quinonez, as in zebra, Owen Quinonez, Owen.Quinonez@FLhealth.gov. 

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Can you type it in the chat?  

>> OWEN QUINONEZ:  Yes, let's see... the chat, oh, yes, yes, of course.  Yes, yes.  Let's see... 

[Pause]. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Thank you.  

[Typing on keyboard]. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Any other questions or comments?
One thing ‑‑ this is Debbe ‑‑ one thing that I would like to remind you, that not all deaf or hard‑of‑hearing people know sign language, so you need to also provide CART 

>> OPERATOR:  Has joined the conference. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Captioning. 

>> OWEN QUINONEZ:  Okay.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  So please don't make an assumption that just because they're deaf or hard of hearing they know sign language.  Not all of them do.  Some of them prefer oral interpreters, there's different kinds of interpreters.  And also don't forget about those for deaf and blind.  

>> OWEN QUINONEZ:  Yes, yes, yes, yes.  And my wife actually is hard of hearing... um... and she uses mostly captions and... um... yeah, and she reads lips ‑‑ she lip reads also, the lips.  She doesn't know sign language.

But, yeah, yeah, I am a little bit aware, but I know, you know ‑‑ but I'm not an expert, you know, like, for you guys, and that's why I'm really happy for this invitation, because it allows me to put in my mind, you know, more questions related to this community and how the office can work with you.

I know we have many, you know, many projects and many areas and all of the infrastructure is a key element there that my office is looking to improve and adding new staff that can carry on different priorities that we have in the office.

So, yeah, I really always am happy to share ‑‑ two, three weeks ago I had a presentation with the Department of Transportation and I learned a lot as part of the social determinant (sp) and today is my first presentation or conversation with your community at this level.  And I'm really happy Tiffany invited me to this quarterly meeting.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Go ahead, Glenna.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  You know, I almost forgot what I wanted to say in regards to hard of hearing... let me gather my thoughts here... 

>> OWEN QUINONEZ:  Okay.  

[Pause]. 

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Oh, yes, in regards to captioning, it would be nice to convince DOH to make sure all their videos are accessible by captioning.
And... oh, no, what else do I want to say...?  I forget... 

[Pause]. 

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Well, I had another idea that slipped my mind; I'm sorry.  

>> OWEN QUINONEZ:  Yeah, my wife is ‑‑ she works for a national organization of chronic disease and she was ‑‑ she's working a little bit with one agency who does the captioning at the same time that the people are talking and I was waiting a little bit to see how she feels about it and to see what kind of water falls... you know, from an IT perspective and also a cost perspective in a way that I wanted to recommend... um... something like that.

The caption, I think, is very important today to have, to have that communication, I would think that should be ‑‑ most of the communication should be with the caption and, you know, now that we are in this virtual world, it's more important than ever that we have many, many meetings using the web.

So, I'm ‑‑ I'm ‑‑ I was very excited when she commented about that.  And I was waiting a little bit to see how she benefits ‑‑ how she feels about it and ‑‑ and ‑‑ and see how I can bring that to the Department of Health.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  Go ahead, Glenna, she remembers.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  I remember what I wanted to say!
I also wanted to let you know that when Tiffany gets e‑mails and phone calls or whatever the case may be, the top two requests are they need ‑‑ somebody needs an interpreter and they need assistance buying hearing aids, because they're very expensive, and I know you know that from your experience with your wife.  So those are the top two ‑‑ 

>> OWEN QUINONEZ:  Yes!  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  ‑‑ issues that are often brought forward.  Doctors' offices providing interpreters and then assistance purchasing expensive hearing aids.
So, over the years, the Council is hearing from the community those top two issues.  

>> OWEN QUINONEZ:  Okay.  I hear well that, and yes, I am very happy to... um... when my wife needed hearing aids, we have ‑‑ we have the funds to purchase.  But they are expensive, they are expensive, and I know many people ‑‑ actually I was providing a CPR class many, many years ago and one lady failed the test three times and I said to the instructor, can I teach the next class?  Because I wanted to briefly include this lady in my class.  Because something is wrong, I say to myself, this is not....

Well, when I came ‑‑ I say to the daughter, please don't go, let me see one thing, you know.  I start my class and in the first five minutes, I ‑‑ when I start, you know, talking with the group, it's a group of 10‑12 people of a CPR class, it's a class, usually for women who want to care for kids in their home, daycare, and I noticed when I asked a question to her, I noticed something and ‑‑ and ‑‑ and I went out and... um... I went out and I asked the daughter, "Does your mom have some hearing issues or something?"  I don't know.  And she nearly say yes, yes, she has some... um... and I say well, I think it's... um... I asked literally, you know, how many brothers are you ‑‑ and this is a real story ‑‑ and how many brothers are you?  And we are eleven.  And I said well, in Costco, there are ones, you know, it's sad, sometimes you're looking for things, and maybe that one will work a little better with her, you know, I don't know, so you can, you know... because....

And she told me that she had one before and she gave those to a friend who wasn't hearing well and ‑‑ and her interaction in the home was really ‑‑ she was always in the parties and they ‑‑ and when people gathered in the kitchen by herself because she couldn't hear well.

And I, for me, it broke my heart, because I just wanted to work on other things and I said it's really important and as soon as you get the hearing for her, just bring her... um... and I will take the test for her and things like that.

Well, she was ‑‑ she was an A‑plus student, even though she couldn't hear me, and she knows everything in the class.  And I feel so bad because she has to come three times and four times or something to pass.  But she knew it, but she just couldn't hear the person 

>> OPERATOR:  Gina Halliburton has left the conference. 

>> OWEN QUINONEZ:  Yeah, and I'm sorry, I shared that story and went on with things, but that was very, you know... that impact me a lot and that ‑‑ that person.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  Any other comments or questions for Owen?

[No response].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  It's 10:50, we are scheduled to take a break.  So I want to thank Owen for coming.  

>> OWEN QUINONEZ:  Thank you very much for this opportunity, thank you to the whole Council.  Thank you, Tiffany.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Thank you. 

>> OWEN QUINONEZ:  I hope you have a wonderful day and let's keep in touch. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Wait a minute, Glenna has something to say.  What do you want to say, Glenna?  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Yeah, this is Glenna, I want to really thank Owen for the great information that was provided today.  I think you're one of the few agencies that we can really try to partner with.  And it seems that you really are facing directly the same problems we are in the Deaf community, or for both the deaf and hard of hearing.  So we look forward to partnering with you.  

>> OWEN QUINONEZ:  Thank you. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Owen, do you have a PowerPoint?  

>> OWEN QUINONEZ:  I can ‑‑ um... I just need to get the process and approval and they take a little bit of time.  They are asking for a couple weeks to get approved and once it gets approved, I can send it to you.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  I'll send it to y'all. 

>> OWEN QUINONEZ:  Yeah. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  You sent it already?  Because I don't have it. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  No.  I will send it.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay, great.  

>> OWEN QUINONEZ:  I can send it to Tiffany Baylor and as soon as it gets approved, I will send it to you. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay, great.  Thank you.  

>> OWEN QUINONEZ:  Thank you.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Tiffany, go ahead.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Mr. Quinonez, when you do get out, you can send it to me and I will disburse it amongst the Council, that would be really great.
And I thank you again for coming and sharing this information.  

>> OWEN QUINONEZ:  Okay.  This is Taylor (sic), right?  Or Tiffany?  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Tiffany, yes.  

>> OWEN QUINONEZ:  Yes, okay, great, great, yes, Tiffany, of course I will do that.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  Any other comments?  Questions?
All right.  I'm going to order that we take a break until 11:00 o'clock.  Thank you 

>> OWEN QUINONEZ:  Have a good day.  Thank you.  Have a good day.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Mary Hodges says she will be at the meeting at 11:00.  

[Note from CART Captioner]:  She is in the chat and already here.  

[Break].

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  You doing okay, Lisa?  I mean CART, Lisa Johnston. 

>> LISA (CART CAPTIONER):  Yes, thank you, Debbe!   :‑)   

[Pause]. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  It's 11:00 o'clock.  Again, I want to apologize, I forgot to thank the interpreters, Ryan, Sharon, April, who will be here soon, as soon as she gets help, and Lisa who represents AQI.  I want to thank them very much.

And of course, most importantly, Lisa Johnston for providing us CART.  For her help with all the background noise and bearing with us.  So thank you.  
And thank you, interpreters.  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay, okay, thank you, David.
Okay.  So, do we need to do another roll call?  Glenna?  Glenna?  Do we need to do another roll call?  Yes or no?

[No response].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  No?  Okay.  

>> OPERATOR:  Gina Halliburton has joined the conference.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  Right now it's 11:00 o'clock and we're available for open public comments.
And during this time, if anyone has any comments or issues, let us know your name and who you represent.  

[Pause]. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Anybody here for public comments?  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Anybody on the phone?  Anybody in the chat?  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Tiffany, go ahead.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Good morning, this is Tiffany.  I don't have a public comment; however, I had a community member that wrote us, FCCDHH, with a public comment.  And he was possibly going to be here to address the Council to ask for some resource assistance regarding noise level in a classroom. 

>> OPERATOR:  Chris Littlewood has joined the conference. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  ‑‑ for his child.  I sent an e‑mail out to the Council about it so that I could get some feedback and I received some from Cindy, helped me understand the level of what's considered too much background noise or optimum noise level in a classroom.  I sent it out to you all.
Does anyone have any assistance that they can offer this gentleman?
I did provide what Cindy suggested, but he might not be able, now that there is a storm, to contact us for this part of the meeting, and that might be why he's not here.  But he did want to ask.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  All right, Glenna, go ahead.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  This is Glenna.  I was curious whether or not Cindy was able to, you know, help Tiffany?  And maybe an agreement about an audiologist, another audiologist that could be recommended?  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Go ahead, Tiffany.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  This is Tiffany.  Yes, she did send one, some information about that, and I was really grateful and I actually turned around and sent it right back to this gentleman.
So that was extremely helpful.
I also sent him some information about... um... you know I think so like Disability Rights and that type of thing in order to get some assistance, because he was kind of at his wits end.
But he's not here to speak for himself, so I was kind of hoping he would be, but there was probably something with his electricity due to the storm.  Because he was quite adamant that he wanted to speak.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  We have Gina has her hand up, so we'll go ahead.  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Hi, this is Gina. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Gina, go ahead.  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Yeah, Tiffany, do you know if the gentleman talked to the School Board at all, what their position was regarding his concerns?  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Tiffany, go ahead.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  This is Tiffany.  Yes, he even filed a full request for... um... for assistance from the School Board and they did... uh... in my field, it's like a functional... a functional learning assessment‑type thing, functional assistance assessment but in this case it's an audiology assessment to measure the sound in the room and what is optimal in there in different situations.
And their report came up with that it was okay.
The gentleman's concern, I believe, was that it wasn't okay according to national standards and that type of thing.  And so he was a bit concerned.
So, they did a whole report, a sound level meter readings report for the room and found it okay.
But his daughter still isn't able to access much of anything in the classroom.  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  This is Gina.  The records directly, Debbe, is this something that counsel or John can give input on?  I'm wondering what can we do as a Council to help him?  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Yes, I can probably help her.  Cindy, do you have any comments?  

>> CINDY SIMON:  Well, I sent out the... um... the guidelines, but, you know, by the national organizations for a classroom and their recommendations to Tiffany for him.

He references WHO.  However, we have no mandate to abide by WHO.  That's not in the U.S.  and the other thing to understand is sometimes their sound measurements vary from the U.S.  It's not quite the same.

And, um, they did go in and check and I think what they said was in the pod, 65 is what you wanted.  It was at 66.2 and so they determined that there may not have been enough difference to warrant it.

However, we do have guidelines.  Classrooms are supposed to be within a certain range.

I do not specialize in doing industrial noise measurements, nor does anybody I know.
But they did do noise measurements and the sound level readings were on here.

Again, you can have someone else come in and try it or they can offer, um, systems to go with their cochlear implants, like a FM system, which is at no charge in the classroom, in order to improve that signal‑to‑noise ratio.  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  Glenna?  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  I wanted to know if Cindy, really, do you agree with the audiologist's report?  Do you think that that was okay?  I mean, I know that's not your area, but do you agree with what that report stated?  Just curious.  

>> CINDY SIMON:  So... I may not agree necessarily with it.  It doesn't mean that he has a case against her.
I would want someone come in who did the measurements again and compared it.

However, there are alternatives.  If she's in a classroom and not using anything, once you put a FM system on her or even if she had bluetooth or remote mic on the teacher so it would get sent to her devices, you have now bypassed most of the noise and any reverberation in that environment.
So, there are things that could be done immediately at no charge to these people because they're entitled under IDEA to have this provided at no charge.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  Any other comments?  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Glenna?  

[Pause].

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  So two things I wanted to mention.  One of the other things is about having something like the FM system and having to try a FM system, whether or not, you know, with whether or not that will work.

And then also, in the past, it's terrible, the noise level that's in there and the visual distractions that are happening!  It's a very different environment.

A school building and in those pods, it really depends, you know, on whether or not it's an old system, whether it's an old school.  But environment is just terrible.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  Cindy has her hand up.  Go ahead, Cindy.  

>> CINDY SIMON:  So, I can honestly say studies were done and primarily pioneered in the Sarasota School System years ago and I can honestly say that you are correct, levels are horrible, distractions are horrible, it affects kids who have attention deficit disorders, language disorders, all of this is true.

And it also showed significant improvement ‑‑ it showed significant improvement even with the sound‑field system for kids who don't have hearing loss that may have fluctuating otitis media.

Technically hearing through a FM through your devices is going to be better than using your ear‑level devices, whether it be cochlear implant or hearing aids alone in the room.
If we're talking visual distractions, that's really hard.  

The question is do we put the child in a classroom specific?  It's not clear to me whether she was in a classroom specific.  Those are deaf or hard of hearing or if she was in a hearing classroom?  Which is what I kind of got from this.
The key is to improve the signal‑to‑noise ratio.

And even with all the coating around classrooms, using special wall to reduce the impact of reverberation, it could be difficult.  It could be difficult just from shuffling of papers and whispered comments of other students in the room.
That is why we always recommend using a ‑‑ another device, whether it be a remote mic for the teacher, a FM system, an infrared system.

And, um, if the child is old enough, maybe having a note taker or remote CART or C‑Print or whatever they want to further add information for this child without the stress would do it.

The point there is if they can't get the room quiet enough, do you change the child's school?  Do you change their friends?  Or do you do something to bring the sound into an acceptable signal‑to‑noise ratio?

Again, I would say adding ear‑level devices that bring the teacher's voice directly to them would be very helpful.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Tiffany, go ahead. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  This is Tiffany.  One issue that isn't referenced here on the sheet that I sent out to everyone, but I did get from him when we spoke, was that she's a fifth grader.  And much of the work as a fifth grader tends to be sometimes they're working in teams or working in a group or, you know, a project.

And so there's a problem there as well, because if the FM system is working with the teacher alone, it is problematic.  They would probably need some kind of remote mic would be a blessing in that kind of situation.

Also, for many years prior to my life now, I was a teacher and had to teach in a portable.  And I can be honest with you, it is quite problematic, the sound level, especially because the room that this young child is in, I believe it's one of those open classrooms, the father explained 

>> CINDY SIMON:  [Sighs]. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  So it's the kind where it's, like, more than one classroom kind of floorplan so that other classes are going on.
So it's really quite difficult.  And I believe that he's hoping that not that she'll be put in a disability‑specific type of class, but maybe something that's not a portable 

>> CINDY SIMON:  Okay.  Number one ‑‑ 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  I was wondering if maybe a loop would work?  A loop?  

>> CINDY SIMON:  Um... I'm not sure ‑‑ 

[Talking over one another]. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Does that tend to help?  

>> CINDY SIMON:  Okay.  Debbe, I'm not sure that a loop would work in this case.  If you're in teams, you would need to have a share specific.  However, Phonak does make a table mic, going, I think there's six mics or maybe eight so it can attend to everybody in your group that you're working with around a table, which would be helpful to bring it, and it's like a FM system that's paired with her device.  That's one option.

I know that I personally don't care for those open classrooms to where there's a partial wall and you get the noise from the other side.  They have that in a school here that really affected the kid.  Not necessarily in a positive way.

So not knowing the school, if that's the classroom for a fifth grader, she'd probably either have to, A, be pulled out of the classroom, possibly to go to another school, if this school does not have a regular classroom with walls.

And again, if this child was using something which would bring voices directly to the devices, you could somewhat bypass the rest of the noise issues, which would actually be to that child's advantage.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  Chris Littlewood said:  I apologize, I don't recall more about this child's situation.  I am assuming there is a 504 plan for the child?  What is the level of hearing loss?  

>> CINDY SIMON:  I'm assuming the child doesn't have a 504, they're being covered under Part B of IDEA.  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Glenna, go ahead.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  I remember that I read an article a long time ago that it was ‑‑ there was a study of making changes to a classroom and making it more quiet in the classroom for everybody to be able to learn.  Not just for the hard‑of‑hearing student and it would help everybody in that classroom.  Not just for the deaf and hard‑of‑hearing student, but for everyone in that classroom, would make it quieter.

