For Immediate Release
September 28, 2007
Contact Information:
Claude L. Stout: [email protected]
Anne Girard: [email protected]
HAMILTON RELAY SPONSORS NEW TDI CONSUMER ADVOCACY TRAINING PROGRAM ON TECHNOLOGY ACCESS
Pilot Training Workshop in Development for Collaboration with Industry and Government
(Silver Spring, MD) September 28, 2007 – Hamilton Relay and TDI are pleased to announce the establishment of the first Consumer Advocacy Training Project for Access to Telecommunications, Media, and Information Technology for individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing. The pilot training will occur in the metropolitan Washington DC area during November 2007.
Claude Stout, Executive Director, TDI, said, “TDI is fortunate to have support from Hamilton Relay to make available this pilot training project. While we advocate for access every day, it is important that we pass on the lessons we have learned, along with different techniques and approaches we have successfully used, to others who are eager to make this country a better place. The more advocates we train, the more capable we become to make access happen through collaboration.&#xu201D;
With technology changing every day, consumers find it increasingly difficult to keep up with such rapid changes. “Consumer advocates are needed in the early stages of technological design and development in order to influence policy and assist with recommendations for optimal products and services,&#xu201D; says Dixie Ziegler, Vice President of Hamilton Relay. Ziegler adds, “Technology innovation often fails to account for the needs of users with disabilities, including those who are deaf and hard of hearing. Thanks to the input we have received all these years from consumers, Hamilton is pleased to be a leader in telecommunication relay services today.&#xu201D;
If you have ever wondered how to install videophones or captioned phones in libraries or other public places, how to ensure that you receive emergency notification messages quickly or how to advocate for movie captioning in your neighborhood theater, the Consumer Advocacy Training Project is for you. The program will teach attendees critical advocacy skills including how to approach and identify people who can effect change. Throughout this training, participants who are deaf or hard of hearing will learn necessary skills to advocate for the needs of deaf and hard of hearing people in accessing Telecommunications, Media, and Information Technology.
When the results of the pilot training program are evaluated and adjustments are implemented, the two-day workshop will be offered in other areas of the country.
Hamilton Relay and TDI look forward to offering this exciting training opportunity to the community. Further details will be announced as soon as they develop. For more information, contact [email protected] and [email protected] .
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About TDI
TDI promotes equal access to telecommunications, media, and information technology for 31 million Americans who are deaf and hard of hearing. TDI educates and encourages consumer involvement regarding legal rights regarding access to technology; provides technical assistance and consultation to industry, associations, and individuals; encourages accessible applications of existing and emerging technologies in all sectors of the community; advises on and promotes the uniformity of standards for technologies; works in collaboration with other deaf and disability organizations, government, industry, and academia; develops and advocates national policies that support accessibility issues; and publishes “TDI World” quarterly magazine and the annual National Directory & Resource Guide or the “Blue Book.&#xu201D; For more information, go to www.tdi-online.org.
About Hamilton Relay
Hamilton Relay offers a variety of services including Internet Relay, Video Relay, Wireless Relay and CapTel®. Hamilton Relay provides traditional relay services to 15 states, the island of Saipan and the Virgin Islands. Information on all services is available at www.hamiltonrelay.com. Hamilton Relay. That’s what I’m talking about.