dhhsd’s 2020 advisory committee feedback

DHHSD’s 2020 Advisory Committee Feedback 1

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division’s Advisory Committee Feedback In August, 2020, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD) sent a six-question feedback form to all members of the advisory committees statewide. The goal was to learn more about how COVID-19 and racial inequities have affected people who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing. Twenty-four members responded. This report summarizes their responses and suggestions.

Region Responses

Upper Northwest 2

Northwest 1

Northeast 0

East Central 4

West Central 5

Metro 6

South 6

Total 24

Demographics

Question 1: I am responding as a person who is (check all that apply):

• Deaf (4) • Deafblind or has combined hearing and vision loss (2) • Hard of hearing (9) • Late-deafened (1) • Service provider (12)


Gaps and barriers related to COVID-19

Question 2: Can you give specific examples of gaps or barriers related to COVID-19 you or community members who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing or late-deafened have faced?

• Masks make understanding speech very difficult, social distancing also makes understanding very difficult, virtual medical visits often do not have captions, most Zoom meetings (unless you have a transcriptionist) don't include captioning, captioning on most phones, programs, and cellphones are very inaccurate. METRO

• People who read lips are having a hard time with masks on, in addition to 6 foot distance. You cannot see the non-verbals over the phone. WEST CENTRAL

• Masks have limited my lip-reading. WEST CENTRAL • I am not near deaf, hard of hearing or deafblind in my area. COVID-19 only caused

the issue of people having to wear masks, compromises close-up interaction during communication. I can no longer lipread but need quality clear speech to understand the speaker. WEST CENTRAL

• Speaking with a mask on when you rely on reading lips. METRO • The obvious one is that masks impede effective communication: muffled sound, no

lip-reading. I've never encountered anyone using a clear mask (not yet, anyway), either. I know hearing people are finding the same thing: masks make it harder to communicate. SOUTH

• There has been late communication on information, advocacy, and communication from state agencies, local organizations, and partners, through videos and emails regarding COVID-19. SOUTH

• Masks has created barriers; especially if they read lips. WEST CENTRAL • Access to face-face learning for students who are deafblind and use tactile

communication. Access to clear masks when communicating with students who have a hearing loss. WEST CENTRAL

• Masks make it difficult to communicate if I can’t see faces. Masks muffle sound. General community does not seem aware/educated about barriers this creates. SOUTH

• Direct access to being able to try technology such as FM systems since both the DHHSD office and the independent living offices are working remotely. A couple of people having trouble getting Zoom to work. SOUTH

• Hearing and understanding people has become more difficult with mask wearing and social distancing. The masks decrease the sound level, distorts the speech, and removes the ability to speech read and read facial expression. METRO


• It is difficult to read expressions and watch lips when everyone is masked. It is especially difficult ordering or facing any service person. It makes it difficult to communicate. EAST CENTRAL

• Face masks make it difficult to read lips or see facial expressions. METRO • Access to technology and ability to pay for internet and other remote services. Quick

information and education on new policies and laws passed. METRO • Communication barriers with masks. EAST CENTRAL • Difficulty communicating/lip reading with people wearing fabric face masks. SOUTH • When COVID initially started, there were barriers related to interpreting. Recently

there have not been any concerns as many interpreters are interpreting in person. Masks have created some barriers for people who are working. I am unable to provide services in person. I have been able to work remotely and this works well for most people, but for those with limited internet connection, it can be a challenge. Some college students took a break for the semester due to challenges with online learning. SOUTH

• Access due to face coverings. EAST CENTRAL • Trying to figure out how to Webex/Zoom etc. with using a sign language interpreter

as well. EAST CENTRAL • People who read lips are having a hard time with masks on, in addition to 6 feet

distance. You cannot see the non-verbals over the phone. UPPER NORTHWEST • During early stages of COVID-19 some medical providers were not letting deaf/hard

of hearing older adults who also had physical limitations or memory issues have a support person come in and were not providing assistance. Some places have attempted to deny an interpreter if a family member is present due to their allowing only one person in with the patient. Most masks are not clear which adds a barrier to communication for some, even though the Governor's decision includes being able to not use a mask or pull it down when communicating with deaf or hard of hearing individuals, there is not enough clarification on that point for many. NORTHWEST

• Since COVID-19 hit and the mask order was put in place it has been difficult for the people I support in the customer service roles. The mask makes it difficult for them to read lips and hard for the hard of hearing individuals to hear. UPPER NORTHWEST

Potential solutions to gaps and barriers

Question 3: Do you have any ideas for potential solutions to address these gaps and barriers related to COVID-19?