So, you know, that would definitely be something and to help for everybody.

And I remember reading that.  Um... so... you know, if I can find that article and show that to everybody.  But that's definitely advances for everyone in the classroom to have it quieter, have it quieter for everybody to learn.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Cindy, you have your hand up.  Go ahead.  

>> CINDY SIMON:  Yeah, so, Glenna, that's what I was saying before, that it benefits everybody in the classroom.

A number of these articles were written many years ago by Gail Rosenberg who really pushed sound field FM or infrared technology afterwards, sound field, to benefit all students and had a number of studies to show that even all standardized floors goes up and even those who are not deaf or hard of hearing.

So I'm not disagreeing with that.  You know, education has their own thing.  I've never understood the open classroom concept, because it's hard to hear over another group.

And, again, unless you go into a classroom and there's sound treating you can do on the walls and the floor, you're ‑‑ and you can request that.

But, again, in many of those studies you're talking about, they found that it benefitted all students by adding in infrared or FM sound field system, so that kids everywhere in the room could hear better.  And it improved the signal‑to‑noise ratio for them.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  Any other comments?  Questions?  We're still in the public comments.  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  You may want to check with NTID or Gallaudet University to see if any of them have any comments or suggestions.  Because they are schools for the deaf and hard of hearing.  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Glenna, go ahead.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Just a comment again.  You know, as other teachers in my experiences, as a teacher in ASL with teaching hearing students American Sign Language, it's really the room.  Sometimes they could be large and long, sometimes there's only partitions that make up the classroom.  It's not a full, you know, complete wall dividing the classrooms.

And, you know, sometimes when you're teaching even ASL, there's another class that's going on.  Maybe there's complaints over there ‑‑ or there are complaints about bleed over.

Maybe there's somebody, you know, behind that is talking and that bleeds over and affects everything and the noise level in the classroom.
So, there is, it's a big fight in the school systems.  And what do you do?
So, yeah, open concept?  No.  I think that is the worst case situation for any learning environment.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  Anybody else has any comments?  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Ryan is frozen, so... Sharon, she's good.
Okay.  Any other comments?  We're still in open comments.  

[Pause]. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Ryan, it's your turn to interpret [laughs].
Tiffany?  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Hi.  If no one has called in yet or put anything on the chat for public comments, I would like to direct you guys' attention to another call and e‑mail that I did receive related to another question ‑‑ I don't have any way to put it up here ‑‑ it was the one that had to do with the ‑‑ a parent who is deaf and her child is working with virtual school.
And she's having difficulty accessing the information to teach her child.

What I did was I gave her the direct state‑level district information, like state‑level Department of Education, and they set up someone who could be assigned to her case and try to work through it.

But I was supposed to address the Council and see if they had any ideas for what should be done.

This was included in the packet that you guys received.  And it was just that ‑‑ I'm sure that she is not the only one, because I've heard other phone calls that have come in to the Department of Health/FCCDHH hotline regarding virtual school and the difficulties if you're a deaf parent trying to work with their child who is trying to access the information online.

Have you heard anything?  And have you heard any best practices that would be able to help this particular community member?  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  I'm asking Glenna, are you on ‑‑ Glenna, are you on WiFi or hard wire?  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  I'm on my home WiFi. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  I know, but are you on WiFi or hard wire?  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  [Signing]. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  That's why.  Because you're using the WiFi and it makes the interpreter freeze.  You need to be hard wired.  Okay.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  [Signing]. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Ryan is ‑‑ 

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  I see everybody except for Ryan.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.

[Signing on Whereby; no interpreting being done in order to caption].

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  All right.  We're just trying to clarify, some of the people are complaining that the interpreters are freezing.  So Glenna, you may need to step out and come back in.

Okay.  So we're still in public comments for another about a half hour.

Chris Littlewood, you need to back out of Whereby and come back in.  You need to be hard wired and it would be smooth, not use the WiFi.  

[Pause]. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  They're saying that the issue is with Ryan.  Can David come on and check something, Lisa?  Thank you.
Okay.  Um... hmm... interesting....

Okay.  We're still in public comments.  Is there any other comments with what Tiffany said and the last case?  

[Pause]. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  I was lost on what Tiffany said.  Can you summarize that again?  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  [Chuckles].  Hi, this is Tiffany ‑‑ 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Can you, please?  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  I was discussing a parent who called who is just one of the many that called in regards to the same issue, so I'm bringing it up.

She wanted to ask the Council what should she do and what had been best practices in this particular situation where there is a parent that is deaf and she has a hearing child that is attending virtual school.

And the parent is having difficulty accessing the information that she's supposed to be teaching her child because it's online and there is no captions.  And she was very concerned what should she do.

Generally, they would make some kind of accommodation, if it was the child who was hearing impaired.  However, she's not finding that the district is interested in doing anything for the fact that it's a parent who's got the deafness and the child is the enrolled student.

So, she was wondering what are other parents doing in this type of situation and what have you all heard?  

[Pause].  

>> CINDY SIMON:  So, I'm not sure that ‑‑ 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Go ahead.  

>> CINDY SIMON:  ‑‑ but you have issues with parents who were not being accommodated, even if their child was hearing.  And an entire committee was made for that, I would protest that as a parent, they need the information and it should be sent to them in writing so that they have it.
That is not a difficult accommodation.  And it should be done.

And I would probably tell them, I'm going to go complain... um... because Florida has been in trouble before with HHS for not making accommodations even for parents going to school on behalf of their child.  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  They may want to contact the local ADA coordinator in their area.  Or go higher up in the school chain.
Any other comments?  Glenna, go ahead.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  And we need to remember the deaf and hard‑of‑hearing students under IDEA and parents fall under the ADA law.  So it's two different statutes that they're under.  I just want to make sure that that's clear.

And also, yes, correct what was mentioned before, Debbe, contacting local ADA coordinator would be a good pathway.
And I've heard of actual cases where deaf parents were provided access.

Also, you know, it's funny, I'm retired, so I don't hear a whole lot of things happening, but I have not heard any horror stories yet.
I'm guessing most people are figuring out a way to access it.  I don't know.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  Any other comments?  Suggestions?
We're still in public comments and we still have about a half hour to go.  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  I'm getting a lot of phone calls, because I represent HLAA Florida State Association, I'm getting a lot of phone calls about... um... how to find ‑‑ how to finance for hearing aids.  And a lot of calls on where to donate hearing aids.
And so we need to add that where they can donate hearing aids and also where to find finance for hearing aids.
Tiffany?  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  This is Tiffany speaking.  I have compiled some sort of a few resources, but I am in deep need of a resource for where to find hearing aids at a reasonable price for financial assistance for hearing aids.

Because the ones that I have researched... um... there are so many hoops to jump through first before they could get it that ‑‑ and then there's still a small, what they call a small amount that they need to pay to receive them.

Many of the community members that call our line don't see it as a small ‑‑ a bit to pay [chuckles].

So, if you guys have any resources, I would really appreciate the Council sending those to me, via e‑mail, because I desperately need those.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  One of them is HLAA has a fabulous website about where you can find financial assistance for purchasing hearing aids.
But the number one thing they need to do is check ‑‑ check and see if their insurance will cover it.  If not, then... 

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Glenna, go ahead.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Insurance, honestly, is a little bit of a joke.  Because we forget, you know, most of them say oh, yes, we'll cover hearing aids, but it's only up to $500 or they cap it out at $1,000.  So it really is a joke.  I mean... it's really... you know, hearing aids are more expensive than that.  And, you know, expecting people to buy cheap hearing aids, you know, what they call ‑‑ they call it the bait and switch hearing aid.  They think they're going to buy a cheap hearing aid and they come in and they get switched to the more expensive model.  So it's all just a very frustrating situation.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Cindy, you had your hand up.  Go ahead.  

>> CINDY SIMON:  Oh, okay.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Cindy?  

>> CINDY SIMON:  So this is really difficult.  There are some places, I don't know if the Hearing Research Institute locally in Miami is still open, I can find out, they will help to find and refurbish hearing aids and provide it at no charge.

I send most of my patients to vocational rehab, who has been very good about what they've allowed.  But they do look at your financials.  And you may have to have a co‑pay with it, whether or not you agree with them.

In terms of insurance, there are a number of Blue Cross/Blue Shield plans which will tell you they will pay up to a certain amount of whatever you want to get.  So you don't need to do a bait and switch on that.  It's whatever they get.  And the professional is responsible for explaining this.

The problem is when they say "up to" and not what it is, they could be paying you less for two than your own cost for one to provide it.  And I don't mean your services, I mean the actual costs to need the device.

There are some plans, and it would be best to call the office.  You want to go to see if they have it, where it's something, like, CARE credit, where you can pay it out over time.  And as long as you pay it within a certain amount of time, there's no, um, charge for interest.  Uh... and I've also told people to check their credit cards.  If they have something 18 months or two years no interest, put it on that and get the points and then pay it out over time at no interests so it doesn't cost anymore than if they put it out at one,

You may be able to find them at the Lions Club and I know you can donate there.  You can donate to Sertoma and I believe they will provide for children.

And then there are some groups likes Starkey has a donation where you can jump through hoops, we used to have someone on the Board Of Hearing Instrument Specialists who had his own thing and so he would provide hearing aids depending on the background.
So that's pretty much everything that I know.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay, great, great.
Gina, you have your hand up?  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Yes, ma'am.  This is Gina Halliburton.  This may be a Shay question, but I'm wondering, could we have, like, a resource page of audiologists or professionals that we have personal experience with and just have a disclaimer that these are not DOH, you know, agencies, etc., and we have no liability; the person uses them at their own risk.

At least we can have a list of audiologists that we can recommend from personal experience.  Is that possible, you know, if we have that available for them?  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Tiffany, go ahead.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  This is Tiffany speaking.  I don't believe we're allowed to, but I will check.  I'm just considering other things in the past where we are told we are not allowed to give any indication of endorsement to anyone.  Even if we have that disclaimer listed on there, we can't do a person.
We can provide, you know, like, agencies that might do something ‑‑ 

>> OPERATOR:  Has joined the conference. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  ‑‑ we can't do anything of a specific company on the website of DOH.
But I will clarify, because I'm not the expert in that.  But I can tell you that it kind of is highly improbable.

We got an e‑mail recently ‑‑ I say recently, it may be about a year ‑‑ where we were supposed to look on our website, FCCDHH, and all the other web masters included, and remove things that were not government agencies or an agency‑agency, organization, that type of thing, we were supposed to remove those so we don't give any indication that we endorse it.
And because that was so recent in my head, I can say it's possibly not.

However, I am going to clarify for you and I will make sure I have that answer for you guys shortly.  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Okay.  This is Gina.  Thank you.  I was just thinking in terms of we list the interpreter agencies and we don't endorse them, we're just providing the information.  And that's what made me think about it.
But thank you, Tiffany, we look forward to your response.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  We have Chris Littlewood and Glenna.  Chris Littlewood, go ahead.  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  This is Chris.  I just wanted to say a couple of things regarding the resources for reduced costs or free hearing aids.

I do know that several years ago for the Council and for ALDA, I created a list for different places that were resources.

I do know three of the big places were what Cindy already mentioned, being Sertoma, the Lions Club, and also making sure that somebody contacts VR in their area.

The reality is depending on your VR counselor and the local area, you may get a different response as far as how help can be created.

The one thing I have to disagree with a little bit ‑‑ I apologize, Cindy, but with all due respect ‑‑ I really try to avoid encouraging people to use credit cards for the CARE credit for purchasing hearing aids, because if they're already below the poverty level or having difficulty paying for hearing aids, just spreading out a payment for hearing aids, even though it's something critical for communication, that's something that they're not really being able to afford.  And I try to avoid sharing information for that, other than saying maybe CARE credit can help you extend a payment.
But credit cards and credit, I try to avoid that as a resource for financial assistance.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  Glenna, do you have something that you want ‑‑ Glenna, you had something you wanted to say?  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Oh, yes.  Um... let me gather my thoughts here... 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Oh, it left me.  Cindy can go ahead.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  We still have another 16 minutes.  Anybody else have any concerns or public comments?  

>> CINDY SIMON:  Okay. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Cindy, you have your hand up?  Okay, go ahead.  

>> CINDY SIMON:  I did.  So, I'm not saying I agree with doing that.  You were asking what was out there.

The reason I won't carry CARE credit here is I'm concerned if they don't make the payments in the appropriate time, they will get in trouble.  I won't carry it here.  But it's not up to me to judge anybody.  And I'm just giving you a broad range of what's possible.
I have had people do the credit card thing successfully.

If they are having that many issues, they probably don't have that much credit on their credit card to begin with to be able to do that.

So, I agree with Chris, I think it's a problem if you spread it out that way.  However, it's not ‑‑ I just wanted to give you full information.  That's why I also brought up Sertoma and Lions Club, the Hearing Research Institute locally here, which has helped people.
I know, because I've done the dispensing with no fees coming to me at all, just as a favor to them.

Um... I don't know if he's still doing it, he may have retired the company, but if you look around, you may find other places locally for other people.  Again, there will be an announcement when Starkey is coming to town that they're providing free hearing aids.  Whether or not the people are happy, whether or not there's enough time for programming, and there's certainly no follow‑up included, it's a free hearing aid.
And you may find other places that provide this as well.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  They can always use a loaner, a loaner hearing aid temporarily.  

>> OPERATOR:  Has left the conference. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Glenna, go ahead.  Glenna, go ahead.  

[Pause].  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  We list interpreting agencies because there's really not many, and that's why we list them.

But as far as audiologists go, there's many audiologists.  So people have to go through their health plan to find an audiologist, so it's a bit of a different situation, or VR with an audiologist.

So it's different listing the interpreting agencies and there's many, they're really not hard to find an audiologist, you can just look in the phonebook and find the number, so that is one difference between the two.

Additionally, it's ‑‑ sorry, let me get my thoughts here together ‑‑ it's almost like Yelp, you know, one person may like this one particular entity and one doesn't or like this particular service and one doesn't.  So it can be compared to Yelp 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  And Mary said is there an Audiologist Association or something of a source that the Council may present this issue to and request assistance?
Yes, there is an organization, AA... American Association of Audiologists; am I correct, Cindy?

[No response].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Cindy?

[No response].
  
>> DEBBE HAGNER:  I think she lost her phone again.  We can follow‑up on that in a minute.

All right.  We have almost ten minutes to noon.  So we can take a break and just go for lunch now or... um... what?  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  I would like to suggest that we go ahead and take a break and start our lunch now and report back exactly at 1:00 o'clock.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  No, unfortunately we can't do that, we can't stop early, we have to stop this section of the meeting right at 12:00.  11:59 is okay, but probably not 11:50; definitely not 11:50.  You just never know.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  

[Pause].  

>> OPERATOR:  Gina Halliburton has left the conference.  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Any other public comments?

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Glenna?  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  [Signing]. 

>> INTERPRETER:  [On mute]. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Lisa, we're not hearing you.  

>> LISA SCHAEFERMEYER:  I'm sorry, I was on mute.  We can repeat that.  Glenna said can Lisa possibly get out of her interpreting role and maybe make a comment about virtual school?
I'm frozen to you guys?  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  No, she's fine for me.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Sharon is frozen. 

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Lisa is fine for me, she's clear.  

>> LISA SCHAEFERMEYER:  How about Sharon?  Is Sharon clear?  Everybody can see Sharon?  

>> DAVID:  This is Dave with AQI. 

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Yeah, she's still kind of frozen on and off for me.

>> LISA SCHAEFERMEYER:  So Sharon is going to go ahead and jump off and come back on again and try something else.  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  So Glenna was asking for Lisa to step out of her role as an interpreter, if there was any other issue or issues that she has heard that she wants to share with us.  

>> LISA SCHAEFERMEYER: [Chuckles].  Um... I don't mind sharing.  Maybe if there's any specific questions.  But as a vendor of services in the K‑12 setting, it has been crazy!  Because we have on‑site and we have virtual going on.

Virtual, we have enough interpreters to provide services.  Everybody wants to do virtual, because they don't want to go out and having to wear their masks and having to be exposed, possibly, in the school environment.  So we're having a very difficult time finding enough interpreters to go out on‑site.

And then when they are out on‑site, they have to wear their masks.  And at any time, there could be a COVID‑positive child and they're sent to the clinic and then the whole classroom is sent to another empty room so that the teacher's classroom can be cleaned.

And so it really is very challenging for the educators right now and for the students.  They have to see everything that's within their backpack; they can't share glue, scissors, pencils, anything.
It's definitely very challenging right now.

So, I don't know if anybody had anything specific about schools or the environment?
I'm happy to answer from my experience.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Gina says that:  We are hybrid at school and it's CRAZY.  

>> LISA SCHAEFERMEYER:  This is Lisa, I am shaking my head saying yes, absolutely!  It is a very crazy time right now.  Um... I think there is concern about Thanksgiving, everybody going on trips, coming back home, and then you have the same thing with Christmas.

