“On the Road with MCDHH”
Transcript
♪ [opening scene music - instrumental]
(scene of Back Bay Boston)
(scene of sun rising through downtown Boston buildings)
(scene of Chinatown gateway arch with people walking)
Boston
HEATHER DALEY: Are you lost?
Camera Person: (nodding in agreement)
HEATHER DALEY: Ahhh, you're supposed to be meeting with me. Yeah. I'm Heather. Come on. Please follow me.
♪ [transition music - instrumental]
[elevator door opens]
[door beeping open]
[door closes]
HEATHER DALEY: Hey!
LARRY RHODES: Hi there.
EDGAR HERRERA: Hi.
HEATHER DALEY: How are you?
EDGAR HERRERA: Good. Good.
HEATHER DALEY: Great. We have someone here who is interested in learning more about the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, MCDHH. Can you introduce yourself and what you do in your roles?
EDGAR HERRERA: Hi. Yes. I'm Edgar Herrera. I work for the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. My role is Business Manager, I work with the budget. And the person to my left is Denise Martinez, our interpreter.
LARRY RHODES: And I am Larry Rhodes, and I work for the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind, and I'm the Finance Manager there.
HEATHER DALEY: Great. Thank you for the introductions. I saw you talking about centralized billing. Would you mind explaining that further?
EDGAR HERRERA: Yes. Centralized billing is brand new to the Commission. We are piloting an attempt to improve agency billing services. So, it would be centralized within MCDHH, interpreter and CART service providers who are booked through our Referral upon services being rendered would then submit their bills to us and we would pay those services, and then seek reimbursement from agencies like Larry's, MCB, in a collaborative effort to centralize the billing. So, it is one centralized location for all billing.
HEATHER DALEY: Great. Thank you. What is the benefit to the Deaf Community?
LARRY RHODES: Well, it provides a point of entry where they can find out when they are going to be reimbursed, and we can do better tracking of the budgets.
HEATHER DALEY: Great. Thank you for your explanation. I'm excited to see the project move forward and the enhancements to the community.
I'm sorry to interrupt, I'm heading out. Thank you so much. Have a great day. Thank you, take care.
EDGAR HERRERA: Thank you.
LARRY RHODES: Bye bye.
(End scene)
______________________________________________________________________________
(New scene)
HEATHER DALEY: Hi. Hello. How are you?
LORI SIEDMAN: I'm tired, but good. How are you doing?
HEATHER DALEY: I'm good, too. Also tired. So busy. Where does the time go? Anyway, I'm just stopping by to introduce you. I'm showing this new person around, I was wondering if you have a little time to introduce yourself and share a little bit about your job?
LORI SIEDMAN: Sure. My name is Lori Siedman. I'm a Referral Specialist at MCDHH. We are responsible for statewide communication access for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, LateDeafened, or DeafBlind consumers. We provide communication access to a variety of consumers. Some who prefer ASL interpreting. Some who use tactile or close vision interpreting. Oral interpreting. CART Services. Whatever their preferred communication access method is we make sure that we look for a qualified match for them.
Whether it is for medical or mental health appointments, school, meetings, small groups, or one-on-one sessions, platform interpreting and so forth, we start by contacting the consumer's preferred interpreters and book those interpreters for the consumer's meeting or appointment to make sure they have successful access statewide.
HEATHER DALEY: Thank you for that very detailed explanation. Cool job, right?
LORI SIEDMAN: Sure.
HEATHER DALEY: Awesome. Thank you. I've got to run. I will see you later.
LORI SIEDMAN: Good to see you, too.
(End scene)
(New scene)
HEATHER DALEY: Hey, how's it going?
REX MACAPINLAC: I'm good. How are you?
HEATHER DALEY: I'm good. Super busy. I've got this new person here who wants to learn more about MCDHH. I'm wondering if you wouldn't mind introducing yourself.
