Minutes 

Agenda

I.  Call to Order and Introductions

Doug Godfrey called the meeting to order at 1:12 p.m. 

II. Approval of Minutes

Emily Hopta made the motion and JD Corbin seconded that the minutes from the November 18, 2004 meeting be approved as presented.  Motion approved.

III. Executive Director’s Report

Deanna Stone directed the board’s attention to her written report.

IV. Marshall University’s Graduate College-Deaf Education Program

Molly Simonton reported about the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Licensure Program for teachers available through MUGC and about the summer ASL two week class that she teaches at the School for the Deaf in Romney.

OLD BUSINESS

V.  Workshops

Deanna Stone reported on the upcoming workshops that the Commission is sponsoring.  There is a series of Skill Building workshops beginning at the end of February as well as a Legal Interpreting workshop and a National Interpreter Certification Performance workshop.

VI. PERD

Deanna Stone reported that the review is finished and the report was very favorable.

VII. Retreat

The retreat will be June 23-24 at the School for the Deaf in Romney.  It will begin with a Public meeting held on the evening of June 22 followed by the board retreat on Thursday and Friday.  Dolly Ford will be the facilitator.

VIII. WVRID

Roy Forman updated members on the status of the WVRID chapter.  Jimmy Harrison said that he would approach WVAD for support.

NEW BUSINESS

IX. Deaf Tech Fair

A Deaf Tech Fair will be held on May 21, 2005 at the Charleston Civic Center.  Exhibits will focus on technology for the deaf and hard of hearing.  

X. DHHIG Conference

Deanna Stone has been invited to present a paper at the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Government Conference, May 9-11 in Washington, DC.  Her paper is entitled, “How to Work with Late-Deafened Employees.”

XI. RID Conference

The Board unanimously concurred with sending Deanna Stone and Roy Forman to the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf Conference in San Antonio, Texas to be held July 10-15, 2005.

XII. Captioning Movies

Deanna Stone reported that she was invited by the Human Rights Commission to be involved in discussions with movie theaters throughout the state to get movies captioned in West Virginia.  She and Roy Forman have met with them and will continue to meet.

XIII. Special Presentation

Doug Godfrey presented a plaque to Jimmy Harrison thanking him for his years of service to the WVCDHH.  Pierre Sevigny said that the deaf community has appreciated all of Jimmy’s work on behalf of the Commission.

OTHER BUSINESS

Doug Godfrey brought a concern about the lack of interpreter services’ being available for doctor’s and lawyer’s offices in the Eastern Panhandle.  Deanna asked the board to encourage people to contact the Commission office when their rights are not being met and the office will intervene.  Pat Moss moved that a committee be created to help facilitate discussions within the medical profession.  She will chair the group and Dr. Charles Abraham will co-chair.  Annette Carey seconded.  Motion approved.

Pierre Sevigny made the motion to adjourn the meeting.  Molly Simonton seconded.  The motion was unanimously approved.  The meeting adjourned at 3:03 p.m.

West Virginia Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Executive Director’s Report
February 10, 2005
Institute, West Virginia

• In November 251, December 385, and January 379 contacts were made with our office.
   
• The WVCDHH fall workshops were a big success.  “How to Work with Your Interpreter/How to Work with Your Deaf Client,” was presented by Molly Simonton and Roy Forman, and “Skill-Building 2,” was presented by Eileen Brown. 
   
• Roy and I attended the Deaf Clubs Christmas Party on December 4 in Flatwoods.  There were 150 people attending.
   
• The Preliminary Performance Report conducted by the Performance Evaluation and Research Division of the West Virginia Legislature is finished.  Copies of the draft are included in your packet and a summary of the recommendations and my responses are attached to this report.  I appeared before the Joint Committee on Government Operations on January 9 with Roy, Emily, John Knisely, and John Law also attending.  The Committee recommended that the report be forwarded to the finance committee.  The report is very favorable and the Legislative Auditor recommends that the Commission be continued. 
   

• Mark your calendars for the Deaf Tech Fair, May 21 at the Charleston Civic Center.  Exhibit forms are available.  A summary of the Deaf Tech Fair is attached.
   
• Brochures for the Foundations of Court Interpreting and Performance Preparation Workshops and the Spring 2005 Skill Building workshops are included.
   
• Planning for the Retreat is underway.  A preliminary schedule is attached.
   
• Roy will be visiting a deaf club each month to promote the Commission, distribute census forms and other information. 
   
• Roy and I will attend "Defining English Language Development and Deafness:  Language and Literacy Programs for Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing in Educational Settings" on Thursday, February 17, 2005 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at MUGC.
   
• Roy will travel to Louisville on February 18 and 19 for two interpreter workshops:  “Psychological Tests with Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students” and “Interpreting in Mental Health Settings.”
   
• On February 22-23, Roy will attend the PATHS Conference at the Civic Center.
   
• March 2 is Disability Awareness Day at the Legislature.  We will have a display.  You are invited to join us.  A schedule is included.
   
• I will present a lunchtime workshop at the West Virginia School for Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) on March 10.
   
• On May 9-11, I will attend the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Government Conference in Washington.  I submitted a proposal and was chosen to present a workshop on Late-Deafened Employees.
   
• We were awarded a $4000 grant from Gallaudet University to provide partial funding for the Foundations of Court Interpreting and Performance Preparation workshops.  A grant from the Office of Maternal, Child, and Family Health will provide the remaining funding for these workshops and for the Deaf Tech Fair. 
   
• My purchasing card report for January is attached.  No transactions occurred in November or December.