CHAMPIONS FOR DEAF, HARD OF HEARING HONORED DURING 18th BIENNIAL TDI CONFERENCE
Staff Writer
2009-07-21
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Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (TDI) and its Community Emergency Preparedness Information Network (CEPIN) Project will present five Special Recognition Awards at the 18th Biennial TDI Conference's Presidential Awards Dinner. These awards are being given to publicly acknowledge the inroads that people have made within the deaf and hard of hearing communities. The awardees have worked tirelessly to improve the quality of life for people who are deaf and hard of hearing.
The award recipients are:
Mike Monge, Fire Chief, Faribault Fire Department. Mike was one of the first emergency managers in the nation to acknowledge challenges that people who are deaf and hard of hearing face during various phases of disaster. As one of CEPIN's instructors, he is recognized as one who has blazed a trail for collaboration between emergency managers and people with special needs.
Hilary Styron, Director of the Emergency Preparedness Initiative at the National Organization on Disability. Hilary tirelessly advocates for people with all types of disabilities in emergencies and disasters. She has worked to ensure that the concerns of people who are deaf and hard of hearing are fairly and prominently represented among legislators and policymakers.
Cheryl Heppner, Executive Director of the Northern Virginia Resource Center. Cheryl played a significant part in creating the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Consumer Action Network report. Her efforts helped emergency managers and policymakers understand how their lack of planning and training was impacting the deaf and hard of hearing populations they sought to serve. As a regional director during CEPIN's first training program, she also gave voice to concerns of people who are hard of hearing as well as service animals and their partners. Her regular "Galaxy the Wonder Dog" features on the NVRC listserv continue to inform consumers nationwide of the importance of emergency preparedness, response and recovery.
Claudia Gordon, Staff Attorney at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. She is one of the highest-ranking deaf people serving in our government today and the first Black deaf female attorney in the United States. Claudia's tenacity and focus is evident as she consistently advocates for people with disabilities in the emergency management field. Her efforts have resulted in improving emergency preparedness awareness for people with disabilities at all levels, as it relates to disasters and emergencies.
Col. Tom Tucker, Director of the National Center of Biomedical Research and Training at Louisiana State University. He has been at the forefront of the development of training programs dealing with biological weapons of mass destruction. As a father of a deaf daughter, Col. Tucker is also keenly aware of the challenges facing deaf and hard of hearing people in disasters. He positioned NCBRT to serve as a critical role model for CEPIN in its formative years and helped CEPIN emerge as the premier Training Partner for FEMA as it relates to special needs issues.
Each Special Recognition Award recipient has made a unique and long-lasting contribution to ensure accessibility to technological advances within the deaf and hard of hearing communities. "We feel especially privileged to have worked with these great men and women in their effort to make emergency management and preparedness accessible for people who are deaf and hard of hearing," Neil McDevitt, the Program Director of CEPIN, said.
The 18th Biennial TDI Conference will be held from July 30 - August 1, 2009 at the Mayflower Hotel. The Mayflower Hotel is located at 1127 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC. This three-day event promises to draw hundreds of deaf and hard of hearing people to Washington, DC for an array of political forums, general and plenary sessions and exhibits that highlight the most current accessibility developments. Presenters will include Keynote Speaker Kareem Dale who is President Barack Obama's Special Assistant for Disability Policy.
For more information about the TDI Conference visit http://www.tdi-online.org/index_files/2009Conference.htm.
About TDI: TDI is a consumer advocacy organization that provides leadership in achieving equal access to telecommunications, media, and information technologies for 31 million Americans who are deaf and hard of hearing. TDI publishes the TDI World quarterly magazine and the annual TDI National Directory & Resource Guide, also known as the Blue Book. For more information about TDI, visit www.tdi-online.org ; About CEPIN: The CEPIN Project is coordinated by Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has awarded TDI nearly $3 million to develop model community education programs for emergency responders and special needs populations. For more information about CEPIN, visit www.cepintdi.org