|
DHHCAN Meeting Minutes February 3, 2010 Present: Claude Stout (TDI) (Chair); Cheryl Heppner (ALDA) (Vice Chair); Rosaline Crawford (NAD) (Secretary/Treasurer); Art Roehrig (AADB); Al Sonnenstrahl (ADARA); Barbara Raimondo (CEASD); Karen Peltz Strauss (CSD); Sam Sonnenstrahl (GUAA); Ron Sutcliffe (NDBI); Kelby Brick (Purple); Janet Bailey (RID); Mary Lightfoot (RID); Ron Burdett (Sorenson); Paul Kershisnik(Sorenson); Mike Maddix (Sorenson); and Samuel Jones (consumer). The Chair called the meeting to order at 1:10 p.m. Minutes: The minutes of the meeting held on January 6, 2010, were approved as read. Officers’ Reports: Chair - Hold discussion on consensus issue until later.
- Number porting issue; CSDVRS filed Petition for Expedited Declaratory Ruling (January 29, 2010). See below. Sorenson claims default provider issue; when number ports, former default provider cannot communicate with equipment; 911 and calls to other providers continue; new default provider assumes responsibility for point-to-point calls. Need to verify who has point-to-point obligation. Scheduled switch date is called “firm order commitment” (FOC); agreed to by number providers; not VRS providers. VRS providers have limited experience porting numbers. Sorenson may file comments. Porting number to new equipment should be seamless process for consumers. Sorenson agrees process should be clear and easy for consumer. When FOC date set, former default provider cannot contact consumer; new default provider should have obligation to communicate with consumer. Sorenson developing video explaining porting; after number ported, some features and functions won’t work. Could avoid porting problems if not required to port number to new equipment; get a new number.
Vice Chair - Attended meeting last week with officials at the White House about selection of highly qualified deaf and hard of hearing candidates for presidential appointments and commissions.
- AG Bell interested in DHHCAN. Secretary-Treasurer will provide AG Bell with information on membership categories and invite them to attend a few meetings.
Secretary/Treasurer - Reminders on DHHCAN dues sent out. The balance in the DHHCAN bank account is $37,419.
Committee Reports: Education - FY 2011 budget proposal includes funding for school reforms, even though No Child Left Behind (NCLB) has not been reauthorized yet.
- New terms being used as part of NCLB: “college and career ready” and “high efficiency teacher.”
- South Dakota school for the deaf is open for one more year, but enrollment has shrunk to a few students; state is considering other models.
Rehabilitation Transportation - Final DHHCAN airline access guidelines were sent to members for posting on websites.
Emergency Preparedness - Some non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are connected to the Department of Homeland Security which has shared information about Haiti; as of January 30, 2010, 113,392 deaths reported; 700,000 displaced people in the capitol, of which 482,000 have left the city.
- New buzz word is “clusters” (i.e., disability cluster, environmental health cluster) to cross communicate and bring expertise to the different groups.
- Handicap International is leading disability efforts in Haiti.
- USAID has contract to provide services and support for Haiti; conference calls were weekly, now every two weeks; remote CART being provided.
- Florida director of emergency preparedness, Brian Bond, is connecting to leaders in different states and will have a conference call.
- Someone was looking for interpreters for Haiti; Claudia Gordon hooked them up with folks at Gallaudet; ASL is used in Haiti.
Health & Human Services Technology & Telecommunications - Follow up on FCC four-month waiver on December 4, 2009, to permit toll free 800 numbers in the Internet Telecommunications Relay Service (iTRS) number database; Crawford will distribute draft consumer information to get feedback and ensure consistency of message.
- January 4, 2010, FCC Consumer Advisory Committee recommended that the FCC mandate nationwide captioned telephone service.
- January 5, 2010, CSDVRS sent letter to Chairman Genachowski concerning withholdings of payment for conference calls made through VRS.
- January 13, 2010, NAD filed ex parte on conversation with Mark Stone, Deputy CGB Chief, discussing toll free numbers; VRS reform, rate methodology, and rates; and consumer complaints about blocked VRS calls.
- January 21, 2010, several VRS providers filed ex parte on compensable minutes petitions and needed clarifications.
- January 21, 2010, CSDVRS filed ex parte on conversation with Mark Stone, Deputy CGB Chief, discussing general and multiple VRS issues.
- January 27, 2010, NAD and Consumer Groups filed Petition to Initiate a Notice and Comment Rulemaking Proceeding on pending petitions and VRS payment withholdings.
- January 29, 2010, CSDVRS filed Petition for Expedited Declaratory Ruling about continued functionality of VRS and E911 for consumers awaiting porting of number; alleges Sorenson disabling videophones when it learns consumer is porting their number, but before the port has been completed; requests mandate to ensure videophones remain fully functional until number porting is complete. See further discussion above.
- January 29, 2010, CSDVRS sent letter to Joel Gurin, CGB Chief, on number porting issue.
- January 29, 2010, CSDVRS sent letter to Chairman Genachowski on toll free 800 numbers and caller ID, asking that the caller ID field display local 10-digit numbers only.
- February 2, 2010, Sprint and Convo filed ex parte on meeting with DRO and IG about withholding payment for certain VRS calls.
- Chair reported on meeting with David Bahar in Representative Inslee’s office on February 2, 2010, to discuss proposed legislation to modernize the FCC and ensure the integrity of the TRS Fund. Would have preferred discussion with DHHCAN and providers first to achieve consensus. Will draft letter for House and Senate to send to the FCC to address pending issues. Working on getting appointment for Consumer Groups to meet with Joel Gurin, new CGB Chief.
Old Business: - Solicit volunteers for committee to undertake a review of and make recommendations to update the bylaws in 2010; postponed to the March meeting.
New Business: - Will forward Disability Power & Pride invitation to DHHCAN members.
Meeting adjourned at 3:10 p.m. The next meeting will be held in the Ole Jim on Wednesday, March 3, 2010. Rosaline Crawford Secretary/Treasurer
|
