CAIRS is pleased to announce that our agency will be offering a FREE workshop next month for certified interpreters! Carly Flagg, MA, CI, CT, will present "Friendlier With Two: Peer Mentoring as Professional Development" on Saturday, August 13th, from 10am-1pm in our downtown Chicago office building (see attached flyer). This is an opportunity to earn 0.3 RID CEUs (3 Illinois CE hours) at no cost. We are offering interpreters who are currently registered with CAIRS a chance to register early for a limited number of seats before opening this event up to other certified interpreters in the area. There is a limit of 25 participants for this workshop, and you may register on a first-come, first-served basis by emailing cmpsponsor@cairs.net. An email confirmation will be sent confirming your registration. Please note that I will be out of town but checking email messages between 7/26-7/29. Should you have a question needing a more immediate response in my absence, you may also contact Nicole Montgomery at nicole@cairs.net.

The Chicago Area Interpreter Referral Service (CAIRS) is pleased to announce implementation of American Sign Language (ASL) courses beginning March 2011. Since ASL is the primary language of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing communities in the United States and Canada, hearing individuals desiring to learn sign language and attain familiarity about the Deaf and Hard of Hearing culture, should find these new courses helpful.

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As a Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) sponsor with the Certification Maintenance Program (CMP), CAIRS is pleased to formalize its sponsorship role beginning July 1, 2010 to better assist RID member interpreters engaged in continuing professional education. The RID's CMP began operation July 1, 1994 and relies on RID approved sponsors to help facilitate appropriate educational activities for participants. CMP educational activities can include group activities, such as workshops, lectures or conferences, or independent study activities, such as mentoring and self-study. CMP Sponsors are monitored regularly by the RID to ensure that their activities are of high quality and meet the needs of the program and the participants

Specifically, sign language interpreters seeking CEU credit for non-RID initiated educational activities fall under the category of PINRA (Participant Initiated Non-RID Activities). PINRA includes activities that sign language interpreters wish to attend, but which are not offered through an RID approved sponsor. Both PINRA and individual interpreter course work are eligible for CEU review through CAIRS CMP Sponsor Program. However, PINRA related activities and individual course work must be offered by an organization with known standards and must have a specific format, educational objectives and purpose.

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CAIRS is pleased to announce the recent establishment of the Illinois Deaf and Interpreter Alliance (IDIA) as a non-profit organization dedicated to serving both the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and interpreter communities in Illinois. The primary purpose of the IDIA is to serve as a charitable giving organization for the long term support of educational activities. Specifically, annual IDIA educational grants will assist eligible Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals with post secondary education, as well as student interpreters with scholarship support for interpreter training programs.

In addition, the IDIA will collaborate with core partner communities to engage in needs assessments, information sharing, community programs development and grant writing activities. The IDIA will engage in annual fund raising efforts to sustain its long term mission of charitable giving in Illinois. The IDIA will operate as a distinct entity with a Board of Directors and receive administrative support from CAIRS. It is planned that IDIA will officially begin operations July 1st, 2010. More information will be provided regarding the IDIA Fall 2010 grant cycle. Please forward all questions and inquires regarding IDIA to Nikki Montgomery at nicole@cairs.net.

CAIRS is pleased to announce that as of January 11, 2010, an enhanced version of eRSP will be utilized to better support the coordination of interpreter assignments. The enhanced eRSP will provide substantial improvements to assignment information management and tracking, as well as, more reliable remote access to benefit CAIRS interpreters.

In order to ensure a smooth transition, all interpreter eRSP user names and passwords will remain the same. If you have submitted a change of user name request to Megan (megan@cairs.net) (Ph: 312-895-4300, Ext. 225) you will receive an email with your new access information prior to Monday, January 11, 2010.

As always, access to eRSP can be accomplished via the internet system login (cairs.ersp.biz) and from remote digital devices. In addition, the enhanced eRSP will permit direct access through CAIRS website.