So, there's hope that maybe, you know, by the spring semester, things will be better.  But right now, you never know if you're gonna be on virtual or whether or not you're gonna be on‑site, because the minute a classroom is identified as having a COVID‑positive student, you know, they do the tracing and then you have a number of students who are quarantined for the next two weeks.

So that's very difficult on the teachers to keep up and with the lessons and then just what we experienced with the hurricane and with everybody's individual internet.

I have David Scott on the line right now trying to support us here with our connections because everybody's homes are different.  And it's a very difficult thing, I think, for the IT directors to keep up with all of this.

And then, of course, you have students who don't have internet at home, so they're having to borrow computers.  And you have trucks out there doing WiFi in neighborhoods and they're trying to come up with all kinds of solutions to try to keep everybody connected and it's definitely, definitely challenging!  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  David, do you want to say something?  

>> This is David with AQI.  I would like to speak a little bit about the technology that we're using today, if I can, since this is the public comment.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Yes.  

>> DAVID:  When they run the internet to your homes and to neighborhoods, it's hard to predict the amount of scale that's going to occur.  So they try to do that in a method that can be scaled upward.

But if you think about it like a dirt road way out in the country, that's the line to your house.  That dirt road connects to a little wider dirt road.  That's all of your friends and neighbors in your neighborhood.  You're all getting on the same road to get out to the two‑lane highway.

Um... and where I grew up, a two‑lane was a highway.  You know, I've learned a lot different when I saw eight‑lane highways in one direction.

When you get to the two lane, that's a line for what's called a concentrator ‑‑ and I'm using very simple terms here, there's other words for it ‑‑ closest to your neighborhood.
And that two line from that concentrator goes to the internet service provider.  And you hope that the internet service provider has got that eight‑lane interstate to the actual internet backbone.

And what they found out is they did something called overselling.  They oversubscribed.  It's like when they buy ‑‑ when they sell too many tickets on an airplane and the next thing you know, they're looking at you saying, "Sorry, you've got to get off!"

That's what's happening, they don't have enough bandwidth between these people and the service providers.  That's when we have all of the little Johnnys and Sallys at school on YouTube and going out and sending out TikToks and things like that on their phones and going out through the neighborhoods.

From the internet providers and the backbones and the main highways that interconnect our country, it's better, there's a much wider bandwidth.

But those dirt roads in these neighborhoods are really what cause a lot of the video challenges that we're seeing in today's world.
So there's my three minutes on technology [chuckles].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Thank you, thank you, that's a good explanation.

Okay.  We have Gina said:  The scuttlebutt is that we may go full virtual between Thanksgiving and New Year's and that's for the very reason Lisa mentioned.
Glenna, go ahead.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  In regards to what David was saying, that last mile, they call it "the last mile."  It's the internet being provided to so many people, that that last mile or that last line to that last house can be difficult for both electricity and for internet.  And the bandwidth can be ‑‑ 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  I was just wondering, is this all being documented so that they can improve as time goes on?  I mean... isn't the Department of Education looking at this, with all the issues with the deaf and hard of hearing, deaf and blind, learning disabilities, other specific cases, are they documenting that and reporting that?  Dave?  

>> DAVID:  This is David with AQI.  The Department of Education and those entities would not be documenting this.  The reason for that, the internet falls underneath the FCC, the Federal Communications Commission, and if you have a cable provider such as Comcast, it falls under a different set of tariffs or laws than somebody who has an internet connection that's fiber‑direct from Frontier or Verizon or AT&T.  So there's two different animals there.

AT&T and Verizon and all of the other internet providers document how many troubles there are on their tickets, but nine times out of ten, those tickets are labeled "user problems" as a fix.  It's the user that has the challenge, when reality you just got kicked off the airplane for ten minutes, right?  You've gotta find another airplane to get on now.  And that's what happens.
They want it to be oversold.  That's how they make money.  The more customers, the better.  They really could care less if you've got good traffic or not.

To be direct and blunt, not saying that big, bad corporations are evil, but when you get down to that last mile, as Glenna stated, that you don't care, and it's even worse if the wiring in your house isn't good, you're the one responsible to fix it, not the internet service provider.

If your WiFi is congested, if you really want to square yourself, you can download some software and run an application that will say ALL of the WiFi networks within range of you.

And if you're in a pretty close neighborhood, you'll get over 100.  And they're all on the same channel.  And they are all wondering why they have bad service.  They need to be on separate channels.

But there's still only 11 channels total.  So if you've got 1,000 people in range of you, you know, you're going to be fighting 100 people per channel.  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  Any other comments?  Glenna, go ahead.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  I would like to know how many people are around you, if you click on your internet settings and pull up all of the WiFi networks available in your area, all of the people who have WiFi in my area, that's one way to see it, and it can be quite a list.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  It is 12:03 now.  So I call that we take a lunch break and be back at 1:00 o'clock.  Okay?
So enjoy your lunch and then I'll see you back at 1:00 o'clock.  

>> OPERATOR:  Has left the conference.

[Break].

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  It's 1:00 o'clock.  I would like to start with welcome to the Florida Coordinating Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.  It is November 12th, it's 1:00 o'clock.

I would like to start the roll call, please.  I am Debbe Hagner, I am representing the HLAA Florida State Association.
Who would like to go next?

[No response].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Gina, would you like to go next?  

>> OPERATOR:  Chris Littlewood has joined the conference.  

[Pause]. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Tiffany, do you want to go next?  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Yes, hi, I'm Tiffany Baylor, I'm the coordinator for the Florida Coordinating Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, I work for the Department of Health.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Thank you.  Glenna, do you want to go next?  We're doing roll call, roll call.

[No response].  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  This is Gina Halliburton ‑‑ 

>> OPERATOR:  Has joined the conference. 

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Hi, this is Glenna Ashton representing Florida Association of the Deaf.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Thank you.  Anyone in chat or on the phone?  

>> CINDY SIMON:  This is Cindy representing audiologists.  And I am racing home so I'm going to have it on mute since I'm in monsoon rain over here.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  Oh, we have Cecil.  Cecil is here representing the Department of Education.
Anyone else here on the phone or in CART/chat?  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  Good afternoon, everybody, this is ‑‑ 

>> OPERATOR:  Has joined the conference.  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  This is Chris Littlewood representing the Association of Late‑Deafened Adults, I live in Seminole, Florida, and work for St. Petersburg College for the safety for public safety innovation. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Thank you, Chris.  Anyone else?  

>> MARY HODGES:  Hi, this is Mary Hodges, with the Department of Elder Affairs. 

>> OPERATOR:  John Jackson has joined the conference. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay, great.  Anyone else?  John, do you want to call yourself?  

>> JOHN JACKSON:  This is John Jackson representing the Department of Children and Families.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Thank you, thank you.  Okay.  I think we have everyone.  Great, super.

Okay.  According to our agenda, we had a biennial report preliminary planning.  We need to review the past report for possible topics to be included and assigned tasks to some people and set up a timeline.
So, who wants to start with that?  

>> OPERATOR:  Has joined the conference.  

[Pause]. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Anyone?  

[Pause]. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Glenna, go ahead.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Let me find my paper.

[Ping sound].  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Okay.  Can you hear me?  Can you hear me on the phone?  

>> CINDY SIMON:  Yes. 

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Okay.  Since my talk is long, I am going to talk.  I hope everybody saw that I sent some suggestions for this 2021 biennial report.
If you would take a moment to pull out the report that's in the back of your packet.

[Ping sound]. 
[Pause].  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Okay?  On the first page, I would suggest that, um, we keep the same introduction content that's on the right side bottom, and change the year to 2021.

The overview on the left side bottom, the fourth one change, special consideration to Deaf BIPOC, which is Black, Indigenous, Persons of Color and the references paid for on that, we didn't have that.
And also on the top, we want to keep the picture or find another picture.

Any comments on the first page?

[No response].

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Anyone?

[No response].  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Okay.  Now we'll go to the second page.  On the inside where it talks about healthcare, I would keep the same healthcare context info there, unless there is some updates that anybody wants to do to update that, in reference to COVID‑19 or, uh, disasters.
And, again, do we want to keep the picture or change the picture or keep or change the graphics?  

Any comments on that?  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  This is Debbe.  I was thinking that maybe we can talk about the difficulties with the masks in medical situations.  The masks. 

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Yeah, yeah.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Gina has her hand up.  Go ahead, Gina.  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Gina, go ahead.

[No response].  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Okay, I'll try this again, this is a storm out here, I guess we're having trouble.

This is Gina.  I'm wondering, Tiffany, can you e‑mail me an electronic copy of what Glenna is referring to?  It was not in my documents that was sent of the meeting.  If you can quickly e‑mail it to me, that would be great.  Thank you.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  You have it ‑‑ hello? ‑‑ you have it in your packet for the meeting today.  It's the last ‑‑ it's in the back.  It's in the packet.  

>> CINDY SIMON:  It was also sent ‑‑ 

[Talking over one another]. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Tiffany mailed us all of the packages and also thank you for providing us the clear masks, thank you so much for doing that for us, so thank you.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  You're welcome. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Chris:  Yes, I strongly agree with adding how with the COVID‑19 affected the deaf and hard‑of‑hearing community with the masks.

And then Jamie has joined and said:  I would like to bring up the issue with the Florida Governor's COVID‑19 briefing press conference without an ASL interpreter.

[Dog barking in background].  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  We'll talk about that in the next section.

[Dog barking in background].  

>> CINDY SIMON:  This is Cindy.  For our newsletter, I actually did write a very short article for it regarding COVID‑19 and masks, along with suggestions.  Which maybe some of that could be modified for this.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay, great, great, super.
And maybe we can include some of the apps that would be helpful, like Ava or Otter, some communication tips.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Okay.  Now, that is separate from this biennial report.
All right.  So that's healthcare.

And then on the third page, which is safety and emergency, there's something I want to change.  I want to keep the first two paragraphs, that's kind of like an introduction thing.  And then the rest of the part that talks about Text‑to‑911, I want to drop that, and I want to mention DRF about interpreters on location stations and pictures of the interpreters being shown on local TV stations and mention Disability Rights Florida and loss of ‑‑ 

>> OPERATOR:  Jamie has joined the conference.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  And then what I want to do, I want to have a paper on emergency management.  And again, in an e‑mail I sent to mention not only the recommendation, but also the link to the NAD position on emergency management.

And I know we often mention only ADA and FCC, but there are five laws that we can mention:  The Rehabilitation Act of 1973; Section 504; Title II of Americans with Disabilities Act; Section 255 of the Communications Act; the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010; and the last one is the most interesting, the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act [audio cutting in and out].  And this is an old law which provides funding for accessibility to everybody.

And then they have a list of recommendations, nine recommendations.  The number one thing that is always talked about:  

To set aside disability accommodation funds within the emergency budget.  So, in other words all that money that is available for interpreters and whatever.

Include representatives from the deaf and hard‑of‑hearing community at all levels.

Establish protocol for immediate securing of qualified American Sign Language interpreters during all emergency situation press conferences [audio cutting in and out].  

Ensure that the ASL interpreter secured for the emergency press conference is visible on television at all times during the broadcast. 

Ensure that broadcasters are able to provide quality live captioning for all broadcasts of emergency information.

Ensure that all emergency information provided online are fully accessible with interpreting.

Provide ongoing inclusive and accessible training.

Structure all Disaster Recovery Centers to be fully accessible.

And finally, incorporate texting with all 911 calls.

So this list of laws and recommendations pretty much cover everything that we've ever talked about and we always talk about.
I tried to make it brief but I wanted to provide that information.
And again, keep the picture or change it.

Any comments?  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  We have a couple things.  Chris Littlewood, go ahead.  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  This is Chris.  I just wanted to say, first of all, Glenna, be aware, I think it's on your end, there are several times where your audio is cutting in and out.  I know Lisa has made the same comment and several others have as well, so it makes it kind of difficult to get the captions.  

>> This is Jamie, I'm having the same experience, yeah, this is Jamie.  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  Okay.  To my point about texting to 911, I've heard a couple of points mentioned that we need to drop our minimize the amount of discussion we have of that in the report, because we covered it last time.
And I just wanted to say, I really disagree with that.  I think it needs to be in this report again.

Keep in mind, we barely have a little over 50% of the counties in the state of Florida where texting to 911 is available.  So I think that's something we need to keep reiterating until we get 100% in the state of Florida.

Also, it is of course important to make sure that we mention the fact that it is a problem with making sure we keep a sign language interpreter on the screen in emergency situations.
There had to be a lawsuit against the Governor or the Governor's Office to make sure that happened.

I do know there was somewhat of a situation where it wasn't entirely the Government's fault and sometimes the media is just not educated, where they're cutting off the interpreter on the screen.

But I think it's very important that we include both Text‑to‑911 in this report and also including the need for making sure that sign language interpreters are included for every public safety or the public's information broadcast in every case.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Thank you, Chris.
Okay, Jamie said same for VRS, video interpreter, said this conference call has some technical issues with dropping sound repeatedly.
Yeah, Glenna, just hold the mic or your phone a little closer to you, because it's ‑‑ yeah, okay.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Okay.  Thank you. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Any others ‑‑ 

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Any other direction?  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Any other comments?  

[Pause]. 

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Okay.  Then the last page, the fourth page ‑‑ is this better now?

[No response].  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  All right.  So the fourth page, first on the council members, it needs to be updated.  And we need to pay attention to that.
And the contact information needs to be changed to Tiffany.

Then on the special consideration, I would like to request we change it to BIPOC, Black, Indigenous, or Persons of Color, with things that have been happening this past year, my only problem is we need to get statistics and information and, of course, change the picture.
So, any comments on that?

[No response].  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  BIPOC, Black, Indigenous, Persons of Color.  P as in persons, people, persons of color.  Okay.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay, Chris Littlewood, go ahead.  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  This is Chris, I just want to say I definitely agree with Glenna, that we need to make sure that we are including discussions for persons of color in our report.

Also, a very important thing to make mention, the entire biennial report from the last time had the wrong year.  We have always done the biennial report in the odd year.

So the report that showed last year should have showed 2019.  And the report that we're getting this time should be 2021.

I know that was brought to the attention and for a short time it was corrected.  But then the report I have in my hand again says 2018.

We want to make absolutely sure that the biennial report next year says 2021.  We need to make sure that that's consistent; that we do our biennial report in the odd year.  2021 will be the next biennial report.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Tiffany, go ahead, Tiffany.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Hi, this is Tiffany Baylor.  That was my mistake that you're holding one that says 2018 at this point, because we have taken all of those out and supposedly had destroyed all of the ones that said 2018.
And the one I'm holding that I got out of the same pile has 2019.
So, what probably happened is that they got mixed in.

I'm just curious if you guys have 2018 or '19 in your packet?  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  '18, '18. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  All of y'all?  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  This is Chris.  The report I have in my ‑‑ that I received in the mail said 2018.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Okay.  That is my mistake.  Because there is several 2019s available.  Apparently this one, as far as the other ones I might have sent, were on top, and so... those are the ones that say 2018.

So, I'll keep an eye on that and we'll all keep an eye on that and make sure the new one says 2021, because I did learn about that small debacle from last time.  And so I remember when we reprinted them if I remember correctly.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Mary said the graphic on page two is difficult to read.  If we update it, it would be good to include data on the number of minorities with hearing loss.  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Glenna, go ahead.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Do we have that information?  Because I did some research on trying to find it from, like, for example, from the NBDA, National Black Deaf Advocates, there was nothing on there.

But we had that speaker the last time, the one that was present, maybe we can contact him and see if he has any information and then we can find information on the Florida level.  That would be a challenge, but....

Or maybe Cecil might be able to find information or VR might and occasionally might be able to give us some ideas.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Tiffany, go ahead.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Hi, this is Tiffany.  I believe the speaker that we had the one time named Brenda Lee Rodriguez who came from the Miami project that they were doing, where they were trying to get those statistics, I'm wondering if they would be a resource.  Because I've got their little paper here that we all have from two meetings ago.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  That was Miami only.  That was Miami only, not Florida, so... 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Oh. 

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  We need the rest of the state.  And that part/number was Miami only because they only serve Miami.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Okay.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  That's the challenge there, to find those numbers or something.
So, overall, any comments on the whole biennial report 2021?  Any other suggestions or comments?  

[Pause]. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Any other comments?  Chris says:  I also recommend we have NOTHING that says "special consideration" that's like "special needs" which implies separate and not equal deaf, hard of hearing, deaf‑blind persons of color, etc., all equal.  

>> JAMIE:  Yeah, I have a comment.  This is Jamie.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Go ahead, Jamie.  

>> JAMIE:  I would like to see people on the floor, you know, on the floor, like faces, like, Zoom, so we can see one another so I can actually see who's talking.  More visual communication would help me out.  Just a little idea there.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Um... Jamie, let's see, we're chosen to use AQI and their Whereby platform because of the interpreters and the number of Deaf people.
Glenna, go ahead.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  And also, the Department of Health will not allow us to use Zoom.  

