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Outstanding Partner Award | Commission News | Mark your calendar

Auxiliary Services Updates | Colorado Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

Outstanding Partner Award 2022

The Colorado Commission for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind received the Outstanding Partner of 2022 from DOVE (Deaf Overcoming Violence through Empowerment) during their annual benefit celebration. The award recognizes the commission’s collaborative efforts to serve deaf, deafblind, deafdisabled and hard of hearing (DDBDDHH) survivors. DOVE Executive Director, Sabrina Roult gave heartfelt thanks, saying, “Thank you so much for all of these years of amazing collaboration and support.” 

DOVE is a Colorado non-profit dedicated to providing advocacy services for deaf, deafblind, deafdisabled, or hard of hearing victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and other forms of abuse. The DOVE annual benefit celebration came as the state wrapped-up Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October. 

Image description(Above/Top): The Colorado Commission for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind staff pose on stage with the DOVE Outstanding Partner Award Plaque. FRONT ROW (on floor) Director, Cliff Moers. BACK ROW - Katie Cue, JoAnne Hirsch, Heather Wilcox, Mandy Turner, Luke Adams, Ryan Hawkins, Trish Leakey.

Image Description(Above/Right): DOVE award plaque with inscription: DOVE Deaf Overcoming Violence through Empowerment - Outstanding Partner. Presented to Colorado Commission for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind. For your collaborative efforts to best serve deaf, deafblind, deafdisabled and hard of hearing survivors 2022.

“DOVE has a fitting name because it is a symbol of peace, freedom, or love. They have a very important mission advocating for victims and survivors,” said Cliff Moers, director for the commission. “They not only change survivors’ lives forever, they bring peace, freedom, and love to the world.” 

The commission works with DOVE year round on projects such as deaf awareness events, training, and providing resources and services to support DOVE’s activities around the state such as their Resiliency and Communication Education project. This project will provide educational resources and healing tools to deaf, deafblind, deaf disabled, and hard of hearing community members and survivors. The work of the commission and DOVE go hand in hand as they work to reach the deaf communities in the far corners of Colorado’s rural areas.

“We could not do the work we do without DOVE as a resource for the community. We refer folks to them, collaborate with them, and rely on their expertise,” said Katie Cue, outreach and consultative services manager for the commission. “We are thankful that we have DOVE as a partner in doing the work we do.”

Programs and services the commission provides include:

• DeafBlind Services.
• Legal Auxiliary Services.
• Rural Auxiliary Services.
• Colorado Early Hearing Detection and Intervention.
• Communications Technology Program.
• Outreach and Consultative Services.
• Grants, Systems Advocacy, and more.

More information about the commission’s programs and services are available on the commission’s webpage. Information about DOVE’s services is available online at deafdove.org.

The Colorado Commission for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind connects people with assistance, resources, and supports effective communication for everyone. More than 755,569 Coloradans are deaf or hard of hearing and approximately 1,200 Coloradans are DeafBlind. Each year, about 200 babies are born in Colorado with hearing differences. We strive to be agents of change for a sustainable statewide network of resources, dedicated to cultural and linguistic equality. We envision a barrier-free Colorado.

COMMISSION NEWS

December Commission Meeting 

The commission’s last quarterly meeting for 2022 was Thursday, Dec. 1 from 4-6 p.m.

Here are the materials that were reviewed and discussed:

• Agenda.
• Meeting powerpoint.
• Rural Auxiliary Services Legislative Report.
• Commission statutes.
• DORA Sunset Review Website info.
• Denver International Airport Accessibility Article (October Navigator).

The next quarterly commission meeting is scheduled for

Thursday, March 2, 2023

4-6 p.m. 

Commissioner Vacancy

The commission, known as an advisory board, of the Colorado Commission for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind advises on policies that direct the State of Colorado to take a course of action to meet the Colorado Department of Human Services functions, mission and vision. The commission promotes the interests of the deaf, hard of hearing, and deafblind constituents and ensures access to both communication and environment. 

The commission is seeking independent, enthusiastic and committed candidates for the Governor appointed Parent of deaf, hard of hearing, or deafblind child position.

The application deadline is 4 p.m. on Friday, January 13, 2023.

Commissioners receive no paid compensation for their service on the commission, but travel expenses are reimbursed in accordance with state travel regulations.

Commission duties include, but are not limited to:

• Completing Commissioner Pendley’s four-year term from July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2024.                  
• Monitoring the functions and performance of the commission.
• Attending quarterly and special commission meetings.     
• Preparing for commission meetings.                                        
• Becoming familiar with the needs of your specific constituency.
• Serving on a committee of the commission.                                            
• Representing the commission before the public, businesses and community.

For more information regarding the commission and services, please visit www.ccdhhdb.com or contact us at 720-457-3679 or office.ccdhhdb@state.co.us.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Mark your calendar

Holiday Schedule

‘Tis the season! There are state holidays coming up and our office will be closed:

• December 26, 2022 (Christmas)
• January 2, 2023 (New Year’s Day)
• January 16, 2023 (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day)

AUXILIARY SERVICES UPDATES

New Auxiliary Services Coordinator

Introducing Ali Lombardi

The Auxiliary Services unit is pleased to announce that Ali Lombardi joined the team as a second Auxiliary Services Coordinator on November 28, 2022. Ali will work closely with long-time Auxiliary Services Coordinator Mandy Pierce-Turner and Mandy is already calling Ali her other half.