REX MACAPINLAC: Hi. Nice to meet you. I'm Rex. I serve as Social Media and Digital Content Specialist at MCDHH. I share information with our online community by posting updates on MCDHH's website and social media channels.
HEATHER DALEY: Great.
HEATHER DALEY: One second.
Oh, you have a meeting to get to. Okay, no problem. Nice to see you.
REX MACAPINLAC: I have a meeting in a few minutes, so I have to get going. Great seeing you!
Camera Person: (nodding in agreement)
(fist bump)
HEATHER DALEY: Oh me too? Cool! Bye.
REX MACAPINLAC: Bye.
(End scene)
(New scene)
HEATHER DALEY: I need to get something from my office. Right this way. Would you mind holding these for me while we walk? I want to bring these over to Springfield. Thank you.
(Fast forward scene)
♪ [transition music - instrumental]
Springfield
(New scene)
[car door opens]
[car door closes]
[clicking of the seat belt]
[car engine starting up]
JONATHAN O'DELL: Good morning, everybody. How are you today? My name is Jonathan for those of you who have not met me yet. And I work at the Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and I provide trainings statewide. And I'm actually on my way to provide a training today, and I got absolutely wonderful news that my CART provider is already on the way there. So, I am very relieved. Uhm, for those of you who don't know what CART is, it is realtime captioning. But you know what, instead of me talking about it, let's go and have a look at what's actually involved in providing CART. Thank you! Have a great day!
[car backing up]
[switching gears]
[car zooms off]
♪ [transition music - instrumental]
(CART Provider walking to car)
[car door slams shut]
[car blinker clicking]
♪ [transition music - instrumental]
[car door slams shut]
[sound of lawn mower machinery in background]
>>: Communication Access Realtime Translation, also known as CART, provides live text output of what is being said as captured by the CART provider. This is ideal for Hard of Hearing and LateDeafened people who otherwise would struggle to understand everything that is being said. It can be provided onsite or remotely.
(End scene)
♪ [transition music - instrumental]
(New scene)
[door beeping to open]
JANAY MITCHELL: Hi. What are you doing here in Springfield?
HEATHER DALEY: Hi. Oh, I'm just dropping off some visor cards.
JANAY MITCHEL: Oh, okay.
HEATHER DALEY: What are you doing around here?
JANAY MITCHELL: I'm meeting with one of the staff, Alysha. Have you met her?
HEATHER DALEY: No. Not yet.
JANAY MITCHELL: Come on up with me and meet her.
HEATHER DALEY: Before we go up, I just wanted to introduce you. This is a new person learning about MCDHH.
HEATHER DALEY: Could you introduce yourself and talk a little bit about your role?
JANAY MITCHELL: Absolutely.
JANAY MITCHELL: Hi there. I'm Janay Mitchell, HR liaison for MCDHH. In my role, I support both managers and staff members for any hiring efforts, as well as any staff concerns that might come up. I'm wondering, are you liking MCDHH so far?
Camera Person: (nodding yes)
JANAY MITCHELL: That's great. You know that our staff are involved in a lot of very cool projects.
[background conversation]
JANAY MITCHELL: For example, our Substance Use Disorder Services, Afterhours Emergency Services, the Workforce Development Project, screening and evaluation of interpreters, and so many more.
Do you want to come up and meet Alysha? Come on. Let’s go!
♪ [transition music - instrumental]
[elevator doors open]
JANAY MITCHELL: I'm excited to share more with you about MCDHH.
HEATHER DALEY: Me, too. So thrilled to share more about our work at MCDHH.
JANAY MITCHELL: Yes. Definitely.
♪ [transition music - instrumental]
[elevator dings and doors open]
JANAY MITCHELL: Over this way. This is the office.
HEATHER DALEY: Great.
(doorbell pressed and lights begin flashing)
APRIL ANTONELLI: Oh, they are here.
APRIL ANTONELLI: Hi.
HEATHER DALEY: Hello.
JANAY MITCHELL: Hello. How are you doing? How was your vacation?