Ongoing technical assistance during this system transition will be provided by Megan. Please direct all questions and requests for assistance to her as necessary. Thank you!

The Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) announced on May 29th,2009 that the Alternative Pathway to Eligibility system is presently available. Please note the full webpage description and related information.

At the 2003 RID Conference in Chicago, Illinois, organizational membership passed a motion that after June 2008 "all hearing interpreters must hold a minimum of an associate's degree, in any field, to take the NIC." However, RID also recognized that some system of "equivalent alternative criteria allowable in lieu of the educational requirements" was needed for interpreters who possessed many years of experience and expertise, yet who did not have a degree in higher education.

The RID Alternative Pathway to Eligibility system uses a point system that awards credit for college classes, full-time work experience, interpreter-related training, professional interpreting certifications, and specific volunteer services to RID (including articles published in VIEWS or the Journal of Interpretation). The Alternative Pathway to Eligibility system and formal application is required for: (1) Individuals who do not hold an associate's degree or higher and who wish to apply to take the NIC, SC:L, or OTC interview/performance exams and; (2) EIPA interpreters who hold the Ed:K-12 credential and would like to become certified members of RID.

Please note the RID Eligibility Application.

CAIRS would like to extend a special thanks to interpreter Nacole Jackson for again highlighting this important information for everyone's benefit.

CAIRS is pleased to announce establishment of the Community Advisory Committee to assist our organization in identifying and addressing existing issues which affect the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community. The CAIRS Community Advisory Committee will work collaboratively with executive management and the Board of Directors to identify community issues and develop recommendations. It is highly desired that all members of CAIRS Community Advisory Committee exhibit a passion for improving the lives of Deaf or Hard of Hearing individuals. Members of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community, as well as, community stakeholders, educators, community providers and interpreters who have shown leadership in their community, are all encouraged to apply for membership. The initial meeting of CAIRS Community Advisory Committee is planned for January 2010, with the intervening months devoted to the review of member applications by CAIRS Board of Directors. For those who are interested in applying for membership, please review the attached application packet and Fax a completed application to 312-895-4313, attention Nikki Montgomery. Thank you!

Please note that Megan Shehorn-Young is our designated Interpreter Liaison and coordinates the sign-up process for all new interpreters at CAIRS. You may reach Megan by phone at 312-895-4300, Ext. 225 or by e-mail at megan@cairs.net. As CAIRS operates in compliance with the Interpreters for the Deaf Licensing Act of 2009, all new CAIRS interpreters must provide a copy of an active State of Illinois professional interpreter license and review the CAIRS Freelance Interpreter Handbook, prior to being eligible for assignments.

CAIRS policy requires that all interpreters strictly follow the NAD-RID Code of Professional Conduct . In addition, for interpreters who are still waiting to receive their license, CAIRS may request a copy of the actual licensure application for documentation purposes.

American Councils is looking for host families for high school exchange students for the upcoming school year. Our students are winners of various U.S. State Department merit scholarships. As part of the competitive process to be selected, students undergo assessment of their English-language ability, motivation in wanting to spend a year abroad, and ability to adapt to a foreign culture. Students with disabilities are encouraged to apply for these scholarships. Disability communities in many foreign countries are very different from the US. Thus, we are looking for host families that are tied into the U.S. deaf communities to help the year abroad be an empowering experience for our students. These experiences are something that they can “take home” with them as alumni.

Anyone can host! Host families are volunteers and provide the student with a bed of their own (they may share a room), three meals a day and a place to study (table or desk). Students receive a monthly stipend, health insurance and funds for enrichment and school related expenses. They excel academically, perform community service, make cultural presentations and learn about the components of a civil society. They return home prepared to lead their country's next generation. Students arrive in August and leave at the beginning of June.

