Subject: Coalition?/ Re: AT ? for telephone assistance program renewal
From: Chris Clark (ceclark@cet.com)
Date: Thu Jan 02 2003 - 16:39:59 PST
Dear Andrea,
Is there a coalition working on this project?
U.S. Sprint has had some of the state contracts. Their assistive
technology branch manager may be helpful in this area.
I heard that the director of deaf services / DSHS was vacant. Did Leon
retire?
Chris Clark
On Thursday, January 2, 2003, at 03:55 PM, Andrea Abrahamson wrote:
>
>> Hello
>>
>> As you may be aware, the Washington Telephone Assistance Program
>> (WTAP) is
>> up for legislative renewal during the 2003 legislative session. This
>> program allows adults who receive DSHS to receive basic telephone
>> service
>> at significantly reduced rates.
>>
>> Currently the legislation "limits reimbursement to one residential
>> switched access line or one radio access line per eligible household,
>> or
>> one community service voice mailbox per eligible person." What other
>> states have done is make an exception to the one-line limit for TTY
>> users.
>> Accordingly, Washington Protection & Advocacy System (WPAS) would like
>> to
>> propose language to the legislature to make an exception for more than
>> one
>> line as needed for those with special needs in Washington State.
>>
>> I am not entirely familiar with the technology available for phone line
>> users, but have been working on some draft language, and would
>> appreciate
>> any suggestions or feedback you may have. What are your thoughts on
>> adding
>> the following phrase to the above sentence?
>>
>> ...per eligible person, unless a person's disability requires
>> technology
>> sufficient to enable access to TTY, TDD, internet or voice services via
>> use of an additional residential switched access line.
>>
>> You can email me directly if you like at andreaa@wpas-rights.org.
>> Thanks.
>>
>> Andrea
>>
>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>> Andrea Abrahamson
>> Systems' Advocate
>> Washington Protection and Advocacy System
>> 180 W Dayton Suite 102, Edmonds WA 98020
>> 425-776-1199 ext. 216
>> TTY 425-776-1648
>> www.wpas-rights.org andreaa@wpas-rights.org
>> Promoting Dignity, Equality and Self-Determination
>>
>
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