[Pause].  

>> JAMIE:  Oh, okay.  It was just an idea.  That's all, it was just an idea to make it more visually accessible.
Anyway, we'll do the best we can.  Thank you anyway.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Um... 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Go ahead, Glenna.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Jamie, maybe I missed the introduction, but who are you?  

>> JAMIE:  Well, my name is Jamie and I'm from Kissimmee, Florida, yeah, and I'm the ‑‑ I'm with the Agency For the Deaf advocacy group center for Florida.  And we have a really large COVID issue right now that we're dealing with and we're just trying to provide access for ‑‑ ASL access for the Deaf community to understand, you know, different things we need to do to keep us safe and healthy; yeah.  

[Pause]. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Awesome.  I'm glad you're here, Jamie.
Any other comments that we should add for the biennial report?  

[Pause]. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Mary said:  Can we talk somewhere in the report the cost of hearing aids and limited resources available to assist to fund them?
I think that would be appropriate for the website, in my opinion.

We can have, like, a table of contents, these are the following information, additional information, that can be found on the website related to funding for hearing aids, blah, blah, blah, blah, 

>> JAMIE:  Yeah, this is Jamie too ‑‑ we switched interpreters and I just wanted to let you know ‑‑ now, Medicaid does not cover the hearing aids, but on the poverty level for deaf and hard of hearing, children and adults both, we're working on that to try and resolve it.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Um... Tiffany?  Since Jamie's comments needs to be separated and really needs to be in the public comments.
I said ‑‑ I said that Jamie's issue/comments should be part of the public comments, during the public comments.  

>> JAMIE:  Can you repeat that?  I'm not hearing you well; it keeps cutting out.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Jamie, I'm happy that you're here.  But you should have been here during when we had the public comments.  And that will start at 1:30.  So if you can hold your comments in a few minutes until we finish this section ‑‑ 

>> JAMIE:  Okay, sure, no problem.  Thank you for letting me know.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay. 

>> JAMIE:  Yeah, we already started at 1:30 [laughs]. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  It's okay, it's okay.
Okay.  I guess we'll have to wait about the newsletter... um... and so we'll just go ahead and start with the open comments.
Okay.  Now, Jamie, you have the floor.  

>> JAMIE:  Okay.  So I wanted to add that with the hearing aids, Medicaid is not covering the cost of hearing aids.  And so I'm recommending that we try and figure out a solution for that, for children and adults, in the poverty level category in Florida for use of hearing aids during school hours and they are cost prohibitive for those in the poverty level, so Medicaid should be paying for them and that's something we need to resolve.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  Thank you.  Tiffany, can you have that documented as a part of public comment?  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  I am. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  Cindy, you have your hand up?

>> CINDY SIMON:  Yes, I'm here.  I guess I was going to ask that I know that Medicaid was still providing for children.  And I heard that they were going to go back to providing for adults.  So I'm not aware that they're not.  But... again... I know that keeps changing.  I know they have specific ‑‑ 

>> OPERATOR:  Has left the conference.  

>> CINDY SIMON:  ‑‑ that only did the Medicaid, so I guess we'd have to look at that to double‑check.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  This is Debbe.  I know that HLAA was fighting that, to make sure that Medicaid will pay for hearing aids for children.  I'll have to look up again on that.
Okay.  It was still during ‑‑ 

[Talking over one another]. 

>> CINDY SIMON:  ‑‑ for children ‑‑ 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  ‑‑ we have public comment until 2:00 o'clock, so does anyone else have any comments?  Cindy, go ahead.  

>> CINDY SIMON:  If we ‑‑ 

>> JAMIE:  This is Jamie, if we could just have everybody talking one at a time, it would be really helpful.  Go ahead.  

>> CINDY SIMON:  Last I heard, we were paying for children.  And I recently heard of a case, because they didn't like where they had to go for Medicaid paying, it was an adult that was the issue, as far as I'm aware.
And I see a big increase with people going to voc rehab that I hear about.  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Any other comments?
Glenna, go ahead.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  I think VR can start serving clients at age 14 now ‑‑ 

>> OPERATOR:  Has joined the conference.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  ‑‑ so high school students age 14 on up.  So we have two ways either Medicaid, Medicaid or VR for 14 and up.  Below 14, that's a different story.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  All right.  Cecil just informed us that Medicaid still covers children.  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Jamie, does that answer your question?

[No response].  

>> JAMIE:  Yes.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Any other comments you wanted to share with us, Jamie?  And then I'll turn it over to Glenna.

[Pause]. 

>> JAMIE:  Yeah, this is Jamie.  Yeah, I did think of something else.  The Government should be setting up an office for those with disabilities, because a lot of people have been complaining they try to reach out and there's no specific, you know, office for disabilities, no one to hear their voice and no one to really listen to their concerns and resolve these kinds of issues and complaints here in Florida.

For example, with the Medicaid problem.  And then doctors blocking communication access or preventing it.  Any kind of services, basically, that the Government provides here locally and on a state level.

We don't have an office specifically for those types of grievances.  And so that needs to be set up for ‑‑ take an office for deaf and hard of hearing to provide solutions for Florida.

And that historically, Florida has not had an office for that specifically dedicated to those kinds of issues and concerns.

And so there has to be an appeals and complaints process and in order to bring that to the court and it's been a need for a long time and it's been ‑‑ it's dragging on for a long, long time.

And so it should ‑‑ the Office of Disability should include deaf and hard of hearing and give them a voice.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  Thank you.  Cecil just said in the chat:  Google Search indicates that Florida Medicaid does cover hearing aids for children and adults, no age limit.  We need to double‑check.
Glenna, go ahead.  Glenna, go ahead.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Okay.  Possibly the issue is the people that work in your area not being trained or educated to know about providing hearing aids.
And maybe can go to the manager or supervisor above them and make sure that it happens.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  And Cecil said:  This is according to the Agency for Healthcare Administration.  

[Pause].  

>> OPERATOR:  John Jackson has left the conference.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Any other comments?

[No response].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Glenna, go ahead.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Okay.  Jamie, the concerns you expressed about deaf and hard‑of‑hearing people to be heard by Government are the same issues that we have been struggling with.

And one of the ways we try to do that is to invite speakers from different departments from different agencies in the Government, so that they become aware of us and we can find ways to work with them to make sure they include the deaf and hard of hearing.
So, we're working on that issue.  We are aware of that issue.
And, for example, this morning we had a speaker from... um... 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Minority Health. 

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Minority Health.  So we're aware of the problem and we have been working on it.

And right now we are only an advisory council and we need to get the legislation to change our status to be able to do move than just advise the Government.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  Any other comments?

[No response].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Chris?  Cecil?  Mary?  

>> JAMIE:  This is Jamie again.  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  This is Gina Halliburton. 

>> OPERATOR:  Has left the conference.  

[Pause].  

>> JAMIE:  Okay.  So, yeah, this is Jamie here.  And with the VR system, the voc rehab system, they do happen to have better resources for deaf and hard of hearing if they are on a job path trying to get employment.

But with COVID, of course, that's been creating some issues, making it hard for individuals to access VR services.  So they've been trying to go through phone and e‑mail, but the visual piece is difficult for deaf and hard of hearing if they don't have that kind of visual contact with the VR counselor.  Referrals are difficult.  So... VR definitely does have some potential to increase their services or to do better throughout the COVID issue.
But, again, that is for job placement.  That's the goal.

And so with ticket to work program, that might be a better fit for them.  Sometimes they're waiting for VR for a long time and many of the people, the counselors in ‑‑ the VR counselors are not really familiar with how to work with deaf and hard‑of‑hearing individuals, and so finding a solution for the VR office also might be something we should put on our plate too, you know, work with them to improve their accessibility for deaf and hard‑of‑hearing individuals.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  We have Cecil, you wanted to make a comment about this?  

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  Yes. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay, go ahead.  

>> OPERATOR:  Gina Halliburton has joined the conference.  

[Pause].  

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  This is Cecil.  Give us just one moment to get set up here.  Just one moment.  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Cecil?  Okay.  

[Pause].  

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  [Signing]. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Cecil, I suggest you type it in the chat and I will read it for you, okay?  Cecil?  

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  Okay, all right, will do.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Thank you, Cecil.
Okay.  While Cecil is typing the comment for Jamie, let's wait a few minutes.  

>> CINDY SIMON:  I can make a comment on the VR.  I just wanted to say that the VR in my area just got someone new working and she wasn't aware of things and she reached out to every audiologist on there, for information to learn and to do it right.

And I find her getting more people through faster where I am.  So I want to say that I appreciate that she sent out a question so that she could better serve the population and know more of what to do.  So I just wanted to give a compliment in the middle of all the concern you feel, and concern for everything.  

>> I'm here.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  Cecil said:  Yes, VR is doing everything possible for access by our customers to our services.  We have 16 staff interpreters, plus vendor interpreters, that we can connect virtually to ensure that our customers have connections with counselors.  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Jamie, may I ask what area you live or you are?  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Kissimmee. 

>> JAMIE:  Yeah, I'm in Kissimmee.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  

>> JAMIE:  More specifically in Osceola County.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Cecil, is there an individual person that covers that area that he can contact directly for help?

[Background noise].
  
>> DEBBE HAGNER:  "Of course, with COVID, counselors are at home and sometimes in the office.  Some offices are closed, some offices are open.  Again, we are aware of the difficulties with calls made to the offices and we have made efforts to ensure that their calls are answered as soon as possible."

Mary says:  Does Jamie's agency serve all ages?  

[Pause].  

>> JAMIE:  All ages of deaf and hard of hearing in the area.  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Anybody want to add comments or suggestions for Jamie?

[Background noise].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Cecil said:  Okay, check with rehabworks.org for a list of VR offices to contact.  If not able, to e‑mail me.
He meant e‑mail me if you're not able to access or contact the office via www.rehabworks.org.

[Background noise].
  
>> JAMIE:  This is Jamie.  Okay.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay, great, Jamie.  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Any other suggestions or comments for Jamie or anything you want to bring up?  We still have about ten minutes.

[Background noise].
[Background chatter on the phone].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Yeah, Cecil said the phone is going on and off and he's going to turn it off.

[Background noise].
[Background chatter on the telephone].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  Any other comments?

[Background noise].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  We have a lot of background noise; someone needs to....

[Background noise].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Does someone have something ‑‑

[Background noise].  

>> CINDY SIMON:  [Echo] your voice is reverberating, Debbe. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  My voice?  

>> CINDY SIMON:  Right.  And then I can hear my voice reverberating or echoing.

[Background noise]. 

>> CINDY SIMON:  Someone has a message going on in the background, it's like an automated phone thing when you're on hold.

[Background noise].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Let me see....

[Background noise].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Can we get Lisa or get David on board?  

[Background noise]. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Lisa, can we get David on board?

[Background noise].  

>> CINDY SIMON:  Someone has two microphones or two devices on at the same time or does someone have a phone on hold in the background while we're doing something else on another phone or on CART?  

>> INTERPRETER RYAN:  I'm wondering if maybe Cecil needs to mute.

[Background noise].

>> CINDY SIMON:  Maybe we can all mute one‑by‑one and then we'll figure it out.  I'm going to mute now.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  It stopped.  

[Pause]. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  It stopped.  Okay.  

>> CINDY SIMON:  I don't think it's me, because there was no other sound where I am.  But it is still reverberating as if there's two things on.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  Um... we still have about eight minutes before we go on to the next section in the agenda.
[Echo].  I hear myself echoing.  I refreshed my Whereby.  

[Pause]. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  All right.  Let's try again [echo].  It is almost ‑‑ let's take a five‑minute break, so we'll start at 2:00 o'clock exactly.  Hopefully we'll work out some of the technical issues [echo] and we'll start with the committee updates.  Okay?  All right.  Enjoy your break.

[Break].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Ryan, am I okay?  Ryan?  

[Pause]. 

>> CINDY SIMON:  You're still echoing, Debbe.  

>> OPERATOR:  Has left the conference.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Still echoing?  I hear myself echoing.  [Echo].
Where is it coming from?
Do you want me to turn off my phone?  Let me do that for a minute.  

[Note from CART Captioner]:  Debbe, if you turn off your phone, you will not be captioned.  

>> OPERATOR:  Debbe Hagner has left the conference.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Someone should speak to see if we still have reverb.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Can you hear me now?  [Echo]. 

>> OPERATOR:  Has left the conference. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Am I echoing now?  

[Note from CART Captioner]:  Yes. 

>> OPERATOR:  Cindy has joined the conference.  

[Talking over one another]. 

>> OPERATOR:  Has left the conference.  

>> CINDY SIMON:  I can hear the operator ‑‑ 

[Talking over one another]. 

>> OPERATOR:  Has joined the conference.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Am I still echoing, Cindy?  

>> CINDY SIMON:  Yes.  But it's not just you, it's anybody's voice, including the automated operator.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Can we get Lisa on board and David?  

>> OPERATOR:  Has joined the conference.  

[Pause]. 

>> LISA SCHAEFERMEYER:  Hi, this is Lisa.  Can you hear me?  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Hi, Lisa [echo].  People are complaining that my voice sounds echoing and I'm trying to figure out where it's come from since I turned off my phone and it's still echoing.  

>> CINDY SIMON:  Lisa, everything is echoing, including when the operator announces a new name getting on the phone.  

>> LISA SCHAEFERMEYER:  Okay.  Well, all I can say is everyone needs to mute and try that all again and make sure everyone is muted.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  [Signing]. 

>> LISA SCHAEFERMEYER:  On the phone conference as well as in Whereby.  

>> INTERPRETER RYAN:  This is Ryan speaking.  Is Jamie and his interpreter still on?  I wonder if the interpreters can mute their phone.  Or have they already discounted?  

>> INTERPRETER:  This is the interpreter.  We are muted and just unmuted to speak.  

>> INTERPRETER:  Okay.  

>> LISA SCHAEFERMEYER:  This is Lisa.  Am I still echoing?  

>> LISA (CART CAPTIONER):  Yes.  

>> CINDY SIMON:  Yes.  

[Pause]. 

>> INTERPRETER RYAN:  This is Ryan speaking again.  I'm just wondering if we all disconnected and reconnected, if that might solve the connection issue?  

>> OPERATOR:  Has left the conference. 

[Talking over one another]. 

>> LISA SCHAEFERMEYER:  Is it on Whereby or on the phone?  

>> INTERPRETER RYAN:  On the phone.  That seems to be the problem.  

>> CINDY SIMON:  Wait, it stopped echoing!  What just happened?  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Debbe Hagner.  

>> OPERATOR:  Has joined the conference.  

>> LISA SCHAEFERMEYER:  This is Lisa.  I'm going to test volume, this is Lisa.  Am I echoing?  

>> CINDY SIMON:  Not right now.  

>> LISA SCHAEFERMEYER:  Can you try ‑‑ 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  This is Debbe Hagner.  Am I still echoing?  

>> CINDY SIMON:  No.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  Okay.  It is now 2:04.  We will proceed on the committee updates.

We had the Web Committee, which involves Debbe Hagner, me, and so I would like to share with you how many people "like" FCCDHH Facebook page.  We have 902 people following our page.  Occasionally I will check that and people will post questions and I will refer them to Tiffany.

We ‑‑ I need to ask Chris Littlewood to please remove Darlene, because I don't have the admin, administrator authority, to remove Darlene.
So, Chris Littlewood, could you please remove Darlene?  She's not ‑‑ because she resigned from the Council.  

>> OPERATOR:  Mary has joined the conference.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Is there anyone else who wishes to volunteer to be on the FCCDHH Facebook page?

[No response].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Chris?  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  That's all I ‑‑ anybody have any comments about our website or Facebook page that needs to be modified or add?

[No response].  

>> CINDY SIMON:  Debbe, I don't know if this is worthwhile putting out there, but most of the hearing aid manufacturers have come out with special ways to set up a program when you're speaking to someone through a mask, and maybe something if you're having difficulty hearing others wearing masks, go to your provider and ask them if they can create a program that will allow you to hear better with the mask in place?  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  I believe there is an app out there, I'll have to look.  I can make a list of all the hearing aid companies for Tiffany so she'll have that list.  And give some apps for communication tips as well.  

>> CINDY SIMON:  So what I'm talking about is when my patients call, I say come on in, because they're not going to go to the manufacturer, they need to know to go back to their hearing healthcare provider and ask them to either reprogram or add a program that is compatible with mask usage to improve communication ability.
And people don't know that this is out there and that they can do that.

So I'm just saying a statement saying, you know, there are recommended changes to programming with your devices, go back to your hearing healthcare provider and let them give you a mask program, or something like that.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay, sure, sure.
If you have something already made up, we can certainly add that too, since you're an audiologist.  

>> CINDY SIMON:  Right.  That's the thing.  We don't write up what to do, each manufacturer has come out with recommended alterations for their programming.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay. 