APRIL ANTONELLI: My vacation was awesome. Thank you. But I'm happy to be back to work. How are you doing?
JANAY MITCHELL: I'm fabulous. Thanks for asking. I've been pretty busy. Actually, have you two met?
APRIL ANTONELLI: No. I haven't.
HEATHER DALEY: No. We haven't met.
Hi. I'm Heather Daley, I'm the Assistant to the Commissioner. Have you met this person with me?
APRIL ANTONELLI: (shaking head no.)
HEATHER DALEY: Ah, this is a new person who's learning more about MCDHH. Would you mind introducing yourself and sharing a little bit about your role?
APRIL ANTONELLI: Hi. It is nice to meet both of you. My name is April. And I'm the front desk receptionist. I handle outgoing and incoming calls. Collect information. And then pass it along to various departments and staff people.
HEATHER DALEY: Interesting.
JANAY MITCHELL: April, I'm curious, are there any staff in the office today?
APRIL ANTONELLI: Yes. Trudy and Alysha are here.
JANAY MITCHELL: Alysha's here? Perfect. I actually have to run off and meet with her.
JANAY MITCHELL: HI!
TRUDY GILBERT: HI! Good to see you.
JANAY MITCHELL: Good to see you!
TRUDY GILBERT: Hello. I'm Trudy Gilbert. I'm one of the staff interpreters for Western Mass.
HEATHER DALEY: Cool. I'm Heather Daley. I am the Assistant to the Commissioner. You said you were a staff interpreter here? Would you mind sharing a little info about your role?
TRUDY GILBERT: I work out in the community, medical appointments, hospitals, business meetings, that kind of thing, as well as mental health. I also do some legal work in courts, attorney/client meetings, and DCF. That sort of thing.
HEATHER DALEY: Very cool.
TRUDY GILBERT: Nice to meet you.
HEATHER DALEY: Nice to meet you, too.
TRUDY GILBERT: Yeah. I have to hop onto an assignment.
HEATHER DALEY: No problem.
TRUDY GILBERT: Take care.
HEATHER DALEY: Take care
(New scene in small conference room)
HEATHER DALEY: Hey everybody.
JANAY MITCHELL: Hi there. Have you met Alysha yet? No, not yet? Alysha, would you mind introducing yourself?
ALYSHA NUTTALL: Oh, sure. Hi, my name is Alysha Nuttal, I'm the Adult Case Manager in Western Mass. and the Berkshires. Nice to meet you.
HEATHER DALEY: Nice to meet you too.
ALYSHA NUTTALL: I heard you are the Assistant to the Commissioner?
HEATHER DALEY: Yes, I am - the assistant to the Commissioner. I am very new to the job. I also would like to introduce this person who is learning about MCDHH, just curious to know more.
PEGGY LEE: Yeah, Alysha, why don't you tell our visitor what you do here.
ALYSHA NUTTALL: Sure. So, this is a great place, MCDHH. We serve Deaf, Hard of Hearing, LateDeafened, DeafBlind, LGBTQIA+, people with different languages, and all kinds of people who communicate in lots of different ways. It's a beautiful place. And you learn something new, right?
PEGGY LEE: I'm Peggy Lee, and I'm the Director of Social Services Department here at the Commission. And I oversee Case Management.
Huh, so, I know the two of you have a meeting.
JANAY MITCHELL: Yes. Yes, we do.
PEGGY LEE: It is time for me to go. And I'll see you soon. You, too, Heather.
HEATHER DALEY: I’m actually going to take off too.
JANAY MITCHELL: Goodbye you two! Nice to see both of you!
PEGGY LEE: Nice to see you all.
PEGGY LEE: All right. Are you ready? Why don't we ask our visitor if they would like to join us. We are going to the Northampton office. We'll stop along the way. Get something to eat or drink. I can fill you in more about what we do in my department. Would you like to join us?
Camera Person: (nodding yes)
PEGGY LEE: Awesome. Let me pack up, and then we'll head on out and take a drive to Northampton. Wonderful.