• Clear masks (but hard to get and the speaker has to wear it), a law requiring better captioning, otherwise, no. METRO

• Devices that allow communications when parties are 6 feet apart (but still in person to see non verbals). WEST CENTRAL

• None. WEST CENTRAL • Roger Pen microphones helpful. Clear masks helpful. As a hard of hearing person, I

don’t have Roger Pen or something to insert microphone close to speaker or behind a barrier. Perhaps State could provide something to help hard of hearing person to hear the speaker a little better, or to have speaker be unmasked behind plastic barrier, look at the deaf or hard of hearing person for lip-reading, or to have speaker to wear clear masks. WEST CENTRAL

• Health providers should be aware of notes on patients' file when they are deaf or hard of hearing, as I have had to repeat the information many times when they continue to speak with the mask on. METRO

• Educate everyone on the value (and necessity) of clear masks, be able to accommodate and work around barriers (i.e. use phones or pad/paper). I've seen cards that deaf and hard of hearing people can carry to share with hearing people about how to communicate. We need an overall change in our ableism, though, before I'll believe any real change can happen. SOUTH

• Improve communication regarding information. The language is weak and passive — need stronger language like legal obligations, ADA compliance, hotline set up, alerts for charges, etc. An idea is to use federal and state money that was given to distribute clear masks for free and remind others of obligations to provide interpreters onsite and VRI and best practices. SOUTH

• Discussing the clear masks for individuals who read lips. WEST CENTRAL • Use of plexiglass dividers, use of personal protective equipment (PPE). WEST

CENTRAL • If there is such a thing I would like to see clear masks or more clear face shields.

Education at work or community about how this impacts deaf and hard of hearing community. SOUTH

• Some form of sound amplification. The hard of hearing person could wear an assistive listening device. Educating the public about the communication difficulties and promoting accommodations. METRO

• I have seen masks with clear mouth shields, but they really aren’t effective unless everyone is wearing one. EAST CENTRAL

• Training or tips sheet on how to self-advocate. Sometimes it is difficult to publicly acknowledge you have a hearing issue. I don’t like asking folks to speak up or remove mask. METRO


• We actually just added into our grant to provide some technology for people in the community. We are developing a plan. However, we can only provide if a person is working. It would be nice to have more options so people can access other remote services such as mental health services and independent living skills. METRO

• Clear face shield available to all. EAST CENTRAL • So far I have seen that people are doing all they can to overcome these barriers. I am

continuing to provide individualized support. SOUTH • Maybe something like the cards used for when pulled over…having something like

that. EAST CENTRAL • Have interpreter participate in the Zoom/Webex, or having two cameras? EAST

CENTRAL • Devices that allow communications when parties are 6 feet apart (but still in person

to see non verbals). UPPER NORTHWEST • More education/communication on the Governor's mandate, specifically with deaf

and hard of hearing community, to entities that come in contact with this population frequently (medical, social services, etc.). Perhaps direct communication with the deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing communities to direct issues to DHHSD for advocacy and education when they encounter these issues. NORTHWEST

• Minnesota Employment Center has come up with some solutions for some of our cashier positions, such as using close caption on an iPad or phone and have a microphone attached to that phone/iPad. Then we attach the microphone to the plexiglass that most companies are using right now at their cash registers. This way when people speak the phone/iPad can pick up the person’s voice and the deaf or hard of hearing individual can read the close captioning. This has helped in some cases. UPPER NORTHWEST

• N/A South (2)

Racial inequities

Question 4: What racial inequities have you or community members who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing or late-deafened seen or experienced?