If you would like more information about hosting, please contact Jessica Garcia at 708-799-5886 or mrsjessicagarcia@yahoo.com

Learn more about American Councils at www.americancouncils.org

Since publication of its theoretical underpinnings (Dean & Pollard, 2001), the demand-control schema (DC-S) for interpreting work has been the subject of numerous national and international interpreter training events and several interpreter training program (ITP) initiatives, including three grants from the Department of Education funding projects which infuse applications of DC-S into interpreter education. Hundreds of interpreters and interpreting students have received training in the DC-S approach, which has now evolved through applications in training and research to constitute a holistic "schema" of the interpreting profession. We purport that this comprehensive schema accurately frames interpreting as a practice profession and yields more effective approaches in interpreter education and research.

Effective interpreting practice involves talents and behaviors beyond those pertaining to source and target language skills per se. Effective interpreters in one situation may be ineffective interpreters in other situations, even when those situations do not differ greatly in the language factors involved. While source and target language education surely is important, the D-C schema purports that other factors in interpreting assignments (EIPI) also are important to know and understand (sometimes more so than language alone) before attempting to work as a communication facilitator in real-world settings. Our approach allows these more fundamental matters to be incorporated into an interpreter’s skills repertoire early in their education and yields more effective work behavior when source and target language skills are overlaid on this foundation.

The DC-S approach recognizes all aspects of a "qualified" interpreter: (1) Promotes valuing and sharing a broader skill set; (2) Improves morale and reduces attrition from ITPs and the interpreting field; (3) Fosters improved self-monitoring of assignment choices, and; (4) Could improve interpreter testing and licensing methods.

If you are interested in learning more about demand-control schema (DC-S) and how such training could benefit you as a sign-language interpreter, please contact Robyn Dean at the University of Rochester (Robyn_Dean@urmc.Rochester.edu). To learn more, please visit the Deaf Wellness Center at the University of Rochester.

A coalition of Illinois disability rights advocates has launched the Hospital Access Initiative to improve access to healthcare services within hospitals for persons with disabilities. Combining education, legislation, advocacy and research, the law firm of Robbins, Salomon and Patt, Ltd., Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago and Equip for Equality, together, are looking to improve access to healthcare services for persons with disabilities in hospitals within Cook, Lake, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, and McHenry counties.

In general, people with disabilities face a number of barriers which at times limits their ability to receive preventative, routine and emergency healthcare services and treatments in hospital settings. In attempting to receive or receiving healthcare services and treatments, people with disabilities often face physical barriers (e.g., architectural and inaccessible examination and diagnostic equipment), attitudinal barriers (e.g., doctors' misconceptions and assumptions about a person's disability that leads to inferior care, neglect, or denial of care), and communication barriers (e.g., lack of services to help communications and accessible formats).

If you or your loved ones have a disability, and would like to share your experiences in hospitals within Cook, Lake, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, and McHenry counties, please contact either Judy Panko Reis, Access Living, (312) 640-2184, toll free (800) 613-8549, toll free TTY (888) 253-7003 or email: jreis@accessliving.org; Sarah Price, Equip for Equality, (312) 341-0022, ext. 7339, toll free 800-537-2632, ext. 7339, toll free TTY 800-610-2779, or email: sarah@equipforequality.org; or Andrés J. Gallegos, Robbins, Salomon and Patt, Ltd., (312) 456-0381 or email: agallegos@rsplaw.com. All conversations are confidential.

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Illinois Legal Aid Online (ILAO) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to "increase access to justice for lower-income and vulnerable Illinois residents through the innovative use of technology to assist and educate the public and to train and support legal aid providers and pro bono attorneys." One way we accomplish this mission is through our award winning website, www.IllinoisLegalAid.org, which provides the public with user-friendly legal information in 24 areas of law, including information about legal rights and responsibilities, self-help instructions, interactive court forms, multimedia public education classes, and referrals to free and low cost legal services.

Please watch the introductory video at Illinois Legal Aid Online (ILAO) by Howard Rosenblum, Esq. Howard Rosenblum is a profoundly deaf attorney licensed to practice in Illinois. He holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Arizona and a J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of Law. In addition to founding and chairing MCLD, Mr. Rosenblum is presently employed as a staff attorney at Equip for Equality, a private, nonprofit organization that operates the federally mandated Protection & Advocacy System in Illinois which safeguards the rights of children and adults with physical and mental disabilities.