ALYSHA NUTTALL: Okay.
PEGGY LEE: It’s nice to see you, April.
APRIL ANTONELLI: It is nice to see you, too, Peggy. Thank you.
HEATHER DALEY: I brought the visor cards.
APRIL ANTONELLI: Oh, thank you. Do you know about the visor cards?
Camera Person: (shaking their head no)
APRIL ANTONELLI: The visor cards were created by MCDHH. We were the first state to produce these, and now other states are following our lead. They are available for any Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or LateDeafened driver to keep in their car. So, if they are pulled over by the police, they have a way to communicate that they are Deaf. Anyone who needs one can contact MCDHH. Would you like one?
Camera Person: (nodding their head)
PEGGY LEE: Bye.
HEATHER DALEY: Bye.
PEGGY LEE: Perfect. Thank you. Bye bye.
♪ [transition music - instrumental]
(End scene)
Northampton
(New scene)
♪ [transition music - instrumental]
[sound of air conditioning machinery in background]
PEGGY LEE: We have a little bit of time. Do you mind if we cut through the park? Great. It is a beautiful day for that. Let's go. Really pretty park. I like it.
Wait! Is that?! I think it is. Come. Come. Some of my coworkers!
Hey! Hi!
KARRAN LARSON: Oh, hi!
PEGGY LEE: Hi. Hello.
CAT DVAR: Hello. Wow! What a surprise!
KARRAN LARSON: Hello.
PEGGY LEE: I know! I'm surprised to see you here. How are you?
KARRAN LARSON: I'm fine. What are you doing here? I can't believe it!
PEGGY LEE: I know!
KARRAN LARSON: Long time no see.
CAT DVAR: I'm so surprised!
PEGGY LEE: It has been such a long time since I've seen you both in person. This is wonderful!
KARRAN LARSON: Sure!
PEGGY LEE: Well, I had a meeting in Springfield and decided to come out this way. And now I'm looking for something to drink.... What are you drinking?
CAT DVAR: Look what I have here. This is Boba tea.
PEGGY LEE: You know, I've heard about that tea. I've never tasted it before.
CAT DVAR: It is really good!
PEGGY LEE: Is it good?
CAT DVAR: Oh, delicious.
PEGGY LEE: You don't like it, Karran?
KARRAN LARSON: Ehh, yuck.
CAT DVAR: What?! What is wrong with you?
KARRAN LARSON: I don't know, sucking those things up through the straw, no.
CAT DVAR: THIS IS THE BEST!
PEGGY LEE: Well, you know what? I'm going to try it.
KARRAN LARSON: You are brave. Go for it.
PEGGY LEE: So, how have you been? Are you working right now?
CAT DVAR: Uhmuhm. We were just having a meeting. Talking about SUD.
PEGGY LEE: So, what have you been doing? Like I said, it's been such a long time.
CAT DVAR: Well, before we talk more, who is your friend?
PEGGY LEE: Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. I haven't introduced our visitor. They were with Heather and I at the Springfield office learning about the Commission.
CAT DVAR: Oh. I see. Okay.
PEGGY LEE: And the services that we provide in my department. And all the different things that we do. And we thought we would grab the opportunity to come out here, get something to drink, and now that you are sitting here this is wonderful. Can I ask you to share your programs with our visitor?
CAT DVAR: Sure. Do you want to go first?
KARRAN LARSON: Sure. Hello! It's nice to meet you. My name is Karran Larson. This is my sign name. I'm the Statewide Coordinator of Substance Use and Recovery Services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing people or their families who are struggling with addiction, be it alcohol, gambling, or any other way people may be facing challenges with addiction. That involves coordinating with other organizations and agencies. The Department of Public Health, MCDHH, which includes providing interpreters for 12 step meetings and other recovery events. It is also important to know that we manage and train Deaf Recovery Coaches and Hard of Hearing Recovery Coaches who provide one-on-one support to individuals who struggle with addiction, and through their recovery journey. Again, it is really nice to meet you.
