Categories: Advocacy News, Blog, COVID-19, News, Newsroom, Other

New Legal Guidance and Resources to Ensure—and Expand—Access to COVID-19 Vaccines for People with Disabilities and Older Adults

As part of a shared commitment to President Biden’s National Strategy and Executive Order to ensure an equitable COVID-19 response, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), the Administration for Community Living (ACL) and...As part of a shared commitment to President Biden’s National Strategy and Executive Order to ensure an equitable COVID-19 response, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), the Administration for Community Living (ACL) and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have published several new … Read More >

Categories: ADA, Advocacy News, Blog, COVID-19, Hearing Loss, Other

The Americans with Disabilities Act Obligations Regarding COVID-19 Related Services

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced on April 16 that it will be providing a Dear Colleague Letter reminding community partners that are involved in...The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced on April 16 that it will be providing a Dear Colleague Letter reminding community partners that are involved in the COVID-19 pandemic response that the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) applies to their services. “The COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe and distressing impact … Read More >

Categories: Advocacy News, COVID-19, Emergency, FCC, News, Newsroom, Telecommunications, Video Relay Service (VRS)

FCC Extends Waiver for TRS Providers

Early on during the COVID-19 pandemic, in March, 2020, the FCC took action to ensure that TRS services would continue to be available to people with hearing loss. These waivers...Early on during the COVID-19 pandemic, in March, 2020, the FCC took action to ensure that TRS services would continue to be available to people with hearing loss. These waivers allow TRS providers flexibility to deal with reduced staffing and increased call volumes, to enable more of their employees to provide services from their homes, … Read More >

Categories: Accessibility, ASR, Blog, Captions, COVID-19, News, Newsroom, Video Conferencing

Zoom Offers FREE ASR Captioning

HLAA is THRILLED that Zoom is offering free ASR captions for those who sign up with Zoom. Sign up here. This is a huge win for our community of advocates...HLAA is THRILLED that Zoom is offering free ASR captions for those who sign up with Zoom. Sign up here. This is a huge win for our community of advocates and HLAA members. More than 48 million Americans experience hearing loss. Hearing loss impacts people of all ages. Today, due to COVID-19, we must all … Read More >

Categories: Advocating, Blog, Clear masks, Communication Strategies, communications, Coronavirus, COVID-19, News, Newsroom

Why Clear Masks?

Since moving to Florida, a little more than a year ago, my plan was to enjoy retirement from nursing and being away from the cold weather of Wisconsin. Our daughter/son-in-law...Since moving to Florida, a little more than a year ago, my plan was to enjoy retirement from nursing and being away from the cold weather of Wisconsin. Our daughter/son-in-law live here and that too was a motivator to come on down to enjoy the tropics and sunshine. All well and good, I was busy … Read More >

Categories: ADA, Advocacy News, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Hospital, Office for Civil Rights (OCR)

Safeguarding the Rights of Persons with Disabilities During COVID-19

OCR Resolves Complaints after State of Connecticut and Private Hospital Safeguard the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to Have Reasonable Access to Support Persons in Hospital Settings During COVID-19 On...OCR Resolves Complaints after State of Connecticut and Private Hospital Safeguard the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to Have Reasonable Access to Support Persons in Hospital Settings During COVID-19 On June 9, 2020, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that it has reached an … Read More >

Categories: Accessibility, Advocacy News, Advocating, Blog, Captions, Communication Strategies, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Employment, News, Telecommunications, Telework, Video Conferencing, Workplace

Video Conferencing Platforms Feature Matrix

*developed with a consensus by deaf, hard of hearing, and DeafBlind consumer advocacy organizations and subject matter experts*developed with a consensus by deaf, hard of hearing, and DeafBlind consumer advocacy organizations and subject matter experts Read More >

Categories: Accessibility, Advocacy News, Advocating, Blog, Captions, Communication Strategies, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Employer, Employment, News, Telecommunications, Telework, Video Conferencing, Workplace

Remote Workplace Communications Access: Recommendations for Employers During Times of Expanded Telework

*developed with a consensus by deaf, hard of hearing, and DeafBlind consumer advocacy organizations and subject matter experts*developed with a consensus by deaf, hard of hearing, and DeafBlind consumer advocacy organizations and subject matter experts Read More >

Categories: Accessibility, Advocacy News, Advocating, Blog, Captions, Communication Strategies, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Employee, Employment, News, Telecommunications, Telework, Video Conferencing, Workplace

Accessible Remote Work Meetings for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Employees

*developed with a consensus by deaf, hard of hearing, and DeafBlind consumer advocacy organizations and subject matter experts*developed with a consensus by deaf, hard of hearing, and DeafBlind consumer advocacy organizations and subject matter experts Read More >

Categories: Accessibility, Advocacy News, Advocating, ASR, Blog, Captions, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Hearing Loss, News, Petition

The HLAA Board of Directors Supports Free Captioning for People with Hearing Loss During the COVID-19 Pandemic

HLAA, the U.S. leader in advocacy for people with hearing loss, calls for all online video call and conferencing platforms to offer free (no-cost) access to automatic captioning technology to...HLAA, the U.S. leader in advocacy for people with hearing loss, calls for all online video call and conferencing platforms to offer free (no-cost) access to automatic captioning technology to people with hearing loss at the same level that platforms offer to their premium customers, during the COVID-19 pandemic. View HLAA’s Position Statement. Petition HLAA … Read More >