TDI-L eNotes 1/8/07 - TDI and CEPIN Recognize Hamilton Relay for Its Support

From: TDI - Jan 8, 2007

TDI and CEPIN Recognize Hamilton Relay for Its Support

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 8, 2007

Silver Spring, Md. – The Community Emergency Preparedness Information Network (CEPIN) project and Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc. (TDI) would like to thank Hamilton Relay. Hamilton Relay, a relay services company that has been providing services for deaf and hard of hearing people since 1991, stepped up and donated the necessary funding to provide lunch and refreshments for CEPIN’s "Emergency Responders and the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community: Taking the First Steps to Disaster Preparedness" trainings last year.

“Everyone involved in training knows that one of the best ways to bring people to any training event is to provide lunch and refreshments,” said Neil McDevitt, National Coordinator for the CEPIN project. “Hamilton’s sponsorship was a key enabler in allowing us to provide this critical emergency preparedness information to more than 500 consumer and professional participants.”

While funds from this grant were earmarked for the expenses of the project, there were no funds available to cover meals and refreshments for the day-long CEPIN trainings.

“Hamilton responded enthusiastically to provide this support, as it believes fully in the vital potential of the CEPIN training program toward greater awareness and sensitivity between consumer leaders and emergency responders,” said Claude Stout, TDI Executive Director. “Hamilton Relay understands clearly that consumers and emergency responders learn from the CEPIN training how to best to coordinate efforts effectively with each other during the planning, response and recovery processes for any disaster: man-made or natural.”

The CEPIN project has hosted a total of 15 trainings across the country this fall after receiving course approval from the Department of Homeland Security.

"Hamilton Relay is pleased to have supported TDI through its CEPIN project," said Dixie Ziegler, Vice President of Hamilton Relay. "Hamilton Relay recognizes the need for effective communications and coordination in an emergency. We congratulate TDI for its work as well as all those who participated in the actual training."

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Contact Person: Neil McDevitt, National Coordinator
Community Emergency Preparedness Information Network, www.cepintdi.org
Email: pr@cepintdi.org
TTY/VP: 301-589-3006
Voice: 301-589-3786
FAX: 301-589-3797

About CEPIN: The CEPIN Project is coordinated by Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc. 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 emergency responders and deaf and hard of hearing consumers. For more information about CEPIN, visit www.cepintdi.org.

About TDI: Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc. is a nonprofit advocacy organization that promotes equal access to telecommunications, media and information technology for individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing. 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 will 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 man-made disasters and other types of emergencies. TDI annually publishes a national directory and 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, visit www.tdi-online.org.

Coordinated by Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc., and supported by Cooperative Agreement Number 2004-GT-T4-K008 administered by the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security, Office of Grants and Training.

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