• I have heard of none. METRO • Ageism. WEST CENTRAL • Unknown. WEST CENTRAL • None where I reside. WEST CENTRAL


• Racial inequities occur every day, period. Like our ableism problem, we need to fix our racist and white supremacist problems, as well. We've got a lot of work to do. SOUTH

• All my life I have experienced and see racial inequities all the time. I try my small part but the system is larger than me. Experienced reporting and bring awareness of racial inequities but felt it was not addressed/acknowledged. A challenge as a white person is reporting on racial inequalities but Black, Indigenous and people of color individuals do not report it. SOUTH

• None. WEST CENTRAL • Access to internet within home for online learning. Access to 1:1 devices for distance

and hybrid learning. Access to communication due to language and literacy barriers. WEST CENTRAL

• Not sure. SOUTH • No one has specifically mentioned any. SOUTH • I have not seen any up close, though I'm keenly aware of the inequities by reading

and listening to the news. It's not too hard to imagine, with our long history of racial injustice, this carrying over into the deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, and late-deafened community. METRO

• I don’t know of any personally. EAST CENTRAL • None, for the most part, I’ve self-quarantined since the beginning of COVID-19.

METRO • We support many people directly impacted by the unrest occurring in the wake of

George Floyd’s murder. People living in the area had their transportation, access to medication and food impacted. We also see not equal representation of interpreters in the community. Often, if we have a person who wants a black interpreter to represent the person it can be hard to find. METRO

• The lack of patience due to communication. EAST CENTRAL • None, I’ve been working from home and have not gone out much. Have not seen

any other than seeing what’s happening on TV. EAST CENTRAL • Ageism. UPPER NORTHWEST • Hearing or late-deafened seen or experienced? I have not noticed anything with the

people I support. UPPER NORTHWEST • N/A East Central (1), Metro (1), South (2), Northwest (1)


Making services more accessible

Question 5: How can Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division make its services more accessible for deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing individuals who are Black, Indigenous and people of color?

• Help other groups (such as Hearing Loss Association of America–Twin Cities) connect with those who are not deaf who have hearing loss. METRO

• I have not had a concern with ethnic populations at this time. WEST CENTRAL • No “new” ideas. Keep disseminating what you develop and we will continue to push

it out. WEST CENTRAL • Provide same services as the rest of the races. All should be treated equally. But, if

there is some kind of lack of technology involved to use at home, perhaps, then look into providing borrowed equipment? WEST CENTRAL

• Train more Black, Indigenous and people of color who are deaf and hard of hearing to fill various DHHSD positions and, more, train existing DHHSD staff on the necessity of including Black, Indigenous and people of color who are deaf and hard of hearing at all levels of their work. SOUTH

• As a white person, I do not know what services are provided. DHHSD has very, very little visibility on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Linked in, etc.), do not host community events, webinars, or workshops. I was not aware of new VP line and happened to find out when called but are others aware? I didn't know that emails were sent out but found it was not easy to subscribe due to English language. In terms of emails, the Minnesota Commission on Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) provides both in sign and English but DHHSD does not. DHHSD should include both sign and English in their emails. The grant money for ASLIS, a for-profit hearing organization, seems to benefit interpreters and has little impact on the deaf. I think the grant should start over, be assessed, and talk with deaf people, not interpreters or agencies to find out what we really need to see impacts and improve access. Try to encourage Black, Indigenous and people of color staff, Black, Indigenous and people of color groups, and counseling affinity groups. Does the state have these or does DHHSD have these? Need more staff who are Black, Indigenous and people of color. SOUTH

• Have not had this situation yet. WEST CENTRAL • Provide information that takes away language barriers (using pictures?). WEST

CENTRAL • Reach out to those communities specifically and meet with their community leaders

at a grassroots level. SOUTH


• The Greater Mankato Diversity Council might have some ideas on making services accessible. They certainly provide training, though I'm not sure how the pandemic is impacting their services. SOUTH

• Incorporating these individuals among your staff and seeking their opinions on how they can be served. METRO

• I would suggest more touchpoints within those communities. EAST CENTRAL • We need to teach empathy, so more white people would open their hearts and

minds to the struggles people of color have in everyday life. METRO • Providing information and trainings about racial inequalities in both English and ASL

for educating the community on social injustice occurring in our country and community. Representation from people of color in videos and messaging. METRO

• Maybe provide live conferences/meetings. EAST CENTRAL • Open your office so the public can access anytime. Get a manager back into the St.