>> CINDY SIMON:  If you want, I can write a statement like that for you and send it over to you and you can edit it however you wish.
I just thought it might be helpful for people to be aware that there can be changes made to their programming that would enhance communication with masks.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay, all right.  I'll follow‑up and investigate all the hearing aid companies and see if there's anything or any statement there that says anything about modifying the program.  

>> CINDY SIMON:  No, no, almost all of them have it.
No, what I'm saying is they have it in place now.  Almost all of them.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay. 

>> CINDY SIMON:  It's just knowing you need to go back to your provider.  You, as the person, say, wearing a hearing aid or a cochlear implant, needs to go back to where you get your services and say "Can you please give me their mask program?"  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  Sounds good.
All right.  And the next one we have is the EMO, we have Gina, Gina and Cindy, do you want any comments on the EMO?  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  This is Gina.  I think since ‑‑ go ahead, Cindy, did you want to go forward?  

>> CINDY SIMON:  Oh, I was going to say do you want to tell them or do you want me to?

[Ping sound]. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  You got the line, go ahead.  

>> CINDY SIMON:  Okay.  So we had a meeting and it was just us, we rehashed ‑‑ 

>> OPERATOR:  Has joined the conference. 

>> CINDY SIMON:  ‑‑ what we have gone over in the past, along with a lot of recommendations from Mary.
So what we decided to do was put out a call, like, to maybe start collecting articles, have a few key things and do this four times a year on a newsletter, and we thought it would be helpful to ask all of you.
And I know that Tiffany did so, that we would ask all of you to participate.

If you had an article, if you had a friend to write an article about a topic and submit it.  If it's a reprint of an article to have the ability to say yes, this is allowed to be reprinted, and it should be shared with everybody, we would like to invite you to send it in so we can create an arsenal and be ready to go.
Did that summarize it, Gina?

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  I think so.  The only thing I would add is just to reinforce the fact that we really need everybody's input.  I know Tiffany sent out several messages and the only thing right now I remember seeing was Mary Hodges's, but I might have missed something.
We really need the diversity of thought of everybody, if you could take a minute to do that.  That's it.  

>> CINDY SIMON:  Right.  That's when I wrote my little blurb for it about masks and COVID and tips for those speaking, as well as those listening.

But we'd like to get other topics of interest to people.  And we want to create this article library that we could insert and send out, along with whatever is current.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Anything else you wanted to add about the EMO?

>> CINDY SIMON:  I don't think so.  That was pretty much it.  We, you know... we came up with ‑‑ to talk about what we had talked about in the past.  But you guys, we need your help with it.
And what I would really like to see, and I'm sure Gina would too, is to see something submitted by every one of you.

It doesn't have to be written by you, it can be written by someone you know.  It could be maybe the permission to reprint an article that already came out in your own organization's newsletter.  Whatever you think, we'll take it.  And then we can sift through and put this together.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  We have the next thing, we have the Legislative Committee.  Glenna, do you want to talk about that, please?  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  There's actually no legislative meeting that we've had yet.  We'll check online and see what the plans are.

It seems that the Senate will be having their organizational meeting in November, November 17th.  What exactly that means, we don't know.
I guess it is, you know, up to the chairperson/committee to bring up the topics.

But for the year 2021, they will have a meeting on March 2nd through April 30th.

So prior to that time, the committee meetings will start in January through February most of that time.
Some of the committee meetings will continue after that.

It does seem that there's still plans to have in‑person meetings.  I'm not sure about that; we'll see how ‑‑ what that means for us and for our annual February meeting that we have in Tallahassee, if that's gonna happen in person or not.  I don't know.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  I would like to read what Mary wrote.  She said:  It would be helpful to have a "did you know?"  Section, the source could be from telephone calls or e‑mails to Tiffany.  Also a lessons learned from COVID.

Okay.  Any other comments related to legislative?  Go ahead, Glenna.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  This is Glenna.  A little bit off the point, but related to this.  You do remember that I had mentioned the Stafford Act, that was in regards to the FEMA, they were supposed to actually have money to distribute and making sure that we have accessible communications.  

>> INTERPRETER:  This is the interpreter for a second.

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  I don't know if Chris Littlewood knows anything more about that?  If we could get money from the Stafford Act or not?  Is that something that maybe we should investigate or push for more?  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Chris, are you still on, on board?  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Hello, Chris?  Are you there?

[No response].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  All right.  Tiffany, can you e‑mail Chris Littlewood and ask him if he knows any information related to the Stafford Act, please?
All right.  Thank you.

All right.  The next thing we had is the Budget Committee.  And Cecil, are you still here to give your Budget Committee report?  

>> INTERPRETER:  Hey, this is Drew from Florida VR, the staff interpreter, and I'm going to interpret for Cecil and Cecil is here to give his report. 

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  Once again, I'm going to ask Drew to voice for me because he knows me.

Okay.  My report.  You received some e‑mails this morning from Tiffany.  And I believe she had sent about four documents, four different attachments.  I'm not going to go into all four, but I do want to hit a couple of key points.

Talking about the encumbrances, the encumbrances report, and that's related to several different contracted services we have with FCCDHH.
So we have our interpreter services, we have our AV, our CART services, and several other things.

So, the report indicates the dollars we have allocated, really, this is just for your information.  The last column talks about degrees of risks, low, high, and medium risks.  You really don't have to pay attention to that at all.

Really, it's risk depending on how much we would have to change contracts, the contracts, and how they're documented.  So don't worry about that part.

Tiffany had also sent a surplus deficit report.  I'm not going to go into that either.  That indicates, really, how the Department pays for our Council.  And you'll notice it looks like we're in the red here, but that's not a concern for us.
It's really departmental procedure and how they handle our Council and the expenditures.

But I did want to talk about the checkbook.  That's what we're going to get into now.  I have that open.  And if you have that open.
You can take a look at how much we paid in expenditures on a monthly basis.

All right.  Just give me a moment here as I get that out in front of me.

I would say we have nothing particular to discuss.  The report just kind of breaks down how we've spent money.  We just have the one OPS position that belongs to Tiffany.  And we have some other expenditures, like interpreters.

On our previous conference calls, we had interpreters and, of course, we paid interpreters; that was our meeting in August that happened virtually, so it reflects those expenditures.
And the report is current up to September 2020.
I would say the long and short of it is we really have plenty of money; we're okay here.

The very last attachment involving sign language interpreters is not something I'm going to get into.

So, let me ask the Council this:  Do you have any questions related to encumbrances or the FCCDHH checkbook?  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Thank you, Cecil, for providing that.
Okay.  Now we can go back to Chris Littlewood.  Glenna was asking about the Stafford Act.  Do you know anything about it?  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  Hi, this is Chris.  Just a little clarity on the Stafford Act.  It is a great things on providing accessibility and providing information for expenditures for communications act for the deaf and hard of hearing.

However, I do want to clarify that it is only triggered when you have a presidential declaration of emergency and then FEMA can distribute funds under the Stafford Act.
So it's not like that there's a law that has accessibility funding available all the time, you have to have a declared emergency.

Like, I believe President Trump declared an emergency in the state of Florida as a result of Hurricane Eta yesterday and so as a result, funding can be secured for things related to accessibility under the Stafford Act as a result of that.
But, again, it's only when there's a federally‑declared emergency.  

[Pause]. 

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  Does that make sense?  Or does anybody have any other questions?  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  Thank you, Chris.
Okay.  Um... we still have about 15 minutes before... um... before we take a break.
Is there anything you want to bring up?  

[Pause].  

>> OPERATOR:  Drew from Florida VR has left the conference.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Anything?
Do you want to go back to talk a little bit more about the biennial report or the newsletter?
Go ahead, Glenna.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Okay.  We were talking about the report and we were talking about another topic and we didn't get the final agreement in regard to the report, so maybe we could talk about whether we agree or whether we want to make anymore changes, what the consensus is with getting ready to write this report.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  I would suggest that we kind of review from the very beginning, in my opinion, because we did get distracted a little bit, and just for clarification, so we agree that we know we need to change the year.  We got that down pat.  And the next report will be 2021, okay.  What else do you want on page one?  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  I had suggested on the first page, really, it seems like there was no agreements on that.  Of course, like you mentioned to change the date to 2021, and the overview, really, is TOC, the table of contents.

So, we can add something to address COVID‑19 and issues related to masks and interpreters and so forth in regards to COVID‑19.  And also maybe add something about hearing aids, financial needs in regards to purchasing hearing aids.

And also a graphic to go along with that text.  I think it might be hard to see.  Maybe we can find a better picture that might work better.

And then on the third page, if we keep the 911 section and plus add some other things, if you want a full text, maybe we can take out that picture so that we can make sure we have enough space available in order to add that to the bottom of the document.

>> INTERPRETER SHARON:  This is the interpreter Sharon King, I'm having some freezing and I need another interpreter to come on.  If ‑‑ okay, Ryan is here, he's going to take over.  

[Pause].  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  And then on the fourth page, it seems we agree to go ahead and include the BIPOC, just to get statistical information and just to have something to say about that subject.
I don't know if there was anymore discussion?  Or if we're all happy with all of those points?  Anything further?  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  I like what Cecil wrote in the chat.  Cecil said:  I'd suggest a picture of a person with a hearing loss wearing a mask to reflect the current times that we had to face.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  That's good.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  We can show one with a mask.  And then one mask, the clear mask, the clear mask will help with the communication, but the one that's not clear is where we're frustrated and struggling.
What do you think?  

[Pause].  

>> Yes, um, I have a thought ‑‑ 

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  I think that would be a good idea, if we could find a picture of that. 

[Talking over one another]. 

>> JAMIE:  So, regarding the clear masks, most hospitals in the area around Florida already bought masks that aren't clear that cover the mouth from China.

In America, they made the clear masks so that you can see through to the mouth.  But it seems like hospitals already kind of made that decision where to buy from and they neglected, you know, the other options.

So, um... there's one area, one hospital in Kissimmee that's named Advent Health and Osceola Medical Center and the Osceola Health ‑‑ oh, there's three of them, there's three in the area, and they're familiar with, you know, with the deaf and hard‑of‑hearing population, how visual they are with the facial expressions and the signals with sign language and they completely understand that, and they know that sometimes that deaf and hard‑of‑hearing people prefer to read lips but they can't take their masks down because of COVID concerns.

Plus, you know, that kind of puts more of a damper on deaf and hard‑of‑hearing people, and we have to educate people that the deaf and hard‑of‑hearing community is facing with the communication being blocked.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Cindy, go ahead.

[No response].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  I'll just go ahead and read Cecil.  Cecil said:  Also mention challenges using VRI in the hospitals with limited access to live interpreters and that VRI does not always work for whatever reason, poor connectivity, broken VRI, staff not knowing how to use it.
Yes, that's very important, yes.  

>> CINDY SIMON:  Sorry, I was on mute.
One of the comments I wanted to make about the masks are just like Cecil talked about challenges in the hospital, as Cecil was just saying, as well as there are challenges, I had to get something that was around my neck, the person said it was too difficult to see your lips or see all of your facial expressions because of all of the fogging that occurs in those masks and you have to find something that you have to spray on them which won't be poison to you and which will try to minimize the fogging.
I've actually used eyeglass cleaner for that to try to minimize the fogging that occurs when you speak.

So please be aware that even with the clear masks ‑‑ and, again, thank you, Tiffany, for sending them.  I keep them by the box‑load and my partner is always surprised how often I have to use them.

But they can be challenging even with the clear mask if you don't do something to avoid the fogging underneath.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  We can probably post something on Facebook, some tips to deal with.  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  This is Gina.  We found here that if you put a very, very thin layer of soap on the inside, it stops the fogging.
And there's also some natural essential oils that we do use here that also work.  

>> CINDY SIMON:  So maybe we need a section in the newsletter just on this and the different solutions that have been found to keep them from fogging up.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Yes, we can do that.  If we have room.  Otherwise we can say, "For further or more tips, refer to the website."
Okay.  Anything else that we need to add to the biennial report?  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  This is Chris.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Go ahead, Chris.  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  I just wanted to mention that we need to be careful with anything we say regarding the use of clear masks.

And my concern is, which I've often advocating, is that clear masks perpetuate the impression that speech reading equals accessibility, if that makes sense.

Because people think if you can see somebody's face or lips or whatever, then that's the only accommodation they need to provide.  And that's not true.

We still have the need for sign language interpreters, captions, amplifiers, things like that.  Not to mention all the other problems that we mentioned where a lot of times they fog up and are you going to soap your mask first or use oils or whatever so that they don't fog up.

I've tried a whole bunch of them.  I've made some myself and everything.  And in a lot of cases, they wind up being anecdotal, at best, where people may try to use them and they might help a little bit, but they're definitely not the biggest solution.

We just need to make people aware that visual communication is important beyond what you see using a mask or not using a mask.

I don't want people pulling their masks down and exposing me or others to COVID‑19.
It's more important that they keep the mask on.
So, like I said, I just think we just need to be very careful of what we say as far as using the clear masks.

The last thing I wanted to mention is it's usually the wrong person that's wearing the clear mask.  A lot of times you'll have the person that's deaf or hard of hearing wearing the clear mask and then the hearing person still has their same 'ole mask on and that doesn't help somebody that's deaf or hard of hearing because their face is still covered and you still have no idea what they're saying, where speech reading might help a little bit.
Gestures are more important.  Visual communication and other methods are more important.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Good point, Chris, good point, yes.
Okay.  Anything else that we want to emphasize in this biennial report before we move on?
Because we have until 2:45 and then we can take a break for 15 minutes.  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Do you want to take a break now and then we come back at 3:00 o'clock?

[No response].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Come on, people, say something!

[No response].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  I'm going to make the decision for you. 

>> INTERPRETER:  This is Danny, I say yes.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  All right.  We're going to take a break now and then we report back at 3:00 o'clock on the nose, on the dot.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  I agree.

[Break].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  We will start ‑‑ this is Debbe Hagner and we will start in three minutes, exactly at 3:00 o'clock.  

[Pause]. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  In one minute we will start.  

[Pause]. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  It's 3:00 o'clock.  My name is Debbe Hagner, I'm the chairperson for the Florida Coordinating Council.  Today is November 12th, it's 3:00 o'clock.
And I'd like to ‑‑ Tiffany, do you want to introduce Laura or do you want me to just go ahead and have Laura introduce herself?  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Please let herself introduce herself, I'm sure she'd do well.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  Laura, you may proceed.  

>> LAURA ROCCHIO:  Good afternoon, everyone.  My name is Laura Rocchio and I'm the director of direct services at the Helen Keller National Center and with me today is Cory Parker and I would like for him to introduce himself and I believe he will be starting us off.
Cory, I turn it over to you for an introduction.  

>> CORY PARKER:  Hello, thank you, Laura.  Again, my name is Cory Parker.  And I am the HKNC regional. 

>> OPERATOR:  Has joined the conference. 

>> CORY PARKER:  Director.  And my region covers Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and the Virgin Islands and we are really excited to be here with the Council today in their meeting and we just want to share with you some of our program services that we offer, what we've been doing, where we've been, the impact of COVID‑19.
We have been working very diligently to ensure that we can adapt our program services to provide continuity virtually.
And so I would like to start off allowing Laura ‑‑ 

>> OPERATOR:  Has joined the conference. 

>> CORY PARKER:  ‑‑ to begin talking about this subject.  

>> LAURA ROCCHIO:  This is Laura speaking.  Thank you, Cory.
We have shared the description of the CVRP, which stands for the Comprehensive Vocational Rehabilitation Program and the flyer about if virtual training is right for me.

I hope you had a chance to read over those two documents, because it gives you a very good idea of what we offer.

Helen Keller National Center, and I'm going to use our acronym of HKNC, is a vocational rehabilitation program for individuals with a dual sensory loss.

We offer a four‑week assessment virtually in the five core training areas of vocation, communication, independent living, orientation and mobility, and adaptive technology.

[Ping sound].

>> LAURA ROCCHIO:  We also offer assessment in the clinical areas of low vision and audiology.  And the opportunity to meet with our social worker, if desired.

We work with the consumer, their vocational rehabilitation counselor, and the home team, to set up individualized training plans that match a person's schedule and goals.
There is a lot of flexibility with virtual assessment and training.

Most consumers set up part‑time training programs.  There are a few consumers who self‑pay for a weekly technology class or independent living class.

A majority of consumers are sponsored by their vocational rehabilitation counselors.

In response to COVID‑19, we transform the in‑person programs to virtual programs.

We provide a technology check‑in before the assessment begins to ensure the consumer has the right equipment to assess the Zoom or Google Docs platforms.

[Background noise].  

>> LAURA ROCCHIO:  We check in with the communication department to determine if we need to send any ground materials before assessment or training begins.

The low‑vision specialist and audiologist check in to support optimal accessibility in the home environment.

HKNC has Zoom accounts, which instructors use for their classes.
Some consumers have support at home to assist with accessing classes and interpreters are set up for others.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Laura?  Could you time out for a minute?  