Between Ali and Mandy, AS coordinators will be available seven days a week to handle scheduling and other duties, which will boost the level of service available to the deaf, hard of hearing, and deafblind communities in court/legal and rural settings. Mandy’s primary focus will be on sign language 

interpreter and Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) scheduling. Ali’s primary focus will be on invoices, hotel reservations, and other administrative duties. 

“I am excited to join the CCDHHDB team!”

Ali has been in the education field for the past 10 years and her most recent focus was working with children in public education who are deaf or hard of hearing. 

Ali recently obtained a Bachelors degree in Interpreting American Sign Language/English from Troy University. She is excited to be part of a team that shares the same focus and goals. Ali is a Colorado native and loves all that the great state has to offer. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her very active 2-year-old son, snowboarding and traveling. 

New Lead ASL/English Interpreter

Introducing Christine Pendley

The Auxiliary Services unit is pleased to announce that Christine Pendley, M.L.S., CI, CT, and SC:L, joined the team on December 12 as the Lead ASL/English Interpreter. In this new role, Christine will serve as a statewide subject matter expert on sign language interpreting, including in court/legal and rural settings. She also will oversee all AS interpreting, training, mentoring, and policy development activities. The commission will benefit from Christine’s vision and leadership in this role.

Christine was first introduced to ASL and the Deaf community in southeast Michigan after her oldest daughter was identified as being deaf. Since then, she has continued to be a part of the Deaf community. Feeling it was important to learn ASL to be able to communicate with her two deaf children, she continued this path of learning.

Christine is a legally certified sign language interpreter who has been interpreting since 2000 after completing her bachelors in Interpreting from Madonna University. After obtaining her general certifications, she began coursework through the DO IT Center at the University of Northern Colorado focusing on legal interpreting. This coursework laid the foundation needed to be able to obtain her legal specialist certificate through the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. Christine then decided to continue her education and obtained her Master of Legal Studies degree in 2021 from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. 

Over 20 years as an ASL/English community-based interpreter has led her into business, government, medical, post-secondary education, legal, video relay and various other settings. 

Community roles and participation:

• Colorado RID Legal Interpreter Committee, 2010 - Current. 
• Legal Auxiliary Services Program Court/Legal Interpreting Mentor, 2016 - Current.
• Legal Auxiliary Services Advisory Council, 2010-2014. 
• CCDHHDB Commissioner representing parents of deaf, hard of hearing and deafblind children, 2016-2022. 
• CCDHHDB Sign Language Interpreter Certification Rulemaking Committee, 2020-2021.
• Legal Auxiliary Services Advisory Council Sign Language Interpreter Work Group, 2021-2022. 

Christine enjoys learning, teaching others, and mentoring. Her hobbies include spending time with her husband, four children, and soon to be five grandchildren. She enjoys stand-up paddle boarding, kick-boxing, skiing, knitting, and just plain old keeping herself busy.

Court & Legal Interpreting Mentoring Program

Image description (Above): Members of the current mentoring program include Mentee Dan Lasher, Mentee Kali Janda, Auxiliary Services Manager Trish Leakey, Mentor/Host Chris Pendley, Mentee Calene Carrano, Mentee Pauline Ballentine and her husband Chris Ballentine. Members gathered to celebrate in November.

The Legal Auxiliary Services program is responsible for credentialing providers as court/legal qualified in addition to scheduling sign language and CART services for the Colorado State Court System and state administrative proceedings. 

Sign language interpreters must hold one of the following: 

• Registry for Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) Specialist Certificate: Legal (SC:L). 
• Board for Evaluation of Interpreters (BEI) Court Interpreter certification.
• Complete more than 100 hours of legal interpreting training and mentoring.

The current mentoring program cohort of 17 mentees started in summer 2021 with an orientation, courtroom observations, and a discussion group. In fall 2021, Mentees began completing hands-on mentoring hours with a variety of assignment mentors. 

On Saturday, November 19, court/legal mentor Christine Pendley hosted a gathering at her house for the mentoring program participants. Attendees enjoyed the opportunity to get together in-person in an informal setting with lots of delicious food. 

As of November 2022, five mentees have completed the requirements and attained a Status II Court/Legal Interpreter designation, eight are still in process, and four withdrew from the program. 

Plans are in the works to form a new court/legal sign language interpreting mentoring cohort. Please email Legal Auxiliary Services (las.ccdhhdb@state.co.us) if you would like more information. 

New Products Available for you!

Colorado Roadmap

Colorado Hands & Voices, in collaboration with Colorado EHDI, has recently updated the English version of the Colorado Roadmap and it is ready for distribution. This updated Roadmap gives families information about the early hearing detection and intervention process from screening, to identification of hearing levels with a pediatric audiologist, family-to-family support, and the start of early intervention.

You can find this resource on the Colorado Hands & Voices website.

Printable versions | Interactive version

Unilateral Hearing Loss Infographic

The Unilateral Hearing Loss (UHL) infographic was developed with thorough input from our Diagnostic/Identification Task Force and Colorado EHDI Alliance members who have identified that it is crucial for families of children with UHL to connect with available resources, such as their Colorado Hearing (CO-Hear) Resource Coordinator, Colorado Hands & Voices Guides, and other family-to-family support resources. Ongoing monitoring of hearing acuity, by a pediatric audiologist, is recommended. At no charge, each child can have their development monitored when the parents complete a short assessment. You can access the UHL infographic on the COEHDI website, which also includes an order form if you would like to request printed copies.