HAMimi=N· ----------------------------------------------~ ay

December 10, 2015

1006 Twelfth Street Aurora, Nebraska68818 voice/TIY 800.618.4781

fax 402.694.5110 web site: www.hamiltonrelay.com

e-mail: ln~@hamiltauelay.com

Dan Arabie and Alia Tarasyuk selected for Hamilton Relay 2015 Deaf Community Leader Award for the State of Louisiana

Dan Arabie and A1Ja Tarasyuk are both leaders who are devoted to improving the lives of individuals who are deaf Dan and A1Ja have each dedicated their time and talents toward advocating on behalf of Lotmiana 's Deaf and Deaf-Blind commmities.

Dan Arabie knows very well the challenges meed by individuals who are deaf or deaf-blind and is corrnnitted to serving others. Dan is active in the conm.mity and is involved in many organizations, including the Louisiana Acadiana DeatBlind Citizens, the American Association ofthe DeafBlind and the Lafayette Athletic· Association of the Dea( to nam= a fuw. Dan is the fuunder of the Deaf Bayou e-News, which has becom= one ofthe nation's trost popular publications fur individuals who are deaf or deaf-blind.

Dan organized and lead a deaf-blind rally at the Louisiana State DepartJrent of Social Services in Baton Rouge to advocate fur Support Service Provider (SSP) Services fur Louisiana residents who are deaf-blind. The rally was instrumental in helping pass new SSP legislation in the state.

Alla Tarasyuk troved to the United States from Ukraine and had to learn both English and American Sign Language (ASL). Being multi-lingua~ Alia volwtteered to teach English and ASL to other immigrants. Since Imving to Louisiana, Alia has successfully organized interpreting workshops fur individuals working toward ASL certification.

She is currently involved with the Louisiana Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program. As president of Inspiring Leadership Education Employment Advocacy with the Deaf Commmity (1-LEEAD), she advocates fur the rights of children who are deaf and their parents. Alia is involved with the Louisiana Association of the Deaf, the Greater New Orleans Association fur the Deaf, the Louisiana Registry of Interpreters fur the Deaf and American Sign Language Teachers Association.

We coll'lllend Dan and Alia fur their conunitment to making a ditfurence in the Deaf and Deaf:. Blind comm.mities in Louisiana and congratulate them on being selected as the recipients of the Hamilton Relay 2015 DeafCorrmmity Leader Award.

This leadership recognition has been brought to you by Hamilton Relay.

About Hamilton Relay Hamilton Relay provides contracted Traditional Relay and Captioned Telephone services through 25 contracts to 18 states, the District of Colurri>ia and the Island of Saipan, and is a provider of Internet-based Captioned Telephone services nationwide. More infOrmation is available at www.hamiltonrelay.com

The Hamilton WINTER2015

RELAY CONNECT:i:R www.hamiltonrelay.com • VoiceiTTY 800.618.4781 • 1006 12th St., Aurora, NE 68818 A Publication of Hamilton Relay, Inc.

STATE RELAY CUSTOMER

CARE

California 877-632-9095 TTY/V

District of Columbia 866-560-1452 TTY/V

Georgia 866-694-5824 TTY/V

Idaho 800-368-6185 TTYIV

Iowa 888-516-4692 TTY/V

Kansas 866-735-2957 TTY/V

Louisiana 888-699-6869 TTY/V

Maine 800-270-9709 TTY/V

Maryland 866-269·9006 TTY/V

Massachusetts 800-720-3479 v

800-720-3480 TTY

Michigan 844-578·6563 TTY/V

Montana 800-833-8503 TTY/V

Nevada 888-256-5647 TTY/V

New Mexico 877-463-0994 TTY/V

Pennsylvania 800-974-1253 TTY/V

Rhode Island 866-703-5485 TTYIV

Tennessee 888-269-7477 TTY/V

Virginia 866-894-4116 v

866-246-9300 TTY

Washington 800-974-1548 TTYIV

Blazing New Hails A s I think about chis past year, the theme in the

telecommunications world has paralleled the theme celebrated ar chis year's National Association of Stare Relay Administration (NASRA) convention: Blazing New Trails.

We celebrated a momentous year with the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act! To have been a part of the evolurion of Relay since 1991 and to continue co be a parr of its future growth and enhancement is an honor. We look forward ro celebrating rhe 25th Anniversary of Hamilton Relay in 2016 and co Blazing New Trails for years co come!

As Hamilton maintains a smooth and steady trail with our service offerings, we are always looking for new ways co continue co improve so that we deliver the best services possible. As confirmed through this year's Third Party Quality Assurance Testing, Hamilton is among the best in the industry in quality of service and cusmmer care, and we couldn't be more proud. Our Customer Care team works tirelessly co maintain this standard of care and our exceptional employees work hard every day co ensure that calls are processed accurately and efficiently.

We have been Blazing New Trails across the country through our stare and national outreach effons. With new programs implemented to educate individuals about the types of communication services available to them, we're reaching out co more communities than ever through panel discussions, cown hall meetings, sponsorships, exhibits, school curriculums, senior events, one-on­one supporr, business trainings and more. These efforts are all part of our daily mission to ensure Relay is accessible to all individuals who can benefit from the service.

Thank you for being a parr of che journey with Hamilton Relay. We look forward to preserving and continuously improving our service offerings to better serve our Relay users now and in the future!

Sincerely,

~~ Dixie Ziegler, Vice President Hamilton Relay

Award Program Update Hamilton Relay will begin accepting

nominations for the Better Hearing and Speech Month Recognition Award fn early 2016. Keep an eye on our website,

www.HamiltonRelay.com, and

Facebook page for more information.