>> LAURA ROCCHIO:  Yeah, surely.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  The interpreter has been freezing.  I caught Cory complaining a little bit.  And you wanted to minimize, Cory?  Cory?  Are you okay?  

>> CORY PARKER:  Are you asking me if I want to minimize?  I'm sorry, what do you mean?  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  The signing, is there an issue?  We're aware of the issue with the technology with the freezing a little bit.  Some of the people are getting out and come back, so we don't want you to do that.
So I see that Donna is freezing a little bit here, but does catch up.  So if it bothers you, we can turn it over to Ryan.  

>> CINDY SIMON:  You're echoing again.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  I don't mean to offend, I don't mean to offend Donna.
Am I echoing?  

>> CINDY SIMON:  Yes.  Everything's echoing again now since we turned it on.  

>> OPERATOR:  Debbe Hagner has left the conference.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  [Signing].
Hi, this is Debbe, I hung up my phone and I'm going to call back in again, so give me one sec.  

>> Sorry, you guys, I realize I'm interrupting.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  So this is Debbe.  Hey, Laura, could you just go ahead and continue with your presentation at this time?  

>> LAURA ROCCHIO:  Sure.  This is Laura.
HKNC has been offering cam learning groups since April.  These are free groups to learn about topics from HKNC staff and learn from group participants.

We developed 16 groups, but as the instructional classes increase, we are only able to offer 6‑7 groups a session.

The peer learning groups are 6‑8 weeks in length, with up to 8 participants in each group.
Visual interpreting and typing is offered by HKNC ‑‑ 

>> OPERATOR:  Debbe has joined the conference.  

>> LAURA ROCCHIO:  Visual interpreting and typing is offered by the HKNC staff.  There are two ‑‑ 
[Background noise]. 

>> LAURA ROCCHIO:  I'm sorry?  

[Pause]. 

>> LAURA ROCCHIO:  This is Laura.  Is everything okay to continue?  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Yes, you may continue.  

>> LAURA ROCCHIO:  There are two Usher syndrome support groups facilitated by the HKNC social worker, regularly offered for consumers who use sign language, one for those who use voice, and a hard‑of‑hearing support group facilitated by the HKNC social worker and audiologist.

Currently, a nutrition group, mobility support group, and an internet safety group are being offered.

The information for the peer learning groups is on the HKNC website at www.hknc.org.

Cory, did you want to share information about the professional learning which is online?  Go ahead.  

>> CORY PARKER:  Yes.  And thank you, Laura.  This is Cory speaking through the interpreter.

It's really helpful we found that since the onset of the COVID pandemic and many of us staying at home, the entire world has changed and has had to adapt in this time of new uncertainty.  We're not sure where we're going from here.

And HKNC has provided our online professional learning courses.  And these courses are provided free of charge.

And there's a variety of topics and courses that are offered and different learning opportunities.

We have offered this really since the beginning of March until the present time.  And it will continue until December 31st.

Again, we have a variety of topics that we cover in these courses.  One new topic is audiology consideration.

[Background noise].  

>> CORY PARKER:  For people who have dual sensory loss.  This is actually a new offering and we have continued to adjust and adapt that and put in new content and posting new classes.
And we are offering complete news for specific certification and we show that information on our website.

[Background noise].  

>> CORY PARKER:  So we would request that you look at the HKNC website at the professional learning courses.

I saw Debbe just left, but I believe Debbe is typing the HKNC website.  You could type that in and look at professional learning courses and when you click on that, it will guide you to those different course offerings.

Now, when you see a course that you're interested in taking, it might be deaf‑blind, it might be a particular class for people who speak Spanish; we do have Spanish access.  We've added that, we've added some courses for that.

And we have courses also for interested parents of young deaf‑blind there during their transition age and we have classes relevant to VR and deaf‑blind and how best to serve them.  And those classes connect with classes on mental health.

Also, in regards to advocacy within the deaf‑blind world.  How to communicate with a deaf‑blind individual.

And you can see there are many, many, quite a variety of course offerings you can sign up for.  And people keep coming back for more and more, and this is really an opportunity to get together a group of people and learn about how we can support customers and consumers, excuse me, who are deaf‑blind.  Deaf and blind adults, we can learn about them.

You can e‑mail me any classes that you're interested in and we can send you a coupon code that you would simply place in and you can take all the courses, it's unlimited.

You can take two and get in touch with us and take other courses if you wish.

Yes, Debbe?  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Yes, I have one question.  Do you help people who are outside ‑‑ who live, for example, in Tampa, someone who is going blind and can you help them?

I know one individual who is terrified who has a retina detached from the eye and now might need surgery.  But this has been an ongoing issue with his eye and he's terrified of becoming blind.
So is that something that you can help with him because he is an adult and not a student?  

>> CORY PARKER:  Debbe, thank you for your question.  This is Cory speaking.  We provide services and support to people who are age 16 and up.  And people who have both vision and hearing loss.  So that individual you're referring to ‑‑ 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  He's deaf and he's having a serious issues with his eyes.  

>> CORY PARKER:  Well, believe it or not, Debbe, I know ‑‑ I think I know who you're talking about.  And we have connected so many people, we have so many connections here in Florida.

And we have a deaf and blind specialist, his name is David Volper, V‑O‑L‑P‑E‑R, and David is responsible for jobs.  He's all about getting ‑‑ helping these individuals look for and find jobs.  And we've got a contract with both DVR as well as with DVS for employment services.
We are applying both to DVR and DVS to provide free ETS services as well.

And these pre‑ETS, it's pre‑employment transition services and this is for young deaf‑blind individuals that are during this transition age, young people between the age of 14‑22, right within that age range.  And that really is kind of a summary of services that are available.

And I see Glenna has a question.  

[Pause]. 

>> CORY PARKER:  Okay.  I can see you now, Glenna, you can go right ahead.  

[Pause].  

>> CORY PARKER:  Don't worry about it a bit; it looks like we're having some technical issues.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Glenna, you are frozen.  Go ahead.  

[Pause].  

>> CORY PARKER:  Okay, you can go ahead.  I can see you clearly, you can go right ahead.  

[Pause]. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Glenna?  Go ahead and type it in the chat, type it in the chat, what you are ‑‑ the question.  

[Pause]. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Great.  Okay.  Jamie wants to know where David Volper is from.  In Florida?  Cory?
A person who is on the chat, on the phone, Jamie wants to know where David is from.  Where?  Where?  Cory?  

>> CORY PARKER:  Yeah, this is Cory signing.  David Volper [echo].

[Loud feedback].

>> CORY PARKER:  He is located just a little north of Tampa and I am up in Tallahassee myself.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay, great.  

>> CORY PARKER:  But David only takes care of the state of Florida and I have four additional states that I cover.  And I don't only work with Florida.  So David is really very involved in the nuts and bolts of everything dealing with Florida.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Can David place his e‑mail in the chat box, please?  

[Pause]. 

>> CORY PARKER:  David will do that now.
Laura, are you still with us?  

>> LAURA ROCCHIO:  This is Laura.  Yes, I am.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  Glenna said:  You take about ‑‑ you talked about the virtual services.  What about people who depended on tactile communication only?  

[Pause].  

>> CORY PARKER:  Okay, it looks like Glenna just came up and that was her question.
Laura, I don't know if you have any information with regard to Glenna's question and then I can add information if needed?  

>> LAURA ROCCHIO:  This is Laura speaking.  Yes, if an individual needs tactile interpreting, the center would work with the vocational rehabilitation counselor to set this up.  

[Pause].  

>> LAURA ROCCHIO:  Go ahead, Cory.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Go ahead, Cory.  

>> CORY PARKER:  Thank you, Laura.
If I could add just a little bit to that, we had ‑‑ 

>> OPERATOR:  Has joined the conference. 

>> CORY PARKER:  ‑‑ we have been asked that question quite often:  What if a person uses tactile communication only?  Do we look at other communication as well?

And some people who use tactile and Braille, they ask, can a person use Braille only?  Or what are their e‑mail skills?
Maybe printing bigger would be a good way to accommodate their communication needs.  Maybe if there's some assistive technology that can reach people.

And our technology department has been learning through our peer learning group how to connect and ‑‑

[Background noise].  

>> CORY PARKER:  ‑‑ all of this but it is not easy.  But failure is not an option.

[Background noise].  

>> CORY PARKER:  We've actually discovered a really wealth of different avenues to connect with many people.  Our technology department has just been amazing, because we have been learning from them and we take that information and we're able to share it with you.

[Background noise].  

>> CORY PARKER:  This past summer, we actually hosted a summer youth program and it was virtual.  And we had to completely do a 180 in our perspective of how we do this, because it was virtual.  We had 29 people join this summer.  And it was amazing!

And now the virtual training for everyone means that we can connect ‑‑ it doesn't mean that we can connect with everyone with everything.

Most of the time we mail it; we're able to get there and mail it.  So far it's been really good.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Jamie asked ‑‑ Jamie asked:  Is there tactile ASL interpreters expanding in Florida for the deaf‑blind community?  

>> CORY PARKER:  This is Cory.  Deaf‑blind interpreters can say no.  We have about the same number.  We have not been able to increase the group of deaf‑blind interpreters or those interpreters who specialize in interpreting for the deaf‑blind.

We want that number to grow.  And also at HKNC here in Florida, we have connected to I Can Connect national deaf‑blind equipment, technology distribution program.

And that focuses on assistive technology for deaf‑blind individuals.  And that program is here in Florida.

So, deaf‑blind consumers here in Florida do have many options.  And we just want to share with you what we've been doing since the outbreak of COVID and our services really have never stopped.

[Background noise].  

>> CORY PARKER:  David is here.  I'm also here to provide the connections and synergistically talk about what services are available for assisting consumers, for employment, for independent living. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  

>> CORY PARKER:  And ‑‑ go ahead, Debbe.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Darlene said on the chat, she said:  This is Darlene Laibl‑Crowe, I have a question or two for Cory and Laura.
What if someone ‑‑ what if someone would like to receive training for tactile and pro‑tactile in Florida?  Where would they go?  I've asked the VR counselor and they are stumped, because they don't know where to get the services.

[Background noise].  

[Note from CART Captioner]:  There is an LOT of background noise on the telephone line.  We need microphones to be muted, please!  

>> CORY PARKER:  Debbe, this is Cory.  We have connected ‑‑ 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Darlene?  Darlene?  Can you mute your phone?

[Background noise].  

[Pause]. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Go ahead, Cory; sorry.  

[Pause]. 

>> CORY PARKER:  Hey, Darlene, this is Cory speaking.

[Background noise].  

>> CORY PARKER:  We have met with different people who have a wide variety of requests ‑‑ 

[Background noise].  

>> CORY PARKER:  ‑‑ to learn different things in regards to communication. 

[Note from CART Captioner]:  Please, please, we need the microphones on mute on the telephone line.  This is disrupting captioning.  Thank you.  

>> CORY PARKER:  Now, in regards to learning tactile ‑‑ 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  We're getting a lot of background noise and Lisa, the CART Provider, is asking please, please, mute, mute your phones, please.

Darlene, is your phone on mute?  Anybody who's on the phone, please mute, mute, mute your phone.  

[Note from CART Captioner]:  Thank you, Debbe.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Including Jamie, if you're using the phone, anyone that's using the phone, please mute it.
Let's try again.  

[Pause].  

>> OPERATOR:  Has left the conference.  

>> CORY PARKER:  If you want to learn a particular way of communication right now... previously, when it was in person, it can be done so the person could actually demonstrate being able to sign within the hands... 

[Pause]. 

>> CORY PARKER:  But it's not like you can take a class for just, like, lip reading and understanding in an instant how to do that.
And so with tactile, you know, it's required to be able to show the person how the sign is produced.
And we can meet with consumers, provided they have another person with them.  

>> OPERATOR:  Has joined the conference.  

>> CORY PARKER:  And both of those individuals need to have proper PPE; that must be wearing a mask, gloves, face shields, proper hand sanitizer.

And one person would be working with the HKNC staff virtually and then that person, with the individual, would be mirroring what they see virtually to the other individual and showing them that they're there with them in person.
Laura, did you have anything to add to this?  

>> LAURA ROCCHIO:  This is Laura.  I don't think so, Cory.  I think you covered it.  Thank you.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  I'm checking to see if there's any other in the chat.  Um... 

[Pause]. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Jamie's asking:  Is there a service center for the deaf‑blind people in the Kissimmee area/Osceola County?  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Jamie is a person in the meeting.  

[Pause].  

>> JAMIE:  Yes. 

>> CORY PARKER:  Unfortunately there is no deaf‑blind center ‑‑ 

>> JAMIE:  Yes, this is Jamie, yes, yes.  What's it for?
This is Jamie, yes, can you ask your question again?  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Jamie, I understand you're going through the interpreter, is that correct?  Okay ‑‑ 

>> JAMIE:  Yes, yes. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Yes, I'm repeating the question you asked:  Are is there any services for the deaf‑blind in Kissimmee or Osceola County?  And I asked Cory to answer the question.  

>> INTERPRETER:  Oh, okay.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  And Cory is saying that there's no services.  

[Pause].  

>> CORY PARKER:  And this is Cory.  I thought ‑‑ I misunderstood, I thought you were asking me about a deaf‑blind service center.  No, there is no center.
If an individual in that area needs or wants services, they can get in touch with me.

Do you know a person who perhaps might be struggling?  Like Debbe mentioned earlier there in Tampa.

I'm waiting for Debbe to look.  Remember you mentioned about an individual/consumer there in Tampa?  Do you remember, Debbe, mentioning that?  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Yes. 

>> CORY PARKER:  So just like in this situation, this is relevant to Jamie's question.  Those types of individuals, get in touch with me.  I can be a resource for them. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  Gina ‑‑ I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, you can ask your question, Gina.  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Okay.  Thank you, Debbe.  I have one statement and then a couple clarifying questions.

Laura and Cory, I have a friend who is in Michigan, they went to the Helen Keller School and it was the best thing that ever happened to her in her life.  We were really concerned with her depression and talked her into going and gave her the best years of her life and so you guys are doing a great, great, great service!

Now, my question ‑‑ my clarifying questions are, you had mentioned earlier that we could all take the classes, the virtual classes that Helen Keller is offering.

Is that including people who have only one visual ‑‑ only one loss or could a hearing person take the classes?  And if that is true, do you offer CEUs for the classes?

[Background noise].  

>> CORY PARKER:  This is Cory.  I have a question.  So you're talking about the professional online courses?  Yes.  You don't have to be deaf‑blind to take these courses. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Okay.  Thank you.  

>> CORY PARKER:  You can take these courses ‑‑ these courses have been taken by professionals that work with consumers who are deaf and blind.  They have been taken by parents of children who are deaf and blind.  A variety of individuals.

Some people are themselves deaf and blind and they are so excited to learn about the haptics, we have a course that teaches haptics.  We have a course that teaches deaf‑blind advocacy.

[Background noise].  

>> CORY PARKER:  And in your world how to deal with yourself and be self‑supportive and self‑sufficient and a wealth of topics to choose from.

All you need to do is get in touch with me or with David and we can provide you with an e‑mail code.

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  David, would you please type your e‑mail in the chat?  Oh, you did.

Okay.  Darlene is asking a question:  Unfortunately for me, I live in a rural community.  I have learned ASL through the local college, two full semesters of the course.  I know the signs, but since I can no longer see, I cannot sign to someone, I must be able to do it tactilely 

>> OPERATOR:  Has left the conference.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  And Jamie is, again, asking for Cory's e‑mail address. 

>> OPERATOR:  Darlene has joined the conference.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Lisa, can you type it in?  

>> CORY PARKER:  This is Cory speaking, I just asked David to put my e‑mail address in the chat for me.
Are there anymore questions?  I know we're close to our time limit.  And we want to be cordial with time and the schedule.  Any other questions?  

>> DARLENE LAIBL‑CROWE:  This is Darlene.  

>> LAURA ROCCHIO:  This is Laura.  I just want to say it was a real pleasure to meet with you all today and I would encourage you to reach out to Cory for any additional questions that you have.

And thank you, Gina, for that lovely comment.  A real day brightener.  Take care.  

>> DARLENE LAIBL‑CROWE:  I was just going to ask Cory or Laura if you can give me a call when you get a chance?  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  We will have Cory or Laura call you, Darlene.  You might want to put your phone number or e‑mail in the chat.  Can you share that with us?  

>> OPERATOR:  Darlene has left the conference.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  And thank you ‑‑ 

>> CORY PARKER:  Oh, no, this is Cory speaking.  We know Darlene, so we can get in touch with her.  She has contacted us, actually, in the past, so we can get back in touch with her.  Please send us an e‑mail, Darlene, okay?

And I just want to say thank you so much!  We really appreciate your support.  And we continue to ask that you continue to please be safe, stay well, and, again, thank you very much!  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Thank you, Cory!  Thank you, Laura!  Thank you, David!  Great job!  Thank you!  