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Message From DeafMD.org:
As you may know, DeafMD.org is a freely accessible, health education website designed for the Deaf community and sign language interpreters alike to improve their sign and to become more knowledgeable regarding various diseases & illnesses. Our first year has been tremendously successful, welcoming over 150,000 visitors and 600,000 page views, all through word-of-mouth advertising.

To this point, we have been a self-funded and singular effort, adding topics and relevant news when we are financially able. Our mission is to provide clear and concise health education to the Deaf & Hard of Hearing community to improve their overall health and wellness. One way we hope to do this is through an e-news blast to our nearly 20,000 subscribers nationwide 1-2 times per month, via our "Vital Signs" e-newsletter.

However, to make this a reality and bring you relevant content in ASL in a timely fashion, we need your help. Would you consider a tax-deductible donation to The DeafMD.org Foundation this holiday season? Any and all support is tremendously appreciated.

We invite you to join us in promoting healthy living and health education among the Deaf community with a sponsorship of either DeafMD.org or DeafMD.org's e-newsletter, "Vital Signs". Thank you for taking the time to subscribe to our e-newsletter.

Feel free to contact me at ContactUs@DeafMD.org if you have any questions or to request a media kit.

Wishing you a life full of health and happiness,

Casey Davis
www.DeafMD.org

Department of Human Services (DHS) funding for the Illinois School for the Deaf (ISD) may soon be eliminated, resulting in a required closure of the school. Many believe that closure of the School for the Deaf will have a dramatic negative impact on the community it serves and would represent a significant reduction of public support for a population included within the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

We must act now to send a powerful message to our elected officials and legislative leaders. There is now less than a month before the new fiscal year begins and these devastating cuts take effect. Here's what we need you to do: Contact and urge our state lawmakers to step up and negotiate a comprehensive, responsible budget that protects our state's Deaf and Hard of Hearing community.

We've made it easy for you to take action. You can quickly find who represents you in the Illinois General Assembly through the online resources below:

• Illinois State Senators
• Illinois State Representatives

Please see the attached letter for more information.

If you are someone who is concerned about the quality of access to professional sign-language services for Deaf or Har of Hearing patients in health care settings, please read this article and contact your Congressional representatives today! Presently, the U.S. Congress is preparing to make potentially sweeping changes to America's health care system in an effort to improve health care quality, accessibility and reduce costs. As part of this overall effort to enhance our nation's health care system, the essential communication needs of Deaf or Hard of Hearing patients must be considered and addressed.

The Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) is currently advocating for expanded federal mandates that will require Medicare, Medicaid and the private insurance industry to increase funding and reimbursements for professional sign-language interpreter services in the context of health care settings (please see attached DREDF document). In addition to the sign-language resource requirements outlined within the federal Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), the Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO) has long recognized that effective communication between patients and health care providers is an essential and indispensible component of medical safety and high-quality health care outcomes. Specifically, in accordance with JACHO's published standards RI.21.00, RI.2.30 and RI.2.20 – it is stated that "patients have the right to be involved in their care and have appropriate communication, which includes professional interpreters and translation services." (JCAHO, 2006)

So, please promptly contact your Illinois Senators and Representatives in the U.S. Congress and urge that access to professional sign-language services be expanded by federal mandate for patients who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing! Contact information for Illinois Senator Richard Durbin and help finding the contact information for your Illinois District Representative are available online. Thank you for your immediate action!

The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) is pleased to share the following links to accessible information about Swine Flu. Please share this information with your family and friends. The NAD is sharing this information as a public service. Please contact the organizations sponsoring the links for additional information or questions:

DeafMD.org
National Center for Deaf Health Research
Center for Disease Control - Swine Flu Video (Closed Captioned)