CEPIN Project Marks One-Year Milestone

From: CEPIN Project - Nov 15, 2005

Media Contact: Trudy Suggs, Public Relations Specialist
cepinpr@tdi-online.org
(301) 589-3797 FAX

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CEPIN Project Marks One-Year Milestone
Project has achieved many things in its first year

Silver Spring, MD [November 15, 2005] – The Community Emergency Preparedness Information Network (CEPIN) Project recently saw its one-year milestone. “This collaboration is essential, building on many years of advocacy. Under the able leadership of James House, national coordinator, this project has brought together a unique collaboration between consumers and professionals in a crucial life-saving partnership,” said Claude Stout, TDI executive director. “In addition, the materials produced by CEPIN owe its appeal to the creative design by Trudy Suggs, public relations specialist.”

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security awarded TDI nearly $1.5 million for the two-year CEPIN Project, which focuses on developing model community education programs for deaf and hard of hearing consumers. The CEPIN Project team, which is sorted into four regions across the nation, has accomplished an impressive list of actions during its first year. “We’ve set up a temporary website with fact sheets for consumers, began distributing an e-newsletter, worked with various agencies in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and assembled a wonderful team of experts, to name just a few,” said James House. “This is so important because emergency preparedness is far-reaching and extends to all 50 states. The specialists and their managers at the four regional centers are also to be lauded for all the work they’ve performed in the past year.”

The four regional centers include:

Mid-Atlantic and Southeast: Northern Virginia Resource Center, Fairfax, VA (www.nvrc.org)
Midwest & Southwest: CSD of Oklahoma, Tulsa, OK (www.c-s-d.org)
New England & Great Lakes: D.E.A.F., Inc., Boston, MA (www.deafinconline.org)
West & Hawaii: Deaf Counseling, Advocacy and Referral Agency (DCARA), San Leandro, CA (www.dcara.org)

“Additionally, we’ve been working closely with the National Center on Biomedical Research and Training at Louisiana State University on developing a curriculum for our workshops in the next year,” House said. “This will enable us to have the courses certified by the Department of Homeland Security, as well as a mechanism to train and certify instructors to provide this course for years to come.”

CEPIN Project team members have also presented extensively on various topics related to emergency preparedness at conferences and events around the nation. “We’re really looking forward to the next year, when we can start providing courses to first responders and community leaders nationwide. We will also unveil our new web site that will feature resources and video clips in American Sign Language,” added House. “These will be the most important aspects of our grant funding, reaching out to consumers and first responders alike to ensure safety and emergency preparedness for individuals who have a hearing loss.”

For more information about the CEPIN Project or to subscribe to its monthly newsletter “Are You Ready?,” please visit www.cepintdi.org.

About the CEPIN Project
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security awarded TDI nearly $1.5 million for the two-year CEPIN Project, which focuses on developing model community education programs for deaf and hard of hearing consumers about emergency preparedness. More information is at www.cepintdi.org.

About TDI
Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc. (TDI) is a non-profit advocacy organization that promotes equal access to telecommunications, media and information technology for individuals who are deaf, late deafened, hard-of-hearing and deaf-blind. Since 1968, TDI has successfully advocated for a variety of federal legislation to improve the lives of people with hearing loss, including the Hearing Aid Compatibility Act of 1988, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Television Decoder Circuitry Act, both of 1990, and the Telecommunications Act of 1996.  In addition, TDI advocates for administrative rules and policies that would provide greater access to wireless technology, as well as complete and high quality captioning of television programs.  Since its inception, TDI has promoted equal access to 9-1-1 centers and other public safety answering points, and is now working to ensure full access for deaf and hard of hearing people to information during natural or manmade disasters and other types of emergencies. TDI annually publishes a National Directory & Resource Guide, commonly known as The Blue Book, which is a popular resource book for people with hearing loss, as well as the GA-SK Quarterly News Magazine. For more information about TDI, visit www.tdi-online.org.

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