>> LAURA ROCCHIO:  Bye‑bye. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Bye.
Okay.  It's 3:46.  According to our agenda, we have Barbara Page 

>> OPERATOR:  Laura has left the conference. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  ‑‑ here to speak on Florida Disability Rights and so I will turn it over to Barbara to speak.
Hi, Barbara!  

>> BARB PAGE:  [On mute]. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  We don't hear you.  

>> BARB PAGE:  Can you hear me now?  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Yes.  

>> OPERATOR:  Has joined the conference. 

>> BARB PAGE:  Yay!  All right, thank you.
I think I can share my PowerPoint here.  I know that I was ‑‑ I showed this last week, but I'm not sure I remember correctly.
Can you all see the PowerPoint there?  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Yes. 

>> BARB PAGE:  Okay.  Let me ‑‑ there we go.  Okay.  Very good.
All right.  Hi, everyone!  And let me go at the beginning here.  I'm not ‑‑ I know that all the members have received this already, but... um... okay, so, all right.  All right.
So, thank you very much!

You know, I am Barb Page and I'm with Disability Rights Florida and I believe I know several of you and have met many of you before.

But, you know, I'm a senior advocate investigator with Disability Rights Florida and I have been here for 19 years.  It will be my 20th anniversary next summer.

The kinds of cases that I work on are pretty exclusive to working on cases that individuals who are deaf who are not provided or not afforded access to sign language interpreters, primarily, or reasonable accommodation for their disability.

I do a lot of service animal cases, transportation, and really, generally, any ADA access issues that are covered under Title II and III under the ADA.

I have been working in the disability arena for 30‑plus years now and always with individuals with disabilities in various capacities, including supervising a multi‑facilitated independent living job training program for individuals who are deaf.

Back in 1995, it was a VR program that I worked with way back then, so it's been a lot of years since then.

This afternoon, I'm just going to cover a few brief things.  One is a little bit about Disability Rights Florida, a little ADA review, focus on effective communication, auxiliary aids and services, and then do a little bit of COVID‑19 and what we've been up to since COVID‑19.
And then I'll leave time at the end for any questions.

So, our Mission Statement at Disability Rights is to advance the quality of life, dignity, equality, self‑determination, and freedom of choice of persons with disabilities through collaboration, education, advocacy, as well as legal and legislative strategies.

And I know that's a mouthful, but, you know, really, we want to ensure that the quality of life and choice that each of us has is in force.

So, Disability Rights Florida is a protection and advocacy program.  And what that is is back in 1975, Congress created a system called Protection and Advocacy which is meant to protect the rights of people with disabilities.

Congress mandates that every U.S. state and territory has an official Protection and Advocacy Agency in Florida.
In Florida, Disability Rights Florida is that agency.
And we are federally funded through nine separate grants that are awarded to the P&As ‑‑ 

>> OPERATOR:  Has left the conference. 

>> BARB PAGE:  ‑‑ protection and advocacy is called for short P&A.
Here at Disability Rights Florida we provide information or referral, support for self‑advocacy, technical assistance, assistance with investigation of abuse, neglect, or rights violation.  We help with negotiations in mediation support and do provide legal advice and representation.

Our services are free of charge.  They're confidential.  And we provide broad eligibility to all disabilities.
So, if someone were to call Disability Rights Florida seeking assistance, this is our ‑‑ this is our process.

The first thing to do is to call our intake office.  All new callers have to go through intake.  Even if someone knows me personally and wants me to do something or investigate a denial of access, they have to go through our intake process.

After the intake specialist talks to them and gets the basic information.  [Sneeze] excuse me.
There is a legal review of that intake ‑‑ 

>> OPERATOR:  Has joined the conference. 

>> BARB PAGE:  The issue teams, we have three intake teams here at Disability Rights Florida.  We have a systems reform team, an investigations team, and an advocacy, education, and outreach team, which we internally call AEO, and I'm part of that AEO team, that advocacy, education, and outreach.  I'm an advocate, I'm not an attorney, but I am supervised by an attorney and work ‑‑ in our team we have several advocates and several attorneys.

Once the issue ‑‑ the team gets the issue and it is reviewed by the director, which is also an attorney, if it's accepted for services or investigation, it's then assigned to someone like me or another advocate or attorney for investigation, advocacy, and proper steps.

Okay.  So, I'm sure I'm speaking to the choir here, everybody knows about the Americans with Disabilities Act.  The ADA, as we know, became law in 1990.  The 30th anniversary this past July.  A lot of celebrations had to be done via Zoom and not in person because of the coronavirus and COVID‑19, but nonetheless, we celebrated as best we could.

And the purpose of the ADA was to make sure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everybody else.  It's supposed to guarantee equal opportunity in public accommodations, employment, transportation, state and local government, services, telecommunications.  Really, life encompassing everywhere.

As a person with a disability, I will say that the ‑‑ for me, the passage of the ADA in 1990 was probably the most single important legislation that passed that has affected me personally.  So I'm a very big fan of the ADA.

So, there are five titles to the Americans with Disabilities Act.  There is Title I which addresses employment; Title II which is really for state and local government; Title III, public accommodations, really, any place that the public can go, stores, restaurants, theaters, things like that, doctors' offices.  Title IV and V are the titles that we will talk about and Title II and III are what I deal with.

Okay.  Title II prohibits discrimination.  So let's say a city of Tampa has buildings and their buildings have to be accessible and they host a program for their citizens.  Well, that program has to be made accessible for people with disabilities.
So, all of the buildings, the facilities, the programs, the services, all of it falls under Title II of the ADA.

Title III of the ADA is really a place of public accommodation.  And so what we're looking at is stores, restaurants, doctors' offices, private places, private businesses.

Title III, they cannot discriminate against someone with a disability and they have to provide accessibility.  And a lot of times that's the structural accessibility; providing ramps, you know, making sure that they provide services or accommodations to their patrons who are visiting their store.

And some of the barriers that are existing, especially in the older buildings that are built prior ‑‑ previous to the ADA, a lot of those changes ‑‑ and they're supposed to remove barriers, but they have to do it where it's easy to do without much difficulty or expense.

So there are some places that, especially like little tiny Mom and Pop shops, they may not have an accessible bathroom and they may not have to make that bathroom accessible if it's going to be very expensive and very difficult to do.

So, you know, there's still some areas that will not be accessible, will not be readily made accessible, and we just kind of have to work with them one‑on‑one.
But for the most part, certainly new construction has to be made accessible.

Under Title III of the ADA, as I'm continuing here, businesses need to make reasonable modifications to the usual ways of doing business, when they serve their customers with disabilities.  And they need to take necessary steps to communicate with their customers who might have vision, hearing, or speech disabilities.

Someone in a ‑‑ a clerk in a store might have to pull out pen and paper to communicate with someone who has a hearing disability.  Or they might need to provide extra time to talk with someone who might need more hands‑on instruction when they're looking at new technology.
So all of those things are reasonable modifications and accommodations to a person with a disability.

And, of course, for effective communication is key here, we want to make sure that accommodations to ensure effective communication is provided under Title II and III.  Individuals who have vision, hearing, communication disabilities must have equal communication than those that don't have disabilities.
State and local governments must provide auxiliary aids and services to effectively communicate.
And the key to communicating effectively will be considered based on the nature, the length, the complexity.

So, you know, someone who is deaf, you know, writing notes back and forth might be an effective communication accommodation in some situations, but maybe not in others.
So, really, it's case‑by‑case.

Here is Section 36.303, auxiliary aids and services.  This is just the definition of that under the ADA.

And some examples of auxiliary aids and services.  Large print materials, Braille, electronically‑based materials, speech‑to‑speech transliterator, communication boards, qualified sign language interpreters, oral tactile interpreters, VRI, captioning, assistive listening devices, written material, all examples of auxiliary aid.

Okay.  So now we're going to talk a little bit about COVID‑19.  So in March of 2020, as we all know, the pandemic kind of hit and a lot of Florida was shut down ‑‑ not shut down but, you know, put in safeties in place.  Almost all of our staff, Disability Rights Florida, began working remotely.

I would say calls during the pandemic, early days of the pandemic, March and April, we saw a little decrease in calls coming in, but then it picked up again in June and July, and it continues to be strong; getting a lot of phone calls coming in.

Some of the inquiries that I know that we've obtained, and this can be whether it's been assigned to someone or whether it's come in through our intake office, but these are just general topics.  Telehealth, facial coverings, employment reasonable accommodations under Title I; institutions, meaning like hospitals and long‑term facilities, group homes, disability support persons for those places; voting was a big issue this fall.  And then, of course, we're going to talk a little bit about the ASL Governor's press conferences.

So let's just go down the list here.  So telehealth, so prior to COVID‑19, I did a little bit of research and Medicare telehealth visits were 0.1% in February 2020.

Following COVID‑19, public health emergency, telehealth went up to 43.5% of Medicare primary care physician visits provided through telehealth.  And that's a significant increase, I would say.

And I think in many ways, I think this is a good opportunity for people who have difficulty getting to their doctors' offices and who have access to telehealth.

So, I'm kind of happy to see this number.  I think this helps a lot of people with disabilities especially who have limitations and difficulties getting out of the house to the doctor's office.

We also received some calls about telehealth regarding facial coverings and effective communication needs.  So that was all part of it.

And I'm not going to go into a lot of specification, but I'm just kind of covering some of the calls that we've had.

Speaking of facial coverings, early on, there was a group of people that were passing around a, kind of like a business card thing that... um... people with disabilities were exempt from having to wear face masks or facial coverings.

And the Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Justice enforces Title II and Title III of the ADA and they published a statement, because that was going around all social media and it was being publicized all over the place.

But the Department of Justice put out this statement that they have been made aware of postings or flyers on the internet regarding the ADA and the use of face masks due to the COVID‑19 pandemic, many of which stole the Department of Justice's legal deal.

These postings were not issued by the Department of Justice and they are not endorsed by the Department of Justice.

The Department urges the public not to rely on the information contained in those postings and visit their website which is ADA.gov for information issued by the Department.

And then, of course, they also have a toll‑free number to call an ADA hotline and I encourage anybody who has questions about the ADA to call the ADA hotline.  I find them very helpful.

So, in continuing on the face mask issue, we've run into employment‑related concerns about face masks.  We've run into doctors' offices and medical visits of people who cannot wear face masks.  Private businesses who have refused service to people with disabilities who cannot wear face masks.

And some in Florida of our theme parks here who have policies and we've run into some ‑‑ all of these were kind of touched on at one point or another since March.

So, this is just a brief overview of reasonable accommodations under Title I, which is employment.

And really, if you're an employee, reasonable accommodations are adjustments or modifications that enable people with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job efficiently and productively.

The type of accommodations vary depending on the nature of the job and the need of the individual.

And then the employer is not required to lower the quality or the production standards to make an accommodation.  Employees are expected to continue to perform the essential functions of the job with or without a reasonable accommodation.

And then, of course, these are just some basic examples of reasonable accommodations.  And there are others, but these are just the basic ones:  Modifying work schedules, job restructuring, acquiring or modifying equipment, adjusting or modifying training materials, reassigning to a vacant position, providing assistive technology or devices.  Providing sign language interpreters would be a good one on here that's not here.

And then another thing that Disability Rights Florida take a look at is for people who were in nursing homes, long‑term care facilities, group homes, hospitals, we've gotten calls where we know people with disabilities who were in those facilities and needed what we call a disability support person.  And that would be someone who knows the patient or the person with the disability and can help them with communication, make them ‑‑ and help them with medical decisions, you know, a medical decision that they might need assistance.

And so with the pandemic, you know, everybody was not allowed ‑‑ nobody was allowed in to visit nursing homes and loved ones and we heard all kinds of stories of, you know, of people visiting through windows and things like that.

And so it was a tough time for our elders and our people in long‑term care facilities.

So, we continue to work on this issue.  It's not resolved, although now that the State has opened up a little bit and looser requirements, so we are able to see visit their loved ones.  But there are still times when a disability support person is needed and require a reasonable accommodation, in a hospital, for example.
And so that is something that we are working on and continue to work on.

And, of course, it's 2020 and we had a big election this year.  And so as we know, voting rights are essential to our American right and we all, as people with disabilities and individuals with disabilities, have the right for a full and equal opportunity to vote, vote privately, independently.

The polling sites should be accessibility to individuals with disabilities.  We should receive assistance ‑‑ we should be able to receive assistance from a person of our own choosing.

The only time there are ‑‑ the only two exceptions that someone cannot use, you cannot ask your employer or your union representative to assist you in voting.  But other than that, you should have the right to ask anybody that you want to help with voting.

And then the site reviews, so for several, several years now, Disability Rights Florida has done voting poll site reviews, where we go and we physically do a site review to see if the place is accessible.  And what their equipment looks like.  And if someone was blind, could they vote independently?  If someone was in a wheelchair, could they reach the device to vote?
So, all of that we looked at.

So, this year, because of COVID, we opted not to go inside all of the early voting places and so Disability Rights Florida and many sister organizations around the United States all did early voting places site reviews.

I, myself, did I think eight of them in the Tampa Bay area and we looked at accessible parking, we looked at the accessible routes from the parking lot to the front door of the voting place, we looked at the path of travel, to make sure it was accessible and safe and firm and all of those things that we could see from the exterior.

We did not go in this time, so it was a much more focused scope and much smaller scope of our ‑‑ of our voting program this year.

But I'm hoping next year or the next voting in two years we'll be able to ramp back up and do a more fully inclusive voting site reviews.

And then lastly, I just want to talk to you all about a little bit, um, so in March when COVID‑19 broke out, in fact March 6th I believe was Governor DeSantis's first press conference that I saw on TV and there was no sign language interpreter and I contacted the Governor's Office, and then subsequently several times after March 6th, I saw no sign language interpreter and I contacted the Governor's Office.

And eventually I think there was some ‑‑ there seemed to be an improvement, maybe in April, there seemed to be more interpreters with his press conferences.  And he was having a press conference almost everyday in March and April.

And then finally we started seeing more ‑‑ or less and less of the interpreters being provided for his press conferences and press briefings.

And so in July, Disability Rights Florida partnered with the National Association of the Deaf and we filed a lawsuit against the Governor's Office and the Governor for not providing sign language interpreters.  And that is an ongoing litigation at this time.

And since July of filing our lawsuit, if you've watched any of the press briefings, I don't believe that there's been an increase of sign language interpreters provided.  So... that's where we stand.

So, if you or your ‑‑ somebody you know needs assistance, these are some basic Department of Justice, again, we talked about the ADA National Network, so every ‑‑ there are five, I believe, ADA National Networks.  The one for the southeast that serves Florida and the other southeastern states are the one in Atlanta and they're just another good resource.

The United States Access Board that's listed here is the ‑‑ they do a lot of the ‑‑ they don't do enforcement, but what they do is they figure out the codes and the standards so that we have the parameters to build and make policy with the Department of Justice.
So they're really about the standards and the codes for public access.

And then the Job Accommodation Network is askjan.org and that's for job accommodations.  And if you are a person with a disability and you need a reasonable accommodation, they're a good resource as well for helping you out.

And then lastly is ‑‑ and you can always call Disability Rights Florida.  That is our main number.  And I believe it's option three to get an intake done.  But it changes.

So I ‑‑ if you call that number, and I think if you just press zero, it will bring you to an operator or a voice‑call message center.
And if you go to our website, we also have a way for you to file a complaint online.

And that is the end of my presentation.
And if anybody has questions?  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Tiffany?  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Hi, I have a question about the accommodations slide for what you were saying.

The expected ‑‑ you were saying the person who has the disability is expected to still do the task of the job, whether they have or don't have the accommodations?  

>> BARB PAGE:  Okay.  So, what that means is that the person has to be able to do the job.  Has to be able to do the essential functions of the job with or without a reasonable accommodation.

[Echo].  And I'm getting a lot of feedback, and I'm not sure if someone needs to be on mute, but....

So, like, if I'm ‑‑ if I am... um... a typist and my job requires me to type 95 words a minute and without an accommodation, I can do it, no problem, but if I need to use a software, a voice activated software that would type for me and I can meet that 95 words per minute using my accommodation, then that's what that means.  It's, like, with or without a reasonable accommodation, you still have to be able to provide the essential functions.

So if, let's say, using the same example, there was nothing out there that I could get to use that would bring my typing skills to 95 words a minute, then I would not be qualified for that job, if that was the main function of my job was to type 95 words a minute, then without ‑‑ without all the accommodations that are out there, could still not meet that, then I would not, technically, be qualified for that job.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Okay, I see, I see.  Okay.  Okay, that's good.  That's good to clarify that.  I was wondering.  And, again, in a situation if someone is deaf‑blind and they were able to generally do all the functions of the job but one of the job functions was to drive ‑‑ well, not even drive, but to go and meet with stakeholders, for example, let's say they have to meet with stakeholders a couple times a week and that person is able to get on a bus just fine or get a Uber just fine, that means they're still completing the functions of the job. 

>> BARB PAGE:  That would be correct.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  So ‑‑ okay.  So a person couldn't get fired to not be able to drive to those functions.  

