Narrative: i. 5.

DVR has four Rehabilitation Counselors for the Deaf ( three of whom are Deaf). The Director of the Division for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Late Deafened (who is Deaf himself) supervises the four Rehabilitation Counselors for the Deaf and provides direction, education and outreach on issues impacting individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.

As a state with a high percentage of older residents, there has been an increasing need to serve individuals who have age–related hearing loss and who wish to remain working. The Division Director has offered many workshops on deaf awareness/etiquette to employers, providers and state agencies this year to help increase awareness of promoting inclusion of employees who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing or Late Deafened. The Division Director meets once a month with his staff to address topics such as best practices in case management, communication strategies for individuals who use gestural communication for their primary mode of communication, among many other topics.

Staff who are Deaf have videophones at their desks for visual communication with consumers. An additional six employees are proficient in ASL. DVR offices are co–located in Maine’s CareerCenter network. CareerCenters offer telecommunications devices including Interpretype, Ubi Duo, Video links, Video Relay and Video Remote Interpreting. Captioning (CART) services are used frequently to ensure access for staff and clients alike and are provided as needed.

 An online video introduction to CareerCenter services for individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing is available. Spoken language interpreter services are accessed through a statewide contract for both in–person and telephone interpreting. This year a statewide contract for Video Remote Interpreting was signed – allowing for increased access for clients in rural parts of Maine. DVR also employs some bilingual staff.

DVR continues its collaborative efforts with the Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired, University of Southern Maine Linguistics Department, Helen Keller National Center (HKNC) for the Deaf-Blind, and the Maine Deaf-Blind Project, (a project which is a member of the New England Consortium of Deaf Blind Projects and provides technical assistance for students until the age of 21 and focuses on transition age youth) to improve services for clients who are deaf-blind or dual sensory impaired from hearing and vision loss. Although the program, "Independence Without Fear”has discontinued, the collaboration has expanded to include the Department of Health and Human Services, Disability Rights Maine, Division of Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Late Deafened, and A Tri-state Collaborative with Vermont and New Hampshire.  Efforts have included discussions to recruit, train and maintain a database of specially trained volunteers who can facilitate communication for people with significant vision and hearing impairments, as well as other services that are available to the dual sensory population.  HKNC and OIB-TAC have provided training to staff on services to this targeted population.

DVR, as an agency in the Maine Department of Labor (MDOL), adheres to MDOL Policy No. 009 on Language Access. The Maine Department of Labor (MDOL) recognizes its obligation to provide linguistic access to services for individuals whose primary language is not English.  Individuals for whom MDOL staff may need interpreter services include applicants, customers, family members, and/or companions.  When MDOL staff does not speak the language needed, staff will inform the applicant/consumer that interpreter services are available to ensure equal access to programs and services provided by this Department and its contractors. Accordingly, it is the policy of MDOL to provide its staff with interpreter resources to be utilized in providing access to programs and services to Limited English Proficient persons as well as to persons who are deaf or hard of hearing.  This policy outlines guidelines and procedures for the use of such interpreter services. All programs, benefits or services provided by MDOL shall be made available to all eligible persons regardless of their abilities to speak, write and/or understand English and who are deaf or hard of hearing. MDOL will provide interpreter services at no cost to individuals applying for or participating in MDOL programs.MDOL will have policies and procedures which combine the use of in-person and telephone interpreter services as well as translated material necessary for effective communication.MDOL is committed to the continued evaluation and improvement of these services, as well as education of staff in available resources and procedures.