Camera Person: (nodding their head - likewise)
CAT DVAR: Hello. I'm Cat Dvar and I'm the Director of Communication Access Services. Very nice to meet you. I oversee five departments.
The first is CART and Interpreter Referral.
Then there is the Staff Interpreters. And that department provides interpreters for our inhouse Commission interpreting needs, as well as being sent out into the community to meet the needs of the people in the community.
[airplane flying overhead]
We also run the Screening which is the Statewide Quality Assurance Program to ensure that new spoken English and ASL Interpreters who are entering the field, ah, are qualified to do so, as well as Deaf Interpreters, as well.
There is also the Workforce Development Department. We love our acronyms
KARRAN LARSON: Yes, we do.
CAT DVAR: at MCDHH. We call that the WFD. The Workforce Development Department. And their goal is to increase the diversity of communication access providers, both interpreters and CART Providers, and to create a stable workforce going forward.
And then the last department, another acronym, AHE which means Afterhours Emergency Services.
So, those are the five different departments that I oversee under the CAS Division. Nice to meet you.
Camera Person: (nodding their head - likewise)
PEGGY LEE: Thank you. Can you share a little bit more about the service you provide, and how that benefits our community of Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals? Do you mind?
CAT DVAR: Go ahead, Karran.
KARRAN LARSON: Well, maybe you are a little bit familiar with our system, but the various options for treatment and aftercare are not really well designed yet for meeting the needs of Deaf and Hard of Hearing folks.
So, our department is trying to develop the capacity to help other programs become more accessible and knowledgeable and providing services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. And then, of course, we offer Deaf Recovery Coaches to work one-on-one with folks who finish their treatment programs and are out in the real world facing everyday challenges there. That is one of the most important ways that we help the community to continue to be healthy and maintain stability.
What about you?
CAT DVAR: Oh, yes! I would like to add to what Karran just talked about. We do have several things going on that would benefit the community. As you know, the CART and Interpreter Referral Department, everyone knows those Interpreter Referral Specialists work very hard serving the community. And we are also in the process of improving and updating our software system. So, hopefully, the community will see that benefit. And interpreters are out there working so hard, diligently. And we just hired some new staff. So, we are building our capacity to benefit the community. And I know you see them out there doing their work.
We are very excited about what's happening with the screening. We have just started the new redesign of the system. We call it the Screening Redesign. And that has been a long process, but it's moving along quite well. And also, that is part of Workforce Development. We, again, love our acronyms at MCDHH. So, that is WFD. And Workforce Development involves two excellent groups called Subject Matter Expert Consultant Groups. And again, here is another acronym. That is the S M E C or SMECs. One was for sign language interpreters and the other for CART.
And the interpreter group finished their work in March, and they have given us an action plan. We are in the process of implementing those recommendations. And as part of that, we hired a Mentorship Coordinator, which is very exciting. That person will support new interpreters, ASL spoken English interpreters joining the field, Deaf Interpreters joining the field, as well as new legal interpreters. And that person will continue working under contract until June of 2024. So, we are very excited about that, as well as several other projects happening connected with Workforce Development.
And then the second SMEC I talked about is focused on CART providing. And that is currently underway. And the goal there is to increase the diversity and the stability of both fields of communication access providers. And we are hoping to partner with a community college to establish a CART training program.
So, the Workforce Development part of what we do has been very busy. And of course, you are aware that we provide Interpreter Referral for emergencies during business hours, but during evenings, weekends, and holidays, we have the Afterhours Emergency Services.
So, all of those services are very beneficial to the community.
KARRAN LARSON: I'm impressed.
CAT DVAR: Thank you.
PEGGY LEE: Wow. That is wonderful. Thank you. That really tells me how busy you and your departments are.
Well, I need to run. I think I will go ahead and try that Boba.
KARRAN LARSON: Oh, no, no, no, no, yuck.
CAT DVAR: Yeah. Get this drink, the Boba tea.