"Go Green" Hamilton Relay is going green with our Relay Connector Newsletter.

If you would like

to rece1ve the Hamilton Relay

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email inbox, go to HamiltonRelay.com/

Subscribe to sign up!

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Celebrating the Leaders in Our Col11ll1unities I n honor of Deaf Awareness week, recognized nationally during the last

week of September, the Hamilton Relay Deaf Community Leader Award was presented ro the following recipients for their tireless effons and advocacy toward improving the lives of individuals who are deaf or deaf-blind.

Iowa Robert Vizzini serves as the Cedar Rapids Association of the Deaf representative for the Iowa Association of the Deaf and is committed ro advocating for the needs of individuals who are deaf or deaf-blind throughout the state of Iowa.

Idaho Sarah Frasier is the vice president of Boise Valley Association of the Deaf and has been an integral part of planning their evems for over three years. She is described by her peers as selfless, hardworking and dedicated to keeping members of the Deaf community connected.

Stef.mie Saltern is currently the secretary for the Idaho Associacion of the Deaf and is the chairperson of Walk4ASL. She is dedicated to the Deaf community in Idaho and is passionate about preserving Deaf culture.

Kansas Suzanne Dennis is an active parricipam in many organizations within Kansas, including the National Counselors fOr rhe Deaf Association and Kansas Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Suzanne is always willing ro tackle rough issues that individuals who are deaf may fuce and is a true advocate for the Deaf communi_cy.

Louisiana Dan Arabie is involved in many organizations within the community, including Louisiana Acadiana Deaffilind Citizens and American Association of the DeafBlind. He was instrumental in advocating for Support Service Provider (SSP) services which lead to passing new SSP legislation in Louisiana.

Alia Tarasyuk moved to the United States from Ukraine and volunteers her multilingual skills to teach English and American Sign Language (ASL) to other immigrants. She is actively involved in the Deaf community and with Inspiring Leadership Education Employment Advocacy with the Deaf Community (1-LEEAD), where she advocates for the rights of children who are deaf and their parents.

Maryland Charm Smith is the presidem of the Maryland Association of the Deaf and a community member of the Maryland Advisory Council of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Charm is a dedicated volunteer who is willing to go above and beyond to improve the quality of life for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Maine Wanda McMullen is an active volunreer in the cemral Maine area and offers her time to many organizations, including Tri-Fiying Hands, Northern Deaf Night Out and Deaf Women of Maine. Her peers describe her as a dedicated advocate for enhancing and improving the lives of individuals in the Deaf community.

ContimwJ 011 pag~ 3

Montana Jeff Richards has been a member of the Monrana Associarion of the Deaf for 26 years. He is an active and valued member of Montana's Deaf community and is described by his peers as reliable and hardworking.

Nevada David Kelsey was recently appoinred as president of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Advocacy Resource Center. He is described as a highly respected teacher, volunteer and leader within the Deaf community in Las Vegas.

Jennifer Montoya is the chairperson of Camp SignShine and is instrumental in planning, fundraising and performing outreach for rhe camp. She inspires others through her leadership and commitment to making positive changes in her community.

Pennsylvania Gary Bootay has been an active member of the Pennsylvania Society for the Advancement of rhe Deaf for over 30 years. He uses his knowledge and skills to advocate for the rights of individuals who are deaf.

Tennessee Nancy Yater is an active member of Nashville's Deaf community. She volunteers her time at Bridges, the Tennessee Association of the Deaf and Your Heart on Art. Nancy is described by her peers as one of the most dependable and well­respected leaders in the community.

Virginia Cheryl Heppner has been an active member of the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) and the Association of Late-Deafened Adults (ALDA) for many years. She is a tireless advocate and role model for the Deaf community.

Customer Care Corner: We Welcome Your Feedback! Did you just have a successful Relay call and the Communication Assistant (CA) did an outstanding job7 Or do you have additional feedback that you would

like to share7

PoSitive feedback means the world to a CA

and brightens his or her day! Constructive feedback is also greatly appreciated as 1t

helps us know which areas to improve when facilitating your future Relay calls. Your

comments and suggestions are extremely valuab!e in ensuring that our Relay services meet your needs and expectations.

When calling into our Customer Care department. please provide detailed

information similar to the example g~ven.

Your Information will help us provide

continuous training and pos1tive support to our CAs.

Example of feedback to provide:

Date of Relay Call: October 24, 2015

Time of Relay Call: 3:26p.m. (CST)

CA ID Number: CA 4444 (Male/Female)

Comments (please be specific): This CA

d1d a wonderful job relay1ng my call. She

typed effiCiently w1th no spelling errors and handled the call in a highly professional manner. Keep up the good work!

$500 High School Scholarship available to High School Seniors;. Applications due March 1, 2016 Do you know a high school senior who is deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-b~nd or who

has difficulty speaking and is looking for

scholarship opportunities to continue their education? Hamilton Relay is currently

seeking quahfied applicants for the Hamilton Relay High School Scholarship

to be awarded in Spring 2016.

The Hamilton Relay Scholarship is extended to a graduating high school

student living within each of the states where Hamilton Relay is the contracted

telecommunications relay and/or captioned

telephone service provider. In each of these states, a $500 scholarship will be awarded to one eligible applicant. All

app'icants must meet e~gibility requirements

and submit required application materials prior to the March 1, 2016 deadline.

Apply Today! Download the Hamilton Relay Scholarship

Guidelines and Application at

www.HamiltonRelay.com.