Cloud office so it can be open to the public. EAST CENTRAL • Matter of reaching out to them. Once we recruit them, educate them on equipment

that they have access to. Can we provide brochures to public schools and colleges? EAST CENTRAL

• I have not had a concern with ethnic populations at this time. UPPER NORTHWEST • Addition of staff from those communities is always a plus! Also, intentional invitation

to members from those communities to be on the advisory councils across the state may be key in including those perspectives and experiences which will enhance services. NORTHWEST

• I don’t know about being more accessible, but what I have heard from the Black or indigenous community is they would like us as providers to be more involved. Being more involved in their gatherings and groups. Learn more about their communities. UPPER NORTHWEST

• N/A Metro (1), South (2)

Gaps or communication barriers in specific settings

Question 6: What gaps or communication barriers have you or other community members seen and/or experienced in the following settings:

a. Health Care

• Virtual visits are terrible, earlier Emergency Room/Urgent Care did not allow a family member in to help translate. METRO

• Not having interpreters or PockeTalkers to assist people during meetings with the doctors. WEST CENTRAL


• As a deafblind person to hear someone wearing a mask AND behind the plastic barrier has been difficult…couldn’t understand, lack of clear speech. Thankfully, the person behind the screen knew me and just processed me through anyway. WEST CENTRAL

• Often experiences challenges in health care, more recently without interpreters for appointments which was resolved after contacting higher level staff. It is hard when interpreters do not have clear masks and cannot see their facial expressions, same with doctors and nurses. SOUTH

• Masks create barriers to communication, online meetings are not a substitute. SOUTH

• Masks make communication harder. SOUTH • I have had to use a phone app to understand staff and doctors. They have their

faces covered. EAST CENTRAL • Mayo Clinic SW provided the following feedback: This email was forwarded to

me by my supervisor, and interestingly I had my first encounter with a hard of hearing individual since the COVID-19 restrictions began today. The barrier that I ran into was that the patient indicated that he can read lips, but with providers being required to wear masks this has made communication more difficult and frustrating for him. I asked if he knows sign language, and he said he knows very little — not enough to effectively communicate with an interpreter. As far as solutions to this type of barrier specifically, my ideas are limited. I know that there are some masks that have a window making the user’s lips visible, but ensuring these are available for instances such as this may be a challenge. To remove masks to better communicate could put individuals relying on lip reading at greater risk of getting COVID. I am not sure if this feedback is helpful, but wanted to relay my experience. My dad is a CODA (child of deaf adult) and through my grandparents I have seen many barriers that the deaf community faces, so I really appreciate your efforts! SOUTH

• Face mask, challenging because we need to lipread. EAST CENTRAL • Not having interpreters or PockeTalkers to assist people during meetings with

the doctors. UPPER NORTHWEST • See above NORTHWEST • None. WEST CENTRAL • N/A, work in schools WEST CENTRAL • N/A East Central (2), Metro (4), South (2), West Central (1), Upper Northwest

(1)


b. Law Enforcement

• None that I am aware of. METRO • I have not had experience with law enforcement and older adults as of yet.

WEST CENTRAL • No issues where I reside. WEST CENTRAL • This has always been a problem as law enforcement have different standards

and immunity. Had an experience which was very oppressive and not equal to hearing with limits on communication. The problem is they always have trainings again and again, but don't see changes, not sure what needs to be done. SOUTH


• I don’t have any experience with this. EAST CENTRAL • Patrol staff reported incident of individual not being able to communicate due to

face mask. They offered removal of masks at over 6 feet distance or communicating with handwritten notes. SOUTH

• I have not had experience with law enforcement and older adults as of yet. UPPER NORTHWEST

• Despite ongoing training provided, police officers continue to not provide interpreting services when requested. Connecting with training programs to provide training is key to help them interact safely and respectfully with the deaf and hard of hearing community. NORTHWEST

• N/A, work in schools WEST CENTRAL • None. WEST CENTRAL • N/A East Central (3), Metro (4), South (3), West Central (1), Upper Northwest