PEGGY LEE: Thank you so much for taking the time with us today. I'm excited to learn what is happening.
CAT DVAR: Well, thank you for stopping by.
KARRAN LARSON: It was nice seeing you.
PEGGY LEE: Yeah.
KARRAN LARSON: And nice meeting you.
PEGGY LEE: Right. Yeah. It is really nice to meet you.
CAT DVAR: Wonderful.
PEGGY LEE: Take care. And get back to work.
CAT DVAR: I can't believe you don't like Boba tea.
PEGGY LEE: That was so funny that we ran into them. They are the best. I loved hearing about their department updates. It was so great. I really want that Boba now. So, let's go.
(End scene)
(New scene)
(Walking downside walk with car traffic)
PEGGY LEE: Boba!
♪ [transition music - instrumental]
I can't wait to try this Boba. It's good. It's interesting. Do you like yours?
(background conversation)
Camera Person: (nodding their head)
PEGGY LEE: Yeah. It's pretty good. It's an interesting texture.
So, would you like to hear more about the Case Management Department?
Camera Person: (nodding their head)
Great. So, the Case Management Department is part of our Social Services Department, which also includes the, uhm, SUD unit, and the Equipment Distribution Program.
The Case Management Department has both Adult Case Managers and Children's Specialists. And we cover all the regions across the state. So, we have Northeast, Boston, Southeast, Central Massachusetts, and Western Massachusetts.
Adult Case Managers, we have five of them that cover each of the regions.
The Children's Specialists, we have four. And the Northeast Children's Specialists will cover the Boston area, too.
So, it's a great team. And they really do a lot of really good work. Our Adult Case Managers are primarily there to ensure that our Deaf and Hard of Hearing constituents have communication access in whatever situation they might find themselves in. Uhm, they also collaborate a lot with other agencies to navigate the Deaf and Hard of Hearing constituents to the appropriate services that they might need. That, in a nutshell, is what they are doing. They are, like, navigating Deaf and Hard of Hearing people to what they need uhm because a lot of people don't know.
Children's Specialists cover children from birth until they graduate high school. So, either 18 or 22 when they age out of the Special Ed system. Primary role for our children’s specialists is to help a family navigate what it is like to have a child with a hearing loss from birth until they go through school. Helping them to understand what it means to have a hearing loss and the technology and make sure that their education is adequate for learning language. So, they work a lot with the school systems and Early Intervention programs, also, to kind of consult with them about what services are needed, uhm, for a Deaf and Hard of Hearing child because everyone is so unique.
In fact, one of the Children Specialists, Terri, just had a really successful case in advocating for one of her students. Do you want to hear about it?
Camera Person: (nodding their head)
PEGGY LEE: Great!
(End scene)
(New scene)
TERRI PANCARE: Hello, my name is Terri Pancare. I’m a Children’s Specialist at the Mass Commission for Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Central Mass. I wanted to share with you a - a case that was a success. That happened over the last, almost two years. I started working with this young man when he was just three years old. And I worked closely with his family, making sure that as a preschooler who was profoundly deaf young child that he got what he needed in his school and his educational setting.
So then I didn’t hear from the family for quite some time because things were going along well for him. When he got to be in the eighth grade, the parents reached out to me because things had started to fall apart for him. I went and met with the family and with this young man and they told me the story about what was going on, that he was having a lot of difficulty at school. There were things on his IEP that he was not receiving. That he was really struggling.
So, I went to his IEP meeting, and we talked about the things moving forward that they would need to be doing to ensure that he was getting the services he needed. He was quite clear about what his needs were. And we thought that moving forward, that his IEP was going to be solid for him for moving forward to his freshmen year in high school.
In the springtime, I got a call from his family, and they asked me to come over and meet with them again and meet with the client. Things had just completely fallen apart. So, we started having discussions about what was missing in his program. And as we were talking, I said to the family, “There are some alternative programs that might be a different placement. That might be a better placement for him.”
