[nfb-db] Communication Options and Technology

[John Lee Clark]

Haben:

Yes, the skyways were created partly for staying indoors during winter, but
it is partly because some buildings' basements and some buildings are
entirely for parking.  Another factor is shopping convenience.  Winter isn't
a big problem in and of itself, as people in most places are dressed okay to
go from the car to the store or office and back.  But in both downtowns,
street parking is limited, so commuters or shoppers may end up parking
blocks away from where they work or want to shop at.  

As for SSPs, most DB people all over the country use them to some degree in
terms of quality and hours.  In states where there is no official SSP
program, DB people ask friends or find their own volunteers or pay for their
own, on their own terms.  But in many states, you can use Medical Assistance
waivers through the county you live in to get SSP hours.  They may still
call them PCAs on paper, as the same agency provides PCAs for seniors and
other disabled people, but many counties have an understanding with their DB
consumers that they don't need the typical PCA.  

Some states, like Ohio, has an official SSP program, but it is almost
entirely volunteer SSPs that they use.  But they are trained.  Other states
use grants to pay for SSP services.

A few states have "permanent" SSP programjs with funding straight from the
legislature, which is usually dispensed through the state's Office of,
Division, of, Commission for, Council for, etc. the Deaf, Hard of Hearing,
and DeafBlind.  In some cases, the legislature specifically allocates a
certain amount of money for SSP services.  In other cases, the Commission or
whatever it is called uses its general budget and just adds SSPs to the list
of services it provides.

Depending on the nature of your job, companies can certainly pay for SSPs.
For example, which I worked as the outreach coordinator for DeafBlind Relay
Service, before it became Communication Facilitator Service, and I was
flying all over to DB events, my company paid for SSPs from each locale.
Normally, when I travel for pleasure, I never get a SSP at any point.  But
because those DB events are usually a few hours and because my goal was to
meet everyone, it made sense to hire a local SSP and I'd meet him or her at
the event and then we'd work through the crowd--the SSP would know who's
who, and could tell me about the person before I meet the person.  One time,
I had to travel with a SSP, because it was last minute, and my boss could
only find tickets that required me to go from JFK to LAG in New York, with
not much time in between the flights, and we would have to run.  

Hope this information is helpful!

John

 

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