(1)

c. Employment

• Employers understanding the problem with masks and distancing and providing captioning services, etc. METRO

• People that I work with are not employed. WEST CENTRAL • Mental exhaustion after more virtual meetings. METRO • This is always a problem with unemployment, giving up work, relying on Social

Security benefits and having barriers with Social Security benefits and work. Many have college degrees but not working at good jobs and underemployed. Encourage DHHSD with DHS and Social Work to be involved with language deprivation in infants due to impacts that they may experience later in life with language, academics, health care, law enforcement, employment, etc. SOUTH



• Online job search is great for those who know the technology. Many older people who are both losing their hearing and aren't fluent in technology have trouble. Some WorkForce Centers have opened and can help, but not all of them. SOUTH

• Employers resistant to hiring interpreters and not understanding that for many deaf people, English is a second language. Communication is an essential function of many jobs and this puts many deaf and hard of hearing people at a disadvantage. METRO

• I am immunocompromised in addition to being hard of hearing. The galleries and calls that I participated with are closed or are operating on a limited basis. This has made working with them impossible. I did two online exhibits but they don’t generate sales. I feel too vulnerable to attend any kind of event where too many people are gathered. EAST CENTRAL

• We work directly with employment and some of the main barriers we are seeing is setting up people in remote settings during COVID and masks making it hard to communicate with coworkers and employees. METRO

• Limited options for employment for everyone right now. Limited options for placement and on the job supports. SOUTH

• I really have not had a bad experience, I have been able to work through them, but there is an increase amount of anxiety, of course. EAST CENTRAL

• I worked on site yesterday and everyone is required to use a Mask. Challenge to communicate. They pull down their mask temporary for me to read their lips. Glad to be working from home now. EAST CENTRAL

• People that I work with are not employed. UPPER NORTHWEST • Use of employees with questionable signing skills to "fill in" a Deaf employee on

COVID updates during staff meetings and special meetings. Not considering the use of clear masks for those who communicate most often with deaf and hard of hearing employees. NORTHWEST

• People wearing mask around the deaf and hard of hearing people. It makes hard for reading lips, understanding facial expressions. Also, right now during the pandemic companies are trying to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) social distancing rules and policies. That makes it hard for them to write back and forth, or use apps on phone. People are not wanting to share pens or touch other people’s phones. Making it very isolating for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. UPPER NORTHWEST

• None. WEST CENTRAL


• N/A, work in schools WEST CENTRAL • N/A East Central (1), Metro (1), South (2), West Central (2)

Other comments

• In late April, Diane shared tips for healthcare providers on tele-medicine. I shared this with our hospital and clinics and the same afternoon at the daily Zoom meeting encompassing about 40 people, it was discussed for about 20 minutes with a plan to disseminate to all providers with recommendation to use. She also shared tips for people to use on the phone calls. This resource was shared with healthcare, emergency managers, and all county staff. I have also found instructions on-line for masks with plastic centers that I have shared with schools, emergency managers, staff, and have posted on Facebook. WEST CENTRAL

• Only thing I have to say, this mask thing drives me nuts. Is there an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) code that I can ask people to lower their mask if I’m 6 feet away? METRO

• I think it could be helpful to have those laminated deaf, hard of hearing cards that clearly state that mask wearing is preventing me from watching your lips and I am having difficulty understanding you. Or something to that effect. I am thinking specifically of standing in line ordering something, or in a restaurant, that it could be useful. That way the server/cashier understands that you may need to get their message in another manner. I use a phone app, but having something that is clearly written and laminated would be helpful. The lamination part is essential so that it could be wiped down. Thanks for your consideration. EAST CENTRAL

• Also Education/Mental Health. EAST CENTRAL • I don’t have much to share. I have recognized some gaps, but I have seen a lot of

positive outcomes despite COVID. For the people I serve, there have been expanded options for remote services. This is giving access to services that they normally would not have had access to. I have had 4 people have successful job placement with job coaching and in person interpreting. I am able to serve people in new ways, have faster access to contact with me, as I am not traveling and save a lot of time that way. Vocational Rehabilitation Services was able to take people off all of our waiting lists recently. SOUTH

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