I discussed the CAPS Collaborative Program at Newton North High School. It’s an excellent program for Deaf and Hard of Hearing children where they get a lot of support that they need. So, the parents and the student agreed that we would go and visit. So, we went out to Newton. We went on a tour of the school with the guidance counselor. The student was able to meet many of the other Deaf and Hard of Hearing students. That was the first time he was ever in a room with other Deaf and Hard of Hearing kids. He lit up. So, when we left the school, and we walked out to the parking lot, he turned to me with tears in his eyes, and I will never forget this. And he said to me, “I need to come to this school. Terri, you need to make that happen. You need to help me get to this school.” And I said, “Well, we’re going to work on that. And we are going to make that happen.”
And the next steps were, I advised his parents – they needed to reject the IEP, the placement of the IEP, which they did. They rejected the placement. So, then we started negotiation with the district, and that went back and forth for a very long time. We had several meetings with the district where I came in and gave testimony, and talked about the isolation he was feeling. That he was not receiving least restrictive environment and space. But he repeatedly told them what was missing and what he was missing. He even told them about the kids that were in his public school and in his mainstream program. That were technically his friends. He said to the district, “They have no idea what I go through in a day, and what I am missing in a day, and how hard a day is for me. They just don’t get it because they are hearing, and nobody really understands me.” He felt like even many of his teachers, even though he had expressed repeatedly what his needs were, he felt very unheard.
So, then we moved forward, and the parents hired an attorney. I sent the parents a list of names of attorneys that work with children who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing. They hired one, we started that process. The attorney filed for a hearing. We finally got a hearing with the Bureau of Special Education Appeals. The Hearing Officer then takes everything that is said to consideration, and then we waited again for her decision, which took about a month and a half or so. And then the decision came down - that we won! That he was going to be going to Newton North High School. That the district had to send him to Newton North High School, which we all did the dance of joy, and he was so excited. HIs family was so excited.
This has been a really long journey, and to be quite honest, this should never be this hard for Deaf kids and for their families. But he is there, he has been going to Newton North High School for quite some time. He is learning sign language. He is doing unbelievable there. He is such a success story. He is a happy kid. He is a different young man today than he was a year ago. I am so glad I was able to be a small piece of that process of getting him where he needed to be. It’s such a great success story.
(End scene)
♪ [transition music - instrumental]
Watertown
(New scene)
[seat belt being pulled on and clicked]
PEGGY LEE: Hey! I am heading to Watertown to the new Deaf Inc office. I think the Commissioner might be there. Do you want to come with me?
Camera Person: (nodding their head)
PEGGY LEE: That’d be awesome. Okay, let’s get going.
[car starting up]
Buckle up.
(End scene)
♪ [transition music - instrumental]
(New scene)
[raining]
[background conversation]
(New scene)
[door opening]
[background conversation]
KELLYNETTE GOMEZ: Hey! I was getting ready to print something but it's not there. Do you want to come over and meet in the conference room?
Camera Person: (nodding their head)
KELLYNETTE GOMEZ: Come on over.
Cool, huh?
Hey! Look who's here?!
Hi!
STEPHANIE HAKULIN: Hey!
KELLYNETTE GOMEZ: How are you doing?
STEPHANIE HAKULIN: I'm good, thanks.
KELLYNETTE GOMEZ: Great. I just finished up meeting with a client. What are you doing here?
STEPHANIE HAKULIN: Well, I'm waiting for a colleague who is going to meet me here.
KELLYNETTE GOMEZ: Oh, you are meeting a colleague. Can you tell me about your job?
STEPHANIE HAKULIN: I work as a Deaf Interpreter for the Mass. Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Very busy schedule. I interpret various assignments all over.
KELLYNETTE GOMEZ: Really? Fantastic! But how does the community benefit from your position?
STEPHANIE HAKULIN: Oh, communication access is so important. Can you imagine without it? The community is very appreciative.
KELLYNETTE GOMEZ: Sounds like awesome work. Thanks so much for sharing.
