National Association of the Deaf

Submitted by NAD Conference on Thu, 07/05/2012 - 14:50 Blog:

• NAD Conference

A National Dialogue about Emergency Preparedness in the Deaf Community: A Paradigm Shift in Policy and Regulations
Jim Brune and Donna Dahrouge
A partnership between the University of California, Berkeley and the Deaf Counseling, Advocacy & Referral Agency has fostered a paradigm shift in how communities approach emergency preparedness for deaf people. Many local communities have their own strategies on emergency preparedness, which makes the national system a fragmented one. There is a strong need to unify all the centers of emergency preparedness across the country to bring them together, With the cooperation of collaborating centers, their findings will lead to action, which eventually leads to implementation of emergency preparedness plans. Thus, research centers in various public health programs across the nations need to connect with scientists in various fields (legal, engineering, and social sciences among other fields) so that multiple perspectives are incorporated in research.

Know Your Employment Rights and Responsibilities
Benro Ogunyipe
Ogunyipe, an accessibility specialist with the state of Illinois, presented his expertise and advice in advocating equal and clear application processes and employment experiences. The American with Disabilities Act has several provisions that protect the rights of deaf and hard of hearing job applicants and employees. Ogunyipe walked the audience through their rights and responsibilities, focusing on the entire process from job applications to requests for reasonable accommodation. For example, when you apply for a job online and English is not your first language, the jargon and lingo in the application might not be clearly understood. In cases like this, it is your right to contact the employer and request an interpreter for the application process. Audience members had a chance to ask several questions related to current employment and how equal "equal access" is.