>> BARB PAGE:  Well, without investigating a specific complaint, right.
But I think that there's always ‑‑ for me in my past experience, and I don't do a lot of Title I now, but I know that in the past, I remember that, you know, we ‑‑ we'd say if the job ‑‑ is the job requirement to drive or is the job requirement to get to the destination?  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Right, right, right, okay, all right, good.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Barbara, Darlene has a question.  When a question is taken, please share mine.  What the Disability Rights in web accessibility?  It frustrates me when the CAPTCHA or RECAPTCHA is there.  I can't see or hear the code.  I've talked to several web developers, web masters, and they tell me that's the way it is.  

>> BARB PAGE:  So, can you repeat the first part of the question?  It's about web accessibility, correct?  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  It's about the CAPTCHA, C‑A‑P‑T‑C‑H‑A.  Interpreter, can you voice for me what that word is?  

>> INTERPRETER:  CAPTCHA, that's the word for web access.  CAPTCHA.  

>> BARB PAGE:  Oh, I'm very sorry to say that I'm not as well versed in that.  And I know that that's a huge issue with web accessibility and I know it's been... um... the lack of web accessibility for people who are blind I see a lot of uptick on that and I personally have not had a case on that so I don't know that I can give good advice, so... um....
But I believe it is a problem, I believe that it should be accessible to people who are blind.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Does that answer your question, Darlene?

[No response].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Any other questions for Barbara?

[No response].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  I want to thank Barbara so much for coming today!
And any other questions?

[No response].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Anybody?
Okay.  So what I would like to do is take a ten‑minute break for Lisa, who is CARTing.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Thank you, Barbara.  

>> BARB PAGE:  Bye.  Thank you all.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Take a break for ten minutes and we'll get together again exactly at 4:30.  Okay?  

[Break].

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  It's 4:30.  Welcome back to Florida Coordinating Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
Our next agenda is the ‑‑ what we need to talk about is the February 2021 meeting planning, time, date, how long, virtual or in person, theme, focus, Legislature visits, if we can or will or not, and any suggestions for presenters.  

>> OPERATOR:  Cindy has left the conference.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Glenna, go ahead.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  [Signing]. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Tiffany, go ahead.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Yeah, this is Glenna.  I think we should have had the adjournment prior to that [laughs]. 

[Pause]. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  I'm sorry ‑‑ 

>> OPERATOR:  Has joined the conference. 

[Talking over one another]. 

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  The name for the adjournment, the name. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Oh, I put the wrong name?  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Debbe is the chairperson.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Yes, yes, I'm sorry.  

[Pause].  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  With regard to Department of Health ‑‑ I'm sorry, this is Tiffany ‑‑ with regard to the Department of Health, presently we are not in the office.  The leadership is allowed to be in, but we haven't called back everybody yet.

So, I'm really not quite sure how... I'm not really sure what the ‑‑ how that will affect the council meeting in person.  So I'd really, even in this discussion, let's look at both scenarios and then I will let you guys know what they decide.

[Background noise] 
[Talking over one another]. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  I think we should plan it as a virtual meeting for now.

[Background noise].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  And then if we switch in person, that's easy to switch to, I think, rather than the other way around.

[Background noise].  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  This is Tiffany speaking.  The reason that I'm suggesting is because travel is affected, like how we get funded for travel and if we get funded for travel.  So if it's affecting us, I'm sure it would lean back on you all at the same time and I just don't want you guys to be in that situation.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Glenna, go ahead.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  I would be a little bit afraid to travel because I would actually have to fly, and so I need to protect my family.  So that's not really a possibility for me.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Chris, go ahead.  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  [On mute].
Sorry.  I think the cost change for travel at the last minute is not gonna be something that's gonna be easy to do.  So I think we should plan on virtual only, because we should expect that, really, we're going to be in the same situation with the virus in the early part of the year.  And I don't think that February we should expect to meet in person.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  Cindy says she agrees.  And Cecil says he agrees that we should have a virtual meeting is a go.
Cindy, you have your hand up, go ahead.  

>> CINDY SIMON:  Yes, yes.  This is how I think we need to look at it.  I think that in January, after everyone parties after Christmas and New Year's, even now at Thanksgiving, we're going to see a huge rise, because people are slipping.

Additionally, the problem ‑‑ so, the universities are going back to a minimum of 20% in person and that scares the daylights out of me.

If we go February, they're going to be off for President's Week.  Guess what?  Depending when it was, it's another danger time.

So I'm making assumptions that 2021 until at least September/October, everything is going to have to stay virtual.

I just got for my national organization 2021 March they're going to be virtual.  So... I just don't see any of us traveling like that, just for the sake of safety.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Cecil says COVID will not go away until late 2021.
Gina, go ahead.  

>> OPERATOR:  Has joined the conference.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Gina?  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Okay, yes.  I understand about the virtual.  My only reason for wanting in person because of technology, especially during a storm, is frustrating!
But anyway, the date, the date for the meeting, do we have that?

And the other thing is about the legislative visits.  I don't know how we can do that without travel, because they are really a good part of what we do.
So I don't know if we have a game plan to kind of concentrate for that.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  All right.  Go ahead, Glenna.

[Background noise].  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  This is Glenna.  Honestly I think it would be more at risk to go visit the legislators and the reason I say that is because they are going to be so focused on everything COVID and the economy and state tax refunds, all of that.  I mean, there's just so many things that we'll be so low on their list of priorities that, you know... they'll have other things to focus on.

I just don't think that 2021 is the year to try to get in with the legislators at all.

I think we can send them e‑mails, I think we can send them, you know, obviously our 2021 report, we can make phone calls, you know, maybe go to their home office.  But Tallahassee, no.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  Cecil said:  Better safe than sorry in spite of the technical difficulties.
And Gina says she agrees with Cecil.
And Cecil says:  True, legislators will have their hands full.
Okay.  So ‑‑ 

>> OPERATOR:  Has left the conference. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  ‑‑ we had some time in February.  Typically we meet... 

[Pause]. 

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Go ahead, Tiffany.  Glenna is saying go ahead, Tiffany.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Hi.  Based on the dates projected at the last meeting, this is the CART, we have February 11th for 2021, May 13th, August 12th, and November 11th.
So this February would be February 11th.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  So February 11, 2021.  And that will be from 9:00‑5:00.
And the theme, I would like to do something fun.  Um... 

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  A comedian.  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  I know it won't have nothing ‑‑ I mean, nothing to do with deafness.  I mean, it can be, but... 

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Is it possible we can get ‑‑ I was thinking that for the theme, because we're supposed to try and reach out to the media.  If we can get someone from the association?  Chris?  

>> OPERATOR:  Chris Littlewood has left the conference.  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  [On mute].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  I would like to invite someone from the association press, from the high‑up corporation and explain to them how we can get the information out there related to hearing loss and how we can get information about communication tips.  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Yesterday I received ‑‑ 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Okay. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Yesterday I received a letter that they're asking me to give from a newspaper ‑‑ a newspaper company asked me to give a talk on the phone, I guess, about communication tips.  So I am planning to ‑‑ I am planning to answer her.  And I will include all of your organizations and this organization so that everyone is ‑‑ so no one is excluded.  

[Pause]. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Tiffany, go ahead.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Speaking of communication tips, I put one of these in everybody's thing, it's a flyer from the Hearing Journal with eight tips for improving communication when wearing face coverings.  I meant to bring that up a while back, and I just thought since you mentioned that, I thought it would be helpful or possible for your speech if you were to do that as well.

Did you clarify who is the association press so I can know who to call?

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  I don't know a person, but I just thought that type of organization would be good.  Whoever ‑‑ whoever ‑‑ how the media as a group as a whole, who they report to, how they cooperate, somebody from them.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Okay.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Glenna, go ahead.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  We've been talking about the had, the healthcare... the organization of Florida Hospital... um... and also talking about the TV Broadcast Association.  Maybe we could try to get in touch with those two, you know?

We've been talking about them for a while.  And that hospital and doctor association.  And also TV broadcasters.

So really, there's three, if we could get someone to come up from those organizations so we can kind of let them know and they can hear directly what our complaints are and maybe get some ideas on what to do.
HCA is one organization.  FBA is the second.
So we have mentioned those organizations in the past 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Yes.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  We have Gina says there is a deaf comedian available, if you're serious.
And then Cindy, you have your hand up, go ahead.  

>> CINDY SIMON:  So, if we get these individuals who have influence to spread our message out publicly, I think it would behoove us to find a way where everyone could see each other.

Sometimes when you're calling on people and sitting here thinking you must be on something where you see other people, because it's not coming up in the chat as a hand up and it's not being called out.

So, can we talk to the State somehow saying that for this group, it is so important to have face‑to‑face communication.  Is there no portal that we can all join in?

And plus, to have someone associated with public communication, with the press, be able to see all the accommodations that go on while we're doing this virtually and be able to see people would be much more effective than them listening to it and not realizing all that goes into this.  

>> OPERATOR:  Chris Littlewood has joined the conference.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Any other comments?
Maybe we can add Text‑to‑911, finally try and get somebody in to explain why the other ‑‑ go ahead, Chris.
Chris, go ahead.  

[Pause].  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  I'm not sure who we would get to present.  I could ask maybe someone here in this county, because we've been doing Text‑to‑911 for a while.
But I think maybe we should try to ask someone at the state level 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  That's what I was thinking, someone from the state level, not from the county level.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Okay.  I will find out who that is.  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  Yeah, Tiffany, if you e‑mail me, I can try to find the name of someone for you.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Okay.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  So we have HCA, Healthcare Association.  We would like to get a news company or news report company or organization, and another one is from Text‑to‑911, we have three different presenters.
I think that's a lot.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Yes. 

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Yes. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Tiffany?  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Keep in mind ‑‑ this is Tiffany speaking, keep in mind we won't be able to ‑‑ generally I put out about ten requests per every two that we get.

So if you could come up with any more while, you know, between now and, like, December something, in December, that would be great.

If you come up with more, I'll send out the same requests out to as many as I can.  Because it really is that difficult to get speakers.  You put out about ten, you get two.  You start off with maybe three responses and you end up winding down to two.  So it takes a bit.

For today's meeting, it took probably a good 12 or 13 letters went out.

And for the one last August, that one was really difficult.  But I spread it out across the country, because virtual gives us that ability.  And that's how we got the ones we got.

So if you could think of any more now between the time of December, let me know, please.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  Any other suggestions?  Ideas?  

[Pause].  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Glenna?  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  Chris went to school or he grew up with, you know, I mean, you have your uncle, you can invite him.  Uncle Howard?  You know, from MSST (sp), maybe you could do that.
He was the executive director of the NAD, Howard, his last name is Rosenbaum?  

[Talking over one another]. 

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  You want me to ask?  I thought someone said Chris.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  I can ask Howard.
Do we want to ask someone from NTID to speak and someone from Gallaudet to speak?  Or do we want someone to talk about mental health with this COVID?  Some are getting depressed, some are getting... um... having issues.  How can we make it... um... because of all the lockdown or the isolation, how we can get around?
Be exciting and inspired.
Tiffany?  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Hi, this is Tiffany.  I do know a mental health, like an LCSW, that is the exceptional family member coordinator for the region at an Air Force Base and this exceptional family member person, when a service member gets orders to a new area or to this region or something, she is the one that coordinates all of the doctors and therapists and, you know, audiologists and whoever the family member that has the disability will need in order to come to this area.  And she would have definitely stuff about the depression and all that can come with COVID and the logistics of dealing with family members with disabilities and a service member and them moving all over and trying to coordinate care for them.
So that's kind of an option, 'cause it's kind of applied.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  We have Mary said:  Can someone from CDC speak?  Also, I really like the idea of someone from mental health.
Cindy, you have your hand up, the floor is yours.  

>> CINDY SIMON:  How about someone in education as well?  And how this is affecting not just the deaf, but, um, the hard‑of‑hearing kids as well?

Those who are in ASL classrooms may be able to follow what's going on remotely better than the children who are hard of hearing and using augmented devices, whether it be hearing aids, cochlear implants, or maybe they don't have ‑‑ have they been providing FM systems to hook up to your equipment at home?  Something like that.

So if we're gonna look at the adults as well, I would love to see how this is affecting your children's education.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  I like that idea.
Tiffany?  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  This is Tiffany.  The Department of Education was one that I was ‑‑ that I sought out that we didn't get a response.  But I will definitely throw that out there again to them.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Chris and then Glenna. 

>> OPERATOR:  Has joined the conference.  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  Okay.  It seems like more recently we've been focusing on loading down the quarterly council meetings with speakers.  And quite honestly, it's not the direction that I like to see the Council taking.

The reason I say that is we get a lot of really great information from these presentations, but who are they presenting to?  The people that are on the Council.  And we struggle to get one or two people to come from the public.

So if we're gonna get a wonderful presenter, I think we need to be focusing more on getting the public to join us and see these presentations.  And also hear from the constituents of Florida, the communities that are deaf or hard of hearing, and what they might be concerned with for problems in the state of Florida.

So, again, historically we've only had one or two speakers during a council meeting, with the exception of the last couple years.  And then it seems to be pushing from one to two every time and now we're talking about having three or more every council meeting.  And I'm just not sure I agree with that.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  I think, number one, because we're frustrated with the public not coming in, I think we need to focus on the newspapers, the media somehow.
Glenna, go ahead.  Go ahead, Glenna.  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  You mentioned the DOE, I think maybe it might be better to get someone from FSDB, the residential school there in St. Augustine, they have several programs, and because they have offered virtual services for babies and young children all over the state.  So how are they dealing with all of this during COVID?  So that might be a good resource.

I think the school, some are going in person, some are doing virtual school.  So I'm sure they would know the best possible way to deal with deaf and hard‑of‑hearing learning remotely.  That's one idea.  We can try to get in touch with the Deaf School in St. Augustine.

And also Chris sounds like maybe wants to change it more of, like, a town hall kind of thing?  Where we have, you know, like in other meetings we have one short presenter and then we have several questions and people can break out into groups.  You know, I don't know if we can do something like that on Whereby, if that's technically possible.  We could try something like that, perhaps.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Cindy said:  Maybe no speaker.  And then Gina said I agree with Chris regarding engaging the public.
And then Cindy said:  Or we can ask the Clarke School as well.
All right.  We have three minutes.  

[Pause]. 

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  Well, again, this is Chris.  I have no objections to presenters.  It's just who are they presenting to?

And myself as an educator and a presenter, I don't like to present to a small group where I want to get the most bang for my buck.

So I think it is our job, Tiffany's first and also Tiffany reminding us to do our job and draw people in.
If we've got a good speaker, we've got to let people know they're coming.

I mean, how many people in the state of Florida knew that, you know, Cory was going to be here or that Barbara was going to be here or somebody from Minority Health was going to be here for this council meeting.  Maybe that's why people are missing out.  It's easier to come to a virtual meeting than meeting for a quarterly council meeting at a hotel somewhere.

So, I would like to, again, put the focus on the public first and drawing them in and not so much on the presentation.  We've got to do that.
Or we're just not really doing our job, basically.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Tiffany, go ahead.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Hi, this is Tiffany.  I know we've got very limited time, so I'm going to go real short.

That actually was the goal, Chris.  And it was that if I can get ‑‑ I would be trying to get people who would be related to what was discussed in the prior meeting by the community so that I know that it's a hot topic with them, so people who are focused on what that is from the last meeting and then it was honestly y'all's job ‑‑ I don't know if that's the real word, y'all's ‑‑ but it was you guys' job to go to your organizations.  You guys have more access to people who are deaf than I do.

So if you guys would just flood it and say hey, we're going to have such and such a person out here speaking and you guys want to hear every single person that writes into FCCDHH or calls me on the telephone at FCCDHH, gets an invite to the meeting.  Every single one of them.  I have scheduled them, there are letters that says hey, we're having this meeting.  And if you want to just come to the public forum part and hear them and state your information, you know, maybe we can put our heads together as a council and really cause some help and this person is speaking and that person is speaking.  We get it all the time.

We could make this a well‑oiled machine that I'm getting the people that you guys want and you guys are bringing in the people that will listen.

And you're right, the fact that it's virtual brings so much opportunity than there is before.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Tiffany, I would suggest that we start a half our early and get people to come on and test the equipment instead of losing time when the meeting starts.  So, 8:30 is log in and get things ready with interpreters, clearing the deck, technology, technical stuff, and then start at 9:00 o'clock for the meeting.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Okay, that's good.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  I appreciate that.
Okay.  It is 5:01.  Does anybody want to call the meeting to adjourn?

[No response].  

>> GLENNA ASHTON:  You actually need to do that, Debbe.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  I call the meeting to be adjourned.  It is now 5:01.  And thank you so much for coming.
Please be safe.  And see you in February.  

>> CINDY SIMON:  Happy Turkey Day, everyone!  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Happy Holidays!  Merry Christmas!

[Concludes at 5:02 p.m.] 

** This is being provided in a rough‑draft format.  Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) Captioning is provided in order to facilitate communication accessibility and may not be a totally verbatim record of the proceedings. **