STEPHANIE HAKULIN: No problem. I love my job.
KELLYNETTE GOMEZ: I'm so happy you joined our team.
STEPHANIE HAKULIN: Okay. I've got to run. See you later.
KELLYNETTE GOMEZ: Of course. Okay. Take care. Bye. Thankfully, we now have a Deaf Interpreter on staff. Are you ready to go? This way.
♪ [transition music - instrumental]
[Sound of footsteps walking down the staircase]
[Raining]
CMR’s Message:
(New scene)
Stories are powerful ways to share, to educate, to memorialize, to dream, to build connection and community.
Stories exist across all fabrics of life in a multitude of forms: words, pictures, videos, numbers, signs, colors, and symbols.
Stories serve as powerful reminders that not everyone has same amount of space/access/power/privilege.
Stories are ways to acknowledge and preserve the history, legacy, and diverse experiences across communities.
Stories emphasize the importance of appreciating each other’s humanity as whole complex beings, not reduced to a single identity.
Stories remind us that each one of us can and does make an impact on a daily basis. Some impacts are more visible or receive greater prestige or recognition.
But, as stories illustrate –the most ordinary action can potentially change the narrative.
As we celebrate the International Week of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in this month of September, I urge you to take a moment to read about the many inspiring stories of deaf and hard of hearing people here in Massachusetts, across our country, and the world at large.
Deaf and hard-of-hearing people have powerful lived experiences that shaped who they are and metamorphoses into a rich history.
Everywhere you go around the world, you will find deaf and hard-of-hearing people living as integral members of their communities.
They are in every profession – they are lawyers, judges, medical doctors, college professors, interpreters, engineers, IT executives, social workers, and professional athletes, they serve in the military, just to name but a few, and some are even elected to political offices and serving in their communities.
Are you aware that the sign language economy alone in America is estimated to be between 3 to 10 billion dollars?
At MCDHH, we celebrate and support the deaf and hard-of-hearing residents in the Commonwealth.
We work across all regions of our state, providing pivotal training and education. We shaped policies to ensure it is inclusive to the constituents we serve. We provide communication access and collaborate with sister agencies to ensure their programs and services are not only accessible but equitable and inclusive.
Want to learn more about deaf and hard-of-hearing people? Reach out to us at MCDHH. Happy International Week of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing people from all of us at MCDHH!
CMR and Peggy brief exchange:
[door slam shut]
[car door opens]
[car door closes]
PEGGY LEE: What is up with the weather? It was so nice in Northampton, and now it’s awful. Okay, let’s go into the building. So, Deaf Inc. Moved into this new office recently.
♪ [transition music - instrumental]
CMR: Reach out to us at MCDHH. Happy International Week of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing people from all of us at MCDHH!
Oh, hello!
PEGGY LEE: Hello Commissioner, I’d like to introduce you to someone who has been on the road with me, going to various commission offices, and learning about the programs and services we provide. So, would you like to introduce yourself?
CMR: Hello, my name is Ope Sotonwa, and I’m the Commissioner here at MCDHH. I hope so far you’ve been enjoying what you’ve learn about us?
Camera Person: (nodding their head)
CMR: Thank you. Peggy, I’m leaving soon for a meeting, so I will see you tomorrow.
PEGGY LEE: Sure, thank you. We’ll see you later. Bye Bye.
♪ [transition music - instrumental]
PEGGY LEE: “Hey, did you say goodbye to the commissioner?”
Camera Person: (nodding their head)
PEGGY LEE: Awesome! So thanks for coming with me. I hope you had a really good time learning about different people and just know that you only met a few of the amazing people who work at MCDHH. I really hope you take the time to learn more about MCDHH and meet the wonderful people who work for the Mass Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. I really had fun with you today. Thank you. See you then.
♪ [transition music - instrumental]
[car door opens]
[car door closes]
[car starting]
[car drives away]
♪ [Closing scene music - instrumental]