OAD President Community Update 8/11/2016

Hi everyone. I'm Chad A. Ludwig, OAD president. I'd like to share a few announcements with you.

First, DeafFest is happening next month on September 17. We're very excited for our 3rd annual event. It will be held at Oaks Park. If you want more information you can find our Facebook event page, go through our Facebook page, or through our OAD website and get more information from the calendar.

Now for my second announcement for August 18. Perhaps you know of EHDI, Early Hearing Detection Intervention. I've been on the board for two years and just renewed for another two years. Myself and another man named Patrick Graham, who is also Deaf and is from Western Oregon University, are on the board and have been going to the meetings and will continue to go to the meetings. We've been going to the meetings to see what the purpose is, give feedback, and to make sure that Deaf issues are on the table and being taken into consideration as well. The two of us go to the meetings and watch the proceedings. The next meeting will take place on August 18.

Third, I'd like to talk about Oregon commercial driving. This includes things like buses, different work vehicles, any vehicles on Oregon highways and streets. There was an incident at Chestnut Lane, an assisted living community for older Deaf, and Deafblind adults. They have no Deaf drivers and when asked about this they responded that Deaf can't. I contacted them and entered into discussions. I was given a list of clarifications. I know that there are some in our Deaf community who drive commericial vehicles in the state of Oregon. Pay attention. Whether you are currently driving, you've been hired, you've been let go or are are looking for work to become drivers, if you want to drive in Oregon state, that's fine, you just need to fill out an application for a federal waiver. They have a process set up for this.

Next you apply for the state drivers, you need that waiver if you're deaf and they have a process. Both federal and state each have their own specific process and I am no expert on that. You need to contact each; for the federal you need to contact FMCA Oregon Federal Office: 503-399-5775.

For the state application you need a waiver. For this you need to contact the Oregon DMV waiver program: 503-945-0891.

If you've had any of these experiences with wanting to drive, being fired, or not hired for a driving position, or if you're currently driving but experiencing frustrations we need your stories. Contact Denise Thew Hackett. She's currently doing research and a community needs assessment. Send her an email to Link .

She will collect stories from all of you and she needs to have them before August 31, 2016. That's this year and this month! After that, that's it! No more research. Your opportunities to share your stories, your frustrations and experiences is done. We need your stories. Please take the time to contact Denise, or come to one of our local events where we'll do the surveys. We'll sit down one on one for a dialogue that's more interactive. The soonest will be happening in Eugene, then there's one in Medford, then Bend, then in the Portland/Gresham area. We'll be traveling around so please contact Denise and find out how you can share your story and this can all come together. Thank you for watching this vlog.

Any questions, please email to Link .

Special thanks goes out to Strada Communications for captioning this video.

Please follow us at fb.com/deaforegon or visit our website